NOVEL NEXT Chapter 118: Chapter 118: The Power of a God
Chapter 118: The Power of a God
"Are you done yet?"
"Coming here every year—do you think this is some kind of annual festival?"
Amegakure.
Most members of the Akatsuki were out on missions, leaving Konan to deal with Kakashi, who was proving to be more than enough of a handful.
Nagato eventually had to send in the Deva Path to assist.
Kakashi held up a token.
It bore the Uchiha clan crest, with the Konoha headband emblem beneath it.
"This time, I'm not here for Obito."
"By order of the Uchiha clan leader, Uchiha Kagami, I've come on behalf of the Land of Fire to speak with the leader of Amegakure."
"Are you the leader?"
"Come in and let's talk."
…
After hearing what Kakashi had to say, Nagato called the Akatsuki together.
His own injuries were no longer an issue, and his hair had regained much of its original color, though he still primarily moved through the Deva Path.
In Nagato's mind, Yahiko would always remain the leader of Akatsuki.
Gathered around the Gedo Statue, phantom images of the members appeared.
Many were still out on missions and had joined via projection.
"What's so urgent, Deva Path?"
"Show some respect for the leader, Obito brat."
"Do you want your puppet shattered again?"
"Enough!" The Deva Path's voice was firm.
"Kakashi came to us today."
"He comes every year—what's so unusual about that?" Kakuzu sneered.
"That kid's only brave because of his Flying Thunder God Technique. Otherwise, I'd have torn him to pieces long ago."
"Konan, explain," the Deva Path prompted.
Once Konan finished recounting the situation, silence fell over the group.
"I'll be participating," the Deva Path stated. The reward wasn't the main motivation. The most pressing reason was…
If he didn't participate, Kagami would destroy Amegakure—this was Kakashi's message.
Such was the plight of a small nation.
No matter how powerful he had become, able to carve out his own territory in this chaotic world, the Land of Fire still made Amegakure seem small.
More than that, this was an opportunity.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't dare enter the Land of Fire with his true body. But now, Kagami was openly hosting a tournament.
If he struck anyone during this event, it would mean starting a full-scale battle within the Land of Fire.
Nagato trusted that Kagami wouldn't do such a thing.
"The Dragon Vein Crystal…"
Sasori murmured.
Even a small amount of residual energy from the Dragon Vein had fueled his techniques for years. He could only imagine the power of a crystal containing its full essence.
The prize list didn't include the Sharingan, which made Sasori more willing to trust Kagami, at least this once.
"Twenty billion… twenty billion… twenty billion…"
Kakuzu sounded like a broken record, repeating the number over and over.
The reward that intrigued Obito most was Severance Release.
Like Tobirama, he hoped it might reveal Kagami's weaknesses.
He already had access to Yin-Yang Release and Wood Release.
If possible, he also wanted to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"Could this be a trap set by Kagami?" someone questioned.
"He's not exactly known for his generosity."
Black Zetsu spoke up.
He had no interest in any of the rewards. His only concern was preserving the Rinnegan.
In the worst-case scenario, he could always wait until Kagami grew old and weak, as neither the tailed beasts nor Zetsu himself were bound by the passage of time.
"He invited Senju Hashirama," the Deva Path said calmly.
"If it really is a trap, so much the better. We can join forces with the Hidden Fire Village and the Four Nations Alliance.
If it comes to it, we'll start the Fourth Great Ninja War right there in the Land of Fire."
"I don't think it's a trap," Obito said, furrowing his brow. "But I don't understand Kagami's intentions."
A brief silence followed.
"Maybe… he's trying to change things," Sasori mused.
"I spent some time around him. He's not fond of preordained futures."
"Perhaps he's looking to reshape the shinobi world's structure."
Nagato and Konan exchanged glances, sharing the same sentiment.
…
"You're overthinking it, Sasori," Kakuzu sneered.
"That selfish Kagami would never care about something like that.
If you ask me, he's just doing this to train the young Leaf shinobi.
No… it's probably all for his brother and his apprentices."
"Don't underestimate Kagami," the Deva Path countered, shaking his head.
"Exactly. Someone of his strength wouldn't go to all this trouble for something so trivial.
I think Sasori's right."
…
As even White Zetsu agreed with Sasori's perspective, Black Zetsu couldn't help but feel uneasy.
To him, Kakuzu's theory made more sense.
After all, the Uchiha clan had a long history of plunging the world into chaos for the sake of one person.
From Indra onward, they had always been like this.
…
Meanwhile, in the Land of Lightning:
Uchiha Jinhi sat calmly, sipping tea. Across from him sat the four Kage.
"These are Kagami-sama's orders," Jinhi stated plainly.
"If you choose to participate and manage to secure a spot, you'll be granted a brief reprieve.
Otherwise, prepare for annihilation."
Crash!
The Raikage slammed his hand down, shattering the table. Jinhi leaned slightly to the side, avoiding the flying debris.
"What kind of nonsense is this?! Our titles were passed down from our predecessors. Who is Uchiha Kagami to strip them away?!
Even if it means death, I'll die as the Raikage!"
Onoki and the others scowled, their expressions grim. They shared the Raikage's sentiment.
Rather than endure the humiliation of participating in this so-called tournament, they'd rather declare open war on the Land of Fire.
"That's it—war! Let's face Kagami head-on!"
"The shinobi world doesn't revolve around him!"
Voices rose in agreement, and they quickly reached a consensus:
The Fourth Great Ninja War would begin immediately.
Jinhi glanced at his pocket watch before addressing the assembled Kage.
"You have three minutes to prepare."
"What… what do you mean?" someone stammered.
Jinhi's wrinkled face broke into a smile.
"Kagami-sama has arranged a spectacular display for you all. Please move to an open area."
…
At the border of the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Lightning:
A lone figure hovered midair, black robes billowing in the wind.
He slowly unsheathed a long blade, surrounded by wisps of black-red energy.
Boom!
A pillar of fire erupted from the ground, engulfing the figure.
The blazing column stretched skyward, seemingly endless, before gradually subsiding.
The flames darkened, turning a deep black-red as they condensed.
When the energy stabilized, it radiated powerful shockwaves that stirred the atmosphere.
Standing atop the scorched earth was a monstrous figure, several hundred meters tall, encased in black-red chakra armor that oozed molten lava.
A terrifying, god-like warrior.
At its feet, rivers of flame flowed, setting the landscape ablaze.
"The target is in that direction…"
"I'll hold back just a bit."
The figure and the massive Susanoo moved as one, lifting the colossal blade.
The sword fell in a sweeping arc.
A crescent-shaped slash, glowing a ghostly blue, descended like a crescent moon from the heavens.
Beautiful yet deadly, it sliced through the landscape.
Accompanied by black-red lightning, the devastating slash ripped through mountains, rivers, and towns.
In its wake, everything was left in ruins.
Deep, massive fissures marked the earth, as if carved by a divine hand.
The destruction extended all the way to the Hidden Cloud Village.
Half the village was bisected, leaving countless shinobi and civilians dead in its wake.
Seawater surged into the enormous fissures, roaring as it clashed with the glowing embers.
Somewhere in the depths of the water, firelight flickered faintly.
The slash triggered an undersea volcanic eruption.
The earth trembled.
…
Amidst the devastation, Jinhi's smile never wavered.
Behind him, the fading blue slash seemed to frame him as a harbinger of doom.
Facing the pale, ashen faces of the Kage, he spoke slowly and deliberately:
"Kagami-sama grants you one month to handle disaster relief.
Remember: Kagami-sama's will is absolute.
You have no right to refuse."
End of Chapter
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