Chapter 426: Perfect Jinchūriki
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"Th-They… disappeared?"
The moment Kei left those final words behind—
The black-cloaked figure who had appeared behind him instantly took him and his companions—
And vanished.
Right before the eyes of every Konoha shinobi present.
---
For a brief moment—
Everyone froze.
They had already prepared themselves to die.
Ready to fight these enemies—
The very ones who had attacked Konoha and caused such devastating losses.
And yet now—
There was no battle.
Perhaps it was because Uchiha Fugaku, another wielder of the Mangekyō Sharingan, stood here—
Making them wary.
Or perhaps—
After their battle with the Eight-Tails jinchūriki, they were too exhausted to continue.
No one knew for sure.
But one thing was certain—
Those figures, who inspired both fear and hatred in the hearts of Konoha's shinobi…
Had chosen to leave.
---
A strange mix of emotions spread through the ranks.
Relief.
Disappointment.
And something else—
Something heavy.
---
The aftershocks of the earlier battle alone had nearly wiped them out.
If they had fought those monsters head-on—
Even in the name of avenging the Nine-Tails disaster—
The chances of them dying on the spot would have been far greater.
Just look at the Cloud shinobi.
Their corpses lay scattered everywhere—
In horrific, unrecognizable states.
No one wanted to share that fate.
Not now.
---
"…Wait."
Suddenly—
A realization spread among the Konoha forces.
The Cloud army had been nearly annihilated.
The Eight-Tails jinchūriki—
And the Fourth Raikage—
Both missing.
Did that mean…
The war—
Was over?
---
The thought spread like wildfire.
And with it—
A surge of emotion.
Excitement.
Relief.
Grief.
Some even broke into cheers.
---
War—
Was always accompanied by death.
And it was something no one could truly resist.
This war had begun with Konoha on the defensive.
And now—
It was over.
Even if it had ended abruptly.
Even if it felt incomplete.
It was over.
---
"Captain Fugaku…"
Nara Kyōhei stepped forward, his voice filled with mixed emotions.
"It looks like… the war is over."
"…Yes," Fugaku replied calmly.
"But our work isn't finished."
---
Kyōhei paused—
Then immediately understood.
A Nara's mind worked quickly.
The war might be over—
But to secure Konoha's maximum benefit and reputation—
There was still much to do.
He glanced toward the rear—
Where the Fourth Raikage had been rescued and was undergoing treatment.
Then nodded.
"I understand."
"I'll organize rescue teams and search for surviving Cloud shinobi."
"And I'll make sure our people keep their emotions in check."
---
That restraint was necessary.
Just half an hour ago—
They were enemies.
But now—
Konoha had achieved a decisive victory.
If they slaughtered the remaining survivors—
It would harm Konoha's interests.
They needed those survivors alive.
To send a message.
To shape the narrative.
---
Orders were quickly issued.
Even those who hated the Cloud shinobi to the bone—
Had no choice but to comply.
They began rescuing and treating them.
---
But the situation was grim.
An army of eight thousand—
Destroyed in an instant.
Bodies littered the battlefield.
Some had been buried under debris.
Others blown far away.
---
Fugaku ordered the troops to set up camp and continue rescue operations.
After hours of searching—
They managed to find survivors.
But only around a thousand.
And even they were in critical condition.
Among them—
They also discovered Killer B, unconscious among the corpses.
---
By the time the search concluded—
The sun was already setting.
"Captain Fugaku," Kyōhei reported, visibly exhausted.
"We've located roughly a thousand survivors."
"But… our medical resources are limited."
"And their injuries…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
He didn't need to.
Many wouldn't make it.
---
Fugaku sighed softly.
"…Do what you can."
"We don't have the resources to save everyone."
Kyōhei nodded.
"I understand."
"Oh—and Captain—"
"The Fourth Raikage has regained consciousness."
"He wants to see you."
---
"…Already?" Fugaku raised an eyebrow.
The Raikage's injuries had been severe.
But then again—
That man's body was monstrous.
Perhaps it wasn't so surprising after all.
---
Of course—
What Fugaku didn't realize was—
From the Raikage's perspective—
Every Uchiha was a monster.
---
Fugaku approached him.
Looking at the once-dominant Raikage—
Now battered and broken—
A hint of satisfaction flickered in his heart.
---
Of course—
Strictly speaking—
Fugaku himself was no match for Kei.
He knew that better than anyone.
He had fought him.
He understood—
Just how terrifying the fourth-stage Susanoo truly was.
Its mobility.
Its overwhelming chakra.
Its exponential increase in combat power.
---
Fugaku hadn't reached that level yet.
And his Susanoo differed greatly in nature.
But still—
He was a wielder of that monstrous power.
And he believed—
One day—
He would reach that same height.
---
As for the Fourth Raikage—
No matter how powerful he was—
He relied only on his physical body.
The toll of such combat—
Could never compare to the burden of sustaining Susanoo.
---
And in the end—
That difference—
Had decided everything.
One was fighting with his life on the line—
The other was simply consuming chakra in a sustained, controlled manner.
The difference between the two…
Was absolute.
---
"You're awake."
Though Uchiha Fugaku felt a quiet sense of satisfaction inside, his expression remained as cold as ice, his tone utterly indifferent.
"…Yeah. I'm awake."
The Fourth Raikage's eyes were dull, his voice heavy with exhaustion and bitterness.
"Since you saved me… I assume you've already decided what to do with us."
"But I didn't expect… you'd make this kind of choice."
"You've already lost," Fugaku replied calmly.
"Even if it wasn't Konoha that defeated you, that doesn't change the outcome."
"We know why you started this war."
"But now…"
"We share a common enemy."
"Even if I wanted to kill you, the Hokage wouldn't allow it."
---
"…A common enemy, huh."
The Raikage clenched his remaining left hand tightly, hatred burning across his face.
"Since I survived…"
"Then I will make them pay."
"I will take revenge."
"For the eight thousand Cloud shinobi…"
"And for my brother."
---
Fugaku inwardly shook his head.
You won't get that chance.
The Raikage didn't even know who his enemy truly was.
And even if he somehow did—
He wouldn't be able to defeat that man.
Some things were better left unsaid.
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"Get some rest."
Fugaku had no interest in continuing the conversation.
"Oh, and one more thing."
"We managed to save around a thousand of your men."
"But our medical resources are limited."
"Prepare yourself."
"Also… your brother, Killer B, is still alive."
"We'll prioritize his treatment."
"You'll both be taken back to Konoha."
---
"…He's alive?"
For a moment, the Raikage's expression trembled with emotion—
Then he forced himself to calm down.
"…Good. That's enough."
"But Konoha, huh…"
"To think I'd one day go there like this…"
"…As a prisoner."
---
Meanwhile — Konoha, Uchiha Clan District
Inside an inconspicuous, abandoned warehouse—
A uniquely shaped kunai was embedded in the center of the floor.
Suddenly—
Four figures appeared without warning.
Black cloaks.
Swirling masks.
They were none other than Uchiha Kei and his group—
Fresh from their battle against the Raikage and the Eight-Tails.
---
Kei glanced at the familiar surroundings and removed his mask.
He knew—
They were back in Konoha.
Imai Kenta and Hyūga Ayaka followed suit, removing theirs as well.
There was no longer any need for disguise.
After all—
If someone happened to stumble upon them like this, it would only create unnecessary risk.
And besides—
Minato Namikaze was right behind them.
They weren't about to silence him, of all people.
---
"…Looks like we're back."
Kei smiled faintly, then turned toward the man disguised as an Aburame clan member.
"Captain Minato."
"Didn't expect you to be waiting for us."
---
Poof!
A puff of smoke dispersed—
Revealing Minato's true appearance.
"I stayed behind to see how things turned out," he said with a gentle smile.
"But… you really made quite a mess this time."
His expression didn't quite match his words.
And Kei understood exactly what he meant.
---
After a brief moment of thought—
Kei had already figured it out.
Their actions had indeed destroyed the Cloud forces—
But in doing so, they had also forced the war to end.
At the same time—
Konoha had moved in, gaining the moral high ground.
The only remaining concern was—
Whether the Raikage and the Eight-Tails jinchūriki would survive.
---
The Raikage had already been found—
Barely alive, with a gaping wound in his chest.
At a glance, it resembled a Chidori wound—
Yet it was clearly something else.
Minato was certain Kei had done something to disguise it.
But whether the Raikage would live…
Remained uncertain.
And as for the Eight-Tails jinchūriki—
That was an even bigger question.
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"…It wasn't exactly planned," Kei sighed softly.
"But, Captain Minato—"
"You already had a solution in mind, didn't you?"
"From the moment we set out."
"You planned to use this opportunity to approach the Cloud, redirect their hatred…"
"And shift Konoha's focus from 'war' to 'negotiation,' right?"
---
Minato's smile faded.
"…Kei."
"I hope you're not upset."
"I did have that intention."
"The cost of war is too great."
"Every casualty report… every name…"
"They were sent there by my orders."
"And every time I think about that…"
---
"I know."
Kei cut him off gently.
"It weighs on you, doesn't it?"
"There's a difference between killing on the battlefield…"
"And sending others to face death."
"I understand."
---
Minato's smile returned.
"…I'm glad you do."
"Your perspective is admirable, Kei."
---
"You're the Hokage," Kei replied lightly.
"Anyway… there's something else we need to discuss."
"Oh?"
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"…The tailed beasts."
"And the jinchūriki."
Kei's gaze sharpened slightly.
"Aren't you curious—"
"Why the Cloud Village has a perfect jinchūriki?"
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(End of Chapter)