Chapter 44: End This Mistaken War
No matter how much he thought about it, Minato Namikaze couldn't understand why—despite using Flying Thunder God at full speed—he was still a step behind Uchiha Dali on the battlefield.
Just as he was grappling with his uncertainty, Uchiha Dali's voice rang out.
"You seem to be late, Minato-senpai."
Minato snapped back to reality, his gaze involuntarily locking onto Uchiha Dali's.
"You haven't forgotten our agreement, have you? You're falling way behind."
As Uchiha Dali spoke, he suddenly activated an advanced version of the Body Flicker Technique, appearing right beside Minato in an instant.
This maneuver left Minato momentarily stunned, his body reacting as if struck by lightning.
His eyes widened slightly, his face showing an expression of disbelief.
"Flying Thunder God… When did you…?"
As the one who had refined and improved the Flying Thunder God Technique, Minato's understanding of this space-time jutsu surpassed anyone else's.
At this moment, he recognized it instantly—this was Flying Thunder God.
But it was obvious that Uchiha Dali's mastery of it was likely even more refined than his own.
"Looks like I picked up your technique," Uchiha Dali said with a playful smile. "Doesn't seem as hard to grasp as it looks…"
Revealing this ability to Minato was a calculated move.
Sooner or later, Minato would find out he had mastered the technique.
Since that was the case, he might as well use this opportunity to subtly influence Minato and the two Hyuga brothers.
Sure enough, after hearing Uchiha Dali's words, Minato's expression grew even more serious.
He turned his head in disbelief, locking eyes with Uchiha Dali.
In those deep black eyes, there was clarity and sincerity—not the look of a liar, but rather one of confidence and challenge.
Before Minato could respond, Hyuga Hiashi, who had been silently listening, couldn't help but speak up.
"I always thought Minato was a rare genius for having improved the Second Hokage's Flying Thunder God at such a young age. But it seems your talent surpasses even his."
"The Uchiha Clan… first there was Shisui of the Body Flicker, and now, another prodigy like you. The two of you are truly the twin stars of the Uchiha."
Hiashi's words gradually eased the doubt in Minato's eyes.
At this moment, he began to believe that Uchiha Dali's talent was simply extraordinary—his comprehension ability far beyond that of ordinary people, which explained why he had mastered the Flying Thunder God so quickly.
"I'm twenty-two. How old are you?" Minato suddenly asked.
"Eighteen," Uchiha Dali replied.
Minato let out a bitter chuckle and nodded in acknowledgment. "In that case, your talent truly surpasses mine."
Uchiha Dali merely smiled in response, offering no further comment.
As long as someone as brilliant as Minato didn't overanalyze the source of his power, that was good enough.
Minato then turned to the two Hyuga brothers and said, "Since the battle here is over, let's move to support other fronts."
"I've already relayed the situation back to the village."
---
In the chaos of the ninja war, intelligence was of paramount importance.
With Kirigakure's forces withdrawing from the battlefield, the intelligence divisions of all major villages ramped up efforts to gather battlefield reports.
Every piece of information was swiftly transmitted back to the high command of the respective villages, providing crucial updates.
Before long, reports of Kumogakure's retreat had reached the daimyos of the Land of Fire, the Land of Water, the Land of Lightning, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Wind.
These reports detailed not just the battlefield outcomes but also the names and combat characteristics of the key players involved.
At this moment, in the daimyo's residence in the Land of Lightning—
The Lightning Daimyo anxiously paced back and forth after reading the intelligence report delivered by the Anbu. He was like an ant on a hot stove.
"Lord Daimyo, Iwagakure's forces have already retreated, and now our Kumogakure troops are suffering consecutive defeats. It seems Konoha is a much tougher opponent than we anticipated."
"Should we reconsider Konoha's proposal for peace talks?"
The daimyo's advisors began urging him to reconsider based on the battlefield situation.
Also present in the chamber was Kumogakure's strategic advisory team.
"Given the current situation, even just the 'Yellow Flash' alone is enough to pose a severe threat to any of our villages. And on top of that, there's Shisui of the Body Flicker from the Uchiha Clan and the so-called 'Merciless Reaper' Uchiha Dali."
"With those three top-tier powerhouses standing in Konoha's ranks, whether we can defeat them is one question—but even if we send more troops, we're just sending them to their deaths."
Kumogakure's advisors laid out their assessment.
"'Merciless Reaper'?" The Lightning Daimyo's eyes twitched slightly.
His mind was already in turmoil, and he had no idea what to do.
"Our forces suffered heavy casualties against Uchiha Dali. According to incomplete reports, we've lost over five hundred ninja to him alone."
"Every time he makes a move, he shows no mercy. It's as if he has no human emotions—only the cold efficiency of a reaper harvesting lives. That's why we gave him that nickname."
Kumogakure's advisors explained grimly.
The Lightning Daimyo's face grew increasingly solemn.
After much deliberation, he finally made a reluctant decision.
"Send the order—Kumogakure's forces are to fully withdraw from the battlefield. It's time to end this mistaken war… Otherwise, both our military strength and economy will suffer even greater devastation."
With a heavy heart, the Lightning Daimyo issued the command.
Meanwhile, across the border, the Land of Earth's daimyo came to the same conclusion.
Minato Namikaze alone, with his Flying Thunder God technique, had wiped out fifty elite jōnin from Iwagakure in an instant. This had already left them utterly shocked and fearful.
And now, with the emergence of Uchiha Dali, the terror in Iwagakure and the Land of Earth deepened.
Seeing other villages retreating in succession, they had no reason to face Konoha's overwhelming might alone.
With that, including Kirigakure, which had withdrawn first, four out of the five major ninja villages had now backed out of the war against Konoha.
Only Sunagakure of the Land of Wind remained.
However, as the weakest of the five great nations—both in terms of military and economic power—Sunagakure was in no position to stand against Konoha alone.
When word spread that Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure had all retreated, morale in Sunagakure's forces plummeted.
On the western front, Orochimaru personally led his forces, launching a decisive assault that shattered Sunagakure's remaining resistance—bringing the Third Great Ninja War one step closer to its conclusion.
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