306-310

Chapter 306: Do You Intend to Make an Enemy of Konoha?  

"Danzo, die!"  

"Chidori Eisō (Lightning Cutter Spear)!"  

Sasuke, like a god of thunder, unleashed a bolt of lightning from his hand, piercing straight through Danzo’s arm with a sharp whoosh.  

"Guh!"  

Danzo grunted in pain, immediately coating his hand with Wind Release chakra to sever the lightning spear and free himself—avoiding full-body paralysis.  

"You think you can escape?"  

Sasuke, wreathed in crackling electricity, appeared in front of Danzo in an instant—almost like teleportation. Danzo’s pupils shrank in shock. "That’s the Raikage’s movement technique! How—?!"  

"Shink!"  

In the next moment, a blade stabbed through his chest, followed by a surge of terrifying lightning.  

"AAGH!"  

Danzo screamed in agony. "You’ve grown… this strong?!"  

"Tch. Compared to Itachi Uchiha and Yoru, you’re pathetic."  

"Tsukuyomi!"  

With a sharp glare, Sasuke’s Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan unleashed an irresistible wave of spiritual energy, dragging Danzo into the hellscape of Tsukuyomi.  

"This is… Itachi’s ability! Why do you—?!"  

Danzo’s shock only deepened. Sasuke smirked. "No need for you to know. Just focus on surviving the next 48 hours. Out here, it’ll only be a second… but in here, I’ll make sure you learn the meaning of despair."  

By the time the Third Hokage, Jiraiya, and the others arrived at the battlefield where Danzo and Sasuke clashed, they were met with an eerie sight—Danzo’s face twisted in silent agony, while Sasuke stood motionless, as if petrified.  

But before they could intervene, Yoru—who had already reached the scene—erected a massive barrier, sealing off the area.  

"Yoru! What is the meaning of this?!" The Third Hokage’s voice was icy. "Are you trying to start a war between Konoha and Kirigakure?!"  

Yoru shrugged casually. "No need for the dramatics, Lord Hokage. I’m just providing Sasuke with a fair battlefield. Can’t a guy get his revenge in peace?"  

"Don’t screw with us!" Tsunade roared. Exchanging a glance with Jiraiya, the two lunged at Yoru simultaneously.  

"Tendo: Chōshō no Jutsu (Heavenly Foot of Pain)!"  

Tsunade’s devastating kick crashed down like a meteor, splitting the earth and sending shockwaves through the ground. Yoru dodged back—only for Jiraiya to intercept him mid-retreat.  

"Ninpo: Rasō Renge (Wild Lion’s Mane Technique)!"  

Jiraiya’s hair elongated like spears, whipping toward Yoru with razor-sharp flexibility. At the same time, the Third Hokage completed his seals.  

"Katon: Karyū Endan (Fire Release: Flame Dragon Bullet)!"  

A torrent of flames, so intense it bleached the surrounding colors, roared toward Yoru. The air itself warped from the heat.  

Even from dozens of meters away, Yugito and Reiko felt like they were being roasted alive, forced to retreat—only to be intercepted by Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.  

"Kakashi! Might Guy! Asuma! Move out!"  

The moment the Third gave the order, Konoha’s elite jonin—Kakashi, Guy, and Asuma—swooped in, joining the fray against Yoru, Yugito, and Reiko.  

Chapter 307: Five Demon Water Clones  

Nara Shikaku chuckled awkwardly as he addressed the three Kage. "Ah, please excuse the mess—our little domestic dispute must be quite the spectacle for you."  

On the surface, polite hospitality. But anyone with half a brain could see the real message: 

"Stay put. We’re watching you."  

"How enviable," Tsuchikage Ōnoki mused, his voice laced with a mix of admiration and bitterness. "Konoha’s talent pool is as deep as ever. If not for Yoru rise in Kirigakure, your village would still dominate the entire shinobi world unchallenged."  

Shikaku’s smile remained diplomatic. "You flatter us, Tsuchikage-sama. Iwagakure’s own elites—like Kurotsuchi and your son, Tsuchi—are hardly lacking."  

Yoru Battle  

"So," Yoru voice cut through the tension as he effortlessly weaved between Jiraiya, Kakashi, and their combined assault. "You’re ganging up on me now? How… predictable."  

His grin was razor-thin, all mock courtesy. "They say ‘two fists can’t fight off four hands.’ Guess I’ll need to even the odds."  

No hand seals. No warning. Just a flicker of movement—his palm slapped the ground.  

"Water Release: Five Demon Water Clones!"  

BOOM—!  

A colossal geyser erupted beneath him, violent waves surging outward. Tsunade and the others barely leapt back in time as the terrain morphed into a sprawling lake—Yoru domain.  

By the time they steadied themselves on higher ground, he stood calmly atop the water. Behind him, five eerie clones rose, their ashen faces marked with characters: 壹 (Ichi) to 伍 (Go).  

Something about those clones sent a primal chill down Jiraiya’s spine.  

"Each clone has one-fifth of my power," Yoru announced, arms crossed as he eyed the Third Hokage, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi, and Might Guy. "So. Are you ready?"  

Tsunade’s teeth ground together. "This bastard’s actually giving us intel?! He’s taunting us!"  

Every shinobi knew the golden rule: Never reveal your abilities. Misdirection? Fine. Blatant honesty? Suicide.  

Yet here Yoru stood, smirking like he’d already won. 

"Go ahead. Analyze me. It won’t save you."  

Infuriating.  

"No moves from you?" Yoru tilted his head when his opponents stayed frozen. "Then I’ll start."  

The five clones blurred—each streaking toward a target.  

"Stay sharp!" The Third Hokage barked. "Assume his ‘hint’ is a trap—or worse, the truth!"  

"No shit!" Tsunade snarled.  

Clone 贰 (Ni) lunged at her, fists raised. She met it head-on, her legendary strength cracking the air—  

—Only for the clone to not dodge.  

It matched her stance.  

It was going to trade blows with the strongest physical fighter in Konoha.  

The sheer audacity—!  

Chapter 308: Tsunade's Frustration  

"Arrogant bastard!"  

Seeing this, Tsunade roared in fury, surging her chakra to multiply her strength before smashing forward—her fist tearing through the air as it collided with the Water Clone.  

BOOM!  

To her shock, Water Clone #2 exploded into mist with a single punch, utterly obliterated.  

Tsunade blinked in disbelief. She had assumed that since the clone dared to face her head-on, it must have possessed monstrous strength.  

And yet… this was all it took?  

A single strike turned it to dust—pathetic!  

"Hah! So much for your 'Five Ghost Water Clones.' Pathetic!" Tsunade sneered at Yoru’s real body, cracking her knuckles. "Now, let’s see how you handle this!"  

With a thunderous step, she charged like an enraged beast, her fist howling through the air.  

"EAT THIS!"  

But Yoru didn’t move. He didn’t even flinch.  

"…What’s his game?"  

A warning instinct flared in Tsunade’s mind.  

Yoru, frozen in fear? Impossible.  

His calm smirk told her everything—this was a trap.  

At the last second, she aborted her attack and leapt back, eyes narrowed.  

Yoru yawned. "Oh? Running away now? Am I really that scary?"  

His mocking grin made her blood boil. She’d been played.  

Gritting her teeth, Tsunade lunged again—only for Jiraiya’s voice to cut through the chaos.  

"TSUNADE, BEHIND YOU!"  

A sharp whoosh of air screamed at her back.  

Her peripheral vision caught it—Water Clone #2, the one she’d just obliterated, had reformed and was lunging at her like a vengeful ghost.  

"WHAT?! I destroyed that thing!"  

Panic spiked as she raised her arms to guard—  

"Ninpō: Hari Jizō (Needle Jizo)!"  

Jiraiya’s hair erupted into a spiked shield around her, blocking the clone’s strike. The clone’s fist splintered against the razor-sharp strands, holes tearing through its watery form.  

"Jiraiya, you really have time to babysit?"  

Yoru—now casually sitting cross-legged, chin propped on his hand—gestured behind Jiraiya with a smirk.  

Water Clone #1 had already finished weaving hand signs.  

"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet)!"  

A blade-thin jet of water sliced through the air, aimed straight for Jiraiya’s spine.  

No time to dodge.  

He was still shielding Tsunade—  

"Suiton: Suisentai no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Encampment)!"  

The Third Hokage’s voice rang out from below.  

Jiraiya sank into the ground just as the attack ripped through where he’d stood.  

"Suiton: Suikadan (Water Release: Water Fang)!"  

The Third had split into two shadow clones—one rescuing Jiraiya, another engaging Water Clone #3, while the last hurled a spinning water drill at Clones #1 and #2.  

"Suiton: Suijinheki (Water Wall)!" 

"Raiton: Kangekiha (Lightning Release: Surging Wave)!"  

The clones countered instantly—a wall of water blocked the attack, while a storm of lightning lashed back, forcing the Third and the others to retreat to higher ground.  

But before they could steady themselves—  

All three water clones raised their hands in unison.  

"Raiton: Rakurai Jin (Lightning Release: Falling Thunder Array)!"  

Chapter 309: One Against Three, Running in Circles  

In an instant—  

The sky darkened, thunder roiling as thick, barrel-sized bolts of lightning crashed down, each strike homing in on the Third Hokage and his team.  

"Scatter!"  

Even the Third’s composure cracked as he barely dodged. These weren’t ordinary lightning strikes—no earth barrier could withstand this raw fury.  

BOOM! CRACK!  

Water geysered, rocks shattered. Every safe foothold vanished under the onslaught.  

"Damn it—he’s forcing us onto the water!" the Third realized, face paling. "We can’t let him control the battlefield!"  

"Ninja Art: Wild Lion’s Mane Jutsu!"  

Jiraiya’s hair snaked through the air, shielding Tsunade as it lashed toward Clones 壹 (Ichi), 贰 (Ni), and 叁 (San).  

"Don’t let them evade!"  

As the clones twisted away, the Third and his shadow clones wove seals in unison:  

"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Bomb!" 

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" 

"Lightning Release: Earth Flow!"  

Fire merged with wind, erupting into an inferno that dyed the sky red for kilometers. Meanwhile, the lightning skimming the water’s surface arrowed straight for Yoru’s true body.  

As expected of the Third Hokage—this coordination is terrifying.  

"Jiraiya! Tsunade! Focus on the original!" the Third commanded.  

"Got it!"  

The Sannin flanked him, charging Yoru in a pincer motion—  

—Only to freeze.  

Their target hadn’t moved.  

Yoru lounged on the water’s surface, chin propped lazily on his palm. **"All three of you, coming at me? How… entertaining."**  

"…Is this another trick?" Tsunade’s jaw clenched.  

Every fight with Yoru was a psychological war. 

Was he stalling because he couldn’t move? Or because he didn’t need to?  

Her muscles screamed with tension. No battle had ever drained her like this.  

"I’ll lead! Tsunade, cover me!" Jiraiya lunged ahead, his hair whipping forward again—  

From afar, the other Kage watched, faces grim.  

Yoru was smiling.  

Not just fighting—toying with three of Konoha’s strongest. The Third Hokage. Jiraiya. Tsunade. Yet none had even touched him.  

Instead, they were tangled with mere water clones, their every move dictated by his whims.  

"Just how strong is he now?" Ōnoki muttered, sweat beading on his brow.  

Yoru’s power had long since crossed into the realm of the unfathomable.  

Without the Sharingan’s drain, Kakashi had rediscovered his genius—devising new Lightning techniques, his stamina sharper than ever.  

Teamed with Might Guy, he held his own against Clones 肆 (Shi) and 伍 (Go), their synchronized assaults almost matching the clones’ eerie precision.  

Chapter 310: Kakashi, Gasping for Air  

"HAH! Feel the flames of youth! This is the power of PASSION!"  

Might Guy roared, his kicks and punches a whirlwind of raw power as he clashed with Water Clones #4 and #5 in a brutal taijutsu exchange.  

Meanwhile, Kakashi—  

"Suiton: Suikadan (Water Release: Water Fang)!"  

—was providing covering fire, forcing the clones back whenever they tried to disengage, giving Guy openings to strike.  

But then…  

The two water clones suddenly grinned, their expressions shifting to something far more sinister.  

Before Kakashi’s stunned eyes, they stopped dodging entirely.  

SHINK! SHINK!  

The water fangs impaled them clean through—yet the clones didn’t even flinch.  

Instead, they charged straight at Guy, their wounds already regenerating.  

Guy’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected this.  

He’d been ready to follow up with a "Strong Whirlwind" the moment they were forced back—  

But now?  

All he could do was watch as both clones weaved hand signs in unison.  

"Suiton: Suidanha (Water Release: Water Severing Wave)!"  

PCHOO! PCHOO!  

Twin beams of pressurized water—sharp as lasers—sliced through Guy’s body like paper.  

Blood sprayed.  

"GUY!!" Kakashi shouted.  

But Water Clone #4 was already in his face, its voice dripping with mockery.  

"Worry about yourself first."  

Its fingers curled into a claw.  

"Suiton: Mizudeppō (Water Release: Water Gun)!"  

BAM! BAM! BAM!  

Five high-speed water bullets slammed into Kakashi’s chest, sending him skidding backward in a spray of crimson.  

"Tch… They ignore physical attacks? So we need Fire Release to actually hurt them?"  

Kakashi flipped midair, landing on the water’s surface and sliding back another dozen meters before steadying himself.  

Hands already moving.  

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball)—"  

Then froze.  

The clone was gone.  

"Looking for me?"  

The voice came from behind him.  

WHAM!  

The clone’s fist smashed into Kakashi’s ribs before he could finish the technique.  

His own chakra backfired in his chest as he barely managed to block the worst of the blow—  

Only to be sent flying again.  

"This speed… Do they inherit the original’s reflexes too?!"  

So far, Kakashi had only pieced together a few key details:  

1. The water clones ignored physical attacks. 

2. They had independent intelligence, could use the original’s techniques (albeit weaker). 

3. Their speed was insane. 

4. They could "resurrect" after being destroyed.  

And before he could even finish processing—  

The clone was on him again.  

No mercy. No breathing room.  

"Raiton: Raidan no Jutsu (Lightning Release: Lightning Bullet)!"  

Crackling electricity erupted from the clone’s body, condensing into a sizzling orb of lightning that shot toward Kakashi.  

He couldn’t breathe.  

The relentless assault was suffocating.  

And this was just one-fifth of Yoru’s power.  

If the clones were this terrifying…  

How strong was the real Yoru?!