Amidst the fierce battlefield, a streak of lightning flashed across the sky as a burly figure tore through the sky.
"Who dares to fight near my Cloud Village?!" The Third Raikage frowned darkly, standing tall atop a mountain peak.
His eyes locked onto Satori Hyūga and Madara Uchiha, filled with wariness and fear.
He couldn't help but feel wary—the battle between them was nothing short of terrifying.
Especially Madara Uchiha. Upon seeing him, the Third Raikage's pupils constricted in shock, his expression one of utter disbelief.
Although aged, his domineering presence and imposing demeanor immediately brought to mind that man—the Demon God of the Ninja World, Madara Uchiha.
The Third Raikage's pupils trembled with shock as he thought to himself: So Madara Uchiha is still alive after all! Did he fake his death at the Valley of the End? Is he plotting something sinister behind the scenes?
His gaze then shifted toward the other figure.
This man radiated crackling lightning, surrounded by a Lightning Chakra Armor nearly identical to his own.
Each movement unleashed an immense surge of power.
Despite battling against a fully unlocked, mountain-sized Susanoo, he not only held his ground—he matched it blow for blow.
This left the Third Raikage puzzled—who exactly was this person, to be able to match the Demon God of the Ninja World without yielding?
Furthermore, those techniques looked suspiciously like his village's secret techniques.
What he didn't realize was that his village's secret jutsu had already been stolen, courtesy of Shinno.
Satori Hyūga's eyes flickered upon spotting A, the Third Raikage, and he immediately shouted, "Third Raikage, please help me! Team up with me and help defeat Madara Uchiha!"
"He never truly died. He came here to Cloud Village—he means us harm."
At A's arrival, Satori wasted no time in deception.
This opponent possessed formidable strength and would be perfect to recruit into aiding him against Madara.
If the Raikage were to fall, he could always step in afterward to finish him off and reap the benefits of both their struggles.
Upon hearing Satori's words, A's eyes flickered with hesitation and contemplation.
That Madara Uchiha was still alive was explosive news indeed.
He had lived through the age of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha and understood Madara's true strength.
For someone so proud and domineering to feign death for so many years must mean he was plotting something truly sinister.
Yet this unfamiliar stranger wasn't necessarily trustworthy either.
As he remained undecided, Madara scoffed coldly and spoke out, "Curse you, thief! You stole my secrets and now you dare spread lies? You deserve death!"
Fixing a sharp glare on Satori, Madara formed hand seals and released a terrifying Fire Release technique.
[Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation Jutsu.]
A colossal fireball erupted from his mouth and nostrils, forming an all-consuming blaze that engulfed Satori.
Faced with the raging flames, Satori raised his arm and activated his Tenseigan.
"Repulsive Force."
An invisible repulsive force instantly halted the raging sea of flames, holding them back ten meters away.
The sight left A, the Third Raikage, utterly stunned.
When had the ninja world produced a peerless ninja rivaling Madara Uchiha?
These eerie techniques caused him to frown involuntarily.
Adding this to Madara's earlier accusations of theft and deception, he now doubted Satori Hyūga as well.
Anyone who could provoke Madara—who had remained hidden for decades—must have stolen something precious from him.
At this moment, the Perfect Susanoo sprang forward once more, swinging its massive double-bladed sword straight down toward Satori.
A terrifying arc of blade light cleaved into the earth, tearing a deep trench across several miles.
The sheer destructive power caused widespread damage to the surroundings, making A, the Third Raikage, flinch in alarm.
This was quite literally his own damned doorstep!
Could they really just fight so recklessly in front of someone else's home, razing it to the ground like this?
Roaring furiously, the Third Raikage tensed his muscles as lightning chakra armor flared around him, crackling with brilliant arcs of lightning.
"Curse you! Cease at once!"
As Raikage, he would never allow anyone to cause chaos on his own turf.
Considering the scale of their battle, it wouldn't be long before they brought the fight right into the village.
One or two strikes from a Susanoo alone could wipe the entire village off the map.
Seeing the enraged Raikage, Satori immediately called out, "Raikage, aren't you going to act yet?"
"You and I should eliminate Madara Uchiha here together—it's the only way to protect your village."
Although A didn't trust Satori, he knew he had no choice but to intervene.
With a thunderous roar, he unleashed his signature move and charged at Satori.
Weighing both opponents, A instinctively sensed that Satori posed the greater threat.
Satori seemed to be holding his own too easily, as though he held even more tricks in reserve.
In contrast, though Madara commanded great prestige, time had aged him greatly.
Time was every ninja's greatest foe.
Years had worn down Madara's body, diminishing the strength he once wielded.
Comparing the two, A decided it was better to deal with Satori first.
The Third Raikage unleashed his ultimate spear technique—[Hell Stab: Four Beasts Cannon Thrust]—plunging straight toward Satori.
Moving at incredible speed, the attack crackled with countless lightning snakes and bolts, like the divine strike of a thunder god's spear aimed directly at Satori.
The impact hurled Satori backward, shattering his Lightning Release chakra armor.
He crashed violently into a mountain peak, leaving a massive crater where he landed.
Yet these wounds were not grievous enough to truly wound Satori.
Swiftly forming hand seals, Satori activated his Medical Ninjutsu: [Body Regeneration].
The jutsu surged through him, instantly knitting torn flesh and fully restoring his body.
As Satori rose unscathed, both A and Madara narrowed their eyes in disbelief—and struck together.
Madara spoke proudly, "So you dared steal from me… Truly, you possess considerable skill."
"You come close enough. I, Madara Uchiha, acknowledge your strength."
Hearing those words from Madara, Satori smirked slightly, chuckling softly.
"What an honor, indeed."
"But there's one thing you got wrong. Earlier, I was only using about thirty to forty percent of my strength and techniques."
"Now witness my true power."
Satori Hyūga dispelled his [Lightning Release: Eight Gates] mode and activated [Dark Eight Gates] mode.
In an instant, a surge of negative energy flooded his mind, coalescing into Dark Chakra.
This negative energy came from the Cloud Village—the spiritual energy born from the villagers' deep panic, triggered by the terrifying sounds of battle that had shaken them.
With this influx of negative energy, the chakra within his body—previously depleted to half—was restored once more.
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