Chapter 65: A Shocking Victory! Jiraiya: Wait, I Didn’t Even Get to Fight Yet!
The elite forces of the Hidden Cloud Village were utterly defeated. Out of nearly 250 Cloud ninjas, only a few dozen escaped. The rest, over 200 strong, lay dead across the battlefield.
With Kazuya reigning supreme, the Cloud ninjas had no chance to resist. He was like a grim reaper, relentlessly reaping their lives.
[You have collected 400 Chakra Points][You have collected 300 Chakra Points]
[You have collected 500 Chakra Points]
[You have collected 600 Chakra Points...]
Golden lights fell endlessly. From each fallen Cloud ninja, hundreds of Chakra points spilled forth.
After taking down over sixty opponents, Kazuya had amassed more than 24,000 Chakra points.
It was an explosive bounty.
The Two-Tails Jinchūriki Yugito Nii and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki Killer Bee—top-tier opponents—were saved for another time, but the regular ninjas? He dispatched them without a second thought.
These ordinary opponents were like fields of grass. After each harvest, they'd grow back just as readily, a never-ending cycle.
Besides, Kazuya needed a reputation for the future.
And how does one build a reputation?
It's simple—one word: slaughter.
In the ninja world, killing enemies en masse builds fame.
The Third Raikage earned his prestige by single-handedly fighting a thousand foes. The Fourth Hokage Minato's title, the "Yellow Flash," and Pain's "God of Destruction" title were built from a mountain of enemy corpses. And before them, legends like the White Fang, the Third Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and Uchiha Madara—every ounce of their fame was forged in blood.
In the ninja world, if you're soft-hearted, you won't survive.
Kazuya understood this too.
The dozens of lives claimed in this battle, combined with his triumph over two Jinchūriki, made his record in this war dazzling and glorious.
As the last resisting Cloud ninja fell, Kazuya stopped. The battlefield was a river of blood, corpses strewn everywhere—a scene out of hell itself.
But the Leaf ninjas around him, unfazed, went about clearing the battlefield. Some even looked relieved.
Lucky to be alive!
If it hadn't been for Lord Kazuya, they would be the ones lying in pools of blood, their bodies destined to be counted by Cloud Village.
Kazuya, dressed in white, not a drop of blood staining his clothes.
The Leaf ninjas looked at him with fear, admiration, and reverence.
How powerful was he? One man, crushed an entire battlefield, severely injuring two Jinchūriki who then fled in disgrace. Such an incredible feat... who else could achieve it in the entire ninja world?
Kazuya simply stood there, his terrifying aura making even seasoned Leaf ninjas look on in fear, their breath tight and shallow.
Soon, a Jonin appeared at Kazuya's side, kneeling respectfully.
"Lord Kazuya, we've compiled a preliminary report. Please review it."
Kazuya nodded. "Just tell me."
"Yes, Lord Kazuya," the Jonin said solemnly. "Cloud Village deployed 248 ninjas. Out of them, 187 are dead, 12 were captured, and around 49 are confirmed as either missing or escaped."
Jonin's voice trembled with amazement as he continued, "Our side suffered 142 casualties: 109 with minor injuries, 13 with major injuries, and 20 deceased."
142 casualties. It sounded high, but in reality, only 20 had died. Meanwhile, Cloud Village had lost nearly 200.
A victory ten-to-one—a resounding triumph!
"Good," Kazuya nodded. "You've done well. But speed things up. Before the Cloud Village reinforcements arrive, make sure our fallen comrades' bodies are gathered."
"We're all… going home together."
"Yes, Lord Kazuya!" the Jonin replied, voice cracking with emotion, eyes red.
Home.
We're going home together.
One day passed slowly.
The Leaf Village troops regrouped at camp.
Kazuya had become the pillar of the unit without realizing it. Command authority fell naturally to him.
Yet Kazuya was uninterested in holding this power.
As soon as Jiraiya arrived, he gladly stepped down, ready to retreat to his quiet life.
Yes…
Five hours after the battle ended, Jiraiya, the strongest backup, finally arrived with a support unit.
And he was greeted by the stunning sight of the Cloud Village's two Jinchūriki-led forces—utterly decimated by Kazuya alone.
"Eight-Tails Jinchūriki Killer Bee, Two-Tails Jinchūriki Yugito Nii…"
"Twenty-five elite Cloud Village Jonin, countless Chunin!"
In the main tent, Jiraiya looked at the battle report in shock and then at Kazuya. "You… How long was I gone? You've become even scarier—a monster, truly!"
"Thank you, Jiraiya-senpai," Kazuya replied with a small smile.
Present in the tent, several elite Jonin, including Choza Akimichi, Fugaku Uchiha, and Shisui Uchiha, couldn't contain their shock upon hearing the report. Their eyes were wide, faces tense.
This was unbelievable.
Kazuya had slain twenty-five Jonin by himself.
Out of the thirty Cloud Village Jonin deployed eight out of ten fell by his hand!
These were Jonin! In villages like Leaf or Cloud, they were core forces with real influence. In smaller villages, they'd be respected as elders or even leaders.
Both Choza Akimichi and Fugaku Uchiha were battlefield veterans and knew firsthand how powerful the Cloud Jonin were. Many of them were elite Jonin, their skill on par with their own.
But Kazuya had wiped them out single-handedly, even defeating two Jinchūriki along the way.
Did that mean they were as insignificant as bugs in Kazuya's eyes?
For a moment, Fugaku's gaze turned complicated.
In Konoha, there was now another figure capable of overpowering Jinchūriki. For the Uchiha Clan, was this good news or bad?
Cloud Village
In the hospital, inside a high-security ward—the infamous ICU.
Outside, Cloud Village Anbu lined the area, guarding every corner. A five-hundred-meter perimeter was locked down.
The sky above was thick with dark clouds.
Fourth Raikage A stood outside the room, his face stormy.
Beside him stood a one-eyed advisor named Taitō, Cloud's strategist and counterpart to Konoha's Shikaku Nara.
"Bee and Yugito went in together, and they still lost…"
Fourth Raikage A clenched his jaw, growling, "That damn Leaf ANBU has become a major thorn in Kumogakure's side. If I'd known back then, I would have killed him outright!"
...
Nearby, Taitō's face was stern as he commented, "Lord Raikage, Bee, and Yugito are lucky to have returned at all. Our focus now should be adjusting our strategy against the Leaf…"
"Or perhaps," he suggested, "we should issue a mission to eliminate that Leaf ANBU, Kazuya !"
Raikage A fell silent for a long moment before muttering, "The Third Hokage, that old fox… If he dared reveal that ANBU's identity, he's already got his defenses in place."
"Besides…" A's voice grew bitter, "If that damned ANBU is strong enough to take Bee down, who else do we have who could take him out?"
The Raikage's disbelief was clear. Bee, of all people, had been defeated. Even in his fully transformed Tailed Beast form, he'd been knocked out cold!
This wasn't something an average Kage-level ninja could accomplish.
It was entirely unexpected!
This damn Leaf ANBU was far stronger than he'd imagined!
With Minato Namikaze dead and Orochimaru having defected, A had thought this campaign would be a surefire success. But instead, not only had they lost, but they'd suffered crippling losses.
Both of their Jinchuriki were seriously injured, and the frontline forces were completely decimated.
This defeat was a devastating blow.
Thirty elite Jonin… nearly all wiped out on the battlefield.
Even as the leader of Kumogakure, Raikage A felt the sting of this loss deeply. Thirty Jonin! Even for a major village like Kumogakure, which only has a few hundred of them, to lose so many all at once was a huge blow!
He couldn't help but feel a pang of pain at the thought.
Especially when his brother, still unconscious after being struck by lightning, hadn't yet woken up. The rage made him want to go berserk!
"Kazuya …"
Raikage A etched the name into his memory.
One day, Leaf ANBU, we'll meet again!!!
At that moment, a deadly, icy glint filled the Raikage's gaze.