You were the target from the start!

Two bolts of lightning struck, exploding directly in front of Tōka.

Bang! Bang!

As two muffled sounds rang out, the two Cloud Ninja Shadow Guard members who had appeared in Body Flicker Technique were struck squarely by lightning bolts falling from the sky.

Thump...

The two men, their eyes unfocused, collapsed to the ground simultaneously, raising a cloud of dust, and then fell silent.

And... there won't be any more sounds.

"You idiot who can't tell the difference between friend and foe." Tōka slowly withdrew his gaze and landed on Ōnoki, who was floating high in the sky. The power of Dust Release was not to be underestimated.

Relying on his ability to fly, Ōnoki's audacity in infiltrating the Kumogakure on his own is truly extraordinary.

In fact, there is another point that Ōnoki relies on: this is inside Kumogakure, and it is also near the Raikage Building.

The Raikage dared not launch a large-scale attack, fearing that an overly powerful assault might harm the villagers.

In short, the Raikage would absolutely not unleash his ultimate attack until all the civilians in the village had been evacuated, and Ōnoki was relatively safe until then.

However, Tōka is not the Raikage; he wouldn't consider the survival of Kumogakure.

Rumble!!

Under the cover of night, thunder roars and roars, sometimes piercing the sky and illuminating the night, sometimes crashing down from the sky onto the eaves, rooftops, and stone walls.

It shattered the solid rock, sending fragments flying in all directions.

The group nimbly dodged behind a low wall, using the buildings as cover to avoid the lightning strikes.

Only one person...

Before the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, Ōnoki, had even fallen from the sky, several Earth Clone appeared around Ōnoki's body, hovering above his head amidst the dense lightning strikes.

Every lightning bolt that struck hit the Earth Clone.

It's safe in the short term.

However, Tōka wouldn't give him a chance to find a way to leave!

"Get down here!"

With a low shout, Tōka suddenly stretched out one hand, his five fingers forming a claw as he grasped at the air, then tightened his grip.

A powerful suction force emanated from his palm!

Ōnoki's body stiffened, and then he crashed down like a plucked pheasant. No matter how he used the Ultra-Light-Weight Rock Technique, he could not make his body float in the air.

His body and Tōka's hand were like two magnets attracting each other.

Call out!

As Ōnoki plummeted, a cold glint flashed in Tōka's eyes. His other hand was not idle either; a point of lightning flickered at his fingertip like a flame.

Twelve years ago, on the Battlefield in the Land of Earth, when Tōka was still in the Team Minato.

In an attempt to disrupt Iwagakure's supply lines, Tōka and Minato infiltrated the Land of Earth, only to be ambushed and killed by Ōnoki's Elite Ninja Troops.

That Dust Release, brimming with the power to destroy the world...

Tōka will never forget!

It was on that occasion when Ōnoki showed no mercy that he awakened the Genjutsu- type Kekkei Mōra — the Six Harmonies Divine Technique!

It is impolite not to reciprocate, and this generous gift, though given some time ago, is a fitting tribute.

But...

You'll like it, Ōnoki!

Rumble!!

Lightning flashed and thunder roared in the endless dark sky, and streaks of dazzling electricity ripped across the horizon, illuminating Ōnoki's bluish-purple old face.

"What's going on? You, you're not..." Ōnoki desperately pushed his body to its limits, his last chakra surging out wildly.

He stretched out his arms, palms loosely clenched.

A cluster of increasingly dazzling white cube-shaped light condensed, and the Dust Release: Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique could turn all matter enveloping the light sphere into dust.

Lightning struck, and a white beam shot into the sky.

The two terrifying forces collided mercilessly, but the expected violent energy fluctuations did not occur.

That place was strangely calm, and the surroundings were deathly silent.

Under the inky darkness of night, amidst the hazy curtain of rain.

Two terrifying energies collided violently, seemingly canceling each other out, and vanished into thin air in an eerie stillness.

"Dust Release actually destroyed this Sage Art Lightning Release, which incorporates the power of nature?" A solemn look flashed in Tōka's eyes; the power of Dust Release was immense.

However, he still underestimated this so-called Kekkei Tōta, which is above all Kekkei Genkai.

Ōnoki breathed a sigh of relief, but his whole body slumped down, his face turned pale and his body felt weak. A wave of dizziness washed over him.

This is a typical reaction to overconsumption!

"Oh no, I'm running out of chakra."

Ōnoki gritted his teeth, a glint of light flashing in his cloudy eyes, and a hint of retreat could be seen in his flickering gaze.

After battling the Raikage and a group of powerful Cloud Ninja for nearly an hour, Ōnoki successfully held off the Raikage, buying time for the Stone Ninja in the southwest.

However, his energy expenditure was also considerable, and he now has less than one-tenth of his chakra remaining.

"Trying to run away?" Tōka, who was not far away, noticed Ōnoki's evasive gaze and saw through his thoughts at a glance.

Can you escape?

How fast is lightning?

Ōnoki's prediction was correct; the moment he saw Tōka raise his hand, he immediately released the Dust Release Secret Technique above his head.

It wasn't after Tōka's Jutsu Formula to draw lightning that he was able to escape unscathed.

However, things didn't turn out so simply afterward.

Behind Tōka, who was dressed in a black robe, strange runes flickered in the Void, the space was torn apart, and a black Vortex appeared before everyone's eyes.

Ōnoki's pupils contracted sharply; he could clearly sense the spatial fluctuations.

"There's absolutely no mistake, this is Space-Time Ninjutsu!"

Looking across the Ninja World, Ōnoki couldn't think of anyone else who could perform Space-Time Ninjutsu; this person was definitely not an unknown figure...

Buzz!

With a low murmur, the mysterious figure, shrouded in a black robe, disappeared into the Black Vortex, his aura instantly drifting away into the distance.

A lightning strike can be avoided by using houses and rocks as cover.

Several bolts of lightning can also be neutralized using Dust Release.

So...

Hundreds of them?

Thousands of them?

Even...

Sage Art: Ten Thousand Thunder Purgatory!

"Release!" Tōka, who had quickly moved away from Kumogakure, stood atop a high peak, clasped his hands together, and completely released the Lightning Prison Jutsu Formula.

Rumble...

Countless flashes of lightning and thunder streaked across the inky night sky, resembling pale little snakes writhing on the backdrop.

"In the past, you floated in the air, unleashing Earth Release Secret Technique) with your hands, while I could only flee in a sorry state through the Forest."

"Today, you still float in mid-air, your hands clutching the last beam of white light, while I stand in a much higher place..."

Tōka looked down expressionlessly; the entire Kumogakure looked as tiny as a pancake.

One must climb to the summit to survey all the lesser peaks below.

Dark Kumogakure, thunder rumbled, and countless white arcs of electricity writhed and twisted in the sky like tiny snakes.

A barrage of thunderbolts transformed the once peaceful village into a living hell.

Although most civilians had been secretly relocated by the Cloud Ninja, the Kumogakure, which had been passed down from the Warring States period to the present day and had been ruled by Fourth Raikage, had completely disappeared.

The thunder rumbled incessantly in my ears, like the furious roar of the heavens, deafening and deafening.

Beneath this torrent of destructive lightning...

All things were silent, darkness like the shadow of Shinigami shrouded the earth, and apart from the howling wind and rain, there were only deafening thunderclaps in the air.

The lightning struck incredibly fast, turning the earth into scorched wasteland. Kumogakure fell into a deathly silence, but Tōka's mood was not good; in fact, it was rather terrible.

"It's not as powerful as I expected!"

Tōka squinted at the ruins of Kumogakure below the mountain peak; that enormous figure must have been...

Eight-Tails Killer B??

Did they manage to withstand the damage from Lightning Prison?

"Is this something humans can do?" Tōka stared dumbfounded at the two pitch-black, charred figures amidst the ruins.

The Raikage and Killer B's chakra had weakened, but their vitality was exceptionally strong, indicating that they had not suffered fatal injuries.

How could a mere physical body withstand the might of heavenly lightning?

Tōka's gaze shifted and landed on Ōnoki, who was standing among a pile of rocks not far away. Onoki's body was tattered, and most of his Tsuchikage battle suit was gone, revealing his scorched skin.

Wisps of black smoke billowed out, and the acrid smell could be detected even from a distance.

Thunder roared, and the electric arcs were gradually absorbed by the earth, causing the black thunderclouds that had been pressing down on Kumogakure to gradually dissipate.

The sky remained as black as ink, and raindrops continued to fall.

Many Cloud Ninja and Iwa Stone Ninja had stormed into Kumogakure crawled out of the ruins, gazing at the sky with desolate expressions.

The cold rain still pattered against their cheeks; only this slight chill and pain made them feel alive.

In order to deal with Ōnoki, more than 70% of the lightning strikes were concentrated near the Raikage Building.

Other areas were relatively less affected by Lightning. Those who were both capable and intelligent survived, while those who were neither capable nor intelligent survived by luck.

As for those idiots who lack all three qualities?

The charred corpses amidst the ruins were their final resting place.

"This state shouldn't be a big deal for Sasori, right?" Tōka murmured, looking at Ōnoki was almost charred.

Then his figure flashed by, leaping through the Void and appearing in the Kumogakure.

Standing atop the dilapidated Raikage Building, ravaged by countless Lightning, the pair of Ice Blue eyes beneath the Fox Mask revealed only indifference.

Ten years can change a person.

But it's hard to change a person's nature; perhaps Tōka is someone who disregards life.

Buzz!!

In the hazy rain, the Void rippled with layers of clearly audible water-like runes, and a mysterious figure in a black robe strolled out.

I stood next to Ōnoki and glanced at him briefly.

Tōka then knew...

This powerful Ninja World from another era lived through the Warring States period, survived the First World War during the First Hokage's lifetime, survived the Second Shinobi World War the Five Kingdoms War, and survived the most brutal Third Shinobi World War.

And this time...

But he was truly dead.

Tōka slowly raised his right hand, his five fingers loosely clenched, his palm facing Ōnoki's corpse, and a powerful Attractive Force surged from his palm.

Ōnoki's corpse stiffened, then moved as if it had come to life.

With a whoosh, it flew straight towards Tōka.

The commotion wasn't loud, but it stood out starkly against the deathly silence of the ruins. The surviving Cloud Ninja quickly moved towards the dilapidated Raikage Building.

Killer B and Raikage, who were closest to Tōka, also noticed the commotion and turned around.

Two solemn gazes were cast over, silently watching Tōka holding Ōnoki's corpse in his hands.

"What exactly is your purpose?" Raikage's voice was very soft, a murmur that seemed to pass by like a gust of wind and then disappear.

Amidst the desolate ruins, Tōka clearly heard his whisper.

What exactly is the purpose?

Tōka slightly curled the corners of her lips, revealing a faint smile.

The wind howled, lifting a corner of the black robe, but miraculously, the falling raindrops couldn't wet the robe at all.

It was as if a mysterious energy shield surrounded him, keeping the rain out.

A sense of awe arises spontaneously.

The Raikage and Killer B stared silently at the figure in the rubble, even though the figure was standing in a low-lying area.

Their gazes were fixed on the view from above, yet the feeling that welled up within them was one of awe and reverence.

It's a feeling that can't be described in words.

If I had to name a name, it would probably be -- God.

"You'll know when we meet again, Raikage..." Tōka slightly raised his head, the faint Kakkō of the night illuminating the ordinary Fox Mask.

A Black Vortex appeared in the air, Tōka, with Ōnoki in tow, stepped into the depths of darkness, then completely disappeared from the land of Kumogakure.

I don't know why...

Watching Tōka leave, Raikage felt a great sense of relief.

Despite the fact that the opponent was only one person, most of the surging lightning bolts landed near the Raikage Building, wiping out the entire Shadow Guard and the Cloud Ninja Anbu were besieging the Tsuchikage.

It's a considerable loss, but the foundation of Kumogakure remains.

Let alone just one person, even ten, a hundred...

Anyone who dares to turn Kumogakure into this state will be thoroughly killed by the Raikage, who has such a short temper.

But this time, he gave up.

"Lord Raikage..." Samui, who had just returned from the Battlefield in the southwestern Valley, led two Elite Squad to the Raikage Building, staring in shock at the world that had become ruins.

The once magnificent and towering Raikage Building was a landmark building symbolizing Kumogakure).

Now...

"Lord Raikage, please give the order!"

Two Cloud Ninja Elite Squad, each composed entirely of Jonin, knelt on one knee before the Raikage, shouting in unison with indignant expressions.

Raikage lowered his head, shadows enveloping his profile.

No one could see the Raikage's expression, nor... know what he was thinking.

"Do you know that this mission might be your last?" Raikage was far from resigned; he too wanted to tear that Black-Robed Man with the Fox Mask to pieces!

But...

Two Elite Squad, eight Cloud Ninja Jonin, shouted loudly almost without hesitation, their faces showing only a strong determination.

It had nothing to do with personal hatred; it was simply because they loved their village.

"Give the order!"

"Sugimoto Squad, Tanaka Squad, I issue this order in the name of the Raikage..." The Raikage stared solemnly at the eight men, gritting his teeth as he squeezed out the words.

"The mysterious figure who attacked Kumogakure —leave no survivors!"

"Yes!"

Whoosh whoosh!!

Upon receiving the order, the two Elite Cloud Ninja immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to disappear from their original positions.

In a few leaps and bounds, the eight figures swiftly swept across the scorched earth of Kumogakure and plunged into the Cloud Gorge Mountains to the Northeast.

Their only goal was to kill that man!!