On one side, two Mokuryū (Wood Dragons) battled against the Third Raikage. On the other, Shigeo and the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, clashed—Jiton (Magnet Release) gold dust versus chakra-infused might.
Rasa's gold sand morphed endlessly—sometimes massive golden spears, sometimes towering shields, sometimes countless magnetic spikes, or even spinning shuriken whirling through the air.
Shigeo, however, evaded calmly, not rushing to counter or clash head-on.
Only when his opponent's chakra began to wane did he finally strike back. He used just one jutsu—and defeated Rasa outright.
"Suiton (Water Release): Aburaka (Oil Conversion)."
Shigeo formed a single-handed seal as he spoke.
Rasa's eyes widened in shock. "That's the Second Mizukage's technique! How does he know that?"
Then something far more terrifying happened—his weapon, the gold sand, could no longer coalesce. The oil-based water nature was the perfect counter to his Jiton (Magnet Release).
"Sealing unit, ready!" Shigeo shouted.
The sealing squad, having just finished sealing the Second Tsuchikage, rushed onto the battlefield.
Rasa tried to rapidly reform new gold sand, but his offensive rhythm was broken. His refined Jiton sand had been neutralized by Shigeo's oily water technique.
Ironically, he had Orochimaru to thank. During the Five Great Villages' assault on Nanmo, Orochimaru's Edo Tensei (Reanimation) had resurrected the Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu, and Mu. From that battle, Shigeo had been able to mirror-copy both men's abilities and later master their full jutsu.
The Fourth Kazekage Rasa was sealed. On the field, only the fight with the Third Raikage, A, continued.
Explosions thundered across the plain. Lightning bursts clashed with wood splinters, blasting waves of chakra outward like shockwaves of blooming fire.
The Mokuryū shredded apart, but their strength never diminished—powered directly by Shigeo's immense chakra.
"Kuroi Kaminari (Black Lightning)!"
The Third Raikage roared. Black lightning, like a hunting beast, lunged forward. The Mokuryū dodged as Shigeo himself charged in.
So—close combat then. He had already fought the Fourth Raikage before; he knew how to deal with such opponents.
"Ranton (Storm Release): Shisan Sokosō (Scattering Core Array)."
A massive Ranton field surrounded the Third Raikage like a luminous ring. The moment the field stabilized, concentrated beams of light burst inward from every direction.
The sound of searing collisions filled the air, light flaring so brightly that even seasoned shinobi shielded their eyes.
When the glare faded, the Raikage's form had been shattered completely.
If he were alive, even the strongest shinobi would have been reduced to dust by that attack.
But this was Edo Tensei. His body regenerated, lightning flickering once again as he charged. Shigeo's fingers formed seals—dozens of Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clones) appeared, rushing in to meet him.
"RAAAAH!" The Third Raikage's roar shook the battlefield. Never before had anyone dared overwhelm him with sheer numbers. In life, he had fought ten thousand ninja alone for three days and nights without rest.
Now, he would show them the might of that legend.
His Saikyō no Yari (Strongest Spear) and Saikyō no Tate (Strongest Shield) erupted in lightning armor, his body a storm of raw power. With one brutal swing, he blasted hundreds of Shigeo's clones into the air.
"Hahaha!" His laughter rolled like thunder.
The other three reanimated Kage had already been sealed, yet he still fought. To him, that meant he was the strongest.
In truth, that wasn't so. Shigeo had been fighting in calculated order—targeting first those who posed the greatest threat to Mokunin Village, analyzing each opponent's weakness before striking decisively.
The only reason the Third Raikage lasted this long was because Shigeo hadn't prioritized him yet. His toughest defense, the lightning shield, merely made him a temporary nuisance.
But Shigeo still had plenty of techniques unused.
Though countless clones were blasted away, their forms burst into clouds of white smoke, scattering through the air like falling petals.
The remaining clones regrouped and coordinated with the main body, forming a sealing formation. At the same time, Shigeo unleashed another Ranton barrage, attacking from every direction.
"BOOM!" A massive detonation shook the field.
The collision of raw chakra and lightning armor created a blinding explosion. The Third Raikage's form shattered once again.
As his reanimated body began to reform, Shigeo gave him no chance. Six shadow clones rushed forward, pouring immense chakra into a sealing technique.
This time, the Raikage couldn't escape. His techniques required full physical restoration before activation—but Edo Tensei regeneration took time. And that delay was all Shigeo needed.
"Hey… what's your name?" the Raikage asked quietly, eyes closing as the sealing light enveloped him.
"Shigeo," he answered evenly.
The elegant, composed man turned away. All the battles were finished.
…
Elsewhere, Kaguya Kimimaro lay wounded, utterly defeated. He hadn't even managed to overcome Mei before; defeating Shigeo was impossible.
Watching Shigeo's battle, he was struck silent. The strength on display was beyond comprehension—his Jiton spreading across the battlefield, Susanoo towering over the horizon.
His tactical execution, his layered abilities—every aspect placed him beyond Kimimaro's reach.
All the rebellious pride Kimimaro once held was gone. Now he understood why Orochimaru had knelt to Shigeo—because Shigeo's power transcended what Orochimaru could ever achieve.
All four reanimated Kage were sealed and brought back to Mokunin Village.
From a distance, Yakushi Kabuto watched, trembling. Those had been Orochimaru's ultimate weapons—yet Shigeo had taken them all down.
Kabuto fell to his knees, pressing his face against the ground. "My lord, we had no choice! Please, do not blame us! We only wished for you to save Orochimaru-sama! For the sake of the help he once gave you—please, go see him!"
Shigeo's voice was cold. "I could kill you all right now. But today, I won't. As for why—Orochimaru knows." He paused, gaze sharp. "And to be clear—his hands are sealed by the Shiki Fūjin (Dead Demon Consuming Seal). Unless that seal is undone, there's no other way."
With a flick of his sleeve, he turned and left.
No matter what, when he had wanted to kill the Third Hokage, Orochimaru had acted in his place. Shigeo's hands had stayed clean.
If he had struck personally, Nanmo would have been drenched in blood once again. And given his friendship with Tsunade, killing the Hokage himself would have permanently severed all ties with both her and Konoha.
Whatever Orochimaru's motives had been, he had killed the Third Hokage. For that, Shigeo owed him a measure of gratitude. So today, Yakushi Kabuto would live.
(End of Chapter)
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