Fugaku threw his head back and roared.
The black flames coating Susanoo surged violently. With a thunderous blast, heat distorted the air itself. Waves of scorching pressure rippled outward in visible rings.
Boom!
Susanoo rose again, its form swelling larger, advancing like an iron war god toward Yugito. The oppressive force alone sent a warning through her instincts.
"Two-Tails—!"
Yugito grit her teeth. Her arms thickened instantly, expanding to monstrous proportions as she swung both claws forward.
The collision was cataclysmic.
Two titanic fists met.
A shockwave burst outward, flattening everything in its path. Trees splintered. The ground cracked open.
—
At the edge of the battlefield, hidden within shadow, White Zetsu observed.
For once, genuine shock flickered across its empty expression.
"Uchiha… far beyond expectations…"
It had already decided to retreat.
This information had to reach Obito.
But just as the thought formed—
A chill pierced its spine.
White Zetsu spun—
A silver arc flashed.
Its head separated cleanly from its body. Blood sprayed into the dust.
As consciousness faded, it saw only Shisui Uchiha's indifferent gaze.
"How… did he notice…"
White Zetsu never received an answer.
This was the terror of Shisui of the Body Flicker.
His speed was monstrous.
His perception—inhuman.
Shisui glanced down at the corpse.
"Good thing for Observation."
His voice was low.
Earlier, Shuoye Uchiha had instructed him to patrol the battlefield perimeter. Now he understood why.
Without that sharpened perception, White Zetsu would have remained undetected.
"So the shinobi world hides creatures like this…"
Shisui's expression darkened slightly. This had to be reported. Shuoye needed to know.
—
Elsewhere, tension between the Raikage and Shuoye reached its peak.
The Raikage surveyed the deadlock unfolding across the field. Dragging this out would only worsen the Hidden Cloud's position.
He stepped forward.
"Enough!"
"In the end, it comes down to you and me!"
"Kid—last time, in front of Ōnoki, you could only run."
"In front of me, it'll be the same!"
Shuoye smiled faintly.
"I simply didn't feel like dealing with that old man."
He rose slowly. His aura surged, sharp and overwhelming.
"If you're so impatient…"
"Try."
The air split.
Two immense chakra signatures exploded skyward.
The Raikage roared. Lightning chakra condensed around him in the shape of a raging thunder dragon. He lunged.
Shuoye vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared at the Raikage's flank, blade flashing in silver arcs.
Their clash became the battlefield's focal point.
The Raikage moved like a bolt of black lightning, crossing dozens of meters in a heartbeat. Sonic booms followed in his wake.
One strike—
That was all he needed.
"Lightning Release: Lariat Bomb!"
Lightning surged wildly along his arm as he threw a devastating punch. The space before his fist seemed to warp.
Yet Shuoye did not panic.
His eyes gleamed with quiet amusement.
Just before impact—
He disappeared.
"Kyouka Suigetsu."
His voice echoed beside the Raikage's ear.
There was no body.
Only illusion.
From the beginning, Shuoye had woven genjutsu into the battlefield itself, crafting a flawless false image.
Under its cover—
Flying Thunder God activated.
Shuoye reappeared behind the Raikage.
"What?!"
The Raikage's instincts were razor sharp. He twisted immediately to counterattack.
But Shuoye gave him no chance.
A second Mangekyō Sharingan opened—hidden until now.
An unfamiliar light poured from it.
The world shifted.
The Raikage's perception blurred. The battlefield felt distant, distorted.
"This… a clone?"
Realization struck.
The target he had just attacked—
Was likely nothing more than a Shadow Clone.
And the real Shuoye—
Was nowhere to be found.
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