Strength Improvement (Happy Lantern Festival)

"Summoning Jutsu! Toad Mouth Bind!"

A massive toad descended from the sky, pinning Shukaku beneath its weight.

With Jiraiya leading over four hundred Konoha ninja from the front lines to the battlefield at Kikyo City, Sunagakure, already struggling to hold their ground, completely lost the ability to fight back.

The Sunagakure forces within the city were sensible; with Orochimaru and Jiraiya, two of the Sannin, working together to suppress a jinchuriki, and no other powerful commanders left to hold the line, they made a decisive choice.

All Sunagakure forces ceased their resistance, laid down their weapons, and chose to surrender.

"It's over."

Uchiha Aoba paused his blade. Facing the rows of Sunagakure ninja kneeling under the gaze of over twenty Sharingan, he refrained from any provocative actions like those of the previous day to avoid pushing them into a corner.

Furthermore, the results he had achieved today were immense; reaching a thirty percent fusion rate was now a certainty, and there was no need to risk the bigger picture for the sake of a single kill.

Thunderous cheers erupted throughout the city.

As Shukaku dissolved into a pile of fine sand outside the city walls, it signaled that the Battle of Kikyo City had officially come to an end.

"Victory!"

"We won! Long live Konoha!"

When Rasa arrived outside the city with the main Sunagakure force, this was the scene that greeted him.

His previously gloomy expression instantly turned ashen.

Kikyo City had fallen, the jinchuriki was in Konoha's hands, and with countless Sunagakure prisoners held within the city, Rasa realized in a daze that the position of Fourth Kazekage was slipping away from him.

Before he could even mobilize his troops, however, the Konoha sensory unit had already detected the anomaly and issued a series of warnings.

"All units, stand ready!"

The celebratory atmosphere in the city came to an abrupt halt.

Orochimaru walked straight toward the area where Rasa stood, looking down at him coldly from a high vantage point.

Jiraiya followed close behind, tossing the chakra-sealed jinchuriki of the One-Tail at his feet, and demanded loudly, "Rasa, do you still wish to continue this fight?"

Rasa's expression grew resentful, his teeth gritting as he glared at Orochimaru and Jiraiya.

He desperately wanted to act tough and shout that he would fight them to the death.

However, his reason told him that if he continued to push, he would not only lose any chance at the Kazekage seat but would likely lose his life here as well.

Rasa took a deep breath and spoke powerlessly, "You win. We surrender."

"Long live!"

"Long live!"

"Long live!"

Although they had already suspected that Sunagakure had little chance of continuing the battle, hearing those words directly from the Sunagakure front-line commander, Rasa, allowed the Konoha ninja to fully return to their jubilant celebration.

The war, which had lasted for nearly two years, had finally come to an end.

Uchiha Aoba was equally delighted by this news.

While the battlefield was the fastest shortcut to increasing his strength, his current condition could not sustain prolonged combat, not to mention the injuries he was already nursing.

Knowing when to stop was the most suitable approach for Uchiha Aoba right now.

Just then, a system notification appeared:

[Battle concluded. Rewards are being calculated...]
[Total kills: 11 Sunagakure Chunin, 6 Sunagakure Genin, 1 Sunagakure Jonin. Panel fusion rate increased by 7.1%. Rewards are being issued; please receive them.]

The breakthrough in his fusion rate sent a wave of relief through Uchiha Aoba's body. Not only did his various abilities improve, but his injuries and stamina also saw a minor recovery. Most importantly, his eyes felt incredibly scorching.

He couldn't help but raise his hands to rub them.

Uchiha Aoba's unusual behavior was noticed by the sharp-eyed Uchiha Tayama, who quickly asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I feel better than ever."

Uchiha Aoba stretched, his face filled with joy.

"Good lad, your eyes!"

"Three-Tomoe Sharingan!?"

Uchiha Tayama exclaimed, his shout drawing the attention of the surrounding clansmen.

"Aoba-kun awakened the Three-Tomoe?"

"My god, I'm already in my twenties and I only have two tomoe. It's truly frustrating to compare oneself to others."

"A genius is a genius, indeed. He truly deserves the clan's focused cultivation."

"Congratulations, Aoba-kun."

Everyone crowded around to congratulate Uchiha Aoba, expressing their joy and envy, but no one felt jealousy; the Uchiha clan still possessed a strong sense of cohesion.

At the very least, when it came to awakening the eyes, there were no hidden agendas.

Uchiha Aoba responded to everyone with a beaming smile, and only after their enthusiasm had faded did he find the time to check his current system panel.

[Host: Uchiha Aoba, Konoha Chunin]

[Bloodline: Uchiha Clan]

[Character Panel: Uchiha Madara, Fusion Rate 33.9%]

[Abilities: Three-Tomoe Sharingan activated, Shurikenjutsu, Advanced Kenjutsu, Advanced Taijutsu, Advanced Genjutsu, Five Nature Transformation Ninjutsu mastered (C-rank, B-rank, A-rank)]

[Overall Strength: Elite Jonin]

Tsk tsk tsk, this leap in strength is a direct promotion by an entire major tier.

Uchiha Aoba thought to himself.

This is the most broken aspect of the Uchiha clan; every time a new level of the Sharingan is unlocked, their strength climbs in steps. Coupled with the fact that he possesses the template of Uchiha Madara, the improvement is even more terrifying.

In early 46 of the Konoha era, the Daimyo of the Land of Wind dispatched envoys to formally submit a letter of surrender and peace to the Land of Fire.

Subsequent developments belonged to the realm of high-level political maneuvering and no longer had anything to do with Uchiha Aoba.

By the time both sides began arguing over matters like war reparations, Uchiha Aoba had already returned to Konoha with the main force, receiving a warm welcome from the villagers.

Cries of "Hero" could be heard everywhere.

Yet, in some places, these were interspersed with the sorrowful sounds of pain and weeping—the voices of those who had lost friends, brothers, or loved ones in the war.

Seeing this scene, Uchiha Aoba felt a complex mix of emotions.

Come to think of it, his own parents had also sacrificed their lives during the Second Shinobi World War, after which he became a member of the Tomato Orphanage, living alone in a large, empty house.

Even though the Uchiha clan treated war orphans well, the prolonged absence of parental companionship always left a hollow feeling in one's heart.

It wasn't that Uchiha Aoba was being difficult; he had been an orphan in his previous life, so after arriving in the world of Naruto, he had cherished the familial love of his parents in this life deeply.

Little did he know that just as he was about to enter the Ninja Academy, he would receive the devastating news of his parents' sacrifice.

In a world with such a high mortality rate, although Uchiha Aoba had been mentally prepared, he still couldn't process the reality for a long time when he first received the tragic news.

It wasn't until he successfully enrolled and activated his system that Uchiha Aoba finally managed to pull himself together.