The blade of Zanka no Tachi erupted with heat reaching hundreds of thousands of degrees.
The metal bracer on A's arm lasted less than a single instant before it exploded with a sharp crack.
In the next moment, terrifying flames surged violently along the blade. The explosion engulfed A completely, blasting him away and carving a charred trench across the ground that stretched for hundreds of meters.
Several Kumogakure shinobi who were charging nearby were instantly burned to ashes.
However, Uchiha Ren frowned slightly.
This was not the effect he wanted.
In the world next door, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni'sZanka no Tachi — East: Rising Sun Blade could erase everything into nothingness.
Ren 's version clearly did not reach that level of heat yet.
He had failed to instantly vaporize the metal armguard A wore. That brief moment of resistance caused the immense heat accumulated in the blade to detonate outward instead of remaining perfectly condensed.
One method focused all power into a single point, producing absolute destruction.
The other dispersed power over an area, creating a wide-scale attack.
The difference between the two was enormous.
"Lord Raikage!!!"
Seeing this scene, the Kumogakure shinobi cried out in shock and disbelief.
What terrified them was the overwhelming power of Ren 's strike. The person who had taken that attack head-on—the Raikage himself—might very well be dead.
What they couldn't accept was that the invincible Raikage they believed in had been defeated so easily.
"Medical team, go rescue Lord Raikage! Everyone else continue the charge!"
"Don't forget our mission! We must capture Kikyō Mountain Fortress!"
Just as the Kumogakure army began to lose morale, a dark-skinned Kumogakure shinobi shouted loudly, snapping the confused troops back to reality.
"That's right! We must take Kikyō Mountain! It's our only way out!"
"Our families are waiting for us back home—charge!"
"Charge! Capture Kikyō Mountain and make Konoha pay!"
The Kumogakure ninja roared as if injected with adrenaline and continued rushing toward the fortress.
Seeing this, Ren revealed a strange smile.
Maybe today… I can experience the same joy Madara once felt.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Ren clapped his hands together and unleashed a vast sea of flames toward the charging Kumogakure forces.
The flames surged forward like a blazing ocean. The terrifying heat made the front-line shinobi feel their throats dry instantly, as if their bodies were about to be baked alive.
"How is this possible?! Such a massive Fire Release!"
"Water Release squad! Use Water Release!"
"Water Release: Water Wall!"
A Kumogakure jōnin shouted in disbelief while rapidly forming hand seals. A wall of water rose before him, covering more than ten meters.
Soon, dozens of ninja skilled in Water Release stepped forward. Only after casting dozens of water techniques were they barely able to neutralize Ren 's Great Fire Annihilation.
In terms of Fire Release mastery, even Uchiha Madara might have to acknowledge Ren as the strongest.
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Release Song Technique!"
Taking advantage of the thick mist created by the collision of fire and water, Ren launched dozens of massive dragon-shaped fireballs into the Kumogakure army.
At the same time, he charged directly into their formation.
Wrapped in blazing flames, Ren pushed his speed to the extreme. With each slash of his sword and punch of his fist, enemies were sent flying.
Wherever he passed, shinobi fell in waves.
Not a single opponent could withstand even one exchange.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Illusion Flash Pillar!"
At that moment, a Kumogakure ninja directly ahead released a blinding flash of light from his hands.
Ren 's eyes widened as his vision was temporarily blinded.
Immediately afterward, several sharp sounds of air being cut approached him.
Relying on his heightened perception, Ren narrowly avoided each strike.
When his vision returned, he saw a Kumogakure jōnin wielding a ninja sword infused with Lightning Release chakra nature and shape transformation, attacking him with Kumogakure Sword Style.
The three-tomoe Sharingan in Ren 's eyes spun.
In his vision, the enemy's movements slowed dramatically, revealing countless openings.
As the jōnin swung his blade again—
Ren 's hand passed through the arc of the sword and grabbed the man by the throat, lifting him into the air.
"You want to dance too?"
Ren snorted coldly.
Flames erupted from his palm.
Within seconds, the Kumogakure jōnin was burned into blackened charcoal.
Ren casually tossed the corpse upward, using it to block several incoming kunai.
"Damn it!!!"
Suddenly, a suppressed roar erupted.
A figure wrapped in lightning appeared beside Ren and punched violently toward his head.
Ren had no time to dodge and could only raise his arm to block.
Boom!
The impact sent Ren flying into the air.
"Lightning Release: Swift Thunder Arrow!"
"Lightning Release: Black Panther!"
"Lightning Release: Thunder Blast!"
A barrage of techniques erupted.
Earlier, Ren had been fighting within the Kumogakure ranks, and many shinobi hesitated to use ninjutsu for fear of hitting their allies.
But now that Ren had been blasted into the air, the surrounding ninja seized the opportunity.
Numerous techniques surged toward him.
Those who couldn't use ninjutsu threw kunai, explosive tags, and other ninja tools.
"Fire Release: Flame Commandment — Fire Pillar!"
Ren spun in midair as blazing flames burst outward, forming a massive tornado of fire that blocked every incoming attack.
"Leave five battalions here with me to hold him down!"
"The rest of you flank from both sides and capture Kikyō Mountain Fortress as quickly as possible!"
Standing below with a solemn expression was A, his body covered in burns and one arm missing from the elbow down.
The surrounding Kumogakure shinobi immediately responded.
Hundreds of ninja stayed behind to surround Ren , while the rest bypassed the battlefield and rushed toward the fortress.
"Fire Release: Flame Wall!"
Ren landed on the ground with flames trailing behind him.
A massive wall of fire surged outward from his position, rapidly spreading to both sides and blocking most of the Kumogakure shinobi who had not yet crossed the line.
"Hmph! Everyone attack together!"
"Focus on exhausting his stamina! Don't give him a chance to interfere with the others!"
A snorted coldly and charged straight at Ren .
Against a powerhouse like the Raikage, Ren couldn't simply ignore him. Even though he held the advantage, A still managed to pin him down.
More troublesome was that the surrounding Kumogakure ninja completely ignored the Raikage's presence.
Taking advantage of A's terrifying durability, they unleashed ninjutsu and threw weapons without restraint, launching indiscriminate attacks toward both Ren and A.
The relentless barrage made it extremely difficult for Ren to defend against everything.
At the same time, the Kumogakure shinobi who had been blocked by the Flame Wall finally discovered a way to break through it—
and successfully breached the barrier.
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