The leaden clouds gathered unnoticed, forming a dense layer that blocked out the sunlight, as if unwilling to witness the bloodshed on the ground below. The midday world appeared draped in a gloomy veil, and when the pristine snowflakes began to fall, everyone was startled into realization:
It was already winter.
The warm climate of the Land of Hot Water made it easy to forget the changing seasons. Perhaps back home, the world was already a snow-covered wonderland.
But Darui had no time to imagine how beautiful a snow-covered Hidden Cloud Village might look.
Every one of his brain cells was fully engaged in battle with Shisui. He didn't dare let his guard down for even a second. Despite using all his strength, he was still on the defensive against Shisui's relentless attacks. Every attempt to counter or create distance ended in failure.
If that were the only issue, Darui could still try to hold out.
The real problem was that, as the highest-ranking commander, his shadow clone, which he used to direct the battle, had been destroyed by another Uchiha. Konoha's ninja were now splitting up and hunting down his Cloud ninja with impunity, even though they had the numerical advantage.
However, in the world of ninja, numbers are just one factor in determining the strength of a side. What matters even more is individual power. A single Jonin can easily take on multiple Chunin, and a group of elite Jonin can sweep through hundreds of lower-ranked ninja.
This principle was evident in the past, like when Deidara and Sasori boldly infiltrated the Hidden Sand Village. Even though Gaara's defeat was partly due to the village's burdens, it was telling that, aside from Gaara, no one else in the vast village could step up to help.
Such examples abound.
In short, Konoha had fewer numbers—only about 300, which was less than a third of the Cloud forces—but they had many elite fighters. The Uchiha clan, in particular, had turned into a nightmare for the Cloud ninja, with two or three people unable to stop even one Uchiha.
Genjutsu, Fire Style, Shurikenjutsu… These were basic skills for every Uchiha. The more advanced ones had their own specialties, mastering techniques to an extraordinary degree. Their genjutsu was nearly impossible to defend against, their Fire Style devastating, and their shuriken techniques could even change direction mid-air.
The Third Great Ninja War had not revealed the full might of the Uchiha.
Now, Cloud was paying the price.
Uchiha… how could there be so many Uchiha?
Had they stirred up the entire Uchiha clan?
One of Darui's shadow clones had seen multiple pairs of Sharingan before being destroyed, many of which had fully matured to the three-tomoe state. The Cloud Village, like others, had long studied the Sharingan, knowing full well that a Uchiha with three tomoe could take on two Jonin-level opponents at once. The Uchiha were simply that overwhelming. With the Sharingan's genjutsu, it typically took two enemies of equal rank to match them, and if the Uchiha was particularly talented, they could handle three or even four opponents at once.
This overwhelming strength of the Uchiha single-handedly negated Cloud's numerical advantage.
Moreover, the Uchiha clan's full-scale mobilization meant their top fighters were completely overpowering Darui's subordinates.
"Lord C, the situation doesn't look good!"
"Damn it, why are there so many Uchiha?"
The large-scale battle between Konoha and the Cloud ninja had only been going on for five minutes, but the Cloud forces' confidence—thinking they'd defeat these Konoha ninja and head back to eat—had quickly given way to anxiety. "Why are there so many red eyes? These damn genjutsu are driving us crazy!" they muttered in frustration.
C's face was ashen.
This was completely outside his expectations. He had anticipated that Konoha would fight back with some confidence, but even if they were overwhelmed, he thought they could stall until reinforcements from the Raikage arrived. Yet Konoha's sheer determination and the number of Uchiha had taken them by surprise.
This wasn't a decision Hyūga Hiashi would have made. Hiashi had been commanding Konoha's forces for some time now, and although it would be an exaggeration to say they had fully understood his personality, they knew he was cautious and steady. He was like the heads of the great clans in Cloud Village, favoring stability and careful decision-making.
"Has Konoha changed commanders?"
C realized that Konoha's leadership had likely shifted.
However, this realization did nothing to change their current predicament.
"Lord C, if this continues, we won't hold out until reinforcements arrive. Do you have any plan?" A Cloud Jonin, covered in blood—mostly his own—came to C's side. He had managed to wound one Uchiha but had been slashed by another before he could finish the job. Supported by his comrades, he had retreated to C, seeking guidance.
Darui, the supreme commander, was still locked in battle with Shisui. His two prepared shadow clones had been destroyed, and many had tried to support him, but Konoha's Jonin, particularly the Uchiha, blocked their way. Every attempt to reach Darui had failed.
Having no other option, they turned to C for leadership.
The problem was that C had no answers either.
In ninja warfare, strategy and tactics had their place, but it often came down to raw strength. And in this chaotic skirmish, both sides were relying on their brute force.
"Hold on, Raikage-sama will send reinforcements soon," C said, trying to boost his troops' morale.
"Lord C, we can't hold out much longer."
The same Jonin responded, his face pale from blood loss. Though the wound hadn't killed him immediately, the continuous bleeding had left him dizzy, and he was becoming aware of his grim fate.
"I know you want to buy time, but Konoha's counterattack is too fierce. These Uchiha are just too strong. If we keep stalling, I'm afraid no one will survive long enough to tell Raikage-sama what happened here."
His words came out in strained breaths, as it was clear he wouldn't last much longer.
"But Darui is still holding on!" C frowned deeply, torn.
This Jonin was a veteran that Tsuchidai had recommended to support him and Darui. Having survived both the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars, he had been sent as an advisor to help the younger commanders avoid costly mistakes.
"At this point… it's better to retreat than face total annihilation. No matter what, saving the village is what matters most."
After saying this, he could no longer hold on. Blood sprayed from the haphazardly bandaged wounds on his body. The elderly Cloud Ninja did not die peacefully in bed but fell on the battlefield, just like his comrades who had gone before him.
"Retreat, retreat immediately," said Cee, steeling his heart and giving the order to withdraw.
However, he was quite clear-headed and did not broadcast this order widely. Instead, he led the group around him to retreat slowly. How to retreat is an art—if the retreat order were announced loudly, the situation, which was already unfavorable, would collapse immediately.
The only way to retreat was to do so quietly, without showing any signs.
As for abandoning so many comrades by doing this, it was an unavoidable decision. Without paying a steep enough price, there was no way they could escape under the watchful eyes of the Leaf Ninjas.
Then there was Darui...
Cee gritted his teeth, refusing to look at Darui, who was surrounded by layers of Uchiha Ninjas. As an exceptional sensory ninja, he knew that Darui was in big trouble, but he had no way to help him out of it—his only option was to flee!
To be honest, the Cloud Ninjas' movements didn't escape the attention of the Leaf Ninjas.
Cee's group was being watched!
However, Shisui was still locked in a fierce battle with Darui, and when the news reached Uchiha Fugaku, he took down two more Cloud Ninjas before pausing to think. After a moment, he said, "Let them go! The clan leader once said, 'The Uchiha's reputation is built on the corpses of the dead, but it also needs the tongues of the living to spread it.'"
And so, the Leaf Ninjas ignored Cee's retreat and focused all their energy on the remaining Cloud Ninjas.
"Surrender!" Shisui said to the defiant Darui. "You've already lost. If you're willing to surrender and have your subordinates cease resisting, I can guarantee their survival..." He didn't get a chance to finish, as Darui suddenly erupted with fierce resistance, despite his injuries, clearly showing his stance.
Surrender was absolutely impossible!
In the brief moment Shisui had relaxed, Darui was able to assess the current battle situation. It was evident that the Cloud Ninjas were facing a crushing defeat. He hadn't seen Cee's retreat, but the absence of his presence indicated either he was dead or had already fled.
Hopefully, it was the latter!
After realizing the current state of things, Darui wasn't swayed by Shisui's tempting words of surrender. Although he did value the lives of his subordinates, he was still a Cloud Ninja, and surrender was not an option. He would rather die here with his men than surrender.
Thus, his entire body glowed even brighter with lightning.
The violent lightning increased his movement speed again. Despite the damage to his body caused by the lightning, the Cloud Village's ninja techniques, centered around Lightning Release, involved using lightning to stimulate the body and continuously enhance its physical capabilities, thereby strengthening combat power.
But such enhancement required gradual progression.
If too strong a lightning current was used, it might lead to rapid improvement in the short term, but over time, the backlash would be inevitable. Darui could already feel his muscles and nerves crying out in agony.
But—
He couldn't care less about the future anymore!
All he could focus on was the present. With his movement speed dramatically increased, Darui finally managed to distance himself from Shisui. He formed a seal with one hand, and black lightning erupted from his body, gathering into the shape of a black lightning panther, which pounced at Shisui. This was the "Black Lightning" technique he inherited from the Third Raikage.
But that wasn't the end.
Darui didn't believe for a second that this move alone would defeat Shisui. He continued to retreat, trying to widen the gap. Suddenly, he felt a chill beneath his feet. Glancing down from the corner of his eye, he noticed that the ground had somehow turned into a water surface. Fortunately, his reflexes were sharp, and as soon as his feet touched the water, he released chakra, standing firmly on the water's surface.
The ripples he caused disturbed the reflection of a pair of crimson eyes on the water…
"Not good!"
Darui's face filled with fear.
His mind raced, quickly realizing the danger, but before his body could act on his brain's instructions, his consciousness became hazy. His eyelids grew heavy as if they weighed a thousand pounds, while his lower eyelids felt as if they were floating like helium balloons. A drowsiness forcibly overtook his mind.
"Demonic Illusion: Dragon Sleep Technique!"
Shisui blinked.
Looking at the fallen Darui, he shouted, "Someone come and restrain this guy. He's a big catch—we need to deliver him alive to the clan leader." As he spoke, Uchiha Mine and Uchiha Hachida rushed over, one from each side.
As senior members of the Konoha Police Force, both of them were skilled in sealing techniques for suppressing chakra. They also carried specialized ninja tools in their scrolls for chakra sealing. Together, they made quick work of binding Darui tightly.
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