Vast stretches of forest lay riddled with craters and gashes from blade strikes, not a single tree left intact. Even distant cliffs had been shattered into fragments.
On a barren patch of land, the Raikage A knelt on one knee, clutching his shoulder—a wound so deep the bone was visible—his gaze locked onto the figure before him.
"Lost again."
This was his second duel with the White Fang, and once more, he had been bested by the White Fang's blade.
The White Fang also knelt, breathing heavily, the ancestral shortsword of the Hatake clan in his hand now chipped. A few more strikes, and it might shatter entirely.
Against the Raikage A, victory had not come easily.
"Is the Third Layer truly this powerful?" A demanded coldly.
The Hidden Cloud Village's knowledge of sealing techniques barely extended to modifying the Second Layer. The Third Layer lay beyond their grasp.
"I haven't reached it yet," the White Fang shook his head. The difficulty of the Third Layer had stymied everyone so far.
For Konoha shinobi, the greater struggle was their perpetual lack of chakra. Even the White Fang had expended vast amounts in his battle with A, pushing the Third Layer further out of reach.
"The Third Layer..." A muttered. Merely approaching this stage had made the White Fang such a formidable opponent.
It seemed they had to find a way to break through to the Third Layer.
An idea struck A. Didn't Konoha possess the most ninjutsu?
But as long as the White Fang lived, they stood no chance. That mountain-splitting strike of his had yet to be unleashed.
This wasn't even his full power.
A wondered if B had managed to capture Uchiha Kin, the creator of the Foundation Internal Energy technique. Perhaps he was their key to progress.
Just as he pondered why there had been no signs of B's battle, a figure was hurled from the distance. Recognizing the familiar form, A's pupils constricted. He leaped up, catching B mid-air and landing heavily.
Seeing B unconscious, A's expression darkened as he turned to Uchiha Kin, who now stood beside the White Fang.
"What did you do to him?"
"Tried something, but it didn't work," Kin replied, eyeing B with disdain.
In the anime, B had been portrayed as emotionally fragile, but reality proved the opposite—his mental fortitude was terrifyingly resilient.
During their clash in the mental realm, Kin had subjected B to relentless torment, hoping to break his will and seize control of the Eight-Tails. Yet no matter the suffering, B's spirit remained unbroken, stubbornly resisting Kin's Soul Illumination Technique.
Failing to control the Eight-Tails, Kin found B utterly useless.
The Raikage's gaze turned icy.
Kin responded with a grin, raising a hand to grip his sword hilt. Shattered fragments of the blade began reforming.
"Right now, I could bury all of you here."
A's face tightened. He knew enough about Uchiha Kin's abilities to understand that, in his current state, Kin could make good on that threat.
Moreover, Kin showed no signs of exhaustion.
Still, A refused to back down.
"The Uchiha are nothing special."
His words belied his actions. Clutching B, he transformed into a bolt of blue lightning, retreating at full speed.
Only the White Fang and Kin remained.
Kin kept his grip on the sword, watching the fading lightning.
"You just let them go?"
The White Fang's voice, usually light, now carried a heavy tone. His fingers tightened around his hilt.
"Oh?"
Kin turned to him, smiling broadly, teeth gleaming.
"Is that not allowed, Lord White Fang?"
The air grew thick with tension. Both men held their positions, neither making the next move.
The scent of gunpowder grew palpable.
Some long-hidden truth, buried beneath their usual banter, seemed on the verge of surfacing.
"Lord White Fang."
A voice shattered the silence.
Aburame Shibi appeared between them, feigning obliviousness to the tension.
"The battle in the Land of Rain has ended. The Sannin have repelled Hanzo the Salamander, the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, and the Kazekage of Sunagakure."
"And the Mizukage of Kirigakure was driven back by Might Dai."
"Victory?" The White Fang exhaled slowly.
The three-year war had finally reached its twilight, with Konoha emerging triumphant.
In his office, Sarutobi Hiruzen received the news of the three Kage's retreat from the Land of Rain and let out a relieved sigh.
"We've won."
This victory didn't mark the end of the Second Shinobi World War, but it brought the curtain down on this chapter.
The war would linger until its embers faded entirely.
"We owe this to you, Danzo," Hiruzen said, glancing at the man beside him.
"I told you," Danzo snorted. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Your defensive approach would never have won this."
When news of the Land of Rain's trap first arrived, Danzo had stormed into the Hokage's office, demanding an all-out offensive. He had always been the hawk.
Hiruzen had hesitated—until word came of three Kage appearing in the Land of Rain.
Indecision was a luxury they couldn't afford. Heeding Danzo's counsel, Hiruzen had ordered a full assault on the borders, forcing the Kage to retreat to defend their own lands.
"Now is the time to press our advantage," Danzo insisted. "With momentum from this victory, we can tear a chunk out of them."
He had it all planned: a feint to mislead their enemies, then a concentrated strike to crush Sunagakure, the most weakened of the villages.
With himself, Hiruzen, the White Fang, and the Sannin united, Sunagakure would fall.
Take Sunagakure, annex the Land of Wind, then set sights on the Land of Earth.
If they could weather a temporary alliance among the other villages, Konoha would grow unstoppable, devouring the shinobi world piece by piece.
"Enough," Hiruzen cut him off. "Konoha can't endure more."
The war had already cost Konoha nearly a third of its shinobi. Continuing would risk collapse.
Danzo slammed his hands on the desk, glaring at Hiruzen.
"Hiruzen! This is our only chance! If we let it slip, there won't be another!"
No matter what Konoha did next, the other villages would yield for now. Such an opportunity wouldn't come again.
"Let it go, Danzo. Konoha cannot afford another war."
Hiruzen sighed.
"You'll regret this, Hiruzen!"
"I am the Hokage, Danzo!"
Neither yielded. Finally, Danzo stormed out, face dark with fury.
...
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(End of Chapter)