Honor and Shame Are With Me (Seeking Follow-ups!)

"We only just agreed to attack Konoha a few days ago, yet here you are, Ōnoki, mingling with the Konoha lot. You treacherous dog, are you planning to join forces with Konoha to wipe out my Cloud Ninja?"

The Third Raikage clenched his iron fists in a fit of rage.

Judging by his demeanor, he looked ready to charge over and punch Ōnoki at any second.

"You bastard! Why don't you explain why you're here yourself?" Ōnoki roared, unable to contain his own fury. "Aren't you the one who was planning to ambush us Iwagakure Ninja?"

The two Kage, who had both promised each other they were preparing to strike Konoha, had both decided to ambush the other the moment they turned their backs.

It must be said, they truly shared a remarkable understanding.

The Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning shared a deep "friendship," and both sides understood the other quite well.

As the two Kage began hurling insults at each other from a distance, Uchiha Yuji sighed softly and offered a well-intentioned reminder: "If you keep bickering like this, the Cloud Ninja you're trying to ambush will all get away."

This kindness was intended solely for Ōnoki.

The Third Raikage's expression shifted; rather than retreating, his sturdy frame surged forward.

Violent lightning crackled around his massive muscles, transforming him into a roaring bolt of thunder.

Having long grown accustomed to the reckless, brute-force attacks of the Cloud Ninja, Ōnoki reacted with lightning speed. He swung his hands, and a cubic meter of pure white energy manifested to block his path.

"BOOM!"

The wind and dust generated by the collision blanketed the entire area, but after the brief, thunderous roar, there were no further sounds of combat. The dust simply hung in the air, showing no signs of dispersing.

For a moment, the Iwagakure Ninja were at a loss for how to respond.

A resonant voice suddenly rang out.

"All units, pursue the fleeing Cloud Ninja! This is not a battlefield we can participate in! There is no need to sacrifice yourselves here for nothing!"

The slightly deep voice caused the Iwagakure Ninja to shift their focus, turning their gazes toward the source of the command.

His attire was no different from the average Iwagakure Ninja, but his sturdy, slightly stout build and the jagged burn scar on his face allowed the ninja to identify him instantly.

Kitsuchi, son of the Third Tsuchikage.

In the past, there were only three individuals among the Iwagakure Ninja who could command true respect: the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki, the Steam Ninja Han, and Lava Style Roshi.

The former was a Kage, while the latter two were Jinchuriki.

Without a Jinchuriki leading the way, none of the Jonin among the Iwagakure Ninja stood out in particular. Although Kitsuchi had been strong in the past, he hadn't been able to command obedience; until a few days ago, the Iwagakure Ninja had been a group without a leader whenever Ōnoki was absent.

But the situation had changed.

Every Iwagakure Ninja who looked at Kitsuchi found their eyes lingering on the scar on his face for a few seconds.

That was the "mark" left behind by Uchiha Yuji, the man they collectively recognized as Asura. It was the wound Kitsuchi had sustained while facing Uchiha Yuji alone on the front lines!

It was the honor of having been defeated, yet surviving.

Dancing freely across the battlefield, wielding violent chakra and the towering Susanoo, and engaging in cold, ruthless slaughter—for a long time to come, Uchiha Yuji would be the nightmare of the Iwagakure Ninja.

The encirclement of tens of thousands of Iwagakure Ninja had not only failed to kill him, but had resulted in heavy losses for them. Yet, looking at Kitsuchi, he had gone out alone and returned unscathed.

The disparity was clear.

Even the hardest, most stubborn rock, once cracked, would eventually yield.

The obedience of the Iwagakure Ninja brought Kitsuchi a sense of pleasure he had never experienced before, but when he recalled how that honor had been earned, he nearly shattered his own teeth.

This wasn't honor at all!

It was the shame of a survivor!

Unable to bear these conflicting emotions any longer, Kitsuchi lifted his thick leg and stomped hard against the ground, charging to the very front of the Iwagakure forces.

The bravery of their commander boosted the morale of the Iwagakure Ninja, and they quickly followed Kitsuchi as he galloped toward the Land of Moon.

The movements of the Iwagakure Ninja were naturally observed by the Raikage. He was desperate to turn around and intercept them, but he found himself unable to complete the simple motion.

Amidst the dust, Uchiha Yuji stood between the Tsuchikage and the Raikage, one hand blocking the Dust Release, the other firmly gripping the Raikage's wrist.

The Raikage struggled to pull his hand away, but his thick, sturdy arm could not break free from Uchiha Yuji's restraint.

The sensation was like the time he had grappled with the Eight-Tails, when its thick, suction-cupped tail had coiled around his arm—no, this was even stronger than that.

"What exactly are you trying to do, Uchiha Yuji!" the Third Raikage roared, his eyes wide and filled with murderous intent as he glared at the man before 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 brings me no benefit," Uchiha Yuji stated the plain truth, yet he was met only with the silence of the two Kage.

In a direct head-on clash, they truly couldn't beat him!

He turned his head and said to Ōnoki on the other side, "The Tsuchikage shouldn't mind wasting a little time, should he?"

Ōnoki lowered his hands. Although Uchiha Yuji had blocked him, he wasn't in the least bit anxious; on the contrary, he was quite pleased with the current situation.

With tens of thousands of troops at his command, a mere handful of Cloud Ninja were of no consequence. The advantage was his!

Did he really think everyone was a monster like the Uchiha clan?

There was also another reason: Kitsuchi.

Kitsuchi, who had not inherited the Dust Release and lacked a firm will of his own, was not enough to succeed his father's position; he lacked the qualifications to be a Kage.

However, after being hammered by Uchiha Yuji, his will and level of effort had clearly ascended several tiers. Even without inheriting the Dust Release, the current Kitsuchi already possessed the qualifications to become the Tsuchikage.

"Speak, damn you!" the Third Raikage roared in a frenzy.

But no sooner had his voice fallen than an unrivaled, immense force dragged his body and violently hurled him away.

While still in mid-air, the Third Raikage felt a brief moment of bewilderment, but a grin immediately took over his cheeks.

The direction he was flying toward was the path of the Iwagakure Ninja's pursuit, and at the very front of the Iwagakure Ninja was his own son.

The joy had not lasted even a few seconds before a powerful impact exploded instantly against his chest, the violent force sending him flying backward at an even greater speed.

Immediately after, his throat was precisely seized.

A pair of blood-red Sharingan stared intensely into his own.

"Must you force me to take action before you can quietly listen to me finish speaking?"