Darui gritted his teeth and raised his right hand. Blue lightning flickered within his palm.
"Storm Release: Laser Circus!"
Several blue laser beams shot forth from his palm, piercing straight toward Fugaku's Susanoo!
Fugaku raised his sword to block, and the lasers exploded against the blade, scattering showers of sparks.
"Attack!"
At Darui's command, all one thousand Hidden Cloud shinobi formed hand seals simultaneously!
"Lightning Release: Lightning Strike!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
"Earth Release: Iron Skin!"
A storm of multicolored ninjutsu rained down upon the Uchiha formation.
Fugaku's purple Susanoo swept its gigantic sword through the air, blocking a massive portion of the attacks.
Shisui's green Susanoo spun its spiral blade, deflecting the incoming Lightning Release techniques back toward the enemy.
Itachi's red Susanoo raised its shield, the Yata Mirror absorbing every attack entirely.
Taking the opportunity, the Uchiha Anbu charged into the battlefield. Their Sharingan captured every opening as shuriken rapidly harvested enemy lives.
Two hundred against one thousand, yet they tore through the enemy like tigers among sheep.
Although the Hidden Cloud shinobi were elites, against the Uchiha who possessed the Sharingan, and beneath the crushing pressure of three Susanoo, their numerical advantage vanished.
Darui's Storm Release was powerful, but before three Susanoo, it was no different from a bit of a larger ant.
He gritted his teeth and endured, sweat sliding down from his temples.
"Hold on! Lord Yugito will deal with their Clan Head, and when that happens–"
Before he could finish, a tremendous explosion echoed from the distant forest.
...
Deep within the forest.
The battle between Gento and Yugito continued.
Matatabi's Tailed Beast chakra was like an endless ocean, every attack carrying destructive force.
Twin-tail sweeps, claw strikes, and continuous volleys of Tailed Beast Bombs.
Yugito fought to her heart's content, holding nothing back.
Although Gento's Susanoo possessed astonishing defense, the weakness in his taijutsu gradually began to show.
He was not particularly proficient in taijutsu. What he relied on was simply the overwhelming raw power of Susanoo.
Facing Yugito's battle techniques, honed through countless battles, he gradually began to fall behind.
Matatabi's twin tails wrapped around the longsword while its claws slammed into the Susanoo's chest, forcing him back several steps.
"Uchiha Clan Head, is this all you're capable of?"
Yugito's voice echoed from within Matatabi, carrying a trace of smugness.
Gento steadied himself, yet a smile curled across his lips.
Not only was he not angry, he felt exhilarated.
This was the first time he had fought so freely and joyfully.
No tricks, no space-time ninjutsu, only the pure collision of power and clash of skill.
"Again!"
The Susanoo charged forward once more.
Matatabi's twin tails swept outward, but the Susanoo sidestepped and slashed with its longsword, carving away a chunk of Tailed Beast chakra.
Matatabi roared in pain and slammed down with its claws.
The Susanoo raised its sword to block and was forced backward, but immediately steadied itself before charging once more.
The two sides exchanged blows relentlessly, refusing to yield.
Very quickly, the battle continued for half an hour.
The longer Yugito fought, the more alarmed she became.
This man's taijutsu was clearly inferior to hers, yet he had forcibly endured everything through the Susanoo's defense.
Moreover, his chakra seemed endless.
After fighting for half an hour, the Susanoo showed not the slightest sign of weakening.
If this continued, even if she won, the cost would be enormous.
Thoughts of retreat had already begun to emerge within her mind.
Hidden Cloud Village had obviously made a severe misjudgment regarding Hidden Gento Village's strength.
If Hidden Gento Village truly possessed combat power of this level, then war could not be started lightly.
She was not worried about the other battlefield.
After all, Darui was leading one thousand men against two hundred.
The advantage was theirs.
Once she returned, they could renegotiate.
She said:
"Gento Uchiha, I acknowledge your strength."
"Hidden Cloud Village is willing to make concessions."
"The tribute payment will be reduced from thirty percent to ten percent."
"This is already the greatest sincerity we can offer."
"After all, if the fighting doesn't stop soon, the Uchiha on the other side will likely be slaughtered by the Hidden Cloud forces."
Hearing this, Gento let out a cold laugh.
The Susanoo ceased its attacks as he stood within the giant, looking down upon Yugito from above.
"You think I've been fighting all this time to negotiate with you?"
Yugito seized up.
Gento rolled his neck, producing a series of cracking sounds.
"Well then."
"It's time to end this farce."
He extended his hand and seized Yugito in her Tailed Beast form.
"Yomotsu!"
Space suddenly twisted!
Yugito's pupils contracted sharply as she tried to break free, only to discover an invisible force locking her firmly in place.
That power came from all directions, dragging her toward an unseen vortex.
"What?!"
Before she could finish speaking, both she and her enormous Tailed Beast-transformed body vanished into the distorted space.
The forest returned to silence.
Only the devastation covering the ground remained, along with the faint sounds of battle cries echoing from the distant battlefield.
Gento stood where he was and took a deep breath, a satisfied smile appearing at the corner of his lips.
As far as he knew, Yugito had not mastered space-time ninjutsu.
In that case, he would first throw her into Yomotsu Space and temper her attitude.
At the same time, the erosion of Yomotsu Space could help drain the Tailed Beast chakra within her body.
He then turned around and walked toward the direction of the main battlefield.
Judging by the time, Shisui's side should have already finished.
It was time for him to go clean up the rest.
...
Gento returned to the main battlefield.
The battle had already ended.
The ground was covered in craters and scorch marks left behind by ninjutsu bombardment.
Broken kunai and shattered armor were scattered everywhere.
The Uchiha Anbu moved throughout the battlefield, gathering the wounded Hidden Cloud shinobi under guard and collecting the spoils of war.
Two hundred against one thousand, with fewer than thirty casualties and more than three hundred prisoners captured.
Such a result was enough to shake the entire shinobi world.
When Gento returned to the battlefield, Shisui was escorting someone toward him.
That person was firmly bound by sealing formulas, his chakra locked down by sealing techniques.
His clothes were covered in dust and bloodstains, his hair disheveled, and traces of blood hung from the corners of his mouth.
It was Darui.
Shisui shoved him before Gento.
"Clan Head, the Hidden Cloud forces have been defeated. More than three hundred prisoners were captured, including this deputy commander."
"His name is Darui, a guard of the Fourth Raikage and a Storm Release user. His strength is considerable."
Gento sized up the young man before him.
Darui also raised his head and met his gaze.
"Uchiha Clan Head, quite the impressive methods."
His voice was somewhat hoarse.
Gento did not respond. He merely observed him with interest.
The Fifth Raikage, Darui.
In the original story, this man shined brilliantly during the Fourth Great Shinobi War and later inherited A's position, becoming the leader of Hidden Cloud Village.
His Storm Release was powerful, and his personality was calm and steady. He was a rare talent.
And now, he was Gento's prisoner.
A smile appeared at the corner of Gento's lips.
Since Hidden Cloud Village wanted to extort Hidden Gento Village, he didn't mind extorting them in return.
With the Fourth Raikage's explosive temper, he would probably be very willing to pay a price for his guard.
As for Yugito...
Gento had long since regarded that kunoichi as his personal possession.
"Take him away and keep him under close watch."
Gento ordered.
"Don't let him go hungry. This one is an honored guest."
Darui raised an eyebrow, as though he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only sighed before being escorted away by the Anbu.
Gento's gaze swept across the battlefield before finally landing on a Hidden Cloud shinobi curled up in a corner.
It was a young Genin clutching his injured arm, trembling in fear with terror filling his eyes.
"You."
Gento tilted his chin toward him.
The Genin's whole body shook, his face pale.
"I... I..."
"Don't be afraid."
Gento's voice carried a trace of gentleness.
"Go back and tell your Raikage that his forces have been wiped out. Darui and the remaining prisoners are all in my hands."
"If he wants them back, then within three days, he can bring sufficient sincerity to Hidden Gento Village and ransom them. If more than three days pass..."
He paused, his voice suddenly turning cold.
"We start executing hostages!"
The Genin froze for a moment before scrambling to his feet and stumbling into the distance.
After running dozens of steps, he even turned back for another glance, as though afraid Gento might change his mind.
Gento no longer paid attention to him and instead turned toward Shisui.
"Leave several Anbu behind to monitor movements at the border. Everyone else, withdraw."
"Yes!"
The Uchiha Anbu swiftly regrouped into formation, escorting the prisoners and carrying the spoils of war as they advanced toward Hidden Gento Village.
Suddenly, the sound of the system settlement echoed within his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing the mission: Battle of Founding the Village!]
[Reward: Draw Chance ×1]
Standing atop the high ground, Gento watched the troops depart before forming hand seals.
"Flying Thunder God."
Space twisted, and his figure vanished from where he stood in a blink.
...
When Gento opened his eyes again, he had appeared inside the study of the Imperial Residence.
He removed the outer robe covered in dust and changed into a clean set of dark casual clothes before stretching his body.
Although the battle against Yugito had been exhilarating, it had also left his entire body aching.
That woman's taijutsu truly was formidable, and in her Tailed Beast form, she became even more savage than a wild beast.
If the Susanoo's defense had not been sturdy enough, he likely would not have lasted nearly as long.
But now...
Yugito had already been captured by him.
By his estimation, the chakra within her body had probably been mostly eroded away by now.
It was time to properly "entertain" that Perfect Jinchuriki.
With a thought, Gento's figure appeared within Yomotsu Space.
---
If you want to support, please consider Patreon and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going! [Patreon.com/RedZTL]