What kind of wall was that?
This question emerged simultaneously in the minds of the three thousand Kumogakure shinobi, all the Konoha shinobi, and the hidden observers watching from afar.
The surface of the wall glowed with an earthy yellow light, covered in dense, ancient runes that slowly rotated under the faint illumination.
High above the wall, the night wind howled.
Arashi stood in its center.
Behind him, Minato, Hiruzen, and the other high-ranking Konoha officials finally arrived at the top.
When their eyes fell upon the vast wall that seemed to reach the heavens, even these battle-hardened veterans couldn't hide their astonishment.
"This… this is Daimyo-sama..." Tsunade's wide eyes reflected the glowing wall.
Minato stared at the approaching, murderous Kumogakure army. His golden hair whipped in the wind.
"We can't let them advance any further. I'll go stop them."
Before the words had even left his mouth, he prepared to teleport.
"No need," Arashi's calm voice interrupted. "Just watch."
Minato halted.
That composed tone left no room for argument.
At that moment, Raikage A's voice roared up from the base of the wall.
"What a joke! Attack!"
"Destroy this wall for me!!!"
At his command, hundreds of Kumogakure shinobi quickly formed hand seals.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A storm of multicolored Ninjutsu erupted in all directions, blasting straight at the massive wall.
Facing this overwhelming assault, powerful enough to level a mountain, Arashi made a move that left everyone stunned.
He took a step forward.
With that step, he entered the death zone created by the Ninjutsu barrage.
Boom! Boom! Rumble!
Explosions rang out one after another. The Ninjutsu barrage slammed into the wall, raising clouds of dust and fire.
And Arashi, walking amid the radiant flashes and shockwaves of countless techniques, calmly descended step by step.
A fireball exploded beside him, the flames licking past his robes but leaving him untouched.
A wind blade slashed toward his neck, but it scattered before it even made contact.
Under the stunned gaze of countless onlookers…
Arashi passed through the storm of Ninjutsu and landed gently at the base of the wall, without stirring a single speck of dust.
As the smoke cleared, the wall stood tall and unharmed, the runes on its surface still glowing, unshaken.
"Nani?!" Every Kumogakure shinobi felt a cold chill crawl down their spine.
"This isn't good…" Killer B adjusted his sunglasses, his tone subdued. "This wall… is absorbing Chakra."
"Cheap tricks!"
Raikage A's face twisted with fury and shame.
With a roar, his burly figure turned into a flash of lightning, his fist aimed straight for Arashi's head.
As the lightning-charged blow thundered in, Arashi simply scoffed and floated backward.
He didn't fight back. Instead, he led Raikage A into the middle of the Kumogakure army.
"Bastard! Don't run!"
Raikage A chased after him, his attacks relentless. Punches, kicks, elbows, knees—each strike accompanied by the sound of the air being torn apart.
A strange chase began among the ranks of Kumogakure.
The Raikage was fast and furious, a blur of rage.
Arashi, however, walked calmly, his steps measured.
Each time, just before a blow could land, he would tilt his body slightly or sidestep effortlessly, letting the attack miss by a hair's breadth.
One Kumogakure shinobi saw an opening and slashed at Arashi with his blade.
Without even looking, Arashi flicked a finger.
A wind bullet shot out.
The shinobi froze mid-strike. A hole appeared in his forehead, and he dropped like a stone.
Another punch whistled past, ruffling Arashi's hair.
He drifted aside, his hand flicking lightly.
Wind blades flew.
A Kumogakure shinobi forming seals was suddenly split in half, his hands still locked mid-jutsu.
"Everyone, scatter!" Raikage A had completely lost his mind. He bellowed at his troops, "Ignore him! All units, charge! Get into Konoha now!"
At his command, the thousands of Kumogakure shinobi immediately stopped their attacks and surged toward the wall.
"So naive," Arashi's brow twitched.
As Raikage A's punch came flying in again, this time, Arashi didn't dodge.
He punched back.
Bang!
Fists collided.
Raikage A's arm trembled, the force passing through his bones like a sledgehammer. His body was hurled backward.
His Lightning Release Armor shattered in an instant.
After dealing with that nuisance, Arashi turned toward the Kumogakure army now gathered at the base of the wall.
He clapped his hands together in front of his chest.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
White smoke erupted.
The next instant, five hundred identical figures appeared on the battlefield.
They didn't form a defensive line. Instead, with cold, emotionless killing intent, they charged straight at the enemy.
Five hundred Shadow Clones vs. three thousand Kumogakure.
Begin.
"Don't be afraid of the numbers! They're just Clones!"
"Rip them apart!"
A Kumogakure commander roared and led his squad to intercept the vanguard clones.
"Lightning Release: Ground Flash!"
Several elite Kumogakure shinobi launched their attacks. Lightning surged across the ground like spiderwebs.
The first few clones were struck, vanishing into puffs of smoke.
But then, more clones flanked from both sides.
Each one formed a Rasengan in their hand and slammed it into the enemy lines.
Explosions of Chakra and blood followed.
The battlefield immediately turned into a meat grinder.
The Kumogakure shinobi displayed their might as elites of one of the Five Great Villages.
Groups of three, squads of five, combining Cloud-Style Kenjutsu and Lightning Release, they destroyed clone after clone.
The air was filled with the pop of disappearing clones.
But what they were fighting weren't ordinary clones.
These were five hundred Shadow Clones, all perfectly synchronized, unafraid of death, and sharing the same terrifying intelligence.
A Kumogakure Jōnin cut down three clones in quick succession with expert swordwork.
Before he could even breathe, seven more surrounded him.
Seven attacks came from seven different angles—Fire Release, Wind Release, kunai, Taijutsu.
He didn't even have time to scream before being completely overwhelmed.
Another group used a team technique: Lightning Release: Lightning Net.
A massive electric net vaporized more than a dozen clones instantly.
But before they could celebrate, the ground beneath them turned to mud.
Shadow Clones surged in from behind.
Then came Water Release.
Then more Lightning Release.
The Kumogakure shinobi fought with everything they had.
They killed many clones.
They felt like they were making progress.
And that... was the most terrifying part.
Because no matter how many they killed, the enemy's numbers never seemed to decrease.
Meanwhile, their own allies were falling one after another.
Raikage A, who had just pulled himself up from the ground, stared blankly at the battlefield.
He watched his proud elite troops being torn apart.
Every fallen Kumogakure shinobi took a few clones with them.
But those clones never seemed to run out.
The exchange rate crushed their advantage in numbers.
This wasn't a battle.
It was torture.
The torture of trading flesh and blood against Ninjutsu.
"B!!!" Raikage A roared, eyes bloodshot.
"ROOOAAR!!!"
A beast's howl shook the battlefield.
Behind the lines, Killer B's body was suddenly engulfed in crimson, ominous Chakra.
A Tailed Beast cloak took form.
Four massive Chakra tails swayed behind him, each swing cracking the ground.
Debris flew in every direction.
Then he moved.
He turned into a red streak and bolted toward the side of the Konoha wall.
He wasn't going to keep fighting here.
He was going to bypass the wall.
Break into Konoha.
And fully unleash the Eight-Tails within.
(To be continued.)