Severed Arm

Cloud-Thunder Gorge.

A precipitous land where thunder and lightning rage year-round. Beneath a heavy shroud of dark clouds, violent bolts of electricity slither like silver snakes among the jagged mountain crags. This is the training ground of Yotsuki Chloe, the prized disciple of the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B.

Chloe is not a perfect Jinchuriki, but she is gifted with extraordinary talent and a spirit as unyielding as lightning. Her relationship with the Eight-Tails, Gyuki, exists in a state of delicate balance and constant friction, making her strength a force not to be underestimated. Yet today, she senses an unusual, cold, and malicious gaze—as if she were being stalked by a venomous snake in the shadows—causing the Eight-Tails within her to stir with unease.

Her premonition is soon realized.

The space distorts without a sound, and three figures appear like phantoms, cutting off all paths of retreat.

The leader, wearing a white mask with a spiral pattern that reveals only his right eye and draped in a dark cloak, is Uchiha Sakuya. To his left stands Uchiha Obito, wearing an orange tiger-striped mask, and to his right is Nadeshiko Haku, her face covered by a white mask marked with scale patterns.

"Who are you people?!" Chloe instantly enters combat mode. Lightning flickers across her body, and ink-colored octopus tentacle patterns faintly emerge on her skin as her formidable chakra surges to the surface.

Sakuya does not answer. His Eighty Gods Mirror has already locked onto the target. The order to act is conveyed instantly through a glance.

Obito strikes first! The distortion field of Kamui instantly envelops Chloe, attempting to suck her into the other dimension!

"Don't even think about it!" Chloe roars, activating her Lightning Style Chakra Mode instantly! Her speed skyrockets, allowing her to narrowly evade the suction of Kamui while her hands weave seals in a blur! "Lightning Style: Lightning Tiger Tracking Fang!" A ferocious tiger composed of wild lightning roars as it pounces toward Obito!

Nadeshiko Haku strikes simultaneously! Countless senbon, wreathed in Ice Style chakra, shoot toward Chloe like a torrential storm, sealing off her room to maneuver! "Ice Style: Swallow Snowstorm!"

Sakuya stands like a spectator, calmly positioned on the periphery of the battlefield. Beneath his mask, the Eighty Gods Mirror spins frantically, analyzing every one of Chloe's movements, the flow pattern of the Eight-Tails' chakra, and the optimal moment to strike.

Chloe is plunged into a bitter struggle. Obito's Kamui is eerie and difficult to defend against, while Haku's ice senbon are precise and ruthless. Their seamless coordination forces her into a steady retreat. Even more terrifying is the masked man who has yet to move; the pressure he exerts is far greater than the other two combined!

Master B! Help me! Chloe calls out anxiously in her heart.

However, the response from the Eight-Tails, Gyuki, carries a note of gravity and... hesitation: "Be careful of that guy in the white mask! His eyes... they are very wrong! He is analyzing us!"

Finally, at the moment Chloe unleashes her full power in a Lightning Style burst to force Obito back—just as her old strength fades and the new has yet to rise—Sakuya moves!

His speed is absolute! He appears before Chloe as if teleporting!

The Eighty Gods Mirror has already seen through the weak points in her Lightning Armor and the minute gaps in her Eight-Tails chakra circulation!

He does not even use a ninjutsu; with a simple hand blade infused with highly condensed Yin Style force capable of disrupting chakra flow, he strikes with pinpoint accuracy at the weakest point of the lightning armor on Chloe's neck!

Crackle! The lightning armor shatters instantly! Chloe feels a cold force invade her body, instantly severing her chakra flow. Her vision goes black, and she loses consciousness entirely.

"Target captured," Sakuya announces coldly, reaching out to steady the collapsing Chloe.

Obito steps forward immediately, preparing to draw her into the Kamui Dimension.

However, at that very moment—

"You bastards! Let go of my disciple!!!"

A roar like a thunderclap explodes from the horizon! A blue figure wreathed in dazzling lightning descends like divine retribution, moving at a speed that defies visual perception!

The Fourth Raikage, A! He has arrived in person, and with such terrifying haste!

The Raikage is livid, his hair standing on end. His Lightning Style Chakra Armor is fully unleashed, sparks flying as if a god of thunder has descended! Without a word, he throws a punch containing the pinnacle of rage and power directly at Sakuya, who is closest to Chloe!

"Heavy Flow Violent!"

The speed and power of this punch far exceed any previous opponent!

Sakuya's pupils contract! The Eighty Gods Mirror instantly predicts the horror of this strike! He has no time to fully dodge or defend!

In the nick of time! He violently shoves the unconscious Chloe toward Obito while shifting his body to the side, slamming the Uchiha Gunbai behind him to block the blow!

BOOM!!!!!!!

The terrifying roar is deafening!

The Raikage's fist, capable of shattering mountains and splitting stones, slams heavily into the Uchiha Gunbai!

Even a divine artifact capable of absorbing and reflecting ninjutsu groans under the strain of such pure, extreme physical violence! An unimaginable force surges through the fan and slams into Sakuya's body!

Snap! The sickening sound of bone breaking is clearly audible!

Sakuya is sent flying backward as if struck head-on by a high-speed train. A mouthful of blood sprays out, staining the inside of his mask! His left arm, which held the fan, hangs at an unnatural, twisted angle—the bone is clearly shattered!

"Brother!" Haku cries out, wanting to rush forward.

"Stay back!" Sakuya forces himself to stabilize in mid-air, landing on the ground and stumbling a few steps. His right arm hangs limply, and the excruciating pain turns his face pale beneath the mask, but the eyes visible through the eye-holes burn with a cold, frenzied fire!

Having landed his blow, the Raikage does not pause, transforming back into a bolt of lightning to charge at Obito, intent on reclaiming Chloe! "Hell Stab: Four-Finger Nukite!"

Obito immediately turns intangible; the Raikage's hand passes through his body, grasping only air.

"Raikage A... your reputation is well-deserved," Sakuya's voice comes through the mask, laced with suppressed agony and absolute coldness. "Obito, take the vessel and go!"

"Trying to run?! Not so easy!" The Raikage roars, his lightning intensifying. "Lightning Style: Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop!" He transforms into countless lightning afterimages, attacking Sakuya and Obito from all directions simultaneously! His speed is so great it is as if a dozen Raikages are attacking at once!

"Kamui!" Obito immediately sucks the unconscious Chloe into the other dimension, but he himself is caught in the Raikage's onslaught, forced to constantly phase to evade, unable to escape immediately.

As for Sakuya, he faces the greatest pressure! With his left arm gone and his internal organs damaged, his mobility is severely hindered.

But the Eighty Gods Mirror in his eyes shines to its limit!

"Copy: Lightning Style Chakra Mode!" He forcibly mimics the Raikage's chakra circulation, and dazzling lightning erupts from his body. His speed spikes, allowing him to narrowly evade the lethal barrage of attacks!

At the same time, his remaining right hand weaves seals in a blur! "Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!" (Copied from Uchiha Madara) A sea of fire sweeps outward—not to attack, but to create a visual obstruction and a wide-area threat, forcing the Raikage to defend or dodge!

"Cheap tricks!" The Raikage roars, relying on his lightning armor and formidable physique to smash through the sea of fire! But his speed is indeed delayed for a split second!

In that very instant! Sakuya's Eighty Gods Mirror captures a tiny opening caused by the Raikage's extreme speed and rage—at the moment he shifts his target, there is a negligible delay in the energy fluctuation of his lightning armor beneath his armpit!

"Now!"

Shuoyue abandoned all defense, pouring every ounce of his chakra and the ocular power of the Eighty Gods Mirror into his right fingertip! A tiny, pitch-black sphere of chakra condensed at the tip, appearing to swallow all light.

"Yin Style: Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack: Piercing Point!"

This was his ultimate single-target armor-piercing technique, a creation combining the insight of the Eighty Gods Mirror with the raw violence of the Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack!

Whoosh! A flash of black light!

Squelch!

The Raikage had never expected his opponent to unleash such a precise and terrifying strike while severely wounded! The point of black light instantly pierced the imperceptible weak spot in his Lightning Armor, drilling viciously into his right chest!

"Urgh!" The Raikage let out a pained grunt, his forward momentum stalling abruptly. He looked down in disbelief at the black wound on his chest that was rapidly eroding his chakra and flesh! The intense pain and the bizarre Yin Style chakra dealt him a grievous blow in an instant!

Shuoyue, having forced the execution of this technique, found his chakra nearly exhausted and his injuries worsened. He coughed up another mouthful of blood and collapsed to one knee.

"Lord Raikage!" The cries of the Cloud Hidden Anbu echoed from afar; they had finally arrived!

"Go!" Obito seized the chance to grab the heavily wounded Shuoyue. He activated Kamui, and space twisted violently!

"Don't think you can escape!" The Raikage endured the agonizing pain and roared, gathering lightning once more to stop them, but the black wound on his chest was devouring his strength, slowing him by a fraction of a second!

Swish! The figures of Obito and Shuoyue vanished completely into the twisted space.

Only the severely wounded, roaring Raikage remained, along with the stunned Cloud Hidden Anbu who had arrived in a rush.

Base, medical laboratory.

Shuoyue lay on the operating table. His mask had been removed, his face pale as paper. His left arm was in a state of horrific, twisted fracture, and the remnants of the Raikage's violent Lightning Style chakra lingered in the wound, continuously destroying the tissue.

Orochimaru examined his injuries, a gleam of excitement flickering in his golden snake-like pupils: "Tsk tsk, the Raikage's destructive power is truly astonishing. The arm is completely totaled, the meridians are shattered, and there is residual Lightning Style erosion... conventional medical ninjutsu is useless."

Obito stood to the side, silent.

Shuoyue endured the excruciating pain, his voice hoarse: "Can the arm... be restored?"

"Conventional methods won't work." Orochimaru licked his lips. "However... don't we have that?"

He pointed to a specialized culture tank nearby, inside which soaked a pale yet infinitely vibrant arm—it was a Hashirama Cell Prosthetic he had cultivated using the cells of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, combined with the latest biotechnology. It was perfectly integrated and controllable, far more advanced than the crude transplant Danzo had used.

"Connect this prosthetic to your severed limb and guide it with your ocular power and will..." Orochimaru's voice was filled with temptation. "It will not only perfectly regenerate your arm but also greatly enhance your vitality and Yang Style chakra, creating a balance with your existing Yin Style power. Perhaps... it will allow you to master the Eighty Gods Mirror and the power of the Beast even more perfectly."

Risk and opportunity coexisted.

Shuoyue did not hesitate: "Begin."

A precise and dangerous surgery commenced immediately.

Orochimaru excised Shuoyue's necrotic left arm and then micro-sutured the Hashirama Cell Prosthetic to his shoulder's nerves, blood vessels, and meridians. The entire process required extreme precision and control over cellular activity.

Next came the most critical step—Shuoyue needed to use his own powerful willpower and the ocular power of the Eighty Gods Mirror to guide, control, and ultimately "tame" these wild Hashirama cells, allowing them to fuse perfectly with his body rather than being consumed or assimilated by them.

Shuoyue squeezed his eyes shut, veins bulging on his forehead as sweat poured down. The Eighty Gods Mirror spun frantically within his consciousness, simulating countless possibilities for cellular fusion and guiding his own chakra to envelop and infiltrate the surging Yang Style power.

It was the blending of ice and fire, the collision of Yin and Yang!

The intense pain far exceeded that of the initial amputation, as if every cell were being torn apart and reorganized!

But he held on. Relying on his obsession with revenge and his iron will, he forcibly mastered that power!

A day and a night later.

On the operating table, Shuoyue snapped his eyes open.

Where his left arm had been severed, a brand-new, fair, and robust arm had grown! The arm looked no different from an ordinary person's, but upon closer inspection, one could sense the earth-like, boundless vitality and terrifying Yang Style chakra contained within!

He slowly raised his left hand, clenching his fist, feeling the power within that far surpassed his previous state. With a thought, faint wooden patterns even flickered across the arm.

Perfect fusion!

Not only that, the immense vitality brought by the Hashirama cells was rapidly repairing the other injuries in his body.

He stood up and moved his new arm; there was no stiffness, as if it had belonged to him all along.

Orochimaru smiled with satisfaction: "Perfect! A truly perfect masterpiece! The powers of the Uchiha and the Senju, combined in such a way..."

Obito looked at Shuoyue's new arm with a complex expression, eventually saying only faintly: "Be more cautious in the next operation."

Shuoyue did not answer; he merely stared at his left hand, the light of the Eighty Gods Mirror flickering slightly in his eyes.

Losing an arm had been the price for a stronger one, one containing the power of all things.

A blessing in disguise.

His power had climbed to a brand-new height once again. Though the cost of retrieving the Eight-Tails was heavy, the result... did not seem bad at all.