At present, Iwagakure had suffered minimal losses—a rare and fortunate outcome amidst the mounting chaos of war. Because of this, they now had the strength to mobilize five thousand shinobi against the Hidden Leaf Village.
It was a bold move. But it wasn't just the numbers that mattered—it was timing.
"We can go directly for their village now," Tsuchikage Arano muttered, standing alone in his office, gazing over the maps of the Five Great Nations. "Thanks to our minimal losses, we have the opportunity to strike them head-on. Before they regain their footing."
Arano's brown eyes narrowed.
"Konoha may have stabilized… but the moment we attack, the other villages will see their chance. They'll pounce."
And when they did, Iwa would already be one step ahead. But for that to happen—they would need him.
"The shinobi of Iwagakure will need their Tsuchikage to lead them into victory… and I will oblige. I must win this war. No matter the cost."
There was no more doubt in his heart. Arano had made up his mind. His strategy was perfect. His resolve, unshakable.
Now, it was time.
He turned away from the tactical map and walked toward the door.
"There's something I must do first," he whispered.
Arano left the Tsuchikage's bureau and stepped into the long, echoing corridor of the residence. The polished stone walls and dim lighting gave the place a heavy, ancient feeling. Despite having lived here for years, there were still parts of the complex he hadn't explored—sealed sections, restricted wings, and lower levels that only the Tsuchikage could access.
But today, he knew exactly where he was going.
He descended deeper and deeper, each step taking him farther from the surface, away from the light and the world above. Eventually, he arrived at the deepest level of the Tsuchikage residence—a level known to only a few.
This was where Iwa's most classified secrets were kept—ancient scrolls, forbidden techniques, experimental jutsu, and weapons of war. Yet Arano didn't stop at the archives.
He turned away from the vault and walked down a different, narrower corridor.
At the end was a large sealed door, covered in seals and reinforced by chakra-infused metal. Arano formed a specific sequence of hand seals—fast, precise, and unique. The seals glowed briefly before the heavy door creaked open.
He stepped through without hesitation. The door closed behind him with a hiss.
The hallway beyond was dimly lit by flickering lamps barely strong enough to illuminate the path. But Arano didn't need light. He knew this place.
He continued walking, his footsteps echoing faintly, before descending a long staircase that seemed to spiral downward endlessly.
At last, he reached the bottom.
The room before him was wide, circular, and built from thick layers of concrete and steel—like a bunker. It was empty. Sterile. Silent. But it had a purpose.
Arano stepped into the center and exhaled slowly.
"These stairs felt like they'd never end," he muttered to himself. "But now… I can finally use it."
From within his flak vest, he pulled out a small black case. Inside was a syringe filled with a glowing, unnatural substance—a shifting mix of violet and sickly green.
"This… was made specially for me. By our lead scientist," Arano whispered.
The serum pulsed faintly, as if alive.
"It looks disgusting… but if I want to survive this war and if I want to crush Konoha and any other village that stands in my way , I will need more power. And that means taking risks."
He paused, staring at the syringe.
"Some would say this place is the worst place to inject myself with something so unstable. If something goes wrong… no one will find me in time. No one will help me."
He smiled grimly.
"But that's exactly why I came here. If I collapsed in my office, word would spread like wildfire. A weakened Tsuchikage would attract every rat and traitor hiding in Iwa."
He clenched his jaw.
"No. Better to risk it here. Alone. Undisturbed."
He rolled up his sleeve and brought the needle to his arm.
"No more hesitation."
The Tsuchikage pressed the syringe into his flesh and injected the serum slowly. Every drop. The vial emptied with a soft click. He tossed it aside, the empty syringe clattering against the floor.
He waited.
Nothing.
"…Tch. If this doesn't work," Arano muttered, irritation growing, "I swear—someone's getting reassigned to the frontlines against Konoha."
He turned, ready to leave.
But then it hit him.
A sudden, overwhelming wave of heat surged through his body.
"Ugh…! What—what the hell—" Arano gasped, stumbling forward as his legs buckled beneath him.
A crushing nausea struck him, and his heart began to pound wildly, the rhythm erratic and violent. Then came the pain—a sharp, burning agony that tore through his chest and limbs.
His skin felt like it was being peeled off, raw and exposed. His eyes blurred, and the light around him vanished.
"Urghhh—ahhh!" Arano groaned, collapsing to the cold floor.
Darkness swallowed him.
Blinded. Broken. Trapped in a circle of torture, with no way out.
And yet, in those fading moments of consciousness, a voice echoed in his mind. The voice of the lead scientist.
"This serum is made for you, Tsuchikage. Only you can withstand it. I've limited its effects—if it acted at full force, your body would be torn apart by the mutations. But with time, your strength will grow beyond anything known in the shinobi world."
"Limited?!" Arano mentally screamed. "This feels like pain plus! Not limited at all!"
Then—blackness.
He lost consciousness.
But the process had begun.
Even while unconscious, Arano's body was changing. The serum had activated his cells, altering his DNA, enhancing his chakra networks, bolstering his regenerative ability, muscle density.
It was not a massive transformation—not yet. But even this small boost would make him stronger than most.
And it was only the beginning.
Time passed.
Then, slowly… his eyes opened.
"Ughhh… my head… feels like I drank with Onoki again," he groaned.
He sat up, groaning, blinking.
And then he remembered.
"The injection… the serum… Yessss!" Arano laughed, his voice echoing in the chamber. "It worked. Of course it worked."
He stood up slowly, testing his limbs. His chakra felt denser. Faster. Sharper.
A smile crept across his face.
"With this kind of power… I can do anything. But this is only the first step. I won't stop here."
He clenched his fist.
"I will become the Second and Last Tsuchikage Iwagakure will ever have. All those clans scheming behind my back, all those who dream of taking my place—they can keep dreaming."
He turned toward the stairs, walking with renewed strength.
"It's only a matter of time before I have already mastered the strongest jutsu this world has ever seen… and when is the right time , I will rule not just Iwa—but the entire shinobi world."
He stopped at the top of the stairway, glancing back once.
"But first… I have a war to prepare."