Start with a Zanpakuto and build the strongest Mist Village.

"Kumakuya has been routed and is fleeing. Konoha has won a great victory in this battle! Long live Konoha!"

Countless ninjas stared blankly at the raised Susanoo and the Konoha flag held aloft by it, their stunned expressions turning into wild joy after a few breaths.

"We win! We win!"

"Hahaha, we won! Konoha won!"

"Long live Konoha!"

"Long live the Uchiha clan! Long live Chief Fugaku!"

"Long live the Uchiha! Long live Konoha!"

The setting sun was like blood, and the cheers of countless ninjas echoed across the plains at dusk, reaching Fugaku's ears.

Upon hearing this sound, Fugaku, satisfied, dispersed his Susanoo, which had been pushed to its limit, and thought to himself, "I'm satisfied."

"Sure!"

Upon hearing this, Danzo, who was in the distance, turned even darker than the bottom of a pot, fueled by the great victory. His fists clenched, and his single exposed eye stared intently at Fugaku, a look of envy or disgust flickering within it.

After a long moment, he sighed.

Without a doubt, after this battle, no one can stop the Uchiha clan's status in the village, and as the clan leader and the greatest contributor to this battle, Uchiha Fugaku will rise to prominence!

"Spicy Balls..."

Chapter 173 The Resurrected Three-Tailed Beast!

"I never expected that Kumogakure would be defeated by Konoha, led by the Uchiha clan."

On an island in the Land of Water, Zabuza Momochi, who had already graduated from the Ninja Academy, pulled a kunai from the neck of a wandering ninja and said incredulously, "Are the Uchiha clan members that strong, Anko?"

"The Uchiha clan is indeed a very powerful ninja clan. It can even be said that it is one of the most powerful ninja clans in the entire Konoha and even the entire ninja world."

Anko, who was slightly younger than Zabuza, took the grilled fish that the snake had collected and that had just been grilled by the ninja. She wiped it off and stuffed it into her mouth, muttering indistinctly, "After all, Konoha was founded by the Uchiha and Senju clans. Now that the Senju clan is gone, the Uchiha clan has naturally become the strongest clan, right?"

"Of course, they can't compare to the Yuki clan in our village. After all, with the Fourth Hokage around, the Yuki clan is the most powerful force!"

"I am very sure of that!"

Speaking of the Fourth Hokage, Zabuza's expression revealed deep admiration: "Eternal Sister is the strongest!"

"We all know that Eternal is the strongest, but that's precisely why you all need to become stronger and catch up with her."

Kisame Hoshigaki appeared behind the two, revealing a mouthful of fangs.

"I remember you aimed to become the next generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, right, Zabuza? There are still quite a few vacancies among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, so your chances are very high."

"Of course! I am a genius personally praised by the Mizukage! I will definitely have a place among the future Seven Ninja Swordsmen!"

Looking at the confident Zabuza, the gluttonous Anko, and the silent Utakata in the corner, Kisame Hoshigaki grinned, feeling that the future of Kirigakure was full of hope.

Since officially establishing his relationship with Ayako, Kisame seems to have opened up a completely new way of life for Kirigakure and himself, looking at everything from a completely new perspective.

That world and life, which were originally shrouded in darkness, were now filled with endless radiance, as if dawn had broken.

Perhaps this is the magic of love?

Yoru noticed Kisame's change and granted him a long vacation for his honeymoon. However, Kisame was the kind of person who couldn't stay idle, and after only a month or two, he wanted to return to his post.

However, considering the changes in Ayako Mizuchi and Kisame at this stage, Yoru naturally did not allow him to return to the dark Kirigakure ANBU. Instead, he turned this Kirigakure elite into a Jonin instructor.

Yes, the three members of the small group they lead are Zabuza Momochi, Anko Mitarashi, and Hatake Awa!

"Alright, once things are sorted out, it's time to go back and hand over the reins... Hmm?!"

Kisame Hoshigaki clapped his hands, calling out to the three little ones who were destined to become the backbone of Kirigakure.

Before he could finish speaking, his expression suddenly turned serious, and without the slightest hesitation, he pulled out Samehada from behind his back!

Their tense expressions immediately made the three little ones realize that something unexpected had happened. They looked around warily, but the next moment, the trembling sea in the distance and the partial figures that were revealed made the three little ones freeze in shock.

The sharp, heavy shells emerged from the sea, and even though it was only a fleeting glimpse, the chakra they contained was so profound that it was beyond description.

That imposing aura left the three little ones frozen in place.

"This, this, this is..."

"Three tails!"

……

The essence of a tailed beast is a massive aggregate of chakra that splits off from the Ten-Tails of the Divine Tree. It is a special life form that is immortal as long as the chakra exists.

Even if they are defeated or killed, they will reassemble and revive after a period of time. This is why the tailed beasts can survive for thousands of years and live forever!

And the Three-Tailed Isobu was no exception.

Although this tailed beast disappeared on Mount Higashimatsu with the death of its jinchūriki, it has been resurrected three years later.

Although the past memories on Dongsong Mountain had long since vanished with death, the remaining hatred for humanity and the violent aura of negative energy in the reborn consciousness immediately occupied the head of this giant tortoise.

The enormous, thick-shelled tortoise roared to the sky, its deafening howl accompanied by a lash of its tail, instantly creating a storm of waves!

"This...this is a Tailed Beast...?"

The appearance of the three-tailed beast gave the three little ones an unparalleled spiritual shock, but Kisame behind them was not intimidated by it.

Kisame Hoshigaki held Samehada in one hand, biting it open with the other, and then formed a hand seal.

"Psychic art!"

Bang!

As the white smoke dissipated, a peculiar shark appeared in front of Kisame Hoshigaki, flapping its wings and tail.

Kisame took out a scroll and quickly wrote the special symbols of the Anbu on it with chakra. He then handed it to the shark, which swallowed it whole and disappeared in a puff of white smoke.

"You three should get away from here for now, be careful of the aftermath of the upcoming battle!"

War, the aftermath of the battle?

The three little ones were a bit stunned.

When encountering a wild Tailed Beast while on a mission in the wild, shouldn't you quickly retreat before the Tailed Beast notices you? Why is Kisame-sensei in a fighting stance?

"Stop standing there, get out of here!"

Utakata grabbed Zabuza and Anko and ran away into the distance. Once they were out of sight, Utakata released a bubble that enveloped the three of them and flew towards Kirigakure's territory.

Although this place is a large island, no island is safe if there are tailed beasts.

The existence of the three of them was purely a burden to Kisame Hoshigaki, so naturally they should retreat as far away as possible!

However, clever decisions often fail to be implemented smoothly. The blood aura emanating from the wiped-out wandering ninjas caught the attention of the newly resurrected giant turtle. At the same time, it also immediately saw Kisame, who possessed a massive amount of chakra, in front of it, as well as the three little ones flying away in bubbles in the distance.

Even without enough memories, the instinctive hatred for humanity in his heart, coupled with his recent rebirth and subconscious desire to display the majesty of his re-emergence, made him feel powerful.

This giant turtle actually raised its head, opened its mouth, and gathered countless terrifying chakra!

"asshole……"

Kisame Hoshigaki's expression was icy. Before the three little ones had completely moved away from this safe distance, he naturally couldn't allow the giant turtle to unleash a Tailed Beast Ball attack.

"Water Release: Shark Bullet Technique!"

Kisame's hands quickly formed hand seals, and a huge, transparent shark leaped out from beneath the sea, opening its massive mouth to meet the Three-Tails that had condensed its Tailed Beast Ball.

In just a moment, the Three-Tails, which was gathering its Tailed Beast Ball, discovered that its gathered chakra was being continuously devoured by a force. Immediately afterwards, a tremendous force struck from its abdomen, and countless chakra sharks surged and bit, trying to break through its thick defenses.

The three-tailed creature, who had initially planned to play a game of popping balloons, suddenly became enraged.

I am the Three-Tails, and you dare to attack me?!

"Roar!!"

The Three-Tails roared, its massive body moving with extraordinary agility in the water. Its giant tail lashed out, shattering countless chakra sharks in the water.

But then, a tremendous force came from its own tail, and the Three-Tails even felt its body being torn apart in that instant!

The intense pain made him instinctively struggle. When he looked closely, he saw a half-human, half-shark monster circling around him, as if it regarded him as prey and was ready to attack at any moment.

"What incredibly sweet chakra."

Kisame, who had already fused with Samehada, revealed a bloodthirsty smile. The chakra within him was already extremely vast. Although this chakra could not compare to that of the Three-Tails, it was not necessarily the case as the battle continued.

Moreover, this vast ocean environment is practically his natural hunting ground!

"During the Third Shinobi World War, our Hidden Mist Village lost both the Three-Tails and the Six-Tails. Although the village has developed quite well in recent years, how can a great ninja village without tailed beasts be considered a true great ninja village!"

"Surrender, Three-Tails!"

Kisame unleashed incredible speed in the water, attacking the Three-Tailed Beast fiercely like a shark that had caught the scent of its prey's blood.

In an instant, Kisame, moving at high speed, rushed to the front of the Three-Tails. Even though the Three-Tails contracted its limbs, preparing to use its hardest shell to block Kisame's attack, a slight weakness came from within the Three-Tails at the moment of collision.

Admittedly, the Three-Tails' defensive capabilities are among the best of the tailed beasts. Even the Nine-Tails would likely struggle to break through its thick turtle shell for quite some time. (This is the Three-Tails' own opinion.)

However, this turtle shell, which contains a massive amount of chakra, is Kisame's favorite prey.

Each of his attacks not only did not deplete his own energy, but he also drew countless amounts of chakra from the Three-Tails to strengthen himself, becoming stronger with each battle.

However, after several attacks, Kisame's chakra reserves and offensive power were greatly enhanced. His terrifying movement speed even created countless afterimages, as if he had suddenly transformed from a lone shark hunting alone into a school of dozens of sharks attracted by the scent of blood!

As time went on, the Three-Tails soon realized that something was wrong.

Kisame's attacks became increasingly powerful, causing cracks to appear not only in his thickest shell, but also, most importantly, he felt a sense of weakness!

It's true that tailed beasts have unlimited chakra, but that doesn't mean that the upper limit of a tailed beast's own chakra is unlimited. Rather, it means that while possessing a massive amount of chakra, it can also rapidly replenish it.

And now, he actually sensed that the amount of chakra in the half-human, half-shark creature in front of him was no less than his own.

How could such a thing be possible?!

"To think he could defeat a tailed beast single-handedly, Kisame is truly worthy of the name."

Several figures appeared on the shore. Hozuki Mangetsu watched the fierce battle in the sea with surprise and was filled with emotion.

The Three-Tails is extremely powerful in the sea. Even though his water transformation technique is greatly enhanced in this environment, his chances of winning against a monster like the Three-Tails are still not high.

However, Kisame was able to directly kill the Three-Tails in a one-on-one battle, which undoubtedly demonstrates Kisame's strength.

"Hmph, it's just because of Samehada's special properties." Ringo Ameyuri snorted lightly, somewhat unconvinced.

"It's not just because Samehada can absorb chakra. Among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist at this stage, Kisame is indeed the strongest."

Night arrived late, but her words made Ringo Ameyuri purse her lips, revealing a hint of resentment: "And Ameyuri, you've been quite lazy lately."

"I'm so sorry, Lord Ye!"

Ringo Ameyuri was struck dumb, and lowered her head deeply: "I will definitely work hard to become stronger! I will definitely not let you down!"

"boom!!"

The surging waves drowned out Yuri's voice. Kisame Hoshigaki, half-human and half-shark, with the help of a massive amount of chakra, actually blasted the injured Three-Tails out of the water and stepped on the head of the unconscious Three-Tails.

After the humans and merfolk separated, Kisame put away Samehada and breathed a sigh of relief. Then he noticed Yoru and the others.

"Mizukage-sama!"

"Well done, Kisame." Yoru glanced at Yuri, then made no attempt to hide his satisfaction with Kisame: "You've grown to the point where you can protect Kirigakure from the wind and rain."

"Lord Mizukage, you flatter me."

Kisame grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth: "It just so happens to be this giant turtle. If it were a tailed beast, or even the Six-Tails, I probably wouldn't be able to handle it."

"But speaking of which, what are you planning to do with this three-tailed creature...?"

"It."

Yoru glanced at the unconscious Three-Tails, drew his Zanpakuto from his waist with his left hand, and, to the astonishment of those around him, slashed at the Three-Tails.

An endless chill surged forth, and the Three-Tails, which had just been resurrected, was instantly frozen by the chill under this attack, then shattered with a crash, dying once more.

"Lord Mizukage, this is..."

Kisame was caught off guard. He had been wondering who Yoru would become the Three-Tails' jinchūriki, but Yoru had actually killed the Three-Tails!

Wouldn't this mean that Kirigakure has once again entered a state without tailed beasts?!

"I understand your thoughts, Kisame. The Three-Tails is indeed a great help, but in order to thwart the schemes of some people, we must ensure the disappearance of the Tailed Beasts." Yoru sheathed his Zanpakuto, listening to the points reward in his ear, and said softly, "Besides, Kirigakure no longer needs Tailed Beasts to prove its strength, does it?"

This……

Kisame and everyone present paused slightly, and a soft sigh escaped their lips.