A Sage's Pursuit of Power

The Raikage was unwilling to accept his fate. This was supposed to be a battle for his brother's revenge, so how had it come to this, his own inexplicable death?

His plan had been to take Aoba down with him. Yet, the reality was that he hadn't even managed to injure Aoba, while he himself was on the verge of death.

I'm dying!

This thought echoed endlessly in the Raikage's mind, but he still couldn't accept it.

The wound on his chest, however, was a constant, undeniable reminder that his time was running out.

The Raikage rushed back to his camp and sought out a medical-nin, desperate for help.

But even though the medic gave it their all, they couldn't stop the wound from spreading. The gash grew larger until it tore open his entire chest.

At last, the Raikage realized that his death was inevitable.

"Everyone, listen to me. After I die, retreat immediately, or rather, flee. Do whatever it takes to escape and bring news of my death back to the village. Have the village select the next Raikage.

And remember this: do not seek revenge on Konoha, not as long as Aoba Kamikawa is alive. He isn't like the Hokage of the past. He's more akin to a figure like Madara Uchiha. What you must do is ensure the survival of the Cloud Village at all costs."

The wound continued to spread. The Raikage's entire body was soaked in blood. Even the strongest body in the ninja world was now succumbing to weakness.

"Raikage-sama, don't give up! There must still be a chance. We can take you back to the village, to the medical center, they'll surely be able to save you!"

The Cloud shinobi surrounded their leader, desperately trying to save him.

But the power of Aoba's Mangekyō Sharingan ability, Parting, wasn't something conventional medical ninjutsu could undo.

They could only watch helplessly as the eerie wound on the Raikage's chest slowly tore him apart.

"Aoba Kamikawa… Kill him. Avenge the Raikage!"

"Yes! Kill him and avenge the Raikage!"

"For Raikage-sama!"

The Cloud shinobi, filled with fury, prepared to throw themselves at Aoba in a last-ditch effort.

For a moment, Aoba almost felt like the villain in this story. But he quickly pushed that thought aside.

This was war; there was no such thing as heroes or villains. And even from a moral standpoint, the Five Great Nations were all corrupt in their own ways. Among them, Konoha could be considered the least rotten.

As for the Cloud Village, by Aoba's standards, it shouldn't exist at all.

By this time, Minato and Kakashi had successfully captured Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails' jinchūriki. The high-ranking combatants of the Cloud forces had been completely wiped out, leaving the remaining shinobi leaderless and in chaos.

Most wanted to fight Aoba and his team to the death, but a few had already started considering retreat.

Once the Raikage's personal guards had left to carry out his final orders, Aoba tossed four Flying Thunder God kunai, positioning them around the remaining Cloud shinobi.

Minato noticed Aoba's actions and frowned slightly.

"Aoba, they've already lost. We—"

"Do they look like defeated shinobi to you?" Aoba asked, pointing to the furious Cloud ninjas.

Minato fell silent.

It was his nature to avoid unnecessary slaughter, but he was no longer the Hokage. According to their agreement with Aoba, their current role was that of an Anbu black ops team.

In terms of hierarchy, they were even considered direct subordinates of Kakashi. As the Hokage's assistant, Aoba's authority was naturally above theirs.

"But if we create this much bloodshed now, one day it will come back to haunt Konoha," Minato argued.

Minato's philosophy was that killing and hatred were an endless cycle, bound to repeat infinitely. But Aoba silenced him with a single sentence.

"No, it won't. Because if we do enough today, they won't have the chance to retaliate tomorrow."

Unlike Minato, Hiruzen voiced no objections. He had accepted his current role and also admitted that Aoba's perspective on the bigger picture far surpassed his own. Thus, he said nothing.

Kakashi also remained silent. Instead, he used the Flying Thunder God Technique to block the retreat path of the Cloud shinobi, signaling his support for Aoba through his actions.

He had been with Aoba the longest and had witnessed firsthand how Aoba transformed the decaying Konoha into the strongest force in the ninja world.

As for killing these Cloud shinobi? For an elite jōnin like Kakashi, it was hardly a concern.

The Cloud shinobi finally realized something was wrong. It seemed their enemy had no intention of letting them go.

The battle resumed with Aoba's Flash Slash initiating the slaughter.

Two days later, news of the battle in Amegakure spread across the ninja world.

The Raikage was dead, and 2,000 elite Cloud shinobi had perished in the Land of Rain. The entire ninja world fell silent.

The silence wasn't voluntary; it was instinctive. Villages shrank back, not wanting to draw Konoha's attention.

Konoha had always been recognized as the strongest village, but it used to value appearances. Even the smaller villages near its borders didn't face the threat of annihilation and could occasionally exploit minor advantages.

But now, no one dared to think of taking advantage of Konoha. The village's industries had already claimed control of the majority of the mines in smaller nations like the Land of Hot Water, the Land of Fields, and the Land of Grass.

The leaders of these smaller nations could only celebrate, declaring that it was their fortune for a "big brother" like Konoha to value their resources. They were even willing to extract and deliver the materials themselves to avoid being seen as ungrateful.

.....

At Konoha's research and medical laboratory:

Tsunade was examining Nagato's body.

During the battle in the Land of Rain, Hiruko had successfully kept Nagato alive. However, in the aftermath, Black Zetsu had unleashed a Shinra Tensei, leveling the entire laboratory.

The result only worsened Nagato's already critical injuries.

Left with no choice, Konan sought Aoba's help once again. Aoba personally brought Nagato back to Konoha, where Tsunade took charge and managed to save his life.

However, Nagato's condition remained dire.

"The Rinnegan has placed immense strain on his body. But that's not the main issue. This kid's physical foundation is astonishingly strong. As long as his life is preserved, he'll recover on his own over time.

The real problem is his mental state. Right now, he's in a state of complete despair."

Despair? Aoba thought for a moment and realized the likely reason. Nagato had always believed himself to be the Child of Prophecy, destined to change the fate of the ninja world.

But now, he had lost the Rinnegan and couldn't even control his own life and death. Such a devastating blow had caused Nagato to lose the will to live.

"This isn't something external forces can fix. He needs to come to terms with it himself. Maintain his physical functions and give him some time."

For this pitiful young man, Aoba was willing to offer special treatment.

Just as Aoba was leaving the research facility and preparing to head home, a member of the Hyūga clan approached him.

"Aoba-sama, my clan's leader invites you to a banquet."

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Currently on Chapter 274 - War of Attrition