The clouds and lightning converged, and danger lurked everywhere.
Uchiha Yoru stood on high ground, looking down at the sea of Cloud Ninja below. The corners of his mouth lifted in an inscrutable smile.
"Just how did these dark-skinned athletes... I mean, ninjas, end up looking like this?"
He stroked his chin, pondering for a moment, his gaze tinged with amusement.
"Could they really have been struck by lightning?"
The Fourth Raikage A's expression darkened at the sight. Veins bulged at his temples as he clenched his fists, and the Lightning Release Chakra around him erupted beyond his control. Electricity crackled around his body like roaring thunder.
"Bastard! What's with that look?!"
The Fourth Raikage's fury shot skyward, but he didn't let it cloud his judgment.
He had brought a thousand elite Cloud Ninja with him this time, while Uchiha Yoru... was all alone.
The advantage was his!
At that thought, he stopped restraining his anger. With a cold snort and a sharp look, he suddenly waved his hand and slapped Uchiha Yoru with a sweeping accusation.
"Uchiha Yoru, you murdered the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. You've seriously violated the one country, one village system! That's a rule your First established. Do you dare defy it?!"
The Fourth Raikage wasn't as reckless as he seemed.
But Uchiha Yoru merely scoffed, as if he'd just heard some ridiculous joke.
"Oh? So what?"
He folded his arms across his chest, his gaze full of disdain.
"I represent the Cloud Ninja—"
The Fourth Raikage's expression darkened. He was about to press the point again when Uchiha Yoru cut him off.
"Represent my ass!"
His voice was icy, utterly indifferent to the other man's face, now dark as the bottom of a pot.
"Quit talking!"
Before the words had even faded, the world shook.
"ROAR—!!"
The Nine-Tails opened its jaws. Enormous quantities of chakra gathered wildly inside its mouth, and crimson energy compressed again and again, forming a Tailed Beast Bomb powerful enough to destroy mountains and rivers!
"Oh no!"
The Fourth Raikage's pupils shrank. Sensing the danger, he immediately shouted:
"Everyone, get out of the way!"
At the same time, Yugito, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, and Killer B, the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, both entered their full Tailed Beast Transformations!
Their massive chakra took the forms of a blue-flamed cat demon and a deep-purple, eight-tailed octopus. The enormous figures of the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails blotted out the sky!
Almost instantly, the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails opened their mouths and began frantically gathering Tailed Beast Bombs!
"Tailed Beast Bombs!"
BOOM—!!!
The Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb collided with those of the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails. Three destructive masses of chakra clashed violently in the air!
The air itself seemed to freeze. Then—
"BOOM!!!"
A gigantic shock wave swept in every direction. The raging energy spread like a tsunami, splitting the earth apart in an instant. Rocks flew everywhere, and the forest was flattened!
"Gah!!"
Countless Cloud Ninja were swept off their feet by the blast, their screams ringing one after another as the battlefield became a living hell!
Uchiha Yoru watched the battlefield calmly. Seeing that the two Tailed Beasts looked a little battered but unharmed, he shook his head.
The Nine-Tails was still too weak...
The Fourth Raikage forced himself to steady his stance, his expression darkening to the extreme. His gaze swept across the battlefield, his brows furrowing as his fury boiled over.
"Damn it... That guy... No wonder the Uchiha managed to pull off a coup!"
But in the next moment, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he jerked his head up!
Uchiha Yoru had already vanished from the sky above!
"What?!"
The Fourth Raikage's expression changed drastically. He whipped around, a powerful sense of unease rising in his heart.
Just then—
"Susanoo!"
At Uchiha Yoru's low voice, an apocalyptic pressure suddenly descended!
BOOM—!!!
A purple Susanoo burst into view, like a god descending from the heavens. Its enormous hands gripped a crimson blade, and its eyes burned with a boundless fighting spirit!
The Fourth Raikage's heart sank.
"This guy..."
But before he could react, Susanoo's enormous blade was already raised high, swinging straight down at the Cloud Ninja forces!
"Oh no! Hachi, let's go!"
Seeing this, Killer B growled. The Eight-Tails instantly lashed out with several thick tentacles, trying to sweep the Cloud Ninja away before Susanoo's blade could fall.
But—
SPLAT—!
Uchiha Yoru's Susanoo brought its blade down in a mighty swing. The black edge, wrapped in overwhelming destructive force, sliced straight through the Eight-Tails' tentacles!
With a sharp crack, the severed tentacles—and the dozens of Cloud Ninja they had carried away—were crushed by the blade's energy. A rain of blood fell across the battlefield!
"Ow, ow, ow, ow—!"
The Eight-Tails roared in pain, its massive body trembling violently. Chakra poured from its wounds, and its tentacles were charred black, with flesh torn open and curling back.
Killer B's expression darkened. He stared fixedly at Susanoo, clenching his hand so tightly that his nails nearly dug into his palm.
"Baka! This guy... He's even more troublesome than I thought!"
At the same time, Fourth Raikage A was absolutely enraged. Lightning Release Chakra surged wildly, wrapping his entire body in armor of lightning. Like a meteor of thunder, he charged straight at Uchiha Yoru!
"Uchiha Yoru—DIE!!!"
He clenched his fist, lightning coiling around it as his muscles swelled. He pushed Lariat to its limit and punched Susanoo square in the chest!
"BOOM—!!!"
Amid a world-shaking crash, Susanoo's rib armor shattered piece by piece. Cracks spread like a spiderweb, and waves of energy blasted outward, sending the Cloud Ninja nearby flying!
Yet—
Uchiha Yoru merely looked down at the Raikage, his eyes full of scorn and disdain.
"Hmph. Pathetic."
His eyes narrowed. The Sharingan spun rapidly, and Susanoo's broken ribs instantly reformed, thicker than before!
At the same time, Susanoo raised its blade high, pointing its edge straight at the Raikage!
"Cut him down!"
BOOM!!!
Susanoo's blade unleashed an utterly terrifying slash. The Raikage's Lightning Release Armor crumbled beneath the destructive force, and he was sent flying hundreds of meters. He carved a deep trench in the ground before coming to a stop, blood spraying from his mouth!
Killer B's expression changed drastically. He rushed toward the Raikage, while the Eight-Tails' enormous body stood between Uchiha Yoru and the Raikage, its gaze grave.
"Hey, hey! Big bro, are you okay?!"
The Raikage gritted his teeth and braced a hand against the ground, his chest heaving violently. He glared at Uchiha Yoru, eyes brimming with anger and resentment.
"Damn it... Uchiha Yoru..."
But before he could get to his feet, Uchiha Yoru slowly raised a hand. A scarlet light suddenly flared in his Sharingan!
—Susanoo's blade pointed straight at Killer B and the Eight-Tails!
"It's over."
The Eight-Tails took a deep breath, positioning its thick tentacles in front of itself to defend.
But—
In the next instant, something unexpected happened!
Killer B and the Eight-Tails both heard a faint rush of air behind them. Alarm bells immediately went off in their minds!
They whirled around, only to find that Uchiha Yoru had somehow appeared right in front of the Fourth Raikage!
In that instant, Raikage A barely had time to react before he saw a cold hand pierce the air like lightning, reaching straight for his chest!
—Black Tiger Steals Heart!
"Gah—!!"
Blood sprayed!
Uchiha Yoru's hand pierced straight through the Fourth Raikage's Lightning Release Armor and deep into his chest. Crimson blood trickled down his arm.
Raikage A's pupils contracted. The fury on his face froze, replaced by fear and despair. His lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something, but endless darkness had already swallowed his consciousness...
His body fell limply to its knees, and the lightning in his eyes went out for good.
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