"Damn it—!"
The sight of corpses swept away by the shockwave made the Third Raikage's eyes split wide with fury.
Rage and killing intent surged within him like the lightning raging across his body, climbing to their absolute peak in that instant.
His gaze snapped toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The latter braced himself with the Enma staff, his face pale as paper, his chest heaving violently. Every breath sent unstable ripples through his nearly depleted chakra.
The Raikage was certain—
Give him another ten seconds… perhaps a little more—
And he would find the opening to crush the Third Hokage.
Perhaps even end him.
But—
At the very edge of that attainable victory—
Might Dai had appeared.
With speed beyond reason.
With power that ignored all defense.
One after another, Kumogakure shinobi were smashed into nothing but blood mist.
Even he—
Was shaken by that speed.
By that raw, absolute force.
If I ignore him…
A cold conclusion detonated in his mind.
Our formation… our morale… will be torn apart by that one man!
Kill Hiruzen—
Or stop that monster?
In a single instant—
A ruthless decision flashed through the Raikage's eyes.
Hiruzen Sarutobi must die! Otherwise, all those who fell today will have died for nothing!
As for that monster… that technique must have limits. He won't last long…
Once time runs out, he'll die on his own. Otherwise, Konoha wouldn't have waited until now to use him!
His thoughts surged like lightning.
Can he interfere before I kill the Hokage?
He's far… but his speed…
No—enough hesitation! There is only one goal—
Kill the Hokage!
"Hiruzen Sarutobi—die!"
The Raikage roared through clenched teeth.
His right arm was useless—
But his left hand formed a blade.
The dimming lightning armor around him flared once more, draining his chakra violently as it burst into dazzling brilliance.
All his strength—
All his will—
All his speed—
Focused into a single point.
At that moment—
The last trace of sunlight vanished beneath the horizon.
A full, cold moon rose into the sky.
Silver light poured across the battlefield.
Smoke, fire, and lightning intertwined beneath it—
Painting a surreal, deadly scene.
It illuminated the Raikage's savage face.
It illuminated Hiruzen's pale one.
And—
Far away—
It illuminated the blue steam that had just turned another Kumogakure jōnin into a cloud of blood.
"Hell Stab: Two-Finger Nukite!"
The Raikage roared.
His remaining arm became a streak of silver lightning, tearing through the moonlight.
The ground beneath him shattered.
His entire being merged with lightning itself.
Abandoning all defense—
Advancing with absolute resolve—
Toward Hiruzen.
Toward the kill.
This strike—
Was beyond sight.
Beyond reaction.
Enough to pierce mountains.
He would kill the Hokage—
At this very moment of moonrise.
Hiruzen's pupils shrank.
The chill of death pierced his bones.
He was at his limit—
But not helpless.
Victory was within reach.
He could not fall.
Not now.
At the exact instant the Raikage's killing intent locked onto Hiruzen—
At the exact instant lightning erupted—
Might Dai turned his head.
And—
Opened the Eighth Gate.
The Gate of Death.
The true Eight Gates Formation.
The blue vapor around him collapsed inward—
As if swallowed by something unseen.
The air itself froze.
Then—
A new energy erupted.
Dark red.
Thick like blood.
Heavy like iron.
It burst forth like hellfire from an opened gate of the underworld—
Soaring into the sky.
His skin turned crimson.
Cracks spread across it like shattered earth.
Blood vessels ruptured.
Muscles tore beyond their limits.
His green suit disintegrated.
His eyes—
Turned into hollow, devouring crimson.
Before terrified enemies—
Before stunned allies—
His life burned.
Transformed—
Into power capable of destroying the world.
Time—
For both sides—
Began to run out.
"Night Guy."
He moved.
No warning.
No afterimage.
Space itself shattered beneath his step.
The ground within dozens of meters turned to dust.
By the time the sound reached human ears—
It was already over.
Mitokado Homura barely saw it—
A distorted, blood-red, dragon-shaped trajectory—
Warping light and space—
Tearing across the battlefield.
Everything in its path—
People.
Weapons.
Residual ninjutsu.
Even the air—
Was obliterated.
A corridor of death.
He moved after—
But arrived first.
Just as the Raikage's ultimate strike—
Was about to pierce Hiruzen's chest—
That red dragon—
Intercepted.
Perfectly.
Violently.
Time—
Slowed.
The Raikage saw—
A foot.
Wrapped in dark red steam.
Cracked.
Burning.
Descending—
Toward his chest.
Slow—
Yet unstoppable.
He could feel the power—
Enough to shatter mountains.
He could hear—
His lightning armor—
Screaming under the strain.
But—
He could do nothing.
Speed.
Strength.
Even the rules of combat—
Were crushed.
"What… is this…?"
His final thought—
Never finished.
"BOOM—!!!!"
A sound beyond sound.
The red dragon—
Struck.
And in that instant—
The Raikage—
The man known as the ultimate spear and shield—
Was obliterated.
His chest—
His arms—
His head—
Shattered.
Not exploded—
Crushed.
As if beneath an invisible hammer of unimaginable force.
There was no blood rain.
The flesh—
The blood—
The body—
All vaporized instantly.
Only a fleeting red mist remained—
Before it too vanished.
One kick.
The Raikage—
Fell.
The remaining force of Night Guy surged forward—
A massive crimson shockwave expanding outward.
The earth was torn apart.
Dozens of nearby Kumogakure shinobi—
Were erased instantly.
Hiruzen stood frozen.
Before him—
Only the Raikage's legs remained.
Still standing.
Like broken pillars marking the end of an era.
His hand trembled on the staff.
Victory—
Did not feel real.
Only shock.
Awe.
And fear—
Of that overwhelming power.
"The… Raikage… he…"
"The Raikage is dead!"
Someone screamed.
Then—
Collapse.
Fear spread like wildfire.
"Impossible!"
"Retreat! Retreat—!!!"
The Kumogakure army broke.
Completely.
Their strongest—
Gone.
Erased.
All will to fight—
Destroyed.
They ran.
All of them.
Jōnin.
Genin.
Everyone.
"Homura—pursue them! Leave no one alive!"
Hiruzen's roar shattered the silence.
Konoha snapped back to life.
"Understood! All units—"
"Pursue!"
Morale surged.
Konoha charged.
The battlefield reversed.
But Hiruzen—
Did not move.
He turned slowly.
Toward the collapsing figure beside him.
"Thud."
Might Dai fell.
His body—
Charred.
Cracked.
Burned beyond recognition.
He lay on his back.
Motionless.
The red vapor—
Gone.
Only a broken shell remained.
Hiruzen knelt.
His hand trembled—
Stopping just before touching him.
He said nothing.
He only watched—
As life faded from that face.
Youth—
Burned to its brightest—
Most cruel—
Final light.
Then—
Darkness.
A thought rose in Hiruzen's mind.
Someday—
Soon—
He too would face death.
What… was Dai thinking… at the end?
What… will I think…?
"Victory! Victory! Konoha has won!"
On the walls, a trembling attendant screamed in joy.
He ran—
Stumbling—
Toward the palace.
"To the lord! I must report this!"
Inside—
The atmosphere was calm.
Tea.
Incense.
Soft light.
The daimyō sat quietly, holding a cup.
Yakushi Nono knelt gracefully before him, preparing tea.
Outside—
Shouts of victory approached.
Inside—
Stillness remained.
"Your tea… has cooled," the daimyō said.
Nono smiled gently.
"Tea cools with time."
"As does victory."
The daimyō looked at her—
Regret rising in his heart.
He had given too much.
Too much to the Uchiha.
If he had known—
Kumogakure would fall so easily—
He would never have granted them a shogunate.
Nono understood.
Of course she did.
"Your Excellency," she said softly,
"A tiger may drive away wolves…"
"But a garden needs deep-rooted trees to remain peaceful."
"The eastern winds have grown quite cold lately."
The daimyō drank.
His gaze—
Slowly unfocused.
Reflected—
Only her figure.
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