A Loser Is Still a Loser

The large-scale movements of the Kumogakure forces caused the Konoha ninja to adjust their own accordingly. Although the battle with the Third Raikage was taking place in the Land of Moon, the intensity of the combat and the massive fires that stained the sky crimson were still observed by the Konoha scouts.

The night had long since faded into dusk.

"A decent look in your eyes." Uchiha Yuji quite enjoyed the emotions radiating from A; his pure, intense feelings caused Zetton to grow at an even faster rate.

He shifted the pressure from his right hand to the tip of his foot, his crushing posture only fueling A's growing rage.

The Lightning Release Armor was already coating A's body, his bulging muscles and protruding, savage veins a testament to the effort he was exerting.

Yet, the man standing upon him remained completely motionless.

The Third Raikage did not immediately shout or intervene to stop the humiliation Uchiha Yuji was inflicting upon his son; in fact, he held back the Shadow Guard who were eager to step forward and engage Uchiha Yuji.

To make someone train with their life on the line, a bit of motivation is indispensable.

And shame and hatred are far more effective than so-called honor at maintaining a perpetually soaring fighting spirit. Before the concept of [Revenge] was fulfilled, he would continue to sing his song of growth.

As for whether he might be crushed by this pressure?

What a joke!

This was his son, a powerful ninja destined to inherit the name of [Kage].

"That's enough."

After a period of silence, the Third Raikage finally spoke. "We will transfer the war reparations to Konoha as soon as possible."

Uchiha Yuji raised an eyebrow, looking at the Third Raikage with a hint of surprise.

He was slightly taken aback by the use of the term [war reparations].

"Hmph, if your skills are inferior, you are weak; there is nothing shameful about admitting that." Despite his words, the Third Raikage's beard trembled with suppressed fury. "This defeat does not mean the next one will be the same."

"Failing to recognize one's own limits is what's truly fatal."

"But we will certainly defeat Konoha next time, won't we, A!"

A, pressed firmly against the ground, wore a look of extreme distortion and savagery—no longer resembling a human, but rather an evil spirit—as he nodded vertically. "Next time, the victors will undoubtedly be us, Kumogakure."

Uchiha Yuji sneered and lifted his foot.

"Nothing but a loser, and you still want to turn the tables?"

"As long as I am here, you Kumogakure ninja will forever remain beneath my feet."

With nothing left to say, the injured Third Raikage turned without hesitation. With a few leaps, they vanished from sight.

However, the lingering, thickening rage and the spicy, intense flavor left Uchiha Yuji knowing that the near future would surely be even more colorful.

Brilliant, gorgeous fire feathers continued to dance, yet the surging torrent of flames that devoured everything avoided that small patch of land, where only one man remained standing!

Fire is inherently ruthless, yet the scorching heat seemed to possess a will of its own when facing that man, recoiling in fear. It was precisely because of this strange phenomenon that the small detachment of Konoha troops stationed nearby could see the scene clearly and in its entirety.

The arid weather caused the flames to spread even faster. If left unchecked, the wind blowing toward Konoha would carry the fire across the entire Land of Moon and into the Land of Hot Water.

Uchiha Yuji performed hand seals slowly. Once he completed the seventeen seals, he spat a massive sphere of water forward.

"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"

The water sphere crashed to the ground and rapidly spread in all directions.

Conventional Water Release techniques rely on environmental advantages to deal effective damage; compared to Fire or Lightning Release, they consume significantly more chakra.

The Second Hokage didn't use Water Release; he used Ocean Release.

And what Uchiha Yuji was currently using seemed just like the Second Hokage's Ocean Release. A constant, endless stream of water poured from his mouth onto the ground, and the massive volume of liquid quickly extinguished the inferno, turning the hellscape into a vast marshland in a mere moment.

The clash between water and fire generated massive amounts of steam, creating a fog even denser than the Hidden Mist Technique.

It not only obscured vision but also cast a veil of uncertainty over the minds of the scouting ninja.

"Are you kidding me! To use a Water Release of this magnitude in such an environment!"

"One man. He defeated the Raikage and his Shadow Guard, absolute suppression, absolute power—that level of chakra, which rivals a jinchuriki... is this the power of the Uchiha?"

The scene captured by the Byakugan deeply shocked this member of the Hyuga branch family.

Even if a member of the Hyuga clan mastered the Gentle Fist to its peak, could they truly stand against those two monsters?

That Uchiha's power had already reached the level of a [Kage]. Was there truly a ninja of that caliber within the Hyuga clan?

The Hyuga and the Uchiha were clearly heralded as the two great clans of the three major ocular powers, so why was there such a massive disparity in combat capability?

Uchiha Yuji suppressed the Third Raikage, while the Hyuga were completely countered by him.

Could the Gentle Fist truly seal the Third Raikage's tenketsu?

Under that high-speed movement, could they even manage to strike the points?

With that violent Lightning Release Armor, could they even land a Gentle Fist strike without suffering injury?

Even if they managed to strike the points, could they truly achieve the effect against that much rampaging chakra?

The answer to all of this was negative.

They could accept their helplessness when facing a Tailed Beast.

After all, no one expected them to walk up and slap a Tailed Beast away, but that Uchiha was clearly just a youth, even younger than themselves.

When a person exceeds your own capabilities by too much, even if your stances are diametrically opposed, the emotion that arises is not jealousy or resentment, but yearning.

It was only moments after Uchiha Yuji had departed that these ninja finally snapped back to their senses.

"Report the situation here to the Hokage immediately!"

"The tide of the war has changed!"

In the era of cold steel, a valiant leader can send the morale of an army soaring, and this principle is entirely applicable to ninja as well.

They immediately released a ninja hawk; influenced by the environment, the somewhat agitated bird beat its wings and sped off, reaching Konoha in no time at all.

This time, the intelligence report did not use any code; a simple written description was enough to make Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart nearly stop.

"He defeated the Raikage without suffering a single scratch." His eyes were somewhat vacant.

I intended to use him as a blade, but the sharpness of this blade seems to have already exceeded my imagination.

To be able to defeat the [Kage] of a village during one's first time participating in battle.

This blade is even sharper than Hatake White Fang.

"It seems the difficulty of snapping him in two has grown even greater."