[Morning Peacock]
A low shout echoed across the battlefield.
Might Dai, who had just defeated Kitsuchi, appeared like a war god descending from the heavens. Somehow, he had reopened the View Gate again.
Moving at lightning speed, he leapt high into the air and suddenly reappeared behind Ōnoki.
His fists lashed out like raging whirlwinds, swinging rapidly with afterimages layering upon each other as though countless fists were attacking at once.
The flames generated by intense friction with the air resembled furious phoenix feathers, forming a terrifying barrage of attacks.
And Ōnoki, who had barely escaped death and hadn't even had time to recover his breath, had no escape.
His back was completely exposed, unguarded and vulnerable to Dai's assault.
In an instant, the power of Morning Peacock came crashing down like a collapsing mountain, landing squarely on Ōnoki's back.
"Aaaaaaah~"
Ōnoki's screams rose continuously, like a wounded beast releasing its final cry.
His body trembled violently beneath the relentless blows, rendered completely immobile.
Each punch felt like a massive hammer slamming into him, delivering pain unlike anything he'd ever known.
Blood gushed from his mouth as though spilling freely, leaving a shocking crimson mist lingering in the air.
When Dai finally stopped his barrage, Ōnoki seemed to have lost every ounce of strength, plummeting earthward.
If not for the faintest life signal still within him, he would have been indistinguishable from a corpse.
"He's actually still alive?"
Dai released the View Gate state again, his voice still filled with slight surprise.
He knew just how devastating Morning Peacock was—truly, Ōnoki was tougher than even his own son.
"Not dead yet? Close enough," replied Fugaku.
Fugaku, controlling Susano'o, slowly advanced to where Ōnoki lay.
The flickering flame of his life was nearly extinguished.
"Ahem~"
Ōnoki couldn't even cough up more blood now, only spitting out a few drops of foamy red liquid.
His eyes clouded over, unable to focus on anything in front of him.
He could only feel a massive shadow looming over him, while what little strength remained drained away.
Countless memories and regrets surged through his mind, yet now, everything felt beyond salvation.
"You want to finish him off?"
Standing beside Susano'o, Dai didn't even reach its ankle.
"Hmph. Does it really matter?" Fugaku chuckled slightly while raising Susano'o's foot and bringing it down on Ōnoki's body.
"Of course you do—you're the commander, after all."
Dai would almost seem honest and kind-hearted—if not for the blood staining his clothes.
"Senior Dai, you're truly the great hero here."
Victory secured, Fugaku's mood visibly lightened.
As Susano'o lifted its foot, Ōnoki no longer showed any sign of life.
Nothing remained in the Land of Earth to stand in Konoha's way.
"That's all thanks to our brilliant commander."
They exchanged hollow flattery and couldn't help but laugh together.
"Well then... It's time we brought this to an end."
Under Fugaku's control, Susano'o swung its black chakra katana with deadly precision. Every Iwagakure ninja struck by the blade fell instantly.
Against such fighters, ordinary ninjas stood no chance.
"Ōnoki has fallen."
"Surrender your weapons and you will not be killed."
Fugaku ceased the slaughter. Those last two attacks had already demonstrated enough intimidation.
His voice rang out across the battlefield, momentarily freezing all the Iwagakure ninjas.
When the first Iwa ninja dropped his weapon, more and more followed suit, surrendering.
From the moment Ōnoki fell, every Iwagakure ninja knew—they were defeated.
They'd been utterly crushed, with no chance of recovery.
Still, there were true-blue loyalists in Iwagakure who refused to surrender.
Fugaku naturally showed them no mercy. With a simple wave of his hand, those Iwa ninjas were immediately surrounded and executed by Konoha ninjas in full view of all.
Eventually, the field was littered only with kneeling Iwa ninjas and corpses. The war had finally ended.
Even the flanking raiding forces arranged by Ōnoki could not escape their fate.
Once the battle situation became irreversible, charging out could lead only to one outcome—
becoming prisoners or corpses themselves.
It was simply unfortunate that Ōnoki had miscalculated; a single powerful ninja could truly alter the course of a war.
Dai belonged precisely to that category of ninja.
"I guess maybe I really am getting old,"
"After being out here for such a short time, I actually miss home."
Looking at the desolation before him, Dai said with emotion.
Luckily, it wasn't Konoha facing defeat.
That thought might seem selfish, but aren't most people inherently selfish?
"Not long now. Once we deal with the Daimyō,"
"We can head back home."
Releasing Susano'o, Fugaku stood side by side with Dai.
He had fully avenged his vengeance. Having successfully defeated Iwagakure, his mission had been completed perfectly.
"When I get back, I'm gonna take a good rest."
"Do you think Hokage-sama would refuse me a leave of absence?"
Dai started acting playfully again as he spoke. Retiring might be difficult, but requesting leave from Tsunade definitely wouldn't be denied.
Considering the kind of missions he pulled back in the village—like chasing dogs and catching cats—who else would turn those down?
"Haha~ You're overthinking it."
"You could probably sleep in all day without even asking for leave, and nobody would say anything."
Fugaku teased Dai. Right now, he himself also longed to return home urgently.
"But we still have work to do."
"Let's go."
Under the command of Fugaku and Dai, the Konoha ninjas began evacuating the injured and collecting the corpses in an orderly manner.
After completing these tasks, they took away the prisoners, leaving part of their force behind to clean the battlefield.
This chapter isn't over yet—more exciting content ahead!
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Having defeated Iwagakure, they no longer had any reservations.
Under the command of these two leaders, Konoha's full-scale military force marched straight into the nearest town.
The news of Iwagakure's crushing defeat and the Tsuchikage's death inevitably spread far and wide.
Upon receiving this news, the Earth Daimyō felt as if all strength had drained from him, and he slumped to the ground.
He knew—the Land of Earth was finished.
For the next few days, he remained restless and anxious.
Just when he didn't know how to face the Konoha ninjas, Fugaku and Dai had already arrived outside the city walls with a large force.
If the Earth Daimyō understood the situation properly, he might still be spared.
However, if he remained stubborn, unable to recognize reality, Fugaku wouldn't mind escorting him to his grave.
After a fierce internal struggle, the Daimyō of the Land of Earth chose to live in dishonor.
At this point, even if he died, it wouldn't change the fact that the Land of Earth would be invaded.
He personally led a large group of officials, formally welcoming Konoha Ninjas' full-scale military force into the city.
Those once-arrogant officials of the Land of Earth now had pale, fearful expressions.
They clearly knew their fates had already been sealed, yet they were powerless to resist.
Fugaku did not hesitate for a moment, immediately taking complete control of Kokutō.
First, he detained all government officials from the Land of Earth to prevent potential rebellions.
Next, the Daimyō's officially signed and stamped surrender document was made public, announcing the submission of the Land of Earth.
Finally, Fugaku sent Konoha Ninjas to temporarily oversee various towns.
Once these arrangements were completed, the personnel sent by Tsunade to take over governance of the Land of Earth began arriving.
After a quick handover process, Fugaku and Dai finally began their journey home.
…
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