"Lightning Armor, activate."
The Raikage was enveloped in lightning. Powerful arcs of electricity formed an armor-like shield around his entire body. From a distance, his sapphire-blue figure looked like a thunder god descending from heaven.
Under the Raikage's control, the mighty lightning merged and twisted into a whirlwind shape. Immediately, it swept up rocks and dust from the ground, rushing forward with an overwhelming force.
Kakuzu, facing this near-heavenly-and-earth-level jutsu while being attacked from five directions, wore an unprecedented expression of seriousness. The Wind Release black monster stood at the front, while the other monsters gathered toward it, channeling all their chakra into one spot. Slowly, the powerful Wind Release technique in the sky transformed into a spiral and became a giant shuriken.
The Wind Release clashed head-on against the Lightning Release. The shuriken-shaped Wind Release shattered instantly upon impact. Yet it did not vanish into nothingness—it grew denser and denser. From afar, it looked as though countless shuriken had assembled into thick walls, stubbornly blocking the Raikage's fierce attack.
The idea behind this Wind Release technique originated from a jutsu Naruto once used — a jutsu that had previously defeated Kakuzu. Afterward, he carefully studied it and understood its underlying principles. Now, Kakuzu had refined it into his own new Wind Release technique, and although it only led to another standoff against the Raikage, his improved version was finally holding its ground.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Explosions and clashes of various ninjutsu echoed across the battlefield as waves of ninja from all over continued to join the fight. Viewed from above, the number of participants already exceeded five hundred and kept increasing steadily. This battle had now become the largest conflict since the end of the Third Battle.
The Raikage suddenly noticed an unfamiliar force entering the battle. However, having no intelligence about it at all, anxiety filled his heart.
After this first strike, the Raikage asked his guard Ki, "What does it look like? Can you identify which village's ninja have joined the battle?"
Ki shook his head with a bitter smile and replied, "The enemy ninjas' techniques are wildly varied — it's like they're pulling styles from every village under the sun. However, they lack coordination and trust among themselves. They don't act like members of a single village but more like some mercenary group."
"I understand," the Raikage said coldly. "This is a typical tactic used by foreign powers. In large-scale combat, these rats won't defeat us. Continue increasing our ninja forces. I want them wiped out right here — for Darui's sake."
Ki nodded solemnly. "Understood."
Kakuzu's face darkened as he took in the grim state of the battlefield. Although Zero Organization's outer members were fighting, they lacked command structure and cooperation. Compared to the disciplined armies of the Five Great Countries, they couldn't match even at equal strength. What made things worse was that the number of Kumogakure ninja kept increasing steadily. At this rate, total annihilation might actually happen.
What should he do? Should they retreat?
As Kakuzu hesitated, a proud voice echoed across the battlefield: "All members of Zero Organization, fall back. The battle is now under my command."
At the sound of that voice, Kakuzu felt a wave of relief wash over him: "True reinforcements have finally arrived."
"What's going on? Why has it suddenly gotten so dark?" A Kumo ninja stopped fighting as his opponent vanished and couldn't help but look up at the sky.
The sky abruptly darkened as if swallowed by a colossal shadow, the sunlight entirely blotted out by countless figures flying in perfect unison.
These were Flying Mechanized Suits—hundreds of them. Each resembled a giant mythical bird, radiating an overwhelming aura of power. Their sleek, streamlined bodies reflected cold, mechanical indifference, sending chills down the spines of those who beheld them.
Sasori stood inside the leading suit, his gaze cold and emotionless as he looked down. Seeing that members of the Zero Organization had already started retreating, he didn't hesitate and simply gave the command: "Fire."
A deafening blast erupted, like a thousand thunderous roars shaking the heavens all at once. After the sharp, piercing whistles came wave upon wave of devastating explosions.
Soil, dust, and human limbs flew through the air. Cries, screams, and desperate pleas for help filled the battlefield. No words could capture the horror below—not even "heaven collapsing and earth cracking." To Kakuzu, the world had been reduced to just two colors: the ashen black of smoke and debris swirling everywhere, and the blinding crimson of blood staining it all.
Nearly hundreds of ninjas who had just been locked in fierce combat were now nearly wiped out entirely. Even some of the Zero Organization members who hadn't evacuated in time were gravely injured or killed. The stench of burnt flesh hung thick in the air, nauseating and overpowering.
"I'm gonna kill you! I swear to God, I'm gonna kill you!"
Raikage staggered out from the wreckage, covered in dirt and ash, his eyes bloodshot with rage as he glared hatefully at Sasori above.
Unmoved, Sasori sneered coldly, "At the Five Kage Summit, I told you—I hate unnecessary talk too. If you want to kill me, come try."
Standing atop the mechanized suit, Sasori activated Sage Mode. He dove downward with the machine, and with a low shout, every airborne suit above began spinning rapidly. Powerful gusts formed from their movement, which Sasori manipulated into a massive net of wind, directly clashing against Raikage's attack.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Two colossal jutsu—one Wind Release, one Lightning Release—collided hundreds of times each second, locked in an intense stalemate.
"Not bad for Raikage," Sasori remarked, his eyes narrowing cruelly. "Looks like this level of Wind Release still can't pierce your armor. If a hundred isn't enough, then a thousand. A thousand isn't enough? Then ten thousand. Today, you die."
Activating Ryumyaku Chakra Control to its fullest extent for the first time, Sasori summoned even more suits into the sky. This time, they blotted out the heavens completely, leaving not a single ray of light.
An endless swarm of mechanized suits gathered together, unleashing Wind Release techniques that expanded rapidly. Even a small gust slicing across the ground carved deep gashes into the earth.
Kakuzu's expression darkened drastically. Without hesitation, he shouted to Hidan and Yugao, "We're leaving. That guy's insane. I knew it—anyone close to that psycho brat is bound to be nuts."
Raikage's eyes flickered with despair. "Impossible… How could so many combat suits have hidden so close to Kumogakure without us ever noticing?"
Sasori smirked coldly. "You're catching on."
"There are spies in the village," Raikage realized instantly.
"You figured it out too late. Die."
[Infinite Hurricane]
Thousands of Wind Release attacks surged from Sasori's hands, leaving no room for the Raikage to escape. The wind currents formed a giant net, trapping the Raikage's Lightning Release within a confined area and continuously compressing it, slicing through escaping bolts of lightning. As the Wind Release kept pouring in, the Raikage would soon be torn apart by countless blades of wind the moment his stamina gave out.
The outcome of the battle had already been decided.
[Tailed Beast Ball]
A massive, ultra-dense sphere erupted from behind the Raikage, its sheer destructive force carving out a vacuum where Wind and Lightning Releases collided. The three forces erupted violently, illuminating the entire sky.
"Rumbling..."
Wind, lightning, and swirling bands of dark violet-black tailed beast chakra coiled around each other like wild beasts locked in battle, ripping and crashing against one another. The sky darkened with storm clouds while brilliant flashes of lightning lit the heavens. Thunder boomed like a wrathful storm, shrouding the entire earth in a deafening cacophony of thunderclaps.
When everything finally settled, the Raikage standing before Sasori had vanished without a trace.
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