The huge Buddha statue of True Several Thousand Hands was destroyed, and even the Impure World Reincarnation bodies of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara entered a weakened state after using such a large-scale ninjutsu.
But Yami's attacks still did not stop. He had only used two-thirds of the ninjutsu derived from those thousands of hands.
Both of them were breathing heavily. Hashirama barely used the Wood Expulsion Jutsu, but it shattered in less than two seconds.
Next, they faced a storm of ninjutsu that poured down like a violent tempest.
Before anyone realized it, the battlefield had been pushed back from the Land of Fire to the Land of Hot Water and was getting closer and closer to the main battlefield.
The shinobi on the battlefield also witnessed this historic fight from a closer distance.
When the Byakugan users confirmed that the winner was Yami, the Konoha side cheered, looking at the still-moving Buddha with fanaticism in their eyes.
Absolute power brings absolute submission.
The allied shinobi, on the other hand, were trembling with fear, and despair spread through their hearts.
The Buddha who looked like a god, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama who had walked out of legends, were defeated together by Yami. What was the meaning of their struggle?
What did they gain from all the sacrifices since the beginning of this war?
As their strongest fighters fell one after another, and even the undead allies summoned by forbidden techniques failed to pose any threat to Konoha, their confidence began to waver.
Until this moment, the hesitation in their hearts reached its peak. Some even could not hold the kunai in their hands anymore and knelt limply on the ground.
Fourth Raikage A, who had been fighting with Yuji, stared at the huge Buddha in a daze, the lightning chakra cloak flashing with arcs of electricity slowly dissipating.
Terumi Mei also stopped releasing ninjutsu. Even though she was restrained by Izumi's Susanoo, her expression seemed caught between tears and laughter, and she said nothing.
If even she looked so desperate, it was obvious how the others felt.
The battlefield fell into deathly silence.
It was not until Madara and Hashirama were sent flying like two cannonballs, smashing into the ground and creating a large crater, that everyone came to their senses. Yamato, who was closest, rushed forward to restrain the two.
Yami dispersed his technique and also leaped over the last hill, landing in front of the restrained pair, breathing heavily.
Releasing thousands of ninjutsu of different types and attributes at one time was also a burden for him.
He roughly calculated that without considering recovery speed, if he used that ninjutsu twenty times in a row, he would be completely exhausted.
Seeing Yami's performance, Madara was deeply shocked.
"Is this the best I can do? I cannot even hurt you. I can only wear down your chakra..."
"Yami, what kind of monster are you?"
Madara really could not imagine that such a monster would appear in the shinobi world just a few decades after his death.
Hashirama gave a wry smile. "It is great that Konoha has you as Hokage."
There was no point in talking about ideals now. If someone with such strength could not be Hokage, it would be a disaster for Konoha.
"It is no use saying nice things. I am going to tear that Hokage face of yours apart when I get back."
Yami walked step by step toward the two of them, and the prompt sound in his mind rang wildly.
A large number of shinobi bonds had reached the second stage due to shock, and there were even fanatics and despairing people who reached the highest third stage. The progress of the five bond-establishing tasks was also rising rapidly.
[Ding! The bond between the host and Senju Hashirama has reached the third stage. Rewards: Yang attribute chakra (Limit Break), Chakra (One Hashirama), and the characteristic God of Ninja.]
[God of Ninja: An existence like the end point of the shinobi path. All ninja-related abilities receive great enhancement.]
[Ding! The bond between the host and Uchiha Madara, 'Unyielding,' has reached the second stage. Rewards: Uchiha bloodline (Limit Break), Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan pupil power.]
Compared to other stingy rewards, these two were much more generous.
Especially the chakra. After obtaining the God of Ninja characteristic, his physical fitness suddenly increased by 50%, and in an instant, the mental power and chakra that had just been consumed were almost fully restored.
And this characteristic was comprehensive. That is to say, other aspects such as chakra control and ninjutsu power were also improved.
With the addition of this chakra, it could be said that Hashirama's resources had been basically mined out and had no other value left.
On the other hand, Madara was only at the second stage and was still unyielding.
It seemed that he was still not convinced.
That was right. Madara was different from Hashirama. He believed that he was not in his prime, so it was impossible for him to be completely convinced.
But that was the right way. If Madara revealed all the rewards now, Yami would be disappointed.
Feeling the huge chakra rapidly approaching from the north, he curled his lips with anticipation in his eyes.
Standing in front of Hashirama and Madara, Yami did not bother with them. Instead, he waved his hand, and the three Kage were brought over.
Ōnoki was frozen in ice, Terumi Mei was trapped in Susanoo's hand, and A was controlled by Sasuke's genjutsu.
Yami looked around and allowed no one to speak. His final words were heard by all the shinobi.
"From today on, the four hidden villages will be removed from the list. There is only one shinobi organization in the world, and that is Konoha!"
It was dead silent.
If such words had been spoken before the war, they would have been like pouring oil on a fire, only arousing rebellion from the Allied Shinobi Forces.
But now, it was nothing more than a notification, the final straw that broke the camel's back.
"Yami, kill me..."
Puff!
Raikage A roared at Yami, but before he could utter any more harsh words, a thin silver line sliced across his neck, and his head flew into the air.
When his body fell to the ground, his eyes were still wide open, full of resentment and unwillingness.
After killing a Kage, Yami acted as if it was a trivial matter. He turned his head slightly and looked at Terumi Mei.
"Mizukage, what about you?"
"I will give you a chance to choose. Will you be like the Raikage, dying rather than surrendering, or be wise and recognize the situation?"
"If you want to die, I will grant your wish. If you want to live, even better."
Yami tapped his slender fingers lightly, his tone casual, but it brought endless pressure to Terumi Mei.
"Only those who obey can receive better treatment. I am not trying to exterminate other shinobi villages, but to integrate them."
Appropriate toughness and ruthlessness can intimidate the enemy, but if you are too extreme, the enemy becomes desperate.
If they are going to die anyway, they might as well tear off a piece of your flesh before dying.
Although the Allied Shinobi Forces did not have the strength to destroy both sides, shinobi were a precious resource. If they could be preserved, they should be preserved as much as possible.
After these people surrendered, they would become an extension of his power and authority.
When Terumi Mei heard Yami's words, her lifeless eyes moved slightly.
She looked at the Allied Shinobi Forces who had given up resistance and easily found the Kirigakure shinobi among them.
The desire to fight to the end was doused with a bucket of cold water.
As a Kage, she had long been prepared to sacrifice herself for her village. Even after seeing Yami kill Raikage A so easily, she did not show fear.
But she was still afraid.
She was afraid that after her death, Yami would vent his anger on the other Kirigakure shinobi because of her stubbornness, and she would die with regret.
"If I surrender and submit to Konoha, how will you treat the shinobi of Kirigakure?"
After hesitating for a while, Terumi Mei asked hoarsely.
"It is very simple."
Yami smiled lightly. "It is impossible to erase past grudges, but Konoha has already formulated a plan for atonement."
"If contributions are made that exceed the standard, they will be pardoned and enjoy the same treatment as Konoha shinobi and villagers. Do you have any other doubts?"
"No more." Terumi Mei sighed and lowered her head.
"On behalf of Kirigakure, I surrender to Konoha."
When Terumi Mei finished speaking, not only did she breathe a sigh of relief, but the eyes of the hidden shinobi also gained a bit of light.
Yami smiled with satisfaction. "Very good. Considering that Kirigakure is the second village to surrender, the required compensation and atonement contributions will be halved."
"The second one?" Terumi Mei was stunned.
Who was the first?
She could not help but glance at the frozen Ōnoki. Could it be that this old man was paving the way for his grandson-in-law?
Yami had no intention of explaining now, nor did he ask for Ōnoki's opinion.
The lightning finally fell on Hashirama and Madara, who were restrained by the sealing technique.
He also took out a sealing talisman in his hand.
Madara showed resignation on his face and cursed Black Zetsu, who was hiding somewhere, and Uchiha Obito, who was still nowhere to be seen.
His plan had not yet succeeded. If he was sealed, not to mention Rinne Tensei, even the chance for Impure World Reincarnation would be gone!
Hashirama, on the other hand, showed his signature simple smile.
"Yami, no, Fifth Hokage."
"Since you have unified the shinobi world, treat everyone well and equally."
In fact, up until now, Hashirama still disagreed with Yami's approach of unifying the nations by force, but things had become a foregone conclusion, and he and Madara had been defeated by Yami.
He had no right to say anything more.
"You do not need to worry about the world of the living."
Yami waved his hand, and the sealing talismans flew out one by one. Just as they were about to land on Madara, a sharp whistle came from the air.
"Yami, be careful!"
Kakashi watched as a black ball flew past his nose and shouted a warning without hesitation!
(To be continued.)
***
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