"You're really here!"
Aloe Uzumaki ran over, slightly panting, surprised by the sudden arrival of the Third Raikage.
"You old man, you're still alive?"
The Third Raikage, having just concluded his discussion with Dodai, smirked. He had met Aloe Uzumaki once during a diplomatic visit to Uzushiogakure decades ago.
This guy's from my grandfather's era… I didn't expect him to still be alive. The Uzumaki's longevity really isn't just a rumor.
"It won't be a problem to outlast you."
Aloe Uzumaki replied with a grin, inwardly pleased that the Third Raikage came in person. The gesture reflected real sincerity from Kumogakure.
"Just make it through tonight."
The Third Raikage scoffed. Despite their alliance, he doubted even the Uzumaki clan—backed by the ancient Basana Fan—could endure what was coming.
His face darkened as he and Aloe formed a seal, activating a linked space-time barrier: an auxiliary portal through the Four Red Yang Formation, mirroring the one used by the Uzumaki defensive barrier corps.
"The Four Red Yang Formation eats chakra like crazy. We've only got ten minutes!"
This was the first major joint operation between Kumogakure and the Uzumaki, and they wouldn't let the Uzumaki shoulder the burden alone. Hidden Cloud had to put skin in the game.
Tutai approached Aloe Uzumaki with a questioning look. The next steps of the plan required precise coordination with the Uzumaki elder.
"Keep the formation and follow me!"
The Third Raikage shouted back to his troops. Lightning flickered across his body—black and crackling with unnatural force—before he surged through the barrier first.
Behind him, hundreds of jōnin stormed forward, followed by thousands of chūnin. They smashed into the Kirigakure formation, which was still regrouping after being devastated by the Uzumaki sealing corps.
"Third Raikage?!"
The bloodied Hōzuki Mangetsu—nicknamed Ghostly Ghost by the battlefield—froze. The Mist side had suffered enormous losses during the first assault, especially the Mizunotsuki clan, known for their water clone and smokescreen tactics. Most of them were crippled.
Now Kumogakure was charging in again—this time with their supreme commander at the helm.
Damn it… This is suicide.
Though Mangetsu was said to rival the Mizukage in potential, the Third Raikage was another matter. A monster with chakra denser than most tailed beasts, and wielding Black Lightning, a technique unique even within Kumogakure.
The battlefield erupted.
The Third Raikage, clad in his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, streaked like a bolt of black lightning through Mist formations. He targeted any gathering points of enemy shinobi, cutting through them like a storm.
His Hell Stab, refined to a single-finger thrust, pierced through jōnin-level defenses with ease. Combined with his famously tough body, it formed the legendary union of the "strongest shield and strongest spear."
Behind him, the Cloud-nin held tight formation, cleaving through the Kirigakure ranks like a hot knife through butter. The Mist ranks broke into smaller chunks, scattered and unable to regroup.
Already devastated by sealing jutsu and chakra exhaustion, and now outnumbered, the Mist side crumbled.
Kumogakure's jōnin avoided mutual-destruction tactics by fighting in tightly coordinated pairs, with chūnin supporting with cover fire and containment. The tide turned to utter domination.
It wasn't a battle—it was a slaughter. Even the infamous Blood Mist shinobi began to panic. Some tried to escape by breaking through the Four Red Yang Formation.
But it was futile. The chakra barrier, powered by four Uzumaki elders, was nearly unbreakable. Though they weren't as powerful as the Hokage during the Fourth War, the quality and synchronicity of their chakra weren't far behind.
Even Tailed Beast Bombs couldn't breach this barrier. The panicked Mist ninja were reduced to ash before they could flee.
Tamura Hao, mixed among the chūnin, was in action—cutting down enemies with his twin blades. He deployed chakra threads laced with explosive tags, controlling them like puppeteer wires for mid-range strikes. His chakra, however, was also subtly linked to the shadow of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, giving him a unique perception: a sense of good and evil intent.
It allowed him to detect hidden threats—like enemies disguised by transformation or playing dead.
But that chakra connection did something unintended.
"Mother's chakra?!"
Black Zetsu, hiding deep underground, jolted with shock. A familiar, faint pulse—her chakra. Resonating with his own.
Alarmed, he slithered through the earth toward the sensation, eventually spotting a young white-haired man through a break in the carnage.
The closer he got, the more intense the resonance became. At ten meters, it peaked.
"What...?"
Tamura Hao had just impaled a Kiri chūnin when he froze, sensing a powerful, alien intent from behind. He spun around—but there was nothing.
Frowning, he scanned the area. Nothing out of place.
He turned back to fighting, now focused on a small cluster of Kaguya clan shinobi. These warriors were his prime targets—each kill gave him a chance to extract chakra and feed it to Kaguya's shadow, nourishing the second "golden finger" he had artificially cultivated.
He also sealed their corpses in scrolls before they could be damaged.
That was his true mission: harvesting the Kaguya clan's kekkei genkai. Their Shikotsumyaku was a rare bone-manipulation ability derived from Ōtsutsuki Hamura—perfect for enhancing Kaguya's phantom and, by extension, Hao's future Six Paths potential.
He didn't care for the offensive applications of bone jutsu. His goal was to fortify his skeletal structure, ideally fusing it with the Yeyue clan's secret strengthening medicine.
Absorbing the chakra from another Kaguya, Hao shifted to engage another in mid-combat. This raw, vicious fight far surpassed his earlier spars with Fukai and Ay—it tested his nerves, his stamina, and his will.
Black Zetsu continued to observe, growing more suspicious.
Who is this brat? Why does he have Mother's chakra?
Tamura Hao remained unaware. He was too busy slaying and sealing Kaguya corpses. Their bloodline chakra was on par with the Sharingan, and fed Kaguya's shadow with each absorption.
Nearby, Ay and Fukai were doing the same—targeting Kaguya ninjas for body collection, especially searching for female specimens.
Female Kaguya ninja were especially valuable—Kaguya's bones were critical for making secret Yeyue medicine. Every sample saved on research time and rations.
And Kaguya kunoichi represented the most direct path to legacy.
Suddenly, Fukai turned toward Hao. A young Kaguya ninja was gunning for him.
After a moment's observation, Fukai judged him to be no stronger than a chūnin. He chose not to interfere.
Let the kid have this one. He needs the experience.
Ay also noticed Hao in action. She prepared herself for an emergency assist but didn't step in.
Hao didn't want to live as a protected researcher—he wanted to be strong. That desire mirrored her and her father's ideals.
And true growth only came from real, lethal combat.
Tamura Hao, exhilarated, recognized the young Kaguya as an ideal opponent.
He lacked the power of Fukai or Ye Cang, but he was fast, fierce, and skilled in taijutsu—a great match for Hao's current level.
His Strange Power Sword Technique exploded into action. Twin blades, reinforced with chakra and physical strength, unleashed an unrelenting assault. Though the Kaguya's bone armor was strong, it couldn't fully withstand the edge of Hao's weapons.
After Ay and Fukai's recent guidance, his swordsmanship had reached new heights.
The young Kaguya grinned maniacally. He knew he would die here. But if he could drag someone down with him, that would be enough.
Bone spikes regrew as fast as they broke. His style was one of reckless offense—he aimed for mutual destruction.
Tamura Hao didn't waver. He kept attacking, blocking with reinforced chakra armor plating. This was also a live test of his gear's defense under real pressure.
The armor was made specifically for resisting physical strikes. That's why he dared to go head-to-head with a Kaguya.
The battlefront was winding down. Most enemies had been cleared. With Ay and Fukai nearby, Hao didn't need to hold back chakra. It was time to embrace the full experience of life-and-death battle.