Chapter 53: The Unbreakable Alliance

The Battlefield – Land of Whirlpools

"Hikari!" a voice boomed. "Let's see who's stronger—your Susanoo or my fist!"The Raikage, Ay, surged forward with blinding speed. "Hellbreaker Hit! Nukite – Three-Finger Strike! Die!"

He charged straight at Uchiha Hikari, her Susanoo towering around her like a guardian spirit.

But just before the strike connected—

"Raikage, your opponent is me!"

Golden chains burst from the ground—Adamantine Sealing Chains!—Mito Uzumaki's chakra surged as she intercepted him.

"Not good!" Ay twisted mid-air, barely avoiding the chains. His missed blow shattered the ground, leaving a crater ten meters wide and several meters deep.

Mito's chains chased relentlessly, forcing Ay to backpedal and search for an opening.

Elsewhere, the battle raged:

Danzo Shimura clashed with the Third Mizukage, his Poem of the Wind technique slicing through water clones and mist illusions.

But it was the Uchiha who dominated the battlefield. Their prowess shocked even seasoned veterans of the opposing villages.

"Damn it! When did the Uchiha get so physically strong?" grunted a Kumogakure shinobi, dodging a fireball.

"They've improved in everything—chakra, taijutsu, ninjutsu, even their Sharingan!" another answered.

Even with Anbu, Root, and Senju fighting at full capacity, the elite of Kumo, Iwa, and Kiri were being overwhelmed.

Then it happened—

Thousands of Uzumaki emerged from within the chakra barrier, charging into the fray like a crimson tide.

"Kill them all!"

Their fury was unmatched—bolstered by grief and vengeance, they tore into the enemy lines.

With Konoha forces at their side, the tide of battle finally broke.

"We retreat!" the Raikage shouted, swatting aside Mito's golden chains and covering his forces. "Fall back!"

The invaders had harvested some fūinjutsu from fallen Uzumaki and stolen scrolls from their homes—enough, perhaps, to seal a Jinchūriki. But victory was out of reach.

Ay knew continuing the fight would only bring meaningless death. Especially with Mito still standing—her chains were nearly impossible to counter.

But Mito wasn't done.

"You think you can escape?" she roared.

She drew on Kurama's chakra. Her body radiated crimson energy—Cloak Mode.

She surged forward, her chains lashing out in every direction.

"Gah!" cried out several Kumogakure ninja, ensnared mid-retreat.

"Crush!"

There was a sickening crack—their bones shattered instantly.

Raikage's eyes widened. "That chakra… the Nine-Tails?! Has she mastered it completely?! This is bad!"

"One-Finger Nukite!" he countered, charging full force in a desperate effort to hold her back.

Mito evaded, still weaving her chains to suppress and distract. Ay gritted his teeth—he was being restrained, outmaneuvered by sheer sealing power.

Elsewhere…

"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World!"

Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, unleashed his kekkei tōta toward Hikari's Susanoo.

"Retreat!" he bellowed to his Iwa forces. "Now!"

But Hikari teleported.

"Yasaka Magatama!"

From Susanoo's left hand, a blinding orb of condensed chakra launched high into the sky—then split into dozens of golden spheres.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The light rained down on fleeing Iwa ninja.

"Ahhh!" many were hit—some killed instantly, others wounded.

"Defend yourselves!"

"Earth Style: Stone Shelter!""Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

Some ninja burrowed underground to escape the onslaught.

Furious, Onoki retaliated. "Dust Release: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!"

But it was too slow. Hikari brought Susanoo's blade crashing down.

BOOM!

The impact ripped through the terrain, creating a massive canyon hundreds of meters wide.

"Ahh!" more screams rose—fleeing ninja were caught in the earth's upheaval.

"Earth Style: Added-Weight Rock Technique!" Onoki shouted, aiming at Susanoo.

Susanoo staggered slightly—but Hikari, strengthened by elite training and immense chakra, shrugged off the added weight.

"Damn it!" Onoki cursed, powerless. "He's too strong!"

He turned and flew off, shouting, "Uchiha Hikari—I'll remember this!"

Hikari smirked. "I'll be waiting."

The battle was over.

The invaders were either dead or had fled.

Aftermath

Hikari dismissed her Susanoo and descended to the field.

"Tashiro," she said calmly, "account for the losses. Prioritize the wounded—treatment immediately."

"Yes, Lady Hikari!" he answered.

A hundred meters away, hidden in the trees, Black Zetsu and White Zetsu observed.

"So… not only has Hikari returned to her peak—she's awakened the Fourth Stage of Susanoo, and can use it without strain?"

He narrowed his eyes.

"That's unnatural. But I've seen enough. The candidate for the Rinnegan… has been found."

With that, he vanished.

Hikari glanced toward the spot he'd been in. "Zetsu… The one Gin warned me about. It wasn't emitting chakra, only sensed through hyper-observation. I'll need to warn Gin—no slip-ups."

Elsewhere on the field

Mito had chased Ay nearly a kilometer before halting. The enemy had retreated, for now.

Returning, she ordered Senju medics to assess the wounded.

Danzo, though wounded, remained alive.

"The losses…" he muttered. "They're not nearly as bad as Hiruzen expected."

He watched the Uzumaki moving among the injured, fighting back tears.

"So she really has mastered Kurama's chakra," he thought grimly. "And… those Uchiha… their growth is absurd."

He frowned.

"They've clearly used something beyond normal medicine and pills… their strength, chakra volume, even their Sharingan evolution—none of it adds up."

His thoughts turned darker.

"The Uchiha pose a real threat now. If I'd known this was coming, I'd have pushed harder to suppress them years ago."

But it was too late. Their alliance with the Senju and Uzumaki solidified their power.

"A Fourth Great War is inevitable," Danzo thought. "Let them bask in their glory—for now. But I'll be ready."

Camp, Post-Battle

"Lady Hikari, no fatalities among our forces," Tashiro reported. "Five seriously wounded, twelve with minor injuries. Senju and Root suffered heavier losses."

Hikari nodded, arms crossed.

"Good. That means our training and resource investments are paying off. After we return, reward those who earned merit. I'll authorize Pavilion rewards accordingly."

"Thank you, Lady Hikari!" Tashiro smiled. "There are many rare items the troops will want to redeem."

As Konoha ninja began cleaning the battlefield, Mito, Hikari, and Danzo approached Uzumaki Aminari, the clan's elder.

"Lady Mito, thank you," he said, bowing deeply. "The Uzumaki owe you—and all of you—our lives."

Mito's eyes were stern. "Spare the thanks for now. What's the current state of your forces?"

Aminari hesitated. "We'll need time to tally. Many were away from the capital—scattered across the country. I fear the losses are great."

"You didn't listen when I warned you to consolidate," Mito said coldly. "Now look what's happened."

Aminari said nothing. His pride had kept him from pulling back—he believed the Land of Whirlpools could endure. But reality had proved otherwise.

"Begin accounting for the dead, the wounded, and what remains," Mito ordered. "We'll also reclaim the survivors from the border regions."

She looked him dead in the eyes.

"From today forward, the Uzumaki Clan officially joins Konohagakure."

Aminari frowned. "Lady Mito… may we speak in private first? I need to understand Konoha's internal politics before we decide."

She said nothing, only turned and walked toward the command tent. He followed—quietly.

To Be Continued…