Chapter 30: Arima vs. Brothers (1)

Arima watched as the two figures charged toward him with fierce momentum. A faint smile curled on his lips. 

"I like the look in your eyes, savage, yet powerless."

He raised his hand and threw several kunai embedded with the Flying Thunder God technique, flinging them directly at the oncoming brothers.

Seeing Arima hurl weapons at him, Kinkaku sneered. 

"The shinobi world today sure is full of overconfident fools. You think tossing these little toys will faze us?"

With their hardened bodies and immense defenses, the brothers didn't even bother to dodge. 

The kunai struck them head-on, but it was like throwing metal at steel, they simply ricocheted off.

But the moment the kunai were deflected, Arima vanished from their sight, reappearing behind them in the blink of an eye, as if space itself had warped.

Kinkaku and Ginkaku immediately realized something was off about those kunai. 

They could only react instinctively, scrambling to dodge Arima's sudden strike. 

But rushed movements left gaps in their defenses, gaps that, to Arima, glowed like fire in the night.

Arima reached out with both hands and tapped the back of their necks, gliding past them in a smooth, fluid motion.

Despite the blow, the brothers, experts in the Lightning Release Chakra Mode had little concern. 

Their bodies, enhanced by the power of the Nine-Tails' chakra, were incredibly resilient and capable of rapid recovery. 

A hit like that to the back of the neck? Nothing to worry about.

Kinkaku burst out laughing. Just moments ago, he'd been impressed by Arima's teleportation, even worried they might lose the advantage. Now, he scoffed at the idea.

Ginkaku joined in mockingly. 

"That's it? That attack wouldn't even scare a genin. You're still just a kid. What, still nursing? 

Should we bring you back to Kumogakure and find a bitch to feed you so you don't starve?"

Hearing his brother's crude words, Kinkaku slapped him on the back, nearly doubling over with laughter.

Arima's expression darkened. Normally calm and composed, he couldn't help but frown deeply at the insult. He loathed how Ginkaku had dragged his mother into it with such vulgarity.

Staring coldly at the two, Arima said, "Once stained with sin, it cannot be cleansed. So go with some dignity. I'll light candles in your honor... and thank you for your contribution."

The arrogant brothers, already used to being treated like royalty in their village, were enraged by the mockery.

Kinkaku grit his teeth. 

"Enough talk. Ginkaku, finish this quickly. The Second Raikage doesn't know we snuck out. If we take too long, that old man will give us hell when we get back."

Ginkaku nodded. 

"Couldn't agree more. I can't wait to rip off this brat's head and hang it up like a lantern."

Empowered by both the Lightning Release Chakra Mode and the Nine-Tails' chakra, their speed skyrocketed. In a flash, they closed the gap between them and Arima.

They were trained in taijutsu, using their fists, feet, knees, and elbows as lethal weapons. 

Kinkaku launched a brutal kick aimed straight at Arima's head. Had it landed, it would've knocked him out cold. But it was a feint. 

His real goal was to make contact with the Kokinjo, the Golden Canopy Rope, wrapped around his left hand.

To Kinkaku, the best way to deal with tough enemies was with their Six Paths ninja tools, sealing opponents inside the Crimson Gourd or the Amber Purification Jar. 

This strategy had worked wonders on the battlefield before.

Meanwhile, Ginkaku took advantage of the distraction, drawing the Seven Stars Sword to cut off Arima's speech the moment he uttered any word they could use against him.

But Arima had been paying attention to those strange tools from the start. He had intel, painfully gathered by comrades at the frontlines, and knew these weapons weren't to be taken lightly.

So the moment they made their move, Arima activated the Flying Thunder God and vanished again, easily dodging both attacks.

The brothers were left dumbfounded by Arima's sheer speed. They had no immediate counter for such elusive movement.

Compared to ordinary Body Flicker Techniques, Arima's movement was on another level, even they couldn't keep up.

They were reminded of the battle between the Second Raikage and Konoha's Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. 

According to intel from the Raikage, Tobirama had used the same kind of movement, it was like dealing with a ghost.

That technique was believed to be a type of space-time summoning jutsu. Unless they could sever the user's connection to the markings, it was impossible to disrupt.

Now, even the brash brothers felt troubled. They preferred head-on combat, not this game of tag.

Kinkaku said, "Either we destroy every one of those kunai or force him into a situation where he has no room to dodge."

He pulled out the Bashosen, the Banana Palm Fan, and began channeling chakra into it. This time, he'd strike in a way Arima couldn't avoid.

Arima, well aware of the fan's power, tensed up. He couldn't afford any mistake.

Kinkaku grinned wickedly. 

"Sure, you're fast. But how do you plan to protect your comrades? I can't stand that fake noble crap you Konoha ninja always pull, sacrificing yourselves for others."

Without giving Arima time to retort, he swung the fan with full force toward the retreating Konoha forces at the base of the mountain.

Five elemental attacks erupted at once. Wind fueled fire, fire scorched earth, water led lightning... a devastating storm of chakra hurtled toward the retreating troops.

Arima recognized the scale of the assault instantly, it was easily as powerful as an S-rank forbidden technique. And it was headed straight for his comrades.

Without hesitation, he used the Flying Thunder God to reappear in front of the retreating team. 

To block the attack's shockwave from collapsing the mountains and burying them alive, he bit his thumb, formed the hand seals and slammed his palm to the ground.

"Summoning Jutsu: Five-Layer Rashomon."

Five towering demonic-faced gates rose in rapid succession, forming an unbreakable wall before the onslaught.

This version of Rashomon had been passed down to Arima from Hashirama. 

The gates were immensely durable, this was the first time he had ever used all five in direct combat.

The elemental barrage collided with the gates and veered off course, redirected toward an uninhabited area.

The redirected blast exploded on a nearby mountain with a deafening roar, shaking the ground beneath their feet.

The watching Konoha shinobi broke out in cold sweat. Had that attack landed... they'd all be dead, their bodies obliterated.

Seeing his full-power attack neutralized, Kinkaku scowled. "We'll have to use that move."

Arima was just beginning to breathe easier when he felt a massive surge of chakra gathering atop the mountain, twice the amount Kinkaku had used earlier.

Arima's expression darkened. 

"Looks like the brothers are finally teaming up for real. But that kind of chakra... I've felt it before."

The memory hit him.

Years ago, he'd stood before a massive fox, feeling the same suffocating pressure.

He'd asked Mito, "Grandma, that big fox just looks big. Isn't it just like any other summoning beast?"

Mito had gently reprimanded him. 

"Arima, you must never underestimate that power. If you ever see a dense, purple-black ball of chakra, run. 

That's a Tailed Beast Bomb, the most dangerous technique a Tailed Beast can use."

She'd explained further.

"They compress massive chakra inside their mouths in a perfect ratio and release it in an instant. The explosion that follows... is beyond S-rank."

Now, to his dismay, the brothers had done exactly that, summoning a purple-black Tailed Beast Bomb.

Though the technique required coordination and time, giving Arima a slim window to react, the situation was still dire.

If he were alone, evasion would be simple. His Flying Thunder God could take him far beyond the bomb's blast radius. But with his comrades here...

As the dust settled, the destroyed valley lay in ruins. The Konoha forces looked up and saw the brothers standing high on the mountain, the dark chakra orb swirling between them.

The very sight made their skin crawl. Their bodies, honed by years of life or death combat, instinctively knew they were facing death.

Panic.. Despair…. Confusion…. All rippled through the ranks.

But Arima would not let that fear take root.

He barked orders to the squad leaders. 

"Evacuate, now. I'll stop the bomb myself."

He smiled with confidence, signaling for everyone to go.

His composure stirred courage in the others. Shame replaced fear. Some young shinobi even stepped forward, ready to die with him.

Arima shook his head. 

"I can redirect it. But the explosion's shockwave could still hit you. Don't worry... once I'm done, I'll regroup with you."

Finally, the troops began to retreat. Supplies were abandoned, they fled fast.

With his comrades gone, Arima finally relaxed.

"They were holding me back," he thought. "Good thing the brothers aren't skilled at forming the bomb. That gives me time."

He pressed his hands together and grew utterly still. After a few steady breaths, a mysterious mask appeared on his face.

Staring down the forming Tailed Beast Bomb, he whispered to himself.

"First time using this technique on one of these. Let's see if you can keep up."

"Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder!"