The front lines of Konohagakure had suffered a crushing defeat, and the supreme commander, Senju Momoka, was on the brink of death. The entire frontline camp was shrouded in a heavy atmosphere. They had sealed off all information to the outside world and fortified their position, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving without strict orders. If not for Senju Momoka's personal decree, neither Kakuzu nor Sakumo would have been allowed inside.
As for why Momoka had given such an order—it was simple. She wanted to see the people she was familiar with one last time before leaving this world.
Uzumaki Mito, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Mitokado Homura… all of them were fighting their own battles on different fronts, unable to return. But she had the chance to witness the rising genius of Konohagakure, Sakumo. And Kakuzu. For Senju Momoka, that was enough.
"Momoka-sama…"
Sakumo's voice trembled slightly. He would never forget what he had been taught in the Academy—
A shinobi must always prioritize the mission above all else. A shinobi must learn to conceal their emotions. A shinobi must never be swayed by personal feelings.
He had memorized these teachings well. Yet, when faced with the imminent loss of someone so familiar, an unbearable sense of sorrow welled up in his heart. He couldn't help but question—was the success or failure of a mission ever truly more important than a comrade's life?
In that moment, the rigid doctrines he had followed all his life clashed violently with his own emotions. If the same situation were to happen again, what choice would he make?
"Sakumo."
Momoka looked at him with a faint smile. The final words she left him were simple:
"Live well. You will become a great shinobi."
Sakumo nodded silently, stepping aside.
Then, Momoka's gaze fell upon Kakuzu, who moved closer to her bedside.
With his enhanced Hashirama cells, Kakuzu's perception had become incredibly sharp—especially when it came to sensing the ebb and flow of life. He didn't need to check her pulse to know that Senju Momoka's life force was rapidly fading. The wounds she had sustained in battle were simply too severe. No amount of advanced medical ninjutsu could save her now.
It reminded him of the past—of Hyuga Tennin, and Hashirama Senju himself. No matter how powerful a shinobi was, in this war-torn world, none could escape fate's cruel judgment.
"Momoka, about before… thank you."
On the battlefield of White Tree Town, nearly ten thousand shinobi from Sunagakure and Iwagakure had fought tooth and nail. Had they desired, the town could have been razed to the ground countless times over. The only reason Kakuzu's laboratory had remained intact was because Senju Momoka, upon learning of its existence, had resolutely deployed a squad to protect it.
Momoka naturally understood what Kakuzu was referring to, but to her, it was a trivial matter. Just a simple gesture.
Looking at him, her gaze softened with nostalgia.
"Kakuzu… how many years has it been? You haven't changed at all."
"And you," Kakuzu replied, "are as beautiful and sentimental as ever."
Hearing his words, Momoka chuckled softly. She knew it was nothing more than a dying person's comfort, yet she still found joy in it. Having survived from the Warring States Period to now, she couldn't help but envy Kakuzu. His body remained the same as when they first met, while she had long been weathered by time.
She had some theories about the nature of his abilities, but she chose not to voice them.
Instead, she simply looked at him and, after a long silence, murmured, "We… have grown old."
Kakuzu nodded, half-kneeling beside her bed.
Time had flown by—decades in the blink of an eye.
Though he appeared unchanged, the truth was, he had already lived far beyond a normal lifespan. In the Warring States Period, the average life expectancy was barely thirty. The establishment of shinobi villages had undoubtedly prolonged people's lives, but in this world, even reaching fifty was considered elderly.
For decades, Kakuzu had spent most of his life in pursuit of strength, unraveling the mysteries of ninjutsu and survival. And Senju Momoka had done much the same, dedicating herself to her clan and village until the very end.
"Enough of this," Kakuzu said at last. "Leave the rest to me."
"Don't," she weakly shook her head. "This has nothing to do with you…"
She knew what he intended to do, but she didn't want him to take such risks.
Kakuzu stood up, offering her a rare, reassuring smile. "Don't worry."
Then, he turned his gaze toward the battlefield in the distance.
The chaos that had engulfed his territory was, in the end, the result of the three great powers clashing. While Konohagakure was part of the conflict, Momoka had chosen to shield his laboratory rather than destroy it. In the end, she had helped him more than she had harmed him.
And Kakuzu always repaid his debts.
Momoka's life was nearing its end, and there was nothing Kakuzu could do for her. Perhaps the only thing left was to honor the oldest tradition from the Warring States period—avenging the dead. That, at least, was something he could still do for her.
Kakuzu let Senju Momoka rest, then sought out the deputy commander of the camp to get an overview of the battlefield situation.
The mere mention of the ongoing war was enough to leave Konoha's higher-ups deeply anxious. After all, this war was a one-against-four struggle for Konoha.
On the front lines against Kumogakure, the battle was led by Danzo Shimura, Kagami Uchiha, and Torifu Akimichi. At this point, Kumogakure was under the rule of the Third Raikage. Whether he was reckless or not was debatable, but one thing was certain—during his tenure of over a decade, Kumogakure had aggressively expanded its military power, significantly increasing its ranks of shinobi. His efforts had not gone to waste either.
During the Second Great Ninja War, Kumogakure had finally demonstrated a staggering level of military strength. Even while facing both Konoha and Kirigakure simultaneously, they handled the war with ease, maintaining the upper hand despite being outnumbered.
It was in this context that the Third Raikage sent an invitation to Iwagakure, urging them to deploy forces and join the fight against Kirigakure. If Iwagakure agreed, Kumogakure would then be free to focus all its military might on Konoha, intensifying the pressure on them even further.
Fortunately for Konoha, their former ally, Iwagakure, did not respond to Kumogakure's request. Political tensions and strategic interests kept them from committing to the battle, a rare stroke of luck for Konoha in an otherwise dire situation.
Even so, Konoha had already invested a massive amount of military resources to counter Kumogakure's offensive. Over in the Land of Rain, Hiruzen Sarutobi had dispatched his three personal disciples in an attempt to keep Hanzo of the Salamander occupied.
As for the battles against Sunagakure and Iwagakure, Senju Momoka, Sakumo Hatake, and others had been deployed just to barely hold the western front together, preventing a complete collapse.
Now that Sunagakure's forces had finally retreated, it should have been a much-needed relief for Konoha. Yet, in an unexpected turn of events, the western army's supreme commander, Senju Momoka, had been gravely wounded.
And the one who struck her down was none other than Iwagakure's commander—"Gari."
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Read more than +100 chapters and support me on Patreon
Patreon(.)com/Jixo