132. A Cloud!

The Silver-Winged Terror, the Sky Comet Dragon, soared majestically through the upper atmosphere, weaving between thick cloud formations and punching massive holes through the white cumulus masses with its incredible velocity.

"Huff... huff..."

Shihouin Naraku stood firmly on the dragon's back, breathing heavily as he recovered from the initial shock. It took several minutes before his breathing finally returned to normal.

The speed of the Sky Comet Dragon was absolutely phenomenal. It had broken the sound barrier the instant it launched from the ground. This outrageous acceleration had nearly overwhelmed even Shihouin Naraku's enhanced reflexes.

In other words, his physical conditioning had improved dramatically over recent months. If this had been anyone else, even if they could somehow manage to stand securely on the dragon's back, they would have died from the terrifying G-forces alone.

There was no need to question just how powerful the Sky Comet Dragon truly was. This was precisely why ordinary people could never hope to tame such a magnificent creature.

Standing on the dragon's broad back, Shihouin Naraku gazed upon scenery he had never witnessed before in his entire life.

The world below the clouds and the environment above them were completely different realms.

What met his eyes was an endless expanse of brilliant azure sky that looked extraordinarily beautiful and spectacular. Naraku took a deep breath and could clearly feel the incredible purity and freshness of the air at this altitude.

However, the stratosphere was a complete forbidden zone for ordinary ninja.

Beyond the extremely intense sunlight with no shelter whatsoever, the temperature of more than fifty degrees below zero was far too harsh for any normal person to endure. Additionally, powerful winds swept through periodically, threatening to knock Shihouin Naraku from his perch.

So while this high altitude appeared beautiful and awe-inspiring, it was actually filled with deadly dangers at every turn.

"It's absolutely magnificent!"

Shihouin Naraku exhaled a visible breath of white vapor, his enhanced physique and protective chakra shielding his body from the extreme cold and fierce winds.

"Alright, let's descend now."

The moment he finished speaking, the Sky Comet Dragon turned its massive head and dove gracefully beneath the cloud layer.

After returning to the more familiar airspace below the clouds, Naraku could see the recognizable landscape of the earth spread out beneath them once again.

"No matter how many times I see it, this view never gets old."

Suddenly, an adventurous idea flashed through Naraku's mind.

In the next second, he leaped directly off the Sky Comet Dragon's back and began falling rapidly through the open air.

The rushing wind made Naraku's clothes flutter wildly while his long hair became thoroughly disheveled. At the same time, his falling speed continued to increase with each passing moment.

"ROAAAAR!"

The Sky Comet Dragon easily reduced its speed and followed Naraku's descent, letting out a concerned growl.

"It's fine! Just keep your distance for now."

Shihouin Naraku shouted over the wind, and the Sky Comet Dragon immediately obeyed his command and moved away, though it remained ready to respond at a moment's notice.

"Hahaha... this feeling is incredible!"

"WHOOSH!"

As he drew closer and closer to the ground below, Naraku activated his Flight Technique and shot forward through the air like a rocket.

"Let's head in that direction and see who's faster!"

Naraku was in an unusually playful mood and pointed toward a distant mountain range, signaling his challenge to the Sky Comet Dragon.

"ROAAAAR!"

"Excellent! Let's race!"

The chakra within Shihouin Naraku's body flowed rapidly throughout his system, and his aerial speed increased dramatically as he shot forward through the sky.

The Sky Comet Dragon's draconic energy erupted in response, and it instantly followed in pursuit.

Although Naraku genuinely wanted to compete with the Sky Comet Dragon to determine who possessed superior speed, no matter how much he pushed his physical strength and chakra to their absolute limits, he couldn't manage to outpace his draconic companion.

After racing through the air for a brief period, Shihouin Naraku reluctantly admitted defeat and gave up the competition.

The speed difference between them was simply too vast!

Naraku was pushing himself to near exhaustion, but he could still see the Sky Comet Dragon following him with what appeared to be casual ease.

An Unexpected Discovery

Naraku climbed back onto the Sky Comet Dragon's back, allowing it to fly freely through the heavens. After enjoying the aerial freedom for some time, he was preparing to order a return to the border of the Land of Lightning.

But when he happened to glance down at the terrain below, he was surprised to discover that their racing had brought them all the way to the Land of Grass!

Directly beneath them, the Konoha forces led by Jiraiya were engaged in intense combat with Iwagakure ninja commanded by Kitsuchi!

Of course, while it appeared to be fierce fighting, it was actually just skirmishes between small unit forces, competing for control of strategically minor positions.

Both Jiraiya and Kitsuchi were extremely cautious front-line commanders. Having experienced the horrors of previous wars, they possessed valuable experience and wouldn't be easily deceived by enemy tactics.

Moreover, without a perfect opportunity and complete confidence in success, they typically avoided taking major risks - unlike Shihouin Naraku, who had used the Cloud ninja's surprise attack to devastating effect against their entire army.

So on this particular battlefield, although the fighting remained fierce and casualties were constant, actual deaths were relatively few and territorial gains by either side were minimal.

Essentially, one side would eliminate two enemy ninja today, while the other would steal supplies tomorrow. Although this style of warfare produced very limited immediate results, accumulated over extended periods it could create significant advantages.

However, success in this approach depended entirely on the relative abilities of the commanding officers on both sides.

Naraku and the Sky Comet Dragon hovered high above the clouds, observing the battle below for several minutes before turning to depart.

On the ground, Jiraiya emerged from his command tent and looked up toward the sky, catching sight of what appeared to be a meteor wrapped in red light streaking across the heavens.

"A comet? That's rather unusual. I didn't expect to see a comet during daylight hours."

"And a red one at that?"

It wasn't until the crimson comet disappeared into the distant sea of clouds that Jiraiya lowered his gaze and returned his attention to various strategic concerns of the ongoing war.

"I wonder how Naraku is managing his campaign. It's his first time serving as supreme commander, so he lacks practical experience."

"But with Shikaku's assistance, there shouldn't be any major problems. Besides, Naraku's individual strength has long since surpassed my own. Even if the war doesn't proceed smoothly, there's no possibility of a catastrophic defeat."

"Well, I should focus on figuring out how to outmaneuver Kitsuchi. That man gives me such a headache."

Jiraiya turned and walked back into his command center.

Return to Konoha

High in the stratosphere, the Sky Comet Dragon unleashed its tremendous speed, flying in the direction indicated by Shihouin Naraku.

Originally, Naraku had planned to return directly to the border of the Land of Lightning. Although the Raikage couldn't reach the front lines immediately, there were still numerous matters requiring his personal decision and attention.

But since he was already traveling, why not make a quick detour to check on Konohagakure?

With the Sky Comet Dragon's incredible velocity, the round trip wouldn't take very long and wouldn't interfere with his other responsibilities.

The decision was made!

It took the Sky Comet Dragon less than five minutes to fly from the Land of Grass back to Konoha Village!

Shihouin Naraku looked down at the familiar sight of his home village. Everything appeared normal and peaceful. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary...

Wait.

Just when Naraku was about to conclude that Konoha Village was enjoying a period of tranquility, a scene of active ninjutsu combat appeared in his field of vision.

"Who would dare come to Konoha Village to cause trouble?"

"Orochimaru definitely wouldn't risk returning anytime soon, not unless he has a death wish."

"That leaves the Akatsuki, but the timing seems wrong. Oh wait, it must be Uchiha Itachi. I almost forgot about him."

Naraku had originally assumed that after their previous battle, Uchiha Itachi would never dare return to Konoha Village, considering how dangerous it would be with Naraku's presence.

Who could have predicted that Itachi would actually come back?

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

"The bonds between brothers really are something special. That guy Uchiha Itachi truly cares deeply about Sasuke."

Just at that moment, a large white cloud drifted nearby, and Shihouin Naraku, who preferred not to be detected, immediately directed the Sky Comet Dragon to hide within the cloud formation.

Using his chakra to maintain the cloud's cohesion, they gradually approached the location where the battle was taking place within Konoha Village.

And so...

No one noticed that a seemingly ordinary cloud was stealthily approaching Konohagakure.

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