Life is a play

Kazuya's declaration to take on the Jinchūriki was more a strategy to find a valid reason for his actions on the battlefield. Unexpectedly, his words stirred feelings of shame or admiration among the others in the tent. They felt their will of fire was far inferior to his. Witnessing this, Kazuya could only sigh silently. Why put on such a show? Life, after all, is like a play, and he was playing his part perfectly.

After a moment, seeing the atmosphere charged with emotion, Kazuya raised his voice impassionedly, "Everything is for the village, everything is for the Hokage!"

"Long live Konoha!"

"Konoha will win!"

"The will of fire will prevail!"

The ninjas in the tent echoed his sentiments, their expressions turning fervent. The atmosphere boiled over instantly.

"Together for the village!"

"For Lord Hokage!"

"Long live Konoha!"

"Konoha will win!"

"The will of fire will prevail!"

The fervent shouts were deafening. Even Kurenai and Yūgao clenched their fists in excitement and waved their hands vigorously. Uchiha Fugaku, too, was shouting loudly, his voice joining the chorus.

Under his mask, Kazuya's expression was also a bit excited. This scene, this momentum, was burning with passion. With his pure will of fire, Kazuya had seamlessly integrated into this high-level command team.

Despite the burning spirit, reality still had to be faced. In the Konoha ninja camp, many wore serious expressions, the atmosphere heavy with tension. Cloud Shinobi Village had deployed two Jinchūriki: the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails. There was even the possibility of facing the Fourth Raikage. These were monster-level powerhouses, and for ordinary ninjas, they were disastrous foes. Under such an absolute strength gap, many lives would need to be sacrificed to stand a chance of winning. Against the terrifying Jinchūriki, these common ninjas were mere cannon fodder. The ninjas who had survived the Nine-Tails' rampage were especially affected, each one haunted by memories of the Tail Beast.

After leaving the tent, Kazuya's expression grew subtle. Something felt off. Normally, facing such powerful enemies, a Kage-level ninja like Jiraiya would be sent. Yet, this time, Kazuya was tasked with the mission, and Jiraiya was nowhere to be seen. Sarutobi Hiruzen, that old fox, was testing him, assessing his combat power and ability to handle Kage-level threats alone. With Cloud Shinobi Village pressing hard and Jinchūriki on the move, the opportunity had finally come. This might be Kazuya's last trial. If he could suppress the Jinchūriki head-on, he would likely secure the position of Anbu captain, firmly embedding himself within Konoha's high-level power circle.

"What an old fox..." Kazuya sighed inwardly. Indeed, Sarutobi Hiruzen's long tenure as Hokage was no accident; he was a master strategist.

As Kazuya pondered, a young voice called out behind him. "Senior Kazuya!"

Turning around, Kazuya was surprised to see Uchiha Shisui approaching.

"Shisui-san," Kazuya greeted with a smile.

"Please, just call me Shisui," Shisui said earnestly. "I admire you greatly, Senior Kazuya."

Kazuya nodded. "Alright then, Shisui."

"Thank you, Kazuya-senpai," Shisui said happily. "Regarding the battle with the Jinchūriki, I believe I can help. I observed Chief Fugaku's fight with the Two-Tails Jinchūriki. If I'm not mistaken, my Shunshin no Jutsu should match her speed."

Kazuya's eyes narrowed slightly. Such confidence... could it be the Mangekyō Sharingan? Or the ultimate three tomoe? Hard to say. Even if it wasn't certain, Shisui's talent was undeniable. At twelve or thirteen years old, he could take down Kirigakure's Jōnin from a distance. Now, his speed matched that of the Two-Tails Jinchūriki. What a prodigy! As expected of Shisui, renowned throughout the world. Sadly, without protagonist's luck, his life was too short. If he had grown up, he might have reached the level of Uchiha Izuna or Second Hokage Tobirama.

"Shisui, fighting Jinchūriki is extremely dangerous. Don't be reckless," Kazuya advised seriously.

"Don't worry, Kazuya-senpai!" Shisui replied earnestly. "I'm confident against the Two-Tails, but I can't handle the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki Killer Bee..."

"Leave Killer Bee to me," Kazuya said, patting Shisui on the shoulder. "I can see your love for the village, so I trust you. Let's fight together for the village!"

"For the village!!!" Shisui nodded excitedly.

Kazuya was satisfied. As expected of the talented Uchiha Shisui, his enthusiasm matched that of the legendary Konoha Sannin. So, go forth, and fight!

The next day, the camp was calm. Apart from the ninjas on watch, everyone else rested. Kurenai and Yūgao took the opportunity to recover their chakra. After a tough battle with the Cloud Shinobi, both were nearly drained. Kazuya, however, was in good shape. He took leisurely walks around the camp, picking up chakra points from the ground.

Soon, his chakra attributes were:

[Chakra: lv5 (4350/1 million)]

Super Kage-level! The 1 million chakra limit was ten times higher than Kage-level. At this level, he was comparable to monsters like Namikaze Minato, the pinnacle Third Hokage, Sage Jiraiya, Orochimaru with Eight Branches Technique, Six Paths Pain, Uchiha Obito, Sage of Six Paths Naruto, and Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan Sasuke.

Compared to these monsters, Kazuya was just starting. But he was confident that his limit would surpass beyond Kage-level!

In the early morning, a sharp whistle echoed through Konoha's camp. It was time to gather. Over two hundred Konoha Shinobi quickly formed ranks. Before them stood three imposing figures: Uchiha Fugaku, Akimichi Choza, and Kazuya, in his white suit and mask. Kazuya stood in the center, his presence commanding attention.

"Captain Kazuya..." Choza looked to him for direction.

"Senior Choza, proceed," Kazuya said, though he was ready to step back.

"Alright," Choza took a deep breath. "Information from the front lines indicates that the Cloud Shinobi Village has reassembled their forces and intends to attack!"

"According to the plan, all set off!" Choza commanded.

"Yes!" the Konoha Shinobi responded loudly.

Moments later, over two hundred Konoha Shinobi left the camp, moving towards the battlefield. Many wore nervous expressions, the tension palpable. The battle was imminent, the atmosphere solemn. No one knew if they would return alive.

Uchiha Fugaku's eyes frequently darted to Kazuya. "Is this Nohara Kazuya really as powerful as the rumors say?" he wondered. The stories of Kazuya repelling the Fourth Raikage and severely injuring Orochimaru seemed almost too incredible to believe. Yet, the battlefield would soon reveal the truth.