Fierce Battle! Uchiha Sakuya vs. Uzumaki Boruto!

At the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Grass lies a desolate region, riddled with jagged crimson rocks and fissures that intermittently spew steam. This area is sparsely populated and environmentally hostile, making it the perfect location to conceal the jinchuriki of the Four-Tails and Five-Tails.

The "Hunting Fang" detector finally locked the signal source deep within a massive stone forest that looked as if it had been stained by fresh blood. According to intelligence, the Four-Tails jinchuriki Yanqi Zhuoxia and the Five-Tails jinchuriki Byoen Hayate were secretly housed by Iwagakure in a reinforced fortress located here.

Uchiha Sakuya did not hesitate, personally leading the full "Ten Branches" to deploy in their entirety—"Mirror" (Lian acting as proxy), "Akatsuki" (Obito), "Snake" (Orochimaru providing remote technical support), "Scale" (Fu), "Feather" (Fu), "Flame" (Zhuo), "Steel" (Tie Xin), "Ghost" (Shen), "Beast" (Zhua), and "Corpse" (Gu).

The operation was swift as lightning!

With the aid of Shen's wide-range illusionary concealment and Obito's Kamui teleportation, the group bypassed the heavy perimeter barriers and patrols like ghosts, appearing directly inside the crimson fortress built against the mountain!

The battle erupted instantly!

The Four-Tails jinchuriki, Zhuoxia, was a hot-tempered, red-haired giant reminiscent of molten lava; amidst his roars, Lava Style chakra erupted, transforming into rivers of scorching magma that swept through the corridor! The Five-Tails jinchuriki, Hayate, was a sharp-tempered, lightning-fast young man with white hair; his steam armor activated instantly, and he charged like a high-speed train, unleashing violent taijutsu attacks!

The members of the "Ten Branches" each displayed their unique prowess!

"Ice Style: Ice Rock Hall Nothingness!" Bai created a massive ice wall to block the magma; as ice met fire, steam filled the air! "Scale Powder Concealment Technique: Scatter!" Fu's scales interfered with Hayate's vision and speed. "Magnet Style: Iron Sand Drizzle!" Tie Xin manipulated her specialized iron sand weapons, firing them at the two like a torrential downpour! "Explosion Style: Landmine Fist!" Zhuo's fists slammed into the ground, triggering chain explosions that ravaged the fortress structure! "Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!" Shen's illusions constantly harassed them, creating immense mental pressure! "Beast Style: Wolf Fang Over Fang!" Zhua and Gu moved like two whirlwinds, engaging Hayate in close-quarters combat; the sound of bone clashing against steel rang out harshly! Obito drifted through the battlefield, his Kamui occasionally absorbing lethal attacks or teleporting teammates over short distances to avoid damage. Lian (Mirror), though struggling internally, could only cooperate fully for now, using his Sharingan for insight and Lightning Style for support, performing adequately. Although Orochimaru was not present, he provided constant analysis of the fortress's structural weaknesses and the jinchurikis' abilities via remote communication.

Sakuya sat at the center, using the "Eighty Gods Mirror" to oversee the entire situation, issuing precise commands while waiting for an opening.

The battle was exceptionally intense! The power of the jinchuriki far exceeded that of ordinary ninja, especially since the two coordinated seamlessly; their Lava Style and Steam Style complemented each other, causing massive trouble for the "Ten Branches." The interior of the fortress was riddled with holes and constantly collapsing.

Finally, after paying the price of "Flame" branch member Zhuo being severely wounded and "Corpse" branch member Gu suffering multiple fractures, Sakuya seized a tiny gap in their coordination!

"Now!"

He lunged forward! The "Eighty Gods Mirror" saw through the momentary fluctuation in Zhuoxia's Lava Style defense! Four "Handguns" fired simultaneously from different angles! Specialized armor-piercing rounds, interference rounds, and sealing rounds formed a calculated barrage, instantly engulfing Zhuoxia! At the same time, his left hand grasped at the void—"Yin Style: Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack: Bind!" An invisible force instantly restrained Hayate for a split second!

Puff, puff, puff! Zhuoxia screamed as he was struck by several rounds, especially the sealing round in his abdomen, which instantly disrupted his chakra, causing his Lava Style armor to flicker unsteadily! Bai and Fu seized the opportunity to strike with full force! An ice dragon and a storm of scales completely submerged and subdued him!

Although Hayate broke free from the restraint instantly, the rescue came too late! Obito's Kamui distortion had already enveloped the subdued Zhuoxia, instantly sucking him into another dimension!

"Zhuoxia!" Hayate's eyes split with rage, his steam output reaching its limit as he charged at Sakuya regardless of the consequences!

"Suppress him with everything you have!" Sakuya ordered coldly, while the "Eighty Gods Mirror" locked onto Hayate once more, searching for a flaw in the Five-Tails!

However, just as the "Ten Branches," exhausted from the grueling battle and depleted of chakra, prepared to take down the Five-Tails jinchuriki in one final push—

A sudden change occurred!

BOOM!!! The fortress ceiling was blasted open by a massive force! Amidst flying debris, three figures descended from the sky, burning with monstrous fury!

"Uchiha Sakuya! Stop!!!" A clear yet furious boyish shout rang out! A golden chakra cloak flared instantly as Uzumaki Boruto, wielding a Rasengan, smashed toward Sakuya like a meteor! At the same time, a streak of purple lightning arrived first; Sasuke Uchiha's Kusanagi Sword thrust directly at Sakuya's heart! On the other side, the Tsuchikage Kurotsuchi performed hand seals: "Lava Style: Lime Congelation Technique!" A massive amount of quick-setting cement poured down toward the "Ten Branches"!

Their reinforcements had arrived so quickly! They had clearly used Sasuke's Amenotejikara to perform an ultra-long-distance jump!

"Obito! Stop Sasuke!" Sakuya remained calm under pressure, issuing an order instantly while shifting his body sideways, narrowly dodging Boruto's Rasengan and Sasuke's lethal sword strike, though the hem of his clothes was shredded by the sharp sword aura!

"Understood!" The Sharingan beneath Obito's mask narrowed, instantly locking eyes with Sasuke! Sharingan Genjutsu! Both men unleashed illusions to counter one another, their mental powers clashing in the air to create invisible sparks! Obito took the initiative to engage Sasuke; Kamui and Amenotejikara instantly intertwined. Their battle escalated to the space-time level, pulling them away from the main battlefield where they clashed fiercely, sword light and spatial distortions flashing constantly!

"The rest of you, stop the Tsuchikage!" Sakuya ordered again!

"Don't even think about it!" Kurotsuchi snapped, her Lava Style erupting continuously as she pressed her hands to the ground: "Earth Style: Opening Earth Rising Excavation!" Massive stone pillars rose from the ground, attempting to divide the battlefield!

"Ice Style: Ice Pillars!" Bai immediately created ice pillars to counter the stone ones! "Magnet Style: Iron Sand Barrier!" Tie Xin raised a wall of iron sand to block the Lava Style! "Scale Powder Concealment Technique!" Fu interfered with Kurotsuchi's vision! "Explosion Style: Landmine Fist!" Zhuo ignored his injuries to strike the ground, destroying Kurotsuchi's footing! "Illusion!" Shen exerted all his effort to disrupt Kurotsuchi's mind! Zhua and Gu fought desperately in close quarters, forcing Kurotsuchi to be unable to focus on casting large-scale ninjutsu!

Although Kurotsuchi was a Kage-level powerhouse, she was held back by the desperate resistance of multiple "Ten Branches" experts and could not interfere in the main battle.

The main battle was left to Sakuya and Boruto!

"Boruto..." Sakuya looked at the boy before him, shrouded in a golden chakra cloak with eyes full of anger and determination; the gaze beneath his mask flickered slightly. He knew this was Naruto's son, a massive headache.

"Give back the jinchuriki you captured! Stop all of this, Sakuya!" Boruto roared, a massive "Super Uzumaki Rasengan" condensing in his hand, which he slammed toward Sakuya with terrifying power!

"Naive." Sakuya gave a cold snort; the "Eighty Gods Mirror" instantly saw through the trajectory and structural weaknesses of the Rasengan. He didn't even block it head-on, merely swaying his body by the smallest margin, dodging the edge of the Rasengan like a ghost while his right-hand "Handgun" raised!

Bang! Bang! Bang! A triple burst! Specialized rounds capable of disrupting chakra stability flew toward Boruto in a triangular formation!

Boruto relied on the superior perception and speed of Sage Mode to dodge narrowly, but the rounds grazed his chakra cloak, still causing a ripple-like fluctuation.

"So fast! So accurate!" Boruto's heart tightened, and he immediately changed tactics; Shadow Clone Technique erupted, and countless Borutos rushed at Sakuya from all directions, with various Rasengans, Lightning Style, and Wind Style ninjutsu raining down!

"Boring tricks." Sakuya's eyes were cold; the "Eighty Gods Mirror" instantly saw through the chakra differences of all the shadow clones. He walked as if strolling through a rainstorm, always dodging lethal attacks by a hair's breadth, and every time his "Handgun" rang out, a shadow clone was precisely destroyed!

He even occasionally used copied techniques that Boruto had used before: "Lightning Style: Thunderclap Wave!", "Wind Style: Gale Palm!", returning the favor and catching Boruto off guard!

The more Boruto fought, the more alarmed he became; he discovered that all his attack patterns were completely seen through by his opponent, while the opponent's attacks were bizarre and unpredictable, especially that weapon called the "Handgun" which was impossible to guard against! His chakra was depleting rapidly!

"I have no choice but to use that!" Boruto gritted his teeth, his eyes becoming incredibly serious as he began to condense ultra-high-density chakra in his hand!

"Jogan: Super Large Rasengan!"

A massive Rasengan containing the power of the Jogan suddenly appeared, its power far exceeding the previous one!

Sakuya's eyes narrowed slightly, sensing the extraordinary nature of this strike. He raised his "Handguns" with both hands, the light of the "Eighty Gods Mirror" in his eyes flaring, pouring the remainder of his chakra into them!

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

Two pitch-black rounds containing the ultimate destructive power of Yin Style struck the two core points of the Super Large Rasengan like two black meteors!

Rumble—!!!

A terrifying explosion instantly swallowed everything! The light was blinding, and an energy storm swept in all directions! Even Kurotsuchi and the "Ten Branches" members fighting nearby were forced to retreat repeatedly!

Amidst the smoke and dust, a figure flew backward, slamming heavily into the wall—it was Boruto! The chakra cloak on his body dissipated instantly, and he spat out a large mouthful of blood, clearly severely wounded and falling into a semi-conscious state.

Sakuya also staggered back a few steps, a trickle of blood seeping from beneath his mask, his breathing somewhat rapid. The continuous high-intensity combat and command, especially the final head-on clash with Boruto's full-power Jogan-infused strike, had taken a massive toll on him.

However, just as he relaxed slightly, preparing to order the removal of the Five-Tails jinchuriki Hayate—

Another anomaly occurred!

Boruto, in a semi-conscious state, felt the Karma mark on his forehead suddenly flicker violently and uncontrollably! A cold, evil, and terrifying power far exceeding Boruto's own erupted outward!

Boruto's eyes snapped open, but they had transformed into eerie blue Rinnegan! His expression turned incomparably cold and arrogant, and his voice shifted into a chilling male tone:

"Hmph, useless trash. In the end, it still falls to me... Otsutsuki Momoshiki!"

"Shuoyue? An interesting ant. Your eyes... they belong to me now!"

"Momoshiki?!" Shuoyue's pupils constricted, and alarm bells rang wildly in his heart!

"Momoshiki-Boruto" raised a finger!

A strange, grayish-white beam containing the power of decomposition shot out instantly! It was so fast that it even surpassed the instantaneous predictive capabilities of the Eighty Gods Mirror!

Shuoyue only had time to desperately shift his body to the side!

Puchi!

The grayish-white light did not strike a vital point, but it grazed his right shoulder blade fiercely!

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

The struck area did not bleed, nor was there a wound, but an indescribable, soul-tearing agony surged from it! More importantly, he clearly felt the ocular power of his right eye's Eighty Gods Mirror become sluggish and obstructed, as if contaminated and partially sealed by some force! Even the chakra flow throughout his entire right side was severely affected!

It was the secret technique of Otsutsuki Momoshiki—the shrinking and decomposition power of Sukunahikona, mixed with a sinister curse targeting the soul and the origin of chakra!

"Tsk, missed, did I..." "Momoshiki-Boruto" seemed somewhat dissatisfied and prepared to raise his hand again, but Boruto's own consciousness began to resist violently. The Karma on his forehead flickered erratically, and his body began to tremble.

"Damned vessel..." "Momoshiki-Boruto" cursed under his breath as his power rapidly receded. Boruto's eyes closed, and he fell into a deep coma.

On the other side, the battle between Obito and Sasuke had reached a stalemate, both sides separating with their respective injuries. Kurotuchi, under the desperate obstruction of the Ten Branches, had also sustained minor injuries and could not break through.

Shuoyue endured the intense pain and discomfort in his right eye and right side, glancing at the unconscious Boruto, then at Sasuke and Kurotuchi—who were injured but still capable of fighting—and his own subordinates, who were in poor condition.

He knew that it was no longer possible to take both the Four-Tails and the Five-Tails today. If they continued to tangle here, the consequences would be unimaginable once other reinforcements arrived.

"Retreat!" he ordered coldly, making a decisive choice.

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

The members of the Ten Branches did not hesitate, quickly supporting the wounded and rushing into the vortex.

Shuoyue took one last cold look at Sasuke, Kurotuchi, the unconscious Boruto, and the Five-Tails Jinchuriki Byoen Hayate, who had narrowly escaped and was still in a state of shock, before turning and stepping into the Kamui Dimension.

The spatial vortex vanished.

All that remained were the devastated ruins of the fortress, the injured Sasuke and Kurotuchi, the unconscious Boruto, and the shaken Byoen Hayate.

In this operation, the Ten Branches organization successfully captured the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, but many members were severely wounded. Their leader, Shuoyue, had been blindsided by Otsutsuki Momoshiki, resulting in temporary damage to his right eye's ocular power and a failure to achieve the goal of seizing the Five-Tails.

As for Konoha and Iwagakure, although they barely managed to keep the Five-Tails, they had lost the Four-Tails, Boruto was left in a coma with severe injuries, and both Sasuke and Kurotuchi were wounded.

The cruelty and unpredictability of war had already begun to manifest.