Kitsuchi and Akatsuchi lay on the ground, their bodies charred and blackened, looking utterly defeated. Their desperate attempt to tear through the Four Violet Flames Formation had shocked the Konoha shinobi. It was a reckless move, something one would expect from the Raikage—tearing open the barrier with bare hands? Could anyone really pull off such a feat?
Konoha had its Will of Fire, but Iwagakure had something akin to a "Will of Stone," which, as much as it pained them to admit, was worthy of respect.
Akira looked down at Kitsuchi and Akatsuchi, both unconscious and severely burned. He could kill them easily, but now, with the Tsuchikage having lost a leg, the battle between Konoha and Iwagakure was surely decided in Konoha's favor.
At this point, these two were more useful alive. As prisoners, they could be bargaining chips in negotiations with Iwagakure. If the village wanted to get them back, it would have to pay a hefty price.
"We won?" Hyuga Hiashi's voice was filled with astonishment as he gazed at the severed leg left behind by the Tsuchikage. Although their goal had been to kill the Tsuchikage, he was still an old and powerful Kage-level shinobi. No one had been entirely confident that they could actually take him down.
But now, to have severed one of the Tsuchikage's legs—it was an unbelievable accomplishment.
"Let's head back. And make sure these two don't die," Akira said loudly as he sealed the Tsuchikage's leg into a scroll.
At the base of Tetsuyama Pass, the Iwagakure shinobi saw their Tsuchikage return with one leg missing and without Kitsuchi and Akatsuchi. They were horrified and immediately retreated, too terrified to even consider attacking the Konoha forces.
Meanwhile, the Konoha shinobi, upon seeing the injured prisoners and learning that Akira had cut off the Tsuchikage's leg, were electrified with excitement. Their loud cheers filled the air—this was a decisive victory for Konoha!
But the significance of this victory went far beyond the battlefield. Why had the three great shinobi villages dared to challenge Konoha? Wasn't it because they thought Konoha was weakened and ripe for the picking?
Today's victory was a resounding slap in the face to those who underestimated Konoha. It sent a clear message to the other great villages and the entire shinobi world: Konoha might be weakened, but even a dying lion is stronger than a mere dog. Konoha, the greatest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, wasn't going to be so easily conquered.
Konoha's shinobi remained stationed at the border of the Land of Earth, awaiting the inevitable negotiations with the defeated Iwagakure.
In the first clash, Iwagakure's vanguard was decisively beaten. In the second, the Tsuchikage lost a leg, and Kitsuchi and Akatsuchi, two of Iwagakure's key figures, were taken prisoner. As the victors, Konoha now held the upper hand in all negotiations.
However, talks between great nations weren't something that could be resolved in a few days. Both sides continued to probe and negotiate.
Meanwhile, news of the battle in the Land of Earth spread like wildfire through the shinobi world. Iwagakure's vanguard had been defeated, and the Tsuchikage himself, after personally entering the battlefield, had lost a leg to Akira. Kitsuchi and Akatsuchi had been captured while buying the Tsuchikage time to escape.
Even if Iwagakure wanted to keep this quiet, there was no way Konoha would let such a victory be hidden. The news quickly reached every corner of the shinobi world, sending shockwaves throughout.
Akira's name once again echoed across the shinobi world.
"Ha ha ha! Who would have thought that this kid would shine even brighter on the battlefield!" The elderly leader of Konoha smiled broadly when he received the news from the front lines. There was nothing more gratifying for an old man than to see his grandson achieve such greatness.
Back in Konoha, the villagers' spirits were lifted by the news. Many had harbored some resentment toward the Uchiha for starting a coup, which had led to Konoha's vulnerable position. But with this overwhelming victory, their worries were eased, and the position of the Fifth Hokage was further solidified.
"This Akira... his power is growing stronger by the day. He will undoubtedly become a significant threat to us in the future," Obito and Nagato of the Akatsuki were similarly shaken by the news. They were beginning to feel the full weight of the threat Akira posed.
"What? Even the Third Tsuchikage lost a leg?"
"Iwagakure's vanguard of over two thousand was devastated, with hundreds taken down by Akira alone?"
"And Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin, has returned to Konoha?"
"Send word to the border. Withdraw all our gathered shinobi."
This was the reaction in Sunagakure when they heard the news. The village had been considering an attack on Konoha, but this decisive victory put an end to those thoughts. All the gathered shinobi were ordered to retreat.
The rankings among the Five Great Shinobi Villages were an open secret. Konoha was undoubtedly the strongest. After all, the system of one village per nation had been established by Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. The other villages had simply followed Konoha's example.
Next in line was Kumogakure, which constantly sought to challenge Konoha for the top spot.
Third was Iwagakure. The Third Tsuchikage, an experienced Kage-level shinobi, and the village's two Jinchuriki were powerful assets, with Dust Release techniques feared across the world.
Fourth was Sunagakure, leaving Kirigakure as the weakest, especially after being nearly destroyed under Obito's manipulation.
Now, even Iwagakure had suffered a significant defeat, with the Tsuchikage losing a leg. Knowing they were weaker than Iwagakure, Sunagakure had no choice but to abandon any thoughts of challenging Konoha.
At this point, the shinobi world's attention shifted to Kumogakure. How would they respond?
Would they risk everything in a head-to-head confrontation with Konoha? Or would they step back, knowing the odds were against them?
For now, one thing was certain: Akira's name had once again reverberated across the shinobi world, with some even whispering that he was a "Kage Slayer."
Why? The Hokage of Konoha had died at his hands, and now the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure had lost a leg to him.
Who would be next? The Kazekage of Sunagakure? The Mizukage of Kirigakure? Or perhaps the Raikage of Kumogakure?
Amid the shockwaves rippling through the shinobi world, Konoha and Iwagakure held seven or eight rounds of negotiations before finally coming to an agreement.
Iwagakure would pay Konoha a massive amount of resources as compensation for their defeat. Additionally, Kitsuchi and Akatsuchi would be ransomed for one billion ryo.
Akira was satisfied with this ransom. After all, the bounty on Asuma, the Hokage's son, had only been 20 million ryo. A billion ryo for the Tsuchikage's son and his bodyguard? That was more than enough.
Akira had underestimated the impact of severing the Tsuchikage's leg. As soon as the negotiations with Iwagakure were finalized and the terms executed, he received two pieces of good news.
First, Iwagakure's defeat had indeed frightened Sunagakure into retreating. All 1,200 elite shinobi stationed at the border of the Land of Wind were now free to be redeployed.
Sunagakure's initial aim had been to test Konoha's strength. If they saw an opportunity, they wouldn't hesitate to strike. But if they found none, they'd pull back.
The Tsuchikage had tested Konoha's defenses at the cost of his leg, revealing the village's true strength to Sunagakure. With this revelation, Sunagakure abandoned any further ambitions.
Of the Four Great Shinobi Villages, Kirigakure had remained silent from the beginning. Sunagakure had been intimidated and had withdrawn. Iwagakure had suffered a crushing defeat.
Now, only Kumogakure remained.
With 800 of the 1,200 elite shinobi from the border now joining his forces, Akira prepared to march toward Kumogakure. But before he could leave, the second piece of good news arrived.
Kumogakure had also retreated!
Indeed, the situation had boiled down to a solo showdown between Kumogakure and Konoha. Even the hot-headed Raikage must have realized that swallowing Konoha whole was an impossible feat.
Victory wasn't guaranteed, and even if they won, it would be a Pyrrhic victory, leaving them vulnerable to other villages. The Raikage wasn't willing to risk that.
After several meetings, Kumogakure's leadership decided to pull back.
In truth, Akira was surprised by this news, though upon reflection, it made perfect sense. Onoki's personal involvement had posed a significant threat. In two life simulations, Akira had either been killed in an ambush or left crippled during peace talks.
But with great risk came great reward. This crushing defeat of Iwagakure and the severing of the Tsuchikage's leg had shaken the shinobi world so thoroughly that Akira's mission had been completed ahead of schedule.
He no longer needed to march on the Land of Lightning!
In doing so, Akira had likely quashed the seeds of a Fourth Great Shinobi War that might have arisen from the other villages' ambitions to divide up Konoha.
P/S: From the author (Recently, I've seen some feedback in the reviews, and I wanted to address two points. First, will the Mangekyo Sharingan be unlocked? Of course! What's the point of being reborn as an Uchiha if you don't unlock your full potential? Second, regarding the protagonist's young age, I'll be adjusting the plot to allow him to grow older naturally. After all, with his abilities, it wouldn't make sense for him not to reach Sage of Six Paths level in seven or eight years. But I'll handle the progression carefully to avoid any inconsistencies.)
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 180 at patreon.com/Emik01.