"Damn Sannin! I'll be your opponent!"
The massive Eight-Tails spoke in Killer Bee's voice, its huge form radiating power.
At this moment, the Third Raikage had only one goal—
To reach Danzō as quickly as possible and give this so-called "Darkness of the Shinobi" a big surprise.
Stopping here was not an option.
"A, take Killer Bee and handle this guy. Then regroup at the designated location."
The Third Raikage turned to a man standing beside him—
A tall, muscular warrior with golden hair, just like himself.
This was his son—the future leader of Kumogakure, the next Raikage—
A.
That name alone signified both status and power.
"Don't worry, Father."
The A-B Combo was at its strongest when together.
To carry out his father's orders, the Fourth Raikage burst forward—
At blinding speed.
Like a lightning bolt, he crossed the battlefield in an instant, appearing directly in front of Jiraiya.
Surging with electricity, he unleashed his signature move—
"Lightning Release: Lariat!"
The crackling lightning filled Jiraiya's vision, growing larger by the second—
Until suddenly, a flash of gold replaced it.
Minato Namikaze had arrived.
At the very moment of his arrival, he thrust his kunai straight at A's abdomen—
"Zzzt—!"
A harsh, grating screech echoed as sparks flew between the blade's edge and the Raikage's Lightning Armor.
In the next instant, the Wind Chakra infused in Minato's kunai erupted, sending a powerful shockwave that blew A backward.
The future Raikage twisted midair before finally landing.
"You again, Minato Namikaze!"
He glared at the golden-haired shinobi above him, feeling the weight of fate itself.
He had pushed his speed to its absolute limit—
Yet this man, the so-called "Yellow Flash", always stood in his way like an immovable mountain.
Standing in front of Jiraiya, Minato's golden hair swayed slightly in the sunlight.
"Sorry, but I won't let you hurt my teacher."
Hearing this, Jiraiya burst into laughter, full of pride.
Throwing an arm around Minato's shoulder, he grinned at the Kumo nin and declared:
"See that? This is the unbreakable bond between master and student!"
"Baka yarō!"
Killer Bee couldn't hold back any longer—
"Big Bro! Let's show 'em the power of our brotherhood!"
"Understood."
A's expression hardened.
His golden hair stood on end, each strand rising like bristles—
A sign that he was going all out.
He activated his "Strongest Lightning Armor!"
The battle was about to explode!
---
At the same time, Iwa's forces faced their own obstacle.
Blocking their path stood—
Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin,
And a rising star whose reputation was spreading like wildfire—
Shisui the Teleporter.
Leading a formidable Konoha unit, they stood firmly in Iwa's path.
"Getting past here... won't be so easy."
Orochimaru licked his lips.
With pale skin and violet eyeshadow, his serpentine aura exuded an eerie, almost otherworldly charm.
Faced with these adversaries, the Iwa forces chose a strategy similar to Kumo's.
"Lord Tsuchikage, leave these Konoha shinobi to us."
Stepping forward was a man of fearsome renown—
The head of Iwa's Explosive Corps, known as the Blast Ninja—
Gari, wielder of the Explosion Release Kekkei Genkai.
At the same time, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Rōshi, also stepped forward.
"Even though I don't like you, Tsuchikage, Han was a good friend of mine. I'll make sure to avenge him."
Rōshi wore a purple-red shinobi outfit, his fiery red hair reflecting his explosive temperament, much like fire itself.
Ōnoki looked at them and gave a solemn nod.
"I'll leave this to you."
With that, his small figure soared into the air, flying toward Danzō's location.
Neither Orochimaru nor Shisui attempted to stop him.
For one, they couldn't fly, so stopping him was impossible.
Secondly, Danzō's orders were clear—
Eliminate the Iwagakure forces as quickly as possible.
That was precisely why Danzō had orchestrated the death of the Five-Tails Jinchūriki first—
Without this move, Konoha would lack a high-tier combat advantage against Iwa and Kumo.
At least for now, the Orochimaru + Shisui duo was stronger than Rōshi + Gari.
This advantage would help offset Konoha's numerical disadvantage.
In fact, it could tip the scales in their favor, eventually turning the tide of battle toward total victory.
However, this strategy hinged on one critical factor—
Danzō had to stall the two Kage.
This was the most dangerous part of the entire plan.
---
"Orochimaru-senpai, which one do you want?"
Without hesitation, Uchiha Shisui turned to Orochimaru and asked.
His three-tomoe Sharingan had already begun to evolve—
Into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Sensing his young "junior's" unwavering resolve, Orochimaru chuckled softly and asked:
"Aren't you worried about your teacher?"
Shisui shook his head.
"If my teacher came up with this plan, that means he's confident he can pull it off."
"As his student, my duty is simple—execute the plan, eliminate the enemy as quickly as possible, and move in to support him."
His voice was calm and firm, without the slightest hesitation or uncertainty.
Seeing this, Orochimaru couldn't help but show a trace of admiration.
"In that case, you pick first."
Shisui's gaze locked onto Rōshi, his voice ice-cold.
"I'll handle the Jinchūriki."
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, surprised by Shisui's boldness.
After all, Rōshi was a battle-hardened veteran—a Jinchūriki known throughout the shinobi world.
Although Shisui was undoubtedly a prodigy, challenging such a seasoned powerhouse was nothing short of audacious.
Even with the Mangekyō Sharingan, this was no easy fight.
But since Shisui had already chosen, Orochimaru saw no reason to refuse.
He turned to the "Blast Ninja," Gari, licking his lips.
"Explosion Release, huh? Perfect... my lab is still missing a test subject."
Shisui instinctively felt uneasy hearing that, but there was no time to argue.
Without hesitation, he activated his Mangekyō Sharingan—
And vanished.
---
"Hmph! You brat, let me teach you a lesson!"
As illusory clones flooded the battlefield, Rōshi didn't hold back.
From his body, rivers of molten lava gushed out, transforming the landscape into a scorching inferno!
Every tree in its path ignited instantly, anything that touched it was instantly incinerated!
Amidst the boiling sea of magma, Rōshi stood, enveloped by the chakra of the Four-Tails, his silhouette resembling a demon from hell.
On the other side, Shisui didn't hesitate—
He activated Susanoo.
A towering green warrior materialized amidst the lava, standing tall like a god.
__
XD