Hyūga Yūto lifted his head and roared at his comrades, determination blazing in his bloodshot eyes.
"Hold the line! We are shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village! We cannot let the Hidden Cloud Village's scheme succeed!"
But at that critical moment—
News fell like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
The Hidden Cloud's reinforcements were about to arrive.
And leading them—
Was the Eight-Tails jinchūriki himself.
Killer B.
Hyūga Yūto's face drained of color.
His heart sank into an abyss.
"This time… is it truly over?"
He muttered helplessly.
He understood the terror of the Eight-Tails. Even elite shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village struggled to contend with that monster—let alone their exhausted, battered forces.
"Even if reinforcements arrive… they can't stop the Eight-Tails…"
His fists clenched until his nails bit into his palm.
He felt nothing.
Names of powerful shinobi flashed through his mind—
But he could only shake his head.
"Unless one of the Legendary Sannin comes…"
He stopped himself.
Empty hope.
They had no one but themselves.
Hyūga Yūto inhaled sharply, forcing strength back into his trembling limbs.
"No matter the outcome… we fight to the end."
"For the Hidden Leaf Village."
"For our families."
"For our comrades!"
On the opposite side of the battlefield—
Killer B advanced like a storm.
Elite shinobi of the Hidden Cloud Village surged behind him, crushing defensive lines in their wake.
"Hidden Leaf… prepare to bleed."
Killer B sneered inwardly, already envisioning victory.
Then—
A shinobi rushed forward, panic in his voice.
"Report! Several outer support squads have lost contact!"
Killer B froze slightly.
His brows furrowed.
The Hyūga clan's Byakugan could monitor the battlefield—
But even so, he hadn't anticipated such sudden losses.
"Byakugan… troublesome as ever."
He muttered under his breath.
Had the Hidden Leaf set ambushes in the outer perimeter?
Before he could adjust tactics—
Another report arrived.
"Report! The outermost squads are gone as well!"
Killer B's expression shifted sharply.
He turned toward the battlefield's edge.
An ominous sensation crawled up his spine.
Then—
A heavy, accelerating rumble echoed from afar.
The edge of the battlefield exploded with violent chakra fluctuations.
With a deafening roar—
A figure appeared like a phantom.
In mere seconds—
Multiple Hidden Cloud support squads were annihilated.
Clean.
Efficient.
Merciless.
Killer B's pupils contracted.
That was an Uchiha.
No—
That was "Edge."
"Damn it!"
His chakra surged violently.
But before he could move—
A chilling killing intent descended.
From the shadows—
A figure stepped forward slowly.
Shuoye Uchiha.
He smiled faintly.
"Long time no see, Killer B."
Killer B's face darkened instantly.
When he saw the figure leading the Hidden Leaf reinforcements—
Charging at the forefront—
Carving through Hidden Cloud forces without restraint—
His heart jolted violently.
It was Shuoye.
The battlefield madman.
A man rumored to show no mercy—even to his own.
"Has the Hidden Leaf gone insane?"
Killer B thought grimly.
To unleash someone like that—
Was sheer madness.
The wind shifted.
Shuoye moved like a specter across the battlefield.
Cold.
Efficient.
His eyes held nothing but slaughter.
Behind him—
The Uchiha unit known as "Edge" formed a blade-like formation.
Their presence alone exuded killing pressure.
"When did the Hidden Leaf develop a force like this?"
Killer B's mind raced.
And then—
He saw it.
Something unfamiliar.
Something terrifying.
Some members of Edge seemed wrapped in invisible armor—
Blades and techniques striking them were repelled as if striking solid steel.
Others burst forward at astonishing speeds—
Flickering across the battlefield like ghosts.
Still others unleashed attacks without hand seals—
Overturning engagements instantly.
A strange, overwhelming force.
Armament Haki.
It was as though the Uchiha had evolved beyond ordinary shinobi combat.
Killer B's eyes sharpened.
"That unit…"
"Must die here."
He understood clearly—
Such power was born for slaughter.
If allowed to mature—
It would become a nightmare for the Hidden Cloud Village.
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