The subordinate's words made the Third Raikage raise his eyebrows slightly before he let out a disdainful smile.
"Even I couldn't do anything against Shiki. That old man Ōnoki accomplishing sothing against him was impossible from the start. This outco was inevitable."
When Shiki had been transferred to the battlefield of Iwagakure, the Third Raikage had already sensed that Ōnoki was in for a rude awakening.
So when news of the Hidden Stone Village's defeat arrived, he wasn't surprised in the slightest.
After all, Shiki was soone who had single-handedly suppressed Kumogakure for an entire year and had still been winning.
That wasn't sothing an ordinary shinobi could ever accomplish.
The Third Raikage understood better than anyone that, from ti to ti, monsters were born—shinobi who stood far beyond normal limits.
Just like Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara back in their era.
Because of that, the result didn't shock him.
What did surprise everyone else in the room, however, was how calmly he accepted it.
But inside the conference room, the Raikage's deputy reacted instantly.
"This isn't right, Lord Raikage! This isn't the ti to lower our guard!"
"Hm?" the Third Raikage looked over. "What's wrong?"
"Iwagakure has been defeated," the deputy said gravely. "Doesn't that an the Golden Lion can now move to support other battlefields?"
"…"
The mont those words fell, the relaxed atmosphere in the room vanished.
Expressions stiffened. The air turned heavy.
Even Killer B, who normally couldn't stop rapping even in tense situations, fell silent—his gaze sharpening.
A, standing nearby, glanced at his father, his aning clear without a word.
Yes. Iwagakure had fallen.
But Shiki was still alive. Still active.
The war wasn't over.
And Shiki couldn't simply return to Konoha.
Which ant...
He would move to another battlefield.
For Kumogakure—a village that had been suppressed by Shiki for an entire year—just hearing his na was enough to give the Third Raikage a headache.
"Then speak," the Third Raikage said sharply. "Where is that Golden Lion headed?"
"Uh—!"
The deputy felt every gaze in the room snap toward him at once.
For a brief, horrifying mont, he had the strong feeling that if he failed to answer properly, he might be beaten to death on the spot.
Being the Raikage's assistant is way too damn hard…!
He scread inwardly, tears threatening to form.
"Ahem! Lord Raikage," he said quickly, straightening himself. "Among the three current battlefields, only the Mist Village front is at a disadvantage. Shiki should be heading there to reinforce it."
Soone capable of becoming the Raikage's deputy couldn't be stupid.
His deductions were sharp and correct.
"That's good," the Third Raikage said, visibly relaxing.
The deputy twitched.
I'm not done talking yet… isn't it a little early to relax?!
Cold sweat ran down his back.
"However," he continued, forcing himself onward, "with the Golden Lion involved, the Mist Village will fall eventually. And once that happens…"
Silence.
"When that happens," he said slowly, "Shiki will only have one battlefield left to support."
"Kumogakure."
The Sand front didn't matter—Senju Tsunade and Orochimaru were there. Sunagakure stood no chance either way, and there was no need for Shiki to intervene.
"Lord Raikage," the deputy said firmly, "we need to prepare in advance!"
"…!"
The room erupted into tension once more.
This war wasn't over.
And Shiki was the calamity they could never escape.
"Lord Raikage!"
All eyes turned toward the Third Raikage.
He… felt a little embarrassed.
He wanted to say sothing decisive—sothing wise.
Unfortunately, his brain refused to cooperate.
No matter how hard he tried, nothing convincing ca to mind.
"…Tch."
Bang!
The Third Raikage slamd his fist into the table.
"Damn it! Thinking about Shiki just pisses off—I can't think straight!"
Everyone understood what that ant.
As long as Shiki existed, Kumogakure stood no real chance of winning this war.
But...
Surrender?
For a village as hot-blooded and reckless as the Cloud, that was impossible.
"Forget it," the Third Raikage growled. "Hit them first. At least let off so steam!"
Before Shiki arrived, they would crush their current opponents...
Jiraiya and Namikaze Minato.
Even if they lost the war, they wouldn't lose face.
"Yes!"
The room erupted into motion as orders were carried out.
Sowhere far away, Jiraiya and Minato had no idea that Kumogakure—terrified of Shiki—had decided to beat them senseless first and retreat afterward.
--
"Shiki-nii! The sea is so beautiful!"
Since staying by Shiki's side, Yūhi Kurenai rarely cared about the gazes of others anymore.
When there was nothing to do, she simply stayed near him and Shiki never objected.
As for the shinobi led by Hyūga Hiashi, they naturally wouldn't say anything either.
On the ship, Kurenai stood at the railing, gazing at the endless blue before her, unable to hide her awe.
This was the first ti she had ever seen the sea.
The borders of Kirigakure were surrounded by water—any invasion required crossing this vast expanse.
"It really is amazing…"
Shiki didn't pay much mind to the upcoming battle with the Mist.
Neither did the shinobi following him.
As long as Shiki was present, victory felt inevitable.
"It's a pity Rin and the others left," Kurenai said softly. "Otherwise, we could've watched this together."
During their ti together, Kurenai and Nohara Rin had grown close.
Originally, they were supposed to follow Shiki to the Mist front as well.
But after leaving Iwagakure's territory, Uchiha Obito, Hatake Kakashi, and Rin had approached Shiki with a request—
They wanted to head to the Cloud battlefield instead.
It had surprised Shiki slightly at first.
But thinking about it, it made sense.
They were Minato's students. Their bonds ran deep.
Shiki hadn't stopped them.
"By now," Kurenai said, leaning on the railing, "they should be close to Kumogakure."
"Probably," Shiki replied with a faint smile, hands resting behind his back.
Back in Iwagakure, Shiki had sensed sothing unusual.
A presence watching Obito.
He didn't need to think long to know who it was.
Black Zetsu.
While they had been together, Shiki didn't mind keeping them safe.
But now that they'd chosen to leave for the sake of bonds—treating war like so kind of ga—
That was no longer his concern.
If fate wanted to play its hand, Shiki wouldn't interfere.
They should be near Kannabi Bridge by now.
With Iwagakure defeated, that battle might not even happen.
Shiki was actually curious—
How exactly did Uchiha Madara plan to cripple Obito this ti?
He found himself… looking forward to it.
As the ship drew closer to Kirigakure's waters, Shiki suddenly frowned.
His Observation Haki picked up sothing unusual.
…Voices?
"Huh?"
He turned toward the sea ahead.
Dense fog had begun to rise.
But no matter how thick the mist beca, it couldn't escape his perception.
"Shiki-nii?" Kurenai asked, noticing his reaction. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Shiki replied with a light smile.
He exchanged a glance with Hyūga Hiashi.
"Lord Shiki?" Hiashi stepped forward imdiately.
"You take everyone to the Konoha camp near the Mist front first," Shiki said calmly. "I'll join you shortly."
"Did sothing happen?"
"Just a small matter. Nothing worth ntioning."
Everyone understood—if Shiki was leaving on his own, he had sensed sothing.
With the Byakugan, the Hyūga were perfect for leading troops through Kirigakure's fog.
"Understood."
No one tried to stop him.
"Shiki-nii… be careful," Kurenai said softly.
Even knowing that Shiki was nearly invincible—
Worry for soone you care about never truly disappears.
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