Chapter 62

Uchiha Shin didn't care who was on the right side. He was here as an individual, nothing more.

Seeing that Shin and Uchiha Toyama didn't share a good relationship, the others felt relieved. If Shin had sided with Toyama, his growing reputation would have made him a formidable presence. As the head commander, Hatake Sakumo was relieved that the heated debate on the field had temporarily ceased. After shooting Shin a friendly look, he stepped forward to ease the situation.

"Alright, enough! Uchiha Shin just arrived. Let's not make the atmosphere any more tense than it already is," Sakumo commanded.

The moment he spoke, the Hyuga, Akimichi, Nara, and other prominent Konoha clans fell silent. The tension lifted slightly.

Sakumo observed Shin closely. Unlike other Uchiha, who often carried an air of arrogance, Shin did not seem to have that sense of superiority. Most Uchiha acted as though they walked above the world, expecting others to acknowledge them as the best. But Shin was different. His demeanor was calm, composed, and far too mature for someone his age.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Sakumo explained the current state of the war to Shin. The frontline battle was as dire as he had seen before. The introduction of new clay puppets had shifted Konoha from an even footing to a disadvantage.

"These clay puppets have only appeared in the last three months," Sakumo began. "We managed to capture one, and its internal structure is bizarre. There's a chakra core inside, which grants it regenerative abilities and near-limitless durability.

Even low-ranking Sand shinobi, after learning to control chakra threads, can easily manipulate these things on the battlefield."

He gestured toward the deconstructed puppet on the wooden table, speaking gravely.

"Compared to this, even Chiyo's poison isn't as much of a threat," he admitted. "Worse yet, the number of these puppets is increasing rapidly. Almost all traditional puppets have been replaced by these new models."

Shin examined the inner workings of the puppet, his sharp eyes scanning its components.

"With this level of consistency, they must be mass-produced," he concluded. "There has to be a production facility somewhere. Destroying it would cripple their offense."

Hearing Shin pinpoint the root of the issue so quickly, Sakumo nodded approvingly.

"We've considered that approach as well," Sakumo said. "But we lack intel on where the production site is. We need someone with both advanced sensory abilities and the strength to destroy it once located."

Shin chuckled.

"So that's why the old man had me summoned," he said, referring to the Third Hokage.

Sakumo dropped the act and spoke plainly. "That's right. This mission is incredibly difficult, but if you succeed, the victory will be yours."

He spoke seriously, watching Shin closely for a reaction. But Shin merely smirked, relaxed as ever.

"I trust you, Commander Hatake," Shin replied. "I'll take the mission. What's the deadline?"

"Five days," Sakumo said, his tone grim. "That's the maximum our forces can hold out before we're forced to retreat into the Land of Fire."

Shin narrowed his eyes slightly. Sakumo was likely exaggerating. In reality, the front line would probably collapse in three or four days if the enemy deployed more puppets.

"Time is tight," Shin admitted. "I'll buy you a little more."

With that, he turned and walked out of the command tent.

Stepping onto a nearby hillside, he gazed at the battlefield below. The dragon tattoo on his back seemed to writhe and shift, absorbing the natural energy in the air. A second later, Shin's eyes turned golden, radiating power.

"Sage Art: Tempest Summoning!"

A surge of senjutsu chakra flooded the battlefield, causing the skies to darken unnaturally. Thick storm clouds formed overhead, and an oppressive silence fell upon the warring forces.

"What's happening!?"

Tension spread among both Konoha and Sand forces as they looked up in confusion. But those who had fought alongside Shin before recognized the signs—and some paled in realization.

"It's him! It's Uchiha Shin's lightning technique!"

"Damn it, I should have noticed sooner!"

Their voices were drowned out by the first crack of thunder.

Shin's golden eyes swept across the battlefield, memorizing every detail: the positions of Sand shinobi, Konoha forces, and every last puppet.

"Now then… let everything turn to dust."

He lifted a single hand. Lightning flickered around his palm before launching into the storm.

"Sage Art: Divine Thunder Kirin!"

An earth-shaking explosion of lightning tore through the heavens. The entire battlefield trembled as gigantic Kirin-shaped bolts of lightning descended like meteorites.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sheer impact of the strikes devastated the landscape.

Colossal Kirins, formed entirely of lightning, rampaged through enemy lines, reducing thousands of Sand shinobi and their puppets to charred remains in mere seconds. The ground was left blackened and smoking in their wake.

Despite the chaos, the massive creatures moved with precision, leaving Konoha shinobi unharmed. Underneath the crashing thunder, something even more sinister spread—black flames, silent and consuming. The bodies of Sand shinobi burned to nothingness, the Amaterasu flames hidden beneath the chaos of the storm.

Minutes passed before the destruction settled.

Standing at the top of the hill, Shin exhaled slowly.

"If not for Sage Mode, this technique would've drained me completely," he muttered.

The original Kirin technique drew upon natural lightning, but this version—the evolved "Sage Thunder Release: Kirin"—was fueled by his own chakra. Even a seasoned Kage would struggle to match his raw reserves right now.

Still, he recovered quickly. Even without his additional abilities, his chakra would return to full strength in minutes.

With the black flames fading and his energy stabilizing, Shin turned back toward the Konoha camp.

The stunned shinobi, still reeling from the sight of absolute devastation, watched him approach in silence. Sakumo, perhaps the only one who maintained his composure, met his gaze.

"Commander Hatake," Shin said, his expression calm. "Does that extend our mission time to seven days?"

Sakumo blinked, then let out a short breath of laughter.

"…Yeah. Seven days it is."

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Bonus Chapter - 150 Power Stones