Rising Shadows: Uchiha's Wrath

Tsunade approached the battlefield in silence. They had expected an earth-shattering battle, yet the scene was beyond comprehension. Susanoo stood unchallenged, towering over Saiken, the Six-Tails, who now seemed powerless, like a fragile child facing an unyielding force.

The corrosive gas that spread for hundreds of meters—useless.

The acidic attack that melted the ground, leaving a crater a hundred meters wide and ten meters deep—useless.

Even the Tailed Beast Ball, its most powerful attack, had been shattered with a single strike. And the method? Susanoo had simply swatted it away as if brushing off a speck of dust.

The deep, resounding impact of each blow made Tsunade and Shizune's hearts tremble.

Shizune swallowed hard. "The Tailed Beasts… are they really this weak?" she asked, her voice unsteady.

Tsunade, though trying to maintain her composure, knew better. She had witnessed the power of Tailed Beasts before. But the scene before her defied reason.

She exhaled slowly. "It's not that the Tailed Beast is weak…" she murmured. "It's that the Susanoo is too strong."

"To toy with a Tailed Beast like this… This person's power is nearly on par with my grandfather's.

"The First Hokage?"

Shizune's breath hitched. She had grown up on legends of Hashirama Senju. To witness such strength firsthand was terrifying.

***

As they spoke, Saiken finally succumbed. Its massive form shrank rapidly, and within moments, Utakata collapsed unconscious. Kaito dismissed Susanoo and descended from the air, stepping toward the fallen Jinchūriki with measured steps.

He wasn't surprised. After all, every strike he had delivered through Susanoo had not just battered Utakata—it had steadily drained the Six-Tails' chakra source. Before anyone had realized it, Kaito had already extracted a significant portion of its essence. With its chakra weakened, Saiken had no choice but to revert to Utakata, leaving him completely defenceless.

Kaito now possessed the chakra essence of five Tailed Beasts. His power had risen again, approaching the late stages of the Super Kage level. Once he obtained the remaining four, he would grasp the power of the Six Paths—a power entirely under his control.

From the side, a group of Kirigakure shinobi hesitantly emerged, their faces a mixture of awe and disbelief. They had witnessed history in the making.

"Mizukage-sama!"

One of them blurted out, eyes practically sparkling.

"That was incredible! You swatted away a Tailed Beast Ball like it was nothing!"

"I-It was beyond incredible!" another added, voice shaking with excitement.

"I always believed in your strength, but this... this is something else!"

The usually disciplined Mist ninjas were behaving like fanboys, their admiration bordering on worship. One of them even looked like he was about to kneel, hands pressed together in reverence.

Kaito gave them an unreadable look, then sighed. "Utakata is no longer a threat. I've sealed his strength—you may take him back to Kirigakure. Mei Terumi should handle the rest."

"Mizukage-sama! Should we not take the Nine-Tails back to the village? With your power, surely it would be possible to control it!" one of the shinobi dared to ask.

Internally, they were all thinking the same thing—Kaito was a legend in the making. He had not only defeated a Tailed Beast but done so with such ease that it felt surreal. If anyone could wield its power, it was him.

"If anyone could unify all the Tailed Beasts, it would be you," another Mist ninja thought to himself, struggling to contain his admiration.

"Mizukage-sama is invincible... he could lead us into a new era of strength."

Kaito, noticing the eagerness in their eyes, exhaled. "No. Not right now!! The Nine-Tails belongs to the Konoha, not to me."

"I will take it back But doing it right now will have some unforeseeable variables"

The shinobi exchanged glances, slightly disappointed but still filled with admiration. "Understood, Mizukage-sama!" they chorused. One of the younger Mist ninjas hesitated before speaking. "Mizukage-sama... are you not returning with us?"

Kaito's expression remained neutral. "I have other matters to attend to."

Their hearts collectively sank. He wasn't coming back with them? Though they would never dare say it outright, many of them had joined the Mist's forces simply because of him. To follow a leader like Kaito was an honour, and the thought of returning without him left an undeniable sense of loss.

"Mizukage-sama... isn't returning?" one thought, feeling a pang of sorrow.

"Even though we know he has more important things to do, it's still... sad."

Kaito noticed the shift in their demeanour. The enthusiasm in their eyes dimmed ever so slightly, replaced by a subtle melancholy.

Kaito flashed a lazy grin. 'What? Should I hold your hands and sing you a lullaby on the way back?'"

The sudden teasing caught them off guard. Some turned red with embarrassment, others coughed awkwardly, but most of them straightened up, forcing themselves to suppress their emotions.

One of them muttered under his breath, "Even his jokes are cool..."

Kaito shook his head, amused. "You have your orders. See that Utakata returns safely. I will return to the village when the time is right."

Reluctantly, the Mist shinobi saluted and picked up Utakata's unconscious body. As they disappeared into the distance, Kaito let out a quiet sigh.

He wasn't blind to their loyalty. It was... oddly endearing. "Perhaps I'm not as detached as I thought," he mused to himself.

Then, as if the moment of reflection had never happened, Kaito turned away, his gaze sharpening.

"Now… time to deal with the two little spies."

In an instant, his figure vanished.

***

In an instant, his figure vanished.

Tsunade and Shizune had already begun their retreat. They had seen enough.

"Lady Tsunade, the battle is over. Let's go," Shizune whispered urgently. "If we stay any longer—"

"I know," Tsunade cut her off. She had no desire to face that monstrous power firsthand.

But before they could move another step, Tsunade suddenly halted, her breath catching in her throat.

"Lady Tsunade, what's wrong?" Shizune asked, only to freeze in place as well.

A figure stood just meters ahead of them.

He hadn't been there a moment ago.

Inside his Susanoo, he exuded an aura so suffocating that even Shizune instinctively shrank behind Tsunade.

Tsunade forced herself to stay calm, taking a slow breath before forcing a smile. "I don't know why this… esteemed warrior would block our path," she said smoothly. "If this is a robbery, you've picked the wrong targets."

She chuckled dryly. "We don't carry much money. We were just in the woods collecting firewood—"

Even as she spoke, she knew how ridiculous it sounded. Still, if there was even the slightest chance of bluffing her way out of this…

Kaito's lips curved into an amused smirk.

Tsunade's stomach dropped.

She wasn't fooling anyone.

Kaito tilted his head. "Oh? When did the legendary Tsunade of the Sannin have a daughter?"

His tone was teasing, but his eyes were sharp.

"Quite the news, isn't it?"

Tsunade let out a dry cough, her earlier bravado crumbling. "Just kidding," she muttered.

Kaito's laugh was low and knowing.

He had been considering how to track down Tsunade. As it turned out, she had come straight to him.

And Kaito had no interest in Tsunade for her beauty—he wanted something far more valuable.

The best medical ninja in the world.

After all, Tsunade was the foremost medical ninja in the world—an indispensable figure for Kaito's ambitions.

Seeing Kaito remain silent, Tsunade finally spoke.

"I just witnessed your power firsthand. You subdued the Six-Tails with ease!"

"I never expected someone like you to emerge in the ninja world after all these years… I must be getting old."

Tsunade knew Kaito was Uchiha, but she wasn't certain which one. As far as she knew, only Uchiha Kaito and Uchiha Itachi had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.

So, she decided to feign ignorance, pretending not to recognize the source of his Susanoo.

But Kaito wasn't so easily deceived.

"If you already know who I am, why pretend otherwise?"

He smirked. "Let me make it simple for you. I am Uchiha Kaito."

"Uchiha Kaito!"

Before Tsunade could respond, Shizune gasped in shock.

Tsunade shot her a sharp glare—this wasn't the time to lose composure. Then, turning back to Kaito, she spoke calmly.

"You know who I am, so I won't bother with introductions."

"Now, tell me—why are you here?"

Realizing Kaito wasn't attacking but had deliberately blocked their path, Tsunade understood he had come specifically for her.

Kaito merely shrugged, sidestepping her question.

"What's wrong, Princess Tsunade of the Legendary Sannin? Shouldn't you be trying to drag me back to Konoha?"

Tsunade heard the words and smiled bitterly: "I don't have the strength to capture you!"

Kaito reluctantly asked: "Then if you have the strength, will you do it?"

"To tell the truth..."