At Kusa Village, Hozuki Castle~
"Lightning Style: Lariat!"
"Earth Style: Fissure Punch!"
Heavy earth and surging electricity clashed violently in the air, filling it with the acrid smell of burning. The two hulking men in battle glared at each other, as if willing the other to drop dead in the next second.
The son of the Third Raikage faced off against the son of the Third Tsuchikage on opposite ends of the battlefield.
These two second-generation heirs inherited the hatred passed down from their fathers and their respective villages.
Kumo and Iwa had been in conflict since their founding, never ceasing their hostilities.
During the First Great Ninja War, the death of the Second Raikage triggered a massive invasion from Iwa, and many Kumo shinobi perished in that war.
Towards the end of the war, the Second Tsuchikage and Second Mizukage died together in an unexpected battle, and Kumo took advantage of the situation to launch a fierce counterattack against Iwa.
This was the foundation of their blood feud, and it had continued ever since.
"You Iwa bastards, we don't need you here! When it comes to the Six Paths Sacred Tools, Kumo is more than enough," snarled A, the future Fourth Raikage.
"Don't think your dirty schemes go unnoticed, Kumo barbarians! Kusagakure asked for help to protect the peace of the ninja world, not to satisfy your greed!" a thick, honest voice responded.
It belonged to Kitsuchi, the son of the Third Tsuchikage, who stared back angrily at A.
"Hey, hey, hey, are you guys ignoring the Mist ninjas?"
Three bizarre-looking shinobi arrived at Hozuki Castle, arrogantly shouting.
Both Kitsuchi and A frowned as they looked at the newcomers, internally lamenting:
"Just how many villages did Kusagakure ask for help from? Even the distant Mist Village has shown up."
Leading the Mist ninjas was Fuguki Suikazan, wielder of the Great Blade Samehada and considered the strongest among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
He was accompanied by Jinpachi Munashi and Kushimaru Kuriarare, known as the "Ruthless Duo," representing the Mist Village.
The three of them strode forward, swaggering as they laughed at Kitsuchi and A.
At this time, these Mist shinobi were in their prime, while A and Kitsuchi were still young and hadn't fully matured into their strength. Neither had yet displayed the overwhelming power that could surpass most jonin.
If a fight were to break out, the three Mist shinobi, backed by their famed swords, would actually hold a significant advantage.
"Do you filthy fish from the polluted waters think you can show off here? Get back to your little island!" A retorted, his temper flaring, completely disregarding the situation.
Meanwhile, Kumo's Dodai and Iwa's Akatsuchi joined A and Kitsuchi, forming a battle formation, preparing for the upcoming clash.
"Ara, ara, youngsters truly are impatient. We must prioritize peace, after all."
A wave of golden sand fell from the sky. Chiyo and Rasa from Sunagakure arrived on the scene, instantly making the situation even more chaotic.
After being devastated by Sakumo Hatake and Fuma in the last war, Sunagakure was the only village to send high-ranking officials to Kusagakure.
Having lost their tailed beast, Suna was desperate to get the Six Paths Sacred Tools to stop their decline, caring little about appearances or unspoken rules.
This was the tragedy of the ninja world. Even if Kusagakure's plea for help was sincere, they wouldn't be greeted by rescuers, but by wolves at the door.
None of the ninja from the four major villages present were here to help Kusagakure, let alone save the world—they were all eyeing the Box of Ultimate Bliss to seize power.
The situation became even more tense as all the shinobi present silently gathered chakra, each pairing off to fight.
Puppets and explosive tags, lightning and great swords, earth pillars and gold dust—the signature techniques of each village flared to life, as everyone sought to eliminate the weaker parties, hoping to clear the field.
High above, in the shadows of Hozuki Castle, Uchiha Madara watched the spectacle, scoffing as he mused:
"This foolish ninja world—no matter when, it cannot escape these meaningless conflicts."
"But for Konoha's shinobi to not participate—how surprising. Has that village truly decayed to this extent?"
Madara shook his head, disappointment washing over him. For such an important opportunity, not to send any ninja? Hashirama's peace ideals had clearly left a lasting poison.
But moments later, a familiar, imposing figure appeared at the gates of Hozuki Castle.
Madara's lips finally curled into a smile as the form of White Zetsu shifted around him, his face transforming into an emotionless mask. He turned and headed back into the castle.
"What's going on here, everyone?"
"I'm just a little late, and suddenly it seems like everyone's eager to spar!"
"Are you all warming up for the Third Great Ninja War already?"
Fuma slowly strolled to the side of the battlefield, his arms crossed as he made a dry, indifferent comment.
A glanced over, noticing Fuma's arrival, and his heart skipped a beat. He immediately leaped out of the fray.
He had personally witnessed Fuma overpower the Third Raikage in a contest of strength, and knowing his father's might, A was well aware of how powerful Fuma was.
A cast a discreet glance at Dodai, silently asking for advice.
Dodai also had a grave expression as he looked at Fuma, shaking his head subtly. At this point, the situation was no longer something they could control. All they could do was wait and watch.
Chiyo withdrew her puppets, leaving only seven behind to guard herself and Rasa.
As a senior member of Sunagakure, she knew Fuma's power better than anyone else present.
Although all of Sunagakure's ninja who had fought Fuma had been killed, and she had no detailed battle reports, the defeat of the jinchuriki Bunpuku alone was enough to make her deeply wary.
Among all those present, only Fuguki Suikazan swaggered forward with his great sword, glaring at Fuma as he arrogantly asked:
"And who the hell are you? You look pretty tough."
After sizing Fuma up and finding no identifying marks from any village, Fuguki sneered:
"Some rogue ninja, huh? Get lost. This is none of your business, outsider."
Fuma was dressed in his usual loose martial arts uniform, rarely wearing any standard shinobi gear, much less a forehead protector from Konoha.
For a ninja of his strength, his attire was entirely up to him, just like Jiraiya or Tsunade in the original timeline.
However, this gave Fuguki the wrong impression, and he mistook Fuma for a rogue ninja looking to join the fray.
Fuguki grew even more irritated as he noticed Fuma's calm smile. His fish-like face twitched as he grinned wickedly:
"Didn't you hear me, punk? My Samehada loves cutting up bulky guys like you!"
"Haha, still not budging, let's see what makes you so arrogant!"
Standing over two meters tall, with massive arms, Fuguki fought with a wild, forceful style. He raised his Samehada high and slashed at Fuma's head, the air howling as his sword cut through it.
*Clang!*
A metallic sound rang out.
Fuma chuckled, effortlessly catching the Samehada barehanded, showing no signs of injury.
Several of the large spikes on Samehada's blade snapped off instead, clattering to the ground.
Fuguki stared at Fuma in shock, his beady eyes wide in disbelief.
"What the hell is this guy made of?!"
Before Fuguki could make another move, Fuma's iron-like hands clamped around his throat.
Fuguki flailed like a fish out of water, but it was futile. The crushing force on his neck cut off his oxygen, his limbs going numb.
Fuma shook his head, his grip tightening.
*Crack!*
*Thud!*
No matter how tough a ninja was, their throat was always soft.
Fuguki's grotesque head separated from his fat body, leaving behind a geyser of blood, spurting like a gruesome fountain.
This surreal scene left Jinpachi and Kushimaru dumbfounded, both retreating a step in shock.
Fuma picked up Samehada, admiring his new trophy, then innocently looked at the remaining ninja, saying casually:
"I didn't expect the Mist shinobi to be so fragile."
"I just wanted to say hello, really."
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