"We agreed to attack Konoha together only a few days ago, and now you're already cozying up to those Konoha bastards, Ōnoki! You treacherous bastard—are you planning to join forces with Konoha and wipe out my Cloud Ninja?"
The Third Raikage clenched his fists in fury.
He looked ready to charge over and punch Ōnoki at any second.
"Bastard! Why don't you explain why you're here?" Ōnoki roared, unable to hold back. "You were planning to ambush us Stone Ninja too!"
The two Kage had agreed to take down Konoha together, but after turning their backs on each other, both had independently thought of ambushing the other.
You had to admit, they were remarkably in sync.
The Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning had a deep "friendship," and they knew each other very well.
Watching the two "Kage" shouting at each other from a distance, Uchiha Yuji sighed and kindly warned them, "If you keep arguing like this, the Cloud Ninja who ambushed you will all get away."
He was only being kind to Ōnoki.
The Third Raikage's expression changed. Instead of retreating, his burly body charged straight ahead.
Violent lightning coiled around his powerful muscles, turning him into a roaring bolt of lightning.
Ōnoki, long accustomed to the Cloud Ninja's reckless attacks, reacted swiftly. He spread his hands, and a several-meter-wide cube of pure white energy appeared in front of him.
Boom!
The collision sent sand billowing over a vast area. But after the brief crash, no further sounds of battle followed. The sand continued to swirl, but it showed no sign of spreading farther.
For a moment, the Stone Ninja didn't know how to respond.
A booming voice suddenly rang out.
"All units, pursue the fleeing Cloud Ninja! This isn't a battle we can take part in. There's no reason to die here for nothing!"
The slightly low voice made the Stone Ninja quickly turn their gazes toward its source.
His clothes were little different from those of an ordinary Stone Ninja. But his sturdy, almost chubby build and the burn scar on his face—a long, vicious mark—quickly gave away his identity.
Kitsuchi, son of the Third Tsuchikage.
Among the Stone Ninja, only three men had ever been able to command everyone's respect: the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki; Han, the Steam Ninja; and Roshi, the Lava Style Jinchuriki.
The first was a Kage, while the other two were Jinchuriki.
Without a Jinchuriki leading them, none of the Stone Ninja jonin particularly stood out. Kitsuchi had always been strong, but he hadn't been able to make the others obey him. A few days ago, if Ōnoki hadn't been there, the Stone Ninja would have been without a leader.
But now, things had changed.
Whenever a Stone Ninja looked at Kitsuchi, their gaze would inevitably linger on the scar on his face for a few seconds.
It was Uchiha Yuji—the man they all acknowledged as a Shura—who had left that "mark" on Kitsuchi. Kitsuchi had gone alone to intercept Uchiha Yuji, and he had been wounded on the front lines!
It was the honor of a man who had lost but survived.
The way Uchiha Yuji had leaped and danced across the battlefield, his violent chakra, his towering Susanoo, and his cold-blooded slaughter would haunt the Stone Ninja's nightmares for a long time.
Tens of thousands of Stone Ninja had surrounded him, yet not only had they failed to kill him, they had suffered heavy losses. Kitsuchi, on the other hand, had gone out alone and returned unharmed.
The difference was plain to see.
Even the hardest, most stubborn rock would loosen once a hole had been smashed through it.
Kitsuchi was rather pleased by the Stone Ninja's obedience. It was a feeling he'd never experienced before. But when he remembered how he had earned this honor, he nearly ground every tooth in his jaw to dust.
This wasn't honor at all!
It was the humiliation of a man who had survived by the skin of his teeth!
Kitsuchi could no longer bear the strange emotions churning inside him. He lifted his thick leg and stomped down hard, charging to the front of the Stone Ninja.
Their commander's bravery lifted the Stone Ninja's spirits, and they quickly followed Kitsuchi toward the Land of Moon.
The Raikage naturally saw the Stone Ninja moving. He was desperate to turn around and stop them, but he couldn't even manage that simple movement.
Amid the swirling sand, Uchiha Yuji stood between the Tsuchikage and the Raikage. He blocked Dust Release with one hand and precisely seized the Raikage's wrist with the other.
The Raikage strained to yank his hand free, but his thick, powerful arm remained trapped in Uchiha Yuji's grasp.
It felt like the last time he'd fought the Eight-Tails hand-to-hand, when one of its thick sucker-covered tails had wrapped around his arm. No—this was even stronger.
"What the hell are you trying to do, Uchiha Yuji?" the Third Raikage roared. His eyes were wide, glaring fiercely at the man in front of him.
"If you wanted to wipe out our Cloud Ninja, you could have done it last time! Are you trying to make a fool of me?"
"No."
"Wiping you out would do me no good." Uchiha Yuji was telling the truth, but both Kage fell silent in response.
They couldn't win in a direct battle!
He turned his head toward Ōnoki and said, "I trust the Tsuchikage won't mind sparing a little time."
Ōnoki lowered his hands. Though Uchiha Yuji had stopped him, he wasn't in the least anxious. In fact, he was quite happy with how things had turned out.
He had tens of thousands of troops at his command. A few Cloud Ninja were nothing to worry about. The advantage was ours!
Did they really think everyone was some kind of monster from the Uchiha Clan?
There was another reason, too: Kitsuchi.
Kitsuchi hadn't inherited Dust Release, nor had he developed the unyielding will of his own. He wasn't fit to inherit Ōnoki's position; he didn't have what it took to become a Kage.
But after Uchiha Yuji had pounded him into the ground, his resolve and work ethic had clearly improved several levels. Even without inheriting Dust Release, Kitsuchi now had what it took to become Tsuchikage.
"Get on with it!" the Third Raikage snarled, growing more furious by the second.
But as soon as the words left his mouth, an irresistible force seized his body and flung him away.
For a brief moment, the Third Raikage was bewildered as he soared through the air. Then a smile spread across his face.
He was flying in the same direction as the Stone Ninja pursuing his son, who was at the very front of their ranks.
His delight lasted only a few seconds. A powerful impact exploded against his chest, sending him flying back even faster.
Then someone seized him precisely by the throat.
A pair of blood-red Sharingan stared straight into his eyes.
"Do I have to use force before you'll settle down and listen to what I have to say?"
Before you continue