Bang! Bang! Bang!
Sakiya was back at it again—crushing enemies like a game of whack-a-mole.
A Konoha ninja was on the brink of death, unable to fend off an Iwa shinobi.
BOOM!
A club slammed down on the Iwa shinobi's head. His body stiffened, eyes wide with shock, before collapsing to the ground.
Before the Konoha ninja could even process what had happened, Sakiya stood before him.
He barely had time to look grateful before she vanished in an instant, leaving only a cryptic message behind—
"Don't give up! Fight with the will of my Eye of Death!"
The Konoha ninja blinked in confusion.
"…What?"
"The Eye of Death?"
Across the battlefield, the same scene played out over and over.
Sakiya had become a one-woman rescue unit.
Wherever a Konoha ninja was in trouble, she appeared—smashing enemies aside with her oversized club, saving her comrades with ease.
Her incredible performance quickly caught the attention of the Iwa shinobi commanders.
One of them, a hardened Jonin named Okado, narrowed his eyes at her.
His forces were already retreating, but seeing her dominate the battlefield changed his mind.
"That girl… she must be Konoha's rising star."
A cruel grin spread across his face.
"Killing her will hit them where it hurts."
Okado forced back the Konoha ninjas near him, his attention locked on Sakiya.
If she loves saving people so much…
His eyes flicked to three nearby Konoha shinobi.
Then let's see if she can save them.
Signaling to his squad, two Iwa shinobi flanked the trio while Okado attacked from the front.
His expression was calm—unshaken.
The Konoha ninja in front of him raised a sword, slashing downward.
At the same time, the other two hurled kunai from the sides.
Okado smirked.
"Earth Style: Hardening."
"Earth Style: Rock Armor."
Thick stone plates covered his body, reinforcing his already hardened skin.
Kunai and blades struck him—but barely scratched the surface.
Gripping the incoming sword with his bare hand, Okado yanked the Konoha ninja forward while raising his other fist.
Jagged rocks coated his knuckles, the sheer force of his punch cutting through the air.
The Konoha ninja's heart pounded.
This is bad!
If that punch connected, it wouldn't just wound him—it would shatter his bones.
But just as Okado's fist was about to land—
THWACK!
A club swung out of nowhere, smashing into his arm from below.
The momentum sent his fist flying straight up into the sky.
Okado's eyes widened in shock.
"What the—?!"
Okado had been keeping an eye on Sakiya from the start.
But at this moment, he had no idea how she had suddenly appeared in front of him.
The three Konoha ninjas quickly took a few steps back, instinctively distancing themselves from the battle.
They were teammates and naturally grateful for Sakiya's intervention.
"Finally! Konoha's genius has arrived!"
Okado sneered.
Even though Sakiya had displayed incredible speed, he was convinced he could still drag her down with him.
But his confidence lasted only a second.
Because in the next instant—
She vanished.
A voice whispered from behind him.
"What are you looking at?"
Okado's body stiffened.
He turned his head just in time to see a massive club filling his entire field of vision.
In that moment, the only word in his mind was—
DEATH.
BOOM!
The club struck him square on the head with a loud crack.
His rock armor shattered instantly. His eyes rolled back, and his body was sent flying three meters before crashing straight into the ground.
BANG!
The earth split from the impact.
But Sakiya could still sense that he wasn't completely unconscious.
Without hesitation, she dashed forward, raising her club high.
Okado barely managed to open his eyes—only to see Sakiya staring down at him with sharp, gleaming eyes.
"Eye of Death! Death! Death! Death!"
She chanted as she hammered down blow after blow.
Each strike sent his body jerking, twisting unnaturally.
Finally, when he stopped moving altogether, Sakiya lowered her club with a satisfied nod.
She wiped imaginary sweat from her brow and let out a dramatic sigh.
"Death trial—successful."
The three Konoha ninjas nearby stood frozen in shock.
"She's so strong!"
Sakiya grinned triumphantly, hands on her hips.
"Hmph! Of course, I am! I am the Eye of Death!"
"The Eye of Death is the strongest!"
—
Across the battlefield, Konoha ninjas had already taken notice of her.
Whether it was the large-scale illusion, the massive wave of fire that forced Iwa forces to retreat, or how she effortlessly took down a powerful enemy—Sakiya's performance was impossible to ignore.
Her dazzling display of strength drew the attention of Tsuchiya Tsukigami, Sakuragi, and several other ninjas nearby.
Those with experience on the battlefield knew one thing: sticking close to the strong meant a better chance of survival.
The battle ended swiftly. Though Iwa had the numbers, their strength was lacking.
This assault had only been a probing attack—meant to test Konoha's defenses rather than deliver a decisive blow.
But for Konoha, the operation had been a complete success.
As they surveyed the battlefield, the victorious Konoha forces erupted into cheers.
"We won!"
"Victory!"
"YEAH!!"
The loudest cheers came from the younger ninjas experiencing battle for the first time, while the more seasoned warriors remained cautious.
Then, someone started a chant.
"Long live the Eye of Death!"
One voice became many.
"The Eye of Death!"
"The Eye of Death!"
"The Eye of Death is the strongest!"
Sakiya beamed, arms akimbo, basking in the praise.
"Humans really are such amusing creatures… completely irresistible!"
Nearby, Kakashi watched in silence, his expression unreadable.
I hope this victory doesn't go to her head...
—
Three Days Later
At the border of the Land of Fire, inside the Iwa Shinobi camp—
Hōki sat inside the command tent, a deep frown on his face.
The report in his hands confirmed it: the entire raiding force had been wiped out.
"Konoha… as expected. Their response was faster than I anticipated."
A figure emerged from the shadows—an older man with a red nose.
"Regardless of Konoha's decline, they're still Konoha."
"If it had been that easy… I'd suspect a trap," the old man muttered.
Hōki turned to his father.
"Then, do we proceed with the original plan?"
Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, nodded.
"This attack was never meant to win us the war. It was just a signal."
"Our true objective lies elsewhere…"
"But we must also be wary of the Hidden Cloud. Though we've signed a treaty, they'd love nothing more than to watch us weaken Konoha—just so they can sweep in and take the spoils."
Hōki clenched his fists.
"Then we have no choice. We must move quickly and crush Konoha before they can mount a proper defense!"
Ōnoki smirked.
"Lō was sent for, wasn't he?"
Hōki nodded.
"He's eager for battle."
"Then let him enjoy himself."
______
Support me on patreon
patreon.com/Silver757