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#76 The Sand Will Rise!
🕑 Added 2025-03-28 10:00:12 +0000 UTCBoom!
Boom!
Dark storm clouds gathered rapidly, swirling ominously above the battlefield.
Thunder rumbled like a war drum, and streaks of lightning cracked through the sky.
A suffocating pressure filled the air as black clouds loomed overhead, thick and heavy, pressing down upon the ground like an impending disaster.
Then, in the midst of it all, Uchiha Sasuke stood tall.
Electricity crackled around him, arcs of lightning crawling over his skin like living energy.
His Chidori-infused blade gleamed, pulsing with raw power.
His wings, born from the second stage of his Cursed Seal, extended outward, glowing with a storm’s fury.
In that moment, Sasuke wasn’t just a shinobi—he was a force of nature.
Onoki, who had been munching on a skewer of grilled meat, nearly dropped it.
He coughed, eyes wide. "What the hell?!"
Mufasa, standing nearby, smirked.
"Surprised? He’s a Lightning Release specialist. That’s still ninja business, isn’t it?"
Onoki scowled.
"Hmph! I thought Sand Ninjas focused on Wind and Earth Release. You people have no consistency!"
Mufasa shrugged. "Why limit ourselves? Besides, it's not like your Earth Release is the only legitimate form of ninjutsu."
Onoki huffed and turned his gaze back to the sky.
His rock ninja troops tensed, watching Sasuke warily.
Kurotsuchi, still restrained by Akatsuchi’s earth golem, gritted her teeth.
She glared at Sasuke, who hovered above them, eyes sharp and merciless.
He hadn’t forgotten what they did to Itachi.
Unforgivable.
The storm above crackled louder.
The massive storm clouds surged toward Sasuke, as if drawn to his presence.
In the center of his outstretched wings, a luminous eye of lightning began to form.
A deep hum vibrated through the battlefield.
Sasuke pointed his lightning-charged blade forward. "Raijin's Judgment!"
The storm eye ignited.
A massive bolt of lightning shot downward, cutting through the sky like a divine executioner’s blade.
It struck the ground with a deafening explosion, obliterating everything in its path.
Kurotsuchi barely had time to react before she was caught in the blast.
The impact sent her flying, body convulsing from the sheer voltage.
She hit the ground hard, unconscious.
Onoki gasped and shot forward, grabbing her before she could crash any further.
Mufasa tilted his head. "Huh. Looks like her legs are a little singed. She’ll be fine in a few days."
The rock ninja weren’t as lucky.
Their earth walls and barriers had been scorched through, leaving them groaning on the ground, barely conscious.
The battlefield was littered with fallen Iwa-nin.
Sasuke raised his sword again, ready to unleash another attack.
Mufasa called out, "Alright, that’s enough. No need to to do that."
Sasuke lowered his blade.
The storm clouds began to disperse, and the crackling lightning around him faded.
Onoki clenched his fists as Iwa’s medics rushed in to tend to the wounded.
"This fight was rigged," he muttered. "That’s not how real ninja fight."
Mufasa chuckled. "You say that just because you lost?"
He crossed his arms. "If you want, we can negotiate again—maybe sign a new agreement?"
Onoki’s scowl deepened, but before he could argue further, a rock ninja ran up to him, face pale.
"Tsuchikage-sama! The Daimyo of the Land of Earth has been assassinated!"
Onoki’s eyes widened.
His mind immediately shifted away from the battle.
"Damn it…" He exhaled sharply. "We’re leaving! We have to return immediately!"
He turned to Mufasa, his expression unreadable. "
Fine. We’ll sign the agreement. Someone will meet with you soon to finalize the hostage exchange."
With that, he signaled his troops to retreat.
As they left, Onoki gave Mufasa one last glare.
"Don’t think this is over, boy. Next time, we’ll settle this properly."
Mufasa smirked. "Looking forward to it."
As the dust settled, Mufasa turned to the remaining Sand Ninja, his voice echoing across the battlefield.
"WE WON!"
The Sand Ninja erupted into cheers.
"Victory!"
"Victory!"
"For the Sand!"
The war itself had been small—more of a tactical skirmish between two villages—but its significance was undeniable.
This was Sand’s first real challenge against one of the Five Great Nations.
And they had won.
This victory proved that Sand Ninja were no longer the underdogs.
They were rising, evolving, and becoming a force to be reckoned with.
As the celebrations continued, Mufasa turned toward another group waiting at the battlefield’s edge—Pain and Konan.
He approached them with a confident stride. "You made the right choice. I’m glad to have you as our allies."
Pain and Konan remained silent, their expressions unreadable.
Mufasa pulled out a treaty and handed it over.
"Now that the Hidden Rain is part of our alliance, let’s make it official. Your village’s location is perfect for trade.
With the right agreements, the Land of Rain can become a central hub for commerce and logistics."
Pain glanced at the treaty, scanning the terms.
A section detailed a long-term lease for a portion of their land.
Eighty years.
He thought for a moment, then nodded. "Fine."
Konan remained quiet, watching carefully.
Mufasa grinned. "Excellent choice. Trust me—you won’t regret this."
He clapped his hands together. "Now, let’s celebrate with a drink."
The celebration banquet was held in the barracks.
As an ally, the Hidden Rain Village contributed food and drink, adding to the festivities.
Inside the large tent, Mufasa, Gaara, the Sand Shinobi, Pain, and Konan sat together.
The atmosphere was lively, though a certain Uchiha in the corner had his own grievances.
Sasuke shot a glare at Itachi and Kisame, who had just returned.
"Hah, got swept away by a mudslide earlier. Finally made it back," Kisame joked, flashing his usual sharp-toothed grin.
Itachi merely smiled.
Sasuke scoffed, clearly unimpressed.
Itachi reached out and poked Sasuke on the forehead with his index finger, just like he used to when they were kids.
Sasuke flinched but ultimately let him do it.
"You did well this time," Itachi said softly. "You won, little brother."
Sasuke huffed, crossing his arms. "Hmph. You slacked off. I should deduct your pay."
Itachi chuckled. "Guess that means I won’t be getting my full mission payment."
Sasuke didn’t respond, simply turning away and stepping into the banquet tent.
Kisame let out a laugh. "Man, all that effort and we still end up losing money. What a scam."
"Let’s go," Itachi said. "We have a report to give."
The two Akatsuki members vanished into the night, their mission complete.
Meanwhile, back at the Akatsuki’s base, Nagato listened to the report.
"Sasori and Deidara were beaten down by the Sand Village?" he repeated.
One of his Six Paths stood beside him, relaying the message.
Nagato had already witnessed the Sand Village’s unique and overwhelming battle tactics. He had no doubt about the report’s accuracy.
"Sand’s Kazekage is too powerful," Nagato admitted. "Capturing a Tailed Beast from them will require a different approach."
The resurrection of the Ten-Tails was impossible without Shukaku, the One-Tail.
Nagato frowned. He needed to rethink his strategy.
"Since our organization is down two members, we need replacements," he said.
Itachi nodded. "We’ll find suitable candidates."
With that, Itachi and Kisame departed, leaving Nagato to consider their next move.
Back at the banquet, the celebration was in full swing.
Although it was officially a joint gathering, the Sand Shinobi were the ones truly celebrating.
Pain and Konan sat at the table, their expressions unreadable.
Mufasa, raising his glass, decided to keep the mood lively. "From now on, the Sand and Rain Villages will strengthen our economic ties."
Pain regarded him with mild curiosity. "The Hidden Rain has little to offer in terms of trade."
"You have exploding tags," Mufasa pointed out. "You can sell those to us."
Pain considered this.
Mufasa continued, "Your village also has abundant rainfall. That means you have plenty of trees, which means you can develop a paper industry. Sand lacks that resource, so we’ll gladly import paper products from you."
Konan, who specialized in paper ninjutsu, seemed slightly intrigued.
"In return, we can export vehicles, ninja tools, televisions, and more," Mufasa added. "And since your village rains constantly, drying clothes must be a pain. We can sell you dryers."
Pain and Konan remained silent.
Mufasa smirked. "Talking business with people who don’t eat or drink is so dull."
He sipped his drink, watching the Hidden Rain duo carefully. In truth, he wasn’t in a rush to deal with Nagato yet.
Let him focus on capturing the Tailed Beasts first. Once he gathered them all
That’s when Mufasa would make his move.
Late at night, as the barracks quieted down, patrol ninjas and automated defenses remained on guard.
Outside Mufasa’s tent, a figure emerged from the shadows.
A single orange-masked eye gleamed in the darkness.
Obito materialized.
Tonight’s battle had given him new respect for the Sand Village.
He had once dismissed them as the weakest of the Five Great Nations. Now, he wasn’t so sure.
Especially Kazekage Mufasa.
If only he could manipulate him, like he had done with the Fourth Mizukage.
With the Kazekage under his control, the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan could progress even faster.
He had to test him.
Obito scanned the tent.
No guards.
Mufasa must have been overconfident in his own abilities.
And according to intel, he had drunk heavily at the banquet. That meant he was vulnerable.
Perfect.
Obito phased through the fabric of the tent and stepped inside—
Only to realize something was very, very wrong.
The room he entered wasn’t a tent at all.
Rows of computers lined the walls.
Dozens of people sat on low sofas, wearing headsets, standing, watching.
The sound of clicking buttons and cheering filled the air.
"Press R! Press R!"
"Congrats to Player 85 for ranking up!"
"Bronze League Champion of Ionia!"
Obito froze.
Where… was he?
Wasn’t this supposed to be the Kazekage’s tent?
Then it hit him.
Genjutsu.
He immediately flared his chakra and broke free from the illusion.
The strange scene vanished.
Mufasa sat on his bed, his piercing gaze locked onto Obito.
"Huh," Mufasa muttered. "I guess electromagnetic genjutsu isn’t as effective as I thought. You broke out too fast. Maybe television-based genjutsu would work better."
He smirked. "So, what brings an Akatsuki member to my tent? Here to avenge your fallen allies?"
Obito remained silent, his Sharingan spinning slowly.
Mufasa wasn’t surprised by his arrival. No—he had been expecting him.
