She spoke with some admiration. "The local power far exceeds what the Raikage usually achieves with ninjutsu and taijutsu."
Thinking of the arm guard that covered from the shoulder to the knuckles, wrapping the upper and lower arm, even Yugito Nii felt a bit envious. That Ninja Tool suited the Raikage perfectly, far better than her compatibility with the God Beating Whip.
"It seems the Raikage's strength will increase by quite a bit again." Samui sighed. "I really wonder what kind of person could forge such powerful Ninja Tools."
It was far superior to the strange and inexplicable Seven Ninja Swords of Kirigakure. Just looking at them was enough to give anyone a headache.
A lightning blade that looked like a crude lightning rod. A blunt blade that was nothing more than a hammer and an axe. A cleaver that regenerated by absorbing blood but broke easily.
A long blade that claimed to pierce and stitch everything, but was really just a needle and thread. An explosive blade wrapped in countless Explosive Tags. Only the greatsword Samehada and the twin blades Hiramekarei were passable.
And yet Kirigakure treated these things like treasures, nurturing seven people known as the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. In the end, they were still wiped out by a single Konoha Genin.
pata… pata…
The sudden sound snapped Samui out of her thoughts. "It's raining," Yugito Nii said at just the right moment.
Samui turned to look at the tent window, where raindrops pattered against the clear surface. Outside, heavy lead-colored clouds covered the sky, dimming the light.
In the distance, thick smoke from the battlefield rose and merged with the dark clouds above. The glow of ninjutsu and Explosive Tag explosions still could not light up the whole sky.
"It's raining…" The steady drizzle seemed to weigh on Samui's heart as well, leaving her with an unexplainable sense of unease and pressure in her chest.
Inside Konoha Outpost in the Land of the Moon, the mood was tight like a bow pulled to its limit. Rows of tents lay under a dark sky, rain tapping on the canvas with a fine, steady hiss. The air carried the raw smell of mud, soaked leather, and a mixed feeling that held both unease and expectation.
A group of Konoha Jonin led by Jiraiya fixed their attention on the open ground at the center of the camp. Yunchuan Hyuga stood at the front, head tilted up as he watched the sky above the distant battlefield, rain sliding down his face. Heavy storm clouds rolled low and dark, and deep within them pale lightning tore silently through the darkness.
"Yunchuan."
Jiraiya had put away his usual casual air, his face more serious than ever as rain plastered his white hair to his body. "I am here," Yunchuan Hyuga replied softly.
"Remember, do only what you can handle," Jiraiya said, lips pressed tight as he warned him. "Your plan is solid, and Kumogakure has not noticed anything yet, but safety comes first."
"I understand," Yunchuan Hyuga said with a nod. "For Konoha, we will not fail." His answer was brief, as if any further promise would be unnecessary.
The reply stirred Jiraiya slightly, and the looks in the eyes of the others shifted as well. Yunchuan Hyuga turned to Kakashi Hatake, whose Sharingan was fixed on the distant clouds, and after noticing the glance, Kakashi Hatake nodded once. Then Yunchuan Hyuga angled his body and swept his gaze over the dozen or so people behind him, raising his voice.
"Everyone, are you ready?"
Each person stood beside a Flying Ninja Beast, and every face showed a mix of tension, excitement, and resolve. Just thinking about what they were about to do made their bodies tremble. One by one, their burning gazes gathered on Yunchuan Hyuga, on the young boy who would lead them to make their mark.
"Assault Squad is in position!" the leading Jonin said, licking his lips in excitement. The entire camp seemed to hold its breath as rain struck their Goggles and Forehead Protectors, the tapping sound becoming the only background noise. Even patrolling ninja stopped moving, their eyes drawn to those figures.
In the next moment, two lines of white light suddenly stretched out from behind Yunchuan Hyuga. What appeared before everyone was a pair of massive wings, each feather clear and layered, their edges glowing with a soft white light. The sight held the camp in silence.
"Move out!"
As Yunchuan Hyuga spoke, the white wings behind him beat downward in a smooth and controlled motion. A powerful wave of air pressed down, forcing the pooled rainwater on the ground into a clear, hollowed ring. The curtain of rain was blown aside as tent flaps snapped violently, and Yunchuan Hyuga shot upward into the air.
Under looks of expectation, shock, and awe, the white figure rose with a steady and solemn bearing, carving an upward path through the dim rain. The others followed in their own ways, charging up through the cold downpour toward the heavy storm clouds. All that remained on the ground was rain briefly forced apart by wind pressure before closing again, and a group of Konoha ninja standing silent as waves of feeling churned inside them.
Jiraiya clenched his fist, his eyes tracking the shrinking figures in the sky as complex emotions crossed his face. Yunchuan Hyuga's composure, talent, and planning even moved him deeply. There was no doubt this was another hope granted to Konoha, just as Minato Namikaze once had been.
But if Yunchuan's plan truly succeeded, he would become someone countless Kumogakure ninja would hate. When that happened, Kumogakure's Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito Nii, would surely fall into madness and hold nothing back. Jiraiya muttered under his breath that they had to return safely, then turned sharply and walked back into the tent, his resolve firming.
The storm clouds pressed low over the battlefield of the Land of the Moon. Rain no longer splashed into clear water but into dark red mud mixed with blood and scorched earth. The ground had been torn apart by Ninjutsu and explosions, with rain flowing through blackened craters and trenches to form foul, pink-tinged streams.
As far as the eye could see, broken Kunai and Shuriken were buried in the mud, and bodies lay scattered like discarded trash in filth and standing water. The border of the Land of the Moon had become a mire of blood and fire. Flames, smoke, and rain tangled together across the ruined land.
"Cloud Style, Flame Sever!"
Atsui swung his flame-wreathed blade and burned an onrushing Konoha ninja to ash, then panted as he scanned his surroundings. The air he breathed was thick with choking smoke, the heavy sweetness of blood, and the stench of burned flesh. Every breath felt like forcing a lump of cold, soaked cloth into his lungs, wet and freezing yet painfully hot.
The attacks from Konoha came like a raging tide, crashing again and again into the Kumogakure defenses with roars and screams. This assault was even fiercer than the previous ones. "Hot, hot, hot!" Atsui shouted, rain striking his face as heat waves scorched his skin.
He knocked back another Konoha ninja and rasped, "Have those bastards from Konoha gone insane?" They were using far too many Explosive Tags this time. As the thought crossed his mind, explosions boomed like war drums, red fireballs blooming before being smothered by rain.