As Uchiha Ling's crimson Susanoo clashed violently with the Third Raikage's furious lightning in the border forest, deafening booms and surges of energy shook the heavens and carried across the wilderness.
In a secluded mountain hollow more than ten miles from the battlefield, several ninjas clad in ochre armor, almost indistinguishable from the surrounding rocks, watched the distant, heart-stopping battle through a specially made optical device, holding their breath.
They were an elite Iwagakure reconnaissance squad, ordered to lie low here for an extended period and monitor every move Konoha and Cloud Village made along the border.
Yet even the most experienced veteran scouts were shaken to the core by the unimaginable battle unfolding in the distance.
"C-Captain... what is that?!"
A younger Iwa ninja pointed at the faintly visible crimson energy giant in the distance, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
"Cloud Village's Raikage... he seems to be... taking a beating?"
The Iwa ninja they called captain was a shrewd-looking, middle-aged man. He stared fixedly into the distance, his Adam's apple bobbing as a sheen of cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
He could see more clearly than the others. Even from so far away, the pressure radiating from that crimson giant made his very soul tremble.
And the Third Raikage, famed for possessing the "Strongest Spear" and "Strongest Shield" and for being unstoppable on the battlefield, really did seem to be struggling under the giant's attacks. Even the glow of his Lightning Release Armor appeared to have dimmed.
"It's Uchiha Ling... that 'Thunder God' from Konoha..." The captain drew a deep breath, striving to keep his voice steady, though he couldn't quite conceal his shock.
"He's actually... this strong?! He's even overpowering the Third Raikage?!"
"Captain, what should we do? Keep observing?"
Another squad member asked, his eyes reflecting