Chapter 57
FUGAKU UCHIHA
It had only been a bit over a year since the Third War had come to a close. Their forces rarely got used to the peace times. The reconstruction efforts had just come to a close, and the shinobi were just beginning to get used to these peaceful times.
And now those times were again coming to an end, as Konoha found itself at war once more, and now, from being a simple squadron leader, he now found himself an elder of the village, making decisions for everyone.
"As everyone here knows, Iwa and Kumo have attacked the meeting point, as of now the water daimyo is safe but according to Minato's report fire daimyo's condition is precarious," Shikaku Nara began as the village's most powerful elite gathered in the Hokage office.
"We need to send reinforcements. An elite squad has been gathered, but that is not all we must do," Shikaku added as he opened up a map.
"I propose a quick offensive against Kumo," he began.
"Fugaku-san, I believe that you should lead the reinforcements," he said, turning towards him, and he nodded.
"And who shall lead the offensive," he asked and saw the jounin commander turn towards the Third Hokage, Sarutobi sama, Konoha's most prized weapon other than Minato himself.
The Third may have retired, but that did not mean his prowess had lessened. He was still the Professor, the inheritor of Hashirama Senju's legacy.
"Lord Third, I hope that you would be willing to lead the offensive," he added.
"But Jraiya-sama is in Ame, and the shortest path to Kumo runs through Ame. If we have Jiraiya-sama attack Kumo, it would...."
"No," Shikaku cut in.
"The daimyo-sama's directions were clear. We will not trample on Ame's sovereignty. And it would take us too long to get their permission,"
"Preposterous. Who is Ame to stop us? This is war. We have done so much for the..."
"Shikaku is right," Lord Third cut in, stopping the Hyuga clan head from saying any more.
"If we engage Kumo through Ame, it would simply turn Ame into a war zone once more, destroying everything we have done in peacetime. And there is one more thing," he added as he stood up.
"Unlike before, Ame is united for once. There are no more factions. If we do not enter Ame, and Kumo does, how do you think Hanzo Hattori will respond," he asked, and everyone became silent in the room.
"We must leave at once, Fugaku. Let us go," he said, nodding as he left the Hokage office.
.
.
.
.
Fugaku was leading the reinforcements, an elite unit designated to provide relief to Minato and the shinobi with him when suddenly, their sensor nin stepped forward.
"Commander Fugaku, I am sensing a massive chakra up ahead. There is a squad placed there to stop us from moving forward," and he frowned.
"How big is the chakra signature," he asked.
"It is very large, I believe it may be one of their jinchuriki," and that was a surprise.
"Inoichi," he spoke, and his second in command stepped forward.
"Yes."
"Leave only a quarter of men and move ahead with the rest. I will deal with this," he said.
"Are you sure?" Yamanaka asked, and he nodded.
"I am," he replied, slowing down and beginning to divide the men. Just as he sensed the first enemy chakra signature, he pushed the chakra into his legs.
"NOW!"
He pushed forward and watched his unit split into two while he found himself facing a platoon of Iwa and Kumo nin.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Ball Jutsu...," and he threw a massive fireball at them.
BOOOM!
And then he watched a shinobi blur through the air as he appeared right behind of the massive fire.
"Your fires are not hot enough to burn me, Uchiha," he heard the man mutter as he Fugaku halted the advancement of his platoon and watched as his fireball hit the Iwa nin straight.
BOOOM!
Yet as the dust cleared, he watched as the Iwa nin stood there without a scratch, his hair dark red, and a metal helmet around his face. He was Roshi, the jinchuriki of Four Tails.
"I have been wanting to meet you in battle for quite some time, Fugaku Uchiha," the man began.
"What is the jinchuriki of four tails doing here?" he asked, recognizing the man from Iwa's bingo book.
"I have been ordered to stop you from advancing, Uchiha," he spoke. Fugaku nodded as he pushed his chakra into his eyes.
"I am afraid I cannot let you do that," he said, and then his vision cleared up. His eyes glowed an ominous red, and they morphed into a three-pronged shuriken, his mangekyo sharinhgan.
"Let me show the true power of fire," Roshi snarled as he cycled through another set of angels.
"Katon: Raging Mokey Flames," and he watched as four torrents of massive fire storms rushed towards him, yet he did not budge, for he had a slew of men behind him who could not take the attack. So, he simply pushed chakra into his eyes and let the attack come towards him.
"Susanoo.."
BOOOOM!
The massive explosion shook the entire area, as smoke covered the whole area, and yet as the dust cleared, he stood tall, with not a single burn mark on his jacket, as a skeletal red structure erupted around him, shielding him from the attack.
"You were saying something."
0000
MINATO NAMIKAZE
Speed for a shinobi opened up possibilities that could turn the tides of a battle in the blink of an eye, neutralizing the greatest of advantages because no matter how powerful your technique may be, it would simply be useless as long as it did not hit.
Yet the Fourth Raikage had both, he was an extremely fast shinobi, who alongside that possessed his kekkei genkai, the lightning cloak allowing him to ignore major attacks.
And it was because of that duality that despite fighting for quite some time, Minato and Terumi Mei had not been able to land a massive blow to the man or his jinchuriki, who was fighting with hampered chakra networks.
"We need to end this soon," the Yondaime Mizukage added from the side and he nodded.
"I believe that you should now retreat," he said, and she turned towards him.
"But I cannot leave you to face those two alone," she said, her concern valid yet unnecessary.
The yondaime Mizukage was young, even younger than him, and though she was powerful, she had yet to reach her full potential, and being faced with such adverse circumstances had taken a toll on her.
She had taken quite a bit of damage, and though she was far from being done, Minato felt it best that she make his escape now, as he felt the half-seal he had placed on the Kumo jinchuriki weaken, the bijuu chakra eating away at it slowly.
"Do not worry about me. The longer we stay here, the more we will be playing into their hands. You should leave now and join your forces in their retreat, and I shall hold them back before doing the same," he assured her, and she nodded.
Both of them were experienced shinobi, and there was little need for further debate as she nodded before cycling through a set of handseals.
"Then I wish you the best of luck, yondaime Hokage," she said as she prepared for a massive ninjutsu.
Minato saw the Raikage rush towards him like a lightning bolt. He used his Hiraishin to appear behind the man but was surprised when he found the jichuriki waiting for him there.
"Lightning Style: Lighting Balls," and he watched as half dozen lighting balls appeared behind her in an instant and rushed towards him.
BOOOM!
The Explosion tag he had thrown at the Raikage exploded as he heard the Mizkage shout.
"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!" and immediately, the temperature of the air rose as a massive torrent of fire rushed towards the Kumo jinchuriki, who could not avoid the attack.
Minato himself made a clone with a quick hand sign and watched as the lightning balls hit the clone as he sensed the Raikage's chakra right behind him.
"I have got you now!" Ay screamed as Minato quickly replaced himself with his clone, as he appeared on the rooftop of the now destroyed castle as an explosion rocked the area.
BOOOM!
That was a direct hit on the Raikage, yet he doubted it would matter much. He sensed the Mizukage's chakra vanish as she made her escape as Kakashi's chakra began to flare, telling him how his plan was coming to completion.
"You think that would work on me!" Unruly, Ay roared as he cut through the smoke and glared at him, his chakra cloak buzzing with electricity as he roared at him.
Of all the shinobi he had faced, Ay was one of the most problematic. His lighting cloak made him quite a difficult enemy, forcing Minato to get too close to land a finishing blow.
Rasengan could cut through the cloak, if not by itself, then mix it with nature manipulation. There were other techniques in his arsenal as well.
And then there was the fact that he was a kage, and slaying a kage had consequences. A Kage was part of the status quo. Killing him would destroy any chances of a peaceful resolution of a conflict, though he doubted there was much chance of that either way.
"It seems that the Mizukage has abandoned you," Ay taunted as Minato's gaze narrowed at the jinchuriki and how her body seemed to be healing from the burns she had just relieved rather quickly, indicating that the seal he had used to block the bijuu chakra was deteriorating.
However, that was not the only seal he had placed on her.
"Who says that I needed her to defeat you in the first place?" he said as he took a kunai from his pocket and saw the Raikage's chakra build up.
"You are not walking out of here alive, Namikazeee!" he roared as he vanished once more, and Minato threw a kunai at him before throwing one in the air.
"This is greater than me and you alone," and he watched as the man blurred right besides her, as Minato's senses focused on the three chakra signatures on the other side of the castle, before he pushed past his limits and activated four Hiraishin tags in an instant.
Yugito Nii was replaced in the blink of an eye with Tsunade Senju, as he utlisied the marker he had placed on the jinchuriki when he had tried to seal away her bijuu chakra and Kakashi appeared in his place, the Raikage's attack going above him as the sound of birds chirping appeared in the area.
And he appeared right above the man, his chakra roaring at his call as a blue orb appeared in his hand.
"Raiton:...."
"Ninpo:..."
"Chidoriiii!"
"Rasengan"
BOOOOM!
0000
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