80-81

Chapter 80 – Tension 

At this moment, Hikari looked a little awkward. 

In the eyes of everyone staring at her wide-eyed, she could see a storm of emotions surging. 

But she really had no other choice. 

The effective range of her Jūshi Sendan (, “Ten-Finger Bullet”) was no more than 100 meters—beyond that, both accuracy and power dropped sharply. 

With the enemy being so massive, her finger bone projectiles were useless unless they struck the brainstem. Otherwise, they’d do next to no damage. 

Given Shikamaru and Ino’s limited chakra, they only had one shot at this. She couldn’t gamble on the Jūshi Sendan landing a precise hit on the giant bird’s brainstem through gravity and wind resistance. 

If she wanted a guaranteed kill… 

She’d need to minimize the effects of gravity and wind while also unleashing a large-area attack. Even if it couldn’t take the enemy down in one blow, it had to at least cripple its ability to fly. 

Among all the techniques Hikari had mastered, Fūton (Wind Release) was the most suitable for this. And she just so happened to have Neji’s gift—Hakke Kūshō (八卦空掌, “Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm”)—which could launch focused chakra strikes. 

“I’ve got a secret technique I haven’t had the chance to train in. If I can pull it off, we might have a shot.” 

Facing everyone’s skeptical and surprised expressions, Hikari’s voice grew a little weak as she explained. 

She’d spent all her recent training time on Kaiten (, “Rotation”)—one of the most difficult Hyūga techniques—because she already had Jūshi Sendan for ranged attacks. That meant she had neglected Hakke Kūshō, which was relatively simpler. 

She never expected to face an enemy in the ninja world who could actually fly. 

“How long will it take?” 

Shikamaru rubbed his forehead, exhausted by the chaos unfolding around them. 

“I don’t know…” 

Hikari didn’t really know the difficulty of mastering Hakke Kūshō. It was a secret jutsu reserved for jōnin-level shinobi, so it likely wasn’t going to be easy. 

Shikamaru looked toward the horizon. 

The sun was sinking below the earth, and the light in their surroundings dimmed further. Packs of wild beasts licked the medicinal powder scattered on the ground, while carnivorous tigers and leopards even chewed up the grass, savoring its taste. 

“The sun’s almost down. Without sunlight, I can’t use Shadow Imitation Jutsu. And the beasts are about to finish off all the powder. After that… we’re their next target.” 

“Hikari, you need to hurry.” 

“I know.” 

Hikari nodded solemnly. 

Without wasting another second, she sat cross-legged on the ground and closed her eyes, focusing all her energy on recalling the training method for Hakke Kūshō. 

Seeing Hikari commit herself, Shikamaru turned to Naruto and Chōji: 

“We’ve got to buy Hikari time. Ino and I need to conserve chakra to use our secret techniques. You two will have to handle the brunt of the defense.” 

“Leave it to us.” 

The now-giant Chōji rumbled, “I just ate a ton of meat. My chakra reserves are still solid.” 

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!!” 

Naruto formed a cross sign with his fingers. 

A thick puff of smoke exploded through the forest. 

In the next moment— 

Hundreds of Narutos in orange jackets surrounded the team in a protective circle. 

“Whoa—” 

Ino and the others stared in shock at the swarm of Narutos. 

“This is a technique Hikari taught me. I won’t let those beasts lay a finger on her!” 

The clones’ voices echoed all around them, loud enough to drown out the growls of the beasts in the forest. 

“Nice one, Naruto!” 

With an army of Narutos in front of them and Hikari behind them radiating a glowing chakra light, Shikamaru and his team finally saw a glimmer of hope. 

At the same time — 

Hokage’s Office, Konoha Central Building 

BAM! 

The desk trembled under Sarutobi Hiruzen’s furious palm strike. 

“What’s the point of having a perimeter if the enemy can stroll right up to our front gate?!” 

“Reports say they descended from the sky…” 

A masked ANBU member, wearing an elephant-faced mask, responded in a low voice. 

Hiruzen, normally calm and composed, rarely lost his temper. But when he did, it was like a flood breaking loose. Even Elder Danzō dared not speak up when he was like this. 

The Third Hokage was boiling with frustration. 

The Uchiha crisis had just been resolved—he thought the village could finally have a moment of peace. He had barely packed his things to leave when the Barrier Corps caught up with him with a shocking report: 

Three jōnin attacked Konoha’s front gate. 

At first, Hiruzen thought he’d misheard. Surely not three jōnin, but maybe three jōnin units? 

But no. After triple-confirming the intel, it turned out to be even more absurd. 

These three jōnin had somehow bypassed two full defensive lines outside Konoha and appeared right in front of the main gate. 

The outer forces needed time to return. The internal security team had just been disbanded from dealing with the Uchiha situation. Half the ANBU were on leave from overwork, while the other half were spread thin across the village. 

Despite Konoha’s size, at this very moment, they had no elite shinobi available to defend the main gate. 

Thankfully, two Tokubetsu Jōnin stationed at the gate stepped up. 

Without backup, they fought to the death and managed to hold the enemy at bay until the ANBU arrived. The enemy didn’t take a single step past Konoha’s threshold. 

Even so, Hiruzen looked grim. 

His hand pressed down on the desk with a creak. 

“Hagane Kotetsu, Kamizuki Izumo… they perfectly embodied the Will of Fire. They are heroes of Konoha. They must be honored at the Konoha Memorial Stone.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

The ANBU nodded solemnly. 

When backup arrived, the two were barely identifiable. Their bodies had been so mangled that only childhood friends in the unit could recognize them. 

But still— 

The enemy had not broken through. 

Though only Tokubetsu Jōnin in title, they were closer to specialized chūnin. And yet they had somehow held off three elite jōnin. 

No matter how Hiruzen thought about it, he couldn’t understand how they had done it or what techniques they had used. 

“This… must be the miracle brought on by the Will of Fire.” 

“Were those three bastards captured?” 

“No.” 

“Still no?” 

Hiruzen’s sharp gaze made the ANBU member sweat. He hurried to explain: 

“The ANBU pursuing them say the enemy used a technique from Kumogakure—Raiton no Yoroi (雷遁の鎧, Lightning Release Armor). High defense, incredible speed. They’re fighting while fleeing. It’s hard to pin them down immediately, but they’ve been surrounded. It’s only a matter of time.” 

“Kumo…?” 

Hiruzen was surprised. Only reckless Kumogakure would send three jōnin to charge the front gate of Konoha. 

But what was their motive? 

These weren’t genin or chūnin—they were high-level combatants. Every jōnin in a major village was part of the top tier. Many were even capable of leading small armies or entire missions alone. 

Kumo wouldn’t send them just to kill two gate guards. 

It made no sense. 

There had to be a deeper reason. 

Suddenly, Hiruzen thought of Kumo’s long history of underhanded tactics and grew alarmed. 

“Where’s Naruto?” 

The ANBU paused to think. “You don’t remember, sir? To prevent the Uchiha from making a desperate move, the Academy organized a village-wide survival training. It’s at Training Ground Zero.” 

“That’s today?” 

“Uh… yes!” 

“Damn it!” 

The moment Hiruzen heard that, alarms went off in his mind. 

“Send a team to Training Ground Zero immediately! Naruto’s safety is top priority!” 

Knowing Naruto’s true identity, the ANBU instantly understood the gravity of the situation. 

“But Training Ground Zero is far from the village… and a good number of ANBU have already been dispatched to track the intruders. We might not make it in time—” 

“Then I’ll go myself!” 

Sarutobi Hiruzen tore off the Hokage’s ceremonial hat. His eyes burned with fury and killing intent. 

Naruto must not be harmed. 

The disaster caused by the Kyūbi years ago had left deep scars on Konoha—ones that still hadn’t healed. 

If Kumogakure provoked the Kyūbi again... 

Konoha might not survive a second time. 

*Chapter 81: Thunderbreaker * 

Training Ground Zero, Eastern Sector 

The sun dipped low, casting a warm glow through the forest, yet the light between the trees remained vibrant. 

Lightning chased the wind, a clash of speed and agility unfolding in an ultimate showdown. 

Zzt! Zzt! Zzt! 

High-voltage electricity tore through the air, leaving a sharp, burnt smell in its wake. 

A hand crackling with lightning, vibrating like a high-frequency blade, descended with ferocious power. Under Yozuki O’s towering, muscular frame, the hand strike was like a giant axe plummeting from the heavens, aimed straight at Kazama Etsu. 

Raiyaku Suirensen Chidori Mai! (Thunder Tyrant Horizontal Thousand Dance) 

A secret taijutsu technique of the Yozuki clan, paired with the Raiton (Lightning Release) chakra mode. By concentrating lightning on the outer edge of the palm, vibrating at high frequency, it delivered a devastating blow with ten times the power of a normal attack. Ordinary shinobi needed to leap and use gravity to execute it, but Yozuki O’s exceptional height allowed him to perform it standing firmly on the ground. It was the signature move that made him a legend in his youth. 

Countless enemies had fallen under this high-pressure hand strike. 

Facing such a terrifying attack, Kazama Etsu formed hand seals with deliberate speed. 

Futon: Kaze Shunshin (Wind Release: Wind Body Flicker) 

Whoosh! 

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Compared to Yozuki O’s robust build, Kazama Etsu’s lean frame seemed frail. Yet, in an instant, his body dissolved into a harmless breeze. The ferocious hand strike cleaved through a fading afterimage, achieving only that much. 

Yozuki O clicked his tongue in disappointment, turning to face Kazama Etsu, who had somehow circled behind him. 

“Pretty fast, huh, Wind kid?” he taunted. 

Kazama Etsu didn’t respond. His eyes, brimming with killing intent, locked onto Yozuki O’s form. His hands never stopped weaving seals. 

Buzz! 

The distinct hum of Futon (Wind Release) echoed in front of him. 

A vacuum slash surged forward, slicing through the forest and aiming for Yozuki O’s chest. 

Clang! 

The wind struck his left chest, producing a piercing metallic sound. 

Boom! 

A massive banyan tree, caught in the wind’s path, toppled sideways, kicking up a cloud of dust. 

Amid the yellowish haze, Yozuki O smirked coldly. 

His chiseled chest muscles stood unscathed, Kazama Etsu’s ninjutsu leaving only a faint white mark. 

Kazama Etsu’s dark green eyes grew even darker as he took in Yozuki O’s nonchalant expression. 

Fragments of painful memories churned in his mind. The towering figure wreathed in lightning seemed to drag him back to that nightmarish battlefield. 

It was a brutal ambush. 

Their Third Squad, a patrol unit on the Konoha-Kumogakure front, had been assigned to scout the southern warzone. The details of the battle—how it started, how they were ambushed—had long blurred in his mind. Even how he escaped the enemy’s pursuit or was rescued had faded. 

All that remained was a single, haunting image. 

“Etsu! Kill him!!” 

His kind, introverted best friend, entrails spilling across the ground, clung desperately to the enemy’s legs, looking at him with hope. 

A girl, her chest pierced by an arm, locked the enemy’s throat with her jujutsu. Lightning charred her body, her beautiful face twisted into something ghostly as she screamed, “Only your Futon can cut through lightning! Do it now!” 

“No—!” 

“Do it! Kill him!” 

“You’ll—!” 

“I said do it!!!” 

Amid his comrades’ desperate cries, he unleashed the only ninjutsu he had mastered at the time. 

Futon: Shinku Zanpa (Wind Release: Vacuum Slash Wave) 

Buzz! 

The invisible slash tore through both friend and foe. 

Lightning flashed as his teammates’ severed limbs flew through the air. The enemy, protected by Raiton, stood unharmed. His comrades, broken and screaming in agony, collapsed. His mentor, barely able to fight, fell in despair. The young Kazama Etsu sat frozen, helpless, on the blood-soaked ground. 

The painful memories flooded back, long-dormant anguish reignited by Yozuki O’s presence. It was as if a dam, suppressed for years, had burst, unleashing a torrent of grief. 

Yozuki O’s form seemed to merge with that nightmarish enemy, trapping Kazama Etsu in a dream he couldn’t escape. 

“Daring to lose focus while fighting me?!” 

The enemy’s roar exploded in his ears. Yozuki O, clad in his Raiton armor, charged again, hand strike slicing through the air. 

The swift attack carried a fierce gust, snapping Kazama Etsu back to reality. 

His hands, driven by muscle memory, formed seals in a blur. 

Whoosh! 

His well-practiced Kaze Shunshin saved him once more, his body turning to wind, nimbly dodging Yozuki O’s high-speed assault. 

Hiss! 

Reappearing in the distance, Kazama Etsu clutched his chest in pain. 

Looking down, he saw charred flesh where his chest had fused with his clothing. The blackened, red-tinged wound was gruesome, faintly emitting the smell of cooked meat. 

Gritting his teeth, Kazama Etsu glared at his enemy. 

Yozuki O’s Raiton chakra mode was overwhelming. A mere graze from the concentrated lightning, without even touching the hand strike, had burned him. His nerves were temporarily paralyzed, but the charred wound had sealed itself, preventing blood loss—a small mercy. 

Confirming the horrific injury didn’t hinder his movement, Kazama Etsu used Kaze Shunshin again to evade a lightning-charged kunai. 

Boom! 

The kunai, infused with Raiton’s piercing power, tore through the wind, shredding countless tree trunks before vanishing from sight. 

Huff, huff. 

Reappearing with the breeze, Kazama Etsu panted heavily, his chest heaving. Under the enemy’s relentless onslaught, his stamina drained rapidly. The burning skin and aching chest bone made him break out in a cold sweat. 

Kaze Shunshin was a technique he had honed specifically to counter Kumogakure’s high-speed taijutsu. Years of practice had made it second nature, requiring no conscious thought. His body would form the seals instinctively in danger, swift and reliable. 

In his past fight with Hikari, had he not been careless, even that monstrous opponent wouldn’t have touched him. 

But now, he was in trouble. 

The enemy’s relentless high-speed attacks could cleave a “delicate” ninjutsu-type ninja like him in half. Yozuki O relied on low-chakra-cost taijutsu, while Kazama Etsu’s pure ninjutsu consumed far more. 

The chakra disparity was stark. 

Under Yozuki O’s merciless pursuit, Kazama Etsu’s chakra was nearly depleted. 

Ordinary Futon couldn’t breach the enemy’s defenses. He had two choices: exhaust his chakra in futile attacks or go all-in with one final move. 

That’s the only way! 

With a resolute glint in his eyes, Kazama Etsu formed unfamiliar hand seals. 

“Oh? Not running anymore?” Yozuki O mocked. 

Thud, thud… 

Yozuki O advanced, his towering frame casting a shadow like an iron tower under the sunlight, blue lightning crackling around him. 

To him, Kazama Etsu’s struggles were futile. His Raiton armor was impervious to an ordinary jonin like him. If not for Kazama’s slippery Futon, this fight would’ve ended long ago. 

Wonder how the ‘Beast’ is doing? 

He needed to finish this annoying fly quickly. Capturing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the Byakugan heir was the priority, not wasting time on this wind ninja. 

“Since you’re done running—” 

Yozuki O’s dark skin glowed brighter with lightning. He extended his arm, four fingers pointing at Kazama Etsu, his body taut like a drawn bow, radiating terrifying pressure. 

“This move will end you!” 

“That’s exactly what I was going to say, Kumogakure scum!” Kazama Etsu’s robes fluttered as a fierce wind gathered around his flipping hand seals. 

This was his one and only self-developed Futon ninjutsu. 

His resolve! 

The setting sun painted the sky blood-red. 

The forest roared with wind and thunder. 

The two figures faced off, chakra surging around them. 

Yozuki O, bound by his Kumogakure mission, couldn’t delay. Kazama Etsu, nearly out of chakra, had to use his trump card. For different reasons, they made the same choice. 

One move to decide it all. 

Kazama Etsu’s eyes burned like blades, as if to carve wounds into Yozuki O. Chakra from his heart transformed into sharp Futon, coating his hands. 

“End me? With your pathetic wind?” Yozuki O sneered, his disdain clear. 

As a former elite jonin guarding the Third Raikage, he’d lost count of how many ordinary jonin like Kazama Etsu he’d killed. Many could break Raiton chakra mode, but this weakling wasn’t one of them. 

“You’ll see. This technique was made for your kind!” Kazama Etsu’s gaze was unyielding. 

The Kumogakure battlefield haunted his dreams, but he was no longer that naive boy. Decades of relentless training in Futon chakra nature transformation far surpassed his younger self. 

His heart pounded, chakra thicker than blood surging through his veins. 

Boom! 

Condensed Futon chakra spiraled around his arms, emitting a thunderous roar. 

Yozuki O’s eyes narrowed. He’d never seen this Futon technique, but its extreme nature transformation sent his battle-honed instincts on edge. 

That sharp, dangerous feeling— 

His body screamed warnings, followed by a surge of excitement. The Yozuki clan of Kumogakure were battle maniacs, and he was among the wildest. 

His aging, heavy frame seemed to pulse with new life under the wind’s provocation. Lightning gathered at his fingertips, brighter than ever. 

Yozuki O’s expression turned serious. His Hell Stab: Four-Finger Nukite, the Third Raikage’s legendary technique, locked onto Kazama Etsu. Even the mighty Eight-Tails had fallen to this move. Since mastering it, Yozuki O had never lost. 

“Dying to this technique is your greatest honor.” 

Kazama Etsu could barely speak. He controlled the raging Futon chakra, forming two massive tornadoes around his arms. This self-developed technique, an S-rank masterpiece of form and nature transformation, pushed his limits. 

Zzt… Zzt… 

The violent wind sliced fine cuts into his arms, blood spraying. 

Enduring the pain, he pushed the Futon to its extreme. 

“Just an unfinished technique?” Yozuki O shook his head, disappointed. 

His excitement faded upon seeing the wounds on Kazama Etsu’s arms. Using an incomplete ninjutsu in battle was like wielding an unforgeable blade—suicide. 

“Argh!” 

Yozuki O’s dismissal ignited Kazama Etsu’s resolve. With a pained roar, veins bulged on his forehead. 

Buzz! 

The tornadoes shrank into rapidly spinning, elongated shuttles. His skin peeled away, the high-speed Futon now stained red with blood. 

The incomplete technique, under Yozuki O’s pressure, miraculously took form. 

At a horrific cost. 

His scarlet muscle fibers were exposed, bodily fluids mixing with blood. 

Yozuki O’s eyes lost their disdain. The enemy’s power and resolve had earned his respect. 

“Wind kid, what’s your name?” 

“You don’t need to know!” 

Kazama Etsu’s dark green eyes turned red. Rapid chakra drain and massive blood loss brought unbearable fatigue. 

Yozuki O didn’t mind the hostility. In his world, only strength earned respect, and Kazama Etsu had proven himself. 

Konoha truly was a land of talent. A mere ninja academy teacher hid such a powerful Futon secret. 

“At least tell me the name of this technique,” Yozuki O said, aiming his four fingers at Kazama Etsu, a hint of admiration in his eyes. “Before I kill you!” 

“This move… didn’t have a name—” Kazama Etsu panted, his lungs heaving like bellows. 

“That’s a shame.” 

Yozuki O’s Raiton chakra formed a blinding white light at his fingers, his entire body glowing unrecognizably. 

“Now it does.” 

The blood-red wind shuttle tightened, its final form complete. 

Futon— 

The blood-colored shuttle roared toward Yozuki O like a drill, warping the air with its force. 

Thunderbreaker Shuttle!!! 

Kazama Etsu roared the name, the shuttle spinning with terrifying power. 

“Come on!!!” Yozuki O bellowed, unafraid, unleashing his fully charged Hell Stab: Four-Finger Nukite. 

In a flash, the blood-red shuttle clashed with the lightning spear. 

Boom! 

Wind and thunder erupted, countless banyan trees snapping and igniting into charred husks. The storm of wind and lightning threatened to uproot the forest. 

Buzz! Buzz! 

The spinning shuttle drilled into the spear. 

Zzt! Zzt! Zzt! 

Piercing noise echoed as the condensed Raiton chakra pushed the blood-red tornado to the brink of collapse. 

“You’re not enough to break thunder!!” Yozuki O snarled, pouring chakra into his fingertips. 

The lightning stabbed like a steel needle into the tornado’s core. 

Visibly, the Thunderbreaker Shuttle began to dissipate. 

The unfinished technique couldn’t overcome the legendary spear. 

“Aaagh!” Kazama Etsu’s unwilling roar shook the forest, drowning out even the wind and thunder. 

He couldn’t let that day repeat itself!! 

His will surpassed physical limits, mental strength injecting chakra like a storm, drawing every ounce of energy. 

“I won’t lose again—” 

Bloodshot green eyes glared. 

Zzt! 

The shuttle’s rotation intensified, turning a piercing black-red. His arms’ flesh and bone began to separate, the uncontrollable Futon chakra backfiring. 

“This resolve—I acknowledge you, kid! I’ll grant you the perfect execution!!” Yozuki O, moved by Kazama Etsu’s madness, red-eyed, poured all his chakra into his palm to crush his final effort. 

Now! 

Clarity flashed in Kazama Etsu’s crazed eyes. The blood-red shuttle suddenly veered, bypassing the Nukite and striking Yozuki O’s left chest. 

He hadn’t lost himself to rage. 

The enemy’s technique was a highly condensed Raiton spear—the more chakra in the hand, the stronger the attack, but the weaker the body’s defense. 

A spear and shield could never coexist. 

Boom! 

The misaligned wind and thunder struck their targets. The two figures parted, blood and bone spraying through the air. 

The forest fell silent. 

Drip, drip. 

Blood poured from Yozuki O’s chest, where an old scar had been torn open by the wind. 

Thud! 

Kazama Etsu swayed and collapsed, both arms gone, only charred bone protruding from his shoulders. 

“What a letdown. I take back my words.” 

Zzt! 

Lightning cauterized Yozuki O’s chest wound. 

Looking at Kazama Etsu on the ground, his face was full of regret. He had hoped to test his Raiton against that unfamiliar Futon. 

But Kazama Etsu’s last-second shift to his old wound, aiming for mutual destruction, forced Yozuki O to turn his Nukite into a hand strike, severing both of Kazama Etsu’s arms to stop him. 

“Listen—cough, cough—” 

Kazama Etsu struggled to rise on his legs. Without arms, he couldn’t balance or use ninjutsu. After several falls, he slumped against a fallen tree, breathing heavily. 

“No courage for a direct fight, yet you thought you could break thunder? Pathetic.” Yozuki O, wounds sealed, approached with lightning in his hand. 

Huff, huff— 

Blood loss blurred Kazama Etsu’s consciousness. His green eyes gazed at the sky, the fiery sunset like blood in jade. 

“I’m not… huff… that boy from the battlefield anymore. I’m a ninja academy teacher now. My obsession with breaking thunder, your acknowledgment—cough—none of it matters as much as my students…” 

Kazama Etsu murmured, lost in the sunset, his green eyes fading. 

Seeing his enemy unconscious, Yozuki O’s lightning dissipated. He looked skyward. 

The sun’s last rays lingered, a giant bird circling above, guiding him. 

He’d wasted too much time on this man. If night fell and he lost the bird’s guidance, he’d struggle to track the Nine-Tails. 

No more delays!