Chapter 396 – Total Annihilation
There were some things Kei could say without the slightest hint of embarrassment.
This was one of them.
Everyone knew what Konoha's intelligence network was like.
It wasn't weak—far from it—but it also wasn't nearly as omnipotent as Kei made it sound.
After all, Konoha hadn't actually discovered these Kumogakure shinobi.
They had already slipped through the net and were now dangerously close to the village.
Unfortunately for them, they ran into Orochimaru—a man who had accepted Kei's commission, taken his "payment," and was currently wandering aimlessly through the Land of Fire.
Under normal circumstances, Orochimaru wouldn't have handed over such intelligence so easily.
But Kei's display had shaken him.
The Mangekyō had ignited limitless speculation—and that curiosity had given birth to a new deal.
A deal in which Kei paid almost nothing… and yet obtained everything he needed.
No matter how sharp Dodai was—no matter how carefully he planned—
He could never have predicted that their downfall would come from an outsider like Orochimaru.
Their movements—information of the highest value—had been casually turned into a bargaining chip.
And what had that chip bought?
Nothing more than Kei briefly revealing his fourth-stage Susanoo.
To Konoha, their whereabouts were priceless.
To Orochimaru?
They were worth almost nothing.
---
"Any last words?"
Kei slowly lifted his head, watching snowflakes drift down from the gray sky. He shook his head lightly.
"What a shame," he said calmly.
"I actually like scenery like this. Quiet. Peaceful. Free from worldly noise."
"But in the end, it'll still be stained by your blood."
The moment his words fell, Kei's eyes turned scarlet.
Kiryoku slid from its sheath at his waist, blue lightning shimmering along the blade.
Dodai let out a slow breath.
He knew—they were exposed.
He still didn't understand how, but that no longer mattered.
Uchiha Kei's reputation was enormous.
The hero who had ended a war.
The man who had fought alongside the Fourth Hokage.
The one tied to the Nine-Tails incident.
Troublesome.
Extremely troublesome.
More importantly, Dodai had already realized something far worse—
The Guard Division had surrounded the valley.
They held the high ground.
And yet Kei stood alone before them.
That meant only one thing.
Arrogance.
Or absolute confidence.
And since this man wielded enormous authority within Konoha… perhaps that arrogance could be exploited.
Their mission was to destabilize Konoha internally—to pin down the Fourth Hokage and keep him from the front lines.
If they could capture—or kill—the head of the Guard Division…
The blow to Konoha would be catastrophic.
Given the situation, they had only one way out.
They had to seize Kei.
Otherwise, there was no way to distract the encircling forces long enough to escape.
Dodai's expression hardened.
He made a subtle hand signal.
The Kumogakure shinobi around him understood instantly.
And then—
Kei moved.
The three-tomoe Sharingan spun softly.
His body shot forward.
Strangely, not a single snowflake was disturbed.
"Bastard—don't underestimate us!"
The foremost Kumogakure ninja roared, slashing down with his blade.
Their figures crossed.
The man was sent flying.
A thin line appeared across his throat, and a spray of blood scattered across the white snow—beautiful and grotesque all at once.
Another Kumogakure shinobi lunged in immediately, swinging his blade at Kei's side.
Kei shifted half a step.
His left hand rose.
Lightning shrieked.
Chidori screamed to life.
Scarlet eyes locked onto the man's face.
The Kumogakure ninja froze for a split second—
And Kei's hand pierced straight through his chest.
"Damn it!"
Dodai clenched his teeth.
In just a few seconds, two of his men were dead.
He could have protected them.
His Lava Release wasn't just destructive—it could defend as well.
But Kei was simply too fast.
So fast that even a veteran like Dodai couldn't intervene in time.
And that was when he understood—
This wasn't a skirmish.
This was an execution.
He had to admit it—
He hadn't reacted at all before the man had already slaughtered his subordinates.
That kind of speed… Dodai had only ever seen it on the Third Raikage at his peak—and the Fourth Raikage possessed it as well.
But there was a crucial difference.
To reach that level of speed, both Raikage had to activate Lightning Release: Chakra Mode.
At the very least, there was one piece of good news—
When those two went all out in Lightning Chakra Mode, their speed was even more terrifying than this.
Uchiha Kei had not yet reached that level.
Realizing this, Dodai forced himself to focus and began forming seals in advance.
Only by preparing a technique ahead of time—and releasing it the instant Kei attacked—would there be any chance of saving his men.
It was risky.
Difficult.
But he had no choice.
---
At that moment—
Three Kumogakure shinobi seized the opening.
Kei's left hand was still embedded in their comrade's chest, not yet withdrawn.
They leapt high into the air, long blades flashing coldly.
The next instant, three swords plunged down simultaneously toward Uchiha Kei.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The shock nearly made them drop their weapons.
Their blades had struck Kei—but it felt as though they had stabbed solid steel.
The violent recoil sent numbness racing up their arms.
Only then did they notice it.
At some point, a black skeletal structure made of chakra had formed around Kei's body, shielding him completely.
"What is this?"
"What kind of jutsu is that?! Be careful!"
"Don't panic—he's alone!"
"Below him! His lower body isn't protected!"
Chaotic shouts erupted among the Kumogakure shinobi.
They had never seen a technique this bizarre before.
Still, they didn't panic outright.
After all, Kumogakure itself possessed Lightning Chakra Mode.
This might simply be another variation of a chakra-enhancement technique.
---
Kei calmly pulled his left hand free and tilted his head.
Then he moved.
A brutal kick slammed into one shinobi's chest, sending him flying, while Kei's blade swept toward another man's throat.
"Lava Release: Rubber Ball!"
At that instant, a rubber-like orb suddenly enveloped the target, intercepting Kei's strike.
His blade slammed into the barrier.
The strike missing didn't bother him.
But when he tried to withdraw Kiryoku, he felt resistance.
The blade was stuck—trapped by the hardened, rubbery substance.
At the same time, the last remaining Kumogakure shinobi attacked from behind, slashing at Kei's legs.
"Interesting… but still not enough."
Kei muttered softly.
A skeletal arm suddenly extended from his ribcage-like armor, blocking the incoming strike with ease.
Seizing the moment, Kei drew a kunai.
Before his enemy could even react, he spun—
And slit the man's throat cleanly.
Turning slightly, Kei glanced at Dodai's stunned expression and smiled.
"But it doesn't seem all that durable after all."
As he spoke, the skeletal arm transformed, thickening into a massive, solid limb.
It seized the rubber sphere.
Without giving Dodai—or the shinobi trapped inside—even a moment to react—
Kei crushed it.
With a sickening crack, the sphere shattered into fragments.
Blood splashed across the ground.
Five Kumogakure shinobi.
Five lives.
Gone in less than ten seconds.
Fear began to spread among the remaining Kumogakure forces.
They were finally starting to understand what kind of monster they were facing.
Speed.
Strength.
Unbelievable defense.
And on top of that—the terrifying perception unique to the Uchiha.
Against someone like this, they had no answer.
Swallowing hard, the remaining eight combat shinobi realized the truth.
They had already lost.
Uchiha Kei truly deserved his reputation as a war hero.
"Lord Dodai…"
A shinobi who had stayed at Dodai's side whispered urgently.
"Please—listen to us. Retreat now. We'll cover you. We'll hold them off and buy you time."
"You—!"
Dodai froze, then his expression darkened.
"Don't underestimate me. I'm a combat shinobi too."
"But Lord Dodai," another man said quietly, "your value in the command room far outweighs your value here."
"There's no time left. Please—return safely. Even if the mission fails, as long as Kumogakure wins this war… our sacrifice will mean something."
"Yes, Lord Dodai."
Another shinobi stepped forward, facing Kei directly.
"The battlefield will be in your hands. You think killing us so brutally will scare us?"
"No."
"It only ignites our blood. We are proud Kumogakure shinobi!"
With that, all eight roared in unison.
Blue chakra erupted from their bodies, lightning crackling wildly around them.
Kei's eyes narrowed slightly.
If he wasn't mistaken—
This was Lightning Release: Chakra Mode.
Still, regardless of the mode, it wasn't enough.
Unless it was someone like the Raikage himself using it, they posed no real threat.
---
"Finished saying your last words?"
Kei's voice remained gentle—almost conversational.
"But they're being far too optimistic."
"Since I'm already here… how could I possibly let any of you escape?"
"…Good night."