351-355

Chapter 351: The Battle to Overthrow Iwagakure! The Gatekeeper, Third Raikage!

"—Boom!"

An endless sea of fire spread and connected, igniting everything in its path.

The entire mountain peak was engulfed in thick black smoke.

Two disheveled figures, covered in dust and soot, stumbled out, supporting each other—it was none other than the A-B Brothers.

At this moment,

the young A, supported by Killer B, stared blankly at the scene before him.

Across a vast land spanning 100,000 square meters, countless Kumo ninjas, trapped under an illusion of unfathomable magnitude, ran around in chaos like headless flies, attacking each other. The seemingly impenetrable defensive formation crumbled in an instant.

Under the oppressive sky,

everyone raised their heads and saw it—

A pair of massive, crimson, indifferent Mangekyō Sharingan eyes gazing down on all living beings!

"We haven't even truly faced him yet, and it's already come to this?"

"Numbers... Do they even matter against that guy?"

"Can we... really defeat him?"

Supporting the young A, Killer B also looked on, his gaze stretching out and turning vacant, his pupils trembling slightly.

Every time, Every single encounter, That brat, Shinji, always revealed something new— a technique so overwhelming that they were completely helpless against it.

And,

Each time, within mere weeks, that brat’s strength skyrocketed like a rocket.

From their first battle, where Killer B had even held a slight advantage, to their second encounter, where he was paralyzed by a single Lightning Release: Kirin, to their third fight, where he was torn apart in under thirty seconds—

a supposedly "perfect" Jinchūriki reduced to a mere background character.

And now,

he hadn’t even seen the opponent’s face, and yet, from miles away, a few seemingly ordinary Mangekyō Sharingan projectiles had left him completely powerless!

At this moment, Killer B’s confidence had utterly collapsed. The continuous, crushing defeats had stripped him of all hope in defeating Shinji. In fact, just thinking about that brat's face made his hands tremble involuntarily!

"There has to be a way!" The young A snapped back to reality, gritting his teeth and speaking through his unwillingness.

He gazed into the distance, eyes locked onto the base of the first defensive wall, clenching his fists as he spoke with determination:

"This illusion is being cast through a barrier. Theoretically, if we can't see that sky, we should be immune to its effects."

"So…"

"Before he breaks through both defensive lines and reaches the Heavenly Keep, we still have one last chance to gamble!"

"Right now, we must find that Hyūga kid!"

"His eyes will be of great use to us!"

However,

just at that moment,

a thick fog, dense enough to obscure even an outstretched hand, suddenly rose around them!

And then—

"You—you, who are you?!"

"Get away, get away, aaaaahhh!!"

A blood-curdling scream, as if someone's heart was being torn from their chest, suddenly rang out from the distance.

From within the fog, a chilling voice of a Kirigakure ninja echoed,

"This eye wasn't destroyed by the Caged Bird Seal... Could he be from the Hyūga main family?"

The young A's expression changed drastically. He immediately recognized the voice—it belonged to Hyūga Shouta, the very person they were searching for!

"Damn it, it's the Akatsuki!"

"They used Shinji’s illusion as cover to breach the second defensive line?"

"Rasa... didn't intervene!?"

Hearing this shocking news, young A instinctively moved to rush toward the source of the sound—

At the very least, he needed to retrieve that eye!

But at that moment,

from not too far ahead, the sound of steady footsteps suddenly echoed through the mist.

A red-haired young man in a black cloak adorned with red clouds stepped forward, emerging from the fog.

He blocked the path of the A-B Brothers.

The surrounding fog, thick enough to drip water, seemed to have no effect on him. His uniquely patterned eyes stared indifferently at the two, his expression unreadable.

Then,

taking a deep breath, he raised his hand and suddenly widened his eyes—

"Banshō Ten’in!"

Meanwhile, elsewhere,

after launching the first assault against Shinji, the Iwagakure forces on the wall executed their preplanned strategy.

Using the Earth Release: Earth Dragon Concealment Technique, they burrowed beneath the defensive wall.

Leading the Iwagakure unit was a high-ranking jōnin named Maboroshi,

a master of kenjutsu and Earth Release, adept at reconnaissance—a trusted scout jōnin, handpicked by the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki.

At this moment,

"Strange, why hasn't Kumo sent the signal yet?"

Maboroshi frowned slightly, staring up at the rocky ceiling above him.

They were currently positioned directly beneath Kumogakure’s first line of defense, inside a tunnel excavated using Earth Release.

Just then, a fierce-looking Iwa-nin in uniform leaped in from an adjacent tunnel, his face carrying traces of panic as he hurriedly reported the intelligence he had gathered:

"Captain, Kumo has collapsed!"

"Shinji... I don’t know what kind of sorcery he used, but he single-handedly caused their ten-thousand-strong army to fall into complete disarray, unable to form a cohesive battlefront."

"The first and second defensive lines have already been breached by the Akatsuki. They’re almost at the Heavenly Keep!"

"What?! They lost already?!"

Hearing the report, Maboroshi was momentarily stunned.

He had expected Kumo to lose—after all, the Tsuchikage had planned for it—but this quickly?!

This was an army of ten thousand!

Even if they lined up to be slaughtered, it should at least take until noon!

But it hadn’t even been ten minutes!

His face twitched slightly. Recalling the Tsuchikage’s orders, he quickly asked:

"Then, where is Shinji now?"

The Iwa-nin named Daishi licked his dry lips, his gaze turning blank as fear overtook him.

Seeing this, Maboroshi furrowed his brows and formed the ‘Ram’ hand sign to sense chakra.

And soon, his face twisted in shock as he looked up at the rocky ceiling.

"This sinister chakra... He’s right above us?!"

"Yeah... What should we do, Captain?" Daishi moved closer, his voice trembling.

"Should we proceed with the plan?"

"After all, with Kumo’s forces shattered, they probably can’t stop us anymore."

Maboroshi hesitated briefly before his gaze sharpened.

Their mission, given by the Third Tsuchikage, was to aid Kumo on the surface, ostensibly to help take down Shinji.

But in reality,

this was a carefully planned betrayal, meant to trap Kumo’s elite army of eight thousand, preventing them from reinforcing other battlefronts!

This was a premeditated assault against Kumo, just like their recent ambush on Kirigakure at Green Reef!

This operation had even been given an official name by Ōnoki himself—

"The Battle to Overthrow Iwagakure!"

With the goal of eliminating Kumo from the Third Shinobi World War!

Taking a deep breath, Maboroshi solemnly ordered:

"Proceed with the plan!"

"Shinji and the Third Raikage both need to be eliminated. If Kumo wants us to weaken Shinji, we’ll oblige."

"Let them tear each other apart!"

"Besides, at the Heavenly Keep, we still have our second contingency plan!"

"Now—"

Maboroshi’s expression turned ruthless as he formed hand seals.

"Begin the operation!"

The Rock Shinobi hidden in this location immediately sprang into action. They gathered around their position and jointly performed a powerful ninjutsu!

"Combined Ninjutsu: Earth Style – Earth Dragon Concealment Technique!!"

This technique transforms soil into fine sand using flowing chakra, allowing the user to burrow underground like an earth dragon. Since they can sense surface movements while submerged, it is ideal for surprise attacks. Additionally, because they can tunnel deep underground, they can quickly escape beyond an enemy's reach.

In the original story, Deidara once used this technique.

However, when this jutsu is applied to dig at extreme depths—combined with the recent Earth Style: Seismic Core, which created a massive pit hundreds of meters deep—it can achieve something devastating:

Shatter the earth, turning billions of tons of unbearable rock into a flowing river,

Burying an arrogant and overconfident enemy completely!

At that moment,

High atop the city walls, standing on Susanoo, Shinji gazed down at the battlefield.

Although he appeared motionless, in reality, he was continuously projecting genjutsu through a barrier.

Simultaneously, vast amounts of natural energy, invisible to the ordinary eye, swirled into his body in a spiral motion. This energy then surged outward, rising into the sky and merging with the barrier, replenishing its Yin Release energy.

To hypnotize over ten thousand people at once, the scale of the technique and the energy consumption were naturally proportional.

Even the most basic genjutsu requires chakra to sustain. While Sage Art: Genjutsu – Solar Heaven’s Mirror does not consume chakra, it demands an immense amount of natural energy to maintain.

For just a few moments of mass hypnosis, the required natural energy is astronomical!

But Shinji had no intention of simply standing there as a natural energy converter, continuously absorbing and releasing energy to maintain the illusion.

If this continued, he would eventually exhaust both the stored energy in his Sage’s Heart and the natural energy within a ten-thousand-meter radius.

Once the natural energy in the barrier was stabilized at an amount sufficient to sustain the mass hypnosis for three more minutes,

Shinji cut off the energy supply immediately.

Three minutes.

Without the interference of a chakra cannon,

That was more than enough time for him to break through two defensive lines and reach the Tenshukaku (the castle keep).

With everything in place, Shinji took a deep breath, his gaze locking onto the towering castle thousands of meters away.

"Inhale."

He then closed his eyes and drew in a massive stream of air, resembling a white dragon of mist.

His body slightly sank into Susanoo,

And at that moment—thanks to the fusion he had undergone during his five-day training on Turtle Island—

his eyes reached their final evolution!

【Bloodline Elimination Evolution Complete!】

【Blood Dragon Eye has been eliminated. The Sharingan has been fully sublimated!】

【Now, with your Three-Tomoe Sharingan, you can unleash even stronger bloodline-based jutsu and summon an even more formidable Susanoo.】

【You have obtained: *Human Bomb, Blood Dragon Technique, Genjutsu: Blood Manipulation, and Dojutsu: Blood Dragon’s Nine Seals of Oblivion.*】

【Susanoo (Third Stage): The Flesh Susanoo—this form develops legs and skeletal structure, covered in flesh generated through the Blood Dragon Eye’s blood manipulation ability. By continuously replenishing blood, it can maintain its flesh-based defense indefinitely without consuming ocular energy. It is, without a doubt, a *God of War that gallops across the battlefield!*】

In complete darkness, lines of text scrolled past.

"The warm-up is over. Now…"

Shinji suddenly opened his eyes, revealing a pair of crimson snake-like pupils with Three-Tomoe Sharingan!

"This is where the war truly begins!"

Meanwhile,

At the center of the battlefield, standing before the towering Tenshukaku,

A young secretary from Kumogakure, Mabui, with white hair and dark skin, clutched an intelligence report as she desperately ran forward, her face filled with despair.

"Raikage-sama!"

"Raikage-sama!"

Panting heavily, she reached the majestic, towering gates of the Tenshukaku, weakly slamming her hand against its surface.

With a voice trembling on the verge of tears, she pleaded:

"Please… I beg you, come out and take control of the situation!"

"A and the others… they…"

"They can't hold on much longer!"

"That man… with just a single jutsu, our two defensive lines have nearly collapsed!"

"Are you really going to just sit back and watch, Third Raikage-sama?!"

Five days ago, upon returning to the village, the Third Raikage had sealed himself inside the Tenshukaku, entrusting full command to the young Raikage-in-training, A.

In truth, Kumogakure had no third defensive line.

The young A had concentrated all available forces and every possible reinforcement into the first two lines of defense, meticulously crafting strategies specifically to counter Shinji.

As for the Third Raikage,

Five days ago, he had only requested a single person from A before isolating himself within the Tenshukaku, never emerging again—

As if he had abandoned everything.

Or rather…

The third line of defense for Kumogakure was none other than the Third Raikage himself!

Yet now,

Everything A had meticulously planned,

Before those eyes…

Under the inescapable dome of that illusion…

In the face of that ancient, fearsome surname…

Had become nothing but a joke!

Forget about executing combined ninjutsu—

Right now, even the elite Kumogakure shinobi standing on the second defensive line, atop the fifty-meter-high walls,

Did not dare to use a single jutsu!

Their vision, hearing, and sense of touch had been completely distorted—the result was beyond terrifying.

The fact that they had not begun slaughtering each other in confusion was a testament to their rigorous training.

Even under such dire circumstances,

Mabui relied on her unyielding discipline as a secretary, compiling all available intelligence as she blindly stumbled forward, falling repeatedly on her way to the Tenshukaku.

At this moment, all she could hope for was to deliver the report to the Third Raikage and plead with him to restore order to the battlefield.

Just then…

"Sigh…"

A deep, resonant sigh echoed from behind the massive doors.

"My child, you still do not understand my intentions… Had you embraced this immense pressure and sense of responsibility, you could have surpassed your limits in these five days."

"But… sigh."

"The fate of Kumogakure… should be decided by Kumogakure!"

"Outsiders… are not to be trusted!"

Then—

BOOM! BOOM!

The massive, three-meter-tall doors, each weighing nearly a ton, suddenly swung open with a thunderous crash, slamming against the walls.

A towering figure emerged from the shadows—

A warrior-like behemoth, his entire body drenched in blood, covered in countless deep wounds.

His long, graying hair and beard swayed without wind,

And in his ferocious gaze, it was as if two clashing souls were violently battling within his mind, until…

One side was completely defeated!

A towering crimson aura condensed around the old warrior’s body—

The Third Raikage, A,

Had finally stepped forward!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 352: The Hundred-Thousand-Meter Rock River! A Lone Charge into Battle!

In front of the Heavenly Guard Tower, the doors—sealed shut for five days—finally opened.

The Third Raikage, A, let out a deep sigh as he stepped out. He glanced at the massive sky barrier enveloping the entire city, noticing something unusual—unlike the other Hidden Cloud shinobi, he was not trapped in a genjutsu.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he then issued his first order to turn the tide of battle.

"Mabui, use the Heavenly Transmission Technique to send a message to the group of Iwagakure shinobi that A gathered."

"Tell them—"

"Destroy the barrier team stationed on the western side!"

Mabui's expression froze in shock. A trace of horror appeared on her face.

"Raikage-sama… but… that’s—"

The barrier team on the western flank was composed of Hidden Cloud shinobi—comrades, brothers.

However...

Mabui understood. This was the only way to break the barrier. But no one had dared to give the order.

She clenched her teeth.

"Understood!"

Without hesitation, she took out a scroll and quickly formed the "Ram" seal with both hands.

In the next instant—

A brilliant white light shot up from the battlefield into the sky!

Shortly after—

On the other side of the battlefield, beneath the inner city walls of the first defensive perimeter—

"United Ninjutsu: Earth Release—Hidden Earth Dragon Technique!"

The Iwagakure forces, upon receiving the Hidden Cloud’s signal, immediately deployed a special hundred-man Earth Release squad to activate this large-scale jutsu.

From a bird’s-eye view—

The entire terrain of the inner city sloped slightly inward toward the center, at an approximate five-degree incline.

Beneath the city, pre-dug tunnels had been prepared using Earth Release—Hidden Earth Dragon Technique. These tunnels, positioned at a forty-five-degree angle, connected deep pits outside the inner city to the interior ground, stretching over a thousand meters.

At that moment—

A hundred Iwagakure shinobi unleashed their combined jutsu, instantly collapsing the tunnels.

The result?

The entire city shook violently—as if countless explosives had detonated underground!

Nearly a thousand sinkholes suddenly ripped open across the ground.

Then—

Countless water-saturated solid deposits began to flow under their own weight.

The battlefield's terrain transformed into a river of rock, forming a massive landslide—a colossal avalanche of stone weighing billions of tons!

A premeditated tactical strike was executed in an instant!

Like a champagne tower collapsing, the three-tiered pyramid structure of the Hidden Cloud’s inner city

completely abandoned its lowest level.

Abandoning nearly two thousand shinobi and samurai—from both foreign lands and the Hidden Cloud—who were stationed there.

The second tier became a cascading waterfall of stone, plunging downward!

At that moment—

Standing atop the city walls, within his Susano’o, inside the path of the rockslide—

Shinji had just prepared to form legs for his Susano’o, intending to charge into the Hidden Cloud’s defenses.

Suddenly—his expression froze.

The entire Susano’o lurched violently, losing balance!

"What the hell?!"

"This is brutal!"

"The ground… it's moving?!"

The monstrous rock river, a force harnessing the laws of physics and nature itself,

surged forward in an instant!

Everything around Shinji seemed to slide backward and downward at terrifying speed!

The city walls collapsed instantly, throwing the entire unbalanced Susano’o into a deep pit!

And then—

Billions of tons of rock came crashing down.

A twenty-meter-high fortress wall, composed entirely of high-density black stone, descended upon him!

A thirty-meter-tall Susano’o stood powerless against a ten-thousand-meter-long avalanche of solid rock!

At the same time—

To the west of the Hidden Cloud’s inner city—

A side palace that had survived the last battle of Cloudsong City housed the Hidden Cloud’s barrier team.

With a sudden golden flash, Namikaze Minato appeared on the roof of the palace, momentarily stunned as he looked at the structure below.

It resembled a tiny boat amidst a raging storm.

Then—he lifted his gaze.

His expression changed instantly.

A hundred-meter-high tsunami of rock was crashing down upon him!

In an instant—Minato vanished from the rooftop.

A black shadow loomed overhead.

The roar of earth and stone drowned out all other sounds.

The entire palace was swallowed whole, buried beneath the billions of tons of rock!

Along with it, countless intricate barrier formations and dozens of barrier team members were obliterated.

"BOOM!"

At that moment—

The massive sky barrier shattered—

Revealing a vast, crimson-streaked sky behind it.

Countless Hidden Cloud shinobi snapped out of their genjutsu-induced trance.

Before they could even gather their thoughts—

A deafening, lion-like roar shook the battlefield:

"EVERYONE—"

"FORM UP!"

"PREPARE TO ENGAGE THE ENEMY!!!"

A young Raikage A, drenched in blood and missing an arm, leaped from the fifty-meter-high second city wall, crashing heavily onto the ground.

Staggering, he pushed himself up, his furious voice echoing across the battlefield!

The sound shook every Hidden Cloud shinobi to their core, snapping them into motion.

And then—

They looked up.

And they saw it.

Amidst the thundering rock river,

A colossal, blazing figure, like a burning deity, stood against the torrent.

A hundred-meter-long lightning blade had been driven into the riverbed, holding back the avalanche.

The giant’s body was cracked and on the verge of shattering, yet—

It swung its right arm and threw something forward with all its might!

A dark silhouette arced through the air—

Sailing across the thousand-meter-wide, hundred-thousand-meter-long rock river—

And landed directly before the Hidden Cloud’s second defensive line!

With a thunderous impact, the figure slammed into the ground,

Kicking up a ring-shaped shockwave of dust!

"That’s… that’s—"

"Shinji!"

As the dust settled—

Countless Hidden Cloud shinobi saw the crimson glow of his Sharingan, staring back at them!

No time to catch their breath.

The moment he landed—

Shinji lifted his head.

He stood up amidst the cold morning breeze, his hands slipping behind his back.

His body lowered slightly.

His face was expressionless.

And then—

He sprinted forward, straight toward the two-thousand-man Hidden Cloud core unit!

"HE’S COMING!!"

"HE’S COMING!!"

"HE’S COMING!!"

The light, rapid sound of his footsteps pounded like a war drum against their hearts.

The wind roared, burning against their faces.

A single boy—daring to charge headfirst into an army of two thousand.

Yet, despite their overwhelming numbers—

Their bodies froze.

A wave of cold fear surged from their feet to their skulls.

Their faces paled.

Their eyes—filled with terror.

At that moment—

The injured Raikage A pushed himself up, clutching his bleeding, severed arm.

He spread his legs, bracing himself firmly.

Drawing in a breath, he roared like thunder across the battlefield:

"LISTEN UP!"

"THE SENSOR AND INTELLIGENCE UNITS ARE GONE!"

"NOW—"

"WE EITHER STOP HIM HERE—"

"OR WE DIE HERE!"

"THERE IS NO OTHER OPTION!"

"THE WAR HAS BEGUN!"

"KILL HIM!!!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 353: You Were the Ones Who Used Ninjutsu First!

"Special Combat Unit—"

"Advance!!"

"Ambush Unit, flank them from the sides!!"

"Support Unit, hold the rear! Be ready to reinforce the line if it collapses!"

"We cannot let him cross this point!"

"Ten minutes!"

"Even if we have to lay down our lives, we must hold for these ten minutes!"

"Behind us lies our homeland! Our last shred of dignity!"

"Kill!!!"

The deafening battle cry surged through the battlefield, instantly boosting the morale of the Hidden Cloud forces.

Countless Hidden Cloud shinobi charged forward like a raging river, roaring as they rushed to meet the lone figure of Shinji head-on!

"Uwaaah!"

"Kill!!!"

In the blink of an eye, both sides clashed!

Leading the initial charge was a squad of Hidden Cloud shinobi skilled in swordsmanship. They attempted to form a blade formation to disrupt Shinji’s momentum, obscure his vision, and create an opening for a second squad waiting behind them. The plan was for the second squad to leap from behind and strike from above in a surprise attack.

However—

Shinji remained unfazed, his Sharingan calmly taking in their every movement.

Then—

He chose the simplest response.

At that moment, he accelerated, his speed increasing yet again!

Schlkk! Schlkk! Schlkk!

Bracing against the impact of three incoming blades, he relied on his sheer physical prowess to charge straight into the formation, instantly sending six enemies flying.

In the same motion, he drew a blade from his abdomen with one hand, lunged forward in a low stance, and seamlessly positioned himself between the two squads—who were now utterly stunned.

With a sweeping motion, he unleashed a spinning slash—Sun Eclipse Slash—cutting down all six enemies in an instant.

Discarding the now-damaged blade, Shinji pressed his arm down, using it as leverage to launch himself into the air. In a swift motion, he retrieved two more blades from his abdomen and hurled them forward, impaling two Hidden Cloud shinobi attempting a pincer attack from the front and rear.

Before their bodies even hit the ground, he reached into their weapon pouches and retrieved four kunai, threading them together with steel wire before flinging them toward the ground.

With a sharp pull of the wire, he ignited it, creating a searing-hot wire blade right in his grip.

Clang!

In an instant, he parried two incoming swords from the front. Then, with a brutal left hook, he drove his fist into one enemy’s gut, making their eyes bulge in agony. Without hesitation, he snatched their blade, reversed his grip, and stabbed another shinobi directly in the throat.

With a single pull, he slit their throat, using their collapsing body as a foothold to propel himself high into the air!

From above, Shinji’s gaze locked onto a young man standing behind a force of a thousand shinobi—A, the future Raikage.

He smirked coldly.

Then, with his blade in hand, he continued his relentless advance, carving his way through enemy ranks!

The rising sun cast its light upon the battlefield, reflecting off his blade as he cut down enemy after enemy.

Years of battle had refined Shinji’s taijutsu to the highest level. Coupled with his mastery of all weapons and the Uchiha-ryu Kenjutsu technique—Foresight—

The battlefield before him seemed to unravel into a vast web of intersecting attack trajectories. Every incoming strike was merely a line within this chaotic web—one that had yet to reach him.

All he had to do was sever those lines before they could touch him.

For a moment—

Amidst the swirling dust and flickering blade light, sparks burst in all directions!

The sheer intensity of his movements sent a biting wind slicing through the air, striking fear into the reinforcements desperately trying to fill the gaps in the ranks. Their grips on their weapons trembled with hesitation.

Without using a single ninjutsu, relying purely on his taijutsu—

In less than a minute—

Shinji had stormed through 300 meters of enemy lines.

Blood-soaked blade in hand, he now stood before A.

The young warrior’s scalp tingled in horror.

2,000 against 1.

Yet the lone fighter was the one pushing back the entire army.

This level of overwhelming suppression, achieved purely through skill, was far more terrifying than brute force!

Unless Shinji made a mistake of his own volition, almost no one could land a hit on him.

It was as if he walked through a thousand blades, yet not a single one could touch him.

If this continued, it wouldn’t be long before morale completely crumbled.

A’s eyes flashed with determination as he shot a glance toward a shinobi within the formation—Toroi, a Hidden Cloud shinobi with pale skin, purple braided hair, and a yellow scarf, holding a scroll between his teeth.

“We can’t let him get any closer!”

“Toroi, as soon as you’re ready—do it!”

Toroi nodded without hesitation, forming the "辰" (Shin) seal with his hands. A series of magnetized square-shaped shuriken scattered across the battlefield.

The next moment—

From behind him, hundreds of support-unit shinobi shouted in unison:

"Combined Ninjutsu: Lightning Release—Thunder Dragon Surge!"

Utilizing the magnetized shuriken as conductors, over a hundred shinobi unleashed a synchronized Lightning Release attack, channeling it into a colossal Lightning Dragon!

ROOAAAR!!

A ten-meter-long dragon, formed from pure lightning, roared to life and surged forward—aimed directly at Shinji as he leapt over the last man in the enemy lines!

BOOM!

The dragon struck Shinji head-on, its jaws clamping down before hurling him backward with immense force!

In that instant, thousands of square-shaped shuriken hidden within the lightning storm shot toward him, bombarding him relentlessly!

The sheer impact of the Lightning Dragon, combined with the razor-sharp storm of shuriken, sent Shinji flying out of the enemy ranks!

A clenched his fist, his eyes locked onto the point of impact. Gritting his teeth, he muttered under his breath:

"Lightning Release suppresses Earth Release, so his Earth Style: Earth Spear should be rendered useless. On top of that, the sheer force of the Lightning Dragon should be enough to shatter any defensive bone structures he might form."

“With an attack like this, there’s no way he can block it!”

"We don’t need to kill him—just force him to start regenerating. If the Lightning paralysis kicks in, we’ll be in control from here!"

However—

In the next moment—

As A’s expectant gaze fixed on the battlefield—

Shinji skidded to a halt, dragging deep trenches in the ground with his feet.

Then—

He simply dusted off his clothes.

Standing up as if nothing had happened.

Completely unscathed.

"What the hell…?!"

A’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Not a single wrinkle marred Shinji’s Akatsuki robe.

At that moment—

Shinji frowned slightly, retracting the Tailed Beast Chakra Cloak back into his body.

His gaze swept coldly across A and the two thousand elite Hidden Cloud shinobi before him.

"Don’t blame me for what happens next…"

The next instant—

Without hesitation, he raised his hand and formed the "寅" (Tora) seal.

Fire Release: Chakra Mode—Activate!

Blood vessels bulged around his eyes, his pupils sharpened.

Entering Sage Transformation: Cursed Seal Level 2!

From the Eight Trigrams Seal on his abdomen, the Eight-Tails’ Chakra erupted into his palm!

Infusing it with Two-Tails' Chakra, he activated—

Fire Release: Heartfire Blade & Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!

In an instant—

A blazing inferno erupted into the sky!

A hundred-meter-long sword, wreathed in fire, took shape—

A flaming dragon coiled around the colossal blade as the Hidden Cloud shinobi stared in sheer horror.

"You like dragons so much?"

"Then here—have this one back."

Shinji’s gaze was ice-cold.

"Sage Art: Blaze Release—Great Slaughter Sword: Infernal Dragon Dance!"

(End of chapter)

Chapter 354: Blazing Strike! The Arrival of Susanoo!

Everything within sight was engulfed in flames.

Around the small figure standing opposite the military formation, visible waves of air surged outward, forming a circular shockwave.

In the next instant—

As the raised palm sliced downward—

"—Whoosh!"

It was like a heavenly pillar crashing down!

The massive flaming sword struck the ground, instantly unleashing a shockwave of sand and stone!

Dirt, rocks, shattered debris, dry grass, severed limbs—along with countless Hidden Cloud shinobi standing before the blade—were all swept away in an instant!

At the same time—

Gripping the colossal flaming sword with one hand, Shinji twisted his wrist and let out a deep, commanding shout:

"Condense!"

As his words fell, the blazing greatsword in his grasp suddenly dimmed, and the battlefield’s brightness plunged into darkness!

It was as if something terrifying was brewing, an ominous premonition that gripped every Hidden Cloud shinobi present.

By infusing Senjutsu chakra, Shinji had elevated this technique—previously uncontrollable after being unleashed—into something far greater. Much like the difference between the Wind Style: Rasenshuriken and the Sage Art: Wind Style: Rasenshuriken,

This strike—

Would be launched in cannon form!

Flames erupted from the hilt at a blunt angle, expanding outward in a scattered blast, forming a fifty-meter-wide blazing energy cannon!

---

"Special Combat Unit, Fourth Division! Twelfth Squad! Suppression Tactics Unit! Second Ambush Squad!"

As the rising sun was gradually obscured by thick clouds, the battlefield darkened even further.

Young A clenched his fists tightly and swiftly called out the teams skilled in counteracting the technique before them.

Sweat poured down his forehead—whether from the intense heat or the sheer pressure of the moment, he didn't know.

Gritting his teeth, he roared with fury:

"Move out!!"

More than six hundred Hidden Cloud shinobi stepped forward in unison, their hearts filled with trepidation.

The strategies and tactics they had meticulously prepared against Shinji—

Were utterly useless!

And yet—

They had already drawn their bows; there was no turning back now.

At this moment—

Every single one of them understood:

If even one person faltered, if even a single mistake was made—

Then no one here would survive against Shinji.

There was no time to form complex hand seals for Water Style: Water Formation Wall to counter Fire Style through elemental advantage.

And as the battlefield commander, young A quickly assessed the differences between the intelligence reports and the current situation—

He could tell that what Shinji was casting now—

Was absolutely no ordinary Fire Style!

In this situation,

The only way to survive—

Was to fight fire with fire, speed with speed!

At that thought, the elite Hidden Cloud forces before the formation swiftly wove hand seals, shouting in unison:

"Joint Ninjutsu—Composite Lightning Style: Thunder Water Dragon Bullet!"

This was the same composite technique created by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, combining two different elements into one.

During the Fourth Great Ninja War, it had been used by the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, and the Fourth Raikage, A, to counter Uchiha Madara’s Fire Style.

Now—

This technique was being executed by an elite force of over six hundred Hidden Cloud shinobi—each at least at the Chunin level, with a third of them being Special Jonin or higher!

In an instant, an enormous azure dragon’s head surged forward from the Hidden Cloud’s ranks!

The moment it appeared—

It collided head-on with the condensed, darkened, and then explosively unleashed brilliant fiery light—the flaming cannon, roaring like a dragon's breath!

"—BOOM!!!"

A crimson and a blue force—clashing like something out of myth—met at a single point!

No—

It wasn’t a mere clash.

It was the Thunder Water Dragon Bullet struggling to withstand the onslaught of the blazing energy cannon!

Unlike the previous instance in the Fourth Great Ninja War, where Uchiha Madara's Fire Style had been swallowed whole by this technique—

This time—

Fire Style devoured Water Style!

With the fusion of Senjutsu, Blaze Release, composite ninjutsu, and tailed beast-level chakra—

At this moment, Shinji’s Fire Style had surpassed even Uchiha Madara’s!

The remaining 1,500 Hidden Cloud shinobi stood behind the 600-strong force in the frontlines—

And those 600 stood behind the Thunder Water Dragon Bullet.

But the energy cannon, fired from Shinji’s greatsword, struck the dragon’s head, splitting into four beams that blasted against the fifty-meter-high defensive wall behind them!

A sea of flames erupted behind the Hidden Cloud forces, consuming an area spanning hundreds of meters!

It was a battle of quality versus quantity!

"Urgh!"

One by one, Hidden Cloud shinobi coughed up blood and collapsed from chakra exhaustion.

"Can we hold out?"

Young A clenched his fists tightly, watching the frontlines with growing anxiety.

"We just need to buy a little more time!"

Water and fire clashed, generating a thick fog that covered the battlefield.

Then—

"We did it!"

"Hahaha!"

"Just a mere Uchiha! How could he possibly defeat our village?!"

Excited voices erupted from the frontlines.

By relying on their elemental advantage, they had somehow forced Shinji’s attack to a standstill.

Young A finally let out a deep sigh of relief.

He turned to glance at the massive fifty-meter-high wall behind him.

Atop it—

A colossal chakra cannon was being assembled, its parts methodically put together.

"If we keep stalling at this pace—"

"B should be ready soon! Even though we only have one chakra cannon left instead of two, our plan can still work!"

But just then—

The joyous shouts from the frontline suddenly fell silent.

The battlefield itself seemed to freeze.

Young A’s heart clenched, and he quickly turned back—

And what he saw—

Was—

Whoosh!

A sudden gust of wind dispersed the fog, revealing the terrifying scene beyond.

At that moment—

A monstrous Susanoo, its flesh rapidly forming over its skeletal frame, rose from the earth!

Its glowing eyes, like torches in the night, burned with a chilling intensity!

Higher and higher—

Taller and taller—

Until, fully formed at seventy meters in height, the towering, flesh-clad giant slammed its feet into the ground, shaking the battlefield with a thunderous quake!

"BOOM!" "BOOM!"

It was as if—

Just moments ago, everyone was playing a card game in a casino.

They had Shinji cornered with an unbeatable hand.

But then—

He suddenly flipped the table over, transformed into a damn Ultraman, and stomped the entire casino into the ground—screaming,

"To hell with your royal flush! THIS is a royal flush!"

The Hidden Cloud shinobi could only stand there, staring up at the titanic figure in stunned silence.

At that moment—

"Seriously?! Six hundred of you against just me?! Have you no shame?!"

"You think I don’t have backup?!"

Now piloting his own personal Gundam—er, Susanoo—Shinji took a deep breath, looking down with righteous fury.

Then—

He crouched, tensed his legs, and—

"Take this—"

"Thunderous Double Stomp from the Heavens!"

As flesh wrapped around its skeletal legs, the half-formed Susanoo suddenly gained two fully-formed feet!

Then—

Under the wide-eyed, horrified gazes of the Hidden Cloud forces—

The massive humanoid warrior crouched low—

And LEAPT!

Both colossal feet crashed down into the Hidden Cloud army like a meteor strike!

"—BOOM!!!"

The earth shook violently as the impact sent burning rock flying, while countless shinobi screamed as they were flung through the air!

A single stomp—

And the once-impenetrable Cloud formation was utterly shattered!

Young A’s eyes burned with fury. Ignoring the pain of his severed left arm, he surged forward in a flash of lightning—

Attempting to grab onto Susanoo’s foot and stop Shinji’s rampage!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 355: The Battle of Giants! A Stunned Rasa

"Hmm?"

Shinji suddenly felt something like a rock trip him up underfoot.

At that moment, a flash of lightning burst toward him with terrifying force, and a single arm grabbed the giant Susanoo’s foot just as it was about to stomp down.

“It’s Lord A!”

“Lord A actually stopped that giant!”

“Everyone, keep formation! Create an opportunity for Lord A!”

On the shattered ground, a surreal scene unfolded—less than a two-meter-tall man had stopped the foot of a terrifying seventy-meter-tall giant.

Seeing this awe-inspiring moment, the elite Cloud Shinobi forces, like an army of ants, couldn’t hold back their tears of excitement.

They had thought that when that monstrous entity arrived, it would all be over.

But then—

"Tch, where did these ants come from?"

From above, a confused and somewhat amused voice rang out.

Shinji slightly lifted his foot, bent his knee, and shook it as if trying to shake off some dirt.

With that motion, the Susanoo giant raised its massive foot—comparable in size to a semi-truck—and the young A, who had been gripping it tightly, was lifted over ten meters into the air like a mere insect.

A’s pupils contracted sharply. If he were stomped down from this height, he wasn’t sure if even his mastery of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode could withstand the pressure.

Immediately, he let go, dropping straight to the ground.

From that brief clash at full strength, he had confirmed that as long as Susanoo was standing on both feet, he couldn't shake it.

However—

If the giant was balanced on one foot, he had a chance. If he could land quickly, move to the right before the other foot touched the ground, and then unleash his most powerful Lightning Release Armor,

He was confident he could take down the Susanoo with a single elbow strike!

"I can win!"

With that thought, A clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with excitement.

However—

His every move was already in the sights of Shinji, who stood inside Susanoo with his arms crossed and a playful smirk on his lips.

After all, who in their right mind would casually lift their leg so high?

He had deliberately created this "opening," baiting the young Fourth Raikage with the promise of an incredible feat—taking down Susanoo single-handedly.

And then—

The Susanoo giant’s two glowing eyes—resembling those of Ultraman—suddenly narrowed, radiating divine light!

With a slight arch of its back, its foot shot out toward A, who was still mid-air,

*"Zzzzzzt!!"*

The air split apart under the force of the kick, producing a shrill, ear-piercing whistle.

*"PONG!!"*

In this perfectly orchestrated trap, with A in free fall,

Forget about dodging—even if Newton himself were here, he’d have to obey the laws of Galileo’s free-fall experiment!

At this moment—

The massive foot, nearly 42,000 millimeters in size, slammed directly into A’s face!

His entire body was crushed against the foot like a bug, his eyes widening in shock.

Then, the giant Susanoo raised its arms, leaned back, and kicked forward with full force!

A streak of lightning shot through the air as A’s body was launched like a cannonball, slamming into the fifty-meter-high wall behind his allies. His fate—unknown.

*[Ding!]*

*[You have utterly crushed A, the son of the Third Raikage, who attempted to kill you. He is now critically injured and unable to fight. You have obtained a random skill from him: Lightning Release: Chakra Mode (B, Mastery).]*

*[Due to the overwhelming counterattack, a critical reward has been triggered!]*

*[With the "Master of All Techniques" trait, the skill level has increased by two ranks: Lightning Release: Chakra Mode (B, Transcendent).]*

*[With Lightning Release: Chakra Mode, you can now perfectly execute the Hell Stab: One-Finger Spear.]*

*[Your "Unyielding Will" counter has increased.]*

With the defeat of A—the last remaining commander of the Cloud Village’s elite forces—this prolonged battle had come to an end!

In front of Shinji, a series of battle summary notifications popped up.

Aside from the Lightning Release: Chakra Mode, which was worth examining, the rest were various minor Lightning Release techniques that didn’t fit into his existing combat style, so he quickly skimmed through them.

Then, his attention was drawn to one particular line:

*[With Lightning Release: Chakra Mode, you can now perfectly execute the Hell Stab: One-Finger Spear.]*

Seeing those words, inspiration suddenly struck Shinji, sending chills down his spine.

The various techniques he had mastered up to this point began to connect like pieces of a puzzle, forming a new realization—

However—

*"BOOM!!!"*

A sudden explosion erupted from the city walls!

A specialized armor-piercing shell tore through the air, leaving a fiery trail as it shot forward!

A five-meter-diameter tungsten shell, like a giant spear, pierced straight through one of Susanoo’s legs, causing the massive warrior to stagger and fall forward!

*"BANG!"*

The ground trembled as the colossal figure crashed down, sending a cloud of dust into the air!

And with that cannon blast, the next battle officially began!

### *The Battle of Giants!*

On one side—the Cloud Village forces defending the fifty-meter-high walls.

On the other—Shinji, who had to break through and reach the castle keep.

Their conflict was irreconcilable!

Standing atop the city walls—

“Big bro…” Killer Bee looked down at his brother, who lay motionless on the ground like a corpse.

His fists clenched tightly, his other hand resting on the chakra cannon that the Cloud forces had guarded with their lives. His expression was dark with rage, his eyes burning with fury.

“I will avenge you!”

“Shinji…”

Suppressing his fear of the monstrous enemy before him, Killer Bee stepped forward, staring down at the fallen Susanoo with murderous intent.

“I’m going to kill you!”

“I’m going to kill you!!”

“I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!”

With the chakra cannon capable of penetrating Susanoo’s defenses, their carefully prepared battle formations to restrict its movements, and an unexpected reinforcement—

"Hey, hey, hey."

"This isn’t what we agreed on!"

Beside him, a young man with short brown hair, wearing a black undershirt and a white cloak, frowned slightly. A green hat emblazoned with the kanji for "Shadow" rested on his back.

Even with his usual patience, the current situation left him stunned.

“Did you guys… make a mistake somewhere?”

"You brought me here… just to fight that guy?"

This man—

Was none other than the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, who had secretly accepted the Cloud Village’s invitation in exchange for financial support and a military alliance with the Sand Village.

At that moment, Rasa felt a chill run down his spine.

Before, the Cloud forces had only asked him to use his Magnet Release to help transport a weapon—just a small favor in exchange for a lucrative deal.

But now, they were telling him—

If he wanted the money, he had to fight Shinji?!

(End of chapter)