The war between Kumo and Konoha had reached a fever pitch. A week passed, Kūga and his shinobi forces continued to stand guard at the bridge, expertly fending off the relentless waves of Kumo forces attempting to break their defenses.
Despite Kumo's repeated attempts at ambushes, midnight assaults, and unconventional tactics, none could pierce Kūga's unyielding command. Every encounter ended in defeat for the invaders, with the forest floor littered with fallen Kumo shinobis.
After each skirmish, Kūga's team meticulously collected heads of fallen bountied enemies, sealing them away in scrolls for future submission at Konoha's Bounty Office. Kūga was amused by the sheer number of enemies they faced, already imagining the hefty payout he'd get once he submitted the heads.
Meanwhile, in the Land of Frost, the camp of the Raikage simmered with frustration. The air was tense, thick with anxiety and the smell of cold metal. The Raikage, a towering man with dark skin, a piercing gaze, and the emblematic Kumo headband, sat in his war tent, his face twisted in fury. Moments ago, he had been informed of the shocking losses they'd sustained in a single week—560 shinobis had been sent, and not one had returned.
His fist clenched as he glared at his second-in-command, who stood at rigid attention, his posture an effort to mask his own apprehension. "How could this happen?" the Raikage growled, his voice like distant thunder. "Over five hundred of our best, not even one returned!?"
The second-in-command swallowed, trying to maintain his composure. "Raikage-sama… reports indicate that Konoha's defenses are stronger than we anticipated. Kūga Seiryu's team is… unconventional." He paused, weighing his words.
"It seems they anticipated every maneuver, every ambush. Their leader—Kūga Seiryu—is unlike anyone we've faced. Our forces… haven't stood a chance."
The Raikage's expression darkened further, his muscles tense with anger. He took a deep breath, visibly controlling his rage, before speaking again. "Fine," he said, his voice steadying. "We'll change the game. Call for Botō. It's time we let our Jinchuriki loose on the front lines. He'll take five hundred with him. I want him to crush those Konoha scum."
The second-in-command nodded, his face paling slightly at the Raikage's order. "Y-Yes, Raikage-sama. I'll summon Botō immediately."
With a silent bow, he exited the tent, leaving the Raikage to his seething thoughts. The Raikage's gaze turned toward the distant mountains, where Kūga and his forces held their line. This was a game of war, one where the stakes were escalating beyond simple shinobi tactics.
Now, Kumo's most terrifying weapon would be unleashed, and the Raikage felt confident that the addition of their Jinchuriki would finally tilt the scales in their favor.
.
The Konoha campin the Land of Hotsprings bustled quietly with activity. Shinobis took turns hunting, cooking, patrolling the perimeter—everybody was busy preparing for whatever lay ahead. Inside the main tent, Kūga and his squad of ten elite shinobi huddled close, discussing the rumblings from the Land of Frost.
Kūga leaned in, his expression unreadable, before casually announcing, "I can feel them gathering over there. They've got quite a few waiting for us."
One shinobi blinked, glancing around nervously. "How many, Kūga-sama?"
Kūga chuckled lightly, then gave a shrug as though discussing the weather. "About five hundred."
A wave of shock rippled through the tent. Some stifled gasps, while others clenched their fists. Five hundred was no small force. But seeing Kūga's amused smile helped the tension dissolve, and he laughed at their reactions.
"Relax. We'll manage." He outlined his plan, calmly yet purposefully.
"I'll unleash a large-scale technique at the start. It'll take a lot of them out at once, but you'll need to fall back while it hits." He paused, making eye contact with each of them, letting the importance of caution sink in. "After that, close in around them. Pick off stragglers. Be smart with your targets—take out their medics first from a distance, then gang up on the remaining teams."
A shinobi raised an eyebrow. "But… should we bring the whole battalion?"
Kūga smirked. "No. I'm only bringing three hundred."
Their faces showed a flash of unease, but they nodded in agreement, tempered by Kūga's unshakable confidence. Each of them had witnessed Kūga's skill firsthand and knew his word was worth trusting.
As the meeting wrapped up, the shinobi dispersed, bracing themselves for the morning to come.
.
As the first light crept over the horizon, Kūga stood before his three hundred shinobi, all of them in full gear, their expressions steeled and resolved. He pointed across the river, his voice carrying authority and excitement.
"Cross that bridge and hide yourselves on the other side. Wait for a loud explosion. Then, kill any Kumo shinobi you see."
A murmur spread through the ranks as the orders were passed from one shinobi to the next. They then quietly crossed the bridge, slipping into the shadows to await Kūga's command.
Kūga ascended into the air, the morning mist swirling around him like tendrils of silver. His soldiers watched him, their eyes filled with awe; he seemed to float effortlessly, a magestic figure against the dim sky. At a distance, Kūga looked like a god, radiating power.
As he rose higher, Kūga spied the Kumo forces gathering about five miles away, still busy preparing for their offensive.
Raising his hand, he channeled a massive surge of ethereal energy, forming a brilliant orb that pulsed with an intense glow. With a faint whisper, he uttered, "Aether: Ethereal Bomb."
The orb rocketed up, climbing higher and higher before streaking down like a comet toward the Kumo forces.
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMM!!!*
A thunderous explosion erupted, shaking the very ground and sending shockwaves through the surrounding forest. Trees bent and swayed, and the force of the blast swept through the Konoha shinobi's hiding spot, eliciting startled exclamations.
"What the hell…!" one shinobi muttered in awe as they steadied themselves, peering through the dust toward the enemy encampment.
As the smoke began to clear, Kūga floated above the destruction, satisfied. His technique had vaporized the frontline, scattering the remaining Kumo forces into disarray.
At least three hundred shinobi had fallen in one swift strike.
On cue, the Konoha shinobi surged forward, emerging from their cover and launching themselves at the stunned Kumo ninjas. Cries echoed as kunai met flesh, jutsus crackled through the air, and the once-disciplined Kumo ranks fell into chaos.
.
The battle was fierce. Konoha shinobi weaved through the battlefield, targeting stragglers, overwhelming the scattered Kumo forces in tight, coordinated groups.
Long-range jutsus struck from the shadows, striking medics and support fighters before they could react. Explosions lit up the battlefield as fire, water, and lightning jutsus clashed, casting eerie shadows through the haze of smoke.
Kūga descended into the fray, his blade a silver blur as he carved through his enemies with lethal precision. Even amidst the chaos, he exuded a terrifying calm, as if he were in control of every moment.
His laughter cut through the battlefield, mocking the desperation of his opponents. Then, amid the thinning ranks of Kumo shinobi, he sensed a surge of power—the Jinchuriki, Botō, had survived the initial blast and was undoing the seal on his bijuu.
Kūga met Botō's steely gaze, watching as the shinobi unleashed the full fury of the tailed beast within him. With a bellow, Botō released a colossal bijūdama, the deadly energy sphere barreling toward Kūga. But Kūga merely smirked, gathering aether into his blade as it began to shimmer with raw, primal power.
With a single stroke, he sliced through the bijūdama, the blade ripping open a tear in the fabric of space. The energy of the bijūdama disappeared into the rift, swallowed by the emptiness beyond.
The bijuu within Botō recoiled in terror, the fear evident even in the Jinchuriki's eyes. Without hesitation, Botō turned and fled, racing toward Kumo's second camp, where the Raikage and his two thousand shinobi awaited.
Kūga grinned, savoring the chase. He followed Botō, easily catching up and closing the distance to Kumo's primary base. The camp bustled with armored Kumo shinobi, who froze at the sight of Kūga emerging from the shadows. Among them stood the Raikage himself, tall and furious, his presence radiating authority.
Kūga's eyes gleamed with amusement as he leveled his gaze at the Raikage. "This is what Kumo has to offer? I was hoping for a challenge." His voice dripped with mockery, his grin widening as he observed the fury in the Raikage's eyes.
The Kumo forces held their breath, tense and uncertain. And Kūga? Well... he was Kūga.
.
The Raikage stepped forward, his gaze icy and unforgiving, muscles coiled with restrained fury as he surveyed Kūga, who stood alone before the vast Kumo force. Thousands of shinobi gathered behind him, forming a formidable wall of Kumo's most skilled warriors, each radiating hostility.
The Raikage's deep, commanding voice echoed through the silence. "You come alone, Kūga Seiryu. You have no chance against the strength of Kumo. I will end you myself if you don't surrender. Do you understand the forces arrayed against you?"
Kūga merely raised an eyebrow, a crooked smirk pulling at his lips as he looked past the Raikage to the legions of shinobi, all eager to tear him apart
With a light chuckle, he replied, his tone almost bored, "Two thousand shinobi? That's it?" He let his gaze linger on the Raikage, his smirk widening. "I expected more."
The Raikage's patience snapped, his powerful aura crackling with lightning as he unleashed a surge of chakra that pulsed through the entire Kumo force. "Kumo shinobi! Leave nothing of him!Lightning Release: Static Storm!"
"Water Style: Grand Waterfall Jutsu!"
"Earth Style: Mud Wall Barricade!"
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Shinobi from every division yelled out their jutsu, unleashing a torrent of elemental attacks that collided in a furious maelstrom. Lightning bolts, torrents of water, searing fireballs, and gusts of wind descended upon Kūga, each attack compounding and amplifying the last. Waves of power crashed down on him, obscuring him in a blinding display of fury.
But Kūga merely raised his hand, whispering, "Aether: Veil of Invisibility."
As the elements swarmed over him, Kūga faded into nothingness, dissolving into the haze as if he'd never been there. Confusion rippled through the Kumo ranks, and the Raikage snarled, sweeping the battlefield with an enraged gaze.
"What are you waiting for? Find him!"
Suddenly, Kūga reappeared, stepping into view with a casual grin as if he'd simply stepped out for a stroll. His fingers traced symbols in the air, and he murmured, "Aether: Cataclysmic Dawn."
The sky darkened, and in a heartbeat, a blinding burst of pure energy engulfed the field, vaporizing the front lines and creating a shockwave that sent countless Kumo shinobi flying. The earth shook as if in response to the sheer destructive force. All around him, shinobi scrambled back, terror flashing across their faces as they saw the destruction unleashed.
"Lightning Style: Thunderbolt Lance!" yelled one shinobi, darting forward, his hand crackling with lightning. Kūga sidestepped, calmly slicing through the lightning-enhanced kunai with his sword. Another shinobi came from behind, summoning a whirlwind of fire, but Kūga twisted, raising his hand and dispersing it with a wave of Aether energy.
A squad attempted to close the distance with taijutsu, fists and feet blurring as they launched a coordinated assault. Kūga danced around them with casual grace, barely shifting his stance as he dodged, ducked, and deflected every strike.
One kunoichi jumped in with a sword, shouting, "Steel Fang Technique!"
Kūga parried effortlessly, throwing her off-balance with a swift strike that sent her sprawling.
Around him, Kumo's shinobi regrouped, hurling themselves at him in waves, combining their attacks into a massive elemental barrage. Fire twisted with wind to create blazing cyclones; water torrents combined with earth to form crushing mudslides; lightning crackled through the air. Kūga stood unfazed, his expression almost playful.
"Aether: Terra Maelstrom," he intoned, and a colossal vortex erupted around him, sweeping through the Kumo forces with a devastating power that shattered the earth beneath their feet. Mountains of debris and fractured rock engulfed his enemies, leaving the battlefield a shattered wasteland.
More shinobi arrived, fear turning into grim resolve as they switched to genjutsu, creating illusions to ensnare him. The world shimmered around Kūga as illusions layered one over another—a forest of twisted trees, a fiery abyss, ghostly apparitions clawing at him.
However, Kūga merely sighed, his gaze sharpening as he whispered, "Aether: Nihility Edge." The illusions shattered like glass, leaving his attackers exposed and vulnerable. With a flick of his sword, he cut through them, each strike ruthless and precise.
Then the battlefield darkened as the Raikage, cloaked in a shroud of raw lightning, advanced, his voice a roar. "You think you're invincible, but you're not above Kumo's power!" He charged forward, his speed so immense that it left afterimages in his wake.
"Lightning Style: Lariat!" The Raikage's arm was an arc of pure energy, hurtling toward Kūga's chest. Kūga's lips curved into a grin, and he countered, "Aether: Dimensional Oblivion."
The space around him warped, folding inwards and twisting with an eerie silence. The Raikage's attack came to a halt mere inches from Kūga's skin, the force sucked into a dimensional void that consumed the lightning. The Raikage stumbled back, his expression wavering between rage and shock.
But before he could regroup, the Jinchuriki Botō lunged forward, his chakra melding with the violent energy of the tailed beast within. "Now you'll see true power!" he shouted, hands raised as he summoned a bijūdama, the ball of energy growing, pulsing with malevolent intent.
Kūga barely spared him a glance, lifting his sword and channeling Aether through it until it glowed. With a quick, effortless swipe, he cut through the bijūdama. The impact tore through space and time, devouring the ball of energy into a black void.
Botō froze, terror flashing in his eyes. He turned to flee again, but Kūga appeared in his path in a heartbeat, striking him down and severing his head with a single motion. Sealing the head with an ethereal rune, Kūga turned back to the battlefield, his movements calm and unhurried.
By now, only a hundred shinobi remained, looking upon him with a mixture of horror and awe. Bodies lay scattered, the ground scorched and torn, and in the distance, the Raikage's voice boomed as he invoked his final weapon.
"Lightning Armor!" The Raikage's body became a blinding beacon of raw lightning energy, every muscle taut with speed and power. He gave Kūga a final, furious glare, before he turned and disappeared in a blur of lightning, abandoning his army in a flash.
Silence descended over the battlefield as Kūga looked around at the remnants of Kumo's forces, a relaxed smile still on his face.
Not a scratch marred his wardrobe, his breathing untroubled as if he hadn't just fought thousands alone.
The Konoha shinobi finally arrived, coming to an abrupt halt as they took in the scene before them: the scattered, broken bodies of over a thousand shinobi, the burnt landscape, and Kūga standing amidst it all, unscathed, smiling as if it had been nothing more than a warm-up.
For a moment, nobody spoke. They could only stare, speechless, their minds struggling to process the scene. Finally, a murmur spread through the ranks.
"Kūga-sama… he really did it…"
Kūga just looks at shinobis that arrived and grin towards them.
"Yo!"
.
After gathering the bountied heads, Kūga and his remaining Konoha shinobi returned to their camp. As they arrived, a wave of elation spread through the ranks, the air filled with cheers and triumphant cries.
Shinobi clapped each other on the back, relief and pride reflected in their faces as they celebrated the victory. Some of them looked at Kūga with a mix of awe and admiration, knowing it was his unparalleled power and fearless leadership that had brought them home.
Kūga merely smiled at their cheers, his usual carefree grin spreading as he nodded to his comrades. But as the celebration continued, he took a quiet step back and prepared to leave.
"Well, it was fun, but I have some business in Iwa," he said casually, tilting his head toward the skies. "You know… just want to see what's going on over there. You guys head back to Konoha."
With a final wave, Kūga's form shot into the sky, leaving behind an iconic sonic boom that echoed through the valley. The shockwave rolled through the camp, sending a gust of wind through the tents and blowing hair and banners back as the shinobi watched him disappear into the heavens.