Fortunately, Arata—now in Lightning Armor—did not directly strike the allied shinobi army on the ground. Otherwise, that single slash alone would have been enough to cleave every one of them cleanly in half at the waist.
Even so, the terrifying aftershock still flattened every tree in the surrounding area, leaving behind nothing but an endless field of shattered stumps.
This was the power of Arata at the peak of Super-Kage level, Lightning Armor: Second Gear. Even a casual swing carried destructive force beyond imagination.
The blue shockwave continued spreading outward, eventually reaching a radius of dozens of kilometers before slowly dissipating.
Everything in its path—every obstruction—was sliced clean through.
Even distant mountain peaks hundreds of meters tall were cut open from their bases and collapsed entirely.
Witnessing the might of that single slash, any lingering schemes or resistance within the allied forces vanished instantly. No one dared move recklessly anymore.
Some of the clearer-headed among them suddenly recalled the breathtaking flash of purple from earlier—the very strike that had split Uzushio island in two.
Even the sea itself had been cleaved apart.
An attack of that magnitude was something no ordinary person could accomplish. Which meant that the one who had done it back then… was almost certainly the very Arata standing before them now.
Only after his recent breakthrough could Arata perform such a feat so effortlessly. Back when he was merely at the early Super-Kage level, he would have needed long preparation and to exhaust all the energy of Lightning Armor just to unleash a slash of that caliber.
If he were to face the Monkey Sage again now, Arata was confident he could kill that old beast without even breaking a sweat.
As for the three remaining Kage-level fighters present, realization finally dawned on them as well. Even Yoshida Eiichi—who had always been obsessed with obtaining the Uzumaki sealing scrolls—understood the truth at last.
The Arata before them was simply not someone they could contend with.
His strength had already reached the level of the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama. No matter how numerous they appeared, they were nothing more than ants before him.
Numerical advantage meant absolutely nothing in front of a Super-Kage at his peak.
After confirming that a single slash had left everyone completely stunned, Arata felt reasonably satisfied with its deterrent effect.
But this still wasn't enough.
What he wanted was for them to retreat on their own—not to be forced back at blade-point.
He certainly had the ability to slaughter everyone present, but doing so would only benefit other nations.
Konoha had already deployed most of its forces to the Land of Rain. Even if these countries lost all their main forces here, Konoha wouldn't have the manpower to invade—or the strength to hold the territory afterward.
Instead, neighboring minor nations or long-standing enemies would simply seize the opportunity to carve them up.
That would only mean Arata doing all the hard work for someone else—a thankless task he had no intention of taking on.
Besides, leaving these people alive might prove useful if the system ever issued another option in the future.
With that thought, Arata stepped out from the ruins of the collapsed stone walls. As he moved forward, his Lightning Armor form was fully revealed to everyone present.
Boom!
Boom!
Each step he took sent violent tremors through the ground.
The Lightning Armor was clearly a physical manifestation—one with terrifying mass.
Every footstep felt like a heavy hammer striking the hearts of the allied shinobi. With each step forward, their breathing stalled for a moment.
Because the fully revealed Arata was simply overwhelming—both in presence and in appearance.
Especially to Yoshida Eiichi.
Looking at Arata's body formed entirely of lightning, the lifelike armor, the grim tengu mask radiating killing intent, the wings and three additional arms formed from lightning—
All of it exuded an awe-inspiring, solemn divinity.
And Lightning Armor: Second Gear stood nearly a hundred meters tall.
Compared to this giant, the shinobi beneath Arata's feet truly seemed like insects. It felt as though a single careless step would be enough to crush them all.
After dedicating his entire life to forging ninja tools, Yoshida Eiichi finally understood why his ancestor had once forged the Uchiha war fan for Madara—without asking for anything in return.
Only someone of this level was worthy of wielding such weapons—only such a person could truly bring out the full might of ninja tools.
The Uchiha gunbai—capable of absorbing and reflecting ninjutsu—was a legendary artifact even he could not replicate, rivaled only by the sacred treasures of the Sage of Six Paths.
And yet, the short blade at Arata's waist looked crude by comparison.
In Yoshida Eiichi's eyes, the materials were acceptable—but the craftsmanship was downright poor. In the Land of Iron, even a newly graduated apprentice could forge something better.
And yet…
In Arata's hands, that blade possessed power beyond comprehension.
When Arata's Lightning form stopped less than a hundred meters from the allied forces, not a single shinobi could move.
The pressure alone was suffocating.
Even at that distance, the heat radiating from his lightning-charged body left their mouths dry and their throats parched. It was impossible to imagine just how terrifying the lightning at his core truly was.
Arata looked down at the allied army and spoke calmly:
"—So, is there anyone who still wants to keep fighting? If there is… I'd be more than happy to oblige."
At those words, the main body of the allied forces instinctively shook their heads.
Even elite jōnin felt no trace of will to resist.
Faced with such absolute power, anyone who wasn't a fool would know better than to continue fighting.
After all, Arata had barely shown a fraction of his strength—and already defeated the Mizukage, Gengetsu Hōzuki. These scattered forces were nowhere near Kirigakure's level.
Even if they united, they would never be a match for this lightning giant.
The leaders of the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Rivers exchanged glances, both revealing clear intent to retreat.
This campaign against the Uzumaki had been supposed to be effortless—a guaranteed victory with overwhelming numbers.
Yet instead, they had encountered Arata… a true god of slaughter.
This was not part of the plan.
With the original instigator already withdrawn, there was no reason for them to stay and throw their lives away.
The Uzumaki sealing arts and bloodline were tempting, yes—but only if one lived long enough to enjoy them.
Continuing the fight would only ensure that the elite forces of their nations were wiped out here.
With that in mind, the Kage-level leaders of the Land of Rivers and the Land of Hot Water announced simultaneously:
"We're withdrawing!"
At those words, their troops breathed a collective sigh of relief. They had been terrified that their leaders might act recklessly and drag them all into certain death.
Once one nation retreated, the rest quickly followed suit.
The allied army… had completely collapsed.