Faced with Hui's confident demeanor, Mu and Shamon pondered for a moment before Mu spoke up:
"We agree to the war reparations you mentioned."
They had no other choice. After all, they were dealing with Hui—a boy shrouded in mystery and undeniable strength.
No one knew what trump cards he might still have up his sleeve.
"Good. In that case, let this duel bring an end to this war."
Senju Tobirama interjected, a faint smile on his lips.
The concept of war reparations proposed by Hui had impressed him—it held vast potential for strategic maneuvering.
Moreover, this war had already claimed too many lives. Prolonging it any further would bring no benefit to Konoha.
Ending it swiftly would allow them to focus on wrapping up the war in the Land of Rain and move on to the final battle with Kirigakure, putting a definitive end to the Second Shinobi World War.
The possibility of Hui losing this duel never crossed Tobirama's mind.
Although he didn't know all of Hui's cards, the young man's strength surpassed even his own. Defeating both Mu and Shamon wouldn't be difficult for him.
As the duel was decided, the ninjas of the Iwa-Suna Allied Forces and Konoha slowly separated, returning to their respective sides.
Between them lay a large clearing, the chosen battlefield for this decisive showdown.
Once the crowd stepped aside, Hui and the two opposing Kage-level fighters stepped into the space.
This was the final battle on the battlefield of the Land of Rain.
The audience numbered roughly 15,000 ninjas.
The combatants, however, were only three:
On one side stood Mu, the Second Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, and Shamon, the Second Kazekage of Sunagakure—two renowned superpowers of the ninja world, the leaders of two of the Five Great Hidden Villages.
On the other side stood Hui, the "Demigod" of Konoha, a youth who continuously turned miracles into legend.
"This battle will decide both superiority and survival," Hui declared.
There was no way he would allow Mu and Shamon to return alive. The ninja world no longer needed these two relics of the past. They had to take responsibility for instigating this war.
Mu and Shamon nodded silently, the weight of the situation had settled heavily in their hearts.
Though their opponent was a boy not yet seventeen, he was one of the strongest enemies they had ever faced.
The last individuals who had instilled such an oppressive feeling in them were none other than Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.
They had thought that after those two godlike shinobi passed away, the ninja world would never see their equal again.
Yet here they were, facing another extraordinary ninja, and again, from Konoha.
They were determined to fight to the death, yet they also resolved to kill Hui. If they could somehow succeed, it might turn the tide of this war.
"Let's begin!"
Hui's voice rang out as his figure vanished, dashing toward the two with terrifying speed.
His movements were so fast that to the untrained eye, he seemed to disappear entirely, leaving no trace.
Only elite ninjas with exceptional perception could detect the afterimages of his movements and analyze them.
Even so, only a handful on the battlefield could clearly see him—figures like Senju Tobirama, Ōnoki, the Third Kazekage, and the Uchiha clan leader with his awakened three-tomoe Sharingan.
Naturally, Mu and Shamon were among those who could track him.
Shamon raised his hand, summoning a sand wall from the ground to block Hui's advance and obscure his view of the two.
At the same time, the wall slowed his momentum, aiming to weaken his assault.
Behind the sand wall, Mu clasped his hands together, forming a cubic Dust Release in preparation for a devastating attack.
The wall served two purposes; it concealed Mu's actions from Hui while providing a brief moment to strategize.
But Hui, being a versatile ninja, didn't need to see them to understand. Sensing the chakra forming in Mu's Dust Release technique, he instantly deduced their plan.
He halted abruptly before the sand wall, placing his hand against it. Channeling natural energy, he transformed the wall.
Sharp sand spikes shot out from its far side toward Mu and Shamon.
The sudden attack startled both Kage-level ninjas.
Faced with the unavoidable spikes, Mu had no choice but to use his Dust Release as a makeshift shield, sacrificing it to block the incoming assault.
At the same moment, Hui leaped over the wall, releasing a torrent of fire from his mouth. The flames rapidly coalesced into a massive fireball, hurtling toward the two.
Mu had already expended his Dust Release and had no time to prepare another. It was the perfect moment to strike.
However, both Mu and Shamon were seasoned warriors, their instincts honed through countless battles.
The moment the sand spikes appeared, they had already anticipated a follow-up attack.
As the fireball came, they reacted instantly, leaping backward to avoid the inferno.
Mu took to the sky, where he held a clear advantage, while Shamon summoned numerous puppets to surround himself on the ground.
His fingers twitched, sending the puppets toward Hui. As they moved, hidden weapons emerged from their bodies, launching a barrage of projectiles at their target.
Meanwhile, in the air, Mu readied another Dust Release technique, looking for an opportunity to coordinate with Shamon and obliterate Hui, even if it meant destroying the puppets as collateral.
Their strategy was clear: keep their distance and bombard Hui with long-range attacks, denying him any chance to close the gap.
Their intelligence on Hui was explicit,.
His close-quarters combat abilities were unparalleled, and he could execute many techniques without hand seals, making him exceptionally lethal at close range.
In particular, one technique was especially feared. If he managed to touch or grab his opponent, it would almost certainly spell their defeat and death.
Hui, after releasing his fireball, landed gracefully and faced the oncoming puppets.
He clenched his fist, chakra surging into it. His sharp gaze immediately pinpointed the optimal spot for his counterattack.
He punched, and the nearest puppet exploded into fragments, obliterated by his super strength.
This display of raw power made Shamon's eye twitch. He was all too familiar with it—he had lost countless puppets in similar fashion during battles with the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
But destroying one puppet only brought more swarming toward him.
Above, Mu's Dust Release was ready. If an opening presented itself, he would release it without hesitation, annihilating both Hui and Shamon's puppets.
Hui noticed Mu's actions out of the corner of his eye and quickly discerned his intent.
He made his move. With a sudden burst of speed, he weaved through the swarm of puppets, closing in on Shamon.
His strategy was clear.
Aerial combat was not his forte. If he targeted Mu first, it would be challenging to deal with the Tsuchikage's aerial advantage and Shamon's ground-based support.
By eliminating Shamon, he could then focus on the isolated Mu in the sky. The battle would be much easier to win.
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