The news spread like wildfire across the shinobi world: the Second Mizukage and Second Tsuchikage were dead. Within days, both Iwagakure and Kirigakure officially withdrew from the First Great Shinobi War.
After three grueling years, an end finally seemed within reach. Sunagakure followed suit within months, leaving only Konohagakure and Kumogakure locked in bitter conflict. It wasn't that Konoha refused peace—Kumogakure had proven relentless, showing no signs of backing down from their aggressive campaign.
Another year dragged by. Both villages bled resources and lives, but Konohagakure had suffered the worst losses. Perhaps that's why Kumogakure clung so desperately to this opportunity. Yet even they couldn't ignore reality much longer. The other great villages were recovering, and if this war continued, Kumo risked facing a united front that would destroy them completely.
The moment everyone had waited for finally arrived: Kumogakure and Konohagakure agreed to peace negotiations.
Both sides chose Kusagakure as neutral ground. But not everyone in Kumogakure welcomed this decision. The Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers had devastated Konoha camps throughout the war, even killing prominent figures like Hyuga Tenin. To them, ending the war without total victory felt like betrayal—and they blamed the Raikage for this "weakness."
---
**Kusagakure - Twelve Kizuki Base**
Kenji studied the intelligence report Enmu had placed before him, his eyes gleaming with interest.
"The Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers possess extraordinary potential, my lord," Enmu said, bowing slightly. "Our organization desperately needs combat personnel of their caliber."
"Interesting. I wonder what they'd become as demons." Kenji leaned back in his chair. "Very well. I'll capture them myself."
"Shall we accompany you, my lord?"
"No. You'd only get in my way." Kenji's tone was matter-of-fact, not cruel. "The Raikage and Hokage will likely be present during the capture. Besides, I haven't had a proper fight in far too long—it's time to test myself against worthy opponents."
Enmu nodded. "When should we expect you to strike?"
"During the peace negotiations. Keep surveillance on the entire village until then."
"Of course, my lord. All of Kusagakure remains under constant watch."
After Enmu departed, Kenji allowed himself a rare smile. His heart raced with anticipation. Since his transmigration, only his battle with Kakuzu had truly challenged him. Too much time had passed since then.
---
**Land of Fire - Konohagakure**
Elite shinobi stood at attention before the Second Hokage's desk. Young Hiruzen stepped forward, his voice steady despite his youth.
"Sensei, we're ready to depart for Kusagakure."
Tobirama's cold eyes swept over his assembled team: Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, Torifu Akimichi, and Kagami Uchiha, along with the newly formed ANBU operatives.
"We leave immediately," Tobirama commanded. "Stay alert at all times. These may be peace negotiations, but that doesn't guarantee our safety."
---
**Land of Lightning - Kumogakure**
Kinkaku's posture radiated insolence as he stood before the Second Raikage, his brother Ginkaku beside him.
"Lord Raikage, the Kinkaku Unit is ready for immediate deployment."
The Raikage studied the brothers with barely concealed distrust. Their popularity had soared during the war, but so had their arrogance. Unfortunately, they remained Kumo's most capable unit—and if negotiations turned violent, he'd need their strength.
"Proceed with preparations," he said curtly.
---
**Land of Grass - Kusagakure**
"Lord Muzan, today's the day," Enmu reported, spreading a detailed map across the table. "Both delegations will arrive within hours. However, the negotiations are scheduled for daylight—no demons can assist during that time."
"That won't be necessary. I work alone." Kenji traced the marked location with one finger. "This is where they'll meet?"
"Yes, my lord. Intelligence confirms the location."
"Good. You're dismissed."
After Enmu left, Kenji prepared for what would either be a glorious hunt or his greatest challenge yet.
---
**Peace Negotiations - Kusagakure**
The two most powerful men in the shinobi world faced each other across a simple wooden table, their respective guards maintaining tense alertness nearby.
"Second Raikage," Tobirama began, his voice diplomatically neutral, "I trust you understand the gravity of our situation. Both our villages have suffered devastating losses while the others recover their strength."
The Raikage's jaw tightened. "I understand perfectly, Second Hokage. That's why I'm here. But Kumogakure has borne tremendous costs in this war. We require war reparations, or these negotiations end immediately."
Tobirama's chakra flared briefly before he controlled it. "Your village started this war. How dare you demand reparations from us? Konoha will never accept such terms."
The tension reached a breaking point. Then, without warning, Nine-Tails chakra erupted around the Kinkaku brothers as they launched themselves at their own Raikage.
The Raikage's eyes went wide, but his legendary reflexes saved him. Lightning Release chakra exploded around his body as he activated his signature technique—**Lightning Release Chakra Mode**. His form became a blur of crackling electricity as he barely evaded Kinkaku's chakra-enhanced fist, which shattered the wooden table where he'd been sitting.
The Raikage barely dodged, his eyes wide with shock and fury. "Have you lost your minds?! This is treason!"
Kinkaku's laughter was cruel and cold. "Treason? The only traitor here is you—making peace with these Konoha dogs when victory was within our grasp!"
The Raikage's form flickered with incredible speed, appearing behind Kinkaku in an instant. His lightning-coated elbow crashed down in a devastating **Elbow Bolt**, but Kinkaku spun around just in time, catching the strike on his forearm. The impact sent shockwaves through the clearing, but the Nine-Tails chakra cloak absorbed most of the damage.
"You think you can kill me?" The Raikage snarled, pivoting into a blindingly fast **Lightning Straight**. His fist, moving faster than most eyes could follow, connected with Kinkaku's ribs, sending the larger man skidding backward.
Ginkaku materialized beside his brother, the legendary **Shichiseiken** gleaming in his hand. "Who's going to stop us?" he sneered. "After all, didn't you tragically die during these peace negotiations? And who will know the truth when everyone here is dead?"
Just as the battle was about to start, dozens of black-clad Kumo ninja emerged from the treeline—the rest of the Kinkaku Unit had arrived.
"Now the real fun begins," Kinkaku laughed, his partial transformation making him look truly demonic. "Kinkaku Unit! Kill them all!"
The battlefield erupted into chaos as ANBU operatives engaged the traitorous Kumo forces. Hiruzen and the other students fought valiantly, but they were vastly outnumbered.
Tobirama's cold eyes assessed the situation in milliseconds. His hands flew through hand seals with practiced precision.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A massive barrier of water rose between the combatants and his students. Without missing a beat, his hands moved again.
"Water Release: Water Colliding Wave!"
Where moments before there had been dry grass, a torrential flood erupted from nothing, the massive wave crashing toward the brothers. But Ginkaku was ready—he raised the **Bashōsen** and gave it a single, powerful wave.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Destruction!"
A wall of flames met Tobirama's water technique head-on, creating an explosion of steam that engulfed the battlefield. Through the white haze, the sound of metal on metal rang out as Tobirama engaged Ginkaku in close combat, his tanto clashing against the legendary sword.
"Flying Thunder God Jutsu!"
Tobirama vanished mid-clash, reappearing behind Ginkaku with a kunai aimed at his spine. But the blonde shinobi's reflexes were enhanced by Nine-Tails chakra—he spun around, the **Shichiseiken** carving through the air where Tobirama's head had been a split second before.
Meanwhile, the Raikage and Kinkaku had begun their deadly dance. The Raikage's speed was legendary, but Kinkaku's partial transformation granted him precognitive reflexes. Lightning-enhanced punches and kicks were met by chakra-clawed swipes and tail strikes.
The Raikage launched into his signature **Lariat**, his lightning-coated arm extended as he charged with impossible speed. Kinkaku's eyes widened—even with the Nine-Tails' power, he couldn't fully dodge this. Instead, he crossed both arms and let his chakra cloak thicken into a defensive barrier.
The impact was thunderous. Kinkaku was sent flying through three trees before crashing into a boulder, which cracked from the force. But instead of staying down, he laughed—a sound that sent chills down everyone's spine.
"Is that all the great Raikage can do?" Kinkaku taunted, rising to his feet. More chakra tails began forming around him as he pushed his transformation further. "Let me show you real power!"
He lunged forward, not with speed, but with overwhelming force. His chakra-enhanced fist met the Raikage's lightning-coated palm in a clash that shook the earth. Lightning crackled against demonic chakra, neither giving ground.
Ginkaku, still locked in combat with Tobirama, managed to create an opening. As their blades locked, he spoke a single word: "**Kōkinjō**!"
The golden rope materialized from thin air, lashing toward Tobirama with serpentine speed. The Second Hokage twisted away, but the rope managed to graze his shoulder—immediately, wisps of his "word soul" began to be drawn out.
"Clever," Tobirama acknowledged, his analytical mind already working. He formed hand seals even as he dodged. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Three perfect copies materialized around Ginkaku. But the blonde shinobi wasn't finished—he pulled out the **Benihisago** with his free hand.
"Now then, Tobirama Senju," Ginkaku grinned wickedly, "let's hear you speak. What's your most frequently used word, I wonder?"
Tobirama's clones attacked in perfect coordination, but Ginkaku's enhanced reflexes allowed him to parry and counter with brutal efficiency. The **Shichiseiken** cut through one clone while his foot caught another with a crushing kick. But the real Tobirama used the distraction to mark him with a Flying Thunder God seal.
"Flying Thunder God Slash!"
Tobirama appeared directly behind Ginkaku, tanto aimed at his heart. But at the last second, Ginkaku's body shifted—the blade scraped against his ribs instead of piercing his heart, drawing blood but not delivering a fatal blow.
The battle between the Raikage and Kinkaku had intensified to inhuman levels. The Raikage's **Lightning Release Chakra Mode** was pushed to its absolute limit, his speed creating afterimages as he delivered a devastating combination.
"**Guillotine Drop**!"
His lightning-enhanced elbow crashed down toward Kinkaku's skull, but the silver-haired shinobi caught it with both hands, his Five-Tails chakra form now fully manifested. The ground beneath them cracked in a spider web pattern from the force.
"You're strong," Kinkaku admitted, his voice distorted by the nine tails chakra, "but not strong enough!"
He grabbed the Raikage's arm and swung him overhead, slamming him into the ground with bone-crushing force. The Lightning God managed to roll away just as Kinkaku's chakra-enhanced fist pulverized the spot where his head had been.
The Raikage sprang to his feet, blood streaming from multiple wounds, but his lightning armor still crackling with power. "I will... kill you..."
"**Liger Bomb**!"
In a desperate gambit, the Raikage grabbed Kinkaku around the waist, lifting the larger man despite his chakra-enhanced weight. Lightning chakra surged through both their bodies as he prepared to deliver his most devastating technique.
But Kinkaku's experience showed—he drove both elbows down into the Raikage's back, disrupting the technique. As they crashed to the ground, Kinkaku's chakra tails wrapped around the Lightning God's limbs, holding him in place.
"It's over," Kinkaku snarled, raising his clawed hand for the killing blow.
Tobirama, seeing his counterpart in mortal danger, made a split-second decision. Even as he continued his deadly battle with Ginkaku, he formed one-handed seals—a feat that spoke to his incredible skill.
"**Bringer-of-Darkness Technique**!"
Suddenly, the entire battlefield was plunged into absolute darkness. Everyone except Tobirama was blind, their other senses all they had to rely on.
In that moment of confusion, Tobirama used his sensory abilities to locate everyone's position. He teleported to the Raikage's location, grabbed the wounded man, and flickered away just as Kinkaku's claws raked empty air.
"Coward!" Ginkaku roared into the darkness. "**Bashōsen**—Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
The massive gust of wind cleared the artificial darkness, revealing Tobirama and the severely injured Raikage near his students.
But the brothers' victory was far from assured. During the confusion, Tobirama had placed Flying Thunder God seals on both of them. Now, even as they pressed their attack, he could appear behind either one at any moment.
The Raikage, despite his injuries, wasn't finished either. His lightning armor flickered but held as he rejoined the battle, his movements slightly slower but his determination undiminished.
"**Double Lariat**!" the Raikage called out at Ginkaku, who found himself caught in front of a lightning-enhanced arm.
The impact sent Ginkaku flying, but his Nine-Tails chakra absorbed most of the damage. However, the coordinated attack had given them a crucial opening.
Tobirama appeared above the downed Ginkaku, multiple explosive tags in his hand. "Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
The water dragon rushed toward Ginkaku, but Kinkaku intercepted with the **Bashōsen**, generating a massive earth wall that absorbed the explosion.
In the midst of the larger battle, the core combatants continued their battle dance. The Raikage, pushed beyond his limits, made one final desperate charge at Kinkaku.
"I'll stop you... even if it costs me everything!"
His lightning chakra flared brighter than ever before as he launched himself forward. But Kinkaku was ready—he met the charge head-on, his Six-Tails chakra form blazing with malevolent power.
The collision was apocalyptic. Lightning met demonic chakra in an explosion that flattened everything within fifty meters. When the smoke cleared, both combatants lay motionless on the shattered ground.
Ginkaku rushed to his brother's side, but Kinkaku was already stirring, his regenerative abilities keeping him alive. The Raikage, however, was not so fortunate—the Lightning God's final attack had drained him completely, and Kinkaku's counterattack had found its mark.
"Brother," Ginkaku said, helping Kinkaku to his feet, "the Raikage?"
"Finished," Kinkaku spat blood, his chakra cloak finally dissipating. "But that bastard Tobirama is still—"
A kunai whistled through the air where his head had been a moment before. Tobirama materialized nearby, his own injuries evident but his resolve unshaken.
"The Second Raikage is down!" someone screamed across the battlefield.
Tobirama's expression remained cold, but his tactical mind was already working. With the Raikage fallen and his forces decimated, retreat was the only option. But first, he had to ensure his students' survival.
"Hiruzen!" Tobirama called out as he continued to dodge the brothers' increasingly desperate attacks. "Take the others and retreat! I'll hold them off!"
"But sensei—"
"That's an order!" Tobirama's voice brooked no argument. "Go!"
As his students reluctantly began to withdraw, Tobirama faced the Kinkaku brothers one final time. His chakra reserves were running low, but his mind remained sharp.
"Water Release: Heavenly Weeping!"
Countless water needles rained down from above, forcing the brothers to separate. Using the distraction, Tobirama created a final shadow clone and prepared for his own strategic withdrawal.