The sudden collapse of the Mist's command structure following Yagura's death was a textbook study in the village's brutal "survival of the fittest" culture.
For Hyuga Shinichi, the Mist was no longer a threat.
Their internal rot and the tradition of Gekokujō (the low overcoming the high) meant they would be far too busy fighting over the vacuum of power and the Seven Ninja Swords to worry about him.
He estimated it would take the Mist years to consolidate enough strength to act as a Great Nation again. However, the group currently making landfall on the shores of the Land of Waves was a different matter entirely.
Unlike the fractured Mist, these newcomers were a single, high-speed projectile of raw power and unyielding willpower.
The Cloud's Elite Strike
The Cloud (Kumogakure) vessel hit the shore with military precision. Leading them was the Fourth Raikage, A, a man whose chakra reserves were legendary and whose mastery of Lightning Style Nintaijutsu was feared across the globe.
A had not brought a sprawling army. Knowing the Byakugan's sensory range, he had opted for a ten-man surgical strike team. Along with himself and his brother, Killer Bee, the team included:
Samui: A blonde, cool-headed Jōnin. While her combat prowess was standard, she was a rare sensory specialist and a brilliant tactical mind—the Raikage's right hand in administrative and strategic affairs.
Yugito Nii: The Two-Tails Jinchūriki. Though young, she had achieved a high degree of control over Matatabi under Bee's mentorship. Her agility and partial Tailed Beast transformation made her an apex combatant.
Seven Elite Jōnin: The finest warriors Kumogakure had to offer.
An army of one Kage, two Jinchūriki, and seven elites. This was a force capable of toppling a small nation or crippling Konoha in a surprise raid.
A was certain that no one in the ninja world could protect the Byakugan from his lightning-fast assault.
As soon as they landed, they moved. They didn't need rest; the lingering scent of Tailed Beast chakra from the earlier battle acted as a flare, guiding them through the forest with terrifying speed.
The Meeting of Titans
Through the Tenseigan, Shinichi watched the Cloud team's relentless approach.
These guys are different, Shinichi thought. The Cloud ninjas were "muscle-brained" combatants.
If he killed A, the village wouldn't fracture like the Mist; they would ignite a total, suicidal war against Konoha. Furthermore, A and Bee were among the few ninjas in existence with reflexes fast enough to react to the Flying Thunder God.
"They're coming fast," Shinichi muttered, his voice low.
Kakashi, who had just begun to relax, snapped back into a combat stance. "More enemies? Who?"
"Cloud," Shinichi replied. "Kakashi, protect the kids. If a fight breaks out, get them out of here immediately. This time... I might not be able to look out for you."
Kakashi was stunned. Mist, then Cloud? Is the Third Great War starting all over again? Before he could speak, the air hummed with several sharp sonic booms. Blue and yellow blurs flickered through the trees, and suddenly, A and his team were standing before them.
A's gaze swept over the field. He ignored Kakashi—though he recognized the "Copy Ninja"—and lingered only a second on Hinata's Byakugan. Finally, his eyes locked onto Shinichi.
Shinichi stood relaxed, his posture open, looking down at the Raikage with an air of clinical assessment.
Who is this kid? A wondered. He knew of Kakashi, but this young man radiated a presence that felt... heavy. Without a word, A decided to test the waters.
"Shuuu!!!"
A moved with a speed that Kakashi's Sharingan could only track as a blurred afterimage. This was just A's base speed.
"Shinichi, watch out!!" Kakashi yelled.
It was an unnecessary warning. To the Tenseigan, A was moving in slow motion. As the Raikage's fist lunged toward his face, the air pressure tightening against his skin, Shinichi simply raised his left hand.
Thud.
Shinichi caught A's punch in his palm. The impact, which should have shattered a stone pillar, didn't even make Shinichi flinch. A froze, his momentum killed instantly. Shinichi's expression remained bored.
Shinichi gripped A's fist, yanked him downward, and threw a counter-punch toward the Raikage's jaw.
Zzzzt—!
The Lightning Style Armor flared to life instantly. Seeing the incoming fist, A's instincts screamed in terror. He didn't think; he immediately pushed his armor and body activation to the Second Stage.
BOOM!!!
Shinichi's fist connected with A's face just as the lightning peaked. The sheer force blasted the Raikage backward, turning him into a streak of deep blue light that plowed into the ground hundreds of meters away.
The Aura of the Sage
The Cloud ninjas stood paralyzed. Their Raikage—the invincible, fastest man alive—had been parried and punched away like a child.
Killer Bee didn't hesitate. He didn't go to his brother's aid; he knew A was durable. Instead, he lunged at Shinichi, entering his Version 1 Tailed Beast Cloak immediately.
Bee, be careful... this brat has the aura of the Old Man on him... The Eight-Tails, Gyūki, spoke inside Bee's mental world, its voice trembling with a hint of recognition.
The Old Man's aura? What's that? Bee didn't stop. He reached for the seven blades on his back, tossing them into the air. He caught one and slashed at Shinichi's neck. Shinichi leaned back, the blade whistling past his throat.
Bee's movement was a whirlwind—he caught the remaining blades with his mouth, armpits, and leg joints, entering his signature Acrobat style.
He began to spin, a chaotic sphere of steel and red chakra shredding everything in his path.
Shinichi's Tenseigan tracked every blade, but even he found the erratic "multi-hand" style troublesome to block perfectly with just two arms.
He hopped back, dodging the blades while keeping an eye on A, who was climbing out of a crater with a swollen jaw.
The Lightning Armor's defense is only at that level? Shinichi mused. Not worth copying.
He stopped his retreat. Without warning, a Truth-Seeking Orb shot toward the spinning Bee. Bee's first instinct was to parry it with his swords.
BEE, DODGE! THAT'S A TRUTH-SEEKING ORB!!! Gyūki roared.
The warning was a split-second too late. The orb shattered the two steel blades Bee used to block and punched a hole straight through his left shoulder.
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