As Uzumaki Raiden stepped out of the Raikage's tent, an attack came swiftly from above. A thin blade sliced through the air, slashing toward his arm at a speed even faster than the first stage of the Raikage's Lightning Armor.
"Kirabi!"
Raiden lifted his gaze slightly, spotting a figure cloaked in red chakra, with a faint, flickering chakra tail swaying behind him. The strike had come from Kirabi's hand.
Without hesitation, Raiden released his hold on Mabui and raised Sakegari no Tachi to meet the attack. Kirabi's thin blade struck against Raiden's weapon, shattering the sheath and clashing directly with the blade, producing a crisp ringing sound.
"Clang!"
Kirabi quickly formed a seal with his free hand, channeling Lightning Release Chakra onto his blade, intensifying its power. As he landed steadily on the ground, he applied more force, attempting to transfer his chakra through their clashing weapons to attack Raiden. However, to his surprise, Sakegari no Tachi was also enveloped in an immense layer of Lightning Chakra.
A sharp, piercing screech echoed from the point of impact, resonating through the night sky.
Just as Kirabi and Uzumaki Raiden were locked in a fierce standoff, a blue figure suddenly appeared beside Raiden, swiftly pulling Mabui into his arms. Without pause, a chakra-infused fist launched directly toward Raiden's face.
"Bang!"
With a thunderous impact, Raiden's body was sent flying like a cannonball. When he crashed into the ground, he created a massive crater several meters wide.
"Kirabi, why are you here?!"
A had just punched Raiden away and saved Mabui, but his body remained tense. Even as he kept his gaze fixed on the distant crater, he didn't dare to relax his guard.
"Hachibi told me it sensed the Fox's presence!"
For once, Kirabi didn't speak in his usual awkward rap. Instead, he answered seriously, keeping his eyes locked on the figure slowly rising from the massive crater.
"Hey, I only wanted to have a conversation, but you two had to be so aggressive," Raiden muttered.
"Is this how the Cloud treats its guests?"
Uzumaki Raiden dusted himself off as he climbed out of the crater, stepping forward casually. However, as he walked, the chakra around him intensified further.
"Even after taking a punch from Big Brother, he's completely unscathed…"
"This guy… he's the real Uzumaki Raiden!"
Kirabi inwardly marveled at Raiden's endurance. Meanwhile, within Kirabi's mind, Gyūki was now paying close attention to Raiden. It wasn't the first time Gyūki had encountered the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, but this time, something felt different. Something had changed.
"Bi! Be careful, this guy is dangerous!"
"If I'm not mistaken, that man inside him is—"
Before Gyūki could finish his sentence, Raiden made his move.
A golden chakra cloak surged over his body, his black magatama necklace glinting under the moonlight. The sight alone made Gyūki freeze in shock.
"It seems you don't want to talk things out. In that case… I'll just have to make you listen!"
Raiden gripped Sakegari no Tachi, raising his left hand toward the sky. The scattered starlight above was quickly swallowed by gathering storm clouds, thunder rolling within them.
At the same time, Raiden's body began undergoing a drastic transformation—his golden chakra swelling at an alarming rate.
"No way…"
A's eyelids twitched wildly as he witnessed the change. His instincts screamed at him, and he instantly turned to Mabui.
"Mabui! Order all ninjas to evacuate immediately!"
"A battle is about to begin—everyone, retreat!"
Without waiting for a response, A stepped in front of Kirabi and Mabui, his expression more serious than ever as he watched Raiden's transformation unfold.
In mere moments, a colossal golden fox emerged within the Cloud encampment, its nine tails stretching across the sky. The sheer size of the chakra beast blotted out the moon, and in the process, numerous Cloud tents were torn apart. Some unfortunate soldiers perished in their sleep before they could even react.
"ROOOAAARRR!!"
A deafening roar erupted from the golden Nine-Tails, sending out a devastating shockwave that surged through the entire Cloud camp. The sheer force of the chakra unleashed a powerful hurricane, tearing through everything in its path.
"Bi! You need to leave! Take them and retreat!"
Raikage shielded Kirabi with his body, blocking the intense hurricane for him. Just as he prepared to face Raiden alone, Kirabi stepped up beside him.
Kirabi said nothing—but his stance made his intentions clear.
"..."
"In that case, we'll face him together!"
A was silent for a moment. But as he turned to Kirabi, he noticed the red chakra surrounding his brother had now expanded to six tails. He swallowed his initial objections, then smirked in approval.
At the same time, ten Konoha ninja hiding in the trees ten miles away witnessed the spectacle.
"Is this… the power of Lord Raiden?!"
They stood on the treetops, watching in awe as the golden Nine-Tails loomed under the stormy sky. The sight alone sent chills down their spines. Quickly, they retrieved their scrolls, recording everything before rushing back to relay the information to Konoha's main camp.
Within the Cloud camp, Uzumaki Raiden adjusted to his newfound power, choosing not to attack immediately.
This was the first time he had fully synchronized with Kurama.
Kurama's immense chakra combined with Raiden's own already vast reserves, creating a force beyond human comprehension. Even with his experience, controlling this overwhelming power was no simple task.
At this point, the measurement unit of "chakra points" no longer applied to him.
"Nine Tails, help me channel chakra to sustain the storm. This time, we will end the Cloud forces once and for all!"
Raiden now hovered above Nine-Tails' head, his gaze fixed on the thunderclouds rumbling overhead.
"Heh, do as you please."
"I'm looking forward to putting that bull-headed Gyūki in his place!"
Inside Raiden's mind, Kurama crossed his arms, sitting cross-legged as if he were human. His nine tails flicked lazily behind him as he focused on gathering chakra.
"Good!"
Raiden grinned, focusing his chakra.
The golden Nine-Tails let out another earth-shaking roar. In response, the storm clouds above rapidly expanded, their lightning flashes growing denser by the second.
"CRACK!!!"
Suddenly, a blinding bolt of lightning tore through the night, striking directly into the Cloud camp. Moments later, a thunderous explosion shattered the silence.
The battle had begun.
(End of Chapter)