Boom!
The earth erupted like thunder, a muffled shockwave rippling outward in all directions in a perfect circle.
Chijō brushed aside a flying rock the size of a fist with a casual wave of his hand, narrowing his eyes toward the source of the explosion.
A moment later, another figure landed beside him.
Chijō's expression was full of disbelief. "I never thought the Uchiha clan would produce such a terrifying monster. I've never seen Ai's Lightning Release: Furious Thunder Axe fail twice."
Kurojō's face was tense. "That impact… it reminded me of the time Ai and B fought each other at full strength."
Chijō nodded slightly. "No wonder Ai issued an S-rank kill-on-sight order for that Uchiha brat."
Kurojō added, "Chijō, just now I sensed an enormous chakra surge coming from that kid. You think… could he be Konoha's new Jinchūriki?"
At that, Chijō's eyes flickered, and a sly grin crept onto his face.
"No… impossible. The village's spies haven't yet discovered who Konoha's new Jinchūriki is, but it can't be him. Don't forget—he's an Uchiha. I doubt that old man, the Third Hokage, would be foolish enough to hand a tailed beast to them."
The Cloud had long known, through their hidden agents, of the tension between the Uchiha clan and Konoha's leadership.
Just then, Kurojō's eyes suddenly widened.
The rolling smoke and dust were blown away by a powerful gust of wind, revealing two figures locked together—Uchiha Yuan and the Fourth Raikage.
Blood dripped steadily from the Raikage's body. His eyes bulged wide in shock as he looked down at Uchiha Yuan. "This… this is Two-Finger Spear! No—this isn't…"
The Raikage's right arm, still cloaked in lightning from his Lightning Release: Lariat, was raised defensively before his chest—but Uchiha Yuan's left hand, two fingers extended like a sword, had pierced clean through his forearm.
In that fleeting instant, Uchiha Yuan's two-fingered strike had met the Raikage's lightning blade head-on.
The technique reminded the Raikage of his father—the Third Raikage—and his ultimate "strongest spear" attack: Four-Finger Thrust.
Slash!
Uchiha Yuan withdrew his hand, and a fountain of blood sprayed forth.
The Raikage staggered back several steps. A gaping hole now marred his right forearm—and another deep, bleeding wound opened on the right side of his chest.
Blood trickled down the corner of his mouth as he fixed his gaze on Uchiha Yuan. "What… what do you call that technique?"
That two-finger thrust had not only shattered the Lightning Lariat—it had gone straight through and pierced his chest.
Uchiha Yuan exhaled slowly. "It doesn't have a name. But since you're asking…" His eyes hardened. "Let's call it Heaven Breaker."
The Raikage barked a rough laugh. "To shatter my Lightning Lariat… the name Heaven Breaker is well earned. Uchiha Yuan—" his grin widened despite the blood "—you've earned more of my respect than Konoha's Fourth Hokage ever did."
Electric arcs leapt and danced across his body as he used lightning itself to cauterize his wounds.
Uchiha Yuan's chest rose and fell heavily. Beneath his skin, faint streams of chakra light flickered as his body began knitting itself back together.
Right now, his body was like a fragile porcelain vessel—cracked and straining. The tremendous shock from clashing head-on with the Raikage had sent violent vibrations through his flesh, bones, and even his organs.
At the Raikage's words, Uchiha Yuan managed a faint smile. "You flatter me. The Fourth Hokage—the Yellow Flash—is not someone I can compare to."
The Raikage grinned broadly. "The Yellow Flash, huh… He caused us no small trouble on the battlefield—a massive threat, no doubt. But in my eyes, he's not your equal."
He had fought Minato Namikaze before. Neither had been able to defeat the other. The Raikage admitted that the man's strength was impressive—but only that.
Minato's mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique gave him unmatched speed and deadly precision. On the battlefield, he could flicker in and out of existence, striking down enemies in a blur of golden light.
But even though Minato's speed was godlike, his attacks had never been able to seriously harm the Raikage.
Likewise, the Raikage's raw power could never land a blow on the Yellow Flash.
Still, had a single one of his hits ever connected, Minato would not have left the field alive.
Swish!
Suddenly, Chijō flashed to Uchiha Yuan's side, slashing at him with his sword.
Uchiha Yuan leapt high into the air, narrowly avoiding the ambush—
—but in that instant, a thick black bolt of lightning shot upward from below!
Boom!
The blast struck him squarely, slamming his body back into the ground with bone-crushing force.
"Hah, Ai," Chijō said with a chuckle, "what a rare sight. I've never seen you looking this battered before."
The Fourth Raikage snorted coldly, his sharp eyes never leaving the spot where Uchiha Yuan had fallen. "Don't underestimate him. That boy won't go down so easily."
Chijō smirked. "Heh. From what I see, that little brat's already at his limit."
Before the words had even left his mouth, a shrill whistle split the air.
Chijō instinctively swung his blade forward—clashing against a streak of black light that flew toward him.
Bang!
The impact cracked the air. Chijō was forced a step back, staring down at his sword—now marked by a jagged chip.
"Damn it—my Kuroyomaru!" he growled, glaring ahead in fury.
Out of the settling dust, Uchiha Yuan stepped forward, clutching a single kunai.
Thin trails of smoke rose from his scorched body, his skin blackened and charred in patches.
Lightning Release: Black Spot Ground Strider.
The air crackled again as a surge of lightning chakra filled the field.
Kurojō clasped his hands into a seal, sending a pulse of energy into the ground.
In an instant, countless black lightning streaks raced along the terrain, converging toward Uchiha Yuan from every direction.
Uchiha Yuan kicked off the earth, soaring upward—then flicked his wrist, hurling three kunai straight at the trio of Cloud shinobi.
Almost simultaneously, the lightning converged below him, shaping into a massive black panther that leapt upward with a roar.
Uchiha Yuan twisted in midair, stepping on air as he spun—then brought his leg down in a whiplike arc to meet the charging beast.
Boom!
Thunder exploded across the battlefield, black lightning scattering like wild serpents.
Uchiha Yuan crashed to the ground, landing on one knee, coughing up a mouthful of blood.
Damn it… my body's not strong enough. It can't hold out much longer.
He looked up through blurred vision—and saw the Fourth Raikage, Chijō, and Kurojō closing in, surrounding him.
The Raikage's voice rumbled like thunder. "Uchiha Yuan—you're the first enemy I've ever truly respected."
Lightning surged around him again, wrapping his right arm until it became a gleaming blade of thunder.
In the next heartbeat, he charged forward, his hand slicing through the air like a sword.
Lightning Release: Horizontal Thunder Slash!
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