This man…
His legacy still gently shields the world.
A remnant of an ancient era, his light has traversed the boundless expanse of time, continuing to shine upon the people, offering them warmth in the cold, merciless shinobi world.
If a rare disease appeared in some distant land, one only needed to inquire about the stories of Shigen passed down in that region. By carefully listening, one could often uncover a cure hidden in his past teachings.
Even now…
This man still strives for peace.
Even if he were to lose this duel, he would not harbor resentment. Instead, he would continue treating the wounded in this war.
A sense of shame welled up in the Second Tsuchikage, Mū.
Deep shame.
The Second Kazekage, Shamon, found himself unable to lift his head.
"My conscience is starting to ache…"
The Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hōzuki, placed a hand over his heart, feigning melodramatic pain before his face turned solemn. "If Lord Shigen loses this duel and establishes a medical camp on the battlefield…"
"I swear as Mizukage…"
"No Kirigakure shinobi shall bring battle upon Lord Shigen's camp, nor shall any of our war efforts encroach upon it!"
This was a vow from the Second Mizukage himself.
Battles often take place within broad regions, and war efforts include intelligence gathering, assassination, sabotage, and poisoning—nothing is off-limits.
By making this pledge, the Mizukage was essentially declaring that if any shinobi found themselves in danger, they could seek refuge in Shigen's camp, and Kirigakure would abandon their pursuit at its gates.
"I swear as Kazekage…"
"No Sunagakure shinobi shall bring battle upon Lord Shigen's camp, nor shall any of our war efforts encroach upon it!"
"I swear as Tsuchikage…"
"No Iwagakure shinobi shall bring battle upon Lord Shigen's camp, nor shall any of our war efforts encroach upon it!"
Mū and Shamon did not hesitate. Their gazes grew firm, filled with unwavering respect.
Truthfully…
Had it not been for the futures of their villages at stake, they might have forsaken the duel altogether and respected Shigen's wish to end the war.
But as Kage…
They could not abandon their duty to protect their people.
To be Kage meant to bear the burden of every responsibility.
And just then…
A voice rang out from the audience.
"I swear as the future Third Raikage…"
The young shinobi, wreathed in crackling lightning, raised his voice for all to hear.
"No Kumogakure shinobi shall bring battle upon Lord Shigen's camp, nor shall any of our war efforts encroach upon it!"
"…"
The shinobi gathered were left astounded.
If all these oaths were upheld, it would mean that no battles or covert operations would ever reach Shigen's camp. A true safe haven would exist on the battlefield.
No…
Not quite.
One village had yet to swear an oath.
And…
That village was the one that had been exploiting Shigen to gain an advantage in this war.
Every shinobi present instinctively turned toward the Leaf headbands, their gazes sharp, causing the Konoha nin to avert their eyes in discomfort.
"…"
Sarutobi Sasuke lowered his head in shame.
A deep silence fell upon the Konoha shinobi.
They regretted coming here.
Before leaving, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had given them only one directive—hold the camp. He would return after the alliance ceremony.
No one had expected this.
Tobirama had left no clear successor in charge, no future Hokage to step forward and save face.
Because…
Who among them dared to speak in the name of the "future Hokage"?
Most importantly, Sasuke knew Tobirama all too well.
The Second Hokage would do anything for Konoha.
Even if it meant exploiting Shigen.
Tobirama had already sent all the severely wounded to the rear lines under Shigen's care to conserve front-line medical resources.
Would he truly uphold such an oath?
Or would he later violate it, using Shigen's camp to his advantage?
The shame was suffocating.
Konoha had lost all dignity in the eyes of the other villages.
"Hahahahahaha!"
After the other Kage and the future Raikage made their declarations, the shinobi from other villages erupted into laughter upon seeing Konoha's silence.
"Of course the Leaf won't swear an oath! They've been using Lord Shigen from the start, hoping to win this war through him!"
"Konoha was already on the verge of collapse, weren't they? Iwagakure owes Lord Shigen a great debt, yet their Second Hokage sought to use Shigen's kindness to beg us for a retreat!"
"If not for our alliance, Mū would have honored his debt and agreed to Shigen's request. But now, the situation has changed…"
"…"
"How pathetic…"
The future Third Raikage shot a glance at the silent Konoha shinobi.
Perhaps the alliance with the Leaf should be reconsidered.
Kumogakure's Second Raikage had sought this alliance to honor the First Raikage's pact with Hashirama.
But in the future…
Would such an alliance truly be worth maintaining?
"…"
The faces of the Konoha shinobi darkened.
Every accusation was painfully true.
Sasuke, in particular, knew that Tobirama had indeed sent Shigen a letter asking him to request Iwagakure's retreat.
This reality had utterly destroyed Konoha's reputation.
"We can't let this continue…"
Sarutobi Sasuke took a deep breath.
When Tobirama returned, he would plead with him to reconsider Konoha's actions.
After all…
Under the First Hokage, Konoha had been a beacon of peace, well-respected across the world.
But now, under the Second Hokage, its reputation had plummeted.
Had they chosen the wrong leader?
Sasuke turned his gaze toward the battlefield.
Back when the First Hokage was elected, everyone had agreed that Hashirama was the best choice.
But Hashirama had wanted Madara to take his place as Hokage.
No one had supported that idea.
Still, the unspoken understanding was clear—Hashirama would lead first, and then Madara would take over, ruling alongside him.
But then…
Tobirama had risen to power instead.
With his political acumen and governance, he had established Konoha's institutions—the Academy, the ANBU, and more.
Everyone had accepted that Tobirama was the better choice.
And Madara had left.
Perhaps…
Was it because he lost the Hokage seat?
Now, for the first time, Sasuke wondered…
Had they made a mistake?
But it was too late for regrets.
All Sasuke could do was hope that Shigen would win.
If he lost…
Konoha would become the enemy of all.
The tension among the thousands of gathered shinobi grew palpable.
The condemnation of Konoha had ignited a firestorm of discussion.
But just as the noise reached a fever pitch—
"Silence!"
Madara's voice rang out like thunder!
An overwhelming aura erupted from his body, sending waves of fear crashing over the tens of thousands of shinobi gathered.
A suffocating silence fell over the battlefield.
This man…
Was still just as terrifying.
With his mere presence, the battlefield was his domain.
Satisfied with the newfound quiet, Madara turned his gaze toward the three Kage who had just sworn their oaths.
He sneered.
"Hmph… You're all so confident, aren't you?"
The air grew tense.
"The battle hasn't even begun," Madara scoffed. "And yet here you are, acting as though you've already won. Do you really think the three of you can defeat Lord Shigen?"
"…"
Mū's expression soured.
Gengetsu and Shamon exchanged awkward glances.
Was this… a misunderstanding?
They had been pledging respect, not issuing a challenge!
"…"
Shigen sighed.
Madara…
No wonder he was never chosen as Hokage.
"This was not meant as a challenge," Shigen clarified.
Then, he bowed his head slightly to the three Kage.
"Thank you."
"Th-that's too much!"
Gengetsu nearly knelt in response.
Then—
"Enough talk."
Madara's Susano'o flared to life.
Though new to this role, he carried it out with absolute confidence.
With a booming voice, he declared—
"Now—begin!"
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Powerstones?
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