Chapter 15: The Title of the Strongest Creature
On Konoha's side, strategist Nara Shikaku, who had been observing the battle, suddenly realized something.
He quickly shouted,
"The Third Kazekage's Iron Sand — it's all focusing on a single point of Ryūun-sama's body!"
No matter how strong the defense was,
if the same spot was attacked repeatedly, even iron could break.
"Don't worry,"
Tsunade replied with a calm smile, her gaze locked on the figure standing within the Iron Sand Barrier.
"That man… will never lose."
The man I've set my eyes on would never fall here.
Even Hatake Sakumo, standing beside her, gave a rare grin.
"Relax and watch. Aoyama Ryūun's strength is far from weak."
"…"
Shikaku fell silent.
He had heard of Aoyama Ryūun's reputation — but this was his first time seeing his power in person.
Now that he had, words failed him.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Inside the Iron Sand Barrier, just as Shikaku predicted,
the Third Kazekage controlled countless Iron Sand spikes,
all targeting Ryūun's right shoulder over and over.
Finally —
one of the Iron Sand spears pierced straight through Ryūun's shoulder!
The barrage stopped.
Even Ryūun himself halted his steps,
then looked up at the Third Kazekage — and grinned.
On the Sand Village side, almost everyone cheered with relief.
Only Chiyo-baasama's expression remained serious,
a faint unease rising in her heart.
Through the swirling sand, the Third Kazekage slowly stepped forward.
Regaining his earlier advantage made him proud again —
the embarrassment of being knocked away earlier had already vanished.
But Ryūun tilted his head slightly, smiling as he said:
"You know… did you ever wonder why I let myself get hit?"
"Hm?"
The Third Kazekage frowned.
Let himself be hit?
Ridiculous. No one in the ninja world would do such a thing.
He assumed it was just empty bluffing —
but then, under his watchful eyes, Ryūun reached up and grabbed the Iron Sand spike still impaled in his shoulder.
"Because otherwise… how could I show you what true despair feels like?"
As he spoke, Ryūun's other hand formed a blade and sliced downward.
CLANG!
The Iron Sand spear snapped apart cleanly.
The Third Kazekage was about to scoff — after all, cutting it didn't change the fact that Ryūun's shoulder was injured.
Surely his movements would be affected.
But the next moment froze him in shock.
Before his eyes, the wound in Ryūun's shoulder began to heal instantly,
the torn flesh knitting together at a visible speed —
and within seconds, the injury had vanished completely.
No scars, no blood, nothing.
"This regeneration… impossible!"
The Third Kazekage's eyes widened.
Such recovery ability — was this man even human!?
"You monster… what the hell are you!?"
Ryūun's grin widened, eyes gleaming like molten gold.
"Me? Listen carefully, old man…"
"They call me — the strongest creature alive!"
If he hadn't said it himself, no one would have believed it.
But looking at him now, no one dared laugh.
Even if the Third Kazekage trained for decades more,
he might never reach such monstrous power —
by then, he'd probably die of old age first.
"Damn it…"
The Third Kazekage's face darkened.
Whether Ryūun was immortal or not, his terrifying regeneration made him truly fearsome.
Once this battle ended, the name Aoyama Ryūun,
the man who smashed the Third Kazekage with his bare hands,
would spread throughout the entire ninja world.
He would earn a new title:
The Strongest Creature.
Meanwhile, on the Sand side, Chiyo-baasama's face grew grim.
Unlike the others, she hadn't been distracted by the duel.
She could see it clearly — their morale was falling fast.
If they kept waiting, there would be no need to continue this war at all.
"All forces, follow me — we attack now!"
Across the field, Tsunade's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"That old hag thinks she can win against me?!"
If they wanted to fight, then fight!
She wasn't someone who ever backed down.
"Everyone, with me! Smash those Sand Village idiots and send them crawling back home!"
Under the command of Tsunade and Chiyo,
the two armies of Konoha and Sunagakure surged forward once more —
clashing violently in a storm of ninjutsu, steel, and blood.
On this chaotic battlefield,
people fell one after another —
each life snuffed out in the flames of war.