366-370

Chapter 366: Heaven-Sent Blood Transfer! The Nation's Assault!

As two fierce and wild figures engaged in an intense battle, elsewhere…

After the Yūgakure duo, Abby and Cloud Concealment, left the Tenshūkaku (Heavenly Keep) to confront the enemy, Jiraiya intentionally created a diversion to slip away. He infiltrated the intelligence division hidden within the rock pillars, gathering intelligence inside the Tenshūkaku.

At the same time, another person quietly took advantage of the chaos to leave the envoy.

Fifty Meters from the Ruined City Wall

A young man, wearing a purple monk's robe and a headband bearing the insignia of Iwagakure, emerged from the ground.

He gazed at the two figures locked in a violent clash, their sheer force turning the land beneath them to dust as they battled further and further away.

Finally, he let out a breath of relief.

"Whew…"

His face showed deep fear. Even as the two figures, radiating terrifying energy, flew thousands of meters away, he still felt lingering dread.

His back, unbeknownst to him, was already soaked in cold sweat.

"Those two are monsters! Absolute monsters!"

"Especially that brat!"

"If he had used that kind of power last time, there’s no way I could’ve faked my death and escaped right under his nose!"

Had it not been for a deal struck between Iwagakure and Sunagakure before this mission, in which he obtained a death-feigning poison from Lady Chiyo, he would have never been able to hide safely in this battlefield.

(In the original series, Lady Chiyo was exceptionally skilled at faking death. The anime even depicted her tricking Kankurō during the Fourth Great Ninja War. According to Chiyo herself, this was just an old woman’s mischievous hobby.)

"But…"

His gaze shifted toward a pile of rubble—debris split from the earth itself.

That was the spot where Shinji had swung the colossal sword of his Susanoo, violently smashing the Third Raikage’s head into the ground, like hammering a nail into wood.

The sheer blunt force of the strike penetrated even the strongest Lightning Release Armor, causing the Third Raikage to bleed from all seven orifices and suffer near-fatal damage.

Inevitably, the impact also caused his blood to splatter onto the battlefield.

The young man, known as Rōshi, fixated on the bloodstain atop the shattered rocks.

He took two steps forward, pulling a prepared test tube from his robe.

Carefully, he collected the fresh blood.

He even dug up the surrounding dirt soaked with it, sealing both the test tube and soil into a scroll.

"It was worth the risk… the pain of lurking so close… and the high cost I paid!"

As he stared at the scroll in his hand, his eyes flickered with deep hatred. A twisted grin crept across his face.

"The ultimate prize…"

"Will bring ruin to this nation!"

Elsewhere—Atop the Tenshūkaku

"We can confirm that under the leadership of the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, Iwagakure has stationed an army of ten thousand within the borders of the Land of Lightning."

"Their objective? To launch a war that will determine the fate of their nation!"

"A single decisive battle—to erase the Land of Lightning from the ninja world!"

"For this, they’ve used the feudal lord’s authority to send a large number of shinobi into Yunming City under the guise of reinforcements. But their true goal isn’t just to help Kumogakure eliminate Shinji and your organization, Akatsuki."

"Their movements here suggest they have another plan in motion!"

Jiraiya, after compiling the available intelligence, gazed solemnly at the vast, newly-formed Ten-Thousand-Meter Great Rock River—a defensive natural moat. He turned to Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan, sharing his analysis.

Nagato picked up the conversation with urgency:

"Not only that,"

"From what we uncovered in the mind of an 'Eastern Dead Man,' we learned another critical piece of information—"

"Besides the 'Eastern Dead Man,' another individual has been assigned a crucial task by the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki."

"That person is Iwagakure’s Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Rōshi!"

"We don’t yet know his objective, but for a Jinchūriki—such an important strategic asset—to be stationed deep in enemy territory on the eve of war, it must serve a greater purpose."

"He might just be the key to everything!"

"If we find him, we can decipher Iwagakure’s entire operation, uncover their true plans, and—"

Nagato took a deep breath, clenched his fist, and looked at the group with a heavy expression.

"—Determine how we can stop this war!"

Hearing the usually quiet Nagato speak at length, Yahiko, Konan, and even Jiraiya—who knew his personality well—were momentarily stunned. They exchanged glances.

Yahiko nodded firmly and said with conviction:

"That’s right. This is what we must do. It’s the very reason Akatsuki was founded—"

"To stop war!"

Jiraiya, watching the three of them, felt a surge of pride. For a fleeting moment, their figures overlapped with the protagonist of his book, The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja.

Overcome with emotion, he reached out and ruffled both Yahiko and Nagato’s hair.

"You three… really have grown up."

Yahiko, face slightly red, swatted Jiraiya’s hand away and resumed his analysis:

"If the Jinchūriki was meant for direct assault…"

"Then why would Iwagakure send the Four-Tails instead of the Five-Tails—who is not only stronger but also more effective against the Third Raikage?"

"Jiraiya-sensei and Nagato’s analyses are spot on."

"Iwagakure wouldn’t place their pieces without purpose. When considering their use of terrain manipulation and the positioning of the Four-Tails Jinchūriki…"

"I suspect their target is—"

Standing atop the 600-meter-high Tenshūkaku, Yahiko looked down at the vast battlefield.

Raising his hand, he pointed toward the massive trench carved out by the Ten-Thousand-Meter Great Rock River.

"That place!"

"So—"

Just as Yahiko was about to assign tasks to Nagato and Konan—

A Sudden Turn of Events!

From the intelligence division inside the Tenshūkaku—

"——Whoosh!"

A blinding pillar of lightning shot through the mountain, soaring toward the sky, carrying a scroll with it!

"That’s… the Heaven-Sent Technique!?" Konan gasped, staring at the beam.

And in the next moment—

"——Boom!!"

A colossal 70-meter-tall beast erupted from the ground beneath the Tenshūkaku!

Its appearance resembled a red-furred gorilla, with four menacing tails adorned with black and yellow protrusions!

With a single swipe of its massive arm, rooftops crumbled instantly!

In an instant—

A fully transformed Tailed Beast had descended!

One step forward, and it crushed the newly rebuilt Tenshūkaku—the structure Kumogakure had spent a fortune restoring.

Then—

The beast suddenly turned its gaze toward the Ten-Thousand-Meter Great Rock River, standing at the edge of the inner city!

With a thunderous stomp, it raised its massive ape-like arms and launched itself straight toward the chasm!

"As I suspected!"

Watching this unfold, Yahiko’s heart pounded as he confirmed his worst fear.

Eyes locked onto the scene, he roared:

"He’s going to trigger the underground magma!"

"They’re planning to flood the Great Rock River’s trench, creating an impassable death zone to trap the 8,000 Kumogakure troops here!"

Yahiko’s body trembled as he muttered:

"Iwagakure…"

"Is launching their full-scale assault!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 367: The Destruction of the Land of Lightning!

The overall terrain of the Land of Lightning features a high central region with lower elevations surrounding it. Rivers flowing around the central mountain range create winding and intricate coastlines at their outlets.

This is true for the Land of Frost and the neighboring Land of Water,

and even more so for the Land of Earth.

Passing through the western coastal entrance of the Land of Lightning, one would arrive at a uniquely spectacular location—

Cloud Thunder Gorge.

"Shriek~!"

A hawk let out a sharp cry, circling above the gorge before swiftly diving downward.

It quickly landed at an outpost set up by the Hidden Cloud Village at this location.

However,

the person standing at the outpost, receiving the hawk, was not a ninja wearing the Hidden Cloud forehead protector. Instead, it was a burly man with a full beard, wearing a gray cloak and a Hidden Stone forehead protector.

His name was Kurobachi Uesui, a member of the Uesui clan from the Hidden Stone Village.

"Senior Kurobachi, your Honey Clone Technique can even alter your scent, completely deceiving the Hidden Cloud’s surveillance. That’s truly incredible!"

Beside him, a young Hidden Stone ninja watched as Kurobachi Uesui silently and diligently completed his task.

After placing a small note reading ‘Everything is normal at the sixth western coastal outpost’ into the bamboo tube tied to the hawk’s ankle,

the young ninja couldn't help but express his admiration:

"With this, the coastal entrance is completely secure!"

"This is nothing significant."

Kurobachi Uesui shook his head and released the hawk back into the sky. He then turned to face the east, his expression grave.

"The only thing I can do is something this trivial."

"I just hope that Lord Third and the others will return victorious!"

The hawk soared high above, scanning the land below.

From its keen eyesight, the outpost was filled with the corpses of Hidden Cloud ninjas. More Hidden Stone reinforcements arriving at the coastline were already using jutsu to erase all traces of battle.

In the distance, sailboats loaded with supplies continued to approach.

Even farther away, one outpost after another mirrored the scene here—hawks taking off in succession to confirm intelligence.

Without the Hidden Cloud realizing it,

the entire western coast of the Land of Lightning had already been breached by the Hidden Stone!

White messenger birds carried intelligence from the western coast, across Cloud Thunder Gorge,

past Yunming City, the capital of the Land of Lightning, where two mighty warriors were currently engaged in a fierce battle.

Finally, they arrived at a staging ground on the plains before the central mountain range.

Beyond this point lay the most towering and densely clustered peaks of the central mountain range—

where the Hidden Cloud Village was located.

In front of the plains, squads of Hidden Stone ninjas emerged one after another from the narrow mountain paths behind them.

Each unit quickly found its designated position and lined up in formation.

At a glance, this ninja army numbered over ten thousand strong!

In the center of the formation—

A young man clad in a red uniform, with chiseled muscles and two blue markings beneath his eyes, stood amongst the Sealing Unit Guard of the Hidden Stone.

His name was Wen He.

At that moment, Wen He held a compiled intelligence report in his arms and walked toward the front of the army.

There stood a short, elderly man wearing a red scarf, a green-striped vest, and a grayish-brown shadow hat on his back—

The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki!

"Lord Third!" Wen He respectfully handed over the report and summarized the key points:

"Our rear lines are completely secure. We have confirmed that the Third Raikage and the ‘A-B Combo’ of the Hidden Cloud are stationed in Yunming City."

"The newly formed Akatsuki organization, along with Shinji, has also been spotted near Yunming City."

"As of now, they haven’t taken any action. However, given the Hidden Cloud’s extreme defensive measures this time—"

"It seems highly unlikely that they will successfully breach the inner city and assassinate the daimyo."

Upon hearing this, Onoki shook his head slightly, raising an eyebrow.

"Wen He, do not underestimate the Uchiha and this Akatsuki organization."

"On the surface, they may seem like nothing more than a group of reckless rogue ninjas, but if you truly understand their members, you’ll realize they are far from simple."

"The Uchiha Clan has never once publicly declared that they have severed ties with Shinji. The Hidden Mist may have acknowledged Hozuki Mangetsu as a rogue ninja, but they have been deliberately ambiguous about the status of Terumi Mei, their so-called prodigy, who has deep connections with the Elder Council of the Hidden Mist."

"Not to mention Sasori of the Red Sand."

"This emerging organization has gathered elite forces from the Hidden Leaf, the Hidden Mist, the Land of Rain, the Hidden Sand, and the Hidden Waterfall. Who knows what kind of connections they have with the higher-ups of each nation?"

"We must never let our guard down against them."

While flipping through the intelligence report and lecturing the impatient young ninja,

Onoki’s gaze suddenly sharpened as he landed on one particular entry:

‘The second backup Chakra Cannon in the Hidden Cloud Village was transported to Yunming City by Rasa at dawn.’

"Han, is this intelligence from the reconnaissance unit accurate?"

Beside him, a man wearing a red hood and a full suit of steam-powered red armor—none other than the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, Han—nodded solemnly.

"It is accurate."

"The Chakra Cannon isn’t considered a top-secret weapon in the Hidden Cloud. Only Jinchuriki with massive chakra reserves can operate it. If someone forcibly attempts to use it, it could drain the chakra of hundreds of ninjas in an instant—just like what happened during Orochimaru’s attack on the Hidden Cloud."

"To be precise, it’s still a technology in development."

"The Hidden Cloud has never prioritized its funding, and our spies confirmed long ago that they only have two of these cannons."

"Now, in order to maintain stability for the Five Kage Summit, both of them have been moved to Yunming City—since that’s where their only Jinchuriki is stationed."

"Excellent!"

Hearing this, Onoki narrowed his eyes and glanced at the towering central mountain range of the Land of Lightning ahead.

"The final preparations are complete!"

"Now, we begin—"

"The Operation to Destroy the Land of Lightning!"

Taking a deep breath, Onoki raised his hand and gave the command:

"Commence the operation!"

At his words—

"ROAR!"

A deafening battle cry erupted from the ten-thousand-strong Hidden Stone army!

Splitting into six divisions, squads of ninjas advanced toward the Hidden Cloud Village within the central mountain range!

The Destruction of the Land of Lightning Operation was divided into four phases:

• Infiltration – Secretly occupying the western coastal entrance using the Uesui clan's special techniques to evade the Hidden Cloud’s surveillance.

• Siege of Yunming City – Using the Ten-Thousand-Meter Grand Rock River Technique, reinforced by the Four-Tails' lava to trap over 3,000 elite Hidden Cloud forces inside the city.

• Surprise Attack – Deploying thousands of ninjas in small squads to infiltrate the central mountain range, bypassing Yunming City to launch an assault on Hidden Cloud Village itself.

• Destruction – Overwhelming the Hidden Cloud defenses, targeting training grounds, the ninja academy, hospitals, and key strategic locations.

High above, Onoki levitated into the sky, towering over the army as he swung his hand down and bellowed:

"Attack!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 368: Transformation – Humanoid Tailed Beast Mode!

Amidst the scarred and devastated land, a heavy panting sound suddenly echoed.

With a sudden flash of lightning—

A burly figure, wrapped in a tattered tailed beast cloak, crashed through a large encampment set up on the southern side and tumbled out.

Rocks, wooden debris, and burning fabric rained down onto the ground.

The Third Raikage, A, gasped for breath, his face covered in blood. He suddenly looked up and saw a figure descending from the sky, swinging a massive, five-colored sword down toward him.

Without hesitation, he bent his knees and leaped away once again!

“—BOOM!!”

The ground collapsed, and wildfires raged across the battlefield!

As the battle raged on, the enemy before him—this young brat—continued to escalate his attacks.

At first, A could withstand them. The flaming greatsword, formed from Fire Release Chakra Mode, was manageable. Then came the supersonic vacuum blade that could slice through the Lightning Release Armor. But now, things had reached an entirely different level.

This new five-colored sword, formed by inverting and fusing all five chakra natures, carried an incredible weight.

Each slash tore through A’s strongest Lightning Armor and even the Seven-Tails’ cloak like paper. The sheer power left the Third Raikage shaken, forcing him to dodge instead of blocking.

Fortunately, this fusion technique seemed to incorporate Iwagakure’s Super-Weighted Boulder Jutsu, making the sword incredibly heavy. This, in turn, slowed Shinji's movements, giving A brief windows to evade.

What had started as an even match…

Had now turned into a desperate chase, with A doing everything he could just to buy time against Shinji’s ever-evolving techniques!

“This kind of explosive power boost—he can’t possibly maintain it for long!”

A was sure of it.

From the moment Shinji entered this state, A had been counting the seconds. Based on Shinji’s previous battle in Yunming City, his burst mode had a known weakness—it only lasted for about a minute.

“But now, it’s been almost five minutes!”

A's mind was in turmoil. He gasped for breath, eyes locked onto the diving Shinji.

Every thirty seconds, he reassessed Shinji’s condition, expecting him to weaken.

Yet, as time passed,

A’s heart sank deeper and deeper.

It didn’t make sense—

That brat fought like he had no limits, adapting to his own impossible speed as if it were second nature.

From Hell Valley to now, it had only been eight days.

In just eight days, Shinji’s power had skyrocketed like he was riding a rocket!

At this point, A could no longer comprehend his opponent.

It was like watching history repeat itself—back when he was young, standing in the shadows, gazing up at the might of the God of Shinobi and the Demon of the Shinobi World.

"Huff... huff..."

The aging Raikage panted heavily, unwilling to accept this reality.

"Damn it!"

But he had to admit it—Shinji was now stronger than him.

At most, A could hold out for another minute before he was completely overwhelmed by Shinji’s relentless onslaught.

“Just one more minute!”

“I’m betting on this minute—his state will run out, and then I’ll exploit his opening and kill him!”

“Otherwise… I’ll have to abandon this city, abandon the Daimyo, and surrender to the Uchiha Clan.”

After all, his conflict with Shinji was purely based on their opposing positions. There was no deep-seated hatred between them.

The new Uchiha Madara had returned to this world!

Yet, there was no ‘Senju Hashirama’ to counterbalance him this time.

A, who had lived from the Warring States era to the present, knew exactly what that meant for the world’s future.

At this stage, sheer numbers were no longer enough to contain enemies of this caliber.

If he fell here—

The Land of Lightning and Kumogakure would have no means left to stop Shinji.

If that was the case, it might be wiser to go with the flow, surrender now, and wait for the Uchiha’s internal strife to weaken them before striking back.

As the village’s leader, responsible for his people and comrades, A had to make a rational choice—even if he didn’t want to.

Even if he knew that his own son was likely already dead.

At that moment—

The five-colored sword descended from the sky, slashing downward with overwhelming force.

Shinji, empowered by his Sage Mode, wielded the massive blade with raw strength—something only a fully-formed Susanoo should have been able to lift.

He could feel the immense energy within himself, becoming more refined, closer to perfection.

Shinji’s expression sharpened.

Like seamless harmony, his power was converging into its final form.

But then—

His Flame Heart suddenly stopped beating.

Like a fire being extinguished, like winter suddenly arriving—

All the vast natural energy stored within his Sage Heart was completely drained.

The strength of Sage Mode vanished from his body like a receding tide.

Shinji plummeted from midair like a kite with a broken string.

His massive sword, now unbearably heavy, pulled him straight down.

“Now’s my chance!!”

Seeing this, the Third Raikage’s eyes flashed with murderous intent.

His muscles tensed, drawing out the last dregs of power he had extracted from the Seven-Tails.

In the next instant—

He stomped down hard and launched himself backward!

A dark red tailed beast cloak surged around his body, and seven tails slammed into the ground, pulling him taut like a bowstring.

“BOOM!”

A sonic boom erupted—his acceleration instantly broke the sound barrier.

With one finger raised, his entire body crackled with black lightning as he shot forward like an arrow of thunder toward Shinji!

"Hell Stab—One-Finger Spear!!"

A glared at the falling Shinji, a murderous expression twisting his face.

"DIE, YOU EVIL UCHIHA BRAT!"

But—

In the very next moment—

His expression froze.

Because—

Shinji, the very moment he hit the ground—

His foot shattered the earth, kicking up a cloud of dust.

His sharingan—dyed red once more—suddenly turned into a pair of golden, vertical pupils!

From the massive barrier he had set up earlier, an ocean of natural energy had already gathered over an area spanning 100,000 meters.

Now, like a dragon drinking from the sea, he absorbed it all—reigniting his Sage Mode!

"You’re finally done running, huh?"

"Raikage."

Shinji locked eyes with the charging Third Raikage, his gaze dark and cold.

And in the next instant—

An even more terrifying aura erupted from his body!

First, a blood-red cloak of Eight-Tails Chakra enveloped him.

Then, his Tailed Beast Physique ability transformed it into Nine-Tails Chakra.

The blood-red chakra gradually turned golden, resembling Naruto’s Nine-Tails Cloak Mode.

But unlike Naruto’s, which bore three tomoe on the collar,

Shinji’s cloak displayed a single black tomoe at the center of his chest—where the Yasakani no Magatama was manifested.

Next—

A layer of lightning surged around him.

Seventy-two crimson, flame-forged bones emerged, embedding themselves into the lightning, forming an exoskeletal armor over his golden chakra cloak!

This wasn’t Susanoo’s bones—

These were Blood Dragon Bones, summoned through his mutated Mangekyō Sharingan—bones that granted feral, unrestrained power!

A fusion of Second-Stage Sage Mode + Nine-Tails Chakra Cloak + Susanoo’s Blood Dragon Bones + Lightning Chakra Armor—

“Lightning Armor: Draconic Sage Fox Form!”

Or, as Shinji called it—

"Humanoid Tailed Beast Mode!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 369: Majestic Armor—Susanoo! The Calamity of Heaven and Man!

Raising his palm,

As his fingers moved, the dragon bones attached to the back of his hands and arms clicked and clattered into motion. Feeling the power within him rising to its peak, Shinji took a deep breath and lifted his head.

A layer of purple Sage markings gradually appeared around his eyes, and his dazzling golden pupils flashed with a chilling brilliance!

Faced with the Third Raikage's full-speed thrust of Hell Stab: One-Finger Assault, Shinji shockingly made no effort to dodge. Instead, a brilliant bolt of lightning surged from his palm, and in an instant, he unleashed the exact same Hell Stab technique as the Third Raikage!

Clenching his fingers into a tight fist,

His right hand erupted in a blazing radiance, transforming into a miniature sun pulsating with lightning and flames!

Fist versus finger!

Planting his feet firmly, he lunged forward, and his punch tore through the air with a spiraling shockwave, launching faster than the incoming attack!

Crack!

The moment their blows connected, a crisp breaking sound rang out—

The Third Raikage’s finger bent at a 90-degree angle, his entire arm hanging limply!

With a single punch,

Shinji tore through the black lightning, shattered the Raikage's Lightning Armor, and, pressing down on his twisted right arm, slammed his fist directly into the Raikage’s face!

“—Boom!!!”

A sharp sonic explosion split the air as the earth trembled violently!

The Third Raikage, Ai, was sent flying backward at a speed even faster than he had arrived, shooting through the air like a cannonball that had just been struck!

“Urgh!”

“What is this power?!”

His body scraped across the ground, carving out a trench nearly a hundred meters long. Dust and debris scattered in all directions.

Ai's eyes widened in utter disbelief as he tumbled and rolled uncontrollably before barely managing to stop himself.

He coughed up a mouthful of blood, trembling as he struggled to stand, his gaze filled with shock as he looked at the young warrior before him—

A warrior clad in dragon-bone armor, beneath which was an inner lining that flickered like golden flames.

He…

He couldn’t even withstand a single punch from this boy?!

Meanwhile, in the distance,

Shinji, having finally unleashed the immense power he had been restraining, exhaled in satisfaction.

The hatred-fueled strength of the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode,

The limitless raw power of the Sage Mode,

The body enhancement and speed granted by the Lightning Release Chakra Mode,

The unparalleled durability of the dragon-bone-formed Susanoo,

And the all-consuming flames of the Fire Release Chakra Mode,

All these forces converged at this moment, multiplying Shinji's power—

For five minutes, he had forced his own strength to momentarily reach the level of Hashirama and Madara’s battle at the Valley of the End, where the Nine-Tails was clad in the full-body Susanoo!

The only difference was that Shinji did not possess the actual Nine-Tails.

Instead, he used Susanoo as armor over his Nine-Tails chakra-coated body.

By reinforcing the dragon-bone Susanoo with the strongest Lightning Armor,

He granted it defensive power comparable to the full-body Susanoo!

By supplementing the Nine-Tails’ raw strength with Sage Mode,

He wielded a force even more violent than the real Nine-Tails!

This was a new form—

Humanoid Majestic Armor: Susanoo!

A power that completely transcended the level of Kage,

A form so overwhelmingly strong that it was called "The Calamity of Beasts"!

But now,

As Shinji mastered this power in humanoid form,

He could no longer be called a mere "beast."

And so,

“This form shall be named—”

“The Calamity of Heaven and Man!”

“Moreover, the techniques I once couldn’t wield—now, I can fully command them!”

At that thought, Shinji suddenly raised his eyes,

Glaring murderously at the stunned, wide-eyed Third Raikage, Ai.

In his mind,

He recalled the despairing moment when he had fallen into Hell Valley.

He remembered that old man, the one who treated him better than his own grandson,

His figure tumbling through the air, his wings clipped, an eagle plummeting from the skies—

And then,

The scene of his throat being crushed by the Third Raikage’s hand!

The rage, the despair, the helplessness—

Emotions that had long been buried now erupted like an inferno!

Shinji raised his palm—

And that burning fury shot straight into the sky!

“Raikage!”

“You’d better be ready to play with me to the death!”

Shinji bared his teeth in a wicked grin, roaring with seething fury:

“I will make you wish for death!!!”

He was completely unaware of how twisted, menacing, and terrifying his expression had become.

His nostrils and throat burned as if filled with scorching smoke.

His brain felt like it was swelling with boiling blood, ready to explode!

Golden pupils gleamed violently, linked by bulging veins!

Three black tomoe spun wildly in his eyes!

The flames erupting into the sky condensed and surged,

Gathering into one point—

Using the Kusanagi Sword as a core,

He fused it with the Five Elements Reversal Great Sword, Sage Mode, the Sage’s Heart, Natural Energy, the Nine-Tails Chakra, Earth Grudge Fear, Hell Stab,

And even poured the mutated Sharingan’s ocular power into it!

All of these forces compressed together,

Forming a blazing white greatsword, 100 meters long, radiating an aura of destruction, sending out violent shockwaves!

“Sage Art: Radiant Greatsword—The Weight of Eight Million Gods!”

Clad in golden robes embroidered with the Uchiha clan emblem,

With blood-red dragon bones crackling with lightning,

And Sharingan eyes blazing like twin suns,

Shinji locked eyes with the dazed and bewildered Third Raikage, Ai.

Then, he roared fiercely—

“This sword is for the Great Elder!”

Whoosh—

As soon as he finished speaking,

Shinji vanished from sight, leaving only a streak of fire and lightning in his wake.

Dragging the 100-meter-long white-hot greatsword,

He dashed across the battlefield at full speed,

In an instant—

He was already in front of the Third Raikage!

Upon hearing those words,

The Raikage’s dilated pupils shrank into pinpoints,

Nearly piercing into his skull!

At this moment, he was absolutely certain—

This current Shinji was an opponent he could never hope to defeat!

Even before, Shinji had been able to wear him down completely,

Forcing him to flee in disgrace—

Now, in this monstrous form, the difference was beyond overwhelming!

Yet, what shocked the Third Raikage even more was—

This brat had been destroying the Land of Lightning, all for revenge on an old man who WOULDN'T EVEN DIE?!

But…

That old man isn’t dead!!!

You’re telling me… you annihilated my capital, killed two of my Jinchuriki, nearly beat my son to death, and slaughtered countless elite Hidden Cloud shinobi…

All because you thought an old man, who is STILL ALIVE, was dead?!?!

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!

At that moment, the Third Raikage’s frustration nearly exploded.

And then—

He realized something—

Shinji had been deceived.

And the true mastermind behind this chaos…

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 370: You Deserve to Die by the Uchiha Blade!

As the Third Raikage suddenly leaped into the sky, instantly becoming a tiny black dot at the edge of the horizon,

"Running?"

"You actually think you can run?!"

Shinji's eyes flashed with a chilling light, his expression twisted into a fierce snarl as he glared at the soaring Third Raikage, A.

As the leader of the Hidden Cloud Village, the Third Raikage lived up to his title. Unlike the Third Tsuchikage, who wielded Dust Release, A lacked any truly powerful long-range attacks. Even if he had some, they would be completely ineffective against the Dragon Bone Susanoo armor enveloping Shinji's body.

To break through the Dragon Bone armor and the Tailed Beast cloak, A had only one option—charging head-on with his Hell Stab, just as he had done earlier.

But now, with one arm broken, the Third Raikage had only one more chance to inflict damage on Shinji.

And yet, at this moment—

A chose to flee into the sky.

This could only mean one thing—

Faced with an enemy whose heart he couldn't pierce even with a direct stab, whose wounds healed instantly, and who simply refused to die…

He had lost the will to fight.

He was scared!

He wanted to escape, to create an opportunity for negotiation. Deep inside, he had already admitted defeat!

However, to Shinji—

That was something utterly unforgivable!

"You killed my family, and now you want to run?!"

"RAIKAGE!!!"

His blood boiled. His rage seethed like a swarm of locusts devouring his soul.

Shinji's expression grew even more ferocious. His grip on the blazing white greatsword tightened, producing a sharp creaking sound.

In his eyes—

Three black tomoe spun wildly, rapidly connecting into a straight line!

All the rage he had accumulated until now, once restrained by Zero-Tails, exploded at this very moment.

Just one more step—

And his eyes would transcend!

Shinji clenched his teeth until they cracked, his hands gripping the incandescent greatsword tightly as he suddenly twisted his body.

"HRRAAHHHHH!!!"

At that moment, the greatsword, infused with countless jutsu, underwent a subtle transformation!

A sphere of energy swelled at the hilt, racing down the blade. At the sword’s tip, a blazing white fire streak shot outward!

And then—

BOOM!!!

A deafening explosion erupted! Fire waves slammed into the ground, creating a shockwave that expanded across a hundred-meter radius!

The immense force propelled Shinji into the sky!

He resembled a witch riding a broomstick—except his was more like a rocket!

A bright fire trail shot toward the heavens, closing the distance at incredible speed!

300 meters… 200 meters… 100 meters… 80 meters… 50 meters…

Until—10 meters!

"So fast!"

Seeing Shinji rapidly approaching, the Third Raikage was horrified.

Shinji's ascent was even faster than the Seven-Tails Chōmei flapping its wings at full power!

"Is he using that sword to accelerate with massive chakra bursts?"

"But moving like this… he won’t be able to change direction in the air."

"It looks like he's completely lost his mind."

"Such an extreme technique must consume an enormous amount of chakra. Even a Tailed Beast wouldn't be able to sustain this for long."

"If I use my flight advantage with the Seven-Tails, I might be able to exhaust him by dragging the fight out in the sky."

The Third Raikage’s mind raced. His eyes narrowed as he suddenly veered right, altering his flight path!

However—

Contrary to the Raikage’s expectations, despite his overwhelming desire to carve A into seventy-seven pieces, grind him to dust, and feed him to Kakashi's dogs—

Shinji had not lost his rationality.

His sharp combat instincts allowed him to maintain clarity even in extreme conditions.

The Grand Blade of Myriad Gods' Might was the ultimate fusion of all his techniques—

Which meant every jutsu he had ever cast or imagined was contained within this sword.

The power launching him skyward was a combination of Fire Release: Heartflame Blade and Wind Release: Vacuum Blade, forming the compound technique Hurricane Blaze Sword.

Despite what the Raikage assumed, the chakra cost to Shinji was minimal.

And—

Changing direction and maneuvering freely in mid-air?

That had already been accounted for.

At that moment—

As the Third Raikage suddenly turned, trying to shake off Shinji—

Shinji let out a sinister chuckle.

He swung the blazing white greatsword in a circular arc above his head, slashing out a fiery ring in the sky.

Then—

With effortless ease, he spun the sword and threw it forward!

In the next instant—

A blade of compressed air erupted from the sword’s tip, igniting the layers of compressed air in front of it!

A 40-meter-long, crescent-shaped blast of incandescent sword energy—

Instantly appeared between heaven and earth!

Uchiha-ryu: Solar Eclipse Dance—Sword Leap Flame!

Shinji had long since mastered the art of soaring through the sky like a bird!

BOOM!!!

The sword energy shot forth, slicing through the heavens!

At the same time, Shinji swiftly changed direction in mid-air—

And, propelled by the force of the sword leap, his speed skyrocketed even further!

Like a blazing meteor, he pierced through the clouds—

Racing straight toward the blood-red lightning!

In this moment, both warriors stood upon the vast blue sky—

The sun blazing behind them.

Yet the Third Raikage felt only cold dread.

His eyes widened in disbelief. Watching Shinji closing in at breakneck speed, he shouted in shock:

"This… this is impossible!?"

But Shinji's furious voice thundered through the sky in response:

"HOW IS THIS NOT POSSIBLE?!"

"RAIKAGE!"

"YOU HAVE LOST!"

Silhouetted against the rising sun,

Shinji soared through the clouds.

With both hands, he raised the blazing greatsword above his head.

His furious gaze, sharp as twin blades, locked onto the Third Raikage!

Flames surged, reaching skyward—

As if the sun itself had forged a divine sword of justice!

Then—

"YOU DESERVE TO DIE BY THE BLADE OF THE UCHIHA CLAN!"

Shinji lifted his sword high, his voice ringing with fury:

"UCHIHA-RYU: SOLAR ECLIPSE DANCE!!!"

The white-hot greatsword descended in a sweeping slash—

Warping the air, churning the currents, and illuminating the sky with the sun’s radiance!

With a single, earth-shattering strike—

Even the floating clouds were split in half!

And the blade descended straight toward the Third Raikage’s raised arms—

BOOM!!!

Like a descending cannon blast—

Like a divine blade from the heavens—

A hundreds-of-meters-long sword strike crashed down, splitting through the blood-red lightning,

And piercing the earth below!

Silence fell upon the battlefield.

(End of Chapter)