Naruto: Maelstrom Of The Uzumaki

Uzumaki Raiden gave up his defense and attacked, forcing Ōnoki to retreat. Ōnoki realized that his strike was merely to inflict more injuries on Uzumaki Raiden, but his opponent's counterattack could cost him his life. Aware of this, Ōnoki quickly retreated, narrowly avoiding the Kongō Fūsa attack.

Having distanced himself, Ōnoki slammed the ground with both hands, unleashing a surge of chakra. The ground beneath Uzumaki Raiden began to sink rapidly. Soon after, dozens of Iwa-nin surrounded the pit where Uzumaki Raiden had been trapped, filling it with mud to create a swamp.

"Quick, seal him!" Ōnoki shouted. His actions drew the attention of Fugaku and the other Uchiha clan members engaged in battle against Atsuchi and the Iwa-nin.

The Iwa-nin, who outnumbered the Uchiha, were astonished by the Uchiha clan's overwhelming strength. Despite being encircled by dozens, the Uchiha had suffered no losses, while more than a dozen Iwa-nin had fallen. This disparity left Atsuchi furious, but he had no better options.

"Fugaku, there's no sign of Raiden-sama!"

"Did the Iwa-nin succeed?"

Beside Uchiha Fugaku, a young man asked anxiously. Half of his clothing was burned away, his exposed skin red and severely scorched, but he paid no attention to his injuries. His focus was entirely on the other battlefield.

The rest of the Uchiha clan members were also injured to varying degrees. Their scarlet Sharingan eyes struck fear into the Iwa-nin. The Iwa-nin's strategy was now to delay the Uchiha until reinforcements could arrive, avoiding direct confrontations.

"Impossible. Raiden's strength is beyond your imagination. Focus on the enemies in front of you," Fugaku commanded. However, his gaze betrayed his concern as it drifted toward the battlefield where Uzumaki Raiden fought.

"But Fugaku, it was the Tsuchikage himself who attacked Raiden-sama! Alongside dozens of Iwa-nin! Even for him, it seems impossible to handle so many!"

The young man's anxiety made him careless, exposing flaws in his stance.

"Katsu!"

Atsuchi formed a seal and shouted. The ground in front of the Konoha shinobi exploded, injuring the young man who had spoken to Fugaku. He was showered with debris, leaving him bloodied and gravely wounded.

"Damn it!" Fugaku muttered. The injury caused a gap in their formation, and Atsuchi seized the moment, creating dozens of clay birds that swarmed toward the Konoha shinobi.

Suddenly, countless lightning swords erupted from the ground around Fugaku, piercing several clay birds mid-flight. The lightning barrage intensified, targeting the Iwa-nin encircling the Konoha forces. Those unable to evade were struck down, their lives ended by the relentless lightning swords.

"This level of Lightning Release?! Could it be Uzumaki Raiden?!"

"Tsuchikage let him escape!!"

Atsuchi dodged frantically, trying to avoid the attacks. He created a giant clay bird in an attempt to flee into the sky, but the bird was destroyed by a lightning sword before it could take off.

Moments later, a mound of earth rose before Fugaku. From it, a figure surrounded by golden chakra chains emerged.

"This is?" Fugaku stared at the figure in surprise.

"Fugaku, it's me," Raiden said as the chakra chains receded, revealing his face.

Although Raiden had been trapped by Ōnoki's super-weighted rock technique, he used the Kongō Fūsa to tunnel underground and escape. Instead of continuing his battle, Raiden relocated to Fugaku's battlefield.

"What happened to you?" Fugaku asked, noticing the bulging veins and taut muscles on Raiden's body.

"It's nothing. Ōnoki's technique greatly increased my body weight. A prolonged effect would have rendered me immobile."

Raiden recounted the encounter with some trepidation. Even a brief touch had severely hindered his movement. He could only imagine the devastating effects if the contact had been prolonged.

"The Tsuchikage's technique did that?" Fugaku said in surprise.

As the two spoke, the surviving Iwa-nin began signaling for reinforcements.

"Let's go. Fighting the Tsuchikage in their encirclement is too dangerous. My strength has diminished significantly. Retreat!" Raiden commanded, leading the group into the forest.

Some Iwa-nin attempted to block their path, but sudden lightning explosions cleared the way. Ordinary Iwa-nin were powerless to stop them as Raiden led Fugaku and the others to safety.

Ōnoki and his reinforcements arrived too late. After assessing the scene, Ōnoki gave a cold order: "Pursue them! Uzumaki Raiden is under the effect of my technique and won't get far!"

Meanwhile, Raiden led his team toward the Land of Rain instead of heading directly to the Land of Fire. The rain-soaked terrain slowed their progress, and Raiden's impaired mobility further delayed them. The Iwa-nin's pursuit remained relentless, and Raiden could sense them closing in.

"Fugaku, take the team and go ahead. My speed is holding you back," Raiden urged. He had tried various methods to counteract the technique's effects, including a Sage Art shadow clone, but to no avail.

"Raiden, let me try my new technique," Fugaku said. The tomoe in his Sharingan merged, revealing the Mangekyō Sharingan.

"The Mangekyō? But what can it do?" Raiden wondered skeptically.

Fugaku murmured, "Februus," and a peculiar chakra enveloped Raiden. Suddenly, Raiden felt the effects of the super-weighted rock technique dissipate completely.

"What?" Raiden said, astonished.

"This is one of the abilities of my Mangekyō, Februus. It can purify and align chakra, dispelling abnormal states," Fugaku explained.

Raiden quickly realized the technique's potential. It could negate buffs and debuffs, such as Lightning Armor or weight-altering techniques.

"This ability is terrifying. It's an absolute game-changer," Raiden remarked.

"Let's discuss it later. For now, we need to escape," Fugaku said.

With Raiden's speed restored, the group disappeared into the rain.

(End of this chapter)

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