"Lightning Style: Triple-Screen Current—!"
At the sound of Naruto's voice, the Cloud ninja jolted, his hands flying through seals on pure instinct.
In an instant, twin orbs of lightning burst to life in his palms.
Crackle!
The blinding current tore across the air, filling the street with electric fury.
But the boy's dark silhouette darted straight through the storm. Sparks crashed against his armor, yet each bolt vanished on contact—as if lightning itself had been swallowed whole.
A metal fist slammed into the Cloud ninja's jaw.
Crack!
His body erupted into electricity, dispersing into nothing.
"A thunder clone…"
"Hmph. Foolish brat! Did you really think you could match the Cloud's Lightning Style?"
The real ninja smirked from a distance—but in that very instant, a chill crawled down his spine.
Lightning surged around his body, stimulating his cells, forcing his speed faster, faster—
You can't hit me!
Boom!
A fist smashed into the side of his face.
The man flew like a ragdoll, smashing a crater into the earth before bouncing lifelessly to the ground.
"Bastard! How dare you lay hands on Lord Well!"
"Lightning Style: Twin Shockwave!"
"Lightning Style: Thousand Needles!"
"Lightning Style: Snake Current!"
One by one, the Cloud ninja erupted in fury, their jutsu igniting the night. The guesthouse front became a storm of blinding light and thunder.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
But no matter how fierce the barrage, Naruto danced through it like a phantom, striking each man down with brutal precision.
"You… don't come closer! M-Monster!"
The last Cloud ninja stumbled back in terror, sweat pouring down his face. His mind snapped—flooding every last drop of chakra into his palms. Two massive orbs of lightning roared to life and hurled forward, slamming into Naruto's chest like battering rams.
Crackle!
The arcs of thunder spread around Naruto's frame, wreathing him in a terrifying glow. In that instant, he looked like a black reaper standing within the storm.
But the lightning didn't harm him.
Useless.
The energy vanished into his armor, absorbed completely.
The Bedrock Armor's core ability—Damage Absorption.
So long as the incoming power didn't exceed its limit, any chakra or elemental attack became fuel for the armor itself.
Not even a scratch reached Naruto.
"What a waste…" he muttered.
His hand clamped around the ninja's throat, lifting him effortlessly.
"You wanted war? You rejected peace? Then I'll show you war."
He hurled the man skyward.
Boom!
Blood sprayed as the Cloud shinobi crashed down, broken.
At that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen finally arrived.
His eyes twitched at the sight of the beaten Cloud ninja.
"Who are you? Why have you sabotaged Konoha's peace talks with the Cloud? What is your true purpose?!"
The Third Hokage's voice thundered across the square. Villagers and shinobi alike looked at him with admiration—his figure bathed in authority, like a ruler clad in golden light.
"Sabotage the peace talks? Don't make me laugh. Weren't you the ones who sabotaged them?"
Naruto pressed his foot down on a fallen ninja, eyes blazing.
"Let's show everyone how this really started—how your so-called Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, handled things."
With a snap of his fingers, a projector bloomed in the sky. A massive light curtain spread above Konoha, displaying crystal-clear images for all to see.
The village gasped.
A shadow crept silently into the Hyuga compound under the cover of night.
"Someone dared infiltrate the Hyuga household? At that hour?"
"Wait… is this what happened last night? No wonder Lord Third went there personally today!"
"Who's the intruder?!"
Then, two figures appeared outside the compound.
"Lord Danzo, Cloud ninja just left the inn. They're headed straight for the Hyuga estate. Shouldn't we warn them before this spirals?"
"No. Let them cause trouble."
"But Lord Danzo—if this escalates, tomorrow's peace talks will collapse."
"Hiruzen is too indecisive unless forced. The Cloud clearly came with ulterior motives—this so-called peace is a farce. We'll use their arrogance to prove it. For now, record everything. If this explodes, it will serve us well."
The voices were crystal clear. The image even focused directly on Danzo's bandaged face, exposing the lone eye gleaming beneath.
The crowd froze.
Hiruzen's expression darkened, rage surging off him in waves. Hyuga Hiashi's eyes burned with ice-cold fury.
Danzo and his Root operatives had watched everything—the Hyuga clan being framed and pressured—yet not once did they step forward to intervene.
Their silence was damning.
So ruthless. So venomous.
"Tch. Boring. Just some genjutsu trickery."
Danzo sneered, feigning calm as the villagers' stares grew sharper.
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