In the original series, Uchiha Madara's overwhelming power during the Fourth Great Ninja War was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
When the Five Kage united against him, it was like watching a master playing with children. And when he single-handedly faced tens of thousands of shinobi from the Allied Shinobi Forces, the situation was so one-sided that fans quipped, "Uchiha Madara has surrounded the Allied Shinobi Forces."
Now, even though Uchiha Akira, after opening the Seventh Gate, wasn't at Madara's level, the circumstances of their battles were entirely different.
Madara had faced an army of tens of thousands, while Akira was dealing with a few hundred.
But as Akira unleashed the full force of the Seventh Gate, effortlessly cutting down everything in his path, he couldn't help but feel a taste of the godlike power that Madara must have relished.
This complete dominance in battle was exhilarating. As Akira held his opponent by the throat, the words slipped out almost naturally: "Do you want to dance too?"
And the satisfaction of delivering such a line was incredible.
Maybe this desire to show off is something that comes with being a reincarnation of Indra?
Just look at Uchiha Madara, another reincarnation of Indra.
"Oh, I've created twenty-five shadow clones. Should I have them all activate Susano'o? Eh, why not."
And then, twenty-five Susano'o appeared. Was that not a spectacle?
"Grains of sand, unworthy of my attention."
Was that not an impressive line?
"What adult would stoop to fight with children?"
Madara said this to the Five Kage, effortlessly asserting his superiority.
"Go tell the caster—Forbidden Jutsu isn't something to be used lightly."
And then Madara broke free from Edo Tensei by sheer willpower, showcasing his ultimate power.
Madara's strength was undeniable, shaking the ninja world to its core.
But just as undeniable was his flair for theatrics, constantly reveling in his own superiority.
Then there's Uchiha Sasuke, another reincarnation of Indra.
He's known for his own dramatic flair—fans have dubbed his style "The Art of Showmanship."
It's fitting. Naruto Uzumaki excels at talk-no-jutsu, while Sasuke is a master of show-no-jutsu.
The difference is that Sasuke didn't have Madara's overwhelming strength, which often led to his theatrics backfiring. For instance, during the Chunin Exams, Sasuke bragged that his Sharingan could see through everything—only to be smacked down by Rock Lee. Later, he tried to show off against Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, and was swiftly humiliated.
Even against the Third Raikage, Sasuke attempted to flaunt his power, only to be thoroughly beaten.
Looking back at Sasuke's many attempts at showmanship, one has to wonder: Was it really about showing off, or was he just setting himself up to get knocked down?
But leaving Sasuke's blunders aside, in this moment, Uchiha Akira stood alone against over two hundred Iwa-nin, not just holding his own but dominating the battlefield. It gave him a glimpse into the sheer joy Uchiha Madara must have felt in battle.
"Everyone, hold your ground! He's using the Eight Gates; he can't keep this up for long!"
Despite the overwhelming power Akira was displaying, Kitsuchi could only shout out orders to keep his troops' morale up.
The Iwa-nin knew what Kitsuchi meant—if they could just endure this onslaught, they might survive until Akira's Eight Gates technique wore off.
But how could they endure this?
Even though they were all at their limits, the Iwa-nin dug deep, mustering every last ounce of chakra they had left.
One by one, they began to erect Earth Release defensive jutsu.
In the hierarchy of jutsu types, Earth Release was particularly known for its defensive capabilities.
But against lightning, Earth crumbles. Seeing the Iwa-nin setting up their Earth Release defenses, Akira couldn't help but smirk. With a quick sequence of hand signs, the crackling sound of lightning filled the air as Akira charged up the S-rank Lightning Release technique, Chidori.
In a flash, Akira's speed was like lightning itself, and under the force of his Chidori, the Earth Release defenses crumbled like paper.
Ninjas and their earth barriers were effortlessly pierced through, one after another.
The display of sheer power left not only the Iwa-nin stunned but also the Konoha shinobi who were witnessing the spectacle.
"He's... so strong!"
Naruto Uzumaki, who had already mastered the Shadow Clone Jutsu, Rasengan, and even Summoning Jutsu, had always considered himself strong.
But watching Akira in the Seventh Gate, displaying such overwhelming power, Naruto couldn't help but feel a surge of awe.
It was clear to him now—if he wanted to compete with Akira for the title of Hokage, he still had a long way to go. He needed to keep pushing himself to become stronger.
"Naruto, you're the same age as that guy. Look at what he's doing, and then look at yourself!" Gamabunta, despite his own injuries, couldn't resist grumbling at Naruto.
"Don't worry, boss! I'll surpass him someday! I'm going to be Hokage!" Naruto replied, undeterred, his determination shining through.
"The Seventh Gate... It's incredibly powerful when combined with taijutsu, but when paired with ninjutsu, the results are even more devastating," Might Guy mused, watching Akira intently.
He never expected that the Eight Gates technique he had taught Akira would one day become something he would study, looking to learn from Akira's mastery.
He found himself analyzing Akira's use of the technique, pondering what he could incorporate into his own style.
Meanwhile, Kakashi's focus was on Akira's Chidori.
Where Guy was concerned with the Eight Gates, Kakashi's attention was entirely on the lightning technique.
Kakashi couldn't help but feel a pang of envy as he watched.
While it was true that Lightning Release had an advantage over Earth Release, Kakashi knew he couldn't replicate Akira's effortless piercing of the Earth defenses.
Why? It came down to chakra reserves.
Even with the same Chidori technique, the amount of chakra one could channel into it determined its ultimate power.
It was like driving the same car—how hard you pressed the accelerator made all the difference in speed.
The other Konoha shinobi, including Hiashi Hyuga, were similarly stunned by Akira's performance, watching as he seemed to single-handedly dominate the battlefield.
Opening the Seventh Gate, Uchiha Akira's power was terrifyingly immense.
No wonder he had been able to kill the Third Hokage. With this kind of strength, who in the ninja world could stand against him?
Even though the Seventh Gate didn't carry the same toll as the Eighth Gate, it still wasn't a state that could be maintained for long.
But Akira didn't need to sustain it for long. In just four or five minutes, another thirty to forty Iwa-nin fell to his relentless assault. He was like a machine, a relentless reaper of lives.
As those few minutes passed, Jiraiya finally completed the preparations for Sage Mode.
His face was adorned with even more toad-like markings, his features shifting slightly to resemble those of a toad. The powerful chakra that radiated from him was immense—Jiraiya's Sage Mode chakra felt nearly as powerful as Akira's in the Seventh Gate.
"This is Sage Mode? It really is powerful," Akira thought to himself, glancing at Jiraiya.
While Sage Mode's chakra might have seemed comparable to that of the Seventh Gate, Akira knew the difference. He couldn't maintain the Seventh Gate for long, and the aftereffects were severe. Sage Mode, on the other hand, had no such drawbacks.
Now that Jiraiya was ready, Akira decided it was time to step back, leaving the fight to him. He withdrew from the battle, passing the baton to Jiraiya.
With renewed vigor, Jiraiya charged forward, launching a combination jutsu with the two toad sages, Fukasaku and Shima. They unleashed the powerful Sage Art: Goemon.
With the strength of Sage Mode, combined with the power of the two toad sages, Jiraiya's attacks were like three Kage-level forces working in unison.
In an instant, the combination of Sage Arts brought devastating pain to the Iwa-nin, their screams echoing through the battlefield.
The Iwa-nin had fought so fiercely mainly because of their hatred for Uchiha Akira.
But now, with Akira stepping back and the equally formidable Jiraiya taking his place, the remaining two hundred or so Iwa-nin lost the will to fight.
Dragging their exhausted bodies, driven by the will to survive, they turned and fled for their lives.
Jiraiya, having spent four or five minutes preparing Sage Mode, wasn't about to let them go so easily. He immediately gave chase.
Seeing this, Akira felt a wave of relief and deactivated the Eight Gates.
Immediately, it was as if all the energy had been drained from his body. Akira collapsed to the ground, his muscles screaming in pain, his bones aching as if they were crying out in agony.
The man who had just been a living embodiment of power now looked utterly drained and worn out.
His body had once again entered the half-crippled state that came with the aftereffects of the Eight Gates.
"Looks like the timeline here is much earlier than in the original series. Jiraiya's Sage Mode still isn't fully mastered—it took him four or five minutes just to prepare," Akira thought to himself, his body aching.
"If I hadn't held them off with the Seventh Gate, we wouldn't have lasted long enough for him to enter Sage Mode."
"Then again, even in the original series, Jiraiya's Sage Mode never seemed fully perfected."
As he lay there, every muscle in his body screaming, Akira couldn't help but reflect on Jiraiya's long preparation time for Sage Mode. He sighed, his thoughts laced with a hint of frustration.
**********
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Uchiha Akira lay sprawled out, looking like he had completely given up. After a while, Jiraiya returned, inquiring about the situation.
The pursuit had resulted in even more Iwa-nin being taken down. The once confident group that had charged out of their base, dead set on killing Uchiha Akira, had been reduced to just a few dozen survivors who managed to escape.
Though Kakashi and the others were all injured and everyone's chakra was nearly depleted, the fact that not a single one of them died, while nearly wiping out a force of five hundred Iwa-nin, was a truly remarkable feat.
"It seems we'll need to coordinate with the vanguard forces next," Shikaku Nara said after a brief rest, assessing everyone's condition. It was quite something for a squad of just nine people to take down over four hundred out of a two-thousand-strong Iwa-nin vanguard.
This accomplishment, no matter where it was measured, was nothing short of extraordinary.
However, this loss wasn't crippling for Iwagakure. They still had around two thousand shinobi left in the construction base. At this point, it was beyond what their small team could handle on their own.
"By now, the reinforcements should have reached the borders of the Land of Wind," Akira chimed in after Shikaku spoke. "If the Land of Wind hasn't deployed a large force to the border, most of the reinforcements should be heading toward the border with the Land of Earth."
Their nine-man squad was just a reconnaissance team, meant to gather intelligence on the border situation. After all, the other three great ninja villages were only testing the waters against Konoha, not yet fully committing to war.
At the same time, Konoha had sent three thousand elite shinobi to follow closely behind Akira and his team. The Land of Wind had shown a firm response, which was the best strategy to counter the probing from the other villages.
Who would have thought Iwagakure would directly deploy over two thousand shinobi?
Given the situation, Konoha had no choice but to respond with equal force.
Now, the other great ninja villages were eyeing Konoha, believing it to be weakened and ripe for the taking. If Konoha were to stick with the appeasement policy of the Third Hokage, it would only encourage the other villages to think of Konoha as an easy target.
Therefore, it was crucial for Konoha to show its strength at this moment.
"For the next few days, we should focus on recovering from our injuries. Especially you, Akira, given your current condition…" Jiraiya turned his attention to Akira, who should have been incapacitated after opening the Seventh Gate, and suggested he leave the front lines.
"Restore my chakra level," Akira thought, even as he knew Jiraiya had his best interests at heart. But he hadn't even completed half of his mission to show Konoha's strength on the border—how could he retreat now? What would that do to his reputation?
Originally intending to hold back his trump card for later, Akira decided to use it now. In an instant, his injuries vanished completely, and his chakra was fully replenished.
Where he had just been lying on the ground, looking like a wreck, he was now standing up, full of energy.
"No need, I'm fine now," Akira said, shaking his head and interrupting Jiraiya.
"Wha—what…" Jiraiya stared at Akira, who had suddenly gone from nearly crippled to full health, as if someone had grabbed him by the throat, cutting off his words.
The others around them were equally shocked, staring at Akira in disbelief.
He had just opened the Seventh Gate, yet he was completely unscathed? How was that possible?
"He… he didn't die after opening the Eighth Gate before, and now he's instantly recovered after opening the Seventh Gate?"
"What on earth is going on? Has he found a way to avoid the aftereffects of the Eight Gates, or is there some other secret?"
The most stunned of all was undoubtedly Might Guy. After opening the Seventh Gate, he was completely drained of chakra and his body was aching all over. Seeing Akira standing there, Might Guy couldn't help but feel a mixture of shock and envy.
"Akira, how did you recover so quickly?" Naruto asked, his curiosity overriding any hesitation. The suddenness of Akira's recovery was too surprising, so Naruto didn't hesitate to ask directly.
"This? Let's just say it's a little secret of mine," Akira replied frankly. He wasn't about to reveal his golden finger. It was his greatest advantage, and if someone found out, it could be used against him.
"Alright…" Naruto, though curious, respected Akira's choice not to elaborate, and didn't press further.
Afterward, the Konoha shinobi discussed their next steps. Kakashi was severely injured, Might Guy was out of chakra, and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio were all carrying various injuries.
Hiashi Hyuga was in the best shape, but his Byakugan was needed to keep an eye on the Iwa-nin's movements.
After some discussion, they decided that Jiraiya should go contact Konoha's elite forces to bring reinforcements to the border of the Land of Earth.
To move Konoha's elite troops, someone with sufficient rank and authority was required. Only Akira or Jiraiya could do that.
But Akira, as the overall leader of this mission, needed to stay on the front lines at the border.
"How long until you return?" Akira asked Jiraiya, knowing there was no other choice but to let him go and coordinate with the vanguard forces.
"Don't worry. At my speed, I should be back in three or four days, five or six at the most," Jiraiya replied, reassuring Akira.
Akira felt a bit relieved at this. Based on his earlier life simulation, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, would attempt to ambush him in about half a month.
With Jiraiya gone, it wasn't ideal, but knowing he would return before Onoki made his move was a comfort.
Jiraiya set off, while Akira and the others found a secluded spot near the border to rest and recover, giving Kakashi and the others time to heal.
When Konoha's vanguard forces arrived, it would mark the beginning of a full-scale war with Iwagakure. The outcome of this battle would directly influence how the other ninja villages viewed Konoha.
This battle had to be won, and it had to be a decisive victory.
Every day at the border, Yamanaka Inoichi would use his sensory abilities to keep tabs on the Iwa-nin. Fortunately, after their defeat, the Iwa-nin hadn't made any aggressive moves or attempted to cross the border into the Land of Fire.
During these two days, Akira couldn't help but feel a bit anxious.
He only had about four hundred thousand ryo left before leaving the village, and after receiving three million ryo for mission expenses, he had spent two million on Military Ration Pills.
Adding in the costs of food, lodging, and other expenses along the way, even being as frugal as possible, he had burned through another three hundred thousand ryo.
Now, Akira had just over a million ryo left.
If he needed to spend more on Military Ration Pills, he would soon be out of money. But without them, what would he do if he found himself in a situation where he needed to recover instantly?
Moreover, the current situation at the border was already deviating from what he had simulated in his previous life.
This meant that the upcoming events might not unfold as predicted.
Not knowing what to expect made Akira uneasy.
"So… how much money do you all have?" After considering for a while, Akira asked the group.
"Money?" The sudden question took everyone by surprise, but they each responded.
Kakashi mentioned that the Hatake family still had some wealth, so he usually carried around ten or so million ryo.
Might Guy admitted that he didn't have much money, as being a jonin had its own expenses and his family wasn't particularly wealthy.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio and Hiashi Hyuga were all heads of their respective clans, so they were well-off, but no one carried a large amount of cash on them at all times.
"So, if we need to spend more, we might be in trouble even for basic necessities?"
"I have some money. I've got around eight hundred thousand ryo," Naruto suddenly said, revealing that he had quite a bit of cash.
"What? How do you have so much money?" Akira looked at Naruto in surprise.
He had thought Naruto would be the poorest among them, but now it turned out he was the richest.
"Well, the villagers have been treating me really well lately, so I haven't had to spend much on food and such."
"Plus, the village said that some of the properties originally belonged to the Uzumaki clan, so they've been giving me quite a bit of revenue," Naruto explained.
The assets of the Uzumaki clan naturally should go to Naruto, as the last bearer of the clan's bloodline. Though he was still too young to manage all of it, he was given enough to ensure he never had to worry about money again.
"I see. So after the recent changes, Naruto has become a proper rich kid!" Akira realized.
Naruto wasn't the same kid who used to struggle just to get by.
The others, including Kakashi, nodded in agreement. At least in this regard, Akira was handling things far better than the Third Hokage had.
Back in the day, when the Uzumaki clan's assets were passed down from Mito Uzumaki, the wife of the First Hokage, only a small portion was left for Kushina Uzumaki. After her death, the rest went to Konoha.
At least now, Akira had given some of it back to Naruto.
With Naruto's funds, they wouldn't have to worry about food or lodging. Akira decided to begin his third life simulation. A million ryo vanished, and the simulation began…
********
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