Rumble!
Thick, dark clouds gathered, and lightning, as thick as a python, cut through the sky, briefly lighting it up. The rain pounded the ground, creating a dull, rhythmic drumbeat.
Each raindrop hit the earth with a heavy thud, as if expressing silent anger. The heavy downpour stirred up streams of water, washing away the muddy remnants of the battle.
Ai—no, to be precise, the Fourth Raikage, Ai—was still kneeling beside his father, the Third Raikage, who had been cut in half and died.
He remained silent, his eyes burning with anger, as if he was waiting for something.
Finally, dozens of figures appeared in the ruins, and sensing their presence, Ai slowly lifted his head with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
Killer B returned, his heart heavy and his face full of shame.
Accompanying him were a dozen of the village's top elite jonin, who had followed him in pursuit of the Third Raikage's killer.
"Killer B, how did it go?"
Ai's voice was unusually rough, like a stone scraping against a surface.
Looking at his brother's hopeful eyes, Killer B's face paled, and he weakly moved his lips before finally lowering his head in guilt. "I'm sorry, brother."
What followed was not the blame Ai had expected, nor was there anger or a loss of control.
There was only a deathly silence.
In the ruins, next to the body of the Third Raikage, only the sound of the rain hitting the ground could be heard.
After a moment, Ai slowly stood up, his face expressionless. "Failed? What happened in detail?"
The atmosphere was completely different now. As the "A-B" in the group name, he could clearly sense that his older brother had changed, as if he had suddenly matured.
"We chased him out of the village, and then…" Killer B paused, as if searching for the right words, before continuing, "He disappeared. There were no signs, no traces. It was like he vanished from the earth, disappearing in an instant!"
"Could it be the Flying Thunder God Technique?"
Ai frowned. It was the only possibility he could think of.
"Lord Raikage, there's no trace of chakra left," came the report.
Another ninja remarked, "Based on this analysis, it seems that guy didn't use any ninjutsu; he just vanished."
He disappeared suddenly.
There were no signs or traces of chakra left behind.
Theoretically, this should be impossible, yet it happened!
"Lord Raikage, should we continue searching?" someone asked after a long silence. "We can block the borders. Since it's not Flying Thunder God, that guy must still be in the Land of Lightning. With more manpower, we'll definitely find him!"
Ai clenched his fists, his eyes showing a hint of madness: "Finding him doesn't matter; Konoha is the key!"
"Big brother."
Killer B, sensing something was wrong, looked up in alarm: "But the Third Raikage said we shouldn't join the war right now."
"Now, I am the Raikage!"
Ai's face twisted with rage as he glared at Konoha, filled with anger and resentment: "I want to completely destroy Konoha!"
Killer B's eyes widened as he realized something was off with his older brother.
Though everyone knew it was wrong, no one opposed this order, and many even agreed.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
After escaping the pursuit from Hidden Cloud Village, Uchiha Sogetsu finally had some time to rest.
He had mostly completed his tasks, so there was no rush to return. He sat on a rock and took a break.
At that moment, a line of blood suddenly flowed from his right eye.
Bright red blood dripped and splashed on the ground like blooming petals.
"Are the side effects appearing so soon?"
Noticing a significant decline in the vision of his right eye, Uchiha Sogetsu frowned slightly. "After using it only three times, such severe side effects are already showing. As expected. This ability is powerful, but it comes with great risks. It looks like I'll need to find White Zetsu after this."
The first use of his ability Mugen Rikai was to analyze the Tailed Beast Ball. The second and third uses were during this battle: analyzing Third Raikage's Chakra Pathway and Hell Stab: One-Finger Nukite, respectively.
This allowed him to rapidly 'learn' and 'understand' the Lightning Release Chakra Mode and Hell Stab, the core mechanisms of these major ninjutsu, at an extraordinary speed.
Within minutes, he also created the Infinite Tempest and Vertical Guillotine.
Fortunately, he has White Zetsu, the infinite charger of the First Hokage cells.
As he thought this, he noticed many ninjas emerging from the valley in the distance, conducting a thorough search as if they wouldn't give up until they found him.
"Oh, you still won't give up?"
Uchiha Sogetsu shook his head helplessly and stood up. "Never mind, let's avoid them and leave early."
Cloud Ninjas ran past him with angry expressions, yet not a single one noticed the figure sitting on the rock.
Using psychological invisibility, Uchiha Sogetsu placed himself in a 'blind spot of consciousness,' making him effectively invisible to others. Even though he was right in front of them, they couldn't see or sense him, achieving near-total invisibility.
Of course, this technique has its flaws. Any interaction with the surroundings would reveal his presence.
"Next, I need to focus on digesting the 'potion.'"
Uchiha Sogetsu moved quietly, like a ghost, right under the noses of the Cloud Ninjas. With the tide of war beginning, he needed to fully digest the Sequence 5 Dreamwalker potion before reaching 'that point,' preparing for the promotion ceremony—Sequence 4: Manipulator!
Konoha Village.
The village was no longer peaceful. It was filled with a tense atmosphere. Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Hokage who had rarely been seen in battle, now appeared in full ninja armor, looking serious.
Whether they were Jonin, Chunin, Genin, or even students still in the Ninja Academy, everyone gathered in the square. Their faces showed a mix of nerves, seriousness, and fear as they looked up at the Hokage on the high platform. Thousands of people were silent, creating a heavy atmosphere.
"Konoha is about to go to war with the Hidden Mist Village!"
The Hokage looked at the ninjas below and said directly, "The Hidden Mist Village has sent a large number of ninjas, and they are approaching us. This battle is unavoidable!"
Even though most people already suspected that war was coming, hearing it confirmed by the Hokage still stirred excitement and murmurs among the crowd.
"In the name of the Third Hokage of Konoha, I issue this order!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice rang out clearly, cutting through the noise of the crowd, as his powerful chakra spread across the area. "Konoha officially declares war on the Hidden Mist Village!"
At that moment, an Anbu member approached the Hokage and whispered in his ear.
"What did you say?!"
The Hokage's eyes widened in shock, his face showing fear.
The change in his voice and expression was visible to everyone below.
"Calm down, Hiruzen!" Two members of the advisory group stepped forward, scolding him, "As Hokage, you must stay composed no matter what happens. It's unacceptable for everyone to see you like this. Hiruzen, you need to get control of yourself!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood in shock, his eyes wide and his body frozen, as if struck by lightning.
"What's wrong, Hiruzen?"
Utatane Koharu noticed something was off. She walked over, patted his shoulder, and said calmly, "It's just the Hidden Mist Village. So what if there's a war? When has Konoha ever feared war?!"
"No, it's not just the Hidden Mist Village, Koharu."
Sarutobi Hiruzen turned his head slowly, his eyes empty and his lips shaking. His face was pale as he spoke, "I've just received news. Besides the Hidden Mist Village, the Hidden Rock Village, the Hidden Cloud Village, and the Hidden Sand Village have all sent large numbers of ninjas towards Konoha. They've declared war on us!"
Bang!
The cane slammed on the ground, making a heavy noise.
Hokage advisor Utane Koharu's eyes widened in shock, and fear crossed her face. "What did you say?!"
********
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