"Jinchūriki?"
"I can't be certain, but the probability is very high."
That made things troublesome.
The participation of a jinchūriki meant that the level of combat would escalate by an entire tier.
The power of a Tailed Beast was not something an ordinary shinobi could contend with. Even partial transformation into a tailed-beast state was enough to shift the entire balance of a battlefield.
"Can you tell which Tailed Beast it is?"
One of the shinobi asked.
Hyūga Hiashi shook his head.
"It's too far away. The chakra signature isn't clear enough yet. But if it's Kumogakure's jinchūriki, then it can only be the Two-Tails or the Eight-Tails."
"It seems the Fourth Raikage has indeed arrived. Otherwise, it would be impossible to mobilize two jinchūriki at the same time."
Orochimaru gave a slight nod.
"Should we change the plan?"
Hiashi asked.
"If there truly is a jinchūriki, our ambush may not proceed so smoothly."
"No."
Orochimaru shook his head.
"They're already here."
......
Meanwhile—
"It looks like the fighting has started."
The tomoe within Kiyohara's Sharingan slowly rotated.
The distant scene gradually became clearer and clearer in his vision.
A fully matured three-tomoe Sharingan could perceive even microscopic particles drifting in the air. Though Kiyohara was currently using only a two-tomoe Sharingan, it still allowed him to see extraordinarily far.
"How come I can't see anything?"
Kakashi froze for a moment.
Why hadn't his Sharingan detected that battle had already broken out ahead?
"Perhaps it's because I had the Uchiha bloodline,"
Kiyohara replied casually, offering a convenient explanation.
Upon hearing that, Kakashi inwardly felt it made perfect sense.
After all, he had merely inherited Obito's eye—an external transplant. How could that compare to Kiyohara, whose veins flowed with genuine Uchiha blood?
"Should we head over?"
Kakashi asked.
"Not yet."
Kiyohara shook his head.
There were still Kumogakure forces at a distance. They needed to wait until the enemy's reinforcement unit had also entered the gorge—only then would it be the optimal moment for them to descend and launch their own ambush.
Taking advantage of the time, Kiyohara observed the Cloud shinobi through his Sharingan, carefully studying their swordsmanship and ninjutsu.
"Cloud-style kenjutsu…"
He focused on one Cloud jōnin whose shinobi blade sliced through the air, releasing a crackling arc of lightning that streaked forward into the distance.
Kiyohara estimated that this was one of Kumogakure's distinctive combat traits.
Just as Uchiha-style kenjutsu often infused blades with Fire Release chakra like Shisui's techniques—Kumogakure seemed to favor Lightning Release augmentation.
However, what Kiyohara truly cared about was, naturally… the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
His own technique, "Lightning Release: Lightning Step," could already be considered a form of leg enhancement. But it was incomplete.
"We can move in to support now,"
Kiyohara said to Kurenai and the others once he confirmed that Kumogakure's reinforcements had entered the gorge.
The group darted swiftly through the snow.
Before long, Kiyohara led them to a closer vantage point.
"So many people…"
Kurenai murmured as she looked ahead.
On the eastern side of the valley, a sudden cloud of smoke erupted, followed by a series of continuous explosions. Almost simultaneously, flashes of fire ignited along the western side.
"Three of them are heading in our direction,"
Kiyohara said, his right hand resting on the hilt of the shinobi blade at his waist.
At some point, his Sharingan had already activated, the two tomoe rotating steadily.
He could see three Cloud special jōnin sprinting rapidly toward the ridge—likely having detected their observation point and intending to eliminate the threat.
"Understood."
The two girls nodded in unison. Kurenai began forming hand seals, while Rin retrieved kunai and shuriken from her shinobi pouch.
Kakashi also drew a kunai.
The three Cloud shinobi quickly closed the distance. The leader was a burly man with a thick, fleshy face. Upon spotting Kiyohara and the others, he grinned broadly.
"So it really is Konoha rats. Just three brats daring to spy on us—"
His words abruptly stopped. His pupils contracted sharply.
Kiyohara had taken a single step forward—and in that instant, his entire body shot toward them like an arrow released from a bowstring.
A deep footprint cratered the snow beneath him. The snowflakes he had kicked up were still drifting in midair when he was already in front of the burly man.
His shinobi blade traced a sharp arc through the air.
Too fast.
The man didn't even have time to draw his weapon. He could only instinctively lean backward, the blade grazing past the tip of his nose, the pressure of its wind slicing painfully across his cheeks.
But before he could even feel relief, Kiyohara's left palm had already pressed against his chest.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
Wind-nature chakra exploded outward.
The burly man was struck as if smashed by a massive hammer. His body flew backward violently, crashing through two dead trees before finally coming to a halt. His ribcage was shattered—he died instantly.
The remaining two Cloud shinobi's expressions changed drastically. They immediately split apart and formed hand seals simultaneously.
"Lightning Release: Earthbound Lightning!"
"Lightning Release: Lightning Ball!"
Blue serpentine currents of electricity surged across the snow toward Kiyohara, while the other shinobi expelled a fist-sized sphere of lightning from his mouth, sealing off his lateral escape routes.
It was textbook coordination. Against an ordinary shinobi, this maneuver would likely have forced a fatal dilemma.
But Kiyohara merely watched calmly as the electric serpents closed in. At the very moment they were about to make contact, his body dissolved into scattered leaves.
The Leaf Body Flicker Technique!
When had he—?!
The two Cloud shinobi frantically searched for his figure.
In that fleeting instant of distraction, Kurenai completed her hand seals.
"Wind Release: Air Bullet!"
She inhaled deeply and expelled several semi-transparent spheres of wind from her mouth.
Within each sphere, razor-sharp wind blades rotated at high speed, slicing apart falling snowflakes as they hurtled toward the Cloud shinobi on the left.
For more than twenty days, Kurenai had been diligently training in Wind Release under Kiyohara's guidance. She had progressed from "Air Bullet" to the full "Air Projectile," and had also mastered techniques such as "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough."
The Cloud shinobi attempted to dodge, but the wind blades covered too wide an area. One of them slashed across his arm, instantly staining his sleeve red with blood.
Almost simultaneously, Rin hurled three shuriken, sealing off the retreat path of the shinobi on the right.
Her throwing technique was precise and solid. The three shuriken formed a triangular formation—no matter which direction he tried to evade, he would be struck.
Seeing this, the Cloud shinobi quickly formed hand seals and slammed his palms against the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A wall of earth surged upward with a rumble, blocking the shuriken.
Kiyohara seized the opportunity.
His palm darkened to a deep black as he clenched it into a fist.
Bang!
With a single punch, he shattered the earthen wall, revealing the stunned face of the Cloud shinobi behind it.
Was this even human?!
He destroyed my Earth Release with one punch?!
The Cloud shinobi's eyes widened in disbelief.
Has Konoha produced another monster like Tsunade?
Unfortunately for him, before he could fully process what had just happened, Kiyohara had already formed the hand seals for Fire Release and exhaled a massive surge of flame.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive fireball with a diameter exceeding four meters burst forth, roaring outward in a torrent of blazing heat. The intense flames instantly vaporized the surrounding snow, turning it into thick white steam that billowed violently into the air.
The fireball engulfed the shinobi who had been standing behind the earthen wall.
Thud.
The mud wall melted and collapsed under the scorching impact, revealing the charred corpse behind it, blackened and lifeless.
The last remaining Cloud shinobi completely lost the will to fight and immediately turned to flee.
But Kiyohara had no intention of giving him that chance.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Binding."
The mouth of the gourd at his waist opened, and black iron sand flowed out like a stream of liquid shadow. In midair it condensed into dozens of chains that shot forward in an instant, catching up to the fleeing shinobi and wrapping tightly around his limbs and neck.
"Ugh—!"
The iron sand chains constricted, dragging him violently to the ground. They tightened further and further, digging into flesh and crushing bone, until his eyes bulged grotesquely. Bound and strangled by the merciless chains, he died where he lay.
Clatter…
With a small motion of Kiyohara's hand, the iron sand retracted and flowed back into the gourd.
A closer look would reveal that the dust-like grains of iron sand now bore a darker sheen—he had secretly coated them with a layer of Steel Release, reinforcing them as insurance.
"Kiyohara, something seems wrong on Minato-sensei's side!"
Rin suddenly pointed toward the direction of the valley.
Kiyohara turned his head. Sure enough, the previously scattered Cloud shinobi were rapidly regrouping. At least twenty of them had surrounded Minato's position.
More troubling still, among them were four jōnin whose chakra fluctuations were noticeably stronger than the rest.
Elite jōnin.
"Prepare to provide support,"
Kiyohara said calmly.
"Kurenai, use genjutsu to create confusion. Rin, you're in charge of medical support. Kakashi and I will cut in from the front."
"Understood!"
Upon arriving, Kiyohara and Kurenai formed hand seals simultaneously.
"Kurenai, use Wind Release. I'll use Fire Release."
Kurenai nodded slightly and immediately unleashed her strongest Wind Release technique.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
She exhaled a violent gale that spiraled forward with tremendous force.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
Kiyohara followed with rapid seals, spewing forth blazing, raging flames from his mouth.
Wind fueled the fire, and fire borrowed the might of the wind. A colossal fireball more than five meters in diameter instantly formed, wrapped in countless razor-sharp wind blades, and surged toward the cluster of Cloud shinobi who were besieging Minato!
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
The Cloud jōnin reacted swiftly. Three of them formed seals at once.
A roaring wall of water erupted upward, attempting to withstand the combined assault.
BOOM!
The flaming vortex collided violently with the watery barrier. The wall of water was instantly vaporized into scalding steam.
The searing mist forced its way through gaps, blasting several Cloud chūnin in the rear ranks off their feet. Cries of agony echoed as they were thrown back.
Without hesitation, Kiyohara activated Magnet Release in tandem with Leaf Body Flicker Technique. With a single step, he crossed more than ten meters in a flash and slit the throats of two chūnin in the blink of an eye.
A Cloud special jōnin noticed that Kiyohara's back was momentarily exposed. A cruel gleam flashed in his eyes as lightning crackled along his kunai. He hurled it toward Kiyohara's spine.
At the very instant the kunai struck the flak jacket, Kiyohara seemed to grow eyes on the back of his head and abruptly turned.
A pair of scarlet eyes locked onto the attacker!
The two tomoe of the Sharingan rotated slowly.
"Sharingan… genjutsu!"
The attacker's movements froze instantly. His pupils dilated, his body no longer responding to his will.
Kiyohara had long anticipated that ambushes were inevitable on the battlefield and had specifically trained for such scenarios.
Looking at the man's vacant, stunned expression as he fell under the illusion, Kiyohara said calmly,
"You want to dance too?"
Before the words had fully fallen, his left hand had already slapped three explosive tags onto the man's chest. In the next instant, he kicked him hard in the abdomen, chakra flooding into the strike.
The special jōnin flew backward like a stone launched from a catapult, hurtling at terrifying speed straight into seven or eight Cloud shinobi who were gathering to unleash a combined technique.
"That's—"
"Careful! He's got explosive tags on him!"
BOOM!
A violent explosion erupted skyward, the shockwave carrying shattered rock and torn limbs in every direction.
This single strike not only obliterated the genjutsu-bound special jōnin, but left that entire Kumogakure squad dead or gravely wounded, their formation utterly shattered.
Kiyohara did not even spare a glance at the aftermath. With a flick of his wrist, his shinobi blade flashed and cut down another Cloud chūnin who had lunged at him from the side, splitting both man and weapon in two.
Hyūga Hiashi had just repelled a dense volley of shuriken with his Revolving Heaven when he caught sight of Kiyohara cutting through enemies as easily as slicing vegetables. His heart trembled.
'The Uchiha clan… has truly produced another extraordinary figure.'
A complicated emotion flickered across his mind—admiration for Kiyohara's talent and strength, mixed with an unspoken regret that among the Hyūga clan's younger generation, no one shone quite so brilliantly on the battlefield.
The main family had its share of gifted youth, but someone who radiated such overwhelming presence in war was rare.
At that very moment of distraction, several figures approached from the distance.
At their head stood a towering man with a mountain-like build, dark skin, and muscular arms exposed to the air. His entire body was wrapped in crackling blue lightning—none other than the Fourth Raikage, A!
Beside him stood Killer B, wearing sunglasses, muttering improvised rap lyrics under his breath, and also Yugito Nii, whom Kiyohara had met not long ago, her golden braid swaying gently in the wind.
"The Fourth Raikage and two Tailed Beast jinchūriki!"
A Konoha shinobi cried out in alarm.
"Yellow Flash. It's been a while since I've seen you."
The Fourth Raikage's deep voice rumbled as he fixed his gaze on Minato.
He and Killer B had clashed with Minato many times before.
"To think we were ambushed by you."
The Raikage frowned slightly.
This was the terror of the Byakugan.
Because Konoha possessed the Hyūga clan, they always seemed able to seize the initiative in intelligence.
"So you've become the Raikage…"
Minato looked at A thoughtfully.
The last time they fought, it had still been the Third Raikage leading Kumogakure. But the Third Raikage had since fallen in battle, overwhelmed by ten thousand Iwagakure shinobi.
"That's right. I am the Raikage now."
A clearly had no intention of reminiscing.
Blinding blue lightning enveloped his entire body. His hair stood on end from static electricity, and the snow beneath his feet instantly melted and vaporized.
In the next instant, the spot where he had been standing was reduced to a cracked crater of mud and snow, while he himself became a streak of blue light, charging straight at Orochimaru!
He knew Minato was troublesome and decided to eliminate Orochimaru first.
"Lariat!"
His lightning-wreathed elbow tore through the air, crashing toward Orochimaru's head with terrifying force!
The speed far exceeded the dynamic visual limits of ordinary jōnin.
Orochimaru's golden vertical pupils contracted sharply; he barely managed to tilt his head aside.
Bang!
A dull, thunderous impact resounded.
Orochimaru's upper body was struck as if by an iron hammer. He was sent flying, crashing through three massive boulders before finally embedding deeply into a fourth.
"Orochimaru-sama!"
Several Konoha shinobi cried out in shock.
Yet in the next second, the body embedded in the rock shriveled and grayed like a discarded snakeskin.
The real Orochimaru slithered wetly out from the mouth of that shed skin, landing unharmed upon the ground, his body slick with mucus.
He looked at the Fourth Raikage.
"What speed."
His experiments lacked precisely such a powerful physical vessel.
Almost at the same moment the Raikage attacked, Killer B moved as well.
He did not fully transform, but dark red Tailed Beast chakra cloaked his body like a mantle.
"Yo! Minato! Let the great me come rhyme and clash with you yeah!"
Killer B shouted flamboyantly, drawing multiple blades and wielding them in a dance-like rhythm.
Minato's figure flashed, and in the next instant a Rasengan formed in his hand, striking against Killer B's Tailed Beast chakra cloak.
Leaf and Cloud shinobi once again clashed in chaotic melee. The sounds of kunai colliding, ninjutsu exploding, and cries of pain filled the valley.
Kurenai and Kakashi fought alongside several Cloud shinobi.
Rin's hands glowed with pale blue chakra that extended into blade-like edges as she engaged an enemy.
Kiyohara first glanced toward Rin, confirming that the Tailed Beast was not about to erupt into full transformation. Then he turned his attention toward the Fourth Raikage battling Minato.
Within his eye sockets, the Sharingan spun like trembling crimson threads, rapidly capturing the flow of chakra.
'Lightning Release Chakra Mode…'
Got it.
The corners of Kiyohara's lips curled upward slightly.
The Sharingan could not copy bloodline limits or secret techniques.
But the Lightning Release Chakra Mode was clearly not included in that restriction.
While Kiyohara was secretly observing and learning, a blonde kunoichi suddenly rushed toward him, a short blade gripped tightly in her hand.
Bang!
Kiyohara's shinobi sword flicked upward, easily parrying Samui's short blade.
'Samui…'
The moment he saw her straight, shoulder-length pale blonde hair, he recognized her.
Even though she was currently a year younger than Kakashi, her figure was impossible to ignore.
More developed than some fully grown kunoichi.
Kiyohara could only conclude—she was exceptionally gifted.
"So you're the one who killed Toroi."
Samui withdrew her blade and slashed at Kiyohara again.
Kiyohara raised an eyebrow.
Her strength did not quite match the aggressive momentum she displayed.
He casually blocked with a single stroke, and the overwhelming force nearly knocked the short blade from her hand.
Just as Kiyohara was about to subdue and capture her, a sphere of chakra burning with blue flames hurtled toward him.
Shing!
Kiyohara swept out the iron sand at his waist, forming an Iron Sand Wall that intercepted the incoming fireball.
It was Yugito, the Two-Tails' jinchūriki.
Kiyohara frowned slightly.
Seizing the opportunity, Samui attempted to retreat and escape his immediate reach.
But Kiyohara moved faster.
His arm shot out, firmly wrapping around her tight, toned waist in one swift motion.
"What?!"
A flash of embarrassment and anger crossed Samui's blue eyes. She had never been forced into such close contact with an enemy in battle—especially a male enemy.
She could feel the strength in his arm and the unusual warmth radiating from his body.
'Minato and Orochimaru are locked in battle with the A and B Duo.'
Kiyohara cast a glance toward the distant melee of four figures clashing violently.
Kumogakure had a long-standing tradition.
Each Raikage must have a partner. Once a successor for the name "A" was chosen, he would seek another shinobi worthy of inheriting the name "B." That person would not only help maximize the Raikage's combat potential but also serve as his closest guard. Thus was born the famed A-B Duo.
According to official records, Minato had fought Killer B multiple times in this conflict, and they had come to acknowledge each other's strength.
That likely meant Minato's offensive output alone was insufficient to decisively defeat Killer B.
With the power of the Eight-Tails, Killer B was far more durable than Minato.
And Minato, in essence, only possessed Rasengan as a pure offensive finisher.
Unless he struck a vital point, it would be extremely difficult to kill Killer B while he was in Tailed Beast Chakra Mode.
'If not for the variable of the Two-Tails' jinchūriki, Minato and Orochimaru working together should be able to suppress the A-B Duo.'
Killer B's ability to tank damage did not mean he could seize the upper hand.
Being forced into a defensive, turtle-like state and taking hits was still a form of combat.
'In that case…'
In the blink of an eye, countless thoughts raced through Kiyohara's mind.
His torso darkened, turning pitch black.
The next instant—magnetism surged violently.
His long black hair began to flutter without wind, like dancing flames.
Under the combined effect of magnetic force and magnetic field manipulation, Kiyohara used Steel Release to coat the torso hidden beneath his clothing.
Then—
His feet slowly lifted off the ground.
Before the astonished eyes of everyone present—including the Fourth Raikage, Killer B, the Hyūga brothers, Yugito, Kakashi, Kurenai, Rin, and even the newly recoverd Orochimaru—Kiyohara rose into the air, carrying Samui with him.
"He… he's flying?!"
"That's… Magnet Release? He can actually fly using Magnet Release?!"
"Captain Kiyohara!"
Exclamations erupted across the battlefield.
The ability to fly was exceedingly rare in the shinobi world. Aside from specific summons or secret techniques, almost no one possessed it.
This single display completely shattered both sides' expectations.
Even Orochimaru had yet to master such a domain.
"Damn it, put Samui down!"
Seeing his valued disciple captured, Killer B grew visibly agitated.
Yugito, who had high hopes for Samui, was equally shocked and furious.
"B, focus on the enemy in front of you. I'll handle this."
Her Tailed Beast cloak surged violently, chakra tails increasing to two and a half as her speed skyrocketed. She forcefully repelled the Konoha shinobi entangling her and launched herself in pursuit of Kiyohara's retreating figure.
She knew Kiyohara intended to draw away combat power to relieve pressure on his side—but Samui could not be allowed to fall into enemy hands. And deep within her heart, her killing intent toward Kiyohara intensified further.
"Kiyohara!"
Kurenai and Rin cried out simultaneously, worry filling their beautiful eyes.
To lure away a powerful jinchūriki alone—this was far too dangerous!
Kakashi forced back a Cloud jōnin with an Earth Release technique, then looked up at the rapidly shrinking black speck in the sky. A trace of solemnity flickered through his Sharingan, yet he believed Kiyohara must have a plan.
Orochimaru tilted his head back to watch the sky, his long tongue sliding across his lips.
"Hehe… Not only has he developed Magnet Release to such a degree, he even has the courage to draw away a jinchūriki alone… Kiyohara-kun, you truly never fail to surprise me. This does reduce the pressure on this side considerably."
He resumed fighting alongside Minato.
Meanwhile, Hyūga Hiashi, who had been occupied clearing lesser enemies, finally gained the chance to move in for support.
…
High in the sky, the cold wind howled fiercely.
Samui quickly recovered from her initial shock.
She did not scream in panic. Instead, she immediately began struggling with all her strength.
Her elbow slammed toward Kiyohara's ribs.
Her knee drove upward toward his abdomen.
At the same time, she twisted her wrist, attempting to use her short blade to cut the arm wrapped around her waist.
But Kiyohara's arm did not budge in the slightest.
Her elbow strike and knee thrust landed with dull thuds—like striking solid steel. The recoil sent pain shooting back through her own limbs.
"Your body…"
Samui gritted her teeth, suspicion flashing through her eyes.
Suddenly, she lowered her head and bit down hard on Kiyohara's exposed forearm.
This time she used her full strength with chakra reinforcing her bite.
Clang!
A faint metallic sound rang out.
Her teeth went numb from the impact, nearly cracking, while only a fleeting dark sheen appeared on Kiyohara's skin before vanishing instantly.
Kiyohara glanced down at the Samui in his arms—her cheeks flushed from exertion, golden hair disheveled. He spoke calmly:
"Don't waste your effort."
He could cover any bitten area with Steel Release at will.
Shock surged through Samui's heart. What kind of technique was this?
The defensive power of his body was simply inconceivable.
Abandoning futile physical resistance, she instead began gathering chakra, preparing to unleash a powerful Lightning Release technique—even if it meant injuring herself in the process.
But Kiyohara seemed to read her thoughts. The arm around her waist tightened slightly, disrupting the flow of chakra she was attempting to condense.
At the same time, he flew deeper into the snow-covered mountains, heading toward a concealed cave far from the main battlefield.
Several minutes later, Kiyohara descended at the cave's entrance, dragging Samui inside.
The cave was not deep, but it sheltered from the wind. Dry grass and traces of wild animals were visible within.
He pressed Samui down onto a relatively flat stone and stood before her, looking down from above.
Her golden hair was disordered, a few strands clinging to her sweat-dampened forehead.
Beneath her white flak jacket, her full curves rose and fell rapidly with her breathing. Her blue eyes glared at him fiercely, her cold, beautiful face filled with defiance.
"How many of you came this time? Besides the Raikage, Killer B, and Yugito, who else constitutes your high-level combat force? What is the detailed plan of attack?"
Kiyohara got straight to the point.
He intended to interrogate her before Yugito could catch up.
Samui let out a cold snort, turned her head away, closed her eyes, and bit down hard on her tongue to avoid falling under genjutsu.
As a Cloud shinobi, she had undergone strict anti-interrogation training.
Kiyohara was not surprised.
Shinobi were stubborn.
But kunoichi… always had softer places somewhere.
Still, he wanted to see just how stubborn she truly was—whether she could endure his interrogation.
Pain was indeed one way to resist genjutsu.
But in front of the Sharingan, such resistance was unsightly at best.
"Kumogakure excels at Lightning Release. You should be very familiar with its sensation."
Kiyohara spoke slowly.
He reached out, forced her eyelids open with his fingers, and injected ocular power directly into her gaze.
Sharingan Genjutsu!
"Ugh—ah!"
Samui's body convulsed violently, a suppressed cry escaping her lips.
Genjutsu imposed an extremely realistic experience upon the victim.
If it simulated lightning striking her, her brain would be deceived into truly feeling the agony of electrocution.
The illusory lightning surged through her nerves. Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face as her muscles spasmed beyond her control.
The cave filled with the sound of her labored breathing and trembling.
(End of Chapter)