Several enemy ninja charged toward Hyuga Gakuya—but in a flash of fluttering paper, Konan's paper spears rained down, laced with explosive tags. They pinned the attackers to the ground before detonating with a thunderous boom.
"Kill them!" Gakuya roared, putting on the perfect act.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" came the overwhelming response, like a wave crashing down over the battlefield.
Konan led the charge with the Ame-nin at her side. In a matter of moments, the combined forces of the two great nations crumbled in disarray, retreating in chaos along the path they'd come.
"Tell your Kage this: As long as I and Lord Hanzō are alive, no one sets foot in the Land of Rain!" Gakuya bellowed after the fleeing enemies, making sure the message would be carried back.
After that, cleanup began—wounded gathered, the battlefield swept. But that wasn't Gakuya's job.
He regrouped with his fellow Akatsuki members. "So? How was my acting?"
Kisame grinned. "Honestly? You really sold it—looked like Hanzō's loyal disciple to me."
Sasori gave a chilly smirk. "Why not let me handle it next time? I'll slaughter them all—really leave an impression."
Gakuya shook his head. "That would only stir curiosity in the Five Great Nations. Hanzō's name still carries more weight."
He turned to Konan. "Thanks for stepping in back there, Konan."
That had been way too close. If she hadn't acted when she did, his cover might've been blown.
"It's nothing."
Gakuya straightened up.
"Now we spread the word: The Land of Rain has no intention of joining this war. If anyone dares bring their flames here, they'll be treated as enemies of the Demigod—and face the full might of the Land of Rain."
He gave Konan a look. "I'll leave that to you."
"Understood."
"Well then—thanks for all the hard work, everyone. I'm heading back to training." Gakuya stretched with a lazy sigh.
...
Land of Earth – Tsuchikage's Office
"What did you say?! The entire advance squad was wiped out?! Only a dozen survivors?!" Onoki, short and elderly but sharp-eyed, stood on his chair and glared down at the messenger ninja from the communications team.
That had been an elite unit—a hundred of their best. How could they fall so easily?
"Yes, Lord Tsuchikage. The man leading them called himself Kimura Takuya, a disciple of Hanzō. He used many of Hanzō's famous jutsu."
"He left a message: 'As long as I and Lord Hanzō are alive, no one steps into the Land of Rain.'"
"You're dismissed."
"Yes, sir!" The comm-nin let out a deep breath, relieved to escape the suffocating tension in the room.
Onoki narrowed his eyes. "Instant movement... salamander... kenjutsu..."
All this intel pointed to one terrifying conclusion. Whether he wanted to believe it or not, it was right in front of him.
"That old bastard… So he's still pulling strings from the shadows? After all these years without a trace, he actually trained a successor?"
His eyes burned with killing intent.
"A small country like Rain doesn't need another Demigod—and I won't allow one to rise again!"
Still, he couldn't act rashly.
"Put the third front on hold for now. If the Land of Rain sides with Konoha, the cost would be too high."
...
Sunagakure Camp
Rasa stared at the intelligence scroll in his hands.
"That old man's trying to raise another Demigod, is he?"
His thoughts drifted back to the Second Great Ninja War—to the battlefield dominated by that overwhelming force.
"I won't let that happen again. But we'll deal with it after the war ends."
Why did so many small nations produce these freakish talents, while Sunagakure could barely scrounge up a handful of decent shinobi?
They'd have to wait until the war concluded before making a move on Kimura Takuya. For now, if the Land of Rain was forced to ally with Konoha, it'd only spell disaster.
Once the war was over, Rasa had a thousand ways to kill him. If Hanzō loved peace so much? Fine. He'd just start a localized war.
In the negotiations that followed, killing his own disciple would be the price of peace.
As long as Hanzō was alive—as long as he wasn't officially the leader of the Land of Rain—then Kimura Takuya was just another disposable pawn.
...
Land of Fire – Konohagakure
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi stared down at the intel spread across his desk.
Following Uchiha Itachi's lead, he'd quietly encouraged Iwagakure and Sunagakure to open new fronts in the war. The result? Nearly a hundred elite shinobi dead on both sides.
It had tipped the balance slightly back in Konoha and Kumogakure's favor.
But now... this Kimura Takuya?
Where had he come from?
If the Land of Rain stayed neutral, were they just trying to fish for gains while everyone else bled?
Should he force them into the war?
No. Even Hanzō had never managed to elevate the Land of Rain into a true power. He'd only protected it. And if Hanzō couldn't, there was no way his disciple would.
This was the unspoken rule between the Five Great Nations: Never allow another power to rise.
No matter the battlefield, only the Great Nations were allowed to win.
...
Back in the Land of Rain
Hyuga Gakuya had no time to worry about the Five Great Nations' schemes.
Kimura Takuya was just a cover. Hanzō? That man had been dead for years. His body was cold in the ground.
Right now, all Gakuya cared about... was training.
He slammed a palm into a massive boulder. Nothing happened. But then, he leapt back—far back—and triggered the chakra he'd implanted within the stone.
BOOM! The rock exploded violently, sending shards flying in every direction.
"I did it!" Watching nearby, Uchiha Izumi and Karin both cheered.
Deidara, standing beside Gakuya, gave a sage-like nod.
"Hm... not bad. Still rough, but there's potential in your art."
Gakuya had finally developed a new kekkei genkai. One step closer to his ultimate goal—the Truth-Seeking Orbs.
He also now understood how Deidara's explosive clay worked: by infusing Explosion Release chakra into clay, shaping it, transforming it...
He didn't need to rely on taijutsu alone. Maybe his puppets... could become self-destructing suicide bombs.
Now that was an idea worth testing.
Without hesitation, he unfurled a scroll and summoned a humanoid puppet. Then, Gakuya closed his eyes—and when he opened them again, his pupils had transformed into glowing Tenseigan-blue orbs, sparkling like galaxies.
...
"So beautiful..." Karin stared at Gakuya's eyes, completely entranced. No matter how many times she saw them, they always left her breathless.
Even Izumi's gaze softened, her heart momentarily lost in those starry eyes.
"Behold! Gakuya's true art!" Deidara exclaimed, genuinely impressed by the visual spectacle.
But Gakuya ignored their reactions. He was used to this by now.
In his hand, he formed a sphere of pure willpower—a spirit orb—infusing it with both his resolve and the power of his eyes.
He drove his hand into the puppet's chest, phasing through its inner cavity and embedding the orb within. Then he withdrew.
In an instant, he felt the puppet's mind click into sync with his. It was intelligent. Obedient. A simple command would be enough.
He channeled Explosion Release chakra into the puppet's core and gave the order.
The puppet charged into the nearby forest—and then BOOM!
Trees toppled. Dirt flew.
And from the wreckage, a figure approached.
"Konan? What brings you here?" Gakuya asked.
"I heard explosions. Just came to check."
"Ah, sorry. I'll run my tests farther from base next time."
"Good."
"Wanna stay for dinner? I'm cooking."
"Then I graciously accept."
Karin, meanwhile, glanced at Konan's figure—her raincoat barely concealing those... assets. Then she turned to Izumi's striking beauty.
Then down at her own chest.
Her jaw clenched. Damn it... another powerful rival...
Before long, Gakuya had everyone gathered: Izumi, Yukari, Karin, Konan, Deidara. They all sat together while he set up a grill he'd prepared in advance, complete with skewers and a fire pit.
The rare clear skies over the Land of Rain offered the perfect chance to enjoy a sunny day—and the crew dug into a well-earned outdoor barbecue.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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