Two instructors from the Ninja Academy shouted in disbelief.
Kazama Yue, a jōnin specializing in Wind Release, was a master of elemental manipulation—second only to the headmaster in strength among the academy's shinobi.
That Wind Release slash he just used could have sliced hardened steel clean in two.
And yet, it didn't even break the enemy's skin.
Sitting on the back of a massive bird, Sawada Fūka breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the Kumo-nin unharmed.
So this is the legendary Lightning Release Chakra Mode?
Totally broken...
"Raiton no Yoroi (Lightning Armor)," Kazama Yue muttered through clenched teeth, blood vessels creeping into his dark green eyes.
He'd never forget.
That flickering lightning-cloaked figure was a nightmare he'd sworn never to relive.
Bloodlust surged out from him, thick like it was being wrung from a soaked cloth.
"You know your stuff."
Yorugetsu Yū, bathed in lightning, grinned as the killing intent poured from Kazama. The electric light around him flared even brighter.
High offense, high defense, high speed, and incredible stamina—Lightning Release Chakra Mode, also known as the Lightning Armor, was considered the strongest taijutsu-enhancing technique in the world.
"Take the kids and get out of here. Leave this guy to me," Kazama ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
The two instructors quickly regrouped with Hinata and her team.
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Whoosh!
A sudden burst of lightning flashed through the air.
Yorugetsu Yū's massive body blinked forward, his hand glowing with Lightning Release as it formed a lethal knifehand strike aimed directly at one of the instructors' face.
The killing intent was unmistakable.
He was too fast. The instructor had no time to dodge—his body simply couldn't keep up.
All he could do was stare in frozen fear, waiting to be cleaved in two.
Fūton: Shinkūha! (Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!)
Kazama Yue, ready for this, formed hand signs in a flash. A blade of invisible wind slashed forward—not at Yorugetsu Yū, but at the giant elephant bird in the distance.
"Ahh!"
Sawada Fūka screamed in panic as the wind blade came straight at her.
Yorugetsu Yū's expression changed instantly.
With a thunderous stomp, he launched himself at the incoming vacuum blade.
Boom!
Thanks to the incredible speed granted by Lightning Chakra Mode, he intercepted the deadly wind slash with his own body just before it could strike the bird.
"You trying to die?"
The wind blade shattered against him.
Yorugetsu Yū was seething.
Kazama's jutsu couldn't break his defense—but that wasn't the case for the giant elephant bird.
If the bird died...
The entire Kumogakure mission would be ruined.
Their plan to capture the Byakugan would be reduced to a meaningless terrorist attack. That was unacceptable.
"Go!"
Both Kazama Yue and Yorugetsu Yū shouted at the same time.
The two surviving instructors, rattled but alive, took Hinata and her teammates and fled as fast as they could.
"Kazama-sensei! The enemy's lungs are seriously injured—that's his weak point!"
Hinata, who had been using her Byakugan the entire time, finally overcame her fear to relay crucial intel before leaving.
"Got it."
Kazama turned to Yorugetsu Yū, whose bare chest revealed a massive scar over his lungs.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The elephant bird flapped its wings powerfully, lifting Sawada Fūka into the sky.
"Beast, go find the Kyūbi Jinchūriki and that girl. Stall them. Once I'm done with this guy, I'll join you!"
"Understood."
The elephant bird soared into the sky, blending into the red clouds above.
Hinata and her team, along with the instructors, disappeared into the forest.
Rustle rustle...
A breeze stirred the trees. The chaotic forest suddenly fell silent.
The sun dipped below the horizon, leaving only the faintest afterglow.
Kazama Yue and Yorugetsu Yū locked eyes, their killing intent clashing in the air between them.
Storm versus Thunder.
A destined battle was about to begin.
Zero Training Ground – Central Area
"Watch out!"
Ino shouted, panic in her voice.
Suddenly, a strange powder descended from above, enveloping the five of them in a mist.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind swept through.
The mysterious dust was blown away, revealing all five of them unharmed.
Using Water Release chakra to filter air through a water membrane in their noses, they neutralized the drug-laced mist and breathed clean air again.
Hikari looked up at the sky.
Her Byakugan contracted as she zoomed in.
A giant gray bird hovered far above them. Perched on its back was a beautiful woman holding a small spyglass, peering down at them.
She looks familiar...
Where have I seen her before...?
Try as she might, Hikari couldn't remember the woman's name.
Must be some minor side character from the original story...
Judging from the falcon on the woman's shoulder, this had to be the one who'd been spying on them—likely the mastermind behind the unrest in the training grounds.
"Cough, cough—What the hell was that?"
Naruto clutched his mouth and nose, coughing uncontrollably.
Shikamaru, Bun'ya, and Chōji weren't faring much better.
Despite Hikari dispersing much of the powder with Wind Release, what remained still made it hard to breathe.
"There's a giant bird in the sky. Someone's riding it—probably the one behind all this," Hikari reported.
"Forget them for now—we need to move!"
Shikamaru had recovered and glanced warily at the bird above before making a quick decision.
The airborne powder clearly affected the forest creatures, driving them into a frenzy. That meant the substance likely had an animal-attracting effect.
If he was right, then this massive dust cloud would draw every wild beast in the entire Zero Training Ground straight to them.
Hikari might be strong, but her chakra was limited.
If they got surrounded by a beast horde, she might survive—but the rest of them were toast.
"Agreed!" x2
Bun'ya and Chōji had no objections to Shikamaru's command.
The classic Ino-Shika-Chō combo was still going strong: Nara for strategy, Yamanaka for sensing and communication, and Akimichi for brute force.
Hikari hesitated.
The beasts posed no threat to her, but the information that spy had gathered could prove dangerous.
She didn't want to let the enemy slip away now that they had finally exposed themselves.
Her brain quickly calculated the bird's altitude. With no obstacles in the open sky, her Byakugan range stretched farther than usual.
Judging by her estimate, the enemy was over two thousand meters up.
The bird could likely fly even higher, but had lowered its altitude to keep her in sight.
Even so—
Hikari had no way to attack from that far. None of her jutsu could reach thousands of meters, and regular attacks were useless against such a massive beast.
Her bird transformation technique hadn't been refined enough to combine with Wind Release.
The enemy held total air superiority. And as a taijutsu specialist, Hikari had no way to fight back.
"...Let's fall back."
She glanced one last time at the bird soaring high above, then nodded in agreement with Shikamaru.