Upon hearing the Fourth Raikage's words, the previously silent shinobi of the Alliance erupted in a commotion, their faces filled with unease and terror!
"Fourth Raikage?! You..."
The other Kage were also shocked by his declaration. If this man acts recklessly out of anger... he could destroy the entire world!!
"Lord Raikage, please reconsider!!!" Darui, his bodyguard, immediately spoke up in urgent persuasion.
The Fourth Raikage clenched his fists so hard his teeth began to bleed. Yet, his face showed no sign of hesitation as he continued to roar furiously.
"So what?! Go ahead! Strike us with your Truth-Seeking Orbs! This world must never fall into the hands of anyone! If it does... I would rather see it destroyed completely!!!"
His voice grew louder and louder, and as he spoke, the hearts of every shinobi on the battlefield sank to the very bottom.
Is the entire world really going to be dragged down to ruin just because of the Fourth Raikage?!
"Hah... Fourth Raikage... so this is truly what you believe..."
Seeing his bluff and bravado, Kaoru couldn't help but sneer inwardly. You want to bury the whole world just to justify your choices? That is, of course, impossible. For I am a very... reasonable man.
As he spoke, the massive Truth-Seeking Orb that had blotted out the sky suddenly began to divide.
The profound, dark sphere broke apart and transformed into countless smaller orbs, each roughly the size of a basketball.
"What is he doing now..."
Looking at the dense swarm of smaller orbs filling the sky, the hearts of all the shinobi found no peace.
"Stand down... those of you who have chosen to submit to me... I will not harm you..." Kaoru said calmly. Then, he turned his gaze toward the Fourth Raikage.
"Fourth Raikage... the only ones who will be buried alongside you... are the shinobi of your Village Hidden in the Clouds!!!"
As his words fell, the countless mysterious orbs plummeted down like meteors. They seemed to have locked onto specific targets on the ground, shooting straight toward them.
"These orbs will only annihilate the shinobi of the Cloud Village. So..." Kaoru's voice was cold and ruthless, like a demon's, as he watched them fall.
"...to the shinobi of the Cloud Village... if you must blame someone... blame your Kage..."
As Kaoru spoke, the orbs fell faster and faster. Panic-stricken Cloud shinobi on the ground began to run for their lives.
But with their chakra sealed, they couldn't use speed-enhancing techniques like the Body Flicker — they could only flee on foot as fast as their legs could carry them.
However, Kaoru's orbs had already locked onto them perfectly. Escape was impossible; they were trapped with nowhere to run...
The Fourth Raikage also watched in horror as the orbs homed in on him. He stumbled backward again and again, yet the deadly spheres drew ever closer!
The air seemed to freeze. Under the watchful eyes of every other shinobi, amidst the frantic scrambling of the Cloud ninja, a trembling voice finally cried out in pure terror.
"I Surrender!!!"
The muscle-bound Fourth Raikage collapsed onto the ground like a helpless dog, screaming wildly at the orbs surging toward him.
But Kaoru seemed not to hear him. The orbs continued their attack, instantly closing the distance until they were right before his eyes!
"I SURRENDER! I GIVE IN!!!" The Fourth Raikage was drenched in cold sweat, shaking violently as he yelled desperately.
SWISH!!
At the very last second, the orb stopped just inches from his face — but not before slicing off the bridge of his nose completely.
"Damn it!!!"
The Raikage clapped his hands over his face immediately. Blood streamed down through his fingers. Simultaneously, all the other orbs chasing the Cloud shinobi halted in mid-air.
"Fourth Raikage... if you had said those words sooner... you wouldn't have lost your nose..." Kaoru spoke indifferently, looking down at the terrified man.
"I thought you were someone who feared nothing under heaven... but it seems you are only strong on the outside, hollow and weak within..."
"...."
Listening to Kaoru's mocking tone, the Fourth Raikage's face burned red. He fell silent, offering no retort.
Seeing their Kage finally submit to Kaoru, the other Cloud shinobi let out a collective sigh of relief, knowing their lives were spared.
"Do not play dumb. Speak your allegiance clearly. Surrendering isn't just about saying the words..." Kaoru continued, seeing him remain quiet.
"V-Very well... very well..." The Raikage nodded miserably, then spoke aloud.
"I, the Fourth Raikage... on behalf of the Village Hidden in the Clouds of the Land of Lightning... accept your absolute rule..."
"Excellent... Now that the four great villages have declared their submission... congratulations... your lives are spared."
A broad smile spread across Kaoru's face as he received the Raikage's formal surrender.
At this moment, the entire shinobi world had finally fallen completely into his hands.
...
"The world... is finally about to know true peace..."
Floating silently beside Kaoru, Tsunade heard the cries of the shinobi below. A flash of emotion and longing appeared in her eyes.
Ever since she lost her little brother, Nawaki, during the wars, ending conflict had been her greatest dream. Today, it seemed that dream was finally being realized through Kaoru's hands.
"I must say... I have been waiting for this day for so long..."
"Mmm..."
Sensing her emotional gaze, Kaoru smiled gently. His voice drifted on the wind across the sky.
"I told you from the beginning... my goal was never just Konoha... it was the entire shinobi world..."
"And now... I have achieved it all!! I have become the ultimate being in this world... and my very words have become the law of this reality!!!"
For a moment, holding Wan'er's left hand and Hinata's right, feeling the entire world beneath his feet, Kaoru's own heart surged with excitement and pride. His chest swelled with immense ambition and triumph.
"From this moment onward! I AM THE ONE AND ONLY SOVEREIGN OF THIS WORLD!!"
The dark clouds that had long overshadowed the shinobi world finally dispersed, blown away by his declaration echoing across the heavens, revealing the clear blue sky and brilliant sun beyond.
"Although... now that I have conquered this world... that moon up there... that lunar world... has not yet been brought back under my control..."
Kaoru gazed upward into the sky, deep in thought. No one could guess what was going through his mind.
...
### Two Months Later.
Time passed. Two months had gone by since the conclusion of the Fourth Great Shinobi War, and the shinobi world had undergone earth-shaking changes.
The Five Great Nations... no... there were no longer five nations. On the continent, there existed only one unified Shinobi Nation.
The five great shinobi villages remained, but now they were regional divisions governed directly by the central authority.
Titles such as Raikage, Hokage, or Mizukage had vanished. There was now only one supreme leader — the single "Kage": Kaoru. All shinobi wore headbands engraved simply with the character for "Shinobi," serving the unified nation together.
No more secret struggles or conflicts between the former powers. No more deaths from war or disaster.
Kaoru had united the world under his single rule — a method that seemed extreme, yet had successfully forged an unprecedented era of true peace.
At this time, within the unusually peaceful Village Hidden in the Leaves...
People came and went, enjoying the warmth of the setting sun. Most faces were lit with smiles, seemingly content and happy with life in Konoha.
Meanwhile, within the compound that once belonged to the Hyūga Clan, in the main family's great mansion...
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