#18

A heavy kick struck Mufasa's shoulder, but it felt like hitting solid steel.

The impact rippled through his muscles before fading into nothing. He barely reacted—just a faint shiver, nothing more.

This time, the attack carried even more power.

It felt better than before.

Mufasa smirked. "Well, Guy-san, keep going."

"Leaf Strong Whirlwind!" Guy roared, launching into a fierce spinning kick.

Two tons of force.

Enhanced with chakra.

And yet, to Mufasa, it was just a massage.

Guy unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks, each one backed by years of training and raw strength. But Mufasa didn't move. He stood still, like an immovable statue, allowing Guy to hit him over and over.

The only sounds were the sharp cracks of impact and Mufasa's occasional hums of approval.

The spectators wore different expressions.

Kakashi, who stood closest, watched with narrowed eyes, a single bead of sweat sliding down his temple.

Mufasa's ninjutsu was already formidable.

But his taijutsu…? This was something else entirely.

How were they supposed to deal with that?

Naruto gawked.

Normally, he acted like a goof, but even he could tell—Mufasa's physical strength was monstrous.

Baki clenched his fists. "Mufasa-sama's taijutsu is strong..."

Gaara merely crossed his arms, looking unimpressed. He already knew.

Temari scoffed. "Hey, blondie, I hope you're realizing now that your 'taijutsu genius sensei' is nothing compared to our boss."

Meanwhile, hidden in the hidden in Forest, Shikaku Nara, Choza Akimichi, and Inoichi Yamanaka exchanged glances.

Shikaku sighed. "We can't afford to wait. We attack together—Mufasa is the biggest threat here."

Choza and Inoichi nodded.

"Agreed."

The three longtime teammates moved as one.

Choza struck first.

"Human Boulder!"

His massive, rolling form plowed through trees, shaking the earth as he barreled straight for Mufasa.

Trees toppled. The ground trembled.

Mufasa and Guy turned toward the incoming attack.

Mufasa raised an eyebrow. "Oh? A group attack now?"

Zzzzt.

Kakashi moved.

Lightning flickered in his palm.

Chidori crackled.

Guy didn't hesitate either.

"Eight Gates!"

"Open!"

"Rest!"

"Life!"

"Pain!"

"Gate of Limit—open!"

His muscles swelled, veins bulging as raw energy surged through his body. The air around him vibrated with sheer force.

Wind howled.

Grass twisted beneath his feet.

Ninjas weren't samurai—they didn't care for fair one-on-one fights. If an enemy was strong, they overwhelmed them.

Mufasa had drawn too much attention.

Kakashi, Guy, and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio weren't going to hold back.

Across the valley, Baki clenched his fists. "Gaara, Temari, we should help Mufasa-sama!"

Temari waved him off. "Relax, Baki-sensei. Just watch."

Gaara's eyes darkened. "If you interfere, I'll kill you."

Baki swallowed hard and fell silent, watching the battlefield with a worried expression.

Even Naruto, usually full of energy, didn't say a word. He just stared, wide-eyed.

Both the Konoha and Sand ninjas stood tense, watching the unfolding fight.

Mufasa's electromagnetic eyes flickered.

Scan activated.

In an instant, he assessed the battlefield.

Guy. Kakashi. Choza. Shikaku. Inoichi.

Five opponents, moving with perfect coordination.

Choza's rolling attack.

Shikaku standing behind him.

Inoichi crouched, hands forming a seal.

Shadow Paralysis + Mind Transfer + Human Boulder.

Classic formation.

Combined with Chidori, the Eight Gates, and sheer brute force.

Strength, control, speed, and firepower.

A deadly combination.

It was the true strength of Konoha's forces.

By contrast, the Sand Village was pitifully lacking.

They were infamous for having so few shinobi that the running joke was—there were only four ninjas in the whole village.

The gap in power was clear.

Guy, his skin flushed red, lunged again, aiming a whirlwind kick at Mufasa's head.

Mufasa exhaled.

"Sorry, I'll return the favor next time."

He raised a palm.

Magnetic Repulsion.

An invisible force erupted from his body.

Guy, caught off guard, was flung backward like a bullet. He crashed into the forest, breaking through countless branches before disappearing into the trees.

With Guy gone—

Mufasa vanished.

Kakashi's Chidori slashed through empty air, striking nothing but shadow.

Kakashi's Sharingan spun wildly. "Where—?"

A voice whispered behind him.

"Above."

Kakashi's eyes darted up.

Mufasa hovered in mid-air, watching them all like an observer, detached and calculating.

Choza stopped rolling.

Guy staggered to his feet.

All of Konoha's shinobi turned their gazes skyward.

Mufasa's voice was calm.

"I wanted a one-on-one match, but since you refuse to play fair, I won't be play fair either."

Shikaku's eyes narrowed. "Spread out. Fall back."

Something was coming.

Mufasa reached into his sleeve and pulled out a summoning scroll.

With a single clap, he activated it.

The seals glowed.

"Summoning Jutsu."

"Mechagodzilla—Model Zero."

A deafening roar echoed through the valley.

BOOM.

A massive mechanical beast materialized in the sky.

Standing over twenty meters tall and weighing two hundred tons, its cold metallic frame gleamed in the sunlight.

It crashed to the ground with a thunderous impact.

The earth quaked.

Waves of dust and wind blasted outward, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.

The Konoha ninjas stood frozen.

Their faces paled as they stared at the towering mechanical monster in stunned silence.

...

One of the traditional technique that the Hidden Sand Village is known for:

Puppetry.

As a ninja of Sunagakure, Mufasa was naturally skilled in crafting and manipulating puppets. But he wasn't just any puppeteer—he was an innovator, a visionary who pushed the limits of what puppetry could be.

MechaGodzilla: Zero was his personal creation.

It was the prototype of the Mufasa Project, a testament to his craftsmanship and intellect. However, due to financial limitations, material constraints, and time restrictions, the current version was still incomplete. At best, it functioned as a large-scale electromagnetic amplifier and transmitter.

Its amplification factor? Tenfold.

But its sheer size and imposing design were enough to strike fear into the hearts of those who witnessed it.

Naruto's eyes widened in amazement.

"Whoa! It's huge! Even bigger than Boss Gamabunta!"

Toad Boss Gamabunta stood at a towering seventeen meters.

MechaGodzilla: Zero dwarfed that entirely.

Temari smirked. "Now do you see how powerful Boss Mufasa really is, you little loudmouth?"

Naruto could only nod in stunned agreement.

The Sand Ninjas, including Baki, had never seen Mufasa's puppet before. Their shock quickly turned to admiration and, soon after, boundless respect.

'So this was the power of Mufasa-sama?'

No wonder he spoke so confidently about leading them to victory.

At that moment, every Sand Ninja present looked upon Mufasa as if he were a god.

Meanwhile, on the Konoha side…

The Chunin and lower-ranked shinobi who had hesitated moments ago didn't need to be told twice. They fled immediately, knowing that even standing too close to such a colossus could spell disaster.

Kakashi, Guy, Akimichi Choza, Nara Shikaku, and Yamanaka Inoichi all stared in utter disbelief at the towering mechanical behemoth before them.

Guy turned to Kakashi, his voice unusually serious. "Kakashi… have you ever seen a summon like this before?"

Kakashi shook his head slowly. "Never."

Akimichi Choza gulped. "Shikaku… what do we do?"

Nara Shikaku's mind raced. He prided himself on being a strategist, but when faced with overwhelming power, all plans seemed futile. This was beyond tactics—this was absolute might.

Just as the group struggled to think of a response, Yamanaka Inoichi spoke up.

"Wait… He mentioned wanting a one-on-one fight earlier, didn't he? That suggests he doesn't hold deep hostility toward us. Maybe we can still negotiate."

The idea sparked hope.

Kakashi's eyes lit up. "Let me try."

Looking up at MechaGodzilla: Zero, he called out, "Mufasa-san! Can we talk? I don't think you want our villages to be locked in endless war."

Mufasa's voice rang out from atop his creation. "You're not wrong. This entire conflict is because of Rasa's foolishness."

Kakashi and the others felt a wave of relief.

"Then let's settle this now," Kakashi suggested. "Let's negotiate peace."

Mufasa shook his head. "Not yet."

Kakashi frowned. "Then when?"

Mufasa's expression turned cold. "When I become Kazekage."

His words sent shockwaves through both sides.

Mufasa continued, "Only then will I negotiate with Konoha. Whether we form an alliance or continue the war will be decided at that time. As for now…"

His tone grew sharp.

Kakashi, Guy, and the others tensed, readying themselves for battle.

Mufasa smirked. "You'll have to see what the future Kazekage is capable of."

He placed both hands on MechaGodzilla's head. A surge of electricity crackled through his palms, flowing into the mechanical beast's systems.

MechaGodzilla's mouth opened wide.

A massive cannon extended from its jaws, crackling with energy. Plasma gathered at the barrel's mouth, forming a miniature sun, illuminating the battlefield with an eerie blue light.

Danger.

Unprecedented danger.

Every Konoha ninja felt it.

Kakashi and Guy screamed at their comrades, "RUN! NOW!"

Mufasa grinned. "Relax… It's just a demonstration."

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!

A deafening electric crack tore through the air.

MechaGodzilla fired.

A massive electromagnetic cannon, twenty meters in diameter, blasted forth. The lightning arc split the sky in two, a colossal blade of destruction cutting across the heavens.

The beam struck a distant mountain.

At first, there was silence.

No explosion.

No deafening roar.

Just a soft, sibilant hiss.

Then…

The mountain's peak simply vanished.

No debris. No smoke. Nothing.

It had been vaporized.

Kakashi, Guy, Akimichi Choza, Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, and every Konoha ninja present stood frozen in horror.

Their hands and feet turned ice-cold.

This wasn't just a strong enemy.

This was an unstoppable force.

Silence gripped the valley.

Then…

A single voice shouted from the Sand Ninja ranks: "That's Mufasa-sama! He's from our village!"

One by one, the Sand Ninjas snapped out of their daze, and soon, an uproar erupted.

Cheers roared through the valley.

Mufasa had shown them true power, and in doing so, he had given them hope.

A ninja village needed a powerful leader.

"Kazekage!"

"Mufasa-sama!"

"Kazekage Mufasa!"

The chants spread like wildfire.

Rasa's recklessness had nearly led the village to ruin.

Now, Mufasa had saved them.

More and more voices joined in, the momentum growing by the second.

Baki turned to look at Temari and Gaara, the children of Rasa himself.

"What do you two think?" he asked.

Temari smirked. "Wouldn't it be great if boss became Kazekage?"

Gaara's voice was cold, unwavering. "Anyone who tries to stop Mufasa-sensei… will die."

Baki took a deep breath.

He knew then and there—Rasa's time was over.

Raising his voice, he joined the chorus.

"Kazekage Mufasa!"

—————

Word count = 1708

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