Chapter 255: This Ends Here

The atmosphere in Konoha was filled with joy and celebration.

In stark contrast, the mood among the allied forces of the three villages was one of despair and sorrow.

Within Konoha's Ranks

Thanks to some "accidental" spreading of information by those in the know, everyone was now aware of what had happened.

"This is great! We don't have to go to war!"

"I ain't afraid of dying, but I got two kids to take care of!"

"Who isn't? I've got four or five wives at home waiting for me to feed them!"

"...Wait, something about that doesn't sound right."

"All I'm saying is, we owe it all to Obito-sama! He saved us from a full-scale war!"

"Yeah, yeah! Even back when we were on the brink of war with Kumogakure five or six years ago, Obito-sama was the one who stepped in and resolved the crisis!"

"That's right! He's truly worthy of being the Fourth Hokage's student—a young hero through and through!"

A male shinobi in the crowd spoke with heartfelt admiration.

"If you ask me, Obito already has the bearing of a Hokage!"

"The position of Fifth Hokage should be his, no doubt about it!"

But the female shinobi beside him wasn't having any of that. She immediately shot back in protest.

"Obito is indeed outstanding, but Kakashi is the best choice for Fifth Hokage!"

"Besides, Konoha has never had a Uchiha Hokage before!"

The male shinobi scoffed.

"So what if there's no precedent? Precedents are meant to be broken!"

"Obito has saved my life twice. I don't care what anyone says—I'm standing by him!"

The female shinobi was so frustrated that her cheeks puffed up like a little dumpling. She turned to a certain pineapple-headed shinobi, dragging him into the argument in exasperation.

"Shikaku-sama! You tell us—who's the better choice for Hokage: Obito or Kakashi?"

"How troublesome..." Shikaku sighed internally.

"How does something like this end up on my plate?"

With his hands behind his head, he lazily replied, his expression that of a true slacker.

"You're both wasting your breath. The two of them are closer than brothers, so they wouldn't fight over the Hokage seat."

"If anything, they'd probably spend all their time trying to push each other into the position."

The male and female shinobi exchanged glances, dumbfounded.

"Wait… seriously? No way!"

Similar discussions about Obito were happening all throughout the Konoha ranks.

[Obito's reputation +1, +1, +1, +1, +1…]

...

Meanwhile

Naruto stood beside Itachi, practically vibrating with excitement as he tugged at his sleeve.

"Did you see that? One versus seven? Obito is way too strong, dattebayo!"

To Itachi, it felt like a buzzing golden-haired fly was circling around him, droning incessantly in his ear.

With a flick of his wrist, he swatted Naruto's hand away and said flatly,

"Naruto, when I'm working under my Anbu identity, don't call me by name."

Naruto immediately threw an arm around Itachi's shoulder, grinning.

"Oh, come on, lighten up! One versus seven! Like wearing a mask would actually make people not recognize you."

Three dark lines appeared on Itachi's forehead as he cast a dangerous glance at Naruto.

"One of these nights when the moon is dark, I should lure him out and hit him with Amaterasu."

Completely oblivious to the impending threat, Naruto continued laughing.

"One versus seven! You think I'll ever catch up to Obito? Maybe even surpass him?"

Itachi tilted his head, appearing deep in thought.

Then, under Naruto's expectant gaze, he calmly answered,

"In your next life, maybe."

"Ah—dattebayo!"

Naruto shook Itachi's shoulder vigorously, much to his growing irritation.

"Naruto!"

"One versus seven!"

Their rowdy antics were observed by a floating, formless mass of chakra hovering not far away.

The chakra wavered slightly, transmitting emotions of relief and contentment.

"Indra… Ashura… You two… finally…"

The proud older brother and his foolish, troublesome younger sibling—after countless reincarnations, they had finally reconciled and acknowledged each other.

With this weight lifted, the chakra became even lighter, dissolving into an invisible stream of light that drifted further away.

...

In the Endless Green Forest

Obito stood before the two Kage, looking down at them from above.

"Kazekage, Raikage… it's time to accept reality."

"If I hadn't let you two approach just now, you wouldn't have even touched the hem of my cloak."

...Wait, did they even get close enough to touch his cloak?

The Raikage's eyes were wide with fury, his massive chest heaving.

"Brat, I admit defeat!" he growled.

"But don't get cocky! If you're gonna kill me, then do it already! Hurry up!"

Obito gave him a thumbs-up, his expression sincere.

"Yosh! You've got spirit!"

Compared to the Raikage's defiance, Rasa appeared far more subdued.

He didn't shout or struggle. Instead, he silently observed Obito, lost in thought.

Seeing the conversation stall, Obito crouched down, exhaling in mild exasperation.

"I told you—I don't want unnecessary bloodshed. But you just had to push me."

"Now, so many have died. Are you satisfied—"

—A chance!

A sharp glint flashed in the Raikage's eyes.

With a sudden burst of speed, he lunged, lightning crackling around his hand as he aimed straight for Obito.

"Lariat!"

Obito simply raised a hand, his voice calm.

"Shinra Tensei."

A devastating force erupted from him, sending the Raikage flying.

"Guh!"

Coughing up blood, the Raikage crashed into a massive tree. Before he could fall, branches snaked around him, lowering him slowly before Obito once more.

Watching the defeated Raikage, Obito's lips curled into a mocking smile.

"Challenging a god is foolish. No matter how strong you are, nothing will change."

"So many have died already…" His voice was quiet, almost solemn.

"I say—this ends here."

The Raikage's bloodshot eyes glared at him, his voice a low growl.

"You killed so many of Kumogakure's warriors, and now you think you can just say 'this ends here' and be done with it?"

"A true warrior would rather die than surrender! Even if we're crushed to dust, even if our blood soaks the battlefield—"

"Kumogakure will never bow to you! We will fight until our last breath!"

At that moment, a weakened Rasa managed to stand, staggering toward the Raikage.

He placed a trembling hand on his shoulder, a bitter smile on his face.

"A… there's no point in further sacrifice."

"We… are simply no match for him."

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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