In the blinding blizzard that made it nearly impossible to keep one's eyes open, two figures moved at unimaginable speeds, locked in a relentless chase across the snowy plains.
The two combatants were none other than Upper Moon Two, Kokushibo, desperately trying to break through the encirclement, and Sasuke, who clung to him with unyielding determination.
This was already the third day of their relentless pursuit.
After being caught off guard by Kokushibo's preemptive strike three days ago, Sasuke had launched into a frenzied chase. His prodigious talent and tenacity shone through vividly. Far from growing weary or disheartened over the three days, he fought with increasing ferocity, his progress astonishingly rapid!
Even Shinji, observing from the sidelines, was quietly astounded by Sasuke's growth.
Of course.
Sasuke's ability to pursue Kokushibo so recklessly was partly due to the fact that the entire snowy plain was surrounded by a joint task force composed of Hidden Stone shinobi, Hidden Cloud shinobi, and Land of Iron samurai.
Trapped in this encirclement, Kokushibo was constantly trying to break free, unable to focus all his attention on Sasuke, who doggedly pursued him.
In the blizzard, the Third Tsuchikage and the Fourth Raikage had rendezvoused.
Over the past three days, the joint forces had clashed with Kokushibo several times. Having grown to his current level, Kokushibo's strength was among the elite even for Kage-level fighters. Combined with the unique environment of the snowy plains, only a handful of powerhouses like the Third Tsuchikage, the Fourth Raikage, and the samurai leader Mifune could truly contribute to the hunt, while the rest played supporting roles.
Whoosh.
A ninja from Hidden Stone's sensory team approached the Third Tsuchikage and reported, "Lord Tsuchikage, there's a chakra signature ahead—likely Upper Moon Two!"
The Third Tsuchikage waved the ninja off and turned to the Fourth Raikage. "If we keep dragging this out, Hidden Leaf, Hidden Mist, and Hidden Sand will probably show up soon!"
"Hmph!"
The Fourth Raikage let out a heavy snort.
The previous failures in their hunts were partly due to the joint forces undermining each other. For instance, in yesterday's battle, if the Third Tsuchikage hadn't recklessly unleashed his Dust Release at an inopportune moment, Upper Moon Two might already be in Hidden Cloud's hands.
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, a veteran who had lived through the era of the ninja villages' founding, paid no mind to the Raikage's scorn. He continued, "Besides Upper Moon Two, those two Akatsuki members are also a problem. The one with the cat mask, 'A,' is particularly troublesome!"
At the mention of the Akatsuki, the Fourth Raikage's expression darkened. Even now, Hidden Cloud's Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito Nii, remained missing. When it came to grudges against the Akatsuki, Hidden Cloud held the deepest among the five great ninja villages.
After weighing his options, the Fourth Raikage said reluctantly, "Upper Moon Two likely holds the secret to the Upper Moons' immortality. If we keep sabotaging each other, we'll only let Hidden Leaf, Hidden Mist, and Hidden Sand take advantage! So, Onoki, let's cooperate!"
Onoki had been waiting for those words. "Fine, but Upper Moon Two must go to Hidden Stone Village! Hidden Cloud can send researchers to join us and share the results!"
The Fourth Raikage replied, "Agreed, but Hidden Stone must assist us in capturing those two Akatsuki members on the plains!"
With other ninja villages' forces nearing the snowy plains, the Third Tsuchikage and Fourth Raikage each took a step back, quickly reaching a cooperative agreement.
Once the deal was struck, the joint task force abandoned their previous infighting, displaying remarkable tactical coordination. They formed a massive arc with the Third Tsuchikage, Fourth Raikage, and Mifune at its core, closing in on Kokushibo and Sasuke, who were still locked in combat.
Before long, a chaotic three-way battle erupted on the low-visibility, blizzard-ravaged plains.
The Fourth Raikage, in his 'Lightning Release Chakra Mode,' tore through the battlefield like a juggernaut, quickly locating Kokushibo and Sasuke. He launched a heavy hammer strike!
Boom.
Neither Kokushibo nor Sasuke dared to take the Raikage's blow head-on, each dodging in opposite directions. The strike hit the ground, sending a shockwave through the earth with a resounding boom.
Kokushibo, having faced the Fourth Raikage before, knew his terror and had no desire to engage. He turned and fled the battlefield.
In the past, the Raikage might have chased him immediately.
But now, with Hidden Cloud and Hidden Stone's agreement to work together to capture Upper Moon Two, the Raikage shifted his focus. In a flash, he abandoned pursuing Kokushibo and charged straight at Sasuke, clad in his Akatsuki attire.
Whoosh!
In 'Lightning Release Chakra Mode,' the Fourth Raikage was lightning-fast in every sense, moving effortlessly across the knee-deep snow and through the raging blizzard.
"What!?"
Sasuke, caught off guard, activated his 'Susanoo Tomoshibi'!
Thud.
With a low, muffled impact, Sasuke and his 'Susanoo Tomoshibi' were blasted back over ten meters. Cracks spiderwebbed across the skeletal form of his Susanoo.
"Damn it!"
Sasuke clutched his eye, his expression grim.
His battlefield adaptability was strong. After suffering a major setback last time, he had become far more restrained with his dojutsu, only using Mangekyo techniques in critical moments.
During these three days of chasing Kokushibo, he had used 'Susanoo Tomoshibi' sparingly, and to conserve dojutsu power, he kept it at its basic skeletal form. He hadn't expected the Raikage's seemingly casual strike to force him to activate it.
The Fourth Raikage, bristling with fury, glared at Sasuke and roared, "Where is Yugito!?"
"Lunatic!"
Sasuke cursed inwardly. He didn't even know who Yugito was. Right now, he was focused on taking down Upper Moon Two. After days of pursuit, he was growing more confident, certain that with just a bit more time, he could personally end the demon.
So, with a flicker of his body, he tried to slip past the Raikage to continue chasing Upper Moon Two.
"Don't run!"
The Raikage bellowed, charging after Sasuke and blocking his path once more.
Sasuke's masked face was now visibly irritated, but he hadn't forgotten Shinji's instructions. Using a disguised voice, he said, "Get out of my way, or I won't hold back!"
"Courting death!"
Sasuke's temper was bad, but the Fourth Raikage's was even worse. He immediately attacked Sasuke.
Meanwhile, Kokushibo had just cut down a few Hidden Stone shinobi. Before he could consume their flesh, Shinji, who had been watching him closely, blocked his path.