C216

Dark clouds covered the moon, and the only thing that illuminated the pitch-black night was the thunder roaring through the sky.

"Have you spotted the enemy?"

Killer Bee had abandoned his usual rap. In less than half an hour, he had already sustained serious injuries. If not for Eight Tails' protection, he would have been gravely wounded under the relentless lightning attacks.

"I still haven't found them, but even with my help, you don't have much time to achieve a perfect transformation. If we don't resolve this soon, we're definitely going to lose," Gyūki's voice echoed in Killer Bee's mind.

He couldn't sense any trace of the enemy's chakra. Even Nine Tails' presence had vanished, and the environment around them felt different, as if shrouded by some kind of enchantment.

Hearing Gyūki's words, Killer Bee couldn't hold back and rapped:

"Yeah, then use it first, Tailed Beast Bomb, blast the sky~"

Without hesitation, Killer Bee gathered a massive amount of Tailed Beast Chakra in his mouth, swallowing and then continuously expelling it.

"Master Eight Tails, Tailed Beast Bomb Barrage!"

Within seconds, Eight Tails fired seven or eight Tailed Beast Bombs into the dark clouds above. 

Most of the attacks Killer Bee had suffered so far came from the lightning strikes within those ominous clouds. He had to use the Tailed Beast Bomb's explosion to shatter them.

Even though he didn't know exactly what kind of spell was at play, those pitch-black clouds clearly weren't invincible against continuous bombardment.

Rumble!

The explosion within the dark clouds was like the sky collapsing.

As the Tailed Beast Bombs collided with the lightning, a powerful chain reaction erupted. The deafening thunderclaps and shockwaves were so intense that they could be heard clearly even from more than ten kilometers away.

In Konoha, the villagers were terrified by what seemed like a natural disaster, unable to sleep. Meanwhile, several White Zetsu infiltrators stirred chaos in the village, quickly triggering a riot.

When the explosion cleared, the dark clouds had been blown away, and the bright moonlight shone upon Eight Tails and Killer Bee once more. 

Seeing the darkness dispelled, Killer Bee couldn't help but rap again:

"Yo, lurking in the night, But Killer Bee still shines bright!"

Boom!

A sudden thunderbird materialized out of nowhere, striking Killer Bee in an instant. The immense surge of lightning illuminated the night sky as if it were daytime. Killer Bee let out a pained scream.

This time, Kain didn't hold back—he unleashed the full force of 50 million volts of lightning.

"This... I saw him… in the sky…"

As the lightning dissipated, Killer Bee spoke weakly. That dazzling flash had finally revealed their attacker. But before he could say more, he lost control and reverted from his full Eight Tails form.

"Sorry, Bee… I need to rest for a while… Be careful…"

Gyūki's weakened voice echoed in Killer Bee's mind. He had taken the brunt of the attack to protect him—otherwise, Killer Bee's life would have been in grave danger. 

After speaking, Eight Tails lost consciousness, falling into a deep slumber within Killer Bee.

Boom!

Another thunderbolt struck midair, hitting Killer Bee directly. He had no time to dodge before he was knocked unconscious.

As soon as he completely passed out, a flash of lightning appeared beside him. Kain materialized effortlessly, standing over Killer Bee before swiftly reinforcing the Four Symbols Seal on his body and sending him away.

"As soon as I thought about using the Munch-Munch Fruit to absorb tailed beasts, Cloud Shinobi Village conveniently delivered one to my doorstep. Not bad—it saves me the trouble of taking Three Tails from Nohara Rin."

Killer Bee never fully understood the extent of Kain's Thunder Fruit abilities, but he now realized that Eight Tails was little more than a living target for him. 

Over the course of the battle, Kain had nearly exhausted all the chakra stored in his shadow clones, using the fight as a chance to refine his lightning strike ability. He had unleashed at least hundreds of 5-million-volt lightning strikes.

If it weren't for the tailed beast chakra protecting Killer Bee, any other ninja—including even Fourth Raikage—might have been killed outright.

"Bastard! Just a few brats…"

Fourth Raikage Ai seethed with rage. He was the leader of a village, yet he was now being held back by a handful of Konoha Anbu.

Meanwhile, the commotion caused by Killer Bee's battle was only growing louder. It wouldn't be long before Konoha's Hokage and its elite ninja arrived to surround him.

 If he didn't break through soon, all of Killer Bee's efforts would have been in vain.

"Thanks for saving me, Senior Kakashi—otherwise, I would have been in real danger."

Uchiha Shisui spoke through heavy breaths, his gaze locked onto the Fourth Raikage with a serious expression. 

Among the four Anbu squad leaders intercepting Raikage, only his Body Flicker Technique was fast enough to barely keep up. The other three could only provide support.

"Even though I can hold him off, my swordsmanship isn't enough to break through his defense," Shisui continued.

 "Cloud Shinobi Village's Lightning Style Chakra Mode hardens their bodies like steel. The only way through would be a powerful Wind Style jutsu."

Kakashi pondered Shisui's words for a moment before discarding the idea forming in his mind. Given Raikage's overwhelming speed and power, Chidori wouldn't be a guaranteed counter. Containing him was already difficult enough.

Another Anbu team leader spoke up:

"Hold him off as long as possible. Reinforcements from the Security Force are arriving—he won't escape. Use explosive tags and shuriken to slow him down."

"You little brats are too arrogant!"

Fourth Raikage roared furiously, the lightning around his body surging as he activated Lightning Style Chakra Mode to its maximum power.

"Be careful! He's going all out!"

Seeing the increase in Raikage's chakra intensity, Shisui and the three Anbu squad leaders heightened their vigilance. Raikage in this state was far beyond an ordinary Jōnin—even an elite Jōnin would struggle to exchange more than a few moves with him.

If not for Shisui's fully matured Sharingan, he wouldn't have dared to face Raikage head-on.

Just then, a hoarse laugh echoed through the battlefield, drawing everyone's attention.

"Hehehe… So the guest is none other than Fourth Raikage of Cloud Shinobi Village. What an unexpected visitor."

From the shadows of the forest, a thin figure emerged, accompanied by a massive, thick white snake slithering beside him.

"Fourth Hokage!"

Upon seeing Orochimaru, Fourth Raikage's eyes widened in shock and fury.

His younger brother, Killer Bee, had drawn many of Konoha's strongest fighters into battle. His subordinates had successfully engaged over twenty members of Konoha's Security Force.

So why was the Fourth Hokage still here?!

What about the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist? Weren't they supposed to be causing chaos in Konoha?

Had their entire plan backfired?

Orochimaru stepped forward, standing beside Uchiha Shisui and the others.

"Step back," he ordered. "Assist the Security Force in finishing off the rest of them. I'll handle this."

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

Uchiha Shisui responded immediately, but Kakashi hesitated before asking, "Master Hokage, what about Master Kushina?"

"Don't worry—someone is there."

Hearing his father's name from Orochimaru's mouth, Kakashi finally felt relieved. If there were no guards stationed near Kushina's location, things could have taken a dangerous turn.

Even though his father had once failed a mission, Kakashi still had absolute trust in him.

With that reassurance, Shisui and the other four Anbu joined the battle against Tutai and the Cloud Shinobi. The addition of four Jōnin quickly overwhelmed the enemy—Tutai and his men were now unable to hold their ground, let alone escape.

As Shisui and the others left, Fourth Raikage attempted to use the Body Flicker Technique to intercept them. However, Orochimaru, who had been closely watching him, reacted immediately.

With a sinister smirk, he Summoned a self-exploding snake, sending it hurtling toward Raikage's only escape route.

Boom!

The explosion forced Fourth Raikage to a halt.

"Don't even think about it, Fourth Raikage. Chasing them down right in front of me? You're underestimating me."

Orochimaru chuckled as pale purple eyeshadow formed at the corners of his eyes.

If he were dealing with someone he intended to kill, he wouldn't have hesitated to use his Mangekyō Sharingan to end the fight quickly. However, keeping Fourth Raikage alive was far more valuable than killing him—so instead, he prepared to finish this battle with Sage Mode.

"Fourth Raikage, it's rare that I have to use Sage Mode. Consider yourself honored."

"Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation!"

Meanwhile, Hatake Sakumo and an Anbu squad leader were locked in battle with Uchiha Obito, preventing him from advancing any further.

This was Obito's first time facing Konoha's White Fang—a man whose expression remained calm and unreadable, even when confronted with the power of Kamui.

White fang… If we were truly enemies, he would be a terrifying opponent.'

Obito thought to himself.

Not only had he failed to land a single successful attack, but he had nearly exposed the secret of his Kamui technique. The only thing Sakumo and the others hadn't figured out yet was its exact duration.

A deep cut now ran across his Uzumaki mask—if he hadn't phased out in time, his face would have been revealed.

"Senior white fang, I believe if we had just a few more exchanges, we could have finished him off. Let me act as bait next time."

The Anbu captain spoke with determination. It had been so close—just a little more, and the intruder would have been eliminated.

"Yes, we'll get another chance."

Hatake Sakumo nodded.

"His technique is troublesome, but it has clear weaknesses. As long as we coordinate properly, we can take him down."

Though he spoke with confidence, deep down, he knew that his Wind Style Chakra Slash from earlier had been his fastest, most unpredictable move. 

Now that the enemy was on guard, landing another decisive attack would be even more difficult.

"As expected of Konoha's White Fang…" Obito murmured.

"It seems you've spent years as a mere guardian ninja."

Boom!

Before Obito could finish his sentence, a thunderbolt suddenly struck the spot where he had just been standing.

Both the Anbu captain and Hatake Sakumo immediately moved into defensive stances, preparing for the next strike.

Crackle…

The air hummed with residual lightning.

A flash of lightning streaked across the sky before instantly transforming into a human figure.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Hatake Sakumo's eyes widened in surprise.

"Your Excellency?"

The person who had arrived was none other than Kain.

After his failed attempt to capture or kill Uchiha Obito, Kain simply smirked and offered a rare compliment.

"That's quite the technique you have."

"I clearly reversed the magnetic field in this area, yet it still didn't work. When I reversed the field right where you were standing, it left behind a void instead of disrupting your presence. That's impressive."

"But honestly, it's wasted on you."

Hearing this, Uchiha Obito's expression darkened beneath his Uzumaki mask.

"The so-called 'Publicity Minister' of the Land of Fire…"

"It seems everyone has been deceived."

"Such a powerful Lightning Style user hiding in plain sight…"

His confidence had been shaken—one unexpected obstacle after another had disrupted his plans.

'Damn it! At this rate, executing the plan will be impossible!'

Frustration burned within Obito as he clenched his fists. Still, he forced himself to remain composed and spoke coldly:

"Don't get too comfortable."

"We will claim the Nine Tails, and you won't be able to protect her forever."

With that, Obito activated Kamui, beginning to phase into his personal dimension.

But at that exact moment, Kain casually raised a finger and fired a bolt of lightning.

The streak of electricity brushed past Obito just as he vanished, striking the trees behind him with a deafening crack.

Kain exhaled lightly.

"Tsk… missed."

Then, turning toward Hatake Sakumo and the Anbu, he flashed a polite smile.

"Apologies for the disturbance, Sakumo-kun. I'll visit again in a couple of days."

Before anyone could respond, Kain disapparated, vanishing into thin air.

He could sense it—Kushina had finished labor. His son was born.

…

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