Who Is He?

"You little Uchiha brat? I don't know what's going on, but do you think I'd leak my comrades' intel?"

The fleeting Yellow Flash clashed again and again with crisscrossing arcs of azure lightning, all while keeping Killer B, who wielded seven Ninja Blades, at bay. Compared to his gentle demeanor around his comrades, he was far more ruthless on the battlefield.

"Super Multi-Size Technique!"

White mist swirled as azure butterfly wings beat continuously. Akimichi Choza, his body expanded dozens of times over, was trapped in Gold Dust, his face taut with tension.

"Kekkei Genkai Gold Dust? Rasa... I never expected Sand Village to join forces with Cloud Village. Did they figure Konoha was stretched thin right now? Shadow Neck Binding Technique!"

With a series of cracking sounds, hands formed from shadows snapped the necks of several Cloud Village ninja. Nara Shikaku's mind raced, but he still couldn't think of a way out of their predicament.

Looking over the battlefield, Mount Kikyo's fortress, which had been responsible for defending the area, was now in ruins. Though the Yellow Flash and the heads of Konoha's prominent clans fought with reckless abandon, the battle continued to tip toward defeat.

There was only one reason. Though elite ninja had been hastily pulled from various battlefronts, the enemy had come prepared.

The Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, along with the future Fourth Kazekage and the Scorch Style Ninja Pakura, led the enemy's elite forces. Compared to their fearless charge at the front, Konoha's leaders seemed inexplicably absent.

"Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder!"

"AAAAAAAH!"

Wretched screams rang across the battlefield. The victims' bodies were instantly drained of moisture, while fireballs of Scorch Release, controlled as easily as one's own limbs, floated in every direction. The water inside anyone they touched evaporated in wisps of white steam.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball!"

Waves of heat rolled through the air as thick smoke billowed. Pakura lowered her head with practiced ease, predicting her opponent's moves from their body language alone.

"I won't let you keep doing as you please. I'm your opponent."

Dressed in the uniform of the Konoha Military Police Force, Uchiha Fugaku watched the three Tomoe in his eyes slowly turn. He didn't dare leave the slightest opening. His opponent was also a Kekkei Genkai user; one touch would spell his doom.

"Uchiha Fugaku. Those Sharingan are a pain."

The brownish hair at the tips swayed gently, while the roots and middle were green. Fireballs circled around her, and a cruel smile tugged at Pakura's lips.

"If we keep this up, we'll only end in a stalemate. More importantly, are you really going to leave that Perfect Jinchuriki alone?"

As they spoke, terrifying chakra continued to gather and take shape. Killer B, transformed into a Tailed Beast, opened his mouth. The expanding Tailed Beast Bomb grew until it was as large as the Mount Kikyo fortress.

"Tailed Beast Bomb!"

Its terrifying mass warped the air as it shot away at an unimaginable speed, powerful enough to flatten all of Mount Kikyo.

"Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder."

Just as the Tailed Beast Bomb was about to detonate, the Yellow Flash appeared before it in an instant. Far away, over the sea, the ocean churned as if struck by an earthquake, the world itself shaking.

"Fool! You idiot! First one, transported. Second one, no plan!"

The instant the Yellow Flash vanished, a second Tailed Beast Bomb took shape. Gyuki roared inside Killer B.

"Let's show those guys the power of our teamwork! Continuous Tailed Beast Bombs!"

Brilliant light flashed as one scorching Tailed Beast Bomb after another bombarded the battlefield indiscriminately. The Cloud Village ninja sheltered beneath the Eight-Tails, and the Sunagakure ninja shielded by Gold Dust, watched impassively.

Even the Yellow Flash couldn't teleport away an attack this dense. It was already too late.

"The power of a Tailed Beast? Damn it, there's no time..."

Nara Shikaku's expression changed dramatically. Uchiha Fugaku hesitated, while Yuhi Shinku, who had hurriedly pulled back, narrowed his eyes.

"Run! Kurenai!"

Yuhi Kurenai, whose opponent had been encased in Gold Dust and buried underground, still had no idea what had happened. She turned around to see a Tailed Beast Bomb the size of a carriage filling her world.

"Dad..."

"Flying Thunder God Technique! Guiding Thunder..."

The light vanished, and fierce winds surged overhead. Moving almost as fast as teleportation, someone carried off the girl frozen in place, while one Tailed Beast Bomb after another shot into the sky.

"How frightening! I only just got here, and walked right into this situation. Was I a little too late?"

Her eyelids drooped. The wound on her thigh was severe. Though she hadn't been touched by the Eight-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb, its terrifying heat had left the girl's flawless skin horribly scarred.

"You're..."

In an instant, all fell silent. Pairs of eyes, each bearing a different expression, fixed on the figure who had suddenly appeared on the battlefield. Most of them were utterly baffled.

"Who is he? Was that technique just now the Flying Thunder God Technique?"

"Are they Konoha reinforcements? What good would sending reinforcements do at this point?"

For a moment, none of the three sides made a move. Even the people on Konoha's side couldn't help murmuring among themselves.

"That crest... Uchiha Gunbai. Are they reinforcements from the Uchiha Clan? But that guy is so short. Could it be..."

Nara Shikaku shook his head again and again, unable to believe his own guess. Uchiha Fugaku looked even more confused. Since when had the clan had a master capable of using the Flying Thunder God Technique?

"With an injury like this, it looks like I won't be going anywhere. Most of my Flying Thunder God Kunai have been vaporized, too. That's why I hate things that aren't sturdy. Oh well."

The bandages wrapped around his wrist bound Kurenai tightly to him. Hanazuki looked around, then fixed his gaze on the Fourth Raikage, Killer B, Rasa, Pakura, and Toroi—the strongest fighters there.

"Wait, that voice..."

"I'd love to catch up, but this is a battlefield. There's no time to chat, and the other side is getting impatient. Wouldn't you agree, Fourth Raikage, you who fight without honor?"

His words were dripping with mockery, making the Fourth Raikage fly into a rage.

"You little Uchiha brat! That jutsu of yours back then really pissed me off!"

The Lightning Release Armor roared, azure lightning flaring to its fullest. Seeing the Fourth Raikage on full alert only left the ninja on all three sides even more confused.

"That jutsu from back then? This guy fought the Fourth Raikage and didn't lose, at least. What a formidable character."

"Fugaku, is this guy a master from your Uchiha Clan?"

Facing the heads and clan leaders of Konoha's prominent families, Uchiha Fugaku still looked bewildered. He couldn't remember anyone in the clan who was skilled in the Flying Thunder God Technique.

"Uchiha brat, that same jutsu won't work twice. You're facing me with an injured person in tow. Are you trying to die here for good?"

"Go ahead and try, Fourth Raikage."

"Even with one hand free to protect the injured, and all your Flying Thunder God Kunai used up, you still couldn't touch a hair on either of us. I, Uchiha Hanazuki, will keep fighting across this entire battlefield!"

Veins bulged on the Fourth Raikage's forehead, and his muscles knotted. Since becoming the Fourth Raikage, this was only the second time he'd been this furious.

"You little bastard! Die!"