Phantoms Arrive, Declaring War

The hall fell deathly silent.

Suigetsu's mouth hung open, Karin covered hers, and even Jugo, who had remained silent all this time, poked his head out from the pile of rubble, his eyes filled with shock.

Sasuke's pupils contracted.

This man—just to keep fighting, he had cut off one of his own arms without a moment's hesitation. Not when he had been driven into a corner, not when he had no other choice, but in the middle of battle, when countless other options still remained—he had chosen the most direct, most brutal method.

This was the Fourth Raikage.

"Now," the Raikage said, his voice low as thunder. Blood gushed from the stump of his severed arm, but Lightning Style Chakra had already begun cauterizing the wound to stop the bleeding. "You don't have Amaterasu anymore."

A sharp pain stabbed through Sasuke's left eye—his excessive use of Amaterasu had drastically worsened his vision, and the image seen through that eye was already blotched with black spots. He could feel the Mangekyō's power fading, feel the permanent damage being done to his sight.

But he had no time to worry about that.

The Raikage moved.

Even with one arm gone, he was not slower. He was faster—pain had sent his adrenaline surging, Lightning Style Chakra raging madly through his body, until the white electricity wrapped around him was almost tangible. Blood sprayed from his severed arm, but he paid it no heed. Like an enraged beast, he charged forward with the savage force to destroy everything in his path.

Sasuke tried to dodge, but his body had already reached its limit. His broken ribs, his split knuckles, his overused Mangekyō—every wound screamed in agony. He was one beat slower than before.

That one beat was the difference between life and death.

The