125-137

Chapter 125: Massacre 

Mine No. 3 

Screams and wails replaced the once-constant hum of machinery in the valley, so piercing even the thunder in the sky couldn’t drown them out. 

On the brownish-yellow rock wall along the hillside, several Cloud Village guards, their headbands glinting, hung chained by their limbs. Their heads were severed, three shuriken each pinning brain, heart, and gut, nailing them to the stone. Blood streamed down the wall, staining it like a grim, rust-colored canvas. 

Countless miners fled in all directions, pursued by masked, black-clad figures wielding blades, tearing into the crowd like wolves among sheep. 

A blade slashed a miner’s throat, blood spraying the ground. The Root ninja’s mask, its eerie patterns swirling, grabbed the man’s head, slammed it down, and moved on, already chasing the next target. No words, no roars—just cold, mechanical slaughter. 

No, not slaughter. Eradication. 

Like scrubbing dirt from a room, devoid of emotion. 

Zing! 

A razor-sharp blade sliced through the air, chilling to behold. 

Splurch! 

A young Cloud ninja, gripping a long sword, shuddered. He looked down to see his abdomen split open, a gaping red wound spilling dark blood. His slick, twisted intestines slid out like noodles from a funnel. 

“Gah!” 

Gritting his teeth against the searing pain, the Cloud ninja clutched his lower abdomen with his left hand to keep his guts in place, swinging his sword with his right at the ninja in the green-patterned mask. 

Arashi smirked coldly, flicking blood and grime from his blade, then leaped back to create distance. 

Clang! 

The sword struck the ground, shattering stone with a shrill metallic ring. 

The Cloud ninja propped himself up with his blade, panting heavily, one hand guarding his torn abdomen as sticky blood dripped through his fingers. 

Arashi circled him, pacing like a hyena waiting for its moment, never attacking. Despair crept into the young special jounin’s eyes, and he stood frozen, gaze vacant. 

No chance wasted. 

Arashi sprang forward, gripping his blade in a reverse hold. 

Vrrrm! 

The piercing screech of a chainsaw rang out as his Wind Release-infused dagger sliced through the ninja’s carotid artery. The Cloud ninja’s dull eyes snapped awake, but it was too late. 

Blood sprayed skyward. 

Arashi grabbed the man’s skull with one hand, twisting to dodge the blood while wrenching the head clean off. 

Back at the Uchiha ancestral grounds, he’d perfected this move. Brain or eyes—he could preserve either flawlessly. 

A purple-masked figure emerged behind Arashi. 

“His intestines were already torn open. No need to waste chakra,” Arashi said, sealing the young ninja’s head in a scroll. 

Cho’s eyes glimmered faintly, her hands weaving signs nonstop. 

In the distance, another special jounin froze mid-fight, easy prey for the Root ninja locked in combat with him. 

“Yato’s situation is unclear. Hurry up and kill,” Cho urged. 

“That monster? I’d bet there’s not a soul left alive at Mine No. 1 by now,” Arashi said, wiping his blade on the enemy’s clothes, unfazed. 

Only those who’d faced Hikari could grasp her terror. 

After being crushed by her in seconds, Arashi had replayed that hallway fight countless nights, searching for a counter. The only faint hope was luring her into a trap and using a sealing technique. 

“The captain said Mine No. 1 has two jounin, one an elite. Yato might not have it easy. Plus, the captain’s in trouble and needs our backup,” Cho countered. 

“There’s an elite jounin here?” Arashi blinked, stunned. 

Yugao Ryoma, a veteran elite jounin and Root’s second-in-command, needing help with a single jounin? 

“Not quite. That guy’s Lightning Armor hard-counters the captain’s insect techniques. Iwakuma and I cleared Mines No. 4 and 5. A few stay there to clean up. I’ll handle this one—you head to Mine No. 2 and help the captain.” 

“Got it.” 

Arashi sheathed his blade and sprinted up the mountain. 

Mine No. 2 wasn’t far from No. 3. Cutting straight along the ridge’s cliffs, he reached it in moments. 

Clatter! 

Before he could scale the cliff, pebbles rained down. A withered, wrinkled arm clung feebly to the rock face, black parasitic insects chewing through fingertips and spilling out. 

Arashi dodged the falling stones and vaulted onto the cliff. 

Only then did he see the chaos at Mine No. 2. 

In the center of the mining camp, a blurry figure wreathed in crackling lightning tore through a swarm of black insects. Each charge sent the cloud of bugs plummeting like dumplings, carpeting the ground with charred carcasses. 

Iwakuma stood by Yugao Ryoma, his body swollen with Earth Release chakra, looking a size larger. His bear-shaped mask was shattered, half his face scorched black by lightning. 

Yugao Ryoma stood with arms spread, palms up, chakra surging. Countless Cloud ninja corpses bulged with writhing lumps under their skin. 

Sharp mandibles poked through. 

Pop, pop! 

Insect eggs inside the bodies, fueled by stolen chakra, burst free, crawling out. Frenzied parasites climbed over each other, sprouting wings, soon filling the sky with a dense, buzzing swarm. 

“Captain!” Arashi rushed to Yugao’s side, flanking him with Iwakuma like twin guardians. 

“Just in time,” Yugao said, pointing to the lightning flickering within the insect cloud. “That guy’s Lightning Armor makes it tough for my parasites to break through. Get too close, and the lightning fries them. Iwakuma’s defenses can’t hold up either. Besides Yato, you’re the only one who might crack that shield.” 

“What’s the plan?” Arashi nodded quickly. 

The Yugao clan’s parasitic insects thrived in group assaults—thousands draining tiny bits of chakra could sap an enemy dry. But against strong defenses or wide-range attacks, they struggled. 

Lightning Armor offered flawless protection and conducted electricity through the swarm, countering both weaknesses, stumping even an elite jounin like Yugao. 

“Test if your Wind Release can pierce it.” 

“On it.” 

No hesitation. 

Arashi gripped his blade in one hand, forming signs with the other. Wind chakra buzzed along the edge like a chainsaw. Yugao waved lightly, dispersing the insect cloud that obscured vision and senses. 

Zzt! 

The enemy finally came into view. 

A dark-skinned woman with thick lips and wide eyes. Her chest was wrapped in white cloth, her muscular frame gleaming with electric arcs, abs lined up like chocolate bars. 

“Filthy bugs!” she snarled. 

Arcs zapped insects from her body. Her bandaged fists, armed with tiger claws, clenched as she glared at her subordinates’ corpses, now breeding grounds for the swarm. Her voice dripped with murderous intent. 

Zing! 

Arashi and Iwakuma charged, their years of teamwork kicking in. Without a word, they attacked in sync—Arashi’s wind blade from the left, Iwakuma’s rock fist from the right, one high, one low, sealing her space completely. 

Eighty percent of ninjas would’ve fled in panic from this assault. 

Too bad they faced Cloud’s secret Lightning Armor. 

The woman didn’t dodge Iwakuma’s strike, turning to offer her back to him. Her left hand met Arashi’s wind blade, her lightning-clad tiger claws swinging at his face. 

Whoosh! 

Her iron fist was so fast, the gust scattered Arashi’s hair. 

Clang! Clang! 

Arashi and Iwakuma, with the first-move advantage, landed their hits faster. 

Iwakuma’s heavy rock fist smashed her neck, but lightning countered, neutralizing the impact and shattering the outer layer of his Earth chakra. 

Arashi’s strike was stronger, his blade slicing through the electric arc and clashing against her tiger claws with a screeching metallic ring. 

The combined force staggered her. 

Her stance faltered, her muscle chain disrupted, her swinging fist veering off-target. Arashi ducked low, dodging the lethal blow. 

The woman’s heavy punch missed, leaving her momentarily stiff. 

Now! 

Arashi and Iwakuma seized the moment, ignoring the lightning bursting from her. Iwakuma’s Earth chakra thickened, and he lunged, wrapping her in a bear hug from behind. 

Zzt! 

Lightning Armor triggered wildly, arcs piercing his Earth shield, tearing his flesh. Iwakuma didn’t flinch, locking her neck in a chokehold. 

Vrrrm. 

Arashi flicked his wrist. 

His chainsaw-like blade arced like a crescent moon, slashing her side. 

Crackle! 

The hyper-focused wind blade clashed with the Lightning Armor. Arashi felt like he wasn’t cutting flesh but a thunder spear with terrifying penetration. 

The woman recovered, shifting her fist into an elbow aimed at Arashi’s skull. 

“Fall back!” Yugao barked. 

The insect swarm surged in, engulfing her. Arashi and Iwakuma withdrew, retreating to Yugao’s side. 

Zzt. 

Lightning arced through the bugs, frying thousands in an instant, the air thick with the stench of charred carcasses. 

Yugao manipulated the swarm to block her advance. 

“You okay?” he asked Iwakuma. 

“Fine.” 

Bloodied and scorched, Iwakuma grabbed a handful of dirt, smearing it over his charred face and skin. The mud molded, filling his wounds, turning them to yellowish stone in moments. 

Earth Release: Mud Healing Fusion Technique! 

Iwakuma’s trump card, a blend of Yang and Earth Release, outshining other Root jounin. It used common dirt to temporarily seal wounds, halting deterioration. Legend said its creator could fight at full strength with just a brain left. 

“Can you break the armor?” Yugao turned to Arashi. 

“Barely,” Arashi said, lifting his prized chakra blade. A tiny, millimeter-long bloodstain marked the tip. “Just a scratch.” 

“Then we’re stuck,” Cho said, leaping up the cliff to join them. “If we can’t break her defense, we drag it out until her chakra runs dry.” 

Crackle! 

Lightning tore through the insect cloud as the woman, glowing with electricity, burst out and charged the four. 

“What about Yato?” Arashi asked. 

The four scattered calmly, hands weaving signs. Genjutsu, Earth Release, Wind Release, and insects overwhelmed her from all sides. 

She was just a jounin. Her attribute advantage and tough defense kept her alive, but counterattacking? Dream on. 

“She’s fine for now,” Yugao said, glancing at the misty peak. 

The fog parted under Wind Release, rippling in the sky. But the parasitic insects stationed there hadn’t returned, proof Hikari’s chakra was still strong, unshaken. 

“An elite jounin and a jounin, and she’s holding up?” Arashi clicked his tongue. 

The four of them could barely handle one jounin, yet Hikari was stalling an elite and another. 

“She’s the village’s strongest monster ever, after all,” Cho said, gazing at the peak. 

Dark clouds loomed, the summit’s mist blending with the sky, locking the mountain in a massive white cage. 

Rumble! 

Fog shrouded the peak, lightning bolts hammering the lightning rods like rain, illuminating the shattered corpses strewn across the ground. 

Central Warehouse, Mining Camp 

Hikari stared at the two furious figures outside her lightning-fire cage, puzzled. 

They seemed to have misunderstood her. 

“Why kidnap the miners? What’s your scheme at Thunder Drum Mountain? Speak!” Yozuki Takeshi and Darkui roared, livid. 

“I only kill, not kidnap. You’ve got the wrong idea,” Hikari explained earnestly, but their anger flared brighter in her eyes. 

“Massacring civilians and Cloud ninjas—does Mist want to start a war?” Yozuki spat, eyes blazing with killing intent. 

Thinking he’d seen through her, yet losing comrades at the peak due to his plan, Darkui’s regret fueled his rage toward her. 

Hikari found their righteous fury laughable. 

When Cloud sent assassins to attack Leaf’s ninja academy, they didn’t care about Leaf’s civilians or ninjas. Nor did they consider the cost if Leaf retaliated. 

Greedy, arrogant, and hypocritical. 

She thought of Kazama Yue, maimed and near death, losing an arm. Of Hagane Kotetsu and Kamizuki Izumo, ground to pulp. Of the torture tools found in that spy woman’s house, and the undigested human hair in a rat’s stomach. 

Hikari, who could spin countless noble excuses, spread her hands and met their furious gazes. “They were in the way, so I killed them.” 

She knew she wasn’t righteous. Her purpose here wasn’t for Leaf or to avenge victims. 

She pitied Kazama’s injuries but wouldn’t cross mountains to Cloud for his revenge. Hagane and Kamizuki were mere acquaintances, and the missing gate guard she’d never even met. 

Claiming she came to avenge the village was too fake. 

She was here to complete Root’s mission and claim Danzou’s promised reward to heal herself. 

High-minded words might fool others, but not her own heart. She didn’t need lofty reasons to mask her actions. 

“Bastard! What are lives to you?” Darkui roared, enraged by her indifference, clapping his hands. 

The chakra core in his heart surged, powering the warehouse’s layered seals, which glowed blue and red. 

Zzt! 

The laser-like steel cage sparked, contracting rapidly. 

The searing lasers closed in, screeching, slicing through the alloy floor with ease. 

Even Lightning Armor couldn’t withstand this. 

Being shredded into mincemeat was the only fate for the figure trapped in the cage. 

Chapter 126: Overwhelming Power 

Zzzzt! 

The shrinking Lightning Release cage contracted inch by inch, slicing the alloy floor into neat metal strips. 

The petite figure in the center stood motionless, seemingly helpless against the life-or-death crisis, as if she’d given up resisting. 

The Lightning-Fire Dual Seal. 

A combined technique fusing two of the most explosive chakra natures, with an A-rank difficulty. In the Cloud Village, only Darui could wield it. 

Using the aggressive properties of lightning and fire, it formed an untouchable prison. Lightning countered water and earth, while the inner fire offset lightning’s weakness to wind. 

If not for its strict activation conditions—requiring pre-inscribed seals and luring the enemy into a trap—this technique would be flawless. 

“Reveal your true identity and purpose, and I’ll spare your life,” Yagura said, suppressing his killing intent as he tried to persuade her. He never believed she was from the Mist’s Anbu. 

The Mist Village had long enforced a closed-border policy, separated from the Cloud by a vast ocean, with almost no conflicts. Her style and mask suggested she was a subordinate of the legendary “Darkness of the Shinobi.” 

The Cloud had recently clashed with the Leaf. It made sense if she was from the Leaf. 

“Wrapping fire with lightning to create a high-temperature, high-pressure chakra surge—what a brilliant design,” Haku said, ignoring his question. She studied the laser-like cage with excitement. 

Countless techniques and knowledge surged through her mind—fire, water, wind, earth, lightning. Years of training and insights from her shadow clones fused together. 

Water counters fire; wind counters lightning. 

To break this seal, a wind-water combination was ideal. Haku extended her hands, summoning a violent storm and torrent in each palm. 

The wind compression technique she’d learned from Danzo, the high-pressure water jet she’d abandoned after mastering lightning, the vacuum cannon she’d created from the Eight Trigrams Empty Palm but deemed too slow for her fighting style—all these discarded, uncontrollable techniques aligned under the inspiration of the Lightning-Fire seal. 

Whoosh! 

A massive volume of water compressed into a sphere, bubbles bursting with a rumbling roar. Her Byakugan analyzed the lightning-fire pillars’ mechanics, her precise control wrapping the water ball in a dense wind membrane. 

Seeing the terrifying chakra fluctuations from Haku’s wind-water sphere, Darui’s eyes narrowed, his chakra surging wildly. 

Zzzzt! 

The laser cage tightened, sparking against the floor, the already cramped prison now barely offering space. 

The water sphere’s pressure intensified, roaring like colliding rivers. Haku held the newly crafted orb—one hand above, one below—aiming at the shrinking cage and Darui’s clasped hands. 

Her wrists flared like petals, the water sphere trembling violently. 

A chill ran down Darui’s spine, a shock-like sense of danger shooting from his spine to his brain. His Anbu-honed instincts screamed in alarm. 

“Get down!” Yagura’s pupils shrank to pinpricks. His muscular arm shoved Darui’s head down, both men hitting the ground. 

Hiss! 

The sound was like a pressure cooker venting or a cobra spitting venom. 

A hair-thin water jet shot from the sphere’s crack, its tip laced with wind chakra that tore through everything, emitting a mosquito-like whine. 

The laser-like lightning-fire pillars contracted inward, clashing with the wind-water jet. 

Zzzzt! 

Arcs burst from the pillars’ surface, but the wind sliced them in half, exposing the orange-red flames within. 

Whoosh! 

The scorching fire tried to ignite the wind, but the icy, pressurized water cooled and scattered it. The seemingly perfect lightning-fire pillars were pierced by the wind-water combo. 

The high-speed jet cut through everything, grazing over Darui and Yagura’s heads, punching a pinhole through the warehouse’s thick alloy wall. 

Zip! 

Haku gripped the violently shaking water sphere, twisting it slightly. The piercing jet swept from left to right. 

No resistance. 

The lightning-fire cage erupted in sparks, and the entire alloy warehouse was sliced in two. 

Hiss… 

Sizzling steam filled the air. 

Stepping out of the shattered prison, Haku crushed the now-drained water sphere. Looking at the two men rising from the ground, shaken, she tilted her chin. “Nice technique. What’s your name?” 

“D-Darui,” he stammered, swallowing hard. The anger in his blue eyes had turned to fear. If Yagura hadn’t pushed him down, he’d be in pieces like the bodies outside. 

He stared at the ten-meter-thick alloy wall, a faint line of light at waist height cutting clean through. He’d never seen water rival lightning’s penetration, and that wind membrane perfectly countered the lightning-fire pillars. The technique’s precision made him question himself. 

Had his intel leaked, letting her prepare? Or was it just bad luck, meeting a perfect counter? 

Surely she hadn’t created this technique on the spot to break the Lightning-Fire seal. That was too absurd to consider. 

“Darui? Never heard of you,” Haku said, searching her memories but finding no trace of him in the original story. He wasn’t a notable character. 

But… 

She turned to the man in front of Darui. 

His towering, iron-like physique and spiky hair seemed familiar. 

Did all Cloud ninjas look the same? 

“And you?” 

“Yagura… of the Night Moon clan,” he said gravely. 

Staring at the silently pierced alloy wall, he knew his Lightning chakra mode stood little chance against that jet. She was a formidable foe. 

“Is Yagura the Elder your father?” Haku asked. 

“You are from the Leaf’s Root!” Yagura growled, lightning arcs crackling across his face, his tiger-like eyes wide. Hearing his father’s name confirmed her identity. 

This was the Leaf’s revenge. 

Zzzzt! 

Lightning flared from Haku’s body—the Cloud’s secret technique, Lightning chakra mode. 

No words were needed. 

Using the Night Moon clan’s sacred Lightning Armor before them was a blatant provocation, igniting Yagura’s fury. 

Boom! 

His right leg slammed into the ground. 

Using the recoil, Yagura’s body shot forward like a cannonball. 

In less than half a second, his massive frame loomed over Haku, casting her in shadow. 

His fierce eyes locked onto her. 

That wind-water technique required three to four seconds to prepare—enough time to pound her into pulp. 

This was the confidence of a taijutsu specialist. 

His arm muscles bulged as he raised a fist the size of a sandbag, smashing toward Haku’s face. 

“Such a predictable attack,” Haku muttered. 

Activating her neurons with Lightning Release, her Byakugan pupils contracted. The fist’s high-speed approach slowed to a crawl in her vision. 

Yagura the Elder had once overwhelmed her with Lightning chakra mode’s speed and reflexes. Now, having mastered the same technique, Haku had erased her weaknesses. 

With Lightning Armor and Byakugan synced, her reflexes and dynamic vision aligned. Attacks too fast for normal eyes were snail-like to her. 

Bzzz! 

Lightning stimulated her muscles. 

Sidestepping the fierce punch, she planted one foot, raising the other. 

Her muscles coiled into a unified force. 

Zzzzt! 

Lightning chakra surged to her toes, the blinding flash like a flare in the dark, dazzling Yagura. 

Side kick! 

Whoosh! 

The warehouse echoed with a thunderous boom as her black-tipped foot slammed into Yagura’s left ribs. 

Zzzzt! 

Lightning clashed, neither yielding. 

But the sheer force sent Yagura’s feet off the ground, his massive body flying sideways like a broken kite. 

Boom! 

He crashed into the wall. 

The already-sliced wall couldn’t hold, and Yagura smashed through, flying out of the warehouse. 

It all happened in under three seconds—from Yagura’s charge to his ejection. 

Only then did Darui finish his final hand seal. 

His chest puffed up. 

Wind Release: Vacuum Wave Barrage! 

Bzzz! 

Continuous vacuum slashes sprayed from Darui’s mouth. As a Cloud ninja, he knew Lightning Armor’s weakness. 

Its defense relied on offense, destroying anything that got close with lightning. 

But against high-frequency Wind Release, Lightning Armor struggled to keep up, unable to fully defend. 

As the endless vacuum slashes barreled toward her, Haku wouldn’t let them hit. As a shadow clone, even a scratch could dispel her. 

No need to test Lightning chakra mode’s defense. 

With a flash of lightning, she dodged the vacuum waves. 

The ground trembled. 

A terrifying weight, like a charging elephant, hurtled toward Darui. 

The best way to counter a genjutsu or ninjutsu specialist was a swift, close-range assault. 

Though she’d called Yagura’s attack unoriginal, Haku made the same choice. 

Battles didn’t need novelty—just efficient kills. 

Bzzz! 

The vacuum waves pummeled the wall. 

The warehouse, already missing a load-bearing wall, couldn’t hold. 

Creak! 

With a piercing groan, the roof tilted, and the ten-ton steel-alloy ceiling collapsed. 

Darui smirked. Everyone knew taijutsu specialists’ tactics. The vacuum waves weren’t meant to hit a lightning-fast enemy. 

As the owl-masked figure closed in, her eyes pitch-black… 

Zzzzt! 

Lightning Armor wrapped Darui’s body. Standing at the door, he darted out of the collapsing warehouse before Haku. 

“Captain!” 

Yagura, somehow already at the door, saw Haku charging. Crossing his arms over his chest, he braced himself. 

Boom! 

They collided. 

The gap in mass and strength was stark. Yagura felt like he’d been hit by an elephant, his body flying back without pause. 

His lungs jolted, and he spat blood mid-air. 

But his block halted Haku’s charge. 

The heavy beams and roof collapsed, walls toppling, dust rising. In moments, the warehouse was rubble. 

“Ugh! Cough, cough!” 

Yagura, flung dozens of meters, coughed on the ground, blood dripping from his nose and mouth, staining the earth. 

The metallic taste filled his lungs. 

This was Lightning chakra mode’s second weakness. 

Its frenzied lightning could resist blades and ninjutsu but not raw physical force. Usually, he overwhelmed enemies with his strength. This was his first taste of being crushed by power. 

His organs were nearly displaced, his heart and lungs heavily injured. 

“Cough—Darui, is the enemy down?” 

“…” 

Silence. 

A chilling silence answered him. 

A bad feeling rose in Yagura’s chest. Propping himself up, his stern eyes widened. 

At the rubble’s center… 

The black figure stood unscathed, a crimson cloak billowing in the wind. 

A malevolent black-red chakra formed two giant hands. One propped up the ten-ton warehouse wreckage; the other, stretching over ten meters, gripped Darui’s head, lifting him into the air. 

“Meow—!” 

Darui’s legs flailed, but he couldn’t resist the terrifying strength. His eyes rolled back, his face purple. 

The giant hand tightened, Darui’s Lightning Armor sparking wildly. 

“Aaagh!” 

His scream pierced the sky. 

Crunch! 

The sickening sound of crushed bones echoed. Darui’s head exploded in the crimson hand, red and white splattering like a smashed watermelon. 

Thud. 

His headless body fell, blending with the corpses on the ground. 

The figure in the crimson cloak sauntered out of the ruins. 

Boom! 

The roof finally collapsed, kicking up more dust. 

Pale red bubbles rose into the sky. The roiling black clouds stopped churning, now eerily converging and spinning. 

The air grew humid, green sprouts emerging from the earth. 

Yagura’s throat went dry as he watched the girl approach, cloaked in fiery red. 

The Cloud Village housed the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. As a former Anbu captain, Yagura knew what that malleable crimson cloak signified. 

This girl was the Leaf’s… perfect Jinchuriki! 

Chapter 127: Trump Card 

Whoosh, whoosh! 

A ninja in a red-and-blue mask darted through the mine, navigating the rugged, slick floor as if it were flat ground. 

Sky-blue chakra illuminated the tunnel, casting eerie halos off the exposed deep-blue crystals in the rock walls, lending the cave a mysterious, dazzling glow. 

Rustle! 

Yellowish-brown paper tags flew from the ninja’s pouch, fluttering and sticking themselves to the mine’s load-bearing pillars and ceiling. 

Explosive Tag Manipulation Technique. 

A simple ninja tool-based jutsu, yet a mandatory skill for every Root demolition squad member. 

Its effectiveness needed no explanation. 

The ninja zipped through the dark tunnels, ensuring every critical pillar was tagged, then retraced their path back to the surface. 

This mine sat at the mountain’s base. 

Detonating it now risked a landslide that could disrupt the others’ missions, so the timing wasn’t right. 

The dark, damp cave mouth gradually brightened. 

The red-and-blue-masked ninja sped up, bursting out of the cave—only to freeze at the sight before them. 

Two figures in black cloaks with red clouds, wearing rogue ninja headbands, approached from the mountain path below. 

The one in front, a blue-skinned, shark-like man with a massive blade strapped to his back, was gesturing animatedly, chatting with the dark-haired man behind him. 

When the masked ninja saw the second man, their eyes narrowed. 

A refined face, crimson eyes—it was Konoha’s S-rank rogue ninja, Uchiha Itachi! 

The moment they spotted each other, their gazes locked—black eyes meeting scarlet Sharingan with spinning tomoe. 

“Mr. Itachi, the mist up at the peak… it gives me a bad vibe,” Kisame Hoshigaki said, rubbing his pointed teeth, hands flailing as he struggled to describe the feeling. 

Familiar yet alien, comforting yet terrifying. 

A deep, conflicting tug-of-war between his instincts carved itself into his mind, leaving him uneasy. 

The great blade Samehada on his back squirmed restlessly, unsure whether it urged him to climb the mountain or flee. 

Clearly, he wasn’t the only one feeling this contradiction. 

Itachi nodded lightly. Though he didn’t fully grasp Kisame’s sensation, the sinister purple chakra up ahead already set him on edge. 

When in doubt, ask—that was his way. 

“Who are you?” he said, turning to the mysterious ninja standing dazed at the cave mouth. 

“I—” 

The red-and-blue-masked ninja, mouth agape in a trance, grimaced in pain, as if fighting to resist. 

Itachi’s gaze sharpened, his three-tomoe Sharingan morphing into a shuriken pattern. 

The ninja’s struggle flickered like a weak candle, snuffed out by a deluge of icy water. 

When the three-tomoe Sharingan evolved into the Mangekyo, it not only granted three unique techniques but also amplified its innate insight, copying, and hypnosis abilities. 

Even a genjutsu novice could become a master with the Sharingan’s built-in hypnosis. 

“I’m… I’m ‘Bakurin,’ a member of Root’s demolition squad,” the ninja stammered. 

“Root?” Kisame’s eyes glinted with confusion. He’d never heard of such a group. 

A cold voice laced with barely suppressed rage came from Itachi, his Mangekyo shuriken spinning faster. “They’re from Konoha.” 

“Oh.” Sensing his partner’s foul mood, Kisame wisely stepped back and shut up. 

No one chooses to betray their village. 

Becoming a rogue ninja often meant irreconcilable conflicts with one’s home, festering into deep hatred. 

If you didn’t want trouble, silence was the best move. 

“What’s your purpose at Thunder Drum Mountain?” Itachi pressed. 

“To… to destroy the ore veins, and—” Bakurin’s voice hitched. 

Itachi glanced at Kisame, who watched quietly, then asked calmly, “And what else?” 

“Kill everyone on the mountain and burn it down.” 

“Tch, brutal,” Kisame muttered. 

Coming from the Bloody Mist, where resources were scarce, even he rarely saw missions this ruthless. 

But on second thought, it made sense. The few Konoha rogues he’d met were all vicious—Konoha’s environment must be harsher than Mist’s to produce so many powerful renegades. 

Itachi’s expression didn’t waver. He wasn’t surprised by their cruelty; no one knew Danzo’s methods better than he did. 

“Who’s your mission leader? Where are they?” 

“Ryoma—Lord Ryoma’s up the mountain—” 

No hesitation. Under hypnosis, Bakurin spilled everything. 

Ryoma? 

Was that sinister chakra at the peak his doing? 

The same thought crossed Itachi and Kisame’s minds. 

“Give me his details!” Itachi demanded. 

“He—” 

Bakurin started to answer, but froze, like a machine running out of power. 

“What’s wrong with him?” Kisame, impatient from the conflicting vibes, stepped forward. 

Itachi’s pupils dilated, a violent chakra surge stinging even his Mangekyo. 

“Don’t get close!” he shouted. 

Whoosh! 

Flames and black smoke erupted from the silent Bakurin. 

The teen’s face, hidden behind the mask, remained cold, as if the agony of burning flesh didn’t faze them. The Cursed Tongue Eradication Technique had snapped them out of hypnosis. 

Uchiha Itachi, a rogue ninja, was here—Captain must be warned! 

Bakurin clapped their hands. 

Their chakra ignited like a thermite bomb, unleashing blinding light and heat. 

“Explode!” 

The fire flared, and Bakurin’s body detonated. 

Water Release: Water Wall! 

Kisame wove signs, spewing a torrent that formed a barrier, blocking the scorching flames and shockwave. 

The massive water wall crashed like a tsunami, dousing the fire in a few surges. 

“No worries, no worries,” Kisame said, waving at Itachi, flashing his shark-like teeth—only to see Itachi’s face grow grimmer. 

Before he could ask, boom, boom, boom! 

The deep, dark mine behind them erupted with countless explosions, the ground quaking. Thick smoke and shockwaves blasted from the cave mouth, engulfing them. 

Deep in the mountain’s core, a pair of cold, golden slit-pupil eyes snapped open. 

Mine No. 2 

Iwakuma grabbed a rock, patching a gaping wound on his arm. 

Yugao Ryoma dispersed his insects. 

The air reeked of charred rot, the ground blanketed in a dense layer of blackened bug corpses. 

Arashi pinned a woman’s head with his knee, his short blade twisting clockwise into her neck, severing tendons and bone with the smooth precision of a butcher. 

Rumble! 

A muffled boom echoed from below, the ground trembling, jagged cracks splitting the mountain’s rough rock walls. 

Arashi braced against the ground, struggling to stand. “What’s going on?” 

“Sounds like the mine at No. 5 collapsed,” Cho said, squinting, her sensory jutsu rippling toward the source. 

“Didn’t we tell them to wait until we’re off the mountain to blow it?” Arashi asked. 

“Must be an emergency,” Yugao said, his eyes darkening. He trusted his subordinates—they wouldn’t act recklessly against orders. 

“What now?” Iwakuma asked, his arm repaired. 

“To the peak! Find Yato!” Yugao ordered. 

“Yes!” the three replied in unison. 

Arashi sealed the woman’s head in a scroll, and the four raced to Mine No. 1 at the summit. 

Rumble! 

The peak trembled lightly. 

Gurgle… 

Crimson chakra bubbles steamed off Hikari, the sky’s dark clouds twisting thicker, the air so humid and heavy it was suffocating. 

“Huff… You’re Konoha’s Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?” Yozuki Takeshi rasped, his tiger-like eyes bloodshot, murderous intent surging within. 

His father had infiltrated Konoha to capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Given her terrifying strength, Yozuki was piecing together the truth of his father’s death. 

“Yozuki Yuu—was it you who killed him?” he demanded. 

“Yep,” Hikari replied, not bothering to dodge the question. 

She dispelled the chakra-wasting Tailed Beast cloak; her reserves were running low. 

Her Byakugan pierced through the enemy’s body, revealing a ruptured lung leaking blood. The longer this dragged, the weaker he’d get. 

She never forgot she was just a shadow clone, unable to tank damage. 

A single counterattack, even a scratch that’d heal in seconds, could pop her instantly. 

This led to a bizarre situation: with Lightning Armor and Tailed Beast cloak, her defenses were formidable, yet she couldn’t risk taking a single hit. A shadow clone meant for scouting traps fought more cautiously than her real body. 

The air grew heavy with labored breaths. 

Yozuki’s emotional aura, visible to Hikari, turned a bloody black-red. 

“That old man’s Lightning Armor was way tougher than yours. It took everything to break his limbs before I could bite through his throat,” Hikari said, smirking, blue lightning crackling at her fingertips. “Good thing he was there, or I wouldn’t have learned such a killer Lightning Armor.” 

“Die!” Yozuki roared, unable to bear the taunt. 

Eyes bloodshot, he charged, fists raised, his guard wide open, looking like he’d lost all reason. 

“Heh!” Hikari’s lips curled in a faint smile. 

Thunder exploded under her feet, and she flashed back, dodging the seemingly reckless punch. 

“All Konoha ninjas do is run? Come on!” Yozuki bellowed, eyes red, his bear-like frame and wild swings painting him as a brainless brute. 

“You don’t think I can see what’s in your hand, do you?” Hikari said, her Byakugan fixed on him. 

The Black Thunder Crystal clenched in his fist glinted. Yozuki’s frenzied expression calmed, the rage in his stern eyes replaced by pure killing intent. 

He knew Lightning Armor and Tailed Beast cloaks too well—his attacks, even if they breached her defense, wouldn’t deal much damage. 

His only hope was Black Thunder, which bypassed physical defenses to paralyze the mind. 

But— 

“That black rock in your hand looks pretty nasty,” Hikari said, eyeing the flickering black lightning arcs within the stone. 

As one of the ninja world’s rare sensory types, with Byakugan seeing through everything, his crude sneak attack was laughably obvious. 

Her Byakugan pierced the crystal, its blend of Lightning and Yin chakra raising her brow in surprise. 

Cloud’s secret Black Thunder was a fusion of Yin and Lightning Release? 

Hokage Sarutobi had taught that most Yin- or Yang-infused jutsu revolved around Water or Earth, as their tangible nature better carried other chakra natures. 

Even most kekkei genkai leaned on Water or Earth. 

Fusing the intangible “Lightning” with the even more ethereal “Yin” involved techniques far beyond Black Thunder’s own value. 

Damn it! 

Yozuki’s fingers grazed the crystal’s smooth surface, feeling utterly exposed, like he stood naked before her. 

The sneak attack failed; he’d have to force it. 

His training gave him far greater resistance to Black Thunder than her. 

If he could just land one hit— 

Whoosh! 

Mist twisted in the air. 

Unnoticed, thick fog blanketed the peak again, swallowing their figures completely. 

Yozuki’s eyes filled with deep despair as Hikari vanished into the mist. 

Without Darkui’s Wind Release, he couldn’t dispel it. 

His chest ached, his lungs spasming with each breath, the taste of rust flooding his mouth. 

His trump card was useless. Yozuki stood frozen, at a loss. 

Vrrrm! 

The mist warped. 

A high-speed wind blade slashed his chest, sparking. He charged toward the attack’s source. 

His fog-blurred eyes searched the dense mist, finding no trace of her, only meeting denser vacuum slashes. 

Bang, bang, bang! 

Slash! 

The relentless wind blades finally cracked his Lightning Armor, carving a bone-deep gash across his back. 

“Aargh!” Yozuki roared, swinging his Black Thunder Crystal-fisted hand wildly, but the vacuum slashes only grew fiercer. 

Time ticked by. 

No thrilling taijutsu clashes, no dazzling ninjutsu duels. 

In the mist, only a bloodied figure spun in circles, roaring, his voice growing fainter. 

Finally— 

Thud! 

A tattered, mutilated giant collapsed. 

Even in death, the Black Thunder Crystal in his hand gleamed, its potent black lightning never once unleashed. 

Whoosh! 

The fog dissipated swiftly. 

Hikari appeared two steps behind Yozuki, a chasm of skill separating them. 

Her mist, more versatile than Mist’s Hidden Mist Technique, moved with her target, always cloaking them, inescapable. 

If you couldn’t break her Water Release mist, you didn’t deserve to fight her. 

If you couldn’t withstand her Heavenly Spin wind, getting close meant death. 

And if an enemy somehow breached those barriers, they’d face her ultimate taijutsu—a fusion of Konoha’s Strong Fist, Cloud’s Lightning Armor, Hyuga’s Gentle Fist, and Kaguya’s War Dance. 

A monster blending mechanics and raw power had taken form!