Crack, crack...
A series of crisp sounds were heard. Upon closer inspection, one could see numerous cracks appearing on the skeletal frame of Kagami Uchiha's Susanoo.
Ultimately, this frame successfully defended against Sawato's attack, and Kagami Uchiha suffered no significant harm.
As for Sawato, he was once again repelled, his feet carving two scorched black marks into the ground.
Swoosh!
Kagami Uchiha's figure flashed, charging towards Sawato once more.
Two streams of fresh blood trickled from his pupils, leaving trails of bloody tears on his face.
Simultaneously, immense ocular power transformed into massive chakra muscles, filling the gaps in the Susanoo's skeletal frame, evolving Kagami's Susanoo from a "skeleton" into a "muscle man."
After Kagami made the decision to unleash all his ocular power to protect his juniors, his Susanoo evolved from the first stage to the second, greatly enhancing both its attack and defense.
Only at this moment did Kagami Uchiha realize how ludicrous his previous battles, fought while conserving ocular power, had been.
As the first Uchiha to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan after Madara Uchiha left Konoha, Kagami also felt that the strength he displayed was far inferior to Madara's.
Not the Madara who had obtained the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, but the Madara before that.
It was known that at that time, the only one who could rival Madara Uchiha was the First Hokage's Wood Release.
Yet, the "Susanoo" Kagami used, while powerful, lacked Madara's absolute terror.
Previously, he had thought it was due to his own lack of talent. Now, it seemed it was because he had been too restrained, never truly unleashing the full power of "Susanoo."
Thinking about it, ever since learning that excessive use of the Mangekyo Sharingan led to blindness, Kagami had always been restrained, trying to keep his ocular power consumption within a certain range to ensure his vision wouldn't deteriorate too quickly.
Now, as Kagami unleashed his ocular power without reservation for the first time, his Susanoo naturally advanced to the next stage.
Unfortunately, Kagami Uchiha had realized this too late.
At this moment, this muscular Susanoo would be Kagami Uchiha's final, brilliant display!
If not for the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, coming to his aid, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki might have been killed by Kagami Uchiha.
Even so, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki suffered extremely severe injuries and was forced to withdraw from the battlefield.
As for Kagami Uchiha, after this battle, his eyes were completely blind, and he was escorted back to the village.
In this battle, both Konoha and the Stone ninjas lost a top-tier combatant.
Thereafter, Sakumo Hatake rose to prominence, his White Fang short sword striking fear into the hearts of the Stone ninjas.
Apart from the Third Tsuchikage Onoki and the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, even Jonin offered little resistance against Sakumo Hatake.
In the sixteenth year of Konoha, the Stone Village signed a truce agreement with Konoha.
In less than three days, the Sand Village also submitted a letter of surrender to Konoha.
Thus, the First Shinobi World War ended!
...
"The war is over!"
When news of the Stone ninjas' surrender reached Li Anshi, he spoke these words.
"Oh?"
Tsunade peeked at Li Anshi. Seeing his gaze still fixed on the letter, she stealthily lifted the dice cup, poked the dice inside with her little finger, and quickly covered it again.
"How are you so sure?"
"Previously, the ninja villages of the Land of Earth, Land of Wind, and Land of Lightning attacked Konoha together and failed to break us."
"Now, the Cloud ninjas have retreated to their village, and Onoki of the Stone ninjas has signed a truce agreement. Only the Sand ninjas of the Land of Wind remain. They wouldn't dare continue fighting Konoha."
"Konoha used to fight three enemies at once. Now that the Cloud and Stone ninjas have withdrawn, if I'm not mistaken, the Sand ninjas will soon surrender and sign an alliance agreement with Konoha..."
"Otherwise, whether we send aid from here or the Third Hokage sends support, the entire Sand Village could be wiped out."
"Under such circumstances, the Sand Village wouldn't dare continue fighting Konoha. The best course of action is to surrender to Konoha and align themselves with us..."
Li Anshi wasn't speaking nonsense.
He remembered that although the Sand Village was the weakest among the five great ninja villages, it was also the most prone to switching sides.
When weak, they would ally with Konoha.
When strong, they would tear up the alliance treaty and wage war against Konoha.
Utterly fickle!
In the future Second Shinobi World War, the Sand Village would also attack Konoha.
The Third Shinobi World War began with the Sand Village being the first to turn against and attack Konoha.
Decades later, the Fourth Kazekage, under Orochimaru's instigation, would attempt the Konoha Crush, only to be killed by Orochimaru, who then used his identity to openly enter Konoha.
"You have a point."
Tsunade lowered her head in thought and had to admit Li Anshi's reasoning was sound.
If the Sand Village didn't want to be annihilated, surrender was their only option.
Otherwise, they couldn't even defeat a single Konoha clan. Once reinforcements arrived from other Konoha fronts, they would have no power to resist.
"Quick, quick, reveal, reveal!"
Seeing Tsunade's excited clamor, Li Anshi sighed.
"Tsunade, you need to think clearly. You've already lost that three million Ryo to me. If you continue gambling, you'll have to use the shop's rent to cover your debts."
These past few days, for some unknown reason, Tsunade had been hit by a massive gambling urge. She had sought out Li Anshi, insisting he gamble with her a few times.
Li Anshi, naturally, couldn't have been happier to oblige Tsunade's request.
Except in certain special circumstances, one could completely trust Tsunade's gambling luck.
In less than a week, Tsunade had lost all of the over three million Ryo Li Anshi owed her.
"Then I'll use it as collateral!"
There was a slight lack of confidence in Tsunade's tone.
"However, we won't bet so much this time."
"Just one month's rent per round, how about that?"
"I have no objection."
"Then, reveal!"
"Five, five, six, sixteen points!"
"One, six, six, how is it only thirteen points?"
When Tsunade lifted her dice cup, she was instantly astonished.
The reason she had nudged her dice was precisely because she knew her luck was bad and wanted to try a less conventional approach.
But she hadn't expected this unorthodox method to backfire.
If she hadn't nudged it, it might have been six, six, six, eighteen points...
"Damn it!"
Although there was only a one-fifth chance, Tsunade still felt her previous roll must have been three sixes.
"Again!"
"Again!"