Smack! The Raikage, shrouded in crackling lightning, charged forward, his hand forming a bde that sshed downward.

  Lightning Oppression: Heavenly Bance!

  (Note: Lightning Oppression: Horizontal Bance is a sweeping hand bde attack, while Heavenly Bance is a vertical ssh.)

  Ssh! The Hellhound with three heads was split cleanly in half from the middle head by the lightning-infused strike.

  Stopping a short distance away, the Raikage sneered, "Hmph, nothing but weaklings!"

  "Raikage-sama, watch out behind you!!!" The panicked shouts of the observing Kumogakure shinobi rang out.

  "Huh!?"

  The Raikage instinctively tried to turn his head to see what was happening, but his injured neck refused to obey.

  Smack!!!

  A cwed paw struck him from behind, sending him flying. After rolling several times, he nded unscathed, only to see what had happened behind him.

  The Hellhound that had been split apart by Heavenly Bance had now become two!

  The Raikage's eyes widened in shock and anger. "What the hell is going on!?"

  Howl!! The hounds lunged at him again!

  He leapt backward to evade, his hand bde sshing downward once more.

  Crack!

  The head of one hound fell to the ground, but its body writhed, sprouting new limbs and a torso. Under the Raikage's astonished gaze, two fresh heads emerged from its shoulders!

  As for the decapitated hound, it simply grew a brand-new head!

  Howl!!

  Now, three Hellhounds with nine heads and eighteen Rinnegan eyes gred at the Raikage, snarling as they charged at him in unison.

  The Raikage's hair stood on end. "You've got to be kidding me!!!"

  This scene, unfolding through the shared vision of the Rinnegan, was observed by Naruto.

  He sighed, "The Raikage really has terrible luck. Of all the creatures, he had to pick the one that counters him the most."

  Konan asked, "What happened?"

  Naruto replied, "The Raikage is currently fighting my Hellhound."

  Konan said, "Ah, that infinitely splitting canine summon? Without targeting the summoner, the only solutions are sealing it with strong techniques or sustained area attacks, like that Uchiha boy's Amaterasu, or something like a Tailed Beast Bomb to obliterate it in one blow. Otherwise, it's practically invincible."

  Naruto shook his head with a faint smile. "But the Raikage has none of those. It's not something he can handle."

  "Die!! Die!!! Just die already!!! I'll see how many of you I can split!!!"

  With his Lightning Release Chakra Mode fully activated, the Raikage ferociously attacked the Hellhound.

  "Raikage-sama!! Please calm down! If this continues, their numbers will only grow!!!"

  As the Raikage stubbornly cshed with the Hellhound, battles raged across Kumogakure.

  ---

  A massive centipede, tens of meters long, slithered nimbly between buildings.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Kumogakure shinobi surrounded it in several yers, bombarding it with kunai and explosive tags, but to no avail.

  The centipede's body was too tough, exceeding the explosive tags' destructive capabilities.

  "This isn't working!!"

  Seeing their attacks fail, a Kumogakure jonin grabbed his sword, infused it with Lightning Release, and used the Body Flicker Technique to ssh at the creature.

  Ssh!

  A shallow cut appeared.

  "Lightning Release paired with kenjutsu works, but it can't deal a fatal blow!!"

  "Damn it! If only Raikage-sama were here, he could crush this monster!!"

  "There's no time to compin. Let's create an opening together. All kenjutsu specialists, focus your attacks!"

  "Understood!!"

  One team of Kumogakure shinobi executed their jutsu:

  Water Release: Water Formation Wall!

  Whoosh! A wall of water surged upward, crashing against the centipede.

  Another team followed up with their jutsu:

  Lightning Release: Shockwave!

  Crackle! Lightning coursed through the water, paralyzing the centipede.

  "The monster is immobilized!! Attack its weak points!!!"

  Ssh! Ssh! Ssh!

  One by one, the kenjutsu specialists unched coordinated Lightning-infused sshes.

  Ssh! Ssh! Ssh!

  Deep and shallow wounds appeared, even severing some of its appendages, but the centipede remained unfazed.

  "This thing... does it not feel pain!?"

  The Shockwave wore off, and the centipede thrashed its massive body.

  The shinobi clinging to it were all flung off!!!

  "Damn it!! What kind of monster is this!?"

  "Our combined efforts worked earlier. Keep it restrained and wear it down. We can kill it eventually!!!"

  The centipede's Rinnegan gred coldly at the shinobi below. Suddenly, green liquid sprayed from its mouth, spreading into a mist!

  The surrounding Kumogakure shinobi froze in pce.

  "My body won't move!?"

  "A paralyzing toxin!! Damn it..."

  "Raikage-sama, we've done our best!!"

  Thud! Thud! Thud!

  One by one, they colpsed, losing their ability to fight.

  ---

  Meanwhile, Samui, Omoi, and Karui, having evacuated the civilians, arrived at the battlefield's edge.

  Smoke and explosions filled the air. Omoi, biting his lollipop, looked grim. "This is terrifying. I can only imagine what Konoha went through."

  Omoi and Karui had previously delivered the Five Kage Summit invitation to Konoha and witnessed the aftermath of its destruction.

  As for Samui, though she hadn't seen Konoha's devastation, she had recently suffered personal loss.

  Her brother, Atsui, had fallen at the hands of Obito not long ago.

  Step.

  Samui, her golden hair and fair skin glistening, stood tall. Known across the shinobi world for her beauty rivaling Tsunade's, she was now filled with uncharacteristic fury.

  She marched toward the source of the explosions.

  "Samui-taichou!!" Karui called out.

  "I have to find that masked bastard who dared impersonate me and deceive everyone!" Samui decred.

  She was still bitter about Naruto's earlier disguise, even though she didn't know him personally.

  Rustle! Rustle!

  "Ahh!!"

  Suddenly, her body was lifted into the air, as if ensnared by something!

  Omoi and Karui froze in shock.

  Sizzle!!

  From the shadows emerged a monster—a chameleon-like creature with bulging eyes and elongated Rinnegan pupils that rotated erratically.

  Slurp! Slurp!!

  Its long, sticky tongue, tipped with a fleshy bulb, coiled around Samui, tightening its grip. The slimy saliva dripped down its tongue.

  "Mmnh! Kuruushi...!" Samui squeezed her eyes shut, her face flushed red from ck of air, her expression one of unbearable pain.

  The sight left Omoi momentarily stunned, a blush creeping onto his dark cheeks.

  Karui snapped, "What are you doing!? Save the captain, now!!"

  "R-right!!"

  Omoi snapped out of it, unsheathing his bde. With a sharp ssh, he severed the chameleon's tongue.

  Karui drew her own sword.

  Secret Technique: Cloud Flow Sequential Ssh!

  Ssh! Ssh! Ssh!

  Lightning struck the chameleon's back, followed by three powerful sword strikes.

  Poof!!

  The chameleon vanished in a puff of white smoke.

  Thud!

  Samui, now free, colpsed onto the sticky ground, gasping for air.

  Karui sheathed her sword and asked with concern, "Samui-taichou, are you alright!?"

  Omoi, meanwhile, thought to himself, "That scene just now... if sensei had seen it, he'd have been over the moon."

  ---

  High above, atop a bird, Naruto raised his left hand, a mysterious smile pying on his lips.

  Konan asked, "What is it? Something good?"

  "Nothing. Just a small dream from long ago, finally fulfilled," Naruto replied, lowering his hand as his gaze shifted downward.

  Whoosh!

  A summoning bird flew swiftly toward them, carrying a dark-skinned Kumogakure shinobi. With a flip, he nded on the cy bird's back.

  "Vilin! You will not desecrate our home any further!!"

  With those resolute words, he drew his short sword, crackling with wind and lightning.

  Cloud Style: Crescent Moon Ssh!

  Beneath his mask, Naruto's lips curved into a faint smile. "Good timing."

  Announcement

  The new chapter is now avaible! Additionally, the test Patreon early-access chapters have been updated to Chapter121Thank you all for enjoying this work!patreon.com/DarkGolds