We're finally here!"
Naraku stood at the front of the central army, his eyes fixed on the stronghold ahead. Even from outside, he could hear shouting and the clash of combat echoing from within.
Originally positioned in the middle ranks, Naraku had grown impatient. Eager to test his ninjutsu on the battlefield, he had pushed forward to the vanguard. The nearer they approached the stronghold, the heavier the mist in the air became. By the time they arrived at the base's exterior, the moisture had thickened into a visible fog.
"Hidden Mist Justu…?"
Naraku frowned, concern rising in his chest for Uchiha Fugaku's vanguard team. Among the 300 clan shinobi, there were 30 Uchiha with Kekkei Genkai.
They were elite Uchiha who had activated their Sharingan, but in this dense mist, even their prowess could be limited.
"Advance!"
Naraku barked, vaulting upward and scaling the curtain wall with agile chakra-assisted footwork. He dashed vertically across the stone wall and landed atop it.
From his elevated position, he peered into the base and saw a thick blanket of mist obscuring everything—except one thing: a colossal orange skeletal figure, about 20 meters tall, its limbs swiping through the fog.
"Mangekyō Sharingan!? Who activated it?"
Naraku stared in astonishment at the partially materialized Susanoo.
Moments later, the troops behind him scaled the wall, forming up at his back. The familiar sight of Uchiha clan members in dark blue, high-collared uniforms marked with the red-and-white fan filled the curtain wall.
Flanking Naraku were the elite units of the Konoha Military Police Force—two full squads of tactical operatives in dark blue vests and shirts. They awaited his orders in silence.
Knowing that blindly charging into the mist was foolish, Naraku took a deep breath.
"Wait here for orders. I'll take the first step!"
"Yes, sir!" x400
Naraku extended his left hand forward, revealing the diamond-shaped seal on his palm. It began to glow.
The mist from the battlefield surged toward his hand like a tide being drawn into a whirlpool.
"What!?"
Within the Hidden Mist ranks, the shinobi maintaining the Hidden Mist Jutsu through hand seals suddenly felt their chakra rapidly depleting.
Naraku's Darkness Release: The Receptacle of the Void continued to drain chakra. As he reached his limit, the fog began to thin. Now one could see several meters ahead.
Then Naraku leapt into the air, his palms flaring with light.
"Darkness Release: Judgement!"
A torrent of chakra erupted from his hands, shaping into violent blue flames. Naraku aimed toward the enemy's rear and unleashed the flames, which tore across the stronghold, smashing into the opposite curtain wall.
Having judged the likely position of the enemy, he had chosen his target wisely.
Naraku landed, formed hand seals, and leapt again.
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Song Jutsu!"
This advanced Fire Release jutsu, a powerful evolution of the Great Fireball and Fire Dragon Flame Bullet, unleashed four fire dragons—each 15 meters long—hurtling through the field.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions rang out. The shockwaves cleared the remaining mist, revealing the battlefield below.
Corpses littered the ground—Mist shinobi, Konoha shinobi, and many Uchiha wearing their clan's colours.
At the centre stood Uchiha Fugaku, surrounded by the fallen. His Susanoo had wreaked havoc, flattening Mist shinobis left and right. Of his four elite guards, only two remained, regrouping around him.
Naraku, recognizing the Mangekyō wielder, said nothing. Instead, he gathered chakra in his throat and roared:
"Advance!"
His voice thundered across the field. The Uchiha reinforcements responded immediately, drawing their blades and leaping from the curtain wall with fierce, warlike expressions.
The Uchiha clan, though softened by peace, still carried a warrior's spirit bred by centuries of conflict.
With the fog gone and fresh troops joining, the Mist shinobi faltered. Within two minutes, their formation began to crumble.
From the rear, the Mist Commander snarled:
"Use the Hidden Mist Jutsu again!"
The jutsu was meant to counter the Sharingan, obscuring vision and dulling its effectiveness. In small skirmishes, Uchiha could manage—but in large-scale battles, powerful Fire Release jutsu could risk friendly fire.
This caution had given Mist the advantage—until now.
The exhausted Mist shinobi rotated out, swallowing Soldier Pills to recover chakra. Another team stepped up and wove hand seals. The mist began to creep back in.
"Ninjutsu is useless against me."
Naraku shook his head and raised his hand again. The mist that had only just begun forming was instantly absorbed by his Absorption Hole.
He soared into the air, his palms glowing with chakra.
This time, he had a full vision of the Mist formation.
"Darkness Release:Judgement "
A blue flame shockwave surged forward at blistering speed, engulfing the rear ranks of Mist shinobi.
"Uwaaah!"
"Aaaagh!"
Screams echoed. More than a dozen were incinerated in an instant.
Long-range, high-speed, wide-area jutsu like this were extremely rare. Even if they existed, their chakra costs were enormous.
But for Naraku—who could absorb chakra endlessly from enemy jutsu—his reserves were nearly bottomless.
After five powerful techniques—including two Evil Destroys Self and one Dragon Flame Song—Naraku had barely expended any chakra.
"Damn it! Who is he!? That Jutsu's range and speed—"
The Mist Commander, observing from the back, watched in horror as the blue flames neared. He barely evaded incineration.
Realizing that the Hidden Mist Jutsu had been effectively countered and that the battle was lost, he made a quick decision.
"Retreat!"
With a final shout, the commander vanished with his guards.
Mist shinobi, notorious for their infighting, collapsed into chaos once their leader fled. Many ignored their comrades and attempted to flee alone.
Naraku drew his sword and charged into the fray.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of steel echoed. Though ordered to retreat, Mist shinobi knew they would die faster turning their backs. Some used Explosive Tags to cover their escape, others cast ninjutsu without regard for allies, and some simply threw ninja tools as distractions before vanishing into the mist.
"Too late to run now! After them!"
Naraku, now deep in the bloodiest part of the battle, grinned as his excitement surged again. He gave the order to pursue and led the charge.
Behind him, the rest of the Uchiha reinforcements stormed after the fleeing Mist shinobi, relentless in their pursuit.