Despair
Unfortunately, while A couldn't fully react to his own lightning-enhanced speed, his reflexes remained excellent. He blocked every one of Pingyi's slashes with the reinforced gauntlets on his forearms, sparks flying at each impact.
A didn't dare rely solely on his Lightning Release Armor to tank Pingyi's attacks; he could clearly sense the Wind Release Chakra wrapped around those strikes. Perhaps his father, the Third Raikage, could withstand such attacks directly—but at A's current level, he could not.
Pingyi gritted his teeth, forcing even more Lightning Release Chakra through his body to further stimulate his muscles and reflexes. He had to finish this quickly—disable A, then rush to support Takeda and the others. Their situation was deteriorating fast.
Although Pingyi estimated the opposing Kumogakure-nin to be only Chūnin-level, their numerical advantage was overwhelming.
Even Xiao Guang had been forced into close combat.
The situation was dire.
---
Meanwhile, Shirō and his group were rapidly approaching Konoha's first forward stronghold in the region.
From afar, they could already hear the clash of steel and the cries of battle. Their expressions hardened. Without hesitation, each drew their weapon and accelerated.
When they arrived, they found the Perception Unit stationed there barely holding out. Even with Konoha's Anbu support, they were on the verge of collapse. Their opponents were no ordinary Kumogakure-nin—each wore a mask and dark armor similar to Anbu gear.
Kumo's Black Ops.
Shirō's gaze darkened. The mission's importance had to be immense if even Kumogakure's Anbu had been dispatched.
Without wasting time, Shirō's team charged into battle.
To be precise—it was a massacre.
Kumogakure's Anbu weren't as selective as Konoha's; elite Chūnin and jōnin could qualify. Against Shirō's battle-hardened unit, they stood no chance.
The Uchiha members, their Sharingan spinning with triple tomoe, tore through their foes effortlessly. Every enemy movement was read, countered, and punished with surgical precision.
As for Shirō, he ended it quickly—summoning Projection: Boundless SlAer of Sins. A streak of cold light flashed through the chaos; moments later, several masked bodies hit the ground.
Dai and Teacher Chen step back. Teacher Chen's taijutsu, while strong, lacked killing speed, and Dai chose not to open the Eight Gates unless absolutely necessary. For now, observation sufficed.
Once the battlefield was secure, Shirō made a decision. Rather than waste time regrouping, he ordered everyone to advance immediately. Kumogakure's presence this deep into Fire Country meant Pingyi's squad was likely under direct assault.
The defenders from the stronghold joined them—there was no point in stAing behind. Their post had already been compromised, and reinforcement was the only rational choice.
---
Compared to Shirō's progress, Pingyi's group was struggling desperately.
Pingyi still held his ground against A but could barely maintain the upper hand. Takeda and the others were faring worse, retreating step by step, nearly losing control of their captive.
Miyue, her single-tomoe Sharingan active, darted between attacks with growing exhaustion. Despite her talent, her Sharingan hadn't advanced further in years. Unlike her brother and Yuexuan—whose progress had been unnaturally fast—Miyue had chosen a steadier, safer path.
Her chakra reserves, however, betrAed her youth. Ninjutsu drained her too quickly, and facing multiple enemies rendered her elemental techniques almost useless.
She remembered her experience in the Land of Demons, where her ninjutsu had failed against puppet users. Since then, she had redoubled her Sharingan training—but taijutsu had fallen behind, as it often did with young Uchiha.
And now, surrounded, that imbalance was painfully clear.
Even with her improved physique, her stamina waned. Takeda and Xiao Guang, lacking any bloodline advantage, were in even worse condition—especially Xiao Guang, who was already wounded. Desperation forced him to unleash a forbidden sword technique, killing one enemy but worsening his own injuries severely.
Then, the sound of thunder split the air.
More enemies had arrived—Kumogakure reinforcements.
Despair set in.
The pursuers immediately retrieved the captive, while A and his partner—Killer Bee—closed in on Pingyi, attacking from both sides in perfect coordination.
Bee's voice rang out, his tone wild and rhythmic even amid battle.
"Yo, bro—let's wrap this up fast!"
A nodded sharply, his eyes flashing. "Right! Bee!"
"Yeah!"
"Lightning Release—Hot Knife!"
The brothers charged, one from the front, one from behind, their combined lightning chakra tearing through the battlefield like a storm.
Pingyi's squad could only watch in horror as the two human thunderbolts converged.
And in that blinding flash—
despair consumed everything.
Visit patreon.com/MexxyWave to get access to 30+ chapters