Chapter 219 – The Final Battle At The Top of Konoha (Part 3)
Suspended high above the burning wreckage of the shattered command ship, a colossal figure loomed in the sky. Four muscular arms extended outward as if embracing the heavens, his presence alone casting a shadow that stretched across half the battlefield.
It was him.
Commander Baal—the infamous conqueror whose cold visage had moments earlier flickered across every projection screen.
And he had survived.
Not merely endured—but emerged completely unscathed.
"He's still standing…?" someone whispered hoarsely.
"No way… how the hell is that possible?"
"That explosion wiped out mountains…"
Murmurs spread through Konoha's ranks like wildfire, disbelief etched onto every face.
The eruption that obliterated the command ship had been cataclysmic. The resulting shockwaves had leveled entire ridgelines, torn gashes into the earth. And Baal had stood at the very center of it all—consumed by light, fire, and kinetic force. By all logic, nothing should have survived.
And yet, there he was.
Floating in the sky as though he had merely stepped through a breeze, not a battlefield holocaust.
The shinobi's hearts trembled—not with cowardice, but with awe.
Only the warriors aboard the four surviving escort ships remained composed, their expressions unchanged.
They knew better.
To them, this level of devastation was trivial. No explosion—no matter how large—could ever scratch Commander Baal. Even a direct hit from a fully charged plasma cannon wouldn't dent his hide.
But their discipline couldn't mask everything.
Their clenched fists and tightened jaws betrayed their inner fury. Prideful and loyal as they were, the destruction of their flagship—under Baal's watch no less—was an unbearable humiliation.
Especially when they could do nothing but watch.
They had no orders to intervene, and without Baal's command, they were bound by their chain of command to stand down.
Their shame festered.
Meanwhile, above them all, a storm had formed between two titans.
The clash of Kazane and Baal's auras distorted the air around them. The normal silence following destruction was broken by unnatural wind currents and the low hum of friction in the sky. The residual heat from the earlier explosion hadn't dissipated, but now it was drowned beneath the weight of their presence.
Where there should have been empty air between them, cyclones of spiritual pressure spiraled into being. Gravity twisted in protest, pebbles and debris from the ground below rose upward as if desperate to flee the battle about to unfold.
Their gazes locked.
Kazane's silver hair fluttered in the wind, his face calm but sharp with lethal focus. Baal's piercing eyes gleamed with ancient ruthlessness, the expression of a man who had stood at the apex of power for centuries.
No words were needed to recognize the danger in one another.
Yet Baal, surprisingly, smiled.
"What a surprise…" he said, his voice carrying effortlessly across the battlefield, deep and resonant. "For a world so small and primitive to birth someone like you—it's nothing short of fascinating."
He extended a hand—not in mockery, but in genuine invitation.
"What do you say? Come with me. With your power, you deserve a far greater stage than this backwater rock. I will grant you a place in the stars. Submit to me, and I will spare your people."
There was no condescension in Baal's tone. Only cold practicality.
He had seen enough to recognize Kazane's value.
Three slashes—just three—and the barrier of his warship had fallen. A feat not even the elite warlords of the galactic frontier had managed.
If Kazane could be brought under his command, Baal would willingly abandon the pursuit of Orochimaru's so-called immortality.
In the vast and brutal jungle of the universe, where might was the sole law, warriors like Kazane were rarer than artifacts. To conquer him would be a prize greater than any technology.
But—
Kazane smirked.
"There's a better offer," he replied dryly. "Why don't you join Konoha? I'll even make you Vice Commander of the Anbu. Great benefits. Dental too."
A pause. Then—
Baal's eyes narrowed. The faint smile vanished.
So be it.
"I see," he said coldly. "You've chosen death. Then allow me the honor of granting it."
He had expected as much. Warriors who had never been defeated—never known fear—rarely submitted without force.
And now that Baal had felt Kazane's presence up close, he was no longer impressed.
The slashes, the Haki, the speed—it was formidable, yes. But in Baal's eyes, it lacked the depth of those who had fought wars across galaxies.
This world had made him soft.
With a swift motion, Baal raised one of his right arms high and clenched his fist.
From the heavens, pillars of golden light burst forth—beams of teleportation energy descending like celestial spears.
In perfect silence, they struck the earth like divine judgment.
WHOOSH—WHOOSH—WHOOSH—
From within the light, hundreds of armored warriors emerged, clad in battle gear of advanced alloy and layered armoring. They dropped in perfect synchronization, landing across the battlefield in fluid, terrifying order.
Each one bore a unique insignia denoting their rank, and among them stood generals whose killing intent scorched the air.
Yet none of them moved to aid Baal.
They had no need to.
King faces King. General faces General.
It was an unspoken code of warriors across the stars.
Across the shattered landscape, Konoha's defenders stepped forward.
The scarlet glow of the Four Red Yang Formation dimmed and flickered.
Then—
Orochimaru dispersed the barrier.
Konoha's shinobi would not cower behind walls.
Not when their strongest soldier stood defiant in the sky.
Not when they had trained their entire lives for a moment like this.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A series of loud detonations echoed across the battlefield.
Jiraiya slammed his hand to the ground, summoning Gamabunta, the Chief Toad, in a thunderous display.
Tsunade called forth the immense, slug-like form of Katsuyu, her loyal companion.
Minato appeared beside another giant toad, radiant in his golden chakra cloak.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Professor, unleashed Enma, the Monkey King.
Tobirama Senju discarded his pristine lab coat, his eyes burning with battle-hardened resolve.
In a swirl of black flame, Uchiha Fugaku, Shisui, and Kōtan activated their Mangekyō Sharingan, their eyes spinning with raw power.
From the shadows, Jiriku emerged, the scars of countless battles etched across his skin.
All stood together.
Side by side.
Konoha—assembled.
No more divisions. No more rivalries. No more secrets.
For this moment, the strongest of the shinobi world stood as one.
Their enemies had arrived.
And they would answer with fire and steel.
Above them, Kazane and Baal continued to float, poised to strike.
On the ground, the elite forces of the Four-Armed Tongtian Tribe faced off against the legends of Konoha.
The final battle had begun.
Baal glanced across the battlefield, eyes scanning each shinobi with new interest.
"So many powerful warriors," he mused. "And here I thought this was merely a rural world…"
His expression turned thoughtful.
If the other nations of this planet were anything like Konoha, then Earth was far more dangerous than he had anticipated.
He recalled Orochimaru's earlier taunt—that there were four more nations like this one.
If true… then the ninja world collective strength could rival some of the mightiest civilizations in the known galaxy.
Perhaps this planet was not backward.
Perhaps it was simply hidden.
And in that obscurity lay secrets worth pursuing.
This expedition was no longer a conquest.
It was an opportunity.
A chance to uncover what the universe had missed.
Still—
One truth remained unchanged.
The greatest law in the cosmos… is the fist.