The battlefield was a scene of utter devastation, with the ground soaked in muddy blood and corpses strewn across every corner.
"To think I'd run into you here again..."
The Masked Man narrowed his single crimson eye, his tone laced with malice.
"Heh!"
"As an ally of Kumogakure, is there any issue with me appearing on this battlefield?"
"But you... Instead of staying put in the Land of Rain, you've come all the way here..."
Sōmi had already entered the One-Tailed Chakra Mode combined with Sage Mode. A dense mist of golden-green chakra emanated from his body, and powerful gusts of wind swirled around him.
"Don't get the wrong idea!"
"I'm here to help you deal with Konohagakure."
The Masked Man's eye shifted slightly, already noticing Sōmi's subtle movements. However, confident in the safety of Kamui's Dimension, he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he adopted a posture as if he were negotiating with Sōmi.
"Cooperation?"
"No, I don't trust working with you!"
Sōmi was well aware of the Masked Man's true intentions. Those eyes—no matter the cost—must not fall into anyone else's hands, even if it meant destroying them.
Without hesitation, Sōmi's hands formed seals in rapid succession.
Whoosh!
A violent gale roared to life, surging forward from Sōmi's position.
Simultaneously, strange purple runes began to glow beneath Sōmi's feet. These were the very movements the Masked Man had noticed earlier, though he hadn't realized their significance...
The golden-green whirlwind didn't form a tornado. Instead, it intertwined and coiled around itself.
The purple runes were swept into the air by the wind, attaching themselves to the golden-green currents.
Under Sōmi's extraordinary chakra control, the chaotic winds condensed into tangible cords of wind, surging forth like a massive net.
The cords, golden-green in hue, intertwined like serpents.
They weaved through the air and seemed to "pin" themselves into Kamui's Dimension, as if stitching together the ruptured space with intricate patterns of wind.
"Sage Art: Myriad Winds Binding!"
After releasing this powerful Sage Technique, the dense chakra surrounding Sōmi visibly thinned.
But when he looked up at the Masked Man, a satisfied smile spread across his lips.
The Masked Man's single eye now revealed a rare expression of fear. The moment he noticed Sōmi's movements, he had activated Kamui to phase his body into the alternate dimension.
Yet what happened next defied his expectations. The cords of wind could penetrate space itself!
Though they couldn't harm him directly while he was in Kamui's Dimension, they acted as if they were binding the entire dimension, preventing it from moving.
"You?!"
The Masked Man's eye was filled with disbelief. Each time he encountered Sōmi, the latter's ability to counter his techniques had advanced significantly.
Now, Sōmi could even seal off Kamui's Dimension... Did that mean the next time, Sōmi might be able to directly invade it?
Having trapped the Masked Man, Sōmi wasted no time. He summoned a golden cloud, stepping onto it and shooting off in a specific direction, leaving behind a brilliant golden trail.
Sōmi wasn't incapable of forcing the Masked Man out of Kamui's Dimension. However, even if he succeeded in cornering the Masked Man, there was always the risk of him using Izanagi to fully heal and escape.
Thus, focusing on his own objective was the priority!
Inside the sealed space.
"Shukaku, is the Natural Energy ready?"
Standing before Shukaku, Sōmi asked in a serious tone.
"It's ready!"
Shukaku's sharp voice echoed, as if it had anticipated Sōmi's request.
"From now on, I'll need your help. Until this war ends, keep gathering Natural Energy without stopping!"
Sōmi's expression was stern as he gave the order.
"What?!"
Shukaku's face twisted in shock.
What if this war dragged on for ten days or more?
Even so, seeing Sōmi's resolute expression, Shukaku swallowed its complaints.
After all, if it annoyed Sōmi, it might end up subjected to another round of "electric therapy"...
Whoosh!
The fierce winds whipped through the air, causing Sōmi's clothes to flutter wildly.
Suddenly, the thin golden-green chakra surrounding Sōmi flared up, as if gasoline had been poured onto a raging fire.
Deep green energy serpents materialized, their tongues flickering menacingly.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Poof! Poof! Poof!
With several hand seals, dozens of Sōmi clones appeared. They spread out in all directions, radiating from their original positions.
With the enhanced sensory abilities of Sage Mode, Sōmi was confident that his carpet-style search would not miss his targets.
Meanwhile, in the alternate dimension bound by Sōmi's wind cords, the Masked Man's Mangekyō Sharingan spun wildly, resembling a windmill on the verge of breaking apart.
"Urgh... Argh!"
The Masked Man poured his energy into Kamui, but the golden-green wind cords remained unmoved.
The runes on the cords continued to flash with purple light, almost as if mocking his futile efforts.
"Impossible!"
"Someone without any Kekkei Genkai?!"
"A nobody..."
"How has his strength grown so ridiculously in just a few years?!"
"That strange form of his... Is it what they call 'Sage Mode'?"
"Kakashi... Rin!"
"To create a world with Rin..."
The Masked Man's mind seethed with rage. Being repeatedly outwitted by Sōmi—a so-called "ordinary person"—was something the self-proclaimed "savior" could not tolerate.
In that moment, countless thoughts raced through his mind. The techniques he had inherited from his "grandfather" seemed utterly powerless now.
If one eye wasn't enough...
Then...
The Masked Man finally calmed himself within Kamui's Dimension. He had made up his mind: it was time to reclaim the power that was rightfully his!
...
On another battlefield, flashes of yellow light flickered around the Fourth Raikage.
Yet, despite his formidable strength, all the Fourth Raikage could do was watch helplessly as his comrades fell one by one.
"Stand down, Raikage!"
Minato Namikaze's figure suddenly appeared before the Raikage, his expression cold as he stared at the man.
Since Kumogakure had dared to launch such a brazen attack, Minato had no intention of showing mercy.
When Master Men got serious, his title as the "Battlefield Reaper of Light-Speed" was no exaggeration.
It was precisely because of Minato's overwhelming ability to mow down ordinary ninjas that Sōmi didn't dare recklessly charge into Konohagakure to eliminate his two targets.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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