The Sandaime exerted his utmost control, channeling the lightning he'd unleashed into the sky—
Then—
CRACK!
A roar from the heavens, like the cry of a mythical kirin, shook the earth.
BOOM!
A silver-white bolt tore through the sky.
Guided by the Raijin Sword's electricity and Kyōichi's mist, the lightning descended like a diving kirin, striking precisely above Iwagakure's defensive fortifications.
The moment it landed, the entire fog bank became electrified, spreading the thunder's fury across the entire frontline.
Flickers of silver flashed within the mist.
The earth itself seemed to tremble at the impact!
Ōnoki and his forces, who had just retreated, stood frozen in horror.
Had they not fallen back...
"This..."
"What kind of technique is this? Since when does Konoha possess such terrifying Lightning Release?!"
"Disaster!"
Ōnoki was the first to snap out of it—this wasn't the time for shock. The Iwa ninja left at the first defensive line were in mortal danger!
The lightning had struck there.
Electric serpents danced wildly.
Through the thick fog, they saw the relentless storm—a force beyond human capability. Konoha had merely catalyzed nature's wrath.
Lightning was Iwagakure's bane.
Against this, they had no defense. Worse yet...
Konoha was generating mor lightning.
BOOM!
A second strike went slightly off-course, landing between the first and second defensive lines—yet still shattered their formations and wounded several Iwa ninja.
"Retreat!"
Ōnoki bellowed.
This was untenable!
With no way to predict how many such strikes Konoha could summon, staying meant pointless casualties.
Yet.
He didn't know two strikes were Konoha's limit.
"Hokage-sama, the thunderclouds are dissipating. Further attempts might hit us instead."
Kyōichi warned.
Lightning guidance required precision.
The Sandaime's second attempt to target the secondary defenses had gone awry, only grazing the area between lines.
Minimal gains.
With rising air currents, their own position risked becoming the lightning rod.
"Then we halt."
The Sandaime signaled the withdrawal.
As the mist cleared—
Iwagakure's earthworks lay in ruins. What walls remained standing crumbled at a touch.
Charred corpses dotted the wreckage.
Total victory!
"To think Lightning Release could be wielded thus... Kyōichi, you're truly a genius."
The Sandaime marveled.
Never had he imagined combining ninjutsu, teamwork, and weather into such a devastating weapon of war.
Pity its reliance on specific conditions—
Perfect execution demanded exceptional perception and dynamic vision.
An Uchiha would excel as guide.
Though Kyōichi avoided mentioning it, the Sandaime recognized the technique's suitability for the clan. Yet upon reflection, he dismissed concerns.
The setup was far too elaborate!
Weather dependence alone made it impractical for frequent use.
"I merely connected some dots. The true credit lies with you, Hokage-sama—your precision decided the battle."
Kyōichi deflected praise.
The Sandaime shook his head.
Conception was the hardest part. Execution was trivial for a major village.
Though Iwagakure would struggle—
Most Iwa ninja specialized in Earth Release, with few mastering Lightning.
"Sensei, can we reuse this against Iwagakure if the weather permits?"
Asuma asked eagerly.
As a Wind Release user, he'd participated in the technique.
"That depends on Ōnoki's countermeasures."
Kyōichi replied.
Lightning rods would neutralize the strategy. Whether Ōnoki realized this remained to be seen.
"For now, this buys us time. Withdraw."
"Yes!"
As they retreated, Kyōichi checked his system.
A new reward—
Chidori.
Kakashi's signature technique. Problem being...
Kyōichi lacked Lightning Release.
Thus began his mental calculations—
Could Yin Seal store elemental chakra?
If perfected, this might compensate for his missing affinities. But another issue arose:
If Yin Seal held Lightning chakra, what of the Four-Tails' energy?
He wasn't about to waste that boon.
"Why can't I have two Yin Seals... Alternatively, with sufficient Lightning familiarity, Samehada could absorb and instantly discharge it."
Single-handed combat would limit him to taijutsu or one-handed seals—
Except Chidori and its variants required none.
Chidori Current. Chidori Sharp Spear. Chidori Blade.
All viable!
Back to camp for experiments with Shisui!
...
Land of Grass border.
Ōnoki surveyed the devastation—collapsed fortifications, charred remains.
Agony gripped his heart.
"Tsuchikage-sama, most earthworks are unsalvageable."
"Understood."
Despondency weighed on him.
Losses he could endure.
But being outmaneuvered so completely?
Unprecedented.
Yet his subordinates revered him more—had he not ordered the retreat, casualties would've been catastrophic.
"Who knew Konoha hid such Lightning techniques? Your foresight saved us."
"Kurotsuchi, spare the comfort. I mourn not just the dead, but my own failure to counter this... That Konoha genius!"
Ōnoki sighed.
Solutions existed—in theory.
Wind Release could disperse the mist.
But Iwagakure lacked sufficient Wind users.
Blocking the water was irrelevant—it merely facilitated the real threat.
Undoubtedly—
Kanda Kyōichi's handiwork again!
"Perhaps if we attacked preemptively, disrupting their setup?"
Kurotsuchi suggested.
Ōnoki dismissed it.
Iwagakure excelled at defensive warfare. Abandoning fortifications played to Konoha's strengths.
"Fall back for now. Konoha likely awaits Kiri's stance in the east. We have time... Worst case, we withdraw entirely."
This campaign had been fraught with setbacks.
Konoha held the initiative throughout.
Only solace—the lightning's main casualties were Kusagakure's forces, caught off-guard on the periphery.
Twenty squads annihilated.
A negligible loss to Iwagakure, but devastating for a minor village.
Meanwhile—
The Kusa leader faced village-wide condemnation.
"Why didn't we ally with Konoha? None of this would've happened!"
"..."
You're asking ME?
The Kusa leader cursed inwardly.
...
Konoha camp.
Post-battle debrief.
Kyōichi had no choice but to attend.
"Kyōichi, you've taught us all a lesson today!"
The Sandaime led the praise. "Large-scale combined ninjutsu is the future. We should research similar collaborative techniques."
"Agreed."
Yamanaka Inoichi voiced support first.
The Ino-Shika-Chō trio thrived on combination techniques—they understood their power best.
Others echoed approval.
"Traditional pairings are Lightning-Water, Wind-Fire... but Wind-Water also holds potential, albeit lacking comparable scale."
Sarutobi Shinnosuke noted.
Though still ANBU, he contributed increasingly.
"Kyōichi, any further insights?"
The Sandaime inquired.
"Amegakure's Black Rain Technique—a water-style variant—could combine with fire against earthworks. Alternatively, flour dispersed with wind and ignited..."
Kyōichi proposed two methods.
Standard fare.
Then he addressed the Nara clan: "Your shadow techniques needn't pair solely with the Akimichi. The Inuzuka or other speed-focused shinobi could achieve similar synergy."
"Valid points."
Nods all around.
Though many puzzled over the flour suggestion.
The Sandaime clarified, "How exactly does flour with wind and fire work?"
"Any combustible dust—even sugar—dispersed densely enough becomes explosive when ignited."
Dust explosions.
Basic science.
Yet foreign to shinobi, even to scholars like Orochimaru or the Sandaime. Skepticism lingered.
"Testing is warranted, but grain is too precious for large-scale use."
The Sandaime prioritized practicality. "Amegakure's Black Rain is more feasible. I'll study its adaptation."
"Unnecessary, Hokage-sama. I've already researched it."
Kyōichi interjected smoothly.
No letting this opportunity slip.
The Sandaime blinked, then recalled: "Ah, the technique used against Hōzuki Chikage? Document it fully—an A-rank mission reward awaits."
"Yes!"