In a flash of lightning and chakra, Hatake Kakashi's Raikiri pierced straight through the chest of the red-armored man standing before him—Leo.
Sparks danced off his glove as his Sharingan, revealed beneath his hitai-ate, spun rapidly in his left eye, reflecting the deadly blow.
"Kakashi, nice work!" Might Guy shouted enthusiastically, cheering from the side.
But just as victory seemed at hand—
Poof!
The body Kakashi had struck dissolved into a puff of white mist.
A shadow clone?!
Kakashi's heart dropped.
"What?! Damn it!"
Realizing his mistake, he immediately attempted to retreat—but it was too late.
Shwip—
In the blink of an eye, a tall red figure appeared right in front of him.
Boom!!
A devastating strike landed—blood sprayed through the air.
With terrifying precision, Leo reached forward and, without hesitation, gouged the Sharingan from Kakashi's left eye.
"Ahhh!!" Kakashi cried out, clutching his face in agony.
"Kakashi!!" Might Guy, Yuhi Kurenai, Asuma, and the others nearby shouted in alarm. They rushed toward him, but they were too far—too slow.
Leo held the bleeding Sharingan in his palm, a smile curling across his face as he looked at his prey.
"When a mantis stalks the cicada… it forgets about the oriole behind it."
He whispered this with a smirk, stepping forward again without pause. In his other hand, his sickle gleamed menacingly as it swung toward Kakashi's exposed neck.
Though Kakashi was a powerful Elite Jōnin—one of the best in Konoha—he now stood, injured and unguarded, before someone who wielded the power of Uchiha Madara himself.
There was no contest.
At that moment, Kakashi seemed like a helpless child. His body trembled—not from fear, but from helplessness.
He couldn't dodge in time.
He couldn't raise his hand.
He couldn't stop the sickle.
The blade raced toward his neck.
"KAKASHI!!"
Asuma, Shikaku, Kurenai, and the others shouted in unison, helpless as they watched the inevitable death of their comrade.
Even Might Guy, despite opening the Sixth Gate of the Eight Inner Gates, could not reach him in time.
BOOM!!!
Suddenly, a powerful kick landed—sending Leo flying backwards like a missile crashing through steel.
The sickle missed Kakashi's throat by mere inches.
"Wha—!?"
Kakashi blinked, still alive.
A graceful figure now stood in front of him, shielding him.
Kakashi looked up, blood running down his face, and saw a familiar silhouette: strong, elegant, fierce.
"…Fifth Hokage… Lady Tsunade!"
Tsunade, wearing her signature grey-green haori, glared at the direction Leo had been kicked. She immediately knelt by Kakashi's side, pressing her glowing palm over his eye socket.
"Damn it… his Sharingan was taken," she muttered as healing chakra surged from her hand.
"…I'm sorry, Lady Tsunade," Kakashi said weakly. "The enemy… he's likely…"
"Uchiha Madara, isn't it?" Tsunade completed the sentence before he could.
Kakashi nodded.
Just then—
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
Dozens of figures landed on the rooftop one after another.
Might Guy, Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi, and several elite Jōnin had finally arrived, followed closely by Konoha's elite Anbu troops.
Mitarashi Anko, who had gone to warn Tsunade earlier, was now back on the field as well.
"Kakashi, are you alright?" Might Guy rushed over, kneeling beside him.
"Hokage-sama!" The rest bowed to Tsunade.
"Everyone," Tsunade barked out, not wasting a second. "Prepare for battle and remain alert!"
"Yes!" dozens of voices echoed back.
The entire rooftop turned into a defensive formation, eyes narrowing toward the destruction below.
From the ruins of a crumbled building:
BOOM!!
A massive, glowing blue skeletal hand erupted from the debris, scattering concrete and steel like confetti.
From the dust emerged Leo—unscathed, standing tall, his body protected by the first phase of Susanoo.
In one hand, he held his weapon—a long, wicked sickle. In the other, he held the freshly taken Sharingan.
Not just any Sharingan—this was the one that once belonged to Uchiha Obito, Kakashi's former friend.
The eye glimmered ominously.
Whoosh—
The Sharingan disappeared from Leo's palm, vanishing into the storage space of his internal Achievement Sign-in System.
Inside the mysterious system's storage:
Box 1: Uchiha Fan
Box 2: Three Tomoe Sharingan ×9
Box 3: Ōtsutsuki Ashura's Flesh and Blood
Box 4: Red Armor ×9999
Box 5: Kamui Sharingan · Left Eye
The sickle, too, had been drawn from this strange, unlimited system.
"It's really… Susanoo…" Tsunade muttered, her expression darkening as she eyed the blue skeletal structure protecting Leo.
Meanwhile, Kakashi's injuries had stabilized. Though his Sharingan was gone, Tsunade's medical ninjutsu had stopped the bleeding and eased the pain.
"Stay back. I'll handle him," she said firmly.
Then, in an unexpected move, Leo let the blue chakra armor of Susanoo fade away.
He stepped forward casually, no longer hiding his face, no longer wearing his mask.
His aura alone made the air heavier.
"That posture… that chakra…"
"It's exactly like the Uchiha Madara statue at the Valley of the End!" gasped one of the Anbu.
Tsunade tensed.
"Who the hell are you…?" she asked, her voice steady, but her hands clenched.
Leo looked at her, eyes gleaming with Mangekyō Sharingan.
"I heard while walking through this village… that Hashirama's granddaughter had become the Fifth Hokage," he said calmly, almost with amusement.
"Are you that woman?"
His words felt casual. But the malice beneath them was unmistakable.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes.
"So what if I am?" she replied, standing tall. "Whoever you are… I suggest you leave Konoha immediately."
"Otherwise, you'll face the full strength of this village."
There was no hesitation in her voice—but inside, she was uncertain. This opponent radiated power she hadn't felt in years.
Leo's gaze darkened. He lifted his sickle, scarlet eyes still fixed on her.
"I just want to know…"
He grinned slowly.
"…how much strength did you inherit from that guy—Senju Hashirama?"
With that, Leo shot forward like a crimson bolt of lightning.
"He's coming!" shouted one of the Jōnin.
"Defend Hokage-sama!" cried another.
"Engage the target!" Tsunade ordered.
Instantly, a wave of Anbu elites rushed toward the charging Leo.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Within seconds, more than a dozen Anbu were sent flying backward—blood trailing behind them as they were launched like ragdolls.
The sound of bodies slamming into concrete echoed across the rooftop.
"Ahhh!" one of the ninja screamed as Leo, faster than the eye could track, swung his sickle down in a deadly arc.
Clang!
An Anbu tried to block him with a katana—but the sickle deflected it with ease.
Slash!
The counterattack was merciless.
The Anbu ninja was bisected at the waist.
Blood sprayed across the battlefield.
"Pull back! Form a perimeter!" Asuma shouted, coordinating the others.
But Leo kept advancing.
His red armor gleamed. His speed was unmatchable. His presence—terrifying.
And in the center of it all stood Tsunade, watching him approach, her chakra rising.
She knew…
This wouldn't be an easy fight.
But she had to stand firm.
For Konoha.
For her grandfather.
For every comrade that Leo had hurt.