At the edge of the coastline, above the vast sea, numerous figures gradually became visible. They were the Hidden Mist ninja army.
Leading them was Terumi Ryuunosuke, whose eyes instinctively narrowed as she took in the devastated land before her. The ground was shattered, covered in thick smoke and dust. But the most striking feature was a massive gash in the earth, stretching hundreds of meters in both length and width.
Ryuunosuke's breath hitched.
What kind of unimaginable power had been unleashed to cause such destruction?
What kind of fierce battle had taken place here?
Who were the combatants?
Her sharp gaze followed the trail of devastation, tracing it back to the direction of Konoha's army camp.
Could it be...?
Earlier, their forces had silently eliminated Konoha's Byakugan defense line led by the Hyūga clan. And now, another crushing blow had struck the Konoha army.
Was this all the work of the mysterious Third Mizukage?
Behind her, nearly two thousand Kirigakure ninjas observed the ruined battlefield in horror, their expressions filled with unease.
"Move out!"
Despite their shock, the Mist ninjas were trained to follow orders without hesitation. At Ryuunosuke's command, the army resumed its march, stepping across the Land of Fire's coastline and advancing deeper into enemy territory.
At the same time, Fugaku Uchiha, leading a dozen ninjas, emerged from the dense forest.
His heart pounded as he surveyed the area, scanning for the terrifying monster that had nearly wiped out the Konoha army.
But it was gone.
There was no sign of it.
"Father!!"
Behind Fugaku, Might Guy's voice trembled with urgency, his eyes wide with disbelief.
They had all known that activating the Eighth Gate came at the cost of one's life. Yet, despite that understanding, the sudden disappearance of both the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and Might Guy left them shaken and full of questions.
"What is that?!"
Just then, a Hyūga ninja behind Fugaku furrowed his brows. His Byakugan flared to life, scanning the distance.
And in the next instant, his expression darkened.
"It's the Kirigakure army!"
Everyone turned sharply toward the coastline. Though they were still kilometers away, the open terrain allowed them an unobstructed view.
"Why… are there more of them than before?"
Although Shisui Uchiha had only activated his Single-Tomoe Sharingan, his heightened perception far surpassed that of ordinary ninjas.
In his vision, the number of Kirigakure ninjas was significantly greater than before.
This isn't right…
From their previous battles, they knew that Kirigakure's forces had been dwindling. By now, their numbers should have dropped below 1,500 due to the ongoing clashes.
But now…
Judging from the figures advancing from the shoreline, their numbers had increased—they were at least two thousand strong!
Reinforcements.
Kirigakure had sent reinforcements to the frontlines!
Fugaku's expression turned grim.
"Send a signal! Now!"
"Yes!"
A Konoha ninja, his face tense with urgency, swiftly pulled out a signal flare.
Boom!
A fiery streak shot into the darkening sky, exploding in a brilliant flash of light.
Konoha Camp – Border of the Land of Moon
Swish!
A Konoha ninja dashed into the command tent, where Minato Namikaze and the other leaders were gathered.
"Urgent report from the frontlines!"
"The new Fourth Raikage, A, has led the Kumogakure army into full retreat, heading toward the Land of Lightning!"
At these words, the gathered Konoha shinobi exchanged looks, their expressions shifting to relief.
The Cloud Ninja army had finally retreated.
It was expected—no matter how reckless the Fourth Raikage was, he couldn't ignore the bigger picture.
Now that the Third Raikage was dead, pushing forward would only cause greater losses for Kumogakure.
"Sakumo-senpai, I leave the remaining matters in your hands."
Without further explanation, Minato turned toward Hatake Sakumo, speaking in a calm yet decisive tone.
And the next moment—
He vanished.
In the blink of an eye, Minato appeared several kilometers away.
This was the furthest distance he could travel without direct perception using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Now standing atop the tallest mountain in the Land of Moon, Minato looked down, the world beneath him blanketed in mist and clouds.
He formed a hand seal, and his powerful sensory abilities expanded, reaching out toward the southeastern coastline of the Land of Fire.
He was searching for his Flying Thunder God marks.
But something was wrong.
Minato's expression darkened.
"What…?"
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't sense them.
His heart pounded.
The Flying Thunder God Mark never disappeared on its own.
Unless—
Unless someone or something had interfered with it.
A chilling premonition settled in his chest.
Without wasting another second, Minato altered his focus, expanding his search even further.
Several years ago, during his covert mission in Kirigakure, he had placed marks on several key reefs near the Mist Village.
Yet—
Even those were gone.
His sky-blue eyes widened in shock.
What was happening?
Without hesitation, Minato vanished once more.
Konoha – Minato's Home
Minato reappeared in front of his house.
He glanced around. Kushina wasn't home.
Swish!
Without a moment's delay, he pushed his speed to its absolute limit and raced toward the Land of Fire's coastline.
As he sped through the dense forest, his mind remained focused—constantly reaching out with his senses, still unable to locate his Flying Thunder God marks.
Then—
Something caught his attention.
A thin wisp of unnatural smoke drifted between the trees.
Minato's keen instincts kicked in.
He extended his chakra perception slightly.
"A ninja?"
At first, he assumed it was just bandits taking advantage of the chaos of war.
But no—
There were chakra signatures in the nearby village.
And not just one or two.
A group of ninjas.
None were exceptionally strong, but they clearly had the level of at least Chūnin or higher.
This wasn't normal.
Minato immediately shifted direction, heading straight toward the source.
Moments later, he arrived outside a village engulfed in flames.
His sky-blue eyes locked onto the figures standing at the village entrance—eight or nine ninjas preparing to leave.
Then, his expression hardened.
Because the forehead protectors they wore...
They belonged to Kirigakure.
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Marvel : The God Of Punishment System
I Am Raditz
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