"You've gained incredible fame throughout the entire ninja world now."
Kakashi Sakumo handed Haruki a scroll, teasingly saying, "There hasn't been a ninja this famous since Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage."
"If you're jealous, I could always give your reputation a boost too."
Haruki smiled and shook his head.
The actions he had ordered were finally revealed.
Especially the large-scale purges in the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning, which resulted in the deaths of many nobles.
While the killing of Nobuaki Oda before could be blamed on the Raikage, there was no way to explain away the deaths of Matsuda Ebizo and other major nobles this time.
What's more, he did everything openly—never trying to hide a thing.
"No, no, no. I don't have that kind of capability."
Sakumo immediately waved his hands in fear.
Being targeted by more than ten countries? He didn't dare—he truly didn't!
"Come on, you're the White Fang of Konoha—show a little confidence."
"That title has nothing to do with nobles. Don't smear my name like that."
Upon hearing that, Kakashi Sakumo replied with a strange tone, "Do you know what they've started calling you?"
"Huh? Did I get another new title?" Haruki raised an eyebrow.
Earlier, he and Tsunade were known together as the Twin Gems of Konoha—not only because they were lovers, but also because both were top-tier medical ninjas.
Kakashi Sakumo, recalling the intelligence reports, said, "Konoha Butcher"—a grim new title.
Haruki slightly paused before smirking. "Tch, just a bunch of spineless cowards. They think someone from the lower classes has risen to overthrow them, so they feel scared."
He pointed at the scroll.
In the original story, the status of ninja wasn't actually that high.
At least during the early to mid-periods, they could be bossed around whenever hired.
It was normal for nobles to look down on ninja.
But Haruki made one thing clear—it's not their world anymore.
Sakumo glanced at the scroll and agreed, "The Land of Earth and the Land of Water formed an alliance within a day yet dared not declare war on the Land of Fire—only boasting with words. It's clear they're scared of us. The smaller nations? They're barely even worth mentioning. However, how should we handle our ally, the Land of Wind?"
"I'm waiting for Sunagakure's response," Haruki said. "Konoha has already done everything we could for them. If they don't know how to appreciate it, they'll have to bear the consequences themselves."
Thinking about his past interactions with the Third Kazekage, Kakashi Sakumo remarked, "The Kazekage is a man who understands the situation. He should realize that today's strength of Sunagakure comes partly from Konoha's support. Moreover, if they completely cut ties with us, their economy would decline by at least two-thirds—a consequence they definitely can't afford."
Haruki nodded and continued analyzing, "We currently hold over four thousand people from Iwagakure. Even if the Land of Earth wants war, Onoki won't support it—not after seeing our strength firsthand. As for Kirigakure, having lost the Seven Swords of the Bloody Mist, they won't make reckless moves either."
"Mikoto's strength really is something else."
"Legend of the White Fang," Sakumo Hatake recalled the intel on the scroll. Mikoto had single-handedly defeated the Seven Swordsmen of the Bloody Mist, seized all seven of their blades, and emerged unscathed herself. Her strength even surpassed his own.
"Not bad for your apprentice. If the teacher's a freak, the student must be one too."
Sakumo looked at Haruki and said, "I already know about Minato and Mikoto's strengths, but don't tell me Kushina's just as terrifying?"
He didn't know that Kushina was the Nine-Tailed Fox Jinchuriki.
As far as he knew, Kushina was from the Uzumaki Clan and had solid sealing techniques.
"If you want to find out, go challenge her yourself."
"You've got to be kidding me, asking me to fight your apprentice."
Sakumo couldn't help but complain. Winning would make him look like he was picking on someone weaker, while losing would ruin his legacy.
He had no intention of doing something so foolish.
"What a shame," Haruki shrugged.
"You're serious?" Sakumo asked, surprised by Haruki's expression. "Is Kushina really that strong?"
"Might as well tell you."
Haruki thought it over. Given Konoha's current state, whether the Jinchuriki was revealed or hidden wouldn't make much of a difference.
"She's the Nine-Tailed Fox Jinchuriki."
...
Sakumo twitched the corner of his mouth.
Thank goodness he hadn't taken Haruki's advice and challenged Kushina.
While his strength was considerable, defeating the strongest tailed beast seemed extremely unlikely.
He seriously wondered if Haruki had eyes that could peer into the future.
How else could all his apprentices be geniuses—outright prodigies at that?
Even the weakest among them, Rin Nohara, was no slouch.
Obito and his son were also rare talents.
But Minato, Mikoto, and Kushina were especially brilliant.
In any other ninja village, they'd easily qualify as Kage-level.
Perhaps he should take on a few apprentices himself.
Sakumo rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Other than Kakashi, he hadn't taken any other students.
And even Kakashi had followed his own path in kendo, only carrying half of his legacy.
"Haruki, are there any swordsmen prodigies in Konoha?"
Sakumo suddenly asked.
"Oh? Are you envious of my apprentices now?"
Hearing this, Haruki couldn't help but smile.
"I'm just asking. Legend of the White Fang taking an apprentice isn't unreasonable, right?"
Sakumo shrugged. "After all, I am a great swordsman well-deservedly famous throughout the ninja world."
By his standards, calling him a great swordsman was justified.
Haruki paused in thought. Konoha didn't seem to have many swordsmen. Mist and Cloud were full of them.
Wait, actually, he suddenly remembered two people.
"Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha."
"All from the Uchiha clan again?"
Muttering under his breath, Sakumo double-checked, "You're not making this up, are you?"
"Why would I lie to you?"
Haruki shook his head.
He wasn't lying.
Leaving aside their Sharingan and Fire Release techniques, Shisui and Itachi were both exceptionally skilled in swordsmanship.
Moreover, the Sharingan significantly enhanced their sword techniques.
Once enemy movements were predicted, their sword strikes became more ferocious and precise.
"Fine, I'll ask them two when we get back," Sakumo Hatake said with a smile.
In the past, if the Third Hokage had still been alive, he would never have dared to take two Uchiha as apprentices—it would've been asking for trouble.
Now, however, it didn't matter anymore.
After all, even Uchiha Clan Leader Mikoto had become Haruki's apprentice.
Haruki returned the intelligence scroll to him and looked toward the ninja from Cloud Hidden Village outside the mountain fortress.
After interrogating the Jonin from Cloud Hidden Village, the process sped up significantly.
They could use genjutsu to hypnotize and screen them all at once.
More than two-thirds of the ninja wanted to go home and return to normal ninja activities.
The remaining third, more ambitious, voluntarily joined Konoha's Ninja Army.
As for the Jonin, they were mostly sent back to Konoha to begin teaching.
"Let's go. We'll head to Cloud Hidden Village and finish up the last bit."
Haruki leapt down from the city wall, leading thirty thousand ninja from both Konoha and Cloud Hidden Village as they departed Owarayama mountain fortress.
On a hillside in the Land of Rain.
Madara Uchiha slightly frowned.
Heavy rain poured down on him.
He made no move to shield himself, glancing around before lifting his hand casually.
The barrier in front shattered.
"Who's there?!"
The Rain ninjas inside the barrier were startled.
They hadn't sensed Madara Uchiha's approach at all.
If not for him breaking the barrier, they wouldn't have realized someone had sneaked so close.
Madara Uchiha was quickly surrounded by a group of Rain ninjas.
"Where is Hanzo?"
He asked expressionlessly.
"Who are you?"
A middle-aged man stepped forward from the crowd, speaking gravely.
This man exerted immense pressure on him.
Madara didn't respond.
Just as he was about to force his way in, two figures stepped out from behind the tents.
One of them held a sickle and wore a gas mask—this was none other than Hanzo himself.
The other figure was wrapped entirely in black robes, revealing only two eyes.
This was a White Zetsu impersonating a ninja, specifically assigned by the Akatsuki Organization to deliver intelligence to Hanzo.
It was also this individual who secretly stoked the flames, convincing Hanzo that the Akatsuki's growing power threatened Amegakure, and pushing him to eliminate the group entirely.
"This is the powerful ninja you told me about?"
Hanzo sized up Madara Uchiha and casually asked White Zetsu.
"That's right. This one."
White Zetsu maintained his enigmatic persona, speaking in a calm tone.
"He does seem quite imposing."
Hanzo remarked.
But his words carried no respect whatsoever.
He was the "Half-God of the Ninja World"—the only one he feared was currently Haruki—the famed ninja who had recently defeated twenty thousand alone.
At these words, White Zetsu blinked slowly.
Madara raised two fingers. As Hanzo watched in confusion, a sudden mist billowed upward like smoke.
A wave of scorching heat evaporated the rainwater, instantly transforming into a fire dragon sweeping across the sky.
Without warning, it roared forth like a storm.
Hanzo's face changed drastically—Death's presence loomed close.
Using [Body Flicker Technique], he quickly put distance between them. His hands moved rapidly through hand seals, drawing rainwater from hundreds of meters above with his chakra, forming a protective wall before him.
Besides his poison and swordsmanship, Hanzo's Water Release techniques were also exceptionally strong. Even in Kirigakure, few could surpass him.
Yet his [Water Formation Wall] proved nearly useless.
His eyes widened in shock.
If he wasn't mistaken, Madara Uchiha had just used a C-ranked [Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique].
How could it not be blocked?
What the hell?!
Hanzo quickly formed hand seals. Taking advantage of the moment the fire dragon was obstructed, his chakra radiated outward.
Rainwater farther away instantly transformed into a massive water dragon, rushing madly toward the fire dragon.
But that wasn't all. He clasped both hands together, inhaled sharply, leaned back with his mouth wide open, and released a roaring wave of water, drowning the space before him.
A sizzling sound filled the air.
Fire and water clashed.
Steam rose continuously, shrouding the hillside in mist and making it seem hazy and surreal.
Hanzo's heartbeat almost stopped.
The fire dragon surged forward, only dissipating when it was just three meters from him.
That level of power defied logic.
Especially considering he had used his [Water Release] under heavy rain, which gave him a slight boost.
"Who exactly are you?"
Hanzo discarded his earlier arrogance. His face grew serious as he asked.
The Rain Village ninja surrounding him were equally shocked, staring at Madara Uchiha.
They couldn't believe such a ninja existed in the entire world—one who could make Hanzo struggle so badly with just one technique.
"It doesn't matter who I am," Madara Uchiha replied calmly while looking at him. "You just need to do what you must: stall Tsunade and Jiraiya. As for me, I'll deal with Nagato and Obito."
After hearing Haruki unified the Land of Lightning, he knew time was running short.
He needed to complete his plan before Haruki turned his attention to the battle unfolding in the Land of Rain.
Since using the [Katsugen no Jutsu], no ninja in the Land of Rain could rival him.
So he saw no need for any needlessly elaborate plans—acting directly was most efficient.
"Fine, I'll follow your words."
Hanzo nodded, then turned to the ninja from Kumogakure.
"Go inform Akatsuki members that our Amegakure is willing to negotiate peace. The location will be Daicang Mountain, and the time will be 1 PM."
Immediately, an Anbu member accepted the order and left.
Madara slightly nodded; Hanzo did show some intelligence.
At the current situation, Kumogakure was at a disadvantage. If they proposed peace talks—whether genuine or not—the Akatsuki members would definitely come.
After all, Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan strongly desired peace.
Madara could only say they were naively optimistic.
True peace couldn't be achieved through such methods.
"All of you head to Daicang Mountain and prepare an ambush in advance."
Hanzo continued issuing orders.
The Rain Village ninjas immediately moved out.
Daicang Mountain wasn't far.
It was only a few minutes away.
Madara glanced around, locating a tree.
As he stood on the branch, his features slowly shifted.
A plain, unfamiliar face appeared.
"Lord Madara."
White Zetsu emerged from the trunk and greeted him.
"When we start fighting, you secretly attack Rin, ensuring Obito witnesses her death. Then I'll take him."
"Understood."
White Zetsu nodded.
He had tried ambushing Rin Nohara multiple times before, all of which ended in failure.
He knew she always carried specialized ninja tools.
But this time, he had come well-prepared.
Time passed.
1:00 PM.
Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan arrived precisely on schedule.
Also joining them were Tsunade, Jiraiya, Obito, and others.
At the open space atop Daicang Mountain.
Hanzo stepped forward to face the three of them.
Before Nagato could speak, Konan coldly cut in, "Calling us here—did you really think we wouldn't know you've already set an ambush?"
Hanzo hesitated slightly. Could it be there's a traitor among us?
The truth was, neither he nor Madara Uchiha fully understood the Akatsuki Organization.
Their goal wasn't to impose peace through extreme violence, but to foster it through dialogue among people.
That was precisely why Hanzo and Madara Uchiha believed they would surely show up.
Unfortunately for them, Konan had long since uncovered Hanzo's true nature thanks to Haruki.
The real reason they came today was that they had secretly conspired with Tsunade beforehand—to eliminate them all in one fell swoop.
Before Hanzo could respond, Konan raised her hand.
Countless razor-sharp paper blades surged like a tidal wave, flying straight toward him.
"Damn it!"
Hanzo didn't know how their plan had been leaked.
But the ambush had already been laid.
He slammed his palm onto the ground.
Dozens of explosive tags erupted from beneath the surface, densely packed.
[Fire Release: Exploding Flame Formation!]
Like molten lava, scorching heat burst outward, tearing through the air and earth alike, creating a monstrous fireball over ten meters wide.
Konan and the others clearly hadn't seen this coming.
Just then, wooden pillars erupted from beneath their feet, rising upward to form a protective barrier.
"Wood Release?!"
Madara Uchiha, watching from afar, recognized this familiar ninjutsu instantly.
His usual calm gave way to shock.
Could it be… Haruki?
Even he felt the urge to retreat at that very moment.