Mei Terumī felt both shock and confusion. Even after hearing Shisui speak, she still couldn't grasp what he truly meant by "Intent."
"What is Intent?"
She asked again, unable to hide her curiosity.
Shisui gave her a strange look. He hadn't expected someone like the Mizukage to press him on a concept so vague. Still, he answered:
"It's a level of understanding… a realm beyond ordinary technique. Hard to describe with words. It surpasses even the deepest ninja secrets."
With that, Shisui said no more. The truth was, he had only just brushed the surface himself.
Since losing his Mangekyō Sharingan, he could no longer rely on ocular power. Instead, he devoted himself entirely to the sword — and through that effort, he stumbled upon something new.
Through conversations with Naruto, Shisui learned this type of power was called Artistic Conception — a deeper, purer realization of strength. What he had grasped was barely the beginning of what could be called Sword Intent.
Yet even the little he understood made Naruto seem even more mysterious — as vast and unfathomable as the ocean.
Naruto's true limits were completely unknown. Shisui was certain that what Naruto had revealed so far was less than a tenth of his real strength.
Maybe… Naruto had already reached the legendary heights of Senju Hashirama, the God of Shinobi.
And Naruto was far younger than Hashirama and Uchiha Madara were when they first shook the world.
That could only mean one thing:
Naruto was destined to surpass those two titans and forge a new legend in the shinobi world.
Shisui placed a seal on Mei Terumī, temporarily suppressing her strength.
After that, he subdued most of the Mist-nin present. Mei noticed that the majority were incapacitated by lightning — paralyzed and knocked unconscious.
Only a few had been killed. Even though she understood this was already the most merciful outcome possible, seeing her fellow shinobi fall still brought her pain.
Because if the Umbrella Organization wished, the devastation would have been far worse.
They could have chosen the simplest and most brutal approach. So why take such a difficult path instead?
"Hmph…"
Mei let out a bitter chuckle. She was a prisoner now. Overthinking changed nothing.
The flames of war were already spreading across the Land of Fire — and Umbrella's mechanized army had reached the capital.
A man in his thirties stood with a smile as he gazed upon the capital of the Land of Fire.
Kaiser — Inari's stepfather.
His martial arts weren't extraordinary, but his leadership was. His achievements in the Land of Waves earned him high recognition. Now, he was entrusted with leading ordinary troops into battle.
Under his command were thousands of firearm-equipped fighters — and aircraft soaring above to support them.
Naruto believed in using every available resource. Not everyone in this world could wield chakra or perform ninjutsu.
Most people were ordinary.
But talent didn't always mean strength. Kaiser's strength lay in commanding those ordinary people — people who trained in chakra and martial arts just enough to boost their physical potential to levels comparable to elite special forces of the previous world.
With guns.
With explosives.
With aircraft.
Their attack was nothing short of a dimensionality-reduction strike.
And the only force worth worrying about was the Guardian Twelve — the Daimyō's personal protectors. Each one a jōnin-level fighter. A few — even elite jōnin.
But Umbrella… already had plans for them.
As the army advanced, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire — his body long weakened by indulgence — finally panicked.
"What are you traitors doing?! Are you trying to overturn the laws set by the First Hokage? Ninja aren't allowed to wage war on nations! You cannot attack the Land of Fire!"
He clung desperately to outdated beliefs:
Ninja may fight ninja — but never a country.
To him, using powers beyond those of ordinary people to attack a nation was a violation of the world's very foundation.
Yet reality had already moved far beyond the Daimyō's sheltered worldview.
"Heh… ridiculous. Still clinging to your outdated mindset?"
Kaiser sneered coldly. "In war, there's no such thing as fairness."
"You parasites of this world!"
Years of hardship had shown Kaiser the true nature of the so-called ruling class. While a few nobles were decent, the vast majority were nothing more than leeches — plundering wealth, exploiting the powerless, and living lavishly off the suffering of ordinary people.
"Protect the Daimyō!"
One of the Guardian Twelve stepped forward — Jirōbō, a monk of the Fire Temple. With Hidan and Kakuzu now part of the Umbrella Organization, Jirōbō's fate had taken a drastically different course. His strength rivaled that of Sarutobi Asuma, and he carried the Fire Temple's sacred techniques.
At the same moment, a young kunoichi stepped into view — Yakumo Kurama.
She wasn't the only one. The Umbrella forces had coordinated attacks across multiple regions. After all, if the Land of Fire had elite guardians, then so would other countries. To truly break the Five Great Nations, their fall had to be simultaneous.
The Daimyō of the Land of Wind had already been secured by shinobi acting under Gaara's command.
Meanwhile, in the capital of the Land of Fire, the situation rapidly deteriorated. Firearm barrages and explosive artillery tore through the city. Even samurai, known for bravery and discipline, were powerless under such relentless fire. One by one, they fell beside their fellow shinobi.
"What kind of ninja tools are these?!"
"Retreat! We can't possibly face them head-on!"
"Protect the Daimyō — evacuate!"
"We'll report their crimes! They're violating the rules of the Shinobi World! Rally the ninja — we must eliminate them!"
Panic and confusion consumed the defenders. Against the overwhelming steel onslaught of the Umbrella Army, resistance seemed meaningless.
Jirōbō formed a series of hand seals — a massive wooden Buddha materialized before him, shielding the Daimyō from the bullets pouring down like rain. Meanwhile, other members of the Guardian Twelve launched counterattacks against the advancing Umbrella troops.
Yakumo Kurama watched, eyes calm. Naruto's orders were clear:
Anyone capable of threatening Umbrella's forces — must be removed.
Her Bloodline Limit — the Kurama Clan's Illusion Manifestation — quietly awakened.
To the horror of everyone present, Guardian shinobi suddenly collapsed, their bodies scorched black. Others were struck by arcs of lightning, and some — driven into madness — turned their blades on each other.
"Lady Kurama has acted! All forces — strike without hesitation!"
Kaiser shouted, voice rising like a battle horn.
"Seize the Land of Fire! Liberate the entire world!"
Morale surged like wildfire.
In the blink of an eye, only Jirōbō still stood.
He looked at the battlefield — a land he once sworn to protect — now torn apart by a new kind of war.
A war no ninja doctrine had ever prepared them for.
"…Has the era changed?"
He already knew the answer.
Still — duty remained. Even if the tides had shifted… even if victory was impossible…
His eyes sharpened with unwavering resolve.
He would fight.
Because there were commitments a true guardian could never abandon.
...
TN:
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