"Hahaha, behold—this is my power!"
Hiruko laughed wildly.
The dark clouds overhead continued to expand, and the massive lightning dragon flickering within them grew several times larger.
"How is this possible!?" Yakumo paused, her throat dry. "Last time we fought, his Storm Release wasn't this strong!"
As a priestess, Shion had an instinctive sense for chakra and immediately said, "Could it be because he just absorbed One-Tail?"
The others froze, startled.
Undoubtedly, Shion's guess was correct.
Using Dark Release: Ghost Bud Extinction, Hiruko had extracted One-Tail from Gaara and temporarily sealed it within himself. Though not a jinchuriki, the unique nature of the Ghost Bud allowed him to borrow some of One-Tail's chakra.
Having undergone the Bloodline Fusion Ritual, Hiruko's own chakra was already immense. Now, bolstered by a vast amount of tailed beast chakra, his Storm Release secret technique was terrifyingly powerful.
Taking in the horrified expressions around him, Hiruko laughed with glee.
As the dark clouds overhead thickened, they enveloped the entire Forest of Death, plunging the sky into a darkness akin to night.
It wasn't just the massive lightning dragon coiled in the clouds that was terrifying—even the ordinary lightning bolts raining down were heart-stoppingly fearsome.
Rumble.
Each bolt struck with blinding light and deafening roars!
When they hit the ground, they blasted craters several meters wide. When they struck trees, entire trunks ignited instantly, even massive trees requiring several people to encircle were no exception.
In moments, dozens, perhaps hundreds, of trees were struck and set ablaze, becoming torches illuminating the darkened landscape!
In this apocalyptic scene, Hiruko sneered, "Hidden Leaf, bear my wrath!"
With that, he swung his raised right arm toward Yakumo and Shion.
Roar.
Instantly, the massive lightning dragon writhing in the clouds seemed to let out a bellow, breaking free and charging toward Yakumo, Shion, and the others with earth-shattering force.
"This…"
Yamato stood frozen, unable to muster the will to form hand signs.
Other jounin, like Kurenai and Aoba Yamashiro, stared up at the oncoming lightning dragon, dazed.
It wasn't that their resolve was weak—faced with such a terrifying ninjutsu, they simply couldn't fathom a way to resist.
Ordinary defensive ninjutsu, even Wood Release, seemed powerless against this divine-punishment-like force.
Yakumo darted in front of Shion, mustering all her chakra to make a desperate stand with Wood Release, knowing it was futile but refusing to surrender!
Whoosh.
Instantly, countless vines surged from the ground, intertwining above to form one wooden barrier after another!
Before Yakumo could erect more barriers, the massive lightning dragon struck.
Rumble.
The moment the dragon collided with the Wood Release, a tremendous roar erupted, and the ground trembled.
This lightning dragon wasn't mere Lightning Release—it was born from the Bloodline Limit Storm Release, infused with the power of the heavens and vast natural energy, making it a force on par with Wood Release.
Thus, the colossal dragon tore through Yakumo's wooden barriers with unstoppable momentum.
As the Wood Release barriers shattered one by one, the blinding lightning drew closer.
The Hidden Leaf jounin sighed in resignation.
At this point, unless one wielded space-time ninjutsu, no one could escape the range of Hiruko's Storm Release secret technique.
Rumble.
The booming continued, the Wood Release barriers dwindling. In a blink, the final barrier was blasted apart!
In that moment, the massive, ferocious lightning dragon filled everyone's vision.
Even Yakumo felt despair, her hands trembling unconsciously. "Is this the end of my life?"
Shion, cowering behind Yakumo, was ashen-faced, her terror sparking a final burst of strength as she shouted, "Shinji!"
Saa.
As everyone braced for the lightning dragon's descent, a figure flashed into view, standing before them.
"Who!?"
The group was stunned.
In such a dire situation, they couldn't imagine who would dare intervene at near-certain death.
But the lightning dragon's blinding glow stretched the figure's shadow infinitely.
Yakumo, with her Ketsuryugan, squinted and recognized the familiar red-cloud cloak. She thought, "Leader!"
Shion, guided by instinct, recognized Shinji, her voice a mix of joy and fear. "No, run away…"
But her cries were drowned out by the deafening roar of the approaching lightning dragon. Even Yakumo, standing right in front, couldn't hear her clearly.
The figure who appeared was none other than Shinji, who had rushed to the scene.
If Hiruko and Ranmaru had fled after seizing One-Tail, he might not have acted. But Hiruko daring to target Shion was unforgivable!
Facing the oncoming massive lightning dragon, Shinji slowly raised his right hand.
Boom!
In an instant, the lightning dragon crashed into him!
As those behind him thought Shinji would be obliterated, the colossal dragon was halted by his single hand.
Compared to the enormous dragon, Shinji seemed infinitesimally small.
Yet this diminutive figure stopped the lightning dragon's thunderous strike, silencing the entire battlefield!
"What!?"
Everyone was shocked, including Hiruko, who had unleashed the Storm Dragon.
As the crowd marveled at Shinji holding back the dragon with one hand, something even more astonishing happened—the massive dragon began to shrink in his grasp, as if absorbed by some force, vanishing completely moments later.
Only then did Shinji, clad in Akatsuki garb, lower his right hand and coldly fix his gaze on Hiruko.
"A!?"
Hiruko's throat bobbed as he instinctively swallowed.
For reasons he couldn't explain, when A's gaze swept over him, a deep, inexplicable dread stirred within him.