The rain finally stopped.
Hanzō's headless corpse knelt in the mud, while Tobirama stood calmly before it.
After a brief, stunned silence swept across the battlefield, a deafening cheer erupted—so loud it seemed capable of overturning the heavens.
"We won!"
"Hanzō is dead! We won!"
The Konoha ninja exploded with emotion.
Some hurled their ninja tools into the air. Some collapsed to their knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Others stared at the boy standing amid the ruins of the high tower, their eyes burning with a fanatic devotion—like believers gazing upon a living god.
"Lord Tobirama!"
"Lord Tobirama!"
No one knew who started it, but thousands of voices merged into a single roaring tide.
At this moment, neither the Hokage nor the Sannin held any weight in their eyes.
Only one name existed.
Uchiha Tobirama.
Standing at the highest point, wind snapping his clothes sharply, Tobirama raised a hand and pressed it down slightly.
Whoosh.
The thunderous cheers instantly fell silent—disciplined to a degree that surpassed even a regular army.
This was prestige.
"Everyone," Tobirama said evenly.
"This victory does not belong to me alone."
"It was bought with the lives of the brothers lying in the mud, and paid for with the blood of every one of you."
"Every single one of you—"
"Is a hero."
With just a few words, he ignited their emotions.
Many Konoha ninja's eyes turned bloodshot. Too many people had died in this war—friends, comrades, classmates, family.
Now, with Tobirama acknowledging them and affirming their worth, the survivors were deeply moved.
Then his tone changed.
His crimson gaze shifted toward the remaining Rain ninja, who were huddled together, trembling.
"Rain ninja, listen carefully."
"Hanzō is dead. The era of war and suffering he brought you is over."
"Now, I offer you two choices."
He raised two fingers.
"First—pick up your weapons and fight to the death."
"Second—lay down your arms. From today onward, you will become people of Konoha."
"Konoha will not discriminate against you. We will not plunder you."
"Your families will be protected. Your children will go to school."
"You will live under the sunlight—just like Konoha's villagers."
"I, Uchiha Tobirama, swear this upon the honor of the Uchiha."
As his words fell—
Clang.
The first kunai hit the ground.
Then the second. The third.
Soon, the sound of weapons striking the earth merged into a continuous wave.
The Rain ninja—who moments earlier had been numb, resigned to dying—collapsed to their knees, covering their faces as they wept.
They didn't want to fight.
They only wanted to live. To eat their fill.
What Hanzō could never give them, the boy before them offered without hesitation.
"I… surrender!"
"We surrender!"
A handful of die-hard loyalists tried to resist, shouting about avenging Lord Hanzō—but their throats were cut almost immediately, by either their own companions or Konoha ninja.
The tide was unstoppable.
In less than half a day—
At the highest building of the Hidden Rain Village, Hanzō's banner was torn down, and Konoha's Flame symbol was raised in its place.
The Ninja World was shaken.
No—those words weren't enough.
This was a magnitude-ten earthquake.
---
Land of Lightning, Hidden Cloud Village
Bam!
The Third Raikage smashed his priceless desk to splinters with a single punch.
"What did you say?!"
"The Land of Rain… is gone?!"
His eyes bulged, chest heaving violently as Lightning Release chakra crackled around his body.
The war hadn't even lasted a year.
He had expected a long war of attrition—but Konoha had produced a monster who simply crushed everything in his path.
"Father! We can't wait any longer!" Ay paced anxiously.
"Konoha has swallowed the Land of Rain. Their territory, resources, and population will skyrocket!"
"If we let them stabilize, how will the Hidden Cloud survive in this Ninja World?!"
"We have to fight! Strike while their footing is unstable!"
The Third Raikage inhaled deeply, his gaze sharpening like a wolf's.
"Pass the order!"
"Tutai—assemble all elite forces!"
"Target the Land of Fire's border!"
"Hit them hard. We won't let Konoha keep all the spoils!"
---
Land of Earth, Iwagakure
Ōnoki floated in midair, his expression grim.
"Uchiha Tobirama…"
"It seems I underestimated that brat yet again."
"Not only did he kill Hanzō, he annexed the entire Land of Rain."
"This level of strength and audacity… he's dangerously close to Uchiha Madara."
"Lord Tsuchikage, what should we do?" Akatsuchi asked.
"What else?" Ōnoki gritted his teeth.
"We deal with it!"
"Form an alliance with Sunagakure—and the Hidden Cloud!"
"This time, we suppress Konoha at all costs!"
"Tell Rōshi and Han to stop hiding and head to the front lines!"
Fear spread through the upper ranks of the great nations.
Konoha was too strong.
Strong enough to shatter the balance.
What began as a three-way war instantly became a desperate coalition aimed at crushing Konoha.
---
Hidden Rain Village – Highest Tower, Leader's Office
This had once been the place where Hanzō issued his commands.
Now, it was Tobirama's temporary headquarters.
He lounged in a large leather chair, feet resting on the desk, eyes closed comfortably.
"System," he said lazily.
"Settle the rewards."
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for completing an Epic Achievement: Slaying Hanzō!]
[National Achievement completed: Kingdom Destroyer (Annexation of the Land of Rain)!]
[Calculating rewards… Critical hit triggered!]
[Rewards obtained:]
1. Sage Body (Perfect Grade, 100% fusion)
2. Bloodline Limit: Wood Release (Complete set, including Deep Forest Emergence and Veritable 1000-Armed Kan'on)
3. Perfect Sage Mode: Shikkotsu Forest / Ryūchi Cave / Mount Myōboku (Three-in-One, instant activation, no side effects)
Boom!
An overwhelming life force erupted inside Tobirama's body.
If fusing Healthy Itachi and Nine-Tails chakra had turned his chakra reserves into an ocean—
Then this transformed him into something closer to an immortal.
Every cell rejoiced, dividing and renewing.
All fatigue vanished.
The faint chill caused by Mangekyō usage was instantly neutralized by warm, surging Yang Release chakra.
Yin and Yang—unified.
Creation itself.
Tobirama snapped his eyes open.
In that instant, his presence changed.
No longer merely sharp—it carried weight, authority, and an all-encompassing divinity.
He raised his hand.
A vibrant green sapling sprouted from his palm, rapidly growing into a sturdy wooden branch.
Wood Release.
"Hahahaha!"
Tobirama laughed freely.
"That so-called demigod Hanzō was just a massive experience pack."
"Killing a false god dropped true divine gear."
"This haul… is absurdly profitable."
Now—
Susanoo in one hand.
Veritable 1000-Armed Kan'on in the other.
It was like forcibly fusing Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama into a single being.
Forget the current Ninja World.
Even if Madara himself appeared, Tobirama would dare to arm-wrestle him.
"The current me…"
"Can probably be called the God of Shinobi."
Just as he was savoring that thought—
The office door opened.
"What are you laughing at?"
"I could hear your creepy laughter from far away."
Tsunade walked in.
She had changed out of her blood-soaked battle gear into a simple gray high-collared sweater and fitted ninja pants that outlined her striking curves. A thick stack of documents rested in her arms.
"How's the situation outside?" Tobirama asked, withdrawing the Wood Release with a smile.
"How do you think?"
Tsunade slammed the documents onto the desk and collapsed onto the sofa, rubbing her temples.
"Jiraiya and Orochimaru are clearing out remaining resistance."
"Some were killed, some captured."
"Resource distribution, treating the wounded, managing prisoners—everything's piled onto me."
She looked thoroughly resentful.
"You're clearly the commander-in-chief, yet I'm the one doing all the exhausting grunt work."
"I came to fight—not to do accounting."
Seeing her tired yet slightly coquettish 모습, Tobirama's heart stirred.
He stood and moved behind her.
Slender fingers pressed gently against her temples, massaging with just the right amount of pressure, infused with a trace of Yang Release chakra.
Tsunade let out a soft, involuntary sound.
"Mmm… a little to the left… yes, right there…"
"Feels good, doesn't it?" Tobirama whispered with a laugh near her ear.
"Tsunade-sensei, capable people naturally do more work."
"I'm still young and inexperienced. Big-picture management needs someone like you."
"And besides…"
His fingers slid down, lightly pinching her soft cheek.
"You're my personal aide now."
"In other words—"
"A secretary."
"From today onward, Tsunade-sensei…"
He deliberately dragged out his words, voice teasing.
"When there's work, the secretary handles it."
"And when there's no work… cough."
Tsunade's eyes snapped open, her face instantly flushing all the way to her ears.
She swatted his hand away and glared at him.
"You brat! What nonsense is going on in that head of yours?!"
"Secretary?!"
"Believe me, I'll smash this office with one punch!"
Her words were fierce, but there was no killing intent in her eyes—only playful reproach.
"If you smash it, so be it."
Tobirama seized the moment, taking her hand and kissing it lightly.
"We'll just move somewhere else."
"After all…"
"The entire Land of Rain belongs to us now."
"You can work wherever you like."
Tsunade pulled her hand back, heart pounding.
This kid was getting bolder by the day.
He used to call her "teacher."
Now he teased her like she was his wife.
The problem was—
She didn't hate it at all.
She even felt a faint, dangerous sense of anticipation.
"Hmph… smooth talker."
She turned her head away proudly, lifting a document to hide her flushed face.
"Get back to work."
"Ōnoki and the Raikage will definitely make their move."
"We don't have much time."
Tobirama looked at her reddened ears, smiled, and sat back in the chair.
"Don't worry, my dear secretary."
"No matter who comes—"
"I'll make sure they never return."