To outside observers, the brief exchange between Uchiha Hikari and Yugito was over almost as soon as it began.
Hikari merely blocked Yugito's claw with her Susanoo's skeletal frame. Their eyes met for an instant, then Yugito swiftly leaped back several times, returning to the side of Fourth Raikage A, who had just regained his footing.
The entire exchange happened too quickly for anyone to react, much less discern what had happened.
With the battle officially underway, Kumogakure's response was swift and efficient.
Several elite ninja with formidable auras, dressed in Kumogakure jonin flak jackets, appeared from different parts of the village after finishing the evacuation of the residents. They swiftly gathered around the Raikage and Yugito, forming a small defensive formation.
Their expressions were grave, their gazes sharp and fixed firmly on Naruto and Hikari across from them.
Other ninja quickly spread out, carefully searching the surrounding mountain forests, rock faces, and other areas where enemies might hide or set up ambushes.
Clearly, A had not completely ignored Naruto's earlier warning about a "third party." When he had someone bring him food, he had also passed along instructions about it.
Farther back, near the village's defensive fortifications, more Kumogakure ninja were hard at work.
They sat cross-legged around a large cannon-like device, steadily pouring their chakra into it.
The cores of those devices flickered with unstable blue or purple electrical light, emitting low hums as though gathering destructive energy.
These were Chakra Weapons.
They were strategic weapons developed by Kumogakure by combining chakra and technology. They were not yet as powerful as they would be in a few years and might not be able to hit the moon, but they should be able to hit the enemies right in front of them.
Although the Chakra Cannons were slow to