106-110

*Chapter 106: Illusions*

Kisame Hoshigaki quickly weaved hand signs, then took a deep breath.

"Great Water Shockwave!"

Ding! Recognizing the ninjutsu: Water Release—Great Water Shockwave!

Shiro’s pupils contracted as he swiftly retreated backward.

From Kisame’s mouth, a continuous stream of water spewed out, covering the entire ground and forming a massive water sphere that enveloped Killer Bee completely.

Kisame wiped his mouth and let out a wicked laugh before diving into the water sphere.

"Water Release! Four Sharks Rain!"

Ding! Recognizing the ninjutsu: Water Release—Four Sharks Rain!

In an instant, four water sharks formed in the water, swimming rapidly toward Killer Bee.

Already struggling to breathe in the water, Killer Bee saw the four sharks approaching and immediately spun around with his sword, shattering all the sharks into pieces.

Kisame chuckled indifferently and then began weaving more hand signs.

"Water Release! Five Sharks Feeding Frenzy!"

Ding! Recognizing the ninjutsu: Water Release—Five Sharks Feeding Frenzy!

After casting the technique, Kisame didn’t stop. His hands formed more seals.

"Water Release! Thousand Sharks Frenzy!"

Ding! Recognizing the ninjutsu: Water Release—Thousand Sharks Frenzy!

A swarm of sharks charged relentlessly toward Killer Bee. Already finding it hard to breathe, his face had turned bright red from the exertion. He twisted his body desperately, trying to escape the water sphere.

But countless sharks had already closed in, ready to bite Killer Bee.

At that moment, Killer Bee's arm suddenly surged in size. With a single swipe, he dispersed the incoming sharks.

"You’ve finally shown yourself!" Uchiha Itachi remarked calmly, though his eyes became more focused.

Killer Bee didn’t stop. His body rapidly expanded, and before long, a massive octopus appeared before everyone’s eyes.

Strangely enough, this octopus had the head of a bull.

"Kisame, be careful!"

Just as Itachi finished speaking, one of the Eight-Tails' tentacles lunged directly toward Kisame.

Kisame was caught off guard, unable to dodge in time.

"This isn’t good! Help Kisame, quickly!" Itachi growled, swiftly moving to the top of the water sphere.

"Amaterasu!"

In an instant, black flames engulfed the water sphere, and the water began evaporating rapidly before their eyes.

"Too slow!" Shiro sneered, his hands quickly weaving signs as four small birds flew toward the water sphere.

Electric arcs traveled through the water and struck the Eight-Tails.

But the Eight-Tails smirked in disdain.

"Is that supposed to tickle me?"

Shiro furrowed his brows.

The water sphere was simply too large. By the time the electricity reached the Eight-Tails, it had weakened significantly. Plus, the beast’s skin was thick, and ordinary ninjutsu couldn’t penetrate it.

"Itachi! Open a gap for me to get in!"

Although unsure of what Shiro intended, Itachi chose to trust him.

A small section of the black flames parted, creating an opening just large enough for someone to enter.

Shiro quickly formed hand seals.

"Water Release! Shark Bullet Technique!"

A shark made of water appeared behind Shiro, swallowing him whole before swimming rapidly through the water sphere.

"Coming to die? Perfect, I’ll kill you too!" The Eight-Tails sent one of its tentacles racing toward Shiro. However, Shiro remained unfazed, his hands weaving more signs.

"Lightning Release! Lightning Armor!"

In an instant, electricity crackled around Shiro, making him appear god-like.

The water around him began to part, creating a large open space.

Standing above the water sphere, Itachi suddenly felt an electric shock but dodged just in time. After landing, he noticed his feet were singed.

"What kind of ninjutsu is this? It’s terrifying!"

"This technique must consume an immense amount of chakra, and yet Shiro uses it so effortlessly. His chakra reserves must be monstrous!"

"Indeed, Shiro is a man of unfathomable depth! If he continues to grow, he might become the next Hashirama Senju."

Uchiha Obito nodded slightly.

After all, Shiro was only twelve years old—his potential was limitless.

The Eight-Tails' tentacle, about to reach Shiro, was struck by countless bolts of lightning. Even with its tough skin, the Eight-Tails couldn’t withstand the electric assault.

"Stop! Stop now! You’ll kill him too!"

Shiro quickly realized his mistake. Kisame was also in the water. If this continued, Kisame would be the first to die.

Ding! Mission options triggered!

1. Continue attacking! Reward: Jonin-level strength!

2. Pause the attack! Reward: Advanced Genjutsu Mastery!

Shiro had been at chunin-level strength until now.

Thanks to various bloodline limits and body enhancements, he could barely contend with elite jonin. Now, a chance to achieve jonin-level strength had appeared, raising his baseline power. He would no longer fear elite jonin and could even face kage-level opponents.

But if he chose that, Kisame would die.

Advanced Genjutsu Mastery was also something Shiro greatly desired.

With advanced genjutsu proficiency, his abilities in casting and defending against illusions would increase dramatically. He might even be able to break through Itachi’s preset genjutsu.

Suddenly, Shiro shuddered, a slight smile curling at his lips.

"I choose the second option!"

For a moment, the world around Shiro spun, and after about three seconds, everything returned to normal.

When he recovered, Shiro sensed something had been placed in his mind.

As expected, Itachi must have cast a preset genjutsu on me.

But Shiro decided not to break it for now.

He didn’t want to face off against Itachi just yet. If it ever came to that, he could break the illusion in an instant.

For now, his target was the Eight-Tails!

Shiro slowly deactivated his Lightning Armor, pulling back the surrounding electricity.

The Eight-Tails sneered.

"I have to admit, you’re a loyal shinobi. But that loyalty will get you killed on the battlefield!"

As soon as the words left its mouth, seven of its tentacles shot toward Shiro.

"Kid! I owe you one! Forget about me, just kill that octopus!" Kisame shouted toward Shiro.

Shiro’s smile widened as he activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, blood trickling from his eyes. He locked eyes with the Eight-Tails.

"Look into my eyes!"

Caught up in its triumph, the Eight-Tails failed to notice Shiro’s sudden transformation.

Suddenly, the Eight-Tails froze, and its outstretched tentacles halted in midair.

The beast’s eyes had become those of the Sharingan.

The Eight-Tails slowly released its grip on Kisame, who quickly backed away, warily watching the subdued beast.

"What... what’s going on?" Kisame muttered in disbelief.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 107: Soft Target*

Itachi Uchiha and Tobi (Obito Uchiha) suddenly became serious.

Both were members of the Uchiha clan, and naturally, they had a deep understanding of the Sharingan. The genjutsu (illusionary techniques) of the Sharingan were deadly to ordinary ninja, but for tailed beasts, they were more like mild inconveniences. Still, they weren’t entirely uncontrollable.

Just like in the past, the Nine-Tails was controlled to attack the Leaf Village. But Shiro was only twelve years old, and to control the Eight-Tails with just the Sharingan? That was an extraordinary feat, marking him as a genius among geniuses.

“Tobi, you know Tsukuyomi better than anyone,” Obito smirked disdainfully. “Do you think you could control the Eight-Tails?”

“No,” Itachi replied, his voice calm but betraying a hint of shock.

“How likely do you think you are to defeat Shiro?”

Itachi’s face returned to a neutral expression. “He’s still too young.”

Ninja battles aren’t just about who has the strongest jutsu or the most chakra. What matters most is using the right jutsu at the right time, and Itachi was a genius in this respect, calculating all variables to minimize his mistakes.

The Eight-Tails, still under the effects of genjutsu, began shrinking back to normal size, revealing Killer Bee once more. Kisame Hoshigaki sneered and swiftly swam over to grab him.

At that moment, a shadow appeared and vanished just as quickly, taking Killer Bee with it.

“How dare you try to steal Killer Bee from my territory! Akatsuki, you’re going too far!”

It was the Fourth Raikage, A!

The faces of the group became stern. They hadn’t expected A to show up after luring Killer Bee out, but with success so close, they couldn’t afford to retreat.

“Kisame, let’s go!” Itachi said quietly before vanishing.

A furrowed his brow. He had some dealings with Akatsuki before and hadn’t wanted to sever ties, but now it was clear they had no intention of backing down. His face contorted in anger.

“If it’s a fight you want, then let’s fight!”

Electricity crackled around A’s body as he suddenly disappeared, reappearing like a phantom in front of Kisame. Kisame’s pupils shrank in surprise.

He had heard rumors of the Fourth Raikage’s formidable taijutsu and speed, second only to the Flying Thunder God Technique, but he hadn’t fully believed them. Now, in the blink of an eye, A was in front of him, almost as if teleporting.

“Damn, he’s fast!”

Kisame hurriedly tried to defend, but before he could fully brace himself, A’s punch landed in his abdomen, sending him flying.

Itachi’s expression turned grim. Even with his Sharingan activated, he could barely make out A’s movements. Dodging such an attack would be nearly impossible for him. However, Itachi had other means to ensure A couldn’t land a blow.

Suddenly, Itachi stopped moving. A closed in, raising his fist to strike, but Itachi remained still, seemingly unfazed by the incoming blow.

At that moment, a dangerous aura surrounded them.

Itachi’s body began to crack.

Boom! A massive explosion blasted A away. Fortunately, his Lightning Release Armor and his enhanced physique protected him from serious injury. Otherwise, he might have been incapacitated.

“Itachi Uchiha, huh? You really are something, predicting my every move. A truly formidable opponent,” A said as he stood up, his gaze shifting to Tobi.

“Then I’ll deal with you first before taking on Itachi!”

Before he could finish speaking, A was already beside Tobi, gathering all his strength to strike.

“Got him!”

Tobi’s masked face remained expressionless, showing no signs of evading. A smirked. At such close range, even with the fastest reflexes, there was no way Tobi could avoid his punch.

He swung his fist, but instead of feeling the impact, he watched in shock as his hand passed through Tobi’s body. Overpowered by his own momentum, A stumbled forward, regaining his balance after several steps.

“Oh my, lucky me! If that had hit, I would’ve been in big trouble,” Tobi said with exaggerated relief.

A quickly distanced himself from Tobi. He realized that his punch hadn’t missed. It was the strange ability Tobi possessed that made him such a dangerous foe.

Fighting someone when you didn’t know their abilities, while they knew yours inside out, was the worst scenario. A didn’t want to engage Tobi until he had gathered more information.

His gaze shifted to Shiro. There was something familiar about the boy, as if they had crossed paths recently. Shiro seemed like the easiest target to reduce the enemy’s numbers quickly.

Though Shiro’s young age suggested immense potential, potential wasn’t the same as raw strength. The enemy wouldn’t hold back just because he had promise.

A had only encountered two young talents with both youth and strength. One was Mizunotsuki Orange, whose Lightning Release was so advanced that even A admired her skill. The other was Shiro, the one responsible for killing the Fourth Mizukage Yagura, with a bounty on his head from the Land of Water.

A’s smirk widened as he sped behind Shiro, swinging a punch aimed at his back.

If this punch connected, Shiro would either be dead or completely incapacitated, reducing the pressure for the rest of the fight.

However, Shiro’s body twisted at the last moment, and A’s punch missed, brushing past him. A’s heart raced in shock.

With his speed, avoiding his attacks was nearly impossible, especially when he struck from behind. Yet this young man had dodged him.

“Wait, that’s the Lightning Release Armor! And those eyes—Byakugan and Sharingan? Who are you, kid?”

“Who am I? Tsukuyomi!”

Shiro prepared to use Tsukuyomi, but A disappeared and reappeared on a nearby tree, sweat already beading on his forehead. He had heard of Tsukuyomi’s fearsome reputation. If he hadn’t escaped in time, he might have been finished right there.

“Damn it! Even this kid is strong. Is there no soft target in Akatsuki?”

At that moment, Kisame, who had been knocked away, came running back.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 108: Raikage's Rampage*

A's eyes lit up, and a slight grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"That bastard! Attacking me from behind? Let me show you my strength!"

Kisame snorted, his hands rapidly forming hand seals. But before he could finish, A suddenly appeared right in front of him.

"You're the one!"

With a cold smile, A threw a punch directly at Kisame, closing in fast. Just as it was about to land, a black flame suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Amaterasu!"

A knew all too well the power of Amaterasu—the most potent fire-style jutsu, capable of igniting anything. Even water couldn't extinguish it, and it could burn an entire river.

"Damn it."

A quickly retreated, turning to look at Itachi Uchiha, who remained standing calmly, showing no signs of having attacked.

"Could it be that kid?"

A slowly turned his head and saw Shiro shifting his gaze towards him, with the black flames following along.

"So it was you, kid!"

A glared menacingly at Shiro. Under normal circumstances, he had a hundred ways to kill him. But now, with two incredibly powerful ninjas by Shiro's side, attacking rashly would lead to him being ganged up on.

Although A could escape easily due to his speed, the Akatsuki had kidnapped Killer Bee. As the Fourth Raikage, he had to take action; otherwise, people would think that the Hidden Cloud Village was weak.

A shifted his gaze back to Kisame.

Sometimes, it's best to pick the softer target.

It wasn't that Kisame was weak, but that A's techniques were perfectly suited to counter Kisame’s abilities. Kisame's strength lay in chakra absorption, but A, like Might Guy, required very little chakra. Moreover, A's speed was second only to the Flying Thunder God Technique. Without powerful visual jutsu, it was nearly impossible to keep up with him.

Once again, A disappeared, reappearing behind Kisame, ready to strike. Suddenly, Killer Bee, wielding seven swords, charged in front of him.

With a swift slash, A was forced to retreat.

"Killer Bee, what are you doing?!"

Killer Bee didn't answer, instead continuing his swift assault with his seven swords.

"Damn it, it's genjutsu!"

A knew Killer Bee’s fighting style too well—seven swords positioned across his body, perfectly balanced for both attack and defense. It wasn’t an absolute defense, but taking him down without hurting him would take too long, and time was something A didn’t have right now.

"Damn it, Akatsuki, do you really want to go to war with the Hidden Cloud Village?!"

"Don’t be so dramatic. We just want the Eight-Tails. It’s not really your business," Shiro said with a smirk.

At that moment, Obito Uchiha, who had been standing silently, exuded a faint killing intent and glared at Shiro with his single eye.

"Shiro-kun, you really love to joke. We’re only here to have some fun with Killer Bee."

Obito’s voice changed subtly, despite his exaggerated tone. Shiro chuckled inwardly, knowing he had stirred up enough trouble. Any more, and Obito might attack him directly.

"You want the Eight-Tails? Then you're declaring war against the entire Land of Lightning!" A's voice grew colder.

The Eight-Tails was a secret weapon of the Land of Lightning; there was no way they would hand it over. Moreover, removing the Eight-Tails would kill Killer Bee, and A could never stand by and watch his brother die.

Suddenly, A's body was engulfed in lightning, his cells supercharged by the electrical energy. It was as if A had transformed into a different person.

"If that’s how it is, then I’ll make you pay!"

Before his voice even finished echoing, A appeared before Kisame, landing a punch straight to his chest. Kisame's eyes widened in shock, but before he could react, he was sent flying.

"One down!"

In an instant, A was next to Obito, throwing a punch, but it went straight through his body. However, A didn’t leave right away; he flashed twice more, then landed another punch.

Boom!  

Obito was also sent flying, his mask shattered, revealing a terrifying face.

"Two down!"

Without hesitation, A charged at Itachi. But as his punch connected, Itachi's body dissolved into a flock of crows, scattering in the air.

"Tch, lucky you!"

Shiro's face showed fear. He never expected A’s speed to reach such a terrifying level. Even Obito had suffered a blow. Shiro, using both the Sharingan and Byakugan, could barely keep track of A's movements.

If A had hit him, his heart might have stopped!

Realizing the danger, Shiro quickly formed hand seals, and lightning surged around him.

"Lightning Release! Raijin Armor!"

As the Raijin Armor activated, Shiro used the lightning to propel himself into the air.

"So it’s you, Hozuki Orange!"

Seeing the Raijin Armor left a deep impression on A.

A technique that combined offense and defense, truly a divine jutsu of the Lightning Release. A didn’t believe just anyone could pull off such a technique.

"Kid, I don’t know why you saved me back then, but you’re too dangerous. You have to die today!"

A's killing intent surged, and his eyes turned bloodshot, freezing the very air around him.

"Not good! I need to get out of here fast!"

The Raijin Armor’s speed wasn’t enough. A could strike Shiro before he reached a safe altitude!

"Too slow!"

Shiro swiftly formed more hand seals, and the kunai in his mouth began to glow with a golden aura.

With a forceful throw, the kunai soared into the air.

"Flying Thunder Break!"

Just as A appeared, Shiro vanished in a flash of golden light.

"The Flying Thunder God Technique!? This kid can use the Flying Thunder God Technique too?! How many god-tier jutsu does he know?"

With Shiro able to use the Flying Thunder God Technique, there was no way to kill him now. It was, after all, known as the fastest technique in the ninja world for a reason.

A shifted his focus to Killer Bee.

Although Shiro had escaped immediate danger, he was in bad shape. Using the Flying Thunder Break twice in quick succession had taken a toll on his body, and only his advanced healing abilities kept him from falling from the sky.

"Damn, if I could master the Flying Thunder God Technique, I wouldn’t be in such a tight spot!"

At that moment, a deadly intent filled the air. Shiro looked over to see it was coming from Obito.

Obito slowly got up from the ground, his Sharingan gleaming ominously. Through the crack in his mask, a horrifying wound was visible.

"Fourth Raikage A... you’ve done well!"

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 109: Susano'o*

A felt a wave of killing intent coming his way, causing him to furrow his brows.

Turning his head, he saw Uchiha Obito's Sharingan, and his face showed a hint of surprise.

"Weren't the Uchiha Clan wiped out? How are there still so many Sharingan? But since you're here, leave your eyes behind!"

"If you want my eyes, you'll have to prove your strength first!"

Uchiha Obito snorted coldly as he finished speaking, and his Sharingan with three tomoe began to change.

"A Mangekyō Sharingan? Damn it, since when did the Mangekyō Sharingan become so common?"

As soon as A finished speaking, he suddenly sensed a dangerous presence approaching. He immediately moved out of his original position.

In that split second of hesitation, a large part of A's clothing got sucked into the void.

"Space-time ninjutsu!"

Ding! Recognizing ninjutsu!

Shiro was overjoyed. If he could learn Kamui, he'd have confidence no matter who he faced in the future. Even if he couldn't win, at least he could escape!

Ding! Ninjutsu recognition failed (Dōjutsu: Kamui recognition progress 1/100)

Shiro couldn't help but spit out some blood. He hadn't expected that the system could fail to recognize a ninjutsu! And when he saw the progress bar, he rolled his eyes even harder.

Casting Kamui a hundred times? Even Uchiha Obito would be completely blind by then.

However, Uchiha Obito, having shed his Tobi persona, seemed truly intent on killing.

At that moment, Obito clapped his hands together forcefully and shouted:

"Fire Style! Storm Dance!"

Ding! Recognizing ninjutsu: Fire Style: Storm Dance! (Cannot be used due to missing Dōjutsu: Kamui!)

Suddenly, a serpent of flames spewed from Uchiha Obito’s mouth. A was prepared to dodge, but the space around him started to warp, raising a whirlwind.

The fire serpent collided with the whirlwind, creating a fiery tornado that engulfed A.

Obito’s hands didn’t stop there. He clapped them together once more with force.

"Wood Style! Hell's Chaos!"

Ding! Recognizing ninjutsu: Hell's Chaos! (Cannot be used due to missing Hashirama's cells!)

Countless thorny trees quickly sprouted from the ground, twisting toward A at a rapid pace.

"Wood Style and Kamui! Obito’s really trying to kill A!"

Shiro, watching from below with concern, thought to himself that if he were caught in these two jutsu, unless he used Flying Thunder God, escape would be impossible. He also knew this wasn’t the full extent of Obito’s power.

But Shiro had no intention of letting A die.

A was one of the key fighters in the final battle. If he died, the balance of victory would tip.

So, Shiro secretly formed a one-handed seal.

Killer Bee, who had been standing still, suddenly wobbled and fell to his knees, clutching his head in agony.

"Damn it! What’s happening?!"

After about three seconds, the battle scenes flashed through Bee's mind, and then he stood up again.

"Damn it, nobody's getting away today!"

Killer Bee roared as his body began to swell, transforming into his Eight-Tails form.

But instead of attacking, the Eight-Tails turned and smashed the surrounding trees with one swipe.

A quickly escaped and jumped onto the Eight-Tails' shoulder.

A, his muscles as hard as steel, was now covered in wounds, with blood dripping from his arms.

"A! Today, let's finish off these guys together!"

"Alright! The Cloud Village forces will arrive soon, and none of these four will escape!"

A glared at Uchiha Obito with venomous eyes.

As the Raikage for many years, A hadn't been wounded in a long time, but Obito had made him feel pain once again. His long-dormant battle spirit was reignited.

"Kill me? Before your forces arrive, I’ll have killed you all!"

Obito sneered and clapped his hands together forcefully.

His chakra burst out, creating a gust of wind that nearly knocked Shiro over.

Chakra gathered around Obito, slowly forming the shape of a blue humanoid warrior.

"Uchiha Obito’s Susano'o! And it's a fully complete form!"

This was the first time Shiro had ever seen Susano'o. He had only heard of it from the battle between brothers over the Pacific Ocean.

Uchiha Itachi had summoned a less-than-complete Susano'o, but even with that, he had completely shattered Uchiha Sasuke's newly lit confidence.

If Itachi hadn’t scripted the fight from the beginning, the one closing his eyes forever that day would have been Sasuke.

A’s brow furrowed deeply.

Susano'o varies with each individual, so the warrior before him was an unknown factor to A.

"Use the Tailed Beast Bomb!"

"Got it. Whatever tricks they have, with overwhelming power, no technique can stand in our way!"

The Eight-Tails grinned, inhaling deeply as the surrounding air was drawn into its mouth. A large sphere of chakra formed in front of its mouth, growing rapidly until it was almost as big as its head.

The Susano'o warrior stood its ground without dodging. Instead, it pulled out the shuriken from its back and threw it with all its might.

"Kamui Shuriken!"

A gigantic shuriken and the Tailed Beast Bomb were launched simultaneously, colliding in mid-air.

Strangely, instead of an explosion, the space around the shuriken tore open, and the entire Tailed Beast Bomb was sucked into the rift.

The shuriken didn’t stop there; it continued flying toward the Eight-Tails at incredible speed.

"Not good! That shuriken is imbued with space-time ninjutsu—don’t try to block it, dodge!"

Everything the shuriken touched was sucked into the spatial rift.

Though the Eight-Tails dodged quickly, a small part of it was still absorbed.

"Damn! What kind of jutsu is this? It’s terrifying!"

The Eight-Tails' face twisted in pain.

As a tailed beast, its defense was formidable, and ordinary ninjutsu couldn't break through it. But that shuriken had pierced its defenses with ease.

"Don’t engage head-on! We’ll move around!"

A snorted and ran to the side, looking for an opening to deliver a fatal strike to Obito.

Just then, numerous ninjas appeared, surrounding the four members of the Akatsuki.

"Raikage-sama, we’re sorry we’re late!"

A’s face lit up with joy.

With the numbers now on his side, no matter how bizarre the Akatsuki's jutsu were, escaping would not be easy.

Perhaps they could even take down a few of them.

"Give up! Surrender now, and you might avoid some pain!"

A smirked, feeling triumphant after having been suppressed for so long.

But just then, the ground began to shake violently.

"What’s happening at the village?!"

(End of chapter)

---

*Chapter 110: No Turning Back*

"Sounds like an explosion."

"Explosion? Has a ninja village invaded?" Ai's face twisted with rage. He had almost subdued the four people in front of him, only for this unexpected event to occur.

A village is the foundation of a ninja's existence.

As the Fourth Raikage, Ai's primary goal was to protect the village.

But now, something this unexpected had happened.

"Damn it! I finally understand where those explosive tags went. Someone used the village’s own tags to blow it up. That’s ruthless!"

For a moment, Shiro awkwardly coughed.

He hadn’t prepared that many explosive tags—who would be happy to pay such a high price for them anyway?

"Hurry, forget about these guys, let's get back to the village."

With a shout, Ai turned to leave.

"Trying to leave? Not that easy!"

With a sneer, Uchiha Obito blocked Ai’s path.

"Get out of my way, or don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"Why don't you try? Though, I wonder if the people in your village can survive."

Ai’s eyes burned with fury as he glared at Uchiha Obito, wishing he could bite him to death.

But Obito was proficient in space-time ninjutsu.

Killing him would be extremely difficult. If Obito insisted on blocking them, they’d be stuck here for quite some time.

That would leave the village...

Ai had no choice but to compromise.

"What do you want?"

"What do I want? Didn’t I say it at the beginning?" Uchiha Obito said, his gaze slowly shifting to the massive Eight-Tails.

"Impossible!"

Ai roared angrily. At this point, Killer Bee was even closer to him than his own brother, and he would never let him become a sacrifice.

"That’s fine. I’ll just take him myself."

Uchiha Obito smiled, though his smile sent chills down people’s spines.

At that moment, Obito clapped his hands together and took a deep breath.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

A massive snake of flame shot out.

The power and range of the Great Fireball Technique depend entirely on the amount of chakra the ninja can channel.

When Uchiha Sasuke first performed the technique, it only covered an area of five or six square feet and merely scorched the ground.

But Obito’s Great Fireball turned the entire area in front of him into a sea of fire.

You could even see the ground’s rocks starting to soften and turn into magma.

However, the ninjas of the Hidden Cloud Village, who specialized in taijutsu, had quicker reflexes than most.

Only a few unlucky ones were burned to death in the flames.

"Too bad, only a few got hit."

Uchiha Obito smirked but seemed completely indifferent.

"Damn it! Damn it! If I get through this, I’ll kill every last one of you! The Akatsuki should never have existed in this world!"

"Oh really? Count me in," said Kisame Hoshigaki with a smug grin. He had just been punched twice by Ai, and if it weren’t for fusing with Samehada, he would’ve been dead.

Kisame quickly formed hand seals, inhaled deeply, and a massive column of water shot out from his mouth.

"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"

A torrential wave of water blocked the Hidden Cloud Village ninjas’ path.

"Oh no, I accidentally blocked the road. Maybe you can swim over?" Kisame joked.

Shiro gave a wry smile as he slowly descended from the air. The moment he landed, he nearly stumbled to the ground.

The chakra consumption of the Thunder God Armor was immense. After flying for just one or two minutes, Shiro was almost drained.

Had he stayed in the air for half a minute longer, he might have fallen straight out of the sky.

Suddenly, Uchiha Itachi appeared beside Shiro and gently steadied him.

"Was the Hidden Cloud Village your doing?"

Shiro quickly shook his head. Even though Itachi was in the Akatsuki and had wiped out the Uchiha clan, he still yearned for peace deep down.

If Itachi knew that Shiro had planted ten thousand explosive tags in the Hidden Cloud Village, he might not say anything, but there would still be some lingering resentment.

"Kisame was just looking for payback after getting beaten. If Ai gets desperate and turns the tables, we might not be so lucky next time."

Itachi didn’t respond and simply stared at Shiro with his sharp eyes.

"You're not surprised by Tobi’s abilities. Do you know something?"

Shiro gave an awkward smile.

He really wasn’t a match for these old foxes—they could guess his thoughts just from his reactions.

If Itachi were in the modern world, he’d definitely be an outstanding psychologist.

"So, why do you think I joined the Akatsuki? And who do you think this Tobi really is?"

Itachi was about to speak but closed his mouth again, starting to doubt his own assumptions.

"He claims to be Uchiha Madara."

Shiro’s lips curled into a faint smile. Obito had always claimed to be Madara before the final battle.

"He says so, yes. But even though he's not Madara, he is connected to him—just a pitiful soul, really."

Itachi nodded slightly and turned his gaze back to the battlefield.

By now, the Hidden Cloud Village had fully engaged with the two Akatsuki members.

Ai was fighting Obito, while Killer Bee and several Cloud ninjas took on Kisame.

"A weak spot?" Shiro shook his head in frustration.

Kisame’s jutsu had completely blocked the Cloud ninjas' escape route, forcing them to fight.

If he had left a way out, they wouldn’t have been driven to this point.

In just thirty seconds, Kisame was already cornered, covered in numerous wounds.

"Kisame, release the jutsu, or you'll die!" Itachi, who usually remained silent, spoke up.

Though Kisame was reluctant, he dispelled the technique.

The massive water ball quickly dissipated, flooding the surrounding rocks like a deluge.

"Quick! Get back to the village!"

Ai’s eyes lit up, and he urgently shouted.

Immediately, all the ninjas rushed towards the village, but Killer Bee remained.

"Kisame, today you die here!"

As he spoke, a tentacle darted towards Kisame, but just as it was about to hit, a black flame ignited.

"Retreat or fight!" Shiro coldly declared, his voice filled with killing intent.

"Damn it, Killer Bee, go! The village is more important!"

The Cloud ninjas quickly retreated, despite Obito’s attempts to block them.

Once everyone was gone, Obito walked over to Shiro, his eyes locking onto him.

"Tell me, did you let them leave on purpose?"

(End of chapter)