Shigure turned his head slightly, his gaze sweeping across the other Kage.
"Since all of you insist on this…the Mizukage refusing to cooperate would truly disappoint you, wouldn't it?"
He straightened, eyes calm and cold.
"So… let's begin."
"The Fourth Great Ninja War."
Boom.
A thunderous shock ran through the minds of every Kage present.
None of them—none—expected Shigure to declare war openly and without hesitation.
Not even a pause, not even a breath of doubt.
Was this man truly unafraid?
Did he genuinely plan to stand alone against the combined might of all four great shinobi villages?
He was mad.
Absolutely, terrifyingly mad.
"Shigure!" the Raikage growled. "Have you even thought this through?"
Shigure didn't flinch.
"What about you? Is your Kumogakure ready?"
Bang!
The Raikage's punch obliterated the table between them, splinters flying in every direction.
Guards burst from behind the curtains instantly:
Hatake Kakashi,Might Guy,Kurotsuchi,Deidara,Darui,C,Kankurō,Sasori.
All powerful, all ready.
Every village had come prepared for the possibility of war.
But the two figures flanking Shigure left everyone in stunned silence.
One was a blindfolded woman in a maid-like uniform—her posture sharp, senses keen.
She was clearly a highly specialized sensory fighter.
The second…
The second wore the unmistakable Uchiha clan crest.
The room froze.
A member of the Uchiha Clan?
Impossible.
The Uchiha had been annihilated.
Only Sasuke survived.
Yet here stood Uchiha Fugaku, alive, composed, unmistakable.
Tsunade gasped.
"Fugaku…? Uchiha Fugaku? How—"
Fugaku gave a respectful nod.
"Hokage-sama. It has been a long time."
Tsunade's thoughts collapsed into chaos.
He shouldn't exist.
He had died that night.
Shigure's faint smile answered the unspoken question.
"Is it so surprising? The First Hokage died long ago too… yet he once walked the earth again."
And she understood.
Edo Tensei, combined with Shigure's own resurrection methods.
Fugaku had been revived.
And if he was here, then perhaps Kirigakure held more revived Uchiha—
Though only those who had awakened their Sharingan, those whose eyes still existed.
That meant every resurrected Uchiha under Shigure was an elite-level Sharingan user.
The Raikage's expression hardened.
As someone who lived through the era of Fugaku, he understood the threat.
Fugaku had never revealed his true combat ability, but the Uchiha patriarch escaping multiple ambushes during the Third War with ease?
Impossible without power on the level of a Mangekyō Sharingan.
"I didn't expect the Fourth Raikage to still remember me," Fugaku said calmly.
"A dead man like me hardly deserves that."
The Raikage did not answer.
But his heart grew heavier.
Kirigakure was already the most dangerous village under Shigure's leadership—now strengthened by revived, Sharingan-wielding Uchiha.
If war broke out, the Mist would be a nightmare.
Shigure looked at the Kage without a hint of fear.
"Since the war has been decided, return and make your preparations."
"Whether you come together or separately… Kirigakure will face all of you."
Even Fugaku hesitated, wondering if the Mist could truly withstand a coordinated assault from all four great nations.
A single powerful shinobi did not equal a nation.
But Shigure simply flicked his wrist.
"We're leaving."
Hinata and Fugaku fell in behind him immediately.
The remaining Kage exchanged grim looks.
Time for hesitation was gone.
The Third Tsuchikage finally spoke, voice low and tense.
"Think carefully. If we let him leave now, he will rally the entire Land of Water against us."
"And though the Land of Water alone cannot defeat all four of us together… the casualties will be enormous."
His eyes sharpened.
"Do you truly intend to let him walk out alive?"
His hand lifted—tracing the motion of a blade across the neck.
A silent, unmistakable message.
The Raikage's eyes hardened.
They had already torn the mask off.
If they hesitated now—
If they feared reputational damage—
They would be crushed beneath Shigure in the future.
Lightning erupted across the Raikage's body.
"Then we finish this—here and now."
Thunder Chakra surged violently as the Raikage's lightning cloak flared to life, its crackling echo filling the tense room.
Shigure, who had been walking toward the exit, paused mid-step.
The words exchanged between him and the Tsuchikage moments ago had clearly reached every ear.
And since his pace had been slow, he had not yet crossed the threshold.
He turned back toward the Raikage, the Tsuchikage, and Gaara—whose sand was already floating protectively around him.
Shigure nodded calmly.
"Very good. Very good."
"So… you intend to start here?"
He had originally planned to give them time—time to return to their villages, to prepare, to decide how they wanted this war to unfold.
But clearly, they had something else in mind.
His eyes swept across the room.
"Are you sure you want to fight in this place?"
The guards tensed immediately.
They knew exactly how dangerous Shigure was—one mistake could mean instant death.
The atmosphere tightened like a drawn bowstring.
Shigure smiled faintly.
They still did not answer.
That silence alone was their answer.
"Very well," he said.
"Let's settle it."
"Whether I kill you, or you kill me—everything depends on who is stronger."
He shifted his stance, preparing to move, when—
"Please wait!" Mifune shot to his feet, voice trembling.
"Lord Raikage, Lord Tsuchikage, Lord Mizukage—calm yourselves! Please, calm down!"
"Things may not have reached the point of no return!
There is still room for negotiation!"
Negotiation?
The Raikage scoffed.
Shigure hadn't shown even the slightest intention to retreat—not a step, not a breath.
There was no way for this meeting to continue.
"Since Lord Mizukage seeks battle," the Raikage growled, "we will fight to the end!"
Shigure nodded, utterly unbothered.
"Then come."
"Raikage… you're quite bold. I appreciate that."
Boom!
Before anyone could react, a violent burst of chakra exploded outward—
A shockwave so dense it became tangible, ripping forward straight toward the Raikage.
Shigure blinked.
Mifune froze.
Tsunade and Gaara's eyes widened.
Because the one who attacked…
was not Shigure.
It was—
Hinata.
Blindfolded, dressed in her maid-style uniform, she had suddenly thrust out her palm—
A Gentle Fist strike infused with dense chakra, launching a projectile directly at the Raikage.
The room went silent.
Even Shigure stared, stunned.
When did I tell her to attack???
Hinata had acted entirely on her own.
And her chakra blast was fast—fast enough to catch even the Raikage off guard.
…
(End of Chapter)
🔟 Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin
😊 Thank you for your support!