Chapter 105
<span style="font-weight:400">With ōnoki and the other leadersunching their attack, the Land of Whirlpools was plunged into chaos. Wherever they went, the invaders killed any Uzumaki they found, using this as a tactic to strike fear into the hearts of the remaining popce.
<span style="font-weight:400">In each captured town, they left a few shinobi to gather resources, nning to transport everything of value back to their respective viges once the campaign concluded.
<span style="font-weight:400">This brutal invasion wasn’t just about defeating the enemy—it was about seizing everything they could while leaving no chance for the Uzumaki to recover. The so-called expression of ‘killing the chicken to take the egg’ was vivid here.
<span style="font-weight:400">As they pushed forward, countless Uzumaki n members fell, and the numbers of Uzumaki dwindled swiftly.
<span style="font-weight:400">When word of these massacres reached Uzushiogakure, outrage swept through the vige. Many of the Uzumaki were ready to charge out and face the enemy head-on, but Uzumaki Suihei and the other leaders knew better.
<span style="font-weight:400">Their priority was to remain behind the protection of the sealing barrier surrounding Uzushio, buying time for Konoha’s promised reinforcements to arrive in three days.
<span style="font-weight:400">With their bloody advance, it took only a few hours for ōnoki’s forces to reach Uzushio itself.
<span style="font-weight:400">“So this is Uzushio,” Ai said, standing at the gates with thirty elite ninja. “Once we breach this ce, everything we came for will be ours.” Ai’s assigned path led him straight to Uzushio’s main gates, where he was also responsible for taking on Konoha’s feared “Ghost.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I wonder where the others are,” he muttered. “Though, it’s better if they take their time. Less interference that way.”
<span style="font-weight:400">At hismand, one of his shinobiunched a lightning jutsu, aiming to st open Uzushio’s gates. But before the attack even reached the gates, a barrier blocked it, dissipating the attack on impact.
<span style="font-weight:400">Inside, an Uzushio elder sighed in relief and called out, “I recognize you—Ai of the Hidden Cloud! Does your vige intend to start a war?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Although they had a good idea of why these outsiders were here, the Uzumaki would try diplomacy first, hoping to buy a little more time.
<span style="font-weight:400">“A war? With the likes of you? Land of Whirlpools?” Ai scoffed, sizing up the barrier as he considered how to break through it.
<span style="font-weight:400">The elder continued firmly, “Perhaps on our own, we would be no match for you, but don’t forget that our allies are the Fire Nation and the Hidden Leaf. Konoha’s forces are already on their way, and you’ll pay dearly for this attack.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The mere mention of Konoha’s name irritated Ai. “Konoha? As if we’re afraid of them!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Thest war between the Hidden Cloud and Konoha had been a bitter memory for him, marked by the loss of close friends and their ultimate defeat. The reminder only strengthened his resolve.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Just you wait! The Uzumaki will remember this day, and you’ll live in fear of our revenge!” the elder called out, enraged by Ai’s response and utter disregard for Konoha’s and Uzumaki’s power.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Revenge?” Ai said dismissively, raising his hand slowly, his fingers extended toward the barrier. “The Uzumaki have no future. Are you threatening me with ghosts?”
<span style="font-weight:400">In an instant, blue lightning surged around him, coiling along his limbs. This technique cloaked him in an armour of lightning, amplifying his body’s physical abilities to the extreme.
<span style="font-weight:400">Known as the <i><span style="font-weight:400">Lightning Release Chakra Mode</i><span style="font-weight:400">, this armor increased both his defensive abilities and his speed while boosting his reflexes.
<span style="font-weight:400">Within moments, Ai’s body was engulfed in flickering blue lightning, giving him a powerful, almost otherworldly aura.
<span style="font-weight:400">To the Uzumaki watching from within the vige, it seemed as if a thunder god had descended before them. Nervously, they exchanged nces, sweat forming on their brows as they sensed the sheer force radiating from their opponent.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What... what is he nning?” one of the Uzumaki ninjas muttered, his voice shaking.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s Lord Ai’s Hell Stab! He’s getting serious!” a Hidden Cloud shinobi near Ai remarked, excitement gleaming in his eyes. It had been some time since he’d seen Ai use this technique, but the memory of its destructive power remained vivid.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hell Stab: Four-Finger Thrust!” Ai called out, his hand glowing with concentrated chakra at his fingertips. In a sh, he closed the distance between himself and the barrier, moving with such speed that his form was almost indistinguishable from a streak of lightning.
<span style="font-weight:400">A sharp crack echoed as Ai’s attack connected, sending spider-web cracks rippling across the barrier’s surface.
<span style="font-weight:400">The Uzumaki on the other side stared in horror and disbelief. This barrier was known for being able to withstand attacks from multiple Kage-level shinobi at once.
<span style="font-weight:400">It was the Uzumaki’s strongest defence, their guarantee of security—yet Ai had nearly shattered it in one blow.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thank goodness it held!” someone murmured, exhaling in relief. Though the barrier appeared damaged, it remained intact, with the cracks already beginning to repair themselves.
<span style="font-weight:400">This barrier possessed a unique self-repairing mechanism, and despite its appearance, Ai’s attack hadn’t fully prated it.
<span style="font-weight:400">Ai took a step back, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the barrier. He could tell it was far more resilient than he’d initially expected.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, if that’s the case, I’ll just have to hit harder,” he said, his eyes gleaming with determination. Ai refused to believe that this barrier was beyond his ability to break.
<span style="font-weight:400">He wasn’t alone in facing this challenge.
<span style="font-weight:400">On the other side of Uzushio, ōnoki, the Third Mizukage, and the Third Kazekage were encountering simr obstacles.
<span style="font-weight:400">All were focused on finding a way to breach the barrier protecting Uzushio.
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