Faced with desperation, although some Hidden Mist shinobi had already begun to feel fear and were ready to give up, a portion of them firmly chose to rise and resist.
They deeply understood that this was a moment of life or death—only by fighting with all their might could they hope to seize a sliver of survival.
These people stared intently at the fiery wall before them, determination flickering in their eyes.
They exchanged a glance, as if silently conveying some unspoken message.
Then, led by a seemingly commanding figure, they neatly lined up in a row.
"Water Style: Water Shock Wave!"
Over a hundred Hidden Mist shinobi shouted in unison, their voices reverberating across the battlefield.
Their hands swiftly formed seals, then they suddenly thrust forward.
Immediately, a massive torrent of water surged forth beside them, fiercely rushing toward the wall of flames.
Though this was only a B-rank jutsu, with so many Hidden Mist shinobi working together, its power could not be underestimated.
The water rapidly converged in the air, condensing into a towering pillar dozens of meters high, charged with overwhelming momentum as it struck toward the black flames.
Uchiha Hikaru merely watched them quietly, without interfering in their actions.
However, a faint cold smile curled on his lips.
"Boom!"
A tremendous explosion echoed as the water pillar slammed violently into the flames.
At once, the entire battlefield seemed to tremble.
The dark flames, as if provoked, flickered and then burned even more fiercely.
Even the steam was consumed by the fire, as if all resistance was instantly devoured by the blaze.
The Hidden Mist shinobi who had just regained some morale saw this and fell back into despair.
"The fun ends here. Time to move on, Hidden Mist."
At that moment, Uchiha Hikaru's cold voice rang in their ears like a death knell.
They mechanically turned to look toward the source of the voice, their faces frozen in fear.
There stood the towering figure of Susanoo in its armored form, the war blade in his hand slowly absorbing the flames of Flame Release: Mahāvairocana.
The flames danced on the blade like a tamed beast, gradually calming until completely absorbed.
After the blade finished absorbing the fire, it emitted an even more terrifying aura.
The Third Mizukage and the Hidden Mist shinobi felt a chill rise from their hearts, as if shrouded in the shadow of death.
"Silent Extinction!"¹
As Uchiha Hikaru's voice fell, the armored Susanoo swung the war blade.
With one slash, the world seemed to plunge into a momentary silence.
All sound, wind, and heartbeat vanished, leaving only the dazzling blade light carrying unmatched majesty, slicing toward the Third Mizukage and the Hidden Mist shinobi.
Their eyes widened, pupils reflecting the approaching blade, faces twisted with terror and despair.
They tried to move their feet to escape the fatal slash.
But found their bodies locked by an invisible force, unable to even twitch a finger.
Fear made their eyes bulge, their heartbeat growing louder in the silence.
They could only helplessly watch the blade draw near, their hearts filled with endless despair.
"Whoooosh~~~"
A roar like heaven and earth breaking shattered the world.
In that instant, everything disappeared, leaving only the flashing blade and infinite darkness.
When all settled, the Uzumaki clan members before them were completely stunned.
The world they saw had changed entirely; where the Hidden Mist shinobi once stood was now a vast plain.
Neither the tall trees nor the small hills remained—everything was erased by that slash, leaving only dust and rubble scattered across the ground.
Clink~
The light sound, like a drop falling on a calm lake, instantly broke the surrounding silence.
Those Uzumaki clan members, shaken into daze by the scene before them, gradually came to their senses and simultaneously turned their gaze toward the source of the sound.
There stood a young Uzumaki, pale-faced, tightly gripping a kunai that had just slipped from his hand and struck the ground, making that faint noise.
His eyes widened as he stared at the ruins, as if unable to believe the reality before him.
"Oh! We won!!!"
Suddenly, an excited voice rang out across the sky, breaking the brief calm.
Soon, more cheers followed like surging waves.
Members of the Uzumaki clan shouted in unison:
"Long live Uzumaki!! Long live Konoha!!"
They waved their arms excitedly, faces beaming with smiles, celebrating this hard-won victory.
Uchiha Hikaru quietly stood atop the giant's head, overlooking the ruins he had created with his own hands.
His face showed no expression, but a satisfied gleam shone in his eyes.
This was his first full-force strike, and the first time he truly understood his own strength.
He knew this blow was nearly his limit so far—the strongest power he had mastered.
This strike not only fulfilled his revenge but also achieved another important purpose.
The complete annihilation of the Hidden Mist shinobi was both a fierce retaliation against the Mizukage's betrayal and Uchiha Hikaru's declaration to the world that Konoha had changed.
The Third Mizukage was controlled by Uchiha Madara, and the people of Konoha had helped him through that ordeal.
They even spared him accountability for attacking Konoha, as Madara was considered a rogue ninja of the village.
But the Third Mizukage's actions to attack the Uzumaki Nation and kill Konoha's Anbu were something Uchiha Hikaru could not tolerate.
Therefore, he chose to utterly annihilate the Hidden Mist shinobi with thunderous force—to make everyone understand.
Konoha was no longer the old Konoha.
It had new protectors and new rules.
He wanted other shinobi villages to know that Konoha had changed beyond recognition.
It was no longer a place that could be bullied easily, nor could a simple apology settle matters anymore.
Uchiha Hikaru intended to show through his actions that any infringement or provocation against Konoha would come at a heavy cost.
He wanted the whole world to know that Konoha had a new master, new power, and new resolve.
This was a brand-new era—an era belonging to Uchiha Hikaru and Konoha.
Hikaru glanced at the Uzumaki clan members reveling in the city not far away and smiled faintly.
Then he turned forward, clasped his hands, and softly chanted, "Wood Release: Tree Realm Manifestation."
As his words fell, an invisible force spread through the air.
Where there had just been a plain, countless trees suddenly sprouted from the ground.
In no time, the entire plain was covered with woods, becoming a lush, verdant forest.
Watching the scene before him, he nodded with satisfaction.
Then he muttered to himself:
'It's over, time to go back and catch up on sleep. Come to think of it, these past few days have been a bit too busy.'
'No, I have to go back and properly supervise Tsunade and the others' progress, or else, how will I slack off in the future?'