The shockwave reached the outer battlefield a moment after the light faded.
Dust and broken wood swept across the valley. Some of the Cloud ninja stationed farther back were knocked off their feet, while others lowered their heads and braced themselves against the wind.
When the dust thinned, the fallen ninja climbed back up and looked toward the center of the battlefield.
The giant Buddha was still there, but its upper body had been blown apart. The huge disc of arms behind it was broken open, and the fists that had been falling toward them had all stopped.
Only the lower half remained standing in the valley, smoke still rising from the ruined body. The arms that had nearly crushed the battlefield were no longer moving, and for several seconds, no one spoke.
A Cloud ninja stared at the broken Buddha and swallowed hard.
"Did we... get him?"
No one answered, but the thought had already spread through the group. Shinichi had been standing at the top when the cannon hit.
Then someone in the crowd let out a shaky laugh and muttered, "We did it..."
The words spread faster than any order.
The Cloud ninja who had been frozen in place finally reacted, some raising their weapons while others clenched their fists, and the pressure that had been crushing them seemed to break all at once.
Soon, cheers rose from the outer battlefield and rolled toward the valley.
"Kumogakure!"
"Lord Raikage!"
"We won!"
The cheers soon reached the front line.
The surviving Cloud ninja looked at one another, still covered in dust and injuries, as if they were only now realizing they were alive.
A few lowered their weapons, while others stared at the broken Buddha and slowly let out the breath they had been holding.
Killer B and Yugito were still in their full Tailed Beast forms.
Both had taken the first wave head-on, and their bodies were marked by the impact, but when they saw that the Buddha had stopped moving, even they relaxed slightly.
A stood at the front, breathing heavily. Blood still stained the corner of his mouth, and every part of his body hurt, but his gaze remained fixed on the broken giant Buddha.
The chakra cannon had hit. No matter how strong Shinichi was, he had been standing at the very top when the beam came down. Even a monster like him should not have survived that.
A clenched his fist.
"Arrogant brat..."
His voice was hoarse, but the confidence in it slowly returned.
"This is Kumogakure."
Behind him, the cheers grew louder as the ninja near the village began moving toward the battlefield. They came down from the watchtowers, mountain paths, and village entrance, first in small groups, then in larger waves.
A heard them approaching and did not stop them.
Then the voices suddenly died, and the movement behind him stopped as well.
A's brow tightened. When he turned his head slightly, he saw that the Cloud ninja were no longer looking at him. Every gaze had gone past him, toward the broken Buddha.
When A looked back, the broken Buddha was shaking.
At first, the movement was so small that some people thought they had imagined it. Then pale green chakra spread from the broken part, and new wood started growing up through the damaged body.
The cheering stopped at once.
The repair was slow for a moment. Then it sped up. The broken wood pushed upward, and a loud creaking sound filled the valley as the Buddha's upper body began to form again.
The arms that had fallen to the ground also moved. The growing wood pulled them back, lifting them one by one and placing them behind the Buddha again.
The Cloud ninja could only watch as the body they had just destroyed rebuilt itself in front of them. In a few breaths, the giant Buddha stood whole again, its many arms spread under the dark clouds.
A stared up at it, his face turning pale.
The chakra cannon had hit. The Buddha had been destroyed.
But now it was back.
A faint light appeared at the top of the restored Buddha, and everyone below raised their heads almost at the same time.
Shinichi stood there again.
The cannon had destroyed the Wood Clone and blown apart the Buddha, but the person they wanted to kill was still standing there, looking down at them with the same calm expression as before.
For a moment, the battlefield became so quiet that even the wind sounded clear.
Shinichi did not look at A first. His gaze moved past the battlefield and stopped on the hollowed-out mountain inside Kumogakure.
A second later, smoke burst from that peak.
The side of the mountain cracked open from within, rocks rolled down in large chunks, and the Scale Wood Dragon pushed out through the dust. Its body was covered in cuts and scorch marks, but it was still moving.
Only then did Shinichi look back at A.
"Not bad, A. You almost got me."
His voice was calm, almost casual, but A's face had already lost all color. The cannon had destroyed a Wood Clone, while Shinichi's real body had used that opening to erase Kumogakure's only weapon.
For the first time in this battle, A could not think of another move.
Shinichi's gaze shifted past him, toward the Cloud ninja gathered behind the front line. Their cheers had already stopped, but he had heard them clearly enough.
"You celebrated too soon."
A's eyes changed, but before he could speak, Shinichi continued.
"I gave you a chance to keep this between us. But if Kumogakure still wants to stand behind you, then I will make sure they understand what that means."
Pale green chakra rose from the restored Buddha. The countless arms behind it began to move again, spreading their shadow over the Cloud ninja below.
A's body moved before his mind could catch up.
"Wait!"
Shinichi ignored him, his gaze sweeping over the battlefield.
"A, watch carefully. This is the weight of your choice."
The wooden arms fell.
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