Chapter 145: The Storm Breaks
The Raikage's Heavy Current Burst had been stopped cold by the spectral ribs of the Susanoo. A web of cracks marred the chakra construct, but it held. The sight of their leader's ultimate taijutsu being blocked by a mere skeleton sent a ripple of shock through the watching Cloud shinobi.
"He... he actually blocked it..." C whispered, his confidence shaken.
On the other flank, the situation was equally dire. Darui, bleeding from a wound on his shoulder inflicted by Suigetsu, was being relentlessly pressed by the fully transformed Jūgo. Jūgo's monstrous strength and speed allowed him to dominate the exchange, his pipe-lined arms slamming against Darui's sword with bone-jarring force. Darui was on the defensive, barely holding his ground.
*Damn it!* C thought, sweat beading on his brow. *These enemies are far stronger than anticipated. Where is the ANBU backup? With a disturbance this large, they should be here by now!*
Enraged by his failed assault, the Raikage roared and launched another flurry of blows against the Susanoo, each impact echoing like a gong. While he couldn't breach the defense, the sheer force drove Ren backward, his feet carving furrows in the earth.
"Enough!" Ren's voice, cold and sharp, cut through the din. "You've had your turn. Now it's mine."
Within the protective cage of bone, Ren's right Mangekyō Sharingan swirled violently. A trail of blood, thick and dark, trickled from the corner of his eye, tracing a path down his cheek.
The Raikage felt a primal warning scream in his mind—a sensation of imminent, inescapable death he hadn't felt in decades. He didn't hesitate. Trusting his instincts implicitly, he threw his body to the side in a desperate, lightning-fast dodge.
It saved his life.
A sphere of silent, black flame manifested in the exact space his chest had occupied a microsecond earlier. But his reaction, while swift, wasn't quite fast enough. The edge of the hellfire—Amaterasu—licked against his outstretched left hand.
There was no sound. The black flames simply adhered to his flesh and began to consume it. The Raikage grunted, trying to smother it with chakra, but the flames burned on, indifferent, spreading up his forearm with terrifying speed.
Seeing the futility of resistance, the Raikage made a split-second, brutal decision. His right hand, sheathed in lightning, chopped down like a blade, severing his own left arm at the elbow. The limb, wreathed in black fire, fell to the ground and was rapidly reduced to ash.
"Lord Raikage!" C cried out, horrified.
At that moment, a dozen figures in animal masks materialized on the surrounding ridges—Kumogakure ANBU. They moved with lethal grace, quickly forming a wide perimeter around the battlefield, their weapons trained on Ren. Their arrival was a welcome sight, but the price of their delay was the Raikage's arm.
"Don't just stand there!" the Raikage bellowed, clutching the cauterized stump. His face was pale with pain and fury, but his will was unbroken. "C, stop the bleeding! Everyone else, do not let Uchiha Ren escape! He dies here!"
C rushed to his leader's side, his hands glowing with green medical ninjutsu as he worked to stabilize the grievous wound. *The black flames... Amaterasu. Itachi's technique. This Uchiha Ren is a monster on par with his brother. But he's inside our village. There's no escape for him now.*
Ren assessed the new situation. He was surrounded by a full squad of elite ANBU. Suigetsu was still struggling to fully liquefy the leg paralyzed by Darui's lightning-charged blade. Jūgo, though holding his own against Darui, was now being flanked by several ANBU operatives, forcing him into a desperate defense.
*A full-scale engagement within the village walls... Escaping cleanly will be difficult. Very well. If they want a spectacle, I'll give them one they'll never forget.*
A cold, ruthless smile spread across Ren's face. He looked directly at the seething Raikage. "You think you can keep me here? You will soon realize that trying to cage me was the greatest mistake Kumogakure has ever made."
In a blur of motion, he was gone. He reappeared beside Suigetsu, kicking the lightning-charged sword away from his leg. Before anyone could react, he vanished again, grabbing Jūgo and teleporting him back next to Suigetsu.
"Release the transformation," Ren commanded Jūgo.
Despite the bloodlust clouding his mind, the command from Ren pierced through. The curse mark receded, and Jūgo's monstrous form shrank back to his gentle, hulking stature, though he was breathing heavily.
"Boss, what's the plan?" Suigetsu asked, finally able to stand, his Kubikiribōchō held ready. "We're a bit outnumbered!"
"Since they wish for a grand finale," Ren said, his voice dropping to a deadly calm. "We shall oblige them. Stand your ground."
He ignored the encircling ANBU and the glowering Raikage. Instead, he brought his hands together in a rapid, complex sequence of hand seals. The air grew heavy, charged with an immense amount of chakra being summoned forth. He slammed his palms onto the ground.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" (Summoning Technique!)
A massive cloud of smoke erupted, obscuring the entire clearing. From within the billowing haze came a deep, earth-shaking roar that promised utter devastation. The ANBU tightened their formation, and the Raikage stared, his remaining hand clenched into a fist. The battle for Kumogakure was about to escalate into a war.
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