"From the moment you started this war, this outcome was already set in stone," Mochizuki Hui said, his voice icy as he looked at the Second Raikage.
His gaze was so intense that even the Raikage could feel its chilling edge. "This is only the beginning—Kumogakure will pay an even greater price for this war."
With that, Hui charged forward, sword in hand.
The Second Raikage and his remaining three allies tensed up instinctively, unwilling to engage directly with Hui's true form after witnessing the shocking display of power that had just taken out two of their comrades in an instant.
But in the critical moment, it was the Second Raikage who stepped up, charging straight at Hui to intercept him.
Enveloped in deep blue chakra, arcs of lightning danced over his body, giving him an imposing aura.
Yet Hui's strength was simply too overwhelming; he possessed superior speed, power, and reflexes, keeping him firmly ahead of the Second Raikage.
Though the Raikage tried to compensate with his combat experience, it was of no use—Hui's battle instincts, honed through countless fights and backed by his incredible mental fortitude, rivalled even those of seasoned warriors who lived their lives on battlefields.
The two clashed repeatedly, but it quickly became clear that the Second Raikage was outmatched.
He found himself forced onto the defensive, barely able to keep up with Hui's relentless strikes.
"How... how is this possible? That's the Second Raikage!" A Kumogakure shinobi watching the fight looked on in despair, unwilling to believe his own eyes.
"Damn it! Is there no one who can stop him?"
"He's too strong! We're no match for him at all!"
As more and more Kumogakure shinobi witnessed the fight, despair spread through their ranks, shaking them to the core and leaving them feeling defeated before they even stepped onto the battlefield.
Many of the elite shinobi had intended to launch an attack on the Konoha forces while their leaders engaged Hui, but seeing how completely Hui dominated them, they hesitated.
Instead of holding Hui at bay, it was now Hui who was tying down their best fighters, giving them no chance to proceed with the assault.
On the other hand, the Konoha shinobi were electrified, struggling to hold back cheers as they watched their commander dominate Kumogakure's finest.
A sense of pride swelled within them as they witnessed the scene, and many felt a deep urge to join the battle and fight alongside the "Light of Konoha" who was showing his unmatched strength below.
Down on the battlefield, Hui's sword struck the Second Raikage's arm, forcing him back.
The Raikage gritted his teeth as his arm went numb, barely able to believe the strength of the young shinobi in front of him.
This was the first time he had truly fought against Mochizuki Hui, and he was astounded by the intensity of Hui's power.
This strength, while not quite on par with the legendary Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha, was already very close.
It exceeded his own power by a wide margin, a truth that was hard to accept, especially considering Hui's age.
Hui was still only sixteen, not even close to reaching the peak age of a shinobi. Given more time, Hui would only grow stronger.
In that moment, a terrifying thought flashed through the Second Raikage's mind: if given time, Hui might very well surpass even Hashirama Senju and reach the level of the Sage of Six Paths himself.
The mere possibility of such power was horrifying. If it came to pass, who in the shinobi world could ever stand against a true god on earth, a living sage?
The Third Raikage and the two Jinchūriki, too, felt the weight of Hui's power.
The Third Raikage, in particular, had once been able to fight Hui to a standstill, losing only to his own "strongest spear."
Back then, he had thought that, at most, Hui was only slightly stronger than him. After a year and a half of training, he assumed his own growth had closed the gap.
But the truth was harsh. Though he had grown stronger, Hui had grown at a far faster rate, leaving him completely outclassed.
Now, even though he was only fighting one of Hui's shadow clones, the pressure was immense, suffocating, and undeniable. Fighting alone against Hui's clone, he felt as though he could barely breathe, the clone's oppressive strength forcing him to react rather than attack. In the short exchange, he had already sustained two sword wounds.
A year and a half had passed, and in that time, Hui had reached a level that felt insurmountable. If given a few more years, his accomplishments would be unimaginable.
Ōnoki had been right—Hui was becoming the next God of Shinobi.
Realizing this, the Third Raikage couldn't help but understand Ōnoki's fear and unease toward Hui. The awe he felt was mixed with the same dread that Ōnoki had expressed.
If the Third Raikage was struggling, the two Jinchūriki were faring even worse. Fortunately, they were fighting two against one, able to cover each other and mitigate the damage.
Thanks to their Tailed Beast Cloaks, their defense and healing were bolstered, allowing them to withstand the shadow clone's attacks longer than expected. But even with the combined resilience of two Jinchūriki, they were barely holding on.
"Damn it! What kind of clone is this? It's too strong, and it's taking way too many hits!" the Two-Tails' Jinchūriki growled. He had taken a wound in order to land a strike on Hui's clone, only to find that the clone didn't vanish.
"Clone? I'm no mere low-level clone. Remember, I'm a shadow Avatar!" Hui's second shadow Avatar retorted, pressing the attack.
Though it retained 90% of Hui's power, fighting two Jinchūriki at once was no small feat. Their defense and healing made them annoyingly difficult to take down, like two tireless beasts.
Though the avatar was far tougher than an ordinary shadow clone, it could still be dispelled by a lethal blow, so it had to remain cautious.
"This is taking too long! The main body should have dealt with the Second Raikage by now!" Hui's second avatar muttered irritably, though his words only served to infuriate the Jinchūriki even further.
This shadow avatar was unbearably arrogant and dismissive, and yet… it had the strength to back up its attitude.
Glancing at the battered Second Raikage and his apprentice, both of whom were now on the defensive against Hui's main body, the two Jinchūriki felt their hearts sink.
Finally, the Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki gritted his teeth and turned to his comrade.
"Whether he's a clone or avatar, he's still not the real body—so he can be taken out! I tried feigning a self-destructive attack earlier, and he dodged it. That means he's wary of a direct hit."
The Two-Tails' Jinchūriki nodded, understanding immediately. "Got it."
With a roar, the two Jinchūriki threw themselves into a reckless assault, launching all-out attacks on Hui's second clone, abandoning their defences and disregarding any consequences.
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