The Capital of the Land of Flowers
At this moment, Uchiha Itachi, Kakashi, and the others stood outside the courtyard gate, their gazes fixed on a distant mountain.
Since earlier, the peak had been intermittently glowing with a dazzling red light, and deafening roars echoed across the land. Even from such a great distance, Itachi and the others could clearly feel the oppressive force emanating from the mountain.
The entire capital of the Land of Flowers was enveloped in an overwhelming, monstrous chakra.
"Master must have found an opponent… It seems the enemy is incredibly strong."
"Even Master is using his full power."
Uchiha Itachi observed the distant mountain peak and murmured under his breath.
"Itachi, don't worry. Master Raiden is incredibly strong. No matter who the enemy is, he won't lose."
"Besides, that immense chakra hasn't weakened at all. If anything, it suggests that Master Raiden has the upper hand."
Kakashi reassured Itachi while carefully analyzing the situation. Although they couldn't witness the battle directly, the sheer presence of that terrifying chakra, stretching across miles, was more than enough to gauge its magnitude.
"I'm not worried about him losing... I'm worried about him getting injured."
Itachi had no doubt about Raiden's victory—his only concern was the possibility of Raiden sustaining injuries against such a formidable opponent.
While Itachi and the others fretted over Raiden's battle, the battle itself raged on.
On the Battlefield
Uzumaki Raiden was unleashing his fury.
His monstrous chakra ran wild, his golden-armored beast pounding the earth with relentless fury. The force of each impact shattered the ground, and at times, Raiden even launched Tailed Beast Bombs, reducing everything to rubble.
The once-lush mountain forest had been razed to nothing but barren wasteland, charred and cratered beyond recognition. The location where Nine-Tails stood had long since become a massive pit, dug deep into the earth.
As for Kakuzu—he was unrecognizable.
Under the relentless bombardment of Raiden's attacks, the twisted mass that remained of Kakuzu barely retained a human shape.
From the very first blow, the four masked creatures that had detached from him had been obliterated. Every attack afterward had landed directly on Kakuzu himself.
Raiden had been careful not to let him die too quickly. Even as he battered him relentlessly, he reserved just enough chakra to keep him alive—forcing him to endure every ounce of pain.
Only after venting for a long time did Raiden finally come to a stop, exhaling deeply as the burning rage in his chest began to subside.
With his anger somewhat alleviated, he deactivated his Tailed Beast Mode and descended from the sky, landing in the massive crater. He slowly approached Kakuzu, whose body had been so thoroughly battered that he barely resembled his former self.
This was the first time Raiden had ever deliberately tortured an opponent.
In the past, he had always prioritized efficiency—killing his enemies as quickly as possible. But this time, he had taken his time, forcing the enemy to suffer.
And rather than discomfort, he found himself feeling satisfied.
"You… you…"
Kakuzu tried to speak, but blood pooled in his throat. He coughed violently, spraying blood from his mouth.
"You probably want a swift death, don't you?"
"Don't worry. I won't give you that luxury."
Raiden crouched down, injecting a controlled amount of chakra into Kakuzu's body—just enough to keep him alive for now.
"I had a lot of questions for you at first… but I'm not in the mood anymore."
"I'll be taking you back to Konoha. I imagine Sarutobi-sensei will make sure you receive the 'treatment' you deserve."
"After all, you killed his son with your own hands."
Raiden's cold gaze bore into Kakuzu's dimming eyes.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a scroll, unfurled it, and began inscribing a sealing technique onto it. Once finished, he strode into the nearby forest, cutting down a massive tree. With Sakegari no Tachi, he carved out a coffin-like hole in the trunk before tossing Kakuzu's battered body inside and sealing the top.
Once the sealing formation was complete, he sealed the entire wooden coffin inside the scroll.
With that, Raiden exhaled a long breath, casting one last glance at the battlefield.
"Shinnosuke… I've avenged you."
His whisper disappeared into the cold night wind as he turned and left the scene.
Konoha
"Clap!"
The small wooden rattle made a crisp sound as Sarutobi Hiruzen gently shook it, watching the baby in the cradle reach out with tiny hands, trying to grab it.
"Hey, Konohamaru, look at this!"
Just as the baby's fingers were about to grasp the toy, Hiruzen playfully lifted it higher. With a chuckle, he lowered it back down, only to pull it away again.
The little boy burst into a fit of giggles, delighted by the game.
It was a warm and peaceful scene of a grandfather and grandson enjoying time together.
But suddenly—Hiruzen clutched his chest in pain.
The small rattle in his hand snapped apart without warning, its tiny wooden hammers breaking off from their strings.
And at that exact moment, the baby—who had been giggling just seconds ago—burst into loud, inconsolable cries.
"Father? What's wrong?!"
The baby's wails caught the attention of others in the house. The door swung open as Sarutobi Asuma rushed in, his expression filled with worry. Seeing Hiruzen hunched over in pain, clutching his chest beside the cradle, Asuma immediately ran to support him.
The pain only lasted a few seconds, but it felt much longer.
Slowly, Hiruzen steadied himself with Asuma's help. His expression was grave.
"I'm fine…"
"I just felt… a terrible sense of foreboding."
Hiruzen was a seasoned warrior—one of the greatest shinobi of his era. His instincts had saved him countless times on the battlefield.
And right now, his sixth sense was telling him something terrible had happened.
Reaching down, he lifted the crying Konohamaru, his face shadowed with concern.
"Asuma, go to the Hokage's office. Ask Minato if any urgent reports have arrived recently."
"Check if there have been any movements from the Land of Lightning, the Land of Earth, the Land of Wind, or the Land of Water."
"Make sure to ask about everything."
Asuma nodded but had barely stepped outside the room when an Anbu operative suddenly arrived, appearing by his side.
"Asuma, why are you back?"
Hiruzen's brows furrowed as he turned toward the masked ninja. The moment he saw the Anbu, his heart clenched. He could sense something—something was terribly wrong.
"Third Hokage-sama!"
"I bring urgent news!"
"Sarutobi Shinnosuke, Jonin of Konoha—has fallen in battle!"
The room fell deathly silent.
Hiruzen's fingers trembled slightly as he held Konohamaru in his arms.
For a brief moment, he said nothing.
And then, the old Hokage—the strongest shinobi of his generation—closed his eyes, his face drained of color.
(End of this chapter)