Three crimson streaks crisscrossed through the sky with impunity, treating the airspace as their personal domain.
Each pass of those deadly lights brought fresh devastation to the Cloud shinobi camp below. The continuous barrage transformed the military encampment into a vision of hell, with explosions blooming like grotesque flowers across the battlefield.
Under such relentless bombardment, any semblance of order had long since collapsed.
The aerial assault created a scene of apocalyptic destruction. The ground looked as if the earth itself had convulsed in agony—craters overlapped craters, while debris and worse things filled the air. Body parts, shattered equipment, and splintered wood were thrown skyward by each blast, only to be consumed by the hungry flames before they could fall back to earth.
When the explosions finally ceased, an eerie quiet descended upon the devastation.
The Fourth Raikage stood motionless amid the carnage, his mind struggling to process a single thought: Why was he still alive?
He should be dead. By all rights, he should have perished alongside his forces.
"Heh... hehe..."
Ai attempted to speak, but only hoarse, broken sounds emerged from his throat. The shock had stolen his voice along with his army.
Blood and viscera painted the scorched earth in a macabre tableau. The Raikage's ears rang with the agonized moans of the few Cloud shinobi who had somehow survived the onslaught. Each groan was a testament to the lucky few who had escaped death, if not suffering.
An unnatural silence blanketed the remains of the camp, broken only by the crackling of numerous fires and the whimpers of the dying.
A clear, haunting cry pierced the smoke-filled air—the call of a phoenix. The Fourth Raikage's blurred vision caught glimpses of distant specks circling high above, surveying their handiwork.
From his vantage point atop the Sky Comet Dragon, Shihouin Naraku gazed down at the smoking wasteland his assault had created.
"Perhaps that was a bit excessive," he mused quietly. "I thought we'd need to make another pass to finish them off, but it seems that won't be necessary."
His enhanced senses swept across the devastation below. "Not many survivors down there. The Fourth Raikage must have incredible luck to have survived that bombardment."
Naraku hadn't specifically targeted or spared the Raikage—the man's survival was purely chance. Since fate had intervened, Naraku saw no need to deliver a killing blow.
In truth, it hardly mattered. The Cloud shinobi who had somehow survived today's assault were effectively crippled as a fighting force. Recovery would take years, not months.
Simply finding Cloud ninja with the courage to face a battlefield again after witnessing such devastation would be a challenge. Any who volunteered would deserve commendation for their bravery alone.
"The air raid is complete. Time to regroup with our forces."
Naraku's attention turned to the two phoenixes still circling nearby, their wings trailing ribbons of flame through the clear sky. "Now, what to do with you two..."
His original plan had been to use the phoenixes as living bombs against the Cloud camp, worried that the aerial assault alone might prove insufficient.
Clearly, such concerns had been unfounded.
"Well then..."
Naraku snapped his fingers with theatrical flair.
The phoenixes responded with melodious cries, tucking their wings as they plummeted toward Thunder Gorge like falling stars.
The impact was catastrophic.
Orange-red flames erupted skyward, instantly engulfing the entire mountain in a raging inferno. The sheer heat dispersed clouds for miles around, creating a column of superheated air that could be seen from incredible distances.
This time, the flames weren't content with merely half the mountain. The entire peak became a singular torch, a monument to destruction that would burn for days. Winds howled as they were drawn into the updraft, feeding the flames to even greater heights.
"Whatever this mountain was called before," Naraku declared with satisfaction, "from this day forward, it shall be known as Flame Mountain!"
He admired his handiwork for a moment longer. The blazing peak served as the perfect finale to this act of the war—a curtain call written in fire and stone.
The Sky Comet Dragon released a triumphant roar, expelling dragon energy that sparkled like ethereal fireworks against the sky. With a burst of incredible speed, it shot forward and vanished into the distance within seconds.
A crimson comet streaked across the cloudless heavens—there one moment, gone the next.
The view from such altitude was breathtaking, offering perspectives impossible from ground level. The world spread out below like a living map, beautiful in its scope and detail.
Of course, only someone like Naraku could truly appreciate such sights. First, one had to endure the Sky Comet Dragon's terrifying velocity without losing consciousness—or worse.
"We've arrived!"
Naraku peered downward, making out the distinct shapes of buildings far below. Flashes of light sparked intermittently in the distance—evidence of ongoing combat.
"The battle seems quite intense down there. To see ninjutsu flashes from this height means they're really going at it."
He patted the dragon's scales affectionately. "Time for you to return home, my friend."
The Sky Comet Dragon extended its massive head, nuzzling against Naraku's arm in an unexpectedly gentle gesture. Then, like a constellation fading at dawn, it dissolved into motes of light and returned to its own realm.
Without the chakra expenditure needed to maintain his flight technique, Naraku allowed himself to fall freely toward the earth below. Wind whipped past him as he plummeted, though he noted with amusement:
"Strange... this freefall feels so much slower than my actual flying speed."
Shaking his head at the irony, Naraku reactivated his Air Dance Technique. He became a white streak across the sky, racing toward the Konoha positions at tremendous velocity.
His sudden appearance in the center of Konoha's camp sent every ninja into instant combat readiness. Hands flew to weapons, chakra surged in preparation for jutsu, and an encirclement began forming before anyone had even identified the intruder.
"Excellent! Very quick response!"
Naraku was genuinely impressed. Such rapid reaction to an unexpected threat spoke well of their training and battle-readiness.
"Lord Naraku!"
"It's Lord Naraku!"
Recognition dawned across dozens of faces simultaneously. Weapons lowered as the Konoha shinobi transitioned from combat stance to respectful salutes, relief evident in their expressions.
"Where's Shikaku? I need to speak with him."
"Lord Naraku," the position's captain stepped forward, "Chief of Staff Nara departed with his team recently. He's currently engaged with Cloud forces on the front lines."
The captain's expression grew serious. "Cloud shinobi launched desperate assaults against our positions earlier. To ensure our intelligence network remained intact, Lord Shikaku personally led a team to reinforce our forward positions."
So the entire Ino-Shika-Cho formation had deployed to the front? The fighting must be even fiercer than he'd thought.
Shihouin Naraku walked toward the command center while processing this information. Shikaku must have sensed the critical moment approaching and moved to ensure Konoha maintained momentum. His presence at the front would help crush any last hopes Cloud shinobi might harbor.
As for why Cloud forces fought with such desperate fury—Dodai likely recognized that Cloud Shinobi Village teetered on the brink of total collapse. This represented their final gamble, a last desperate roll of the dice hoping for a miracle.
"Lord Naraku!"
The command center had been in the midst of heated strategic debate when he entered. Several staff officers snapped to attention, their arguments forgotten.
Naraku waved off their formalities. "Status report. How goes the battle?"
"Lord Naraku, Cloud shinobi forces are hanging by a thread," one officer reported eagerly. "Complete collapse could come at any moment."
Another added, "By our estimates, that moment is imminent."
"One more significant blow—even a small one—and their entire force structure will shatter," a third concluded.
All eyes turned to Shihouin Naraku, hope evident in their expressions. They clearly expected him to deliver good news.
Naraku nodded, offering the reassurance they craved. "The Cloud forces at Thunder Gorge have been annihilated. Survivors are... minimal. Word of this catastrophe will reach their remaining forces soon enough."
His voice carried quiet certainty. "This war ends today."
"Outstanding!"
"As expected of Lord Naraku—such overwhelming strength!"
"This is why Lord Naraku leads us!"
"Advisor Naraku's power is beyond compare!"
The staff officers' relief was palpable, their earlier tension evaporating like morning mist.
"Lord Naraku," one officer remembered his duties, "this intelligence scroll arrived from the village. It's marked for your eyes only."
Naraku accepted the sealed scroll, noting it remained unopened. Breaking the seal, he unrolled the message and began reading.
A letter from Tsunade herself.
He had already received and reviewed the official commendations and appointment letters that arrived earlier. This was something different—something more personal.
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