Victory

The battle was over. The elite ninja troops of Cloud Shinobi Village had been utterly defeated. Except for a handful who managed to escape, over two hundred ninjas lay dead on the battlefield. With Kazuya dominating the field, those who resisted stood no chance. He was like a grim reaper, relentlessly harvesting Cloud Shinobi lives.

Golden light enveloped Kazuya as he absorbed the chakra from fallen enemies. With each defeated Cloud Shinobi, he felt his power grow. Soon, he had harvested chakra from over sixty ninjas, amassing a staggering amount of energy.

Kazuya didn't hesitate to eliminate common ninjas; they were mere stepping stones for his future goals. He understood that in the world of ninjas, prestige was built on the number of enemies slain. The greater the kill count, the more respect and fear he would command.

The battlefield was a gruesome scene, with blood flowing like rivers and corpses scattered everywhere. Despite the carnage, the Konoha Shinobi were calm, focused on cleaning the battlefield. Some even felt relief, knowing that without Kazuya, they might have been the ones lying dead.

Kazuya stood unscathed, his presence exuding an aura of invincibility. The surrounding Konoha Shinobi looked at him with awe, admiration, and a hint of fear. His strength was unparalleled, and his achievements in this battle were nothing short of legendary.

A Jōnin approached Kazuya, kneeling before him. "Master Kazuya, here is the battle report," he said, offering a scroll.

"Just tell me," Kazuya replied.

The Jōnin recited the numbers with a mix of shock and respect. "In this battle, the Cloud Shinobi Village ninja army had 248 members. Of them, 187 were killed, 12 captured, and around 49 are missing or escaped. Our side suffered 142 casualties, with 109 slightly injured, 13 seriously injured, and 20 killed."

A casualty ratio of nearly ten to one. It was a decisive victory.

"Good," Kazuya said, smiling. "You've all worked hard. Now, gather the bodies of our fallen comrades before Cloud Shinobi Village retaliates. Let's go home together."

"Yes, Master Kazuya!" The Jōnin's eyes reddened with emotion.

The day passed, and Konoha's ninja troops returned to their camp. Kazuya had become the core figure of this unit, though he had no interest in command. When Jiraiya arrived with reinforcements five hours later, he was astounded to find that Kazuya had already crushed the enemy forces.

In the command tent, Jiraiya reviewed the battle report, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Eight Tails Jinchūriki Killer Bee, Two Tails Jinchūriki Yugito Nii, and 25 Cloud Shinobi Jōnin... all defeated by you. You've become even scarier, Kazuya. What a monster!"

"You're too kind, Senior Jiraiya," Kazuya replied with a smile.

The elite Jōnins present, including Akamichi Choza, Uchiha Fugaku, and Uchiha Shisui, were stunned by Kazuya's record. He had single-handedly killed 25 Jōnin and severely injured two Jinchūriki. Such an achievement was almost unheard of, even among the greatest ninjas.

Meanwhile, back in Cloud Shinobi Village, the atmosphere was tense. In the intensive care unit of the hospital, guarded by numerous Anbu, the Fourth Raikage stood with a dark expression. Beside him was Dodai, a trusted advisor.

"Bi and Yugito lost... That damned Konoha Anbu has become a major threat. I should have eliminated him when I had the chance," the Fourth Raikage grumbled.

Dodai, serious as ever, responded, "Raikage, we need to focus on our strategy against Konoha. Perhaps we should issue a mission to assassinate that Anbu, Nohara Kazuya."

After a long silence, the Fourth Raikage spoke in a deep voice, "That old fox, the Third Hokage, must have prepared for this. And who could we send to assassinate someone even Bi couldn't defeat?"

The Fourth Raikage was filled with disbelief and frustration. Killer Bee, after fully transforming into the Eight Tails, was defeated. This was beyond what ordinary Kage-level ninjas could accomplish. Nohara Kazuya was stronger than he had ever imagined.

"Minato Namikaze is dead, Orochimaru has defected. I thought we had everything under control," he muttered. "But not only did we lose, we suffered heavy casualties. Two Jinchūriki seriously injured, our forces decimated."

Thirty Jōnin, nearly all wiped out. The Fourth Raikage felt the sting of this loss deeply. Each Jōnin was a valuable asset, and losing so many was a severe blow to Cloud Shinobi Village.

"Nohara Kazuya," he growled, his eyes filled with murderous intent. "We will meet again."

In that moment, a deadly determination was born within the Fourth Raikage. He would ensure that Nohara Kazuya would face retribution. The next encounter would be different, and the stakes would be even higher.