"Is it down...?"
Minato Namikaze panted heavily. Splitting into more than a dozen shadow clones and using the Rasengan at the same time had drained a huge amount of chakra. Luckily, it worked—otherwise, if he had to do it again, he wasn't sure what he could even do next.
"Don't let your guard down, Minato. That thing can transform a second time!"
From not far away, Nara Shikaku called out a warning.
"It can transform again?"
Minato was both confused and on edge as he looked toward the Colossal Titan lying several kilometers away, still towering above the treetops even in its fallen state.
But before that second transformation Shikaku mentioned could happen, a sudden scream rang out from another direction.
Turning to look, Minato saw Han kneeling on the ground, both arms severed, while Neferpitou stood behind him, holding one of his arms in each hand.
Damn it… has that side already finished?
Watching the Hidden Stone Village forces scatter and flee, cold sweat began to form on Minato's forehead.
If Bertholdt Hoover were to transform again now, they would be forced to face both of them at once.
This was the worst possible situation.
Yet just as bitterness filled Minato's heart, he saw Neferpitou leap away in a few bounds, quickly vanishing from sight.
What's going on?
Minato froze for a moment. The enemy clearly had the upper hand—why retreat now?
"That was expected."
At that moment, Nara Shikaku walked over to Minato's side.
"Even before this, something felt off. I don't fully understand it, but the people from the Dark Council don't seem particularly interested in wiping everyone out. Instead…"
"Instead what?"
"Instead, it feels like they're putting on a show of force."
Shikaku looked toward the spot where the Colossal Titan had been sent by Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder. By now, its body had completely dissipated.
"Compared to Han losing both arms this time, think back to Kokushibo's battles—the Wind-Fire battlefield, the Earth-Fire battlefield, and the Land of Lightning."
"In every one of those battles, the leaders—Rasa, Orochimaru, Han, the Third Raikage—not a single one of them died."
"If you think that's just because Kokushibo wasn't strong enough to kill them, then what about Bertholdt Hoover's first appearance? Han was already unconscious right in front of him, yet he still wasn't killed."
"And this time, Neferpitou struck quite viciously and tore off both of Han's arms. But think about it—since she could cripple him instantly, why not just kill him outright?"
"…."
After hearing Shikaku's analysis, Minato fell into deep thought.
Yeah… why? What exactly are they trying to accomplish?
Is it really just a show of force?
"Alright, don't overthink it."
Shikaku patted Minato on the shoulder.
"Bertholdt Hoover has probably retreated as well. Take this chance to end this war. As for the Dark Council… once the Third Great Ninja War is over, every village will have its own response."
"Got it."
Minato nodded, then looked toward the distance. He saw Rōshi struggling to his feet, carrying the unconscious Han—who had lost too much blood—on his back as he fled.
Minato raised a hand, stopping Shikaku, who was about to give chase.
"That's enough. We can clean up the rest later."
Shikaku rubbed his temples and sighed.
"Minato… being too soft isn't suitable for a Hokage."
Minato smiled faintly.
"It's fine. If an enemy truly threatens the village, I won't hold back."
"Do as you like."
Shikaku waved his hand.
"I still need to prepare an analysis report on the Dark Council and send it back to the village."
...
Elsewhere, Akashō swung his blade, the cutting wind shattering the stone slab and the rubble piled on top of it. He leapt out and landed on the ground.
But the moment he touched down, dozens of Hidden Stone Village ninja rushed straight at him.
The two sides locked eyes midair. Before Akashō could even react, the Stone ninja all froze in shock, their expressions changing drastically as they hastily halted their charge and shrank back.
"Six eyes… those markings… you're Kokushibo!?"
"Holy—an actual Moon Sword Demon!!"
"What the hell is Kokushibo doing here!?"
"Fall back! Fall back, now!!"
Akashō landed and looked at the Stone ninja retreating more than a dozen meters without even realizing it, raising an eyebrow.
Well now… has Kokushibo's reputation gotten this terrifying?
The reason he found it strange was simple. Even though he had done plenty under the names Kokushibo and Bertholdt Hoover, at most he thought of himself as well-known.
For example, he knew about the Kage of the Five Great Villages. At most, he felt some wariness toward them—without seeing them firsthand, what was there to fear? On the contrary, after witnessing Minato Namikaze's absurd abilities, that was what truly made him wary.
But looking at the Stone ninja in front of him, the fear on their faces was unmistakably real.
Could it be… these guys all had weak nerves like Obito?
His confusion was natural, because what he didn't know was this:
Compared to other villages, the name Kokushibo carried a completely different level of intimidation within the Hidden Stone Village.