Reinforcements

"Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"

Uchiha Fugaku formed hand seals, and a fire dragon burst from his mouth, intercepting the incoming Water Dragon Bullet.

But the screams that kept reaching their ears through the thick fog made it clear how dire things had become for Konoha.

The power Yuki Yoru had displayed had far exceeded everyone's expectations, completely shattering the confidence of every Konoha ninja.

Morale was vital in war. Once it was gone, even an army with overwhelming advantages could still be defeated.

Especially when—

Konoha had already been routed and was in full retreat.

The situation grew more and more dire.

Nearly every second, someone died.

The pursuit was so perilous that Fugaku's and Shinnosuke's squads had become completely separated. By the time the fog cleared, only a dozen or so Konoha ninja remained with Fugaku.

Worst of all, they were now completely surrounded by Kirigakure!

"The Uchiha Clan's prodigy, Body Flicker Shisui, and the Uchiha Clan Head, Uchiha Fugaku. What a stroke of luck."

"Take their heads back! Make sure to preserve their kekkei genkai!"

"Don't let your guard down. These are all elite Konoha ninja."

Dozens of Kirigakure ninja surrounded Fugaku, Shisui, and the others. Their leader acted without hesitation, pulling a bone blade straight out of his left arm and charging at Fugaku.

Uchiha Fugaku's Sharingan spun as he met the attack with his long blade. Their weapons clashed, and both men staggered back several steps.

Fugaku's heart sank.

There was no doubt that their leader was an elite of the Kaguya Clan. The other Kirigakure ninja were skilled as well. Shisui, for instance, was being held at bay by two of them. These weren't opponents an ordinary ninja could handle.

"Rumble!"

A series of booms came from the distant earth as towering earthen walls burst from the ground. But soon, countless bones and ice crystals covered them.

The sight only deepened Fugaku's concern.

That bone technique spread across the entire wall must be the Kaguya Clan's most powerful kekkei genkai technique, Dance of the Bracken. There was no doubt Shinnosuke's squad had run into a formidable enemy as well.

At this rate, they wouldn't just fail to escape—they might not even break through the encirclement!

"Looks like I can't keep hiding it."

Fugaku's expression grew more serious. In the eyes of the Kaguya Clan ninja, however, it only looked like despair.

"Don't worry, Uchiha Fugaku. My bone blade is far sharper than those kunai and shuriken. I'll cut your head off in one stroke. It'll be so quick you won't feel a thing."

The Kaguya Clan Jonin charged at Fugaku with a wicked grin, bones bursting from his body.

"Dance of the Larch!"

A spray of fine, razor-sharp bone spikes swept around with his spinning body. He looked like a dancer covered in thorns, beautiful yet deadly.

In the blink of an eye, several Konoha ninja were torn to pieces by his dance of bones.

Blood rained down!

Even Uchiha Fugaku was no match for him. After a single exchange, Fugaku clutched his chest, staring wide-eyed with his blood-red Sharingan, as if he couldn't believe he was about to die.

"Ahahaha! The Uchiha are nothing special. I'll be taking those Sharingan!"

The Kaguya Clan Jonin grinned viciously and reached for Fugaku's eyes.

But just as his fingers were about to touch the Sharingan, a sharp pain struck his chest.

A Ninja Blade had pierced straight through him. He hadn't even seen when it happened.

"How...? When...?"

"From the moment you looked into my eyes."

A cold voice sounded beside him. Uchiha Fugaku, who should have been dead, stood before him, completely unharmed. In his hand was the very bone blade that had pierced the man's heart.

The dead "Fugaku" began to change, revealing himself to be one of the Kirigakure ninja who had come along to hunt them down.

"Impossible... Cough... I've deliberately kept the chakra in my body in a constant state of disruption. Your Three-Tomoe... Wh-what kind of eyes are those?!"

The Kaguya Jonin stared at Fugaku's eyes in disbelief. At some point, the Three-Tomoe Sharingan had begun to spin together, forming the shape of a strange pinwheel.

Fugaku silently pulled out the bone blade. The elite Kaguya Jonin's life force faded rapidly.

In the past, he might have taunted him with something like, "Before these eyes, your Shikotsumyaku is as pitiful as a puppet toy."

But Yuki Yoru's appearance had completely shattered the pride he'd once felt in the Uchiha Clan.

Our ancestor lost to the First's Wood Release. And now, even my Mangekyo is no match for Yuki Yoru...

"Boom!"

The sound of battle in the distance brought Fugaku back to reality.

He'd used the Mangekyo's genjutsu to eliminate the dozen or so Kirigakure ninja who had surrounded him.

But far too many Kirigakure pursuers were still coming. Not far away, Uchiha Shisui and the other Konoha ninja were still locked in fierce combat.

"Fine. Let them see it!"

Fugaku took a deep breath, as if he'd made up his mind.

The Mangekyo in his eyes spun wildly, and an intensely cold chakra began to gather.

But at that very moment, chakra chains shot into the battlefield ahead of Susanoo, ensnaring more than a dozen Kirigakure ninja in a net that covered the area.

"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"

A sharp cry rang out. Taking advantage of the chains, the Konoha ninja and Uchiha Shisui struck together, swiftly bringing the battle to a brief end.

The Mangekyo in Fugaku's eyes quickly faded. He watched the fiery red figure rushing toward them, his expression complicated, but also relieved.

"I never expected the Third Hokage to send you to the front lines, Kushina."

"Has the war really gotten this bad?"

Kushina gazed at the corpses strewn across the ground, her eyes seeming to blaze with fury. "What's the situation now?"

"Someone formidable has appeared on the Kirigakure side, and their main forces have arrived. We couldn't hold Tsunan Town."

Several Konoha ninja brightened at the sight of Kushina and quickly gathered around Fugaku. He rapidly explained the situation.

"Lord Jiraiya entered Sage Mode and stayed behind alone to cover our retreat. We were scattered by Kirigakure's pursuers in the fog. Shinnosuke is to the northwest, and things probably aren't looking good there either."

"Teacher Jiraiya stayed behind alone?!"

"Boom!!!"

A tremendous explosion made everyone look up at once.

Through a gap in the trees, they saw Bunta's enormous form blasted away. With a poof, he vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Kushina's expression darkened. She immediately gave her orders.

"Fugaku, go support Shinnosuke. Several elite Jonin squads came with me and should arrive soon. Link up with them, then fall back to Misawa Bridge."

"And you..."

Fugaku saw through her intentions at once. "You're going to support Lord Jiraiya? No, that's too dangerous!"

"What's so dangerous about it? Are we supposed to stand by and leave Teacher Jiraiya to face such a powerful enemy alone?!"

Kushina took a deep breath. "Teacher Jiraiya absolutely must not die. If he does, neither Minato nor I will ever forgive ourselves!"

With that, Kushina plunged into the trees without looking back!

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