Fierce Battle! Uchiha Shuoyue vs. Uzumaki Boruto!

At the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Earth, there was a desolate region covered in jagged crimson rocks and fissures that intermittently vented steam. Few people ever came here, and the harsh environment made it the perfect place to hide the Four-Tails and Five-Tails Jinchūriki.

The Hunting Fang detectors eventually pinpointed the signal deep within a vast stone forest that looked as though it had been stained red with blood. According to the intelligence, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Yanqi Zhuoxia, and the Five-Tails Jinchūriki, Byoen Hayate, had been secretly stationed by Iwagakure in a fortified stronghold somewhere in this area.

Uchiha Shuoyue didn't hesitate. He personally led the entire Ten Branches out in full force—"Mirror" (with Lian temporarily filling in), "Akatsuki" (Obito), "Snake" (with Orochimaru providing technical support remotely), "Scale" (Haku), "Feather" (Fu), "Flame" (Zhuo), "Steel" (Tie Xin), "Ghost" (Shen), "Beast" (Zhua), and "Corpse" (Gu).

They moved with lightning speed!

With Shen's wide-area illusion concealing them and Obito's Kamui teleportation, the group slipped through the layers of barriers and patrols around the stronghold like phantoms, appearing directly inside the crimson fortress built into the mountainside!

The battle erupted instantly!

The Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Zhuoxia, was a red-haired, burly man as hot-tempered as lava. With a roar, Lava Release chakra surged from him, becoming a river of scorching magma that swept through the corridors! The Five-Tails Jinchūriki, Hayate, was a sharp-featured, white-haired young man of incredible speed. His Steam Armor activated in an instant, and he charged forward like a high-speed train, launching a savage Taijutsu assault!

The Ten Branches showed off their respective skills!

"Ice Release: Ice Rock Hall Nothingness!" Haku created a massive wall of ice to hold back the magma. Ice and fire clashed, filling the area with steam! "Scale Powder Concealment Technique: Scatter!" Fu's scale powder disrupted Hayate's vision and slowed him down. "Magnet Style: Iron Sand Drizzle!" Tie Xin controlled specially made Iron Sand weapons, firing them at the pair like a torrential downpour! "Explosion Style: Landmine Fist!" Zhuo's fist struck the ground, setting off a chain of explosions that tore through the fortress! "Illusion Technique: Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!" Shen's illusions kept harassing them, putting them under constant mental pressure! Zhua and Gu, like twin whirlwinds, fought at close quarters with Hayate, whose Steam Armor was active. Bone and steel collided with an ear-piercing clang! Obito circled the battlefield, using Kamui to absorb deadly attacks and teleport his allies short distances to keep them out of harm's way. Though Lian, standing in for Mirror, struggled internally, she had no choice but to give it her all. Her Sharingan provided insight, and she supported the others with Lightning Release, performing adequately. Although Orochimaru wasn't there in person, he continually provided information about the stronghold's structural weaknesses and analyses of the Jinchūriki's abilities over their remote communication link.

Shuoyue held the center, coordinating the battle with the Eighty Gods Mirror and issuing the most precise orders as he waited for an opening.

The battle was exceptionally fierce! The Jinchūriki's power far surpassed that of ordinary shinobi. The two were especially well-coordinated, with Lava Release and Steam Release complementing each other and causing the Ten Branches serious trouble. The stronghold was battered, riddled with holes and on the verge of collapse.

In the end, after Flame Zhuo was gravely wounded and Corpse Gu suffered multiple broken bones, Shuoyue seized a tiny opening as the two Jinchūriki joined forces!

"Now!"

He lunged forward! The Eighty Gods Mirror saw the instant fluctuation in Zhuoxia's Lava Release defense! Four Handguns opened fire at once from different angles! Specially made armor-piercing rounds, disruption rounds, and sealing rounds formed a calculated barrage that instantly engulfed Zhuoxia! At the same time, Shuoyue reached out with his left hand—

"Yin Release: Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack: Bind!" An invisible force immobilized Hayate for an instant!

Pfft, pfft, pfft! Zhuoxia screamed as several rounds struck him. The sealing round that hit his abdomen in particular disrupted his chakra at once, causing his Lava Release armor to flicker! Haku and Fu seized the chance to unleash their full power! An ice dragon and a storm of scale powder completely overwhelmed and subdued him!

Hayate broke free of the bind almost immediately, but it was too late to save Zhuoxia! Obito's Kamui distortion had already enveloped the subdued Zhuoxia, sucking him into another dimension in an instant!

"Zhuoxia!" Hayate's eyes went bloodshot. His steam erupted to its limit, and he charged at Shuoyue without regard for his own safety!

"Suppress him with everything you've got!" Shuoyue ordered coldly. At the same time, the Eighty Gods Mirror locked onto Hayate again, searching for an opening in the Five-Tails' defenses!

But just as the Ten Branches had fought their way through the battle, their chakra nearly depleted, and were preparing to take down the Five-Tails Jinchūriki in one final push—

A sudden change occurred!

Boom!!! A tremendous force blasted open the stronghold's roof! Amid a shower of rubble, three figures descended from above, their fury overwhelming!

"Uchiha Shuoyue! Stop!!!" a clear but furious boy's shout rang out! A golden Chakra Cloak blazed into existence as Uzumaki Boruto charged at Shuoyue like a meteor, Rasengan in hand! At the same time, a streak of purple lightning arrived a moment later: Sasuke Uchiha's Kusanagi Sword thrust toward Shuoyue's back! On the other side, the Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi, formed hand seals. "Lava Release: Quicklime Congealing Technique!" A great mass of fast-hardening cement poured down over the Ten Branches!

Their reinforcements had arrived with astonishing speed! Clearly, they had used Sasuke's Amenotejikara to make an ultra-long-distance leap!

"Obito! Hold off Sasuke!" Shuoyue ordered instantly, staying calm in the face of danger. He shifted sharply to the side, narrowly dodging both Boruto's Rasengan and Sasuke's deadly sword thrust, though the fierce sword energy still sliced through the edge of his clothing!

"Got it!" The Sharingan beneath Obito's mask focused as he met Sasuke's gaze! Sharingan Genjutsu! Both men cast illusions to counter each other, their mental powers clashing in invisible sparks! Obito took the initiative and confronted Sasuke. Kamui and Amenotejikara intertwined, and their battle instantly escalated to the space-time level, drawing them away from the main battlefield as sword flashes and spatial distortions flickered around them!

"Everyone else, hold off the Tsuchikage!" Shuoyue ordered again!

"Not a chance!" Kurotsuchi snapped. Lava Release surged from her as she pressed both hands to the ground. "Earth Release: Opening Earth Rising Excavation!" Massive stone pillars burst from the ground, attempting to divide the battlefield!

"Ice Release: Ice Pillar!" Haku immediately created ice pillars to counter them! "Magnet Style: Iron Sand Barrier!" Tie Xin raised a wall of Iron Sand to block the Lava Release! "Scale Powder Concealment Technique!" Fu disrupted Kurotsuchi's vision! "Explosion Style: Landmine Fist!" Zhuo, gritting his teeth through his injuries, struck the ground and disrupted Kurotsuchi's footing! "Genjutsu!" Shen did everything he could to disrupt Kurotsuchi's mind! Zhua and Gu fought at close quarters without regard for their own lives, forcing her to focus on them instead of using large-scale ninjutsu!

Though Kurotsuchi was a Kage Level fighter, the desperate efforts of several skilled members of the Ten Branches held her fast, preventing her from interfering in the main battle on the other side.

That left the main battle to Shuoyue and Boruto!

"Boruto..." Shuoyue looked at the boy before him, cloaked in golden chakra, his eyes full of fury and resolve. His gaze flickered beneath his mask. He knew that Boruto was Naruto's son—and a huge problem.

"Give back the Jinchūriki you took! Stop this, Shuoyue!" Boruto roared. A massive Super Uzumaki Rasengan gathered in his hand once more and hurtled toward Shuoyue with terrifying force!

"Naive." Shuoyue gave a cold snort. The Eighty Gods Mirror saw through the Rasengan's trajectory and structural weaknesses in an instant. He didn't even try to block it. He merely shifted by the smallest amount, slipping past the Rasengan like a phantom, while raising the Handgun in his right hand!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Three shots in quick succession! Specially made rounds designed to destabilize chakra shot toward Boruto in a triangular formation!

With his Sage Mode's heightened perception and speed, Boruto narrowly dodged them. But the rounds grazed his Chakra Cloak, still sending ripples through it.

"So fast! So accurate!" Boruto's heart tightened. He immediately changed tactics and unleashed the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. Countless Borutos charged Shuoyue from every direction, unleashing a deluge of Rasengan, Lightning Release, and Wind Release techniques!

"Boring tricks." Shuoyue's eyes were cold as the Eighty Gods Mirror instantly saw through the differences in chakra between the shadow clones. He strolled through the storm, always evading deadly attacks by a hair's breadth. Each time his Handgun fired, one of Boruto's shadow clones was sure to be hit and dispelled!

He even occasionally used techniques he'd copied from Boruto: "Lightning Style: Thunderclap Wave!" "Wind Style: Gale Palm!" He turned Boruto's own tactics against him, catching him off guard!

The longer the battle went on, the more alarmed Boruto became. He realized that his opponent had completely seen through every attack pattern, while the other's attacks were unpredictable. That weapon called a Handgun was especially difficult to defend against! His chakra was rapidly running out!

"I can only use that!" Boruto gritted his teeth, his expression turning utterly serious as he began gathering chakra at an extremely high density!

"Jōgan: Super Large Rasengan!"

A gigantic Rasengan imbued with the power of the Jōgan appeared, its power far surpassing the previous ones!

Shuoyue's eyes narrowed slightly as he sensed that this attack was extraordinary. He raised both Handguns at once. The light in his eyes blazed as he poured most of his remaining chakra into the Eighty Gods Mirror!

"Yin Style: Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack: Twin Stars!"

Two black rounds imbued with the ultimate destructive power of Yin Release shot forth like dark meteors, striking two precise points at the core of the Super Large Rasengan!

Rumble—!!!

A terrifying explosion swallowed everything in an instant! The light was blinding, and a storm of energy swept in every direction! Even Kurotsuchi and the Ten Branches, fighting nearby, were forced back again and again!

Through the billowing dust, a figure flew backward and slammed heavily into a wall. It was Boruto! His Chakra Cloak instantly dissipated, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. He had clearly been gravely injured and was nearly unconscious.

Shuoyue, too, staggered back several steps. A trickle of blood seeped from beneath his mask, and his breathing grew ragged. The continuous high-intensity fighting and constant commands had taken a heavy toll on him. So had the final clash with Boruto's full-power strike, imbued with the Jōgan's power.

However, just as he relaxed slightly and prepared to order his men to take the Five-Tails Jinchūriki, Hayate—

Another sudden change occurred!

The Karma on Boruto's forehead began to flicker violently, beyond his control, as he lay half-conscious! A cold, evil, terrifying force far surpassing Boruto's own erupted from him!

Boruto's eyes snapped open, but they had turned into a bizarre blue Rinnegan! His expression became utterly cold and arrogant, and his voice changed into that of a chilly man:

"Hmph. You useless fool. In the end, you still had to rely on me... Otsutsuki Momoshiki!"

"Shuoyue? An interesting insect. Those eyes of yours... They're mine!"

"Momoshiki?!" Shuoyue's pupils contracted. Alarm bells rang in his mind!

"Boruto" raised a hand and pointed!

A strange gray-white light imbued with the power to break things down shot out at once! It was so fast that it even surpassed the Eighty Gods Mirror's instantaneous predictions!

Shuoyue could only twist his body to the side as hard as he could!

Pfft!

The gray-white light didn't hit a vital point, but it grazed his right chest near the shoulder blade!

"Urgh!" Shuoyue let out a muffled groan of pain!

The struck area wasn't bleeding, and there was no wound, but it throbbed with an indescribable pain, as if his soul had been torn apart! More importantly, he could clearly feel the ocular power in his right eye, the Eighty Gods Mirror, becoming sluggish and difficult to circulate, as though some force had tainted it and sealed away part of its power! The flow of chakra through the entire right side of his body was also seriously disrupted!

Otsutsuki Momoshiki's secret technique, Sukunahikona—the power to shrink and disintegrate things—mixed with a sinister curse that targeted the soul and the very source of chakra!

"Tsk. I missed..." "Boruto" seemed dissatisfied and raised his hand again, but Boruto's own consciousness began to fight back fiercely. The Karma on his forehead flickered erratically, and his body began to tremble.

"Damned vessel..." "Boruto" cursed under his breath. His power quickly faded, and Boruto's eyes closed as he fell completely unconscious.

On the other side, Obito and Sasuke had also fought to a mutual defeat and separated, each injured. Kurotsuchi had suffered some minor injuries as well, but the Ten Branches' desperate resistance kept her from breaking through.

Shuoyue endured the pain and discomfort in his right eye and the right side of his body. He glanced at the unconscious Boruto, then at Sasuke and Kurotsuchi, who were injured but still capable of fighting, and at his own men, who were in poor condition.

He knew that taking both the Four-Tails and Five-Tails today was no longer possible. If the battle continued and more reinforcements arrived, the consequences would be unthinkable.

"Retreat!" He made the decision at once and gave the order coldly.

Obito immediately activated Kamui, and a huge spatial vortex appeared.

The Ten Branches didn't hesitate. They quickly helped their wounded and rushed into the vortex.

Shuoyue gave one last cold glance at Sasuke, Kurotsuchi, the unconscious Boruto, and the Five-Tails Jinchūriki, Byoen Hayate, who had narrowly escaped and was still shaken. Then he turned and stepped into the Kamui Dimension.

The spatial vortex disappeared.

Only the ruined remains of the stronghold were left behind, along with the injured Sasuke and Kurotsuchi, the unconscious Boruto, and the shaken Byoen Hayate.

The operation had succeeded in capturing the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, but several members of the "Branch" organization were gravely injured. The leader, Shuoyue, had also been struck by Otsutsuki Momoshiki, temporarily weakening his right eye's ocular power and preventing him from completing his goal of taking the Five-Tails.

As for Konoha and Iwagakure, they had managed to retain the Five-Tails, but lost the Four-Tails. Boruto was gravely injured and unconscious, while Sasuke and Kurotsuchi were both wounded.

The cruelty and unpredictability of war had become clear.