The aftershock of the explosion had not yet faded in the forest. Smoke and ash drifted through the air.
Chiya and Shisui stayed concealed in the tree canopy, their eyes fixed on the situation below.
The Iwagakure ninja team emerged from the smoke of the explosion. The leader had a hard, sharp face, with short hair sticking up like spines.
He casually retrieved his kunai, and a sneer tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Looking at the traces around them, not a single ninja appeared to be injured.
It was clear that the explosion just now had not been an accidental trigger. Someone had set it off deliberately.
'Is this Iwagakure's demolition squad?'
Chiya watched the lead ninja, and something stirred in his mind. He recognized him.
He had seen this person in the files before.
This was a kekkei genkai ninja with access to Explosion Style, named Kari.
Explosion Style was a kekkei genkai capable of converting chakra into explosive matter.
Kari's strength was well known even within Iwagakure.
His Explosion Style ability in particular, which could convert chakra directly into detonations, was devastatingly powerful.
Leading his demolition squad, he had made many contributions to Iwagakure.
Kari.
Just then, the sound of rapid footsteps came from the distance.
A patrol squad of Kumo-nin arrived quickly. The lead ninja held a kunai and stared at the Iwagakure group with sharp alertness.
"Who are you people? Why have you entered the Land of Lightning's border without permission?"
Kari let out a cold snort, his manner arrogant.
"We are envoys from Iwagakure, here specifically to discuss a cooperation arrangement with the Third Raikage. You patrol types, go report our arrival already."
The Kumo-nin's brow knitted tightly. He was clearly very displeased with Kari's attitude.
But thinking of the current state of the war, he forced his anger down.
He spoke in a low, firm voice.
"Since you are envoys, please come with me. However, you would do well to dial back that attitude. This is not Iwagakure."
Kari let out a scoffing laugh, paid no attention, and led his people straight ahead to follow.
Up in the distant tree canopy, Shisui asked in a low voice.
"Sensei, they did not come to blows. Could they actually be planning to cooperate? If Iwagakure and Kumogakure join forces, would that not put Konoha in an even worse position?"
Chiya's gaze was deep. The corners of his mouth curved slightly upward.
"Cooperate? Then we absolutely cannot let them do that so easily."
He clapped Shisui on the shoulder.
"Wait here. I will go have a word with them."
"Sensei."
Shisui still wanted to say something, but Chiya's figure had already vanished from where he stood.
Down on the road below, Kari and the Kumo-nin were walking one group behind the other.
Suddenly, a dark shape dropped from above, landing firmly between the two sides.
"Who goes there?"
The Kumo-nin immediately went on guard, kunai held across their chests.
Chiya slowly straightened up. His black hair drifted lightly in the wind. His crimson three-tomoe Sharingan was strikingly vivid in the dark of the night.
Kari's pupils contracted sharply. He stared hard at Chiya's face.
"Uchiha. Chiya?"
"Oh? You know me?"
Chiya looked at him with a surprised expression, his tone easy.
Kari's expression darkened instantly.
Uchiha Chiya. Of all the times to run into this troublesome man.
The Iwagakure ninja in front of Chiya immediately shifted into battle stances.
The Kumo-nin looked at each other, clearly reluctant to make a move against Chiya. The Iwagakure group had come as envoys for cooperation. Could this Konoha Uchiha also be here for that?
"Captain, what do we do?"
One of the Kumo-nin asked quietly.
The lead Kumo-nin gritted his teeth.
"Fall back first and see how this plays out."
However, Chiya had no intention of giving them the chance to stay neutral.
His gaze went cold. In an instant, he opened his Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Susano'o."
Dark red chakra surged out from Chiya's body and condensed in an instant into a massive skeletal frame that wrapped around him completely.
Susano'o's arm shot out, slamming a palm down into the ground in front of the Kumo-nin.
The ground cracked apart instantly. Shards of rock flew in all directions. The Kumo-nin were forced back, their faces going pale.
"Uchiha Chiya, what is the meaning of this?"
The Kumo-nin roared.
Chiya gave a cold laugh.
"Nothing in particular. Just did not want to leave you with nothing to do."
"You. What kind of Uchiha is this, what kind of Konoha is this. Are you actually trying to come after the Land of Lightning too?"
Chiya let out a short laugh.
"Your Land of Lightning started a war against Konoha, and now you are standing here asking me if I am coming after the Land of Lightning? Has it not already started?"
Uchiha Chiya's tone grew steadily colder.
"They say you people have no brains and are all just brutes. Turns out that was not a prejudice. It was a fact."
The Mangekyō Sharingan flared briefly.
Susano'o's massive hand slapped directly into the face of the one who had spoken. The man spun 720 degrees through the air and landed peacefully on the ground, his fate unknown.
Seeing this, a glint of viciousness passed through Kari's eyes.
"Attack. Kill Uchiha Chiya."
The Iwagakure ninja scattered instantly, their hands flying through seals.
"Earth Style, Rock Spear Jutsu."
Several sharp stone lances erupted from the ground and drove toward Susano'o.
Susano'o's skeletal frame did not budge. The stone lances smashed into it and shattered.
"Is that the best you have?"
Chiya's voice carried through Susano'o, carrying a trace of mockery.
Kari let out a cold snort. He slammed both palms hard into the ground.
"Explosion Style, Landmine Fist."
The ground heaved upward. Countless fists condensed from explosive chakra burst out from below and hammered into Susano'o.
Violent explosions rang out one after another. Fire lit up the sky. Smoke and debris filled the air.
But when the smoke cleared, Susano'o still stood without wavering, without so much as a crack on its surface.
"Some power, I will give you that."
Chiya crossed his arms, watching Kari in front of him.
"About the same level as a firecracker."
"That performance was not bad. Time to move on."
He brought his hands together. Susano'o's skeletal frame suddenly expanded. The dark red chakra blazed like flames. Flesh rapidly covered the bones, forming a half-flesh skeletal warrior.
Susano'o raised its arm. A massive chakra sword condensed into its grip.
"Now it is my turn."
The color finally drained from Kari's face.
Before he could react, Susano'o's sword had already come down.
Kari pulled back urgently and shouted at the same time.
"Scatter."
The sword's light swept through, carving a massive trench into the ground. Several Iwagakure ninja who could not dodge in time were sent flying by the shockwave and slammed hard into the earth.
Kari gritted his teeth and went through seals again.
"Explosion Style, Chain Detonation."
He leapt into the air. The chakra concentrated on his fists built into a high-density explosive energy and drove straight toward Susano'o's head.
Chiya did not dodge. Susano'o's other hand rose and grabbed directly.
There was a sharp crack.
The explosion detonated inside Susano'o's palm. But the color of Kari's face turned dead white in an instant.
His attack had been completely stopped, and Susano'o's palm was completely unharmed.
"Done playing around?"
Chiya said coldly.
Susano'o's hand clamped shut suddenly. Kari was locked firmly inside the palm.
The Mangekyō Sharingan flickered.
Chiya looked down from above. Susano'o's massive skeletal hand squeezed shut in one sharp motion.
Kari's body was crushed apart by force. Blood and flesh scattered through the air.
"The captain. The captain is dead?"
The Iwagakure ninja stumbled back in horror.
"Run. Run now."
The Kumo-nin on the other side were equally stunned by Chiya's power. They turned and fled.
"Trying to run now? Too late."
Susano'o instantly evolved further. Flesh closed over the skeleton. A dark red giant rose up from the ground.
The massive chakra sword swept outward in a wide arc. Trees, rock, and ninja alike were all split cleanly in two as the blade passed.
Screams rang out. Three Kumo-nin were cut through the middle.
"Earth Style, Earth Wall."
The Iwagakure ninja frantically formed seals, trying to block.
Chiya drove Susano'o forward and threw a single punch.
The earth split open. The earth wall shattered instantly.
The Iwagakure ninja were blasted away by the shockwave, coughing up blood.
"A monster. This man is a monster."
The surviving Kumo-nin broke completely. They ran with everything they had to get away.
Chiya's gaze locked on the last of them. Susano'o raised its hand.
"Yasaka Magatama."
Three massive dark red magatama tore through the air and instantly caught up with the fleeing enemies.
Explosions rang out one after another. Not a single one escaped.
The last Iwagakure jonin gritted his teeth and formed seals.
"Earth Style, Underground Hiding Jutsu."
He tried to sink into the ground and escape.
"Underground, you die too."
Chiya drove Susano'o's massive fist into the ground.
The earth collapsed. The Iwagakure jonin was forced out by the shockwave, blood pouring from his mouth and nose.
"Please. Do not kill me. I surrender."
He begged in terror.
Chiya's eyes were cold. Susano'o's massive hand came down.
Nothing but a stain remained on the ground.
The forest was filled with smoke and scattered with bodies.
Shisui stood behind a tree, the shock in his eyes impossible to hide.
'Sensei. This is the true power of Susano'o?'
Chiya released Susano'o from around himself, but did not stop moving.
To stir up trouble between two nations and fabricate the scene of an Iwagakure raid on the Land of Lightning, naturally certain Iwagakure "specialties" needed to be left behind.
Chiya first produced a sealing scroll and sealed all the Iwagakure bodies away.
Then he raised his hand.
A vivid blue Rasengan appeared, and into it he rapidly fused Lava Style chakra.
The Rasengan laced with Lava Style looked like a small erupting volcano.
Chiya carefully guided the Rasengan and released it.
It struck the ground and detonated.
Lava Style. That would be more than enough to represent Iwagakure.
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