Whether the Cloud ninja were suffering or not, Nawaki didn't know.
But right now—
he was.
He sat on a rock, while beside him, Mushihime rested her chin in her hands, staring at Hyuga Akira without blinking.
Akira had his Byakugan active, watching the distance as he continuously threw kunai.
Each kunai turned into a fireball mid-flight, vanishing from sight—
but the scorched holes in distant rocks and trees clearly marked their paths.
"Damn it… missed again."
Akira muttered, already throwing the next one.
It looked like he was locked in a fierce battle.
Except—
over the past few days, Nawaki hadn't seen a single Cloud ninja.
Not one.
They were all killed—
before they even got close.
This kind of combat…
was absurd.
You don't even see the enemy—
and they're already dead?!
Not a single chance left for him to do anything!
Nawaki had never imagined the frontlines could feel this… safe.
He came here to fight—
not to sit around doing nothing!
"Big bro…" Nawaki finally spoke, interrupting Akira's rhythm.
"Can you… leave a couple for me and Mushihime?"
"What did you just say?"
Akira's smile vanished instantly.
His face went cold.
The kunai in his hand ignited into a blue fireball.
That was a threat.
A very clear threat.
"N-Nothing…"
Nawaki shrank back.
Ever since coming to the battlefield, Akira felt like a completely different person.
Hard to approach.
Akira's smile returned just as quickly, and he resumed firing.
Sniper Mode: Guessing Game!
Nawaki turned to Mushihime, hoping to discuss something—
anything.
But she was staring dreamily at Akira.
"So cool…"
"…She's hopeless."
Nawaki slumped back onto the rock, frustrated.
This was not how his battlefield life was supposed to go!
Akira, meanwhile, was in an excellent mood.
It had been nearly a week.
His experience pool had finally crossed six digits.
[EXP: 124,578]
Much faster than the Stone front.
At this rate—
just a few more weeks—
and he'd have enough to fuse Fire Release.
Still—
Cloud ninja were far more mobile than Stone ninja.
His hit rate had dropped significantly.
Techniques like Fire Dragon and Nine-Headed Dragon required follow-up tracking to secure kills.
To kill a jonin—
he often needed two or more enhanced fireballs.
Sometimes even more.
And sometimes—
they just dodged everything.
Their speed and reflexes were ridiculous.
This had cost him heavily—
he'd already spent 5,000 essence just restoring chakra.
Worse—
instead of retreating, the Cloud forces were sending more and more troops.
They were clearly trying to pinpoint his location.
"…This is getting dangerous."
Akira frowned.
He should've coordinated with Nawaki earlier.
Though other Konoha ninja were assisting and covering for him—
this entire mountain defense line was now built around him.
His kill efficiency was undeniable.
But the Cloud—
didn't care about losses.
They had already locked onto his position.
If this continued—
they would break through.
"Nawaki, Mushihime—prepare to relocate."
"Huh?"
Nawaki blinked, completely lost.
Why the sudden change?
Another fireball—
another jonin down.
+15,837 EXP
"If we stay any longer, we'll be surrounded."
No matter how strong his sniping was—
it had limits.
He couldn't stop all of them.
And unlike the Stone ninja—
these guys weren't afraid to die.
Meanwhile—
on a Cloud-occupied mountain—
B was studying a battlefield map.
One of Konoha's five mountain positions had been marked repeatedly.
The circle kept shrinking.
"Found you… 'Mysterious Fireball.'"
From the Stone front, they had received reports:
An unknown Konoha ninja—
with extreme long-range ninjutsu.
Identity unknown.
Age unknown.
Even the flames were unknown.
But—
his battlefield control was terrifying.
Once the fireballs appeared—
they knew he had arrived at the Cloud front.
If this continued—
they would be completely suppressed.
So B made a decision:
No matter the cost—
they would locate him.
Wave after wave of troops—
carefully increasing in number.
Konoha hadn't even realized how seriously he took this threat.
"If we want to crush Konoha…"
"…we cannot let him live."
Six jonin had already died to that man.
And countless chunin and genin.
Jonin—
were the backbone of a village.
B stepped out of the command tent.
"Lord B…"
The others looked at him.
"I'll handle this next."
He stared toward the distant mountain.
Red chakra began to surge around him.
"Should be around there…"
The chakra intensified—
engulfing his body.
One tail formed.
Then another.
Third.
Fourth.
By the sixth—
white bone armor began to form over the cloak.
"…This is my limit."
His voice trembled within the crimson mass.
The surrounding ninja looked on in fear.
That fear—
he knew it well.
B suddenly dropped to one knee.
"L-Lord B…!"
"I'm fine…"
He steadied himself.
He still couldn't fully control this power.
A black sphere formed before him—
dense, terrifying.
A technique only jinchūriki could use—
A tailed beast's signature attack.
"Tailed Beast Bomb!"
The black sphere shot toward the distant mountain.
Eight tails extended forward—
B opened his mouth—
aiming at the same direction.
Akira, preparing to retreat—
suddenly turned.
A black sphere was flying toward him.
Slower than his fireballs.
But the power—
far beyond anything he had.
"…They're actually firing a Tailed Beast Bomb?!"
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