A cold, mocking laugh cut through the damp air.
"An imitation?" The Third Raikage, A, spat the words out as if they left a foul taste in his mouth. "That's rich. Since when do knock-offs have the right to be so arrogant?"
Fuguki Suikazan didn't even flinch. He simply gave a slow, deliberate shake of his head.
"You misunderstand me, Raikage. We don't deal in 'arrogance' in the Land of Waves. We merely… state the facts."
"Is that so?" A's voice was a low, threatening growl. "Funny. I seem to recall you trembling in your boots the last time we met. Now you've got a smart mouth to match that new wardrobe of yours."
"Perhaps you should update your memories along with your clothes" Fuguki retorted, his tone flat. "That kind of outdated thinking is what gets men killed."
Without another word of warning, Fuguki swung his massive Zanpakutō down.
BOOM.
The ground didn't just crack—it detonated.
A was hurled backward like a discarded ragdoll, skidding through the mud as a colossal trench ripped its way across the swamp behind him.
"The age of the shinobi is over," Fuguki declared, his voice as calm as if he were commenting on the weather.
Pushing himself up from the muck, A coughed, spitting out a mouthful of murky water.
"'The age of the shinobi is over'?" He let out a harsh, disbelieving bark of laughter.
Hum.
A faint, almost imperceptible hum vibrated through the air. Fuguki's eyes widened for a split second as his balance betrayed him, his body lurching forward.
THUD.
Out of nowhere, the Second Tsuchikage, Mū, materialized behind him like a vengeful ghost and delivered a devastating kick to the center of his back.
"Guh—!" Fuguki couldn't even raise his arms in time.
The powerful blow sent him flying, his body crashing through a cluster of dead, brittle trees with a series of sickening CRUNCHES before he finally slid to a graceless halt.
When he looked up, his expression was pure thunder.
"Looks like we're even on the scoreboard," A taunted, a nasty grin spreading across his face. "Not feeling so tough now, are you, 'original'?"
For a moment, there was only silence. Then, Fuguki began to laugh. It wasn't a sound of joy or amusement. It was low, deep and unhinged.
"Heh… hehehe… Good. Now we're getting somewhere!" he roared, his laughter ceasing as abruptly as it began. "This is what I wanted! A real fight! This is what will make ripping you to pieces actually enjoyable!"
WHOOSH.
A terrifying spiritual pressure erupted from him—so thick and heavy it was a physical force, radiating outwards in all directions and pressing down on everything.
"You have got to be kidding me…" A muttered, his smirk vanishing without a trace.
"This spiritual pressure…" Mū whispered, his usual detached aloofness replaced by tension.
This was bad. This man was supposedly only the Ninth Espada. Yet the raw, crushing weight of his Reiatsu was bearing down on them—two Kage who had become Arrancar—with overwhelming force.
It was a terrifying glimpse into the true monstrosity the Land of Waves had created.
But one does not become a Kage by folding under pressure.
Crackle. Hiss.
Two more powerful spiritual pressures flared to life in response, clashing violently against Fuguki's in the charged air. The atmosphere itself seemed to vibrate, buzzing like a swarm of enraged hornets.
"Lesson time," Fuguki snarled, hefting his enormous blade. "Allow me to demonstrate how a true Arrancar fights."
He didn't merely slash—he cleaved. A wave of invisible force, sharp as a monomolecular edge and twice as vicious, tore across the battlefield.
Mū was already gone, having flickered into nothingness. But A? A stood his ground. Lightning erupted around his arm, condensing into a single, devastating point at his fingertips.
"HELL STAB! BREAK!" he bellowed, driving his hand forward.
The air itself shattered. Against all odds, the Raikage's legendary technique met the invisible energy wave head-on and pulverized it.
He didn't stop. Using the explosive momentum, he became a blur of blue lightning, a human missile aimed directly at Fuguki's chest.
THWUMP.
The sound was solid. A's lightning-clad hand drove deep into Fuguki's stomach, and violent arcs of electricity coursed over the Espada's entire body.
For a single, suspended heartbeat, everything was still.
"...Did we get him?"
"Is it over?"
"He did it! The Raikage did it!"
The few watching shinobi let out a collective breath they hadn't realized they were holding.
"Get back!" Kakashi's voice was sharp and urgent, slicing through the brief moment of celebration. "Something's wrong—!"
BOOM.
A was launched backward as if fired from a cannon, a spray of crimson tracing his path through the air. He hit the ground with tremendous force, carving a fresh crater into the earth.
And Fuguki? He just stood there, unmoved. He glanced down at his stomach, then back up at his opponents. There wasn't a single mark on him.
He casually brushed a bit of dirt from his shoulder.
"You really are nothing but cheap imitations," he sighed, sounding almost bored. "You actually thought you could pierce my skin? Don't make me laugh."
Mū sucked in a sharp breath, his hand flying to the emergency flare concealed inside his robes. This was a disaster.
"Wait!"
The voice rasped from the new crater. A pulled himself to his feet, one arm clutched tightly around his ribs. Lightning was already beginning to flicker around his form once more.
"Don't you dare call for backup," he growled, spitting a glob of blood onto the ground. "I'm not finished."
"Raikage, be reasonable—!"
"I said I'm not DONE!" A roared. The lightning enveloping him exploded outwards, shredding the remnants of his top. His hair stood completely on end, crackling with raw power. He looked less like a man and more like an avatar of lightning itself. "He's just the number nine! Don't you get arrogant with me, you bastard!"
He slammed a fist into his palm, and the resulting thunderclap echoed across the desolate swamp.
"Round two. Let's go."
—
Allied Shinobi Headquarters
Back at the command tent, the atmosphere was calm. Too calm.
"Any word from the Southern Division?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, not looking up from the map spread across the table.
"Nothing yet, Lord Hokage," a messenger replied promptly. "The surveillance feed is clear. No movement reported. It's completely quiet."
Hiruzen stroked his chin thoughtfully. "It's too quiet."
"Second-guessing the plan now is pointless, Hiruzen," Tobirama Senju stated from beside him, his arms crossed firmly. "The move has been made."
"You're right, sensei."
Tobirama gave a curt nod.
"The swamp was a sound tactical choice. They would never expect a push from such a direction. I'll admit it, Madara… for once, you had a decent idea."
Madara Uchiha, who had been staring silently at the large monitoring screen, didn't even bother to turn his head.
"Watch your tone," he said, his voice dangerously calm. "I was winning wars when you were still a child. I chose the swamp precisely because it is indefensible for a conventional force. Why do you think I ordered radio silence? No ninjutsu. No signals. No chakra leakage. Nothing."
As if on cue, the large main screen flickered.
Then, a frantic white dot blared to life, positioned directly over the swamp zone.
"REPORT!" the sensory operator yelled, jolting upright from his console. "We have a massive energy spike in the southern swamp! It's off the charts! Reading confirms… the signature is of an Espada-level combatant!"
The entire command tent fell into dead silence. Every head slowly turned to stare at one person.
Madara's eye twitched, a single, sharp tic of irritation.
"A coincidence," he stated, his voice tight with controlled anger. He took a sharp, irritated breath. "It has to be. I gave specific orders. Someone must have broken discipline and used their chakra. Incompetent fools!"
_____
_______
Show your support with Power Stones guys!
[email protected]/Raven_scroll (30+ Advance Chapters)