Boom—boom—boom!
In the span of just a few seconds, a series of deafening explosions erupted one after another.
Through the rolling smoke and dust, the Konoha shinobi leapt out in all directions—only to be met at once by a hail of fierce attacks from every side.
In that instant, murderous intent flared like a storm.
Uchiha Yuan raised his arm, slicing through a streak of lightning with his kunai. His heightened senses told him that countless violent chakras were rapidly closing in from all directions.
Battle cries echoed from the mountains. A tide of Cloud-nin charged out, weapons flashing, their roars mingling with the crash of jutsu as they rushed the Konoha force.
The two sides clashed, and at once the valley was drowned in chaos and bloodshed.
The sound of killing shook the heavens.
Scanning the battlefield, Uchiha Yuan could see that the Konoha shinobi were at a clear disadvantage. The Cloud-nin outnumbered them nearly three to one.
Suddenly, a sharp light flashed through Yuan's eyes. His figure blurred and vanished, using the Body Flicker Technique to reappear near Yamanaka Kino amidst the melee.
Without hesitation, he struck—his kunai gleaming black as it pierced through the heart of a Cloud-nin.
Watching the dying ninja's resentful expression fade, Yamanaka Kino turned to Yuan.
"Squad Captain, the Cloud-nin were clearly prepared for this. Our mission intel must've been leaked."
Seeing the grim look on Kino's face, Uchiha Yuan replied coldly,
"This mission was assigned by Captain Sarutobi, acting on orders from HQ. If there's a leak… it likely came from within headquarters itself."
"Damn it!" Kino clenched his fists. "Who would do such a thing?"
Yuan's eyes narrowed. "According to the plan, another unit was supposed to launch a frontal assault to coordinate with us. Which one was it?"
"The Fourth and Fifth squads of the First Battalion."
A dark look crossed Yuan's face as he muttered, "The First Battalion… I think I know who sold us out."
Kino froze. "Captain, you mean… Captain Shimura?"
He could hardly believe it. "He wouldn't dare sabotage the village's strategy just because of his personal conflict with you!"
"Why wouldn't he?" Yuan's voice was calm, yet cold enough to cut steel. "Some people will do anything for their own gain.
"I'd bet the First Battalion's shinobi are hiding nearby right now, watching us. They'll wait until we've been worn down by the Cloud-nin before they move in. When HQ asks later, they'll claim they were intercepted by another enemy unit."
As a strategist, Yamanaka Kino immediately understood the implication. His eyes burned with anger.
"Despicable! Captain, what do we do now?"
"This mission is already a failure," Yuan said gravely. "We have to break out—now."
He formed a rapid hand seal. In an instant, four Shadow Clones appeared behind him and charged straight into the Cloud-nin ranks.
After a brief but brutal clash, all four clones detonated in a series of blinding explosions, tearing a gaping hole in the encirclement.
Taking the chance, Yuan led the assault team in a mad dash toward Konoha's defensive line.
Meanwhile, on a nearby mountainside, a lone Konoha shinobi stood perched on a tree branch, observing the battlefield.
The moment he saw Yuan's unit break through, he summoned a hawk and sent it flying with a coded message.
"You go first. I'll cover the rear!"
Not long after their breakout, Yuan sensed a large force of Cloud-nin closing in fast. He stopped abruptly and shouted over his shoulder.
"No way!" Yamanaka Kino protested, but Yuan silenced him with a fierce glare.
"I'm the captain. That's an order—move!"
The steely light in his eyes carried such weight that Kino felt his will crumble beneath it.
"Captain, please… stay alive. I swear I'll report this to Lord Jiraiya himself—the First Battalion's treachery won't go unpunished!"
With that, Kino turned and led the survivors away.
Watching them disappear, Yuan exhaled slowly, then turned his gaze forward.
A hundred meters away, the Cloud-nin came into view. They could reach the retreating Konoha shinobi with a single charge—
—but when they saw Uchiha Yuan standing motionless before them, arms crossed, they hesitated.
Yuan smirked. "So, in your eyes, I alone am worth more than my entire squad."
"That's right," one of the enemy leaders growled. "Lord Raikage has issued an order—killing Konoha's 'Fierce Tiger of Death,' Uchiha Yuan, is our top priority."
Three Cloud-nin stepped out of the ranks. The black-ink tattoos on their arms gleamed faintly as they fixed murderous gazes on him.
"Uchiha brat," the leader snarled, "this time, you're not getting away."
"Wrong," Yuan sneered. "The ones who won't escape… are you."
He tilted his head left and right, his neck cracking audibly in the silence.
A heartbeat later, every Cloud-nin on the field felt their minds jolt—a crushing aura surged outward like a volcanic eruption.
From Yuan's body, chakra flared skyward like a pillar of fire. The raw, violent energy reminded them of the time the Eight-Tails had gone berserk.
"This can't be real… chakra this powerful—am I trapped in a genjutsu?"
"What monster is this guy? Is he… the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki?"
Panic rippled through the Cloud ranks. Some tried forming seals to dispel illusions, desperate to make sense of what they were feeling.
Even the three elite Cloud-nin exchanged uneasy glances.
"Careful," one muttered. "This Uchiha brat is far stronger than the intel suggested."
"No wonder Lord Raikage wants him dead—if he keeps growing, he'll become a threat to the entire village."
"Enough talk! We finish this now!"
Lightning crackled. The three Cloud-nin activated Lightning Release Chakra Mode, their bodies wrapped in arcs of blinding electricity as they shot forward like living bullets.
"Lightning Release: Lariat!"
They opened with their strongest taijutsu strike, three thunderous charges converging on Uchiha Yuan.
"Fire Release: Art of Dragonflame Aria!"
Facing the incoming killing intent, Yuan stood unshaken. His expression hardened; his hands clapped together—
—and three colossal dragons of fire, each dozens of meters long, roared forth from his palms to meet the charging Cloud-nin.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions lit the mountainside. Waves of flame rolled outward, the heat distorting the air.
When the firestorm cleared, the three Cloud-nin were sent hurtling backward, crashing to the ground nearly a hundred meters away.
Staggering to their feet, they stared at Yuan in disbelief.
They were all elite jōnin—users of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, the pride and power of Kumogakure.
And yet now, their lightning armor had been completely blown away—dispelled by a single Fire Release jutsu.
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