Naruto: Maelstrom Of The Uzumaki

"Spiral Restraints!"

With his mind made up, Uzumaki Raiden decisively broke the seal of Sakegari no Tachi. The blade in his hand shimmered as it transformed into its spiritual form.

The transformation drained a significant amount of chakra from Raiden. To sustain the spirit form of Sakegari no Tachi, he released the Lightning Armor enveloping his body and redirected his chakra into the spiritual blade.

Beneath him, Shukaku sensed the imminent threat. The massive beast writhed violently, trying to dislodge Raiden from its head. Despite its efforts, Raiden remained firmly in place. Realizing the futility, Shukaku screamed in frustration as waves of yellow sand surged from its body, aiming to engulf Raiden.

"It's too late, you mangy cat!"

With a determined cry, Raiden raised the fully-transformed Sakegari no Tachi and plunged it toward the top of Shukaku's head.

But then, disaster struck.

"Got you!"

A sharp noise echoed from behind, and Raiden's instincts screamed danger. He shifted his body slightly to evade, but it was too late. A golden spear crafted from gold dust pierced through his back and exited his chest.

The attack halted Raiden's strike on Shukaku, and the surging sands crashed into him, blasting him off the beast's head. He tumbled to the ground, rolling several times before coming to a stop. Weakly clutching his chest, Raiden struggled to rise, his eyes locking onto the figure responsible.

"You actually avoided a vital point?"

Rasa descended from Shukaku's head and landed before Raiden. Behind them, Shukaku was encased in gold dust, forming a massive pyramid. Cursed seals glowed red across its surface, sealing the beast entirely.

"You're not dead? How is that possible?"

Raiden's eyes widened in shock. He had confirmed Rasa's death earlier using Kagura's Mind's Eye, even after checking the battlefield for survivors. Yet here stood Rasa, alive and well, the very man who had dealt him a grievous injury.

"I thought I was a goner," Rasa admitted with a faint smile, his tone tinged with relief. "If I hadn't been standing on gold dust, I wouldn't have made it."

Raiden gritted his teeth, still incredulous. "Survived a direct lightning strike… unbelievable."

Using his blade as support, he forced himself to his feet, though his chest wound bled profusely. Channeling chakra, he resealed Sakegari no Tachi and applied enough chakra to slow the bleeding.

"With a wound like that, you're still standing? Are you even human?"

Rasa stared in disbelief at the bloody hole in Raiden's chest, the size of a small bowl. Most people would have succumbed to such an injury, yet Raiden stood, defying all logic.

"Rasa, is it? You got lucky this time," Raiden muttered, his voice calm despite the pain. "Next time, you won't be so fortunate."

He glanced at the battlefield, weighing his options. The country of rivers was too close to the Wind Country's border, and reinforcements could arrive at any moment. With his chakra reserves severely depleted, continuing to fight Rasa was a risk he couldn't afford.

Without another word, Raiden made his decision.

"Trying to run?" Rasa sneered, summoning gold dust from the ground to form countless golden bullets that hurtled toward Raiden.

Before the bullets could connect, Raiden's position was shrouded in a burst of white mist.

"A reverse summoning?" Rasa muttered, staring at the now-empty battlefield. Frustration gripped him as he surveyed the carnage—dozens of Sand Ninja corpses littered the ground. Clenching his fists, he turned to Shiraishi's lifeless form, cradling the body of his fallen comrade.

"Uzumaki Raiden," Rasa growled through gritted teeth. "One day, I will kill you with my own hands."

The clash between Rasa and Raiden had concluded, but elsewhere, the battle raged on.

Hatake Sakumo continued his fight against Chiyo, Karura, and the remaining Sand Ninjas. The battlefield was strewn with more than a dozen Sand Ninja corpses, a testament to Sakumo's skill. Yet he, too, was reaching his limit, his chakra reserves nearly depleted.

The Sand Ninjas had adapted to Sakumo's attack patterns, relying on long-range techniques to wear him down. Chiyo, protected by Karura and the others, focused entirely on controlling her ten puppets from the Chikamatsu Collection. The relentless assault forced Sakumo into a desperate defense.

"The battle over there seems to be over," Sakumo noted, glancing at the distant horizon. The thunderclouds had begun to dissipate, and the chakra fluctuations that had dominated the area had vanished. Though he couldn't determine the outcome, the lack of visible activity prompted him to retreat.

Suddenly, gold dust erupted from the ground beneath him, attempting to ensnare him. Reacting swiftly, Sakumo evaded the trap, his eyes narrowing as realization dawned.

"He lost."

Gripping his blade tightly, Sakumo resolved to escape. With a surge of strength, he abandoned all restraint, slashing through the surrounding Sand Ninjas. His blade danced through the air, forcing an opening in their encirclement.

The remaining Sand Ninjas could only watch as Sakumo disappeared into the distance.

"Konoha's White Fang… even with this many of us, we couldn't take him down," Chiyo remarked, her voice laced with frustration.

"Not just him," Rasa added, stepping forward. "That red-haired boy was powerful too."

Chiyo glanced at Rasa, noticing the grim expression on his face. Without another word, she led the remaining Sand Ninjas toward the battlefield where Rasa had fought Raiden. For now, the pursuit of the Konoha ninjas was abandoned.

(End of Chapter)