"""
(A/n) - I know many people will curse me for not showing Obito's reaction, but please be patient. I will reveal everything in due time. So, continue reading; I will show you the very best.
"""
The night was still. Leaves fluttered with the cold wind. Everyone at the camp was sleeping, except a few chunins and jonins who were still guarding the perimeter. With all Hyuga members being called back, there was no proper way to detect enemy infiltration. Only the sensors remained, each having a range of about 1 km. While this was enough to prepare in advance, it required chakra, so the sensing was done every 15 to 20 minutes to allow them to recover.
During their patrol, two chunins were talking with a rare smile of relief on their faces.
"Man, after we sign the treaty tomorrow, we can finally leave and return to the village. It's been a long time since I saw my family," said Itaru.
"Indeed. I've also not seen my girlfriend in a long while... I was deployed to the front right after I asked her to be my girlfriend," said Jitara, his voice carrying a hint of sadness and longing.
"This war has dragged on too long... and it hasn't even been that long since the Second Ninja War," added Itaru.
"It's all thanks to Minato-san. If he hadn't stopped Iwa's bombing squad, we'd still be at war. Kumo might not have backed down either and agreed to the treaty," said Jitara with a grateful nod.
"Yes, it's all thanks to Mina—"
Thunk!
Before Itaru could finish, his head was suddenly pierced by a kunai, embedding deep into his skull. His body collapsed without a sound.
Startled, Jitara's eyes widened in horror, but his instincts quickly took over. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Ambush! Enemies from the northeast!"
His cry rang through the camp.
The sirens wailed.
Ninjas shot up from their slumber, already dressed and armed for battle, as was routine in wartime. Every shinobi slept like they might wake into combat at any second.
Nara Shikaku jolted awake at the alarm and immediately barked, "Quickly! Move to Minato's tent and wake him up!" He grabbed his gear and ran toward the frontlines.
He was quickly joined by Akimichi Torifu and his younger brother Yuma.
"Shikaku! What's the situation? And where is Minato?" asked Yuma as they rushed.
"I don't know. I ordered someone to wake him. He should be at the front by now," Shikaku replied, his voice sharp with urgency.
The three dashed to the northern wall—and were stunned.
A sea of Kumo shinobi surged toward them like a flood, led by none other than the Fourth Raikage, Ay, himself. Alongside him, looming like a storm, was Killer Bee, the 8-Tails Jinchuriki.
Lightning flickered in the distance, casting eerie shadows over the battlefield. The ground trembled with the synchronized steps of the Kumo army.
Nara Shikaku's eyes narrowed. He quickly issued orders."Focus on defense! Use long-range jutsu to stall them!" he turned to Torifu, "Torifu-san! I need you to hold off Killer Bee. As for the Raikage, Minato will—"
But just then, a panicked messenger arrived, breathless."Shikaku-san! Minato-sama is not in his tent! He left his special kunai behind. I tried to sense him, but… he's nowhere nearby. Not within at least a kilometer."
Shikaku's expression turned grim, his mind racing.
"If he's not here… then where is he?"
There was no time to think about that. If he is not here, then there might be some important task assigned to him. Shikaku clenched his fists. I need to stall time for his return... but it's not defined when he'll return. And stalling time when we're facing the Raikage and a Jinchuriki, along with this much force... it will be disastrous.
He shook his head sharply and closed his eyes for a brief second, gathering all his thoughts. The weight of command bore down on his shoulders like a mountain. Then, with resolution, he opened his eyes and turned to Torifu.
"Torifu-san… we will retreat."
Those words hit like a thunderclap.
Torifu, Yuma, and the nearby ninja stared in disbelief.
Yuma was the first to voice it. "Shikaku! Do you know what you're saying? If we retreat now, we'll lose our front base! They might even chase us deeper into the Land of Fire!"
"I know, Yuma," Shikaku said firmly, his jaw tight. "But defending against two Kage-level shinobi with this little force is suicide. We'll only be handing them our heads one by one."
He turned again to the towering Akimichi."Torifu-san… please. I ask you to help stall their advance. Just enough… for us to gain at least a two-kilometer lead."
Torifu remained silent for a moment. The wind howled in the background. He already knew the cost. There were zero chances of him making it out alive. Even with his strength, holding off both a Jinchuriki and a Kage was not something even he could handle and walk away from.
But then, his eyes narrowed, and a fierce determination sparked in them.
"Don't worry. I'll hold them back. Just focus on getting everyone out."
Shikaku gave a rare, grateful smile."Everyone, RETREAT! Head to the Land of Fire! Hurry!"
Confused murmurs broke out at first among the Konoha shinobi. But trained for war, they quickly snapped into motion. Footsteps thundered as shinobi began their retreat, leaving their tents, scrolls, and even weapons behind if they had to. The priority now was escape.
But their enemy… was not one to allow it.
As soon as the retreat started, a loud crackling tore through the night, lightning armor flared like a living flame as the Raikage, Ay, dashed forward. The second fastest man alive.
In mere seconds, he was already at the gates.
Several layers of Earth Walls and chakra-triggered traps stood in his way. But Ay didn't stop. With raw power humming through his muscles, he let out a fierce roar and surged forward with
"Lightning Release: Lariat!"
A deafening crash echoed across the valley. The walls shattered like glass. Traps detonated in bursts of chakra, but did nothing. Smoke and debris were scattered everywhere. And through it emerged Raikage Ay, untouched, unbroken.
Many Konoha shinobi, seeing that sight, felt their hearts drop. Some ran from fear, others from sheer instinct. The enemy had arrived.
And in front of them all stood one man.
Akimichi Torifu.
Body planted firm, feet like stone roots, his massive form cast an imposing silhouette against the burning camp. Eyes burning with unwavering resolve.
From across the battlefield, Raikage Ay glared.
"Oh? So you're the fool they left behind? Holding the line for the flooding tree-huggers?" he scoffed, voice laced with venom. "Cowards. Letting one comrade hold the retreat while they run for their lives."
Torifu smirked. Not a hint of fear in his voice.
"If they are cowards…" he said, taking a solid fighting stance, chakra starting to swell through his limbs, "…then when your Kage was the one holding the line for you, maybe you rats were the ones leaving your leader behind."
Raikage's eyes narrowed. Bee stood beside him, silent, but his cloak was starting to bubble.
Torifu's shadow loomed large.
Tonight, he would hold the line. Even if it meant he would never return.
With a flash, the Raikage blitzed forward. In the blink of an eye, his lightning armor flared, and he delivered a piston-punch to Torifu's gut. The impact sent a shockwave that split the nearby rocks, but Torifu didn't budge. Instead, he grinned.
"Heavy, but I've carried worse."
BOOM! Torifu's club swung in a wide arc, the sheer force ripping the wind from the pass. A duck and counter from A, followed by a high-kick crackling with chakra, grazed Torifu's temple, but the Akimichi twisted, catching the leg midair.
"Gotcha!"
He SLAMMED the Raikage into the earth, shaking the valley. Trees bent. Birds scattered. The shockwave crushed a boulder to dust.
Raikage A burst upward mid-slam using a lightning pulse, his body launching like a cannonball. He spun midair and shot down like a meteor, fists extended.
"Lightning Guillotine!"
Torifu crossed his arms, taking the hit. Sparks flew. Cracks spidered beneath his boots. Blood trailed from his nose, but he stood.
"Partial Multi-Size Jutsu!"
His right arm expanded massively, and with a bellow, he smashed down. The Raikage dodged quickly, but the blow obliterated the pass, separating him from the retreating shinobi above.
"I told you," Torifu said, panting. "You're not getting past me."
Lightning sizzled across the fog. The Raikage narrowed his eyes.
"Then I'll bury you right here."
A flash of chakra lit the sky, eight tendrils of ink-black energy lashed through the air as Killer Bee, still a teenager but already a deadly jinchūriki, landed in a spinning crouch beside his brother.
"Yo! Big bro, I'm in the flow, time to drop the foe, put on a show!"He gave a thumbs-up, then pointed at Torifu. "I got this one, go chase the run!"
Raikage A's eyes narrowed, then nodded grimly.
"Hold him. I'll finish this war right now."
With a thunderclap, A vanished, heading straight toward the retreating Konoha forces.
Torifu's heart thundered louder than the storm. He turned, his fists still smoking. But before he could give chase—BAM! Killer Bee's chakra tentacles wrapped around his arms and legs.
"Now-now, big man. Time to chill while I thrill!" Bee rapped mid-spin, unleashing a taijutsu barrage while lashing with ink blades.
Torifu snarled, muscles bulging. "You think I'll let him hurt my comrades?!"
He reached into his pouch. Three pills… but one stood out, glowing crimson. The Three-Colored Pill, the final one. The Red Chili Pill.
"Forgive me, Choji… but I can't let him pass."
He popped the pill.
A shockwave of chakra exploded from his body. Veins bulged, eyes glowed red. His already-massive form tripled in bulk, bones cracking, muscles distorting as steam hissed from every pore.
"Super Multi-Size Jutsu! Secret Akimichi Technique… RAGING MOUNTAIN WALL!"
He grew into a towering titan, shaking the earth. Killer Bee's tentacles snapped, forced to disengage as he backflipped.
"WHOA! Bro's beefed up like a whole dang hill, yo, this about to get ill!"
But Torifu was already on him. He slammed his fists, each the size of small cottages, trying to pin Bee under pure mass and force.
Killer Bee activated Version 1 Cloak, red shroud glowing, barely dodging the falling avalanche of chakra-infused flesh.
"You fight good, Leaf dude," Bee admitted, "but you're burning too hot, what's the mood?"
Torifu's skin was steaming red, eyes wild, mouth frothing.
"As long as I stand here, he'll never touch them."
He grabbed Bee mid-dash and BODY-SLAMMED him into the canyon wall, rocks collapsing like an avalanche. Bee roared, his cloak flaring higher, but Torifu pressed his forearm down, using every ounce of his super-charged weight.
"My life… for their future…"
Up the pass, Raikage A could only hear the echoing shockwaves and roars behind him, but he didn't turn back.
"Hold him, Bee. I'll deal with the Leaf."
The Earth exploded.
Raikage A, a bolt of pure destruction, landed ahead of the retreating column, steam hissing from his armor and chakra surging off him like a second storm.
The shinobi screeched to a halt.
At the front stood Shikaku Nara, his keen eyes narrowing. Beside him, his older brother Yūma Nara, was calm but tense. Behind them clustered remnants of the Ino-Shika-Chō, two Uchiha with spinning Sharingan, and a handful of clanless but brave genin and chūnin, breathing hard and holding kunai with trembling hands.
"We hold here," Shikaku muttered, forming a hand seal. "If he gets through us, he'll slaughter the wounded."
Yūma exhaled deeply. "We've fought worse. Well… maybe not."
Raikage A stepped forward, eyes locked on Shikaku.
"A Nara? You'd have better odds throwing shadows at the wind."
Shikaku smirked. "I'm not throwing them. I'm laying a net."
"Formation 4 – Ino-Shika-Chō!" Yūma barked.
The battle erupted.
Two Akimichi expanded into partial Multi-Size Mode, fists slamming down to disrupt Raikage's footing. Ino's clan member launched a Mind Body Switch Technique, aiming to stall him, while Shikaku's shadow crawled through the rain-slick rocks like a predator.
Uchiha fireballs roared, lighting the mist red, while Yūma hurled chakra-suppressed explosive tags into the trees to create a cage of flame and concussive bursts.
Raikage A didn't dodge.
He tore through it.
Lightning burst from his shoulders. He clotheslined an Akimichi, his body spiraling off into the fog. He backhanded the Mind Transfer user mid-chant. Then,
Shikaku's shadow caught his foot.
"Now!" Shikaku barked.
Yūma, from above, had set up a Shadow Sewing Technique into the terrain, spears of shadow erupted from the ground, impaling into Raikage's legs and arms briefly. The Uchiha launched simultaneous Great Fireballs, and a Yamanaka unleashed a genjutsu pulse.
Boom.
An explosion of chakra shattered it all. Raikage roared, muscle and lightning breaking through everything.
"Clever. Not enough."
His body flickered straight toward Shikaku—
—But a clanless shinobi shoved him aside, taking the full hit.
He died instantly.
Shikaku hit the ground, blood on his forehead.
Yūma dragged him back, shaking. "Get up! We're not done yet!"
"No…" Shikaku groaned, eyes unfocused. "We're done... if no one arrives now..."
A crack of lightning overhead revealed Raikage A walking toward them, burnt but breathing steadily, like a storm given form.
"You're brave," he said. "But bravery won't stop me."
Suddenly—
A flash of chakra behind them.
Torifu's voice echoed, faint and broken from the distance.
"Shikaku… run…!"
Flashback to Torifu vs Killer Bee
Torifu Akimichi's massive body trembled under the weight of the Red Chili Pill's power. His flesh steamed, his muscles warped unnaturally as his Super Multi-Size Form pushed the limits of what even his clan could endure.
But still, Killer Bee wasn't done.
Shrouded in Version 1 Cloak, Bee's eight chakra tails whipped like lightning, slashing deep gashes in Torifu's arms and shoulders as the Akimichi giant tried to pin him down.
"Yo, big boy, your time is done! The storm's too fast, and I'm the gun!" Bee rapped, voice almost sorrowful.
Torifu let out a roar, blood dribbling from his mouth. His eyes glowed red, not from rage, but from the sheer strain of pushing beyond his limits.
"You're fast… but I'm the wall… and walls don't fall…"
He slammed both fists down, causing the mountain ridge to buckle, huge slabs of stone tumbling down and cutting off the path Raikage had taken. But Bee had already wrapped a chakra tail around his leg and yanked.
The titan collapsed to one knee.
"No…" Torifu gasped, staring toward the upper path. "They'll die… if I let him reach them…"
Bee surged upward, charging a bijū-enhanced Lariat, his cloak spiraling into red fire. "Then sleep, brave soul, your part's complete!"
CRACK!
The Lariat hit Torifu square in the ribs. Bones shattered. The mountain shook. Torifu coughed blood, his form shrinking, beginning to lose size and mass from chakra exhaustion.
But his hand, shaking, grabbed Bee's wrist just as the jinchūriki was about to leap after the Raikage.
"No…" Torifu muttered again, lifting Bee into the air with raw will alone. "I'M NOT DONE YET!!!"
He slammed Bee into the ground, causing a massive crater. Then, using the last remnants of the pill's energy, he activated the Akimichi's forbidden compression technique, turning what mass he had left into pure binding pressure.
His body deflated, collapsing on Bee, pinning him down with a thousand tons of agony.
"You… will not… pass…"
Bee snarled, chakra surging, but even his tailed beast cloak began to falter under the crushing weight. His eyes widened.
"Damn… this dude's built like an avalanche…"
Torifu's heartbeat slowed. His mind faded. But before unconsciousness took him, he whispered toward the sky.
"Shikaku… run…"
Shikaku Nara, blood matting his hair, pushed himself to his feet. His eyes were half-lidded but burning with calculation. Yūma stood in front of him, kunai drawn in both hands, shadows already stretching in anticipation.
Across from them stood Raikage A, bruised, scorched, but unstoppable.Lightning danced across his chest and arms like a living cloak.
The Uchiha duo flanked the Nara brothers, both with their Sharingan spinning, one with a severed arm, the other barely able to stand.
Behind them, Ino-Shika-Chō remnants covered the wounded and non-combatants.
"You heard that?" Yūma muttered.
Shikaku's eyes flicked toward the pass behind them. "Torifu bought us time... just enough."
"Then let's make it count."
The Raikage cracked his neck.
"Still standing? You Konoha types love dragging your deaths out."
Suddenly, Shikaku raised a hand.
"Not death," he whispered.
"Checkmate."
The ground erupted.
From beneath the Raikage, a delayed shadow trap activated. Shikaku had extended it earlier using the muddy water and scorched terrain to camouflage it. Dozens of thin shadow threads surged, temporarily binding his limbs.
"NOW!" Yūma shouted.
A barrage was launched.The Uchiha both unleashed synchronized Katon: Hōsenka Tsumabeni (Phoenix Sage Fire with shuriken), laced with exploding tags.A Yamanaka pushed a short burst of Mind Confusion Technique, just enough to disrupt Raikage's next chakra surge.An Akimichi hurled a massive boulder, enhanced with Partial Expansion.
The whole mountain glowed red.
Raikage roared, chakra exploding in a flash, but slower this time. He was hurt, chakra-worn, forced to defend rather than blitz.
Shikaku, with his last strength, knelt.
"Release technique: Shadow Web Collapse."
The trap folded inward, compressing around A for two seconds.
Long enough for Yūma to charge in, kunai drawn, and slam a sealing tag onto Raikage's left arm, cutting off a portion of his lightning armor.
The Raikage's eyes widened. His arm dropped. Sluggish.
"You're… gambling your lives…"
The trap bought enough time to retreat.
The last of the Konoha rear guard had vanished into the mist-choked trail. Only Shikaku and Yūma Nara, bruised and panting, ran side by side, blood dripping from wounds, chakra low, eyes wild.
Behind them, the world was thunder.
"We bought enough time," Yūma muttered.
Shikaku nodded once. "Let's just—"
CRACK.
A bolt of lightning surged through the mist.
Raikage A, eyes glowing with fury, appeared like a living bolt of judgment, his fist cocked back, aimed straight for Shikaku's spine.
"Commander dies," he growled. "That's how wars end."
Shikaku didn't even have time to turn.
But Yūma did.
With no hesitation, he stepped between them, arms wide, shadow twitching too slow to react, and Raikage's lightning-armored punch rammed clean through his ribs.
Bones cracked. Blood sprayed.
Raikage's fist burst through Yūma's back, just inches from Shikaku's face.
Shikaku froze.Eyes wide.Mouth open in silent agony.
"Y-Yūma—!"
Yūma's head tilted.Blood filled his mouth, but he smiled gently.
"Heh... I finally outmaneuvered you... big brother…"
His fingers twitched in a familiar seal. A single word passed his lips:
"Take care of Akira… for me…"
His left hand trembled, "Kai."
BOOM.
Hundreds of tiny glimmers lit up, sealing tags, buried across his chest, waist, and back, glued into his uniform, long-prepared.
A blinding white explosion consumed both him and Raikage A.
The mountain trembled. Trees ignited. Stones shattered. Thunder was silenced by the roar of flame.
Shikaku was thrown backward, and smoke covered everything.
He hit the ground hard, skidding through mud, choking on tears and ash.
"YUMA!!!"
As the smoke cleared, all that remained was a burning crater, blackened and scorched, and a faint lightning pulse barely flickering in the center.
Raikage A had been blasted back, his cloak torn, left side burnt, blood pouring from his arm and shoulder. He stood, barely.
He looked down.
Then… turned his back and disappeared into the haze without another word.
Shikaku crawled forward. Hands shaking. He reached the rim of the crater, and nothing remained of Yūma but his hitae-ate, broken and scorched.
He picked it up, pressing it to his forehead, tears mixing with rain.
"I'll protect Akira…"
"""
Chapter Length-3200 words
"""