The blizzard howled, its icy wind cutting through the air like knives.
Even the well-trained ANBU ninjas couldn't help but shiver in the sub-zero weather.
"That bastard dared to deceive us!" Raiga Kurosuki, already known for his short temper, seethed with anger. "We've been tailing Uchiha Sogetsu like dogs, and now this!"
"Quit your blustering, Raiga," Biwa Juzo said, wrapping his cloak tightly around himself to ward off the bitter cold. "Remember what happened to Fuguki Suikazan?"
At the mention of the brutal fate of Fuguki Suikazan, Raiga Kurosuki's bravado faded.
"He's not entirely useless," Raiga muttered through gritted teeth. "He gave us enough intel on Uchiha Sogetsu. With all of us together, his Sharingan won't save him in a group fight."
Juzo looked at Raiga pensively, memories of their fallen comrades weighing heavily on his mind.
Once, they had been part of the infamous Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Now, only two remained, and five of their swords were lost.
A pang of sorrow gripped Juzo's heart, a feeling akin to losing more than just comrades. "I wonder if we'll make it out of this alive."
"Lord Juzo, Lord Raiga, found him!" A scout ninja interrupted, pointing ahead. "Based on the chakra residue, Uchiha Sogetsu headed that way."
They turned to see a frozen lake in the direction indicated.
"This doesn't feel right," Juzo frowned, a nagging sense of familiarity gnawing at him.
A lake... Wait!
A terrible realization struck Juzo like lightning.
"This is bad!" Juzo's face went pale. "Everyone, follow me! We must stop Uchiha Sogetsu!"
Afterward, he didn't bother to explain further. Chakra surged beneath his feet like a keen blade slicing through the blizzard, propelling him forward.
"Hey, wait, Biwa Juzo!"
Raiga Kurosuki was bewildered by his sudden actions, but trusting his companions, he decisively gave chase.
Whoosh, whoosh! Amidst the blizzard, they accelerated against the fierce headwind.
Raiga Kurosuki finally caught up and shouted, "Biwa Juzo, calm down. We haven't strategized yet. It's reckless for us to charge ahead like this!"
"No, it's too late, Raiga Kurosuki!"
Biwa Juzo clenched his teeth, a hint of fear in his eyes as his voice trembled involuntarily. "That person intends to destroy the Hidden Mist Village. We must stop him quickly, or it will be too late!"
Boom!
Chakra surged once more, boosting Biwa Juzo's speed.
Seeing this, those following behind gritted their teeth and hastened their pace.
The trees on either side retreated swiftly, and the frozen lake gradually came into full view. It stretched immensely, with only a distant figure visible.
"There! I see him!"
Biwa Juzo finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a weight lift from his chest.
However, he couldn't afford to relax completely. Urgently, he prompted everyone again, "Hurry, hurry! We must ensure to intercept him!"
"Leave it to me!"
Raiga Kurosuki frowned, unsure why Biwa Juzo seemed so anxious.
However, Juzo's anxious demeanor and unconcealed fear underscored the gravity of the situation, prompting Raiga Kurosuki to no longer hold back his strength.
Surging with thunder-chakra, arcs of electricity crackled around him.
"Lightning Release: Thunderbolt!"
Bang!
In an instant, he dashed across the ice.
Amidst the violent flashes of lightning, he resembled a thunderbolt slicing through the blizzard, swiftly covering dozens of meters.
The ice beneath him churned like a tempestuous wave, lightning arcs shattering the frozen surface. The intense heat melted it instantly, creating a vast expanse of water vapor.
"Lightning Style: Thunder Dragon Tornado!"
Black-Haired Raiga, approaching swiftly, summoned lightning with his twin blades.
In a blink, gathered lightning spun rapidly, forming a potent storm that carried a destructive thunderous aura. It resembled a colossal dragon soaring in the sky, its roar shaking the earth as it surged unstoppably towards the figure at the center of the lake.
Boom!
The Thunder Dragon's storm roared, shattering ice in its wake.
Following a blinding white light and a violent explosion, a several-meter-high wave surged forth, thunder raging and wreaking havoc, obliterating everything in its path.
The massive wave crashed heavily onto the icy surface.
Boom!
Large chunks of ice collapsed, water splashing.
"Come out, Uchiha Sogetsu."
Raiga gripped his swords tightly, his expression serious, eyes fixed on the center of the explosion. "I know you're not dead yet!"
As if on cue, a figure emerged slowly—it was Uchiha Sogetsu.
Biwa Juzo and the remaining Anbu caught up with Raiga Kurosuki at that moment.
"Well, the timing couldn't be better."
Uchiha Sogetsu looked at them and smiled faintly. "It's almost as I calculated. Now that everyone is here, it's time to begin officially."
"Calculated? Begin?"
Raiga Kurosuki listened, puzzled. "What are you talking about?"
"I mean, are you prepared?"
Uchiha Sogetsu tapped his glasses with his index finger, his eyes gleaming. "My methods might be a bit rough, so he might wake up a bit grumpy. I hope you can handle it."
"You mean, he's really..."
Hearing this, fear suddenly filled Biwa Juzo's face, and he shouted in horror, "Retreat! Everyone, retreat!"
But his warning came too late.
Boom!
The frozen lake, hundreds of square meters in radius, suddenly shattered with tremendous force.
The earth-shaking vibration tore through the thick ice in an instant. Bubbles surged continuously from the lake bed. The entire lake seemed to boil, waves crashing and roaring. The once serene surface was now lifted in a colossal arc.
Something was emerging!
A powerful signal raced through everyone's minds. Intense anxiety and fear gripped them like darkness.
An indescribable, terrifying pressure, like an invisible giant hand, squeezed each of their throats.
Then, beneath the fracturing ice, the lake's surface churned violently.
Waters clashed and swirled in tumultuous currents, gathering like molten magma, steadily building strength.
And when the power reached its zenith, it finally erupted.
"Run!"
Jūzō Biwa shouted.
However, his voice was drowned out by a deafening roar.
Boom!!!
The entire lake, and even the nearby mountains and forests, shook violently.
The ground was torn apart by a powerful force, as if an immense power was erupting from below, like a trapped dragon ascending to the sky. A colossal black shadow emerged from the depths of the lake.
Its terrifying and ferocious body was covered in a tough, thick shell adorned with countless spikes. Its massive form resembled a black steel mountain amidst a blizzard. White vapor erupted from its mouth, creating waves akin to a hurricane.
"Roar!"
Amidst the booming tsunami, the creature's roar tore through the snow clouds in the sky.
"It's the Three-Tailed Beast - Isobu!"
Raiga Kurosuki was thrown back by the storm for dozens of meters. When he finally saw the gigantic creature clearly, a chill ran down his spine: "Uchiha Sogetsu, have you lost your mind?!"
********
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