Chapter 77
And as Pakura felt her life end, as the Iwa nin attacked her bleeding and immobile form once more, she cursed this world and the village that she had devoted her life to.
She cursed the Kazekage for betraying her, cursed herself for her loyalty, as she prepared herself for her death, when suddenly, she felt the moisture in the air vanish, as the air began to tremble with heat.
"This is..." and she had felt this before, just a few months ago in her own village as a black haired boy had drawn a sword and then turned half the arena into glass itself.
"Ninpo:..." She heard a whisper as she saw a figure land in front of her.
"Kyositusjin!"
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UNRULY AY—The Fourth Raikage
In the end, Ay had chosen to trust the intelligence from Iwa and had mobilised his forces to launch an attack against Konoha. It was a big gamble from him, one that could have put the entirety of Kumo in jeopardy, but in the end, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
For years, Konoha had been allowed to grow its might unchecked and undeterred, inching closer towards having enough power to create a hegemony in the world, and he could not let that happen.
In the end, the intel from Suna had come, and the rumors were indeed true that Namikaze had been absent from the Chunin exams, as Ay rued the day he had decided to boycott the exams.
However, in the end, it was difficult for Konoha to keep such a big secret, and word had begun to spread about a mysterious attack on the village, one that had wiped out the village's elite.
Ay could not fathom what kind of a monstrosity it had been, and neither did the rumors specify. Some spoke of the Nine Tails, others were more delusional and spoke of Mokuton, and some even whispered the name of Madara.
It did not matter, though, for the death and demise of Namikaze were a surety at this point, and Konoha had already named his successor.
"Izuna Uchiha," he whispered the name of the brat as their forces clashed around him, and he tore through two Konoha shinobi as he headed straight towards the proverbial Head of the Snake.
With Namikaze gone, Ay believed that there was no shinobi in the world who could match his speed, and as he tore through the battlefield, he jumped up, just above the white skinned Sanin as he pushed chakra into his leg and aimed it at the bastard's head.
"GUILLOTINE DROP!"
And he felt his leg rip through the Snake Sanin's body, but instead of blood what splattered around him was mud, and his eyes narrowed as he saw it laced with Paper Bombs.
BOOOOM! BOOOOM!
"As crafty as always," he whispered as he slashed his hand swept away the dust cloud as he gazed at the white haired shinobi, as they stood in the center of the battlefield.
In the end, the stakes were clear. Orochimaru was one of the craftiest shinobi alive, and if his forces were to move forward with ease, he had to end his life right now.
"And you remain as fast as always, lord Raikage," the man whispered as his Snake Summon coiled around him, as Ay smirked.
"Tell me, Orochimaru, what does it feel like to be superseded by a child?" and those golden orbs narrowed as he insulted the man.
"You were the student of the Sandaime Hokage, and bear the title of Sanin granted by Hanzo the Salamander himself, yet when it came time to choose Namikaze's successor, they chose a child over you," and it must have hurt his pride as a shinobi.
"If you think Izuna Uchiha is a child, then you are a bigger fool than I thought," and those words were said with a chuckle as the man.
"The world has only yet seen a fraction of his power," and even as a child, Izuna Uchiha had been a monster, and now, years later, he wondered just what kind of a menace he had become, and this was one reason that he had been compelled to attack Konoha.
For their choice of Kage showed that Konoha had no intention of backing away. Had they chosen Orochimaru, or even Tsunade Senju, or any other shinobi, it could have shown a desire to engage in diplomacy, but the choice of Izuna Uchiha, the Butcher of Kumo and Kiri, was a statement to the rest of the continent—that Konoha would not back down.
"Years ago, the world took away his mercy as it slaughtered his friend and teammate in front of his eyes," and he knew that.
"And now with the death of Namikaze, you have eroded away his optimism as well, and so I warn you and all your allies to retreat, for you have angered the God of Death himself, and unlike Namikaze, the Godaime shall offer you only death and destruction." Those were grand words, but he did not care at all.
"I am not scared of a snot-nosed brat!"
CRACKLE! CRACKLE! CRACK! CRINK!
His chakra cloak roared at his words, as Ay prepared himself for battle. The ground beneath his feet cracked as he screamed.
"I will end you, and that bastard! I will be the one to bring Konoha to its knees!" and with that, he jumped forward, and yet the Snake Sanin did not move, and he saw his lips move.
"Well, I am afraid I don't have the time for you today," and just as he was about to strike at him from the side.
"LATERAL BOLT OF PAIN!"
"Our Hokage has sent someone special to deal with you...."
"LEAF HURRICANE!" and before he could attack his neck, he found his attack blocked by a kick, as he saw a shinobi blur in between them, his pace unlike anything he had expected.
"AGHHHH!" he screamed, trying to push forth, but the intervening leg did not budge, and in the end, he was pushed back as this new shinobi landed in between him and Orochimaru.
And for the first time in a very long time, Ay as he felt pain throb through. This shinobi. He was able to penetrate through his Lightning Cloak.
He looked up and saw the man with his thick eyebrows and a green uniform. He wore a scarf around his neck as green chakra rushed off of his red tinged skin.
"Who are you?" he questioned, and those roundish eyes narrowed.
"My name is Might Duy, and I am the man who shall defeat you, Raikage." Duy had never heard of a shinobi by that name.
Ay cursed Konoha for having as many prodigies as they did.
"I don't remember a shinobu by that name in the bingo book," he whispered.
"Of course, for I am not in the Bingo Book. After all, one needs to be a jounin to be in it while I am but a recent chunin," and for a second he wondered if he had heard wrong.
"What a farce! Do you really think that a CHUNIN CAN STOP ME!" he thundered. The air around him began to burn as lightning crackled around him.
"AGHHH!" and he vanished again, trying to attack the Snake Sanin once more as he pushed his speed to the limit, but was surprised as the black haired man intervened once more.
"LARIATT!"
"LEAF POUNDER!" and as their elbows met the ground, it began to crack under their feet, as he realised that the man was matching him in both speed and power.
"Chunin huh?!" he scoffed as the man nodded, and they jumped away once more. He saw that the green suit of the man was tinged with black burns.
"You are fast, but you are no Namikaze. You cannot keep up with me," and that much was obvious to him.
"Can I leave this to you, Duy?" the Sanin questioned.
"Yes, I will not let Hokage-sama down," and with that he saw the man bring together his arms as he felt his chakra shift, as the green hue around him turned blue.
"Seventh Gate..." he heard a whisper.
"OPEN!"
WHOOOOOSH!" and immediately his eyes widened, as he felt the very air quiver as the man eyed him, as chakra rushed off of him in vapors.
"What kind of a Monster are you!"
"I am the Leaf's Blue Beast, and the second strongest taijutsu user in this entire world...." and in an instant, he disappeared before he appeared in front of him in a blur, as he aimed an attack at him.
"HIRUDORA!"
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OHNOKI—The Fencesitter
Nothing had changed. Nothing at all.
Years ago, when Ohnoki had been a young boy and the world had just entered this new age of Hidden Villages, he had been in this very position.
Lying on the ground, defeated and nearly dead, as he stared at those ominous red eyes, as a Uchiha looked down on him.
Years later, he now lay on the ground once more, defeated by another Uchiha—this one much younger than Madara, but no less threatening. And Ohnoki had hoped that with Namikaze gone, Konoha would be an easier opponent to decimate, that their new young Hokage would give them an opening that Iwagakure could exploit and bring back balance to the world.
But he had been wrong—and his village would now pay the price for his mistake.
The Yellow Flash was a devil, one who slaughtered his entire platoon, yet for all his might, the man had shared the same naiveties of his predecessors. He was kind and merciful, and despite having many advantages, he had chosen to show mercy to his village.
One look into those eyes, and Ohnoki could tell that this monster had none of that mercy. That they had awakened a monster who would now bring the whole world to its knees.
"To think that you had been holding back so much," Ohnoki whispered, as blood gushed out of his shoulders, both his arms had been cut off, and he could feel the world dimming away.
"A monster...yo...ar...a..monster," he whispered, and the boy simply stood there and looked down at him, his body bruised and battered, but unlike Ohnoki, he would survive.
And around them lay thousands of dead, including nearly the entirety of the battalion that he had brought along with him.
"You should not have attacked Konoha," and indeed, he should not have.
"Iwa will not fall so easily," he declared even as his heart trembled in fear and trepidation.
"I know," he answered.
"But easy or difficult, Iwa will fall nonetheless. So, will Kumo for time has come to show you both that your actions have consequences," and he would not beg for mercy, not ever.
Not from him.
"Die with the knowledge that I will complete the dream of the First Hokage. I will bring peace to this land," and that would never happen for as long as men lived, war and battle would remain ever present.
"...even if I have to do it by force!"
"Iwa, will stand tall...." and with those words, the Third Tsuchikage died, bringing to an end an era that had lasted for over half a century. The war that had been started to cripple the might of Konohagakure rattled the foundation of Iwagakure itself.
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