Naruto Infinite New World

On the Cloud Ninja front.

A vast forest had been reduced to a wasteland, with craters and deep blade marks visible everywhere. Not a single intact tree remained, and even the distant cliffs had fractured and crumbled.

In the middle of the barren land, Raikage A knelt on one knee, clutching his shoulder, where a deep, bone-exposing wound was visible. His gaze was fixed firmly on the figure before him.

"Lost again."

This was the second time he had crossed blades with Sakumo, and once again, he had been defeated by the latter's sword.

Sakumo, too, was kneeling on the ground, breathing heavily. His family's ancestral short blade had already developed several chips, as though it might break with just a few more uses.

Facing Raikage A was by no means an easy victory for him either.

"Is the third layer really that strong?" A asked coldly.

The Cloud Village's knowledge of sealing techniques only extended to modifying the second layer, but the third layer remained beyond their reach.

"I haven't reached it yet," Sakumo shook his head. The difficulty of the third layer was a hurdle that had blocked everyone thus far.

For Konoha shinobi, chakra had always been insufficient.

Even Sakumo had expended a great deal of chakra during his battle with A, putting him further away from reaching the third layer.

"Third layer..." A murmured, realizing how formidable Sakumo had become just by approaching that stage.

It seemed necessary to find a way to break through the third layer.

Suddenly, an idea struck him: didn't Konoha possess the most ninjutsu?

But as he glanced at Sakumo, he knew that as long as this man was alive, they stood no chance.

That slash which could cleave mountains had never even been used against him.

That wasn't even Sakumo's full power.

He wondered if B had managed to capture Uchiha Gin. Perhaps the creator of Basic Inner Technique was their key to advancing.

Just as A was questioning why he hadn't heard any news of a battle on B's side, a figure was thrown toward him from afar. Seeing the familiar form, A's pupils contracted, and he jumped up, catching the unconscious B in his arms.

Glaring at Gin, who appeared beside Sakumo, A's expression darkened.

"What did you do to him?"

"Tried, but failed," Gin replied, looking disdainfully at B.

In the anime of his previous life, B was portrayed as emotionally fragile, but the reality was the opposite. This B had a mental fortitude that was terrifyingly strong.

In their subsequent battle within the mental realm, Gin had repeatedly tortured B, attempting to break his spirit and seize control of the Eight-Tails.

Yet no matter how much B was tormented, his mental will never shattered. He stubbornly resisted Gin's Meikon Jutsu (Clear Soul Technique).

Since he couldn't control the Eight-Tails, Gin found B to be useless.

A's cold gaze shifted toward Gin.

Gin, however, simply grinned, raising his hand to grip his sword's hilt as the broken blade began to reform.

"I could finish you all right here."

A's expression changed. He knew Gin's power well, and in his current condition, Gin was fully capable of doing just that.

Moreover, Gin didn't appear to be fatigued at all.

Still, A couldn't help but retort, "The Uchiha aren't so special."

Despite his tough words, A wasted no time, retreating with B in his arms in a flash of blue lightning.

Now only Sakumo and Gin remained.

At that moment...

Gin was still gripping his sword, his gaze following the departing blue lightning.

"You let them go?"

Sakumo's voice was no longer casual as it usually was, but heavy, his grip on his own sword tightening.

"Is that so?"

Gin's face broke into a smile as he turned toward Sakumo, baring his teeth in a grin.

"Is it not allowed, Sakumo-dono?"

The tension in the air thickened as the two remained in their stances, neither making the next move.

The atmosphere became more volatile, as though a hidden truth behind their usual playful exchanges was about to surface.

"Sakumo-dono."

A voice suddenly interrupted the standoff.

Aburame Shibi appeared between the two, acting as if nothing unusual had happened.

"The battle in the Land of Rain is over. The Three Legendary Sannin of Konoha have simultaneously driven back the Demigod Hanzo, the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, and the Kazekage of Sunagakure."

"Even the Mizukage of Kirigakure was repelled by Might Duy-sama."

"Did we win?" Sakumo exhaled slowly.

At long last, this three-year war was drawing to a close.

Konoha had claimed victory.

Hiruzen, upon hearing of the successful defense in the Land of Rain, also exhaled in relief.

"We won."

Though this victory didn't mark the end of the Second Shinobi World War, it brought this chapter of the conflict to a close.

The war wouldn't truly be over until the fighting stopped completely.

"It's thanks to you, Danzo," Hiruzen said, looking at Danzo, who stood nearby.

"I told you," Danzo snorted, "an eye for an eye, blood for blood. You'd never win by sitting back and defending."

The moment Danzo learned that the Land of Rain had turned into a trap, he had rushed to the Hokage's office, demanding Hiruzen issue an order for a full-scale attack.

Danzo had always been a hardliner.

Hiruzen had initially hesitated, but after receiving news that the three Kage had appeared in the Land of Rain, he knew that indecision would spell disaster. So, he followed Danzo's advice and ordered the offensive.

This forced the enemy Kage to retreat and defend their home fronts.

"The most important thing now," Danzo continued, "is to press the attack. Riding on the momentum of our victory in the Land of Rain, we can tear a chunk out of their forces."

Danzo had already planned it all. First, they would use a feint.

Konoha would concentrate its full power on taking down the greatly weakened Sunagakure.

With him and Hiruzen in charge, along with Sakumo and the newly-named Sannin, Sunagakure wouldn't stand a chance.

Once Sunagakure fell, they would seize the Land of Wind, then move on to Iwagakure.

As long as they could hold off any brief alliances among the other villages, Konoha would grow stronger and stronger, eventually swallowing the entire ninja world piece by piece.

"That's enough," Hiruzen interrupted, putting an end to Danzo's fantasies.

"Konoha can't take any more."

Hiruzen didn't want to take such a gamble. Konoha had already lost nearly a third of its shinobi in this war.

If they continued fighting, the entire village might collapse.

Danzo slammed his hands down on the desk, glaring at Hiruzen.

"Hiruzen! This is our one chance! If we miss it, there won't be another!"

No matter what Konoha did now, the other villages would be forced to back down, at least for a while. They wouldn't find such an opportunity again.

"Enough, Danzo. Konoha can't afford to continue this war."

Hiruzen sighed deeply.

"You'll regret this, Hiruzen!"

"I am the Hokage, Danzo!"

Neither man gave an inch, but in the end, Danzo left with a face full of frustration.

(End of Chapter)

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