By the calendar counting from the founding of Konoha, this should be Konoha Year 50. Since the outbreak of the Third Shinobi World War in February of Konoha Year 47, the war had already lasted for three and a half years.
August 8 of this year was a good day. Konoha achieved merit in battle, completely driving the invading Kiri shinobi out of the Land of Fire and restoring peace to the southeastern territories.
In the second year after the war began, Konoha defeated Sunagakure. In the third year, Konoha defeated Iwagakure. This year, under Orochimaru's decisions and with the Uchiha clan taking the lead, Konoha defeated Kirigakure as well.
Now only Kumogakure remains to be added to the list of the defeated.
The Hyūga clan had suffered the loss of a tremendous achievement. Now it depended on whether, under Hyūga Hiashi's leadership, they could grind out some accomplishments from the northern Kumo shinobi brutes.
Hiashi: We must beat the Kumo shinobi until they shit themselves—otherwise how will we ever hold our heads up in front of the Uchiha clan in the future?
Having consecutively defeated three ninja villages of the same tier, Konoha's momentum was unmatched for a time.
Battle reports from the various villages might lie, but the front lines would not. From how the Shinobi World War had developed to its present situation, one could also see the relative strength of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
Konohagakure was the undisputed number one in the world, Kumogakure second, and Iwagakure third. If they had not been crushed by the Third Raikage alone, they would not have fallen to Konoha so quickly.
As for Sunagakure and Kirigakure, one was the first to provoke the war and then quickly suffered defeat; the other was the last to join the Shinobi World War and then also quickly suffered defeat.
The two weaklings were currently tearing into each other among the islands in the southern sea, trying to shove the title of "weakest ninja village" onto the other's head.
Makoto felt that, at present, the weakest should be Kirigakure. After all, while Sunagakure was fighting them, it was also resisting Iwagakure in the north at the same time.
This also meant that the one under the greatest pressure was Sunagakure. Its natural conditions were the worst among the Five Great Ninja Villages—resources were scarce, and its foundation was insufficient. Now it urgently needed to end the war in the south with Kirigakure, then concentrate its forces to drive Iwagakure out, so it could gain time to catch its breath and recover.
Pakura: Rasa, don't look at me. I may have killed Kiri shinobi until my hands went numb, but that bunch of lunatics just refuses to surrender—what am I supposed to do?
Rasa: What terms do those lunatics in Kirigakure even want before they'll sit down at the negotiating table? It can't possibly be that you want me to sacrifice Pakura—Kirigakure's precious treasure—to them, right?
...
The next morning, when Fugaku led the main force back to headquarters, excited cheers rang out across the entire Konoha camp.
All the shinobi were happy. Kirigakure's defeat signified complete victory on the eastern front. They had finally endured this war and could return home alive.
The communications ban was lifted. One letter after another, carrying the shinobi's longing for their loved ones, set off first along the road back to Konoha with the messenger-nin.
These letters also included one from Makoto and Yūgao. As for Hayate—wasn't his father right there with him? What letter was there to write?
As for the victorious battle report and its detailed course, it had already been drafted by Nara Suzaku after the Kiri command headquarters was breached, approved by Orochimaru and Fugaku, and transmitted back to Konoha through special means.
Now, the Konoha shinobi on the eastern front only needed to enjoy the joyful fruits of victory.
The adult shinobi were very happy, celebrating the fact that they were still alive.
The rookies who had graduated in recent years were very happy as well—celebrating not only their survival, but also that they could now write down a bold, significant achievement in their records.
The medical ninjas were very happy. Casualties in this counteroffensive were not heavy, so they did not need to be exhausted like dogs from treating the wounded, nor did they need to face rows upon rows of fallen comrades with aching helplessness.
Orochimaru was very happy, because he had long stopped wanting to waste time staying here. His purpose for coming to the eastern front had basically been achieved, and he had obtained experimental subjects with various special bloodlines in abundance.
Along the way, he had also completed some of his preliminary plans. For example, during the war, he had established several private laboratories overseas.
Among them, the laboratory in the Land of Sea satisfied him the most. Not only was it fully equipped, it had also allowed him to recruit a research assistant of considerable talent who shared his ideas, named Amachi.
Otherwise, what did you think this snake was so often disappearing to do? Was it really just to take that foolish disciple, Mitarashi Anko, out for training?
Now, all objectives had already been completed, and the war had ended at just the right time. He could focus wholeheartedly on the experiments he had his heart set on. If he needed anything here again in the future, that was simple—just take on a mission and come back with Anko.
As for the credit for defeating Kirigakure? It had been nothing more than a matter of convenience.
If the Uchiha clan wanted it, they could take it. He no longer cared about such things now. His final public appearance had been purely because of his status—he had been forced to show up, that was all.
Orochimaru swore that he absolutely had not done it on purpose to disgust Fugaku.
Makoto was very happy. He was famous now. As the unit returned, the Konoha shinobi here all knew that another ten-year-old genius had appeared in the village—someone who had saved his comrades with an enormously massive Earth-Style Wall, then used an extremely terrifying Wind Release sword technique to instantly wipe out at least half of the Kiri shinobi in their stronghold, securing victory for the Seventh Assault Unit.
Terrifying beyond belief!
And the more this account spread, the more outrageous it became. In just half a day, it had already evolved into a version where Makoto cleaved off the entire mountain where the Mist stronghold stood with a single sword strike.
Not only that—the wind blades released from the sword would even actively seek out enemies, cut them cleanly in half at the waist, and conveniently hang their asses on trees.
Makoto: "…"
The ones about asses hanging from trees were accidents, all right! They had been standing in trees to begin with—their asses just got stuck on branches when they died.
Who knew how distorted the story would become once the news spread back to Konoha—one sword's cold gleam chilling the Five Great Villages?
Makoto: That wouldn't even be that outrageous. One day, I really will chill the entire shinobi world with a single sword and split the earth in two, just to open your eyes, you bunch of ninjas.
Fugaku was also very happy. After all, it was under his leadership that complete victory over Kirigakure had been achieved. No matter what, that credit could not be erased.
Since joining the war, the price paid by the Uchiha clan—the clan members who had been sacrificed—was, at this moment, fully showing its due value.
As for the twists that appeared in the final battle?
Orochimaru was, after all, the overall commander of the eastern front and a disciple of the Hokage. Coming out to make a public appearance was only proper, and in his heart, Fugaku had already let it go.
As for the Makoto who had stolen the spotlight—he was a good seedling, but Fugaku had also devised a way to deal with it. During the final assault on the Kirigakure command headquarters, Fugaku reassigned the Third Squad to the outer perimeter to serve in a sensory alert role.
Wasn't that exactly what sensory ninjas were for?
The offensive battle was carried out entirely with the Uchiha clan as the core, especially the peerless genius Uchiha Shisui who had been pushed to the forefront. Charging into the ranks of the Kirigakure shinobi, he truly cut through them like slicing melons and vegetables, displaying strength far beyond his age.
Thus, against the backdrop of this great victory, a bizarre scene appeared in Konoha's eastern front encampment.
Someone was secretly publicizing Makoto's strength and valor, vividly portraying the battle to assault the Kirigakure stronghold.
Those distorted rumors spread further and further out of control in exactly this way.
Suzaku stated that he knew nothing about it—this was merely comrades boasting a little out of the joy of victory, nothing worth making a fuss over.
In order to respond to this trend, the Uchiha clan began to vigorously promote Shisui's genius.
For a time, on Konoha's battlefield against Kirigakure, two little heroes appeared—and both were alive.
Ordinary Konoha shinobi did not care about this undercurrent of rivalry. All they knew was that two outstanding talents had appeared in the village again, and that in the future, the village would become even stronger.
Being a ninja—being happy was what mattered.
A world where only the Kiri shinobi were hurt was thus achieved.
Kiri shinobi: Damn Konoha, just you wait—we'll go right now… we'll go right now and beat Sunagakure hard, and vent this rage properly.
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