"The explosives are Earth Style—hit them with Lightning Style!"A Hyuga ninja shouted, panic flashing in his eyes as Raizen's detonating clay ripped through the ground below.
Before he could finish, crimson blood spattered across his neck. Scarlet eyes glinted, and a trio of chakra-infused kunai tore through, finishing him in an instant before darting toward the next Hyuga unit.
Even in death, his warning had been enough. A Lightning Style ninja rapidly formed hand seals, pressing palms to the earth. Purple sparks arced along the ground, coiling into a writhing serpent of lightning that struck the incoming clay explosives.
Upon contact, the clay shuddered violently, the chakra inside dissipating into harmless energy. The Hyuga forces quickly realized that Lightning Style could neutralize Raizen's ground-based explosives, and they adjusted their attacks accordingly.
Raizen perched atop his giant clay bird, eyes narrowing. "So Lightning Style can counter this… but there's no way it can stop this trick."
With a grin, he urged the bird higher, well beyond the strike radius, and pulled out a strange kunai. He grabbed a lump of clay, spat it forward, and from it emerged a perfect clay clone of himself. The clone mirrored Raizen's smirk and snatched the special kunai, hurling it toward the Hyuga ninja.
The kunai streaked through the air, slicing down with lethal precision. In the next instant, the clay clone vanished from the bird's back, reappearing directly beside the enemy.
"Explosive Art—Detonate!"Raizen's voice cut across the battlefield. The clone surged forward, and before the Hyuga ninjas could react, their bodies swelled violently, engulfed in chakra-fueled explosions. Three Hyuga ninja vanished in a flash, replaced by a towering mushroom cloud that made nearby soldiers flinch.
"This… this is Flying Thunder God Explosion!"Raizen's grin widened. From above, he was untouchable, using Flying Thunder God to teleport his sticky clone into the heart of the enemy's formation. Explosions raged around the battlefield, each strike eliminating foes while keeping him safe.
"Every technique has a flaw," he muttered, eyeing the debris. The special kunai embedded with Flying Thunder God runes were consumed in the blasts—one drawback to the otherwise lethal tactic. Still, he considered it half-invincible: as long as the enemy couldn't restrict the airspace, Raizen could whittle them down at his leisure.
Cold eyes scanning the Hyuga lines, he created another clay clone. Flying Thunder God kunai shot from his hand, detonating with surgical precision, sending enemies flying in fiery shockwaves.
"Take them down!"The Hyuga commander's shout cut through the chaos. In just two strikes, six of their ninjas had fallen. Panic began to ripple through their ranks.
Desperate, ten Hyuga ninja joined hands in a circle, channeling chakra like a single weapon. In a surge, all their energy poured into one individual, whose roar shook the earth. Both palms slammed forward:
"Eight Trigrams—Mountain Break!"A colossal wave of chakra erupted, forming a dragon of pure force that surged toward Raizen.
"Not good…"The sheer scale of the attack rattled his airspace. The Hyuga were combining their strength to deliver a catastrophic blow.
Without hesitation, Raizen hurled his Flying Thunder God kunai to the ground. The giant bird beneath him exploded upward, colliding with the chakra dragon in a deafening clash of force and sound. In a flash, Raizen vanished, teleporting to safety.
From above, he watched the battlefield churn. Smoke, fire, and the roar of thousands of ninja filled the air.
"The Uchiha coalition is moving forward," he muttered, eyes narrowing. The ultimate goal was clear: reach the vanguard, press through the Hyuga lines, and ensure the survival of their comrades—whatever it took.