311-315

Chapter 311: Battle Preparations 

When Shindai and Naruto got home, Kushina Uzumaki's red hair was flying around, making her look exactly like a raging demon. 

"Where have you two been at this late hour?!" 

Seeing Kushina like this, Shindai and Naruto felt shivers down their spines. 

Shindai, being the clever one, immediately blamed Naruto: "Big Sister Kushina, ask Naruto! It was all his idea!" 

Naruto felt a heavy weight on his back, like a giant pot had landed on him, threatening to flatten his small body. 

Naruto stammered, "I, I was a little hungry, so I asked Big Brother Shindai to take me for a late-night snack..." 

Kushina instantly exploded: "What?! Don't you know that eating late at night is bad for your health?!" 

Naruto trembled as he said, "M-Mom, hear me out! We didn't actually get to eat. Something happened! Big Brother Shindai and I ran into some suspicious guys, and they kidnapped Hinata, so we went to rescue her!" 

Kushina's floating hair immediately returned to normal. 

Kushina had seen Hinata several times before. 

She also somewhat knew what Shindai was up to, but Kushina didn't stop them. A childhood romance, growing up together—it sounded pretty good. 

As for what happened when they grew up, she figured it would happen naturally. Kushina was quite confident in her son's charm! 

Kushina's tone softened: "Ahem, I see. So, was Hinata hurt at all?" 

Naruto pumped his little fist and declared, "Mom, I'm super strong! I took down two ninjas in one go! If the third one wasn't Hinata's dad, I definitely would've taken him down too!" 

Kushina exclaimed, "You took down two ninjas? What happened?" 

Naruto vividly recounted the situation, though it was a "modified" version. 

For example, his initial fear and freezing up were spun into him looking down on his opponents and letting them make the first move. 

Kushina listened to Naruto's bragging, her expression growing more and more speechless. Naruto hadn't even officially started training yet, so how could he use ninjutsu? How could he fight Cloud ninjas? 

But she figured it had to be Shindai's doing. 

Kushina stopped scolding them: "Since it was to save Hinata, I'll let it slide this time. Shindai, don't spoil Naruto too much, and it was too dangerous. Don't do that again next time." 

"No problem!" 

Shindai agreed readily, but his eagerness made Kushina's mouth twitch. 

He definitely hadn't listened to a word she said! 

--- 

The next day, after a night of interrogation at the Interrogation Department, the Hidden Cloud Village's plan was revealed. 

The Hidden Cloud Village wanted the Byakugan because of Ao from the Hidden Mist Village. 

During the Third Great Ninja War, Ao obtained a Byakugan from the Leaf Village's Hyuga clan, and he was still on the Leaf Village's most wanted list. 

The Hidden Cloud and Hidden Mist Villages often had skirmishes, and because of Ao's Byakugan, many of the Cloud's deployments failed. The Byakugan held immense strategic value, which is why the Hidden Cloud Village came up with the idea of stealing the Leaf's Byakugan. 

According to their plan, after kidnapping Hinata, they would immediately leave the Leaf Village and rendezvous with hidden Cloud ninjas outside the village for extraction. 

Minato Namikaze immediately wrote a letter of accountability and sent a ninja to the Hidden Cloud Village. Then, he began making preparations, first dispatching a contingent of elite ninjas to the Land of Lightning's border. 

If war was declared, these elite ninjas would be the first to enter the Land of Lightning and engage in combat. Then, when the main forces arrived, they would keep the battlefield contained within the Land of Lightning and resolve the conflict as quickly as possible to prevent it from spreading. 

And Shindai, being the best at group fights, was naturally among them. 

When Shindai learned about this, he was completely stunned. 

What was going on? Why were they suddenly preparing for war?! 

"Uh... do I really have to go?" 

In the Hokage's office, Shindai tried to argue with Minato Namikaze. 

Minato sighed, "What do you think? The order has been given. Don't worry, this operation won't last long." 

"Alright." 

Since Minato put it that way, Shindai could only agree. 

"So, when are we leaving?" 

"We need to reach the Land of Lightning's border as soon as possible. Ninjas are already being gathered, and we'll depart as soon as the assembly is complete. We're looking at about three hours from now." 

"Then I'll go back and tell Pakura and Hikari." 

Shindai hadn't expected it to be so urgent. He quickly left the Hokage's office and went to the handicraft shop to find Pakura. 

"Oh, Sister Nonoyu is here too?" 

Yakushi Nonoyu smiled and asked, "Shindai, you're here for Pakura, right? Perfect timing, I was planning to give Pakura a few days off. She's worked hard recently, so you two can have some fun." 

"No, I'm not here to play with Pakura. Pakura, I'll be leaving the Leaf Village for a while. I'm going to the Land of Lightning for a mission," Shindai said, looking at Pakura. 

Pakura was surprised: "The Land of Lightning? What kind of mission takes you that far?" 

Shindai looked around. Right now, there was no one else in the handicraft shop besides the three of them. So, he explained, "Last night, ninjas from the Hidden Cloud Village tried to kidnap Hinata to get the Byakugan. Lord Minato is furious and has decided to demand accountability from the Hidden Cloud Village. We're going to wait at the Land of Lightning's border. If the Raikage doesn't cooperate, we'll go straight to war." 

Yakushi Nonoyu and Pakura were both very surprised. They hadn't heard any news of this, and they had no idea such a thing had happened last night. 

Pakura thought for a moment and said, "Since I'm already on break, I'll go with you on this mission." 

"That's great!" Shindai was thrilled. Having Pakura accompany him? Only a fool would refuse. 

"Then let's go find Hikari." 

After bidding farewell to Yakushi Nonoyu, they headed to the puppet shop. 

After telling Hikari Uchiha what had happened, Hikari said, "If both of you are going, then I'll go too. I'd be bored by myself." 

Shindai glanced at his shop, looking troubled: "What about my shop then?" 

Hikari Uchiha replied matter-of-factly, "Just close it temporarily. You're the only one who sells this kind of stuff; are you worried about competition?" 

Shindai looked at Pakura, who also chimed in, "Let's all go together." 

Shindai sighed. They were a couple; how could he break them up? 

"Alright, let's all go together then." 

After Pakura, Hikari Uchiha, and Shindai packed their belongings, they went back to the Hokage's office to find Minato Namikaze. 

Minato was naturally happy to hear that Pakura and Hikari Uchiha wanted to go too. Although Pakura and Hikari Uchiha hadn't become Leaf ninjas, their strength was undeniable. 

With Shindai, Pakura, and Hikari Uchiha working together, the combat power they could unleash would be quite significant. 

Chapter 312: Minato Namikaze is Fuming! 

Outside the Hidden Leaf Village, the ninja preparing to be dispatched to the Hidden Cloud Village had already assembled. While not a huge group, they were all elite Leaf ninja. Besides Obito and his team, Shindai spotted several familiar faces. 

This mission would use a three-person squad setup, and naturally, Shindai, Pakura , and Hikari Uchiha became one team. 

Shindai cleared his throat, full of bravado. "Ahem, looks like I'll have to be the captain, huh? Well, I won't turn down the honor! You two, you'll have to follow my lead on this mission!" 

Pakura and Hikari Uchiha exchanged glances, a mischievous glint in their eyes, then simultaneously replied, "Okay, no problem at all!" 

The overall mission leader was Sarutobi Tetsu, an elite Leaf ninja who had shown excellent command skills during the Third Great Ninja War. 

Everyone then set off for the Hidden Cloud Village. 

Minato Namikaze's letter wasn't sent quickly. He wanted to give Shindai and his team enough time to reach the Land of Lightning's border. 

Meanwhile, the Cloud ninja who had been driven away from the Hidden Leaf Village returned to their own village first and reported the incident to the Raikage, Ay. 

Raikage Ay's face was grim. Sending so many Cloud ninja to the Leaf for a Byakugan, only to fail, was infuriating. 

"Send a letter to the Leaf Village!" Raikage Ay roared. "Tell them we went there with sincerity for an alliance, but the Leaf killed our ninja! Demand Minato Namikaze give us an explanation and compensation! Otherwise, it's war!" 

Just one day after that letter was sent, Minato Namikaze's reply arrived in Raikage Ay's hands. 

Seeing Minato Namikaze's accusatory tone in the letter, demanding the Hidden Cloud Village give the Leaf an explanation, Raikage Ay scoffed. "Since when does our Hidden Cloud Village need to explain anything to the Leaf?! We're not afraid of war!" 

One of the Hidden Cloud's higher-ups said worriedly, "But, Lord Raikage, the Leaf Village right now..." 

Raikage Ay knew perfectly well that the Leaf Village was thriving and had even forged alliances with the Hidden Stone and Hidden Sand Villages. On the other hand, the Hidden Cloud had allied with no other ninja villages. If they went to war with the Leaf, they certainly wouldn't gain anything. 

"I know your concerns," Raikage Ay stated confidently. "Don't worry, the Leaf won't choose war. As long as we're tougher than them, they'll eventually choose to reconcile and settle things peacefully. During the Third Great Ninja War, the Leaf was in a superior position but still chose to negotiate, didn't they? The Leaf ninja are just a bunch of cowards. So, I predict the Leaf will try to argue. If we stay firm, we might even get a Byakugan pair directly, and with that, our Hidden Cloud Village's strategic advantage will be greatly improved." 

Raikage Ay was very confident because that was his impression of the Leaf Village. They would give up their advantage for peace and choose to reconcile. In his opinion, that was foolish. If they had had such an advantage back then, they would have fought to the bitter end, never letting any opportunity slip away. 

Raikage Ay was now waiting for Minato Namikaze's reply, expecting the Leaf Village to back down. 

Three more days passed. 

Shindai's team had already reached the Land of Lightning's border and were hidden. Now, they just needed to wait for orders. If the Hidden Cloud gave an explanation, they'd retreat. If not, they'd charge in and fight. Simple as that. 

Back in the Leaf Village, Minato Namikaze had received Raikage Ay's reply. Seeing it, even someone as composed as Minato couldn't help but curse. 

Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others flinched when they heard Minato's outburst, realizing that this fight was probably inevitable. 

Minato's veins pulsed on his forehead. "They're actually trying to twist the blame, saying they came with sincerity for an alliance, and we killed their ninja?! If we don't compensate them, they'll declare war?! This is outrageous! What does that Raikage think our Leaf Village is?" 

Minato then announced, "I'll have the contact toad notify Tetsu to lead his team directly into the Land of Lightning for flexible operations. And I'll have Tetsu send a ninja animal to tell the Raikage that if he wants war, we'll start it immediately. If he wants to negotiate, he needs to show sincerity and find a witness. As far as we're concerned, his credibility is completely gone! Also, the Leaf Village will begin a full mobilization of our ninja forces. At the same time, notify the Tsuchikage and Kazekage not to make any rash moves. As for the Hidden Mist Village, dispatch some ninja to the border to prevent any sneak attacks from their side!" 

"Yes, sir!" 

Meanwhile, far away at the Land of Lightning's border, Shindai was feeling absolutely creeped out. The reason? The way Pakura and Hikari Uchiha were looking at him. 

These past few days, Shindai kept feeling Pakura and Hikari looking at him with chilling eyes, and they kept saying bizarre things. 

"Naruto's such a good kid." 

"If it weren't for Naruto, we really wouldn't have known." 

"Yeah, unlike some people whose minds are just twisted." 

Pakura and Hikari's passive-aggressive remarks sent shivers down Shindai's spine. He'd told them more than once to just say what they meant, but it was no use. Pakura and Hikari simply wouldn't say it directly; they just kept being snarky, leaving Shindai in a constant state of anxious uncertainty. 

Shindai couldn't figure out what Naruto could have possibly said to make Pakura and Hikari so passive-aggressive towards him. Come to think of it, when Pakura and Hikari went home after work before, they seemed to be passive-aggressive with him too. 

But... if Naruto had said something that made Pakura and Hikari really angry with him, they would have just gone through their usual routine and beaten him up, right? Shindai felt it would be better if Pakura and Hikari just beat him up. This current situation was making him miserable. 

And Pakura and Hikari's goal was precisely to make Shindai miserable. They had discovered that Shindai had grown accustomed to getting beaten up; it basically had no effect on him anymore. So, they found a new approach: as long as they didn't say anything and just kept acting weird around Shindai, he would be miserable for a long time. 

The reason Pakura and Hikari were doing this was that one time, Naruto, while asking a question, told them that Shindai thought they liked each other and asked them what "forbidden love" meant. 

Pakura and Hikari were furious when they found out. They had already planned how to thoroughly humiliate Shindai. But Hikari Uchiha felt that just beating Shindai up would be too quick for him. She suggested to Pakura that they keep Shindai in the dark and let him guess, tormenting him mentally. And that's how things ended up this way. 

Shindai shivered, feeling Pakura and Hikari's malicious stares. 

Are they crazy?! 

Chapter 313: Flexible Operations Commence! 

Shindai was feeling incredibly uneasy right now. Even though he was supposed to be the captain of their three-person squad, he was practically cowering before Pakura and Hikari Uchiha, acting more like a subordinate. And his right eyelid wouldn't stop twitching—he had a bad feeling about this, like something straight out of a ninja nightmare. 

Meanwhile, the contact toad with Sarutobi Tetsu had already received Minato Namikaze's latest orders. 

Sarutobi Tetsu gathered everyone and announced, "The Hidden Cloud Village is trying to flip the script, claiming we killed their ninja without cause and threatening the Leaf with war. So, I'll send a ninja animal with a declaration of war, and at the same time, we'll directly enter the Land of Lightning and begin operations. 

"We'll be operating in three-person teams, engaging in flexible combat. Do not directly confront the enemy; your safety is the top priority. This isn't a fight to the death; we're only taking on advantageous battles. Even if it's an even fight, retreat immediately. 

"If the Hidden Cloud Village insists on war, then our main Leaf forces will directly enter the Land of Lightning. At that point, we'll link up with the main force and engage the Hidden Cloud in direct combat! 

"Everyone, check your radio communication devices. If you get into trouble, notify us immediately. Nearby teammates will prioritize helping. Once you've checked your gear, you can disperse and begin fighting!" 

Some ninja checked their radio devices and immediately entered the Land of Lightning. 

"Shindai, we're heading out!" Obito called out to Shindai before disappearing into the Land of Lightning with Kakashi and Shisui. 

Even though medical ninja were part of this mission, they weren't directly involved in this kind of combat. They were stationed at the border, ready to treat injured ninja at any moment. That's why Obito, Kakashi, and Shisui formed their own three-person squad. 

Just as Shindai was about to lead Pakura and Hikari into the Land of Lightning, Sarutobi Tetsu found him. 

"Shindai, because your jutsu can cause wide-area attacks, I want to give you a specific mission." 

Shindai immediately understood Sarutobi Tetsu's meaning. "Captain Tetsu, you want me to attack the Hidden Cloud Village?" 

Sarutobi Tetsu nodded. "Exactly. The Raikage will definitely send a huge number of ninja to pursue our forces. This is the Land of Lightning, after all, the Hidden Cloud's territory, so even with flexible operations, the risk is still high. If the Hidden Cloud Village suffers a large-scale attack, the Raikage should recall some ninja for defense. That would significantly reduce the pressure on our comrades. And when it comes to wide-area attacks, from what I've seen among the ninja here, only your Magnet Release can pull it off, Shindai." 

Shindai looked hesitant. "But... to cause an attack big enough to make the Hidden Cloud retreat, my chakra might not be enough." 

Sarutobi Tetsu looked at Hikari Uchiha. "I've heard from Ebisu, Kurenai, and Guy about Hikari's Eight Thousand Spears eye jutsu. The medical ninja stationed here will continuously gather chakra, and through Hikari's markings, it can be transmitted into your body to help you cast your ninjutsu, Shindai." 

Only a select few knew the full effects of Hikari Uchiha's Eight Thousand Spears eye jutsu. Others who knew about it, like those who received her markings during the Nine-Tails attack (like Might Guy's team), thought Hikari's Eight Thousand Spears could only transmit chakra regardless of distance through markings. They didn't know it could control minds. After all, mind control was a power that could easily cause panic, even if Hikari Uchiha had no intention of controlling their minds. 

Hikari Uchiha had removed Might Guy's and the others' markings after the Nine-Tails attack, but Shindai's remained—she'd kept them on him all this time. 

Hearing that Sarutobi Tetsu wanted him to use Hikari Uchiha's Eight Thousand Spears eye jutsu to perform ninjutsu, Shindai nodded in agreement. "Alright then, Hikari, give them a marking, and let's head straight for the Hidden Cloud Village." 

Hikari Uchiha marked each of the medical ninja. Once done, Shindai, Pakura, and Hikari set off for the Hidden Cloud Village. 

As soon as the Leaf ninja entered the Land of Lightning, they got to work, engaging any ninja they found wearing a Hidden Cloud headband. 

News of this quickly reached Raikage Ay's ears. He repeatedly asked if it was truly Leaf ninja, somewhat in disbelief, and the answers were always a clear "yes." 

Raikage Ay immediately dispatched Cloud ninja to pursue and intercept the Leaf ninja. At the same time, a Cloud ninja ran into the Raikage's office. 

"Lord Raikage, we encountered a ninja animal! This is a letter from the Leaf Village!" 

Raikage Ay opened the letter and began to read it. 

The letter first condemned the Hidden Cloud Village and Raikage Ay, then responded to Raikage Ay's threat of war if there was no compensation: If you want to fight, then fight. War begins now. 

The letter concluded by stating that if Raikage Ay came to his senses, he should send a reply and arrange negotiations under the witness of a mutually agreed-upon third party. The prerequisite for negotiations was for the Hidden Cloud Village to admit their attempt to steal the Leaf's Byakugan. If they didn't admit it, there would be no need for negotiations, and the Leaf would send its main ninja forces into the Land of Lightning, as Raikage Ay wished, officially beginning the war between the two villages. 

Raikage Ay furiously slammed his fist on the desk. Make them admit they tried to steal the Byakugan? While it was true, Raikage Ay absolutely refused to accept it. During the Third Great Ninja War, they never admitted defeat, and now they wanted them to admit stealing the Byakugan? Impossible! 

A Hidden Cloud elder tried to persuade Raikage Ay. "Lord Raikage, if we truly go to war with the Leaf, the Hidden Stone and Hidden Sand, who are allied with the Leaf, might make a move. And the Hidden Mist Village, with whom we've always had friction, definitely won't miss this opportunity. We need to be careful!" 

Another elder also advised, "Yes, Lord Raikage. The Leaf Village is thriving right now. Just dealing with the Leaf alone will be difficult for us. If other ninja villages get involved, our Hidden Cloud Village will be in big trouble!" 

Raikage Ay was already seething from the letter, and now he was getting angry with his own people. 

"Are you telling me I have to bow down to Minato Namikaze, to the Leaf Village? Impossible! First, wipe out the ninja who entered the Land of Lightning! Then, mobilize our ninja forces and prepare for battle!" 

Seeing Raikage Ay's stubborn determination to go to war, all the elders in the office sighed. This was no time for pride! 

The Leaf ninja consistently followed Sarutobi Tetsu's battle plan, spreading out and only engaging in advantageous situations. If an even fight started to develop, they immediately retreated. These Leaf ninja were all elite, not mere Genin or Chunin; at worst, they were Special Jonin with unique skills, making them hard to catch unless relentlessly pursued. But if pursued relentlessly, other Leaf ninja fighting elsewhere would rush in to ambush and assist in the retreat, leaving the Cloud ninja feeling helpless. 

This battle was incredibly frustrating for the Hidden Cloud ninja, like being trapped in a genjutsu of endless evasion! 

Chapter 314: "Who Gave You A Bag of Rice?" 

The Hidden Cloud ninjas' pursuit of the Leaf Village ninjas wasn't going well, which meant things were going very smoothly for the Leaf ninjas. 

Meanwhile, Shindai, Pakura, and Hikari Uchiha, who were on a special mission, also encountered three Cloud ninjas. 

But only Shindai was fighting. 

"Come on, finish them off already." 

"You're taking too long! You keep saying you're a hero, but if you were really a hero, you'd end this fight in an instant against these kinds of enemies." 

Shindai had just taken down one Cloud ninja, and now he was controlling Kannazuki to step on another, a sand iron longsword piercing its chest. 

Shindai glared at Pakura and Hikari Uchiha, who were leaning against a tree watching the show: "You two are going too far! We're teammates, and you're just standing there watching! I'd rather team up with Obito and them; at least they'd help me fight!" 

Pakura said in a strange, mocking tone, "We just have faith in your strength, giving you a chance to shine! Don't you love performing? What's wrong? Don't want to perform?" 

Shindai grumbled, "No! You guys deal with the last one. You came all this way, so at least do some work! I'm the captain; I should be directing you in battle!" 

The last Cloud ninja, knowing he was no match for them—they couldn't even win three-on-one, and now he was alone—immediately turned and bolted. 

"Alright, alright, since you're begging us." 

"Who's begging you...?" Shindai muttered under his breath. 

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Release Song Technique!" 

Hikari Uchiha only formed one hand sign, "Tiger," before unleashing the jutsu. She gathered chakra within her body and highly compressed it to form fire dragons, spitting out four of them from her mouth, sealing off the Cloud ninja's up, down, left, and right, leaving him nowhere to hide. 

In a panic, the Cloud ninja swung his ninja blade, barely deflecting two of the fire dragons, but the remaining two unavoidably struck his back and left arm. He was instantly sent tumbling across the ground several times. 

The Cloud ninja's left arm and leg were obliterated by the fire dragons, and blood continuously gushed from his mouth. 

"Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder!" 

A Scorch Release fireball appeared in Pakura's right hand. She hurled it at the Cloud ninja, and the moment it struck, the ninja's body instantly dehydrated, turning him into a mummy. 

Pakura clapped her hands: "Done." 

Hikari Uchiha scoffed, "Now that's a fight! Finishing off an opponent in an instant. Not like you, dawdling for ages, even though your raw power is superior. You just had to play dirty, huh? What's the deal?" 

Pakura walked over to Shindai, looking at him now, taller than she was, and said with a smile, "Still need more practice~" 

Shindai's face turned green: "You two! Ganging up on me like that, it's just too much! I'm not playing with you anymore!" 

Shindai stuck his neck out and flew towards the Hidden Cloud Village. 

Pakura and Hikari Uchiha almost laughed. "I'm not playing with you anymore"—it sounded just like something a child would say. 

"Hey, wait, fly slower!" 

Shindai's flight speed was very fast, and Pakura and Hikari Uchiha could only accelerate to catch up. 

Shindai went through two more battles, and in these two, Pakura and Hikari Uchiha still didn't make a move, though this time it was because there wasn't time. 

That's because Shindai directly crushed his opponents with Magnet Release and Kannazuki, without resorting to dirty tricks. 

Now they were on a mountain behind the Hidden Cloud Village. 

Pakura poked Shindai's slightly puffed-out left cheek: "Hey, are you really mad?" 

Shindai mumbled, "No!" 

Hikari Uchiha then poked Shindai's puffed-out right cheek: "You're not that petty, are you?" 

A vein popped on Shindai's forehead: "I said no!" 

"I'm going to do my job! Later, listen to my commands and give me your chakra!" 

Shindai took off from the ground, flying towards the Hidden Cloud Village. 

To avoid being detected by the Hidden Cloud ninjas, Shindai flew quite high and didn't go deep into the village. He just hovered directly above the outer edge of the Hidden Cloud Village. 

Looking down at the village, Shindai spoke to Hikari Uchiha over the radio: "Hikari, send your chakra to me!" 

"Okay." 

The moment Hikari Uchiha's words faded, she transferred chakra to Shindai's body through their seal. 

Shindai began forming hand signs. 

"Magnet Release! Negative Polarity Magnetic Field!" 

"Magnet Release! Positive Polarity Magnetic Field!" 

With the support of massive amounts of chakra, two distinctly different magnetic fields appeared within the Hidden Cloud Village. 

Shindai merged the two magnetic fields while maintaining their original properties. 

That's right, Shindai was preparing to use Supernova Rasengan. With the progress he'd made in his strength over the past few years, Shindai had completely mastered Supernova Rasengan and wouldn't run out of chakra after using it once. 

However, while Supernova Rasengan was powerful, his mission was to cause widespread destruction in the Hidden Cloud Village, and its power alone wasn't quite enough. 

So, the two magnetic fields needed to be large and strong. This way, when they fused into the Supernova Rasengan, the resulting destruction would be even greater. 

During the fusion process of the two magnetic fields, all the iron tools within the Hidden Cloud Village began to vibrate, and those nearby were automatically pulled into the magnetic field. 

When the two magnetic fields fully merged, an incredibly large energy sphere with brilliant glowing points appeared, floating on the ground where the magnetic fields had fused. 

People near this energy sphere immediately felt a chilling sensation. 

The Fourth Raikage, Ay, Killer B, and other powerful ninjas instantly looked toward the energy sphere, their expressions suddenly changing. 

Shindai suddenly had an idea and shouted, "Who gave you a bag of rice?! (Let the world know pain!) Supernova Great Rasengan!" 

The surface of the energy sphere developed numerous cracks, and intense light leaked from them. The cracks grew larger, and the light became even more dazzling. 

The shockwave from the explosion swept outwards. Everything in its path was annihilated, and constant electrical currents surged, like the end of the world. 

One-fifth of the Hidden Cloud Village was wiped out in that explosion. 

"I'm so strong!" 

Shindai's personal power limit was quite restricted, but if he had enough chakra, the power of his ninjutsu would increase linearly. And as long as Hikari Uchiha's seal was there to provide ample chakra, Shindai's upper limit became an unknown. 

Just as Shindai was admiring his masterpiece, a kunai charged with lightning shot rapidly towards him in the air. 

Shindai hurriedly flew to dodge the kunai and looked down. 

From the ruins, Killer B, wrapped in his Tailed Beast Cloak, glared angrily at Shindai in the sky. 

Shindai's eyelid twitched. 

It seemed he was being targeted by the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki! No, not just him—he was being targeted by both the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki and the Fourth Raikage, Ay! 

Chapter 315: Killer B and Raikage Ay Fall for It! 

Hovering in the air, Shindai spotted Raikage Ay and Killer B amidst the rubble. 

Raikage Ay was crackling with lightning, his hair standing on end, eyes locked onto Shindai. "You despicable Leaf ninja! I'm going to kill you!" 

Shindai shivered. He didn't think he could take on Raikage Ay, let alone with Killer B thrown into the mix. So, he pulled out a scroll, unrolled it, and summoned a large disc from it. This disc was one of Shindai's scientific ninja tools. He pressed a button on the disc, then tossed it out. The activated disc began unleashing various ninjutsu from the scrolls stored within it, and Shindai immediately turned and flew off. 

Raikage Ay wanted to pursue, but Killer B stopped him. "Big Bro, the Hidden Cloud needs your command. I'll go after him!" 

Raikage Ay suppressed the urge to charge and wipe out Shindai, telling Killer B, "Be careful, Killer B!" 

"I got it." Killer B dashed off in Shindai's direction. 

"Holy smokes! He's fast?!" Shindai noticed Killer B on the ground was chasing him at incredible speed, constantly throwing kunai infused with lightning-style chakra, increasing their sharpness and piercing power, directly at him. 

Shindai, with no cover in the air, was a sitting duck. So, he had no choice but to descend, using the trees in the forest for cover while successfully linking up with Pakura (Ye Cang) and Hikari Uchiha. 

"Quick, retreat! The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B, is chasing us!" 

Pakura and Hikari looked behind Shindai. "We can't escape, he's too fast!" 

Shindai turned to see Killer B had already caught up. 

"You fool, you dummy! Killer B, your main man, is gonna take you out today, ya'know!" 

Shindai scoffed. "Seriously? That's some clumsy rapping. Embarrassing, really." 

Killer B growled, "What did you say, you punk?!" 

Shindai taunted, "I said you're embarrassing. If you can't rap, don't! And why are you so mad? It was your Big Bro, that reckless Raikage, who wanted to start a war with our Leaf Village. Your Hidden Cloud Village does these shady, underhanded things, and then when you get caught, you act all righteous and refuse to admit it? You've got some thick skin!" 

Shindai noticed it was just Killer B, and his confidence instantly soared. If Raikage Ay had come too, that would have been a real problem. But with just Killer B, while still troublesome—he was a perfect Jinchuriki after all—it wasn't an insurmountable obstacle. Besides him, he had Pakura and Hikari! 

Killer B's face darkened at the taunts. He wasn't privy to all the village's decisions; his job was just to train, get stronger, and control the Eight-Tails' power. But the Leaf's Byakugan was certainly tempting, and Killer B could understand why his Big Bro, Raikage Ay, would want it. If they had succeeded, he could say it was a victory for the strong, but since they failed, he had nothing to say. He certainly wasn't going to join Shindai in insulting his own village! 

Killer B snorted, then used his Super Vibrato Lightning Release Sword, infusing his blades with lightning-natured chakra to generate high-frequency vibrations, giving them penetration power beyond even Wind Release. 

Just as Killer B was about to charge, he found his legs tangled. Looking down, he saw a layer of Iron Sand covering his feet. While Shindai was taunting Killer B, he had already played a dirty trick, subtly moving Iron Sand under Killer B's feet, then slowly covering his legs. 

"Heh, you're the dummy!" 

"Magnet Release! Iron Sand Burial!" 

Shindai tried to use the Iron Sand to crush Killer B's legs. However, in his half-tailed beast state, Killer B's amplified strength was formidable. He easily broke free from the Iron Sand and charged at Shindai. 

Shindai's taijutsu was terrible; if Killer B got close, he was done for. But Shindai had the taijutsu master Pakura with him. Pakura used her Scorch Release in conjunction with her taijutsu and engaged Killer B in combat. Hikari Uchiha used ninjutsu to assist. Shindai, controlling Kannazuki (his scientific ninja tool), also engaged Killer B in close-quarters combat. 

Shindai found an opening, made contact with Killer B's body, and magnetized him. Shindai formed hand signs and pressed his hands to the ground. 

"Magnet Release! Super Magnetic Gravity!" 

Shindai used his chakra to affect the Earth's magnetic field, interacting with the magnetized Killer B, who was pulled down to the ground by a powerful attractive force. Shindai and Pakura, with perfect synchronization, pulled back to the left and right. 

Hikari Uchiha had already finished her hand signs. 

"Fire Release! Great Fire Annihilation!" 

Hikari Uchiha gathered chakra in her throat, then unleashed a massive, sea-like torrent of flames towards Killer B, engulfing him instantly. 

After her ninjutsu ended, Hikari reunited with Shindai and Pakura, watching the flames rage. 

Shindai sniffed the air. "Huh... it smells like grilled octopus, not grilled beef." 

Pakura stared at the flames. "Did we get him?" 

Shindai shrugged. "No way. He's a Jinchuriki, a perfect Jinchuriki at that. It's not that easy to take him down. Let's get out of here while we can." 

As expected, the unexpected happened. A giant octopus tail swept across, extinguishing the flames. Killer B was tightly wrapped in several octopus tails at that moment. Hikari Uchiha's flames hadn't burned Killer B himself, only the octopus tails. Killer B had entered his half-tailed beast state, maintaining his human form but with significant changes: his body was covered in dark red Tailed Beast chakra, and bone-like structures had formed on his elbows, with more and more tails sprouting from his back. 

Shindai frowned. "He's probably going to fully transform into the Eight-Tails next. What a pain. Hikari, it's your turn to shine, then we bolt!" 

"If that's the case, then give me your chakra, you and Pakura." 

Hikari Uchiha used her Eight Thousand Spears marking to transmit Shindai and Pakura's chakra into her body. 

"Amaterasu!" 

Fierce black flames of Amaterasu erupted on Killer B's body. 

"Blaze Release: Kagutsuchi!" 

The Amaterasu black flames instantly engulfed Killer B's entire body. 

Just as the three of them were preparing to retreat, a call echoed from nearby. 

"B!" 

Raikage Ay, worried about Killer B, had tracked the signs of battle to this location, arriving just in time to see Killer B being consumed by the Amaterasu black flames. 

"You scoundrels!" 

Raikage Ay immediately activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode and charged at Shindai's group in a furious rage. Shindai felt his scalp tingle; the most troublesome guy had arrived. 

Shindai and Pakura both looked at Hikari Uchiha. 

Hikari Uchiha stepped forward, and Raikage Ay's gaze involuntarily fixed on her. 

"Tsukuyomi!" 

Hikari Uchiha used Tsukuyomi to forcibly drag Raikage Ay's mind into a genjutsu space. To Shindai and the others, it was only an instant, but Raikage Ay experienced 72 hours of torment. 

After escaping the genjutsu space, Raikage Ay dropped to one knee, panting heavily. 

"Retreat!" 

Hikari Uchiha's Sharingan reverted to its three-tomoe state. After a quick warning, she, Shindai, and Pakura immediately retreated. 

Whoa! That was quite a fight! It seems Hikari's Mangekyo Sharingan abilities are a game-changer. The Raikage and Killer B definitely got a taste of the Leaf's power, dattebayo! What do you think this means for the ongoing conflict?