It came with the force of a storm—the battle was over in a flash, yet left everyone reeling from the shocking outcome.
Half of Haseo's body was splattered with blood. What he did went beyond normal human limits—like feats only legends could perform. Yet when someone truly achieves such a thing, they become unstoppable.
Though their perspectives were completely different, at this moment both enemies and allies saw Haseo in much the same way.
The concept solidified within them could be simply summarized as…
Invincibility.
Not all victories are equal—a clean, decisive [Death - Dealing Blade] made it seem like Haseo could win whenever he chose.
The visual and emotional shock of that instant killing left most people unable to even grasp what had just happened.
They didn't understand how the fight occurred, so naturally, they couldn't accept the result—it felt impossible, exaggerated, and unreal.
In reality, the power gap between Haseo and the Third Raikage wasn't extreme. If measured quantitatively, even if Haseo ended up slightly stronger, the difference wouldn't have been significant.
But ninja battles have always worked this way—the actual combat disparity doesn't necessarily reflect battlefield results. Battles like Haseo's weren't especially rare.
For example…
"Hmph, attacking without thinking? Regret your fate for lacking the Sharingan."
Such a ninja, full of self-confidence and superiority complex—what happened to him in the end?
[Death - Dealing Blade]—he was killed in one strike.
Comparatively speaking, the ninja slain here was nearly equal in strength to his opponent—but in the world of shinobi, even slight miscalculations can cost your life.
Oh right, compared to the Raikage, this ninja didn't actually die immediately on the spot—he was carried back home before dying of his wounds… One must thank the Uchiha clan at least for contributing many amusing jokes to the Ninja World.
Haseo could've easily provided both sides with a closely matched battle and then legitimately win it—but there was no need. After all, he was a ninja.
The Raikage being instantly killed wasn't exactly a joke or funny story. At the very least, he charged into battle with boldness and died just as bravely. From start to finish, the Raikage remained every bit a warrior.
He approached the fight seriously—he neither looked down on his enemy nor overestimated his own skill; ultimately, he fell simply because his opponent was better.
The Third Raikage's ninja career was best summed up as: living as rigid and forceful as a rectal suppository and dying as crisp and straightforward as a Pringles chip.
Compared to the previous battlefield death of the Third Hokage, the Raikage's demise seemed far more sudden. Since he had defeated the Hokage, everyone expected him to overcome Haseo too. But instead, he was the one eliminated instantly.
This dramatic reversal struck Kumo harder than Konoha had been hit before under similar circumstances.
Right now, even though both sides should've been evenly matched, the Kumo Shinobi's charging steps suddenly slowed down.
The Konoha side was momentarily confused, but at Haseo's command they quickly snapped back to attention. As soon as they realized what had just happened, a rush of adrenaline surged through every Konoha ninja, sending them into a frenzy of excitement and euphoria.
Therefore, Haseo didn't actually need to create any Battle Plan beforehand. As long as the Konoha ninjas followed his lead, victory in this battle was already within reach.
But in an instant, it was Haseo's turn to be startled. After shouting "Victory achieved!" he immediately received thunderous cheers from his own ranks.
Perhaps this command was given mostly because the man felt embarrassed after the Black Cat licked him on the battlefield—it wasn't exactly a moment for such displays.
Haseo learned something new today. He'd never imagined a group of humans could make such an overwhelming sound together. After all, weren't ninjas supposed to specialize in silent assassination under darkness—not behave like drugged-up lunatics like these Konoha ninjas?
Just fight properly—why are you all getting so worked up?
Could it possibly…be because of me?
Without a word, Haseo quietly jumped off the still-standing iron-tower-like body of the Third Raikage—he seemed too flashy just now.
"If you like it… it's yours."
Yu glanced at the "Raikage" who still tightly gripped the naginata in his hands, generously indicating he no longer wanted it. After all, respect must be given to the deceased.
Then he yanked off his blood-drenched coat and flung it away without a second thought. By this time, Sakumo Hatake's "Guard Group" had already arrived beside him.
"They're getting way too hyped up… I think that might be a problem. Sakumo, can you rein your guys in a bit?" Yu asked first.
As soon as he started speaking, the cold aura of decisive killing intent and aloof demeanor he had displayed moments ago instantly vanished.
Haseo was still just Haseo.
When leading everyone into the charge, those Konoha ninjas were his subordinates. Now that their energy was getting out of hand, he quietly passed the reins back to Sakumo Hatake.
"Yuzuru... guide rather than suppress."
Though short, Hatake Sakumo's words carried a faintly melancholic tone. He sounded more like a real subordinate right now—there was no way he could hold back the momentum of the Konoha forces at this point.
"Well then, what are you waiting for? Get to work!"
Sakumo Hatake pulled one of the "favored connections" from the "Guard Group" close to himself, while the rest of Konoha's elite ninjas transformed into the "Assault Unit." Sakumo paused briefly beside Hoshikuma before immediately leading them forward across the remaining half of the battlefield, piercing straight into Kumo's now leaderless frontline.
Looks like Haseo was just having fun, but if one truly wanted to learn swordsmanship and combat techniques, it was still Sakumo Hatake who stood out.
Without the Third Raikage, there was practically no one left in Kumo who could stand against Konoha's Legend of the White Fang. Therefore, leading the charge became Hatake's job, while as for Haseo... he remained vigilant and waited for the emergence of the next Raikage.
Would the severely wounded Fourth A ever appear on the battlefield again?
Haseo simply remained rooted to the spot, making no further move. Soon, a large group of Konoha ninja rushed past him, charging toward the enemy with immense momentum.
Driven by high morale, they faced death with fearless determination and had become an unstoppable force. If the Fourth A didn't show up, this battle might no longer require Haseo's intervention.
The first real problem facing Kumo wasn't whether they could stop Haseo, but rather whether they could withstand Sakumo Hatake.
As for Kushina, Kakashi, and Kohei Sarutobi, who had been staying close to Haseo, their gazes toward him were now filled purely with admiration... even though half his face was still smeared with sticky blood, it didn't in any way diminish the towering image he had gained in their eyes.
Idealizing someone too much can be a weakness.
"What are you staring at? Go clean my cat first. Wipe the blood off its body."
The Black Cat was completely drenched in blood—both were red—making it surprisingly hard to clean, despite sounding like a simple job.
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