Chapter 54: Night Attack

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The Tsuchikage's panicked retreat, the battlefield strewn with corpses, and Naruto's awe-inspiring jutsu left an indelible impact on the Konoha shinobi. 

All eyes turned to Naruto, masked and clad in his black cloak. Amidst the silence, someone shouted, "Black Flash!"

Immediately, the Konoha ninja rushed toward him, lifting him high into the air while chanting, "Black Flash! Black Flash!" 

These words etched themselves deeply into their hearts. 

Although Naruto appeared as an ANBU operative, with his identity concealed, he had become an undeniable hero in their eyes. 

His arrival not only resolved Konoha's crisis but also shifted the tide of the battle. 

By eliminating numerous Iwagakure shinobi and forcing the Tsuchikage to retreat, Naruto effectively ended the war between Konoha and Iwagakure in a single battle.

As Konoha's forces prepared to withdraw from the battlefield, Iwagakure also retreated to the Land of Earth. 

However, the sight within the Iwagakure ranks was grim. 

Many of their shinobi bore injuries, and even those who were physically unharmed appeared dejected. 

Compared to their physical wounds, the psychological impact Naruto had inflicted—a sense of utter invincibility—was far greater.

For the Tsuchikage, who initiated this war, it was a devastating defeat. 

The nickname "Black Flash" initially given by the Tsuchikage, had now become a nightmare for Iwagakure. 

The immense loss of their shinobi threatened to cripple their village's strength for years to come.

With this battle concluded Konoha's shinobi turned their focus to other ongoing fronts. 

The most perilous among them was where Tsunade was stationed. After consulting with Shikaku, Jiraiya decided to head there immediately. 

Naruto, however, moved ahead of them. Though the Raikage had temporarily pulled back his forces, it was clear he was strategizing against Naruto.

Naruto arrived at Tsunade's camp and confirmed that the Raikage had not launched another attack. 

Tsunade, too, suspected the Raikage was biding his time for reinforcements. 

Given Naruto's mastery of powerful Wind Release techniques, he was a natural counter to the Raikage's lightning-based style. 

Even if the Raikage managed to overwhelm Naruto with sheer numbers, the cost would likely be staggering. 

When it came to a shinobi of Naruto's calibre, sheer numbers might not even suffice.

Tsunade and Naruto discussed strategy inside the Hokage's tent.

Naruto said, "It's only a matter of time before the Raikage's reinforcements arrive, and that will make our situation even more precarious."

Tsunade replied, "Fortunately, Jiraiya has finished the fight on his end and should arrive soon. It's a race to see whose reinforcements come first."

Naruto nodded, "Exactly. If Jiraiya-sensei can reach us first, our chances of success will greatly improve. However, we must also prepare for the worst-case scenario."

Tsunade asked, "Do you have a plan, Naruto?"

He stood, adjusting his cloak, and said, "The key to strategy is the element of surprise. Right now, the Raikage believes his forces hold the upper hand." 

"The only reason he hasn't attacked is because he fears the losses would be too great. If we strike first, they won't see it coming."

Tsunade frowned. "We're too undermanned for an offensive. If we attack, we might get wiped out completely."

Naruto responded with determination, "If you approve this mission, leave it to me. Not only will I complete it, but I'll return unscathed."

Before Tsunade could reply, Naruto vanished. Despite her confidence in his abilities, she couldn't help but worry for him.

Under the cover of night, Naruto stealthily approached the Kumogakure encampment. 

He began by leaving two shadow clones in a secluded area to gather Sage Chakra, while he gathered his own. Once ready, he cautiously moved closer.

Thanks to Sage Mode, Naruto's sensory abilities far surpassed those of ordinary shinobi. 

As he approached, he quickly discerned the number of enemies and their positions. 

It was evident the Raikage had stationed sensory ninjas, so Naruto couldn't get too close.

He circled the entire camp, observing Kumogakure's formation while planting Flying Raijin markers at strategic points. 

He noted that the enemy shinobi were neither overly clustered nor spread out, making their setup highly effective.

Naruto created two shadow clones and employed the Hidden Mist Technique he learned from Kakashi to envelop the camp in dense fog, plunging the already night into near-complete obscurity. 

He then began forming a Rasenshuriken, its immense chakra signature immediately alarming Kumogakure's sensors.

"Intruder alert!" one of them shouted.

Before the Kumogakure shinobi could react, Naruto hurled the Rasenshuriken into the centre of a crowded tent. 

The explosion was devastating; the shinobi inside barely had time to comprehend what was happening before being obliterated.

Naruto quickly launched a second Rasenshuriken at another part of the camp, eliminating another group. 

He then used Flying Raijin to reposition himself and summoned a shadow clone to replenish his Sage Chakra.

The Kumogakure camp was in chaos. Shinobi scrambled in confusion, unable to pinpoint the source of the attacks. 

The Raikage, now awake, demanded answers from his sensory ninja.

"Where is the enemy?!" he roared, lightning crackling around him.

The flustered sensor replied, "Strong chakra signals appeared in the west… Wait, no, now they're in the east. Multiple signals—rapidly changing locations!"

"Enough!" the Raikage barked. "Figure it out and tell me exactly where they are!"

Meanwhile, Naruto continued his assault. With each Rasenshuriken, another section of the Kumogakure forces fell. 

Yet not a single shinobi had even caught a glimpse of him.

Switching positions after each attack and replenishing his Sage Chakra, Naruto maintained his relentless offensive. 

The once-mighty Kumogakure encampment was now consumed by fear, their morale shattered by the invisible force dismantling them piece by piece.

The Raikage, filled with fury, turned to the sensory ninja. "It's confirmed—the enemy is now on the eastern side," the ninja said. 

The Raikage ordered, "There might be more than one enemy. Dispatch the sensory team to spread out and locate them immediately." 

"Once you find their position, have the communication team notify me at once!" With that, the Raikage rushed toward the eastern camp.

Halfway there, the communication team relayed new intel: an enemy had also been spotted in the southern camp. 

"What?!" The Raikage roared in anger. 

Despite the identical jutsu being used, he deduced there weren't multiple enemies—only one person was capable of pulling off this scale of attacks with Shadow Clone Jutsu and such massive chakra reserves: Naruto Uzumaki. 

Without wasting time, the Raikage sped toward the southern camp and issued commands for the remaining Cloud ninja to disperse.

Naruto, having unleashed six Rasenshuriken, exhausted the sage chakra accumulated by his shadow clones and had to pause to replenish his reserves. 

However, the Raikage's speed was terrifying. Before Naruto could finish gathering his chakra, the Raikage arrived, shouting, 

"So it is you, Naruto Uzumaki! I'll face you myself!" Naruto waved dismissively, smiling. 

"Not interested in you right now," he replied before vanishing again.

Using Sage Mode's heightened sensory abilities, Naruto noted that the Cloud ninjas had begun to scatter, making it inefficient to keep using Rasenshuriken. 

The Raikage, relentless in his pursuit, posed another obstacle—he would charge in whenever Naruto's position was exposed. 

In this situation, sensory skills became even more critical. Naruto pulled out a large number of kunai, throwing them with precision. 

For the weaker ninjas, these were lethal, while stronger opponents found themselves overwhelmed when Naruto followed up with a Rasengan.

Whenever the Raikage appeared, Naruto quickly evaded it. 

It wasn't that Naruto feared him, but his goal was to eliminate as many Cloud ninjas as possible, not waste time locked in battle with the Raikage. 

At first, Naruto simply outran him. But as the Cloud ninja forces dwindled under Naruto's relentless assault, the Raikage began to grasp his strategy. 

Despite his rage, the Raikage maintained his composure as a commander. He quickly ordered his communication team: 

"Command all units to regroup around me immediately!"

Naruto's slaughter continued as the Cloud ninja moved to surround their leader. Soon, they managed to cluster together as a single force. 

Although they were now a large unit, the outermost ranks were still vulnerable due to their distance from the Raikage. 

Naruto paused and addressed the Raikage, "I must admit, you're a competent leader, Raikage. Your strategy has made things a bit more challenging." 

"However, it's only delaying the inevitable."

The Raikage bellowed back, "Naruto Uzumaki, your strength is undeniable—you're worthy of being called the Black Flash!" 

"But you've killed so many of my men in front of me today. Even if it costs me my life, I will take you down!" 

Charging forward, the Raikage launched his signature One-Finger Nukite. Naruto didn't engage directly but unleashed a flurry of shuriken. 

The coordinated Cloud ninja defence quickly neutralized them, leaving no serious impact.

Naruto continued to dart around, alternating between Rasengan and Giant Rasengan, downing a Cloud ninja with almost every strike. 

The Raikage, relentless as ever, chased Naruto through the battlefield. 

The two moved like a blur, with Naruto striking and evading, leaving the Raikage to pursue him while the screams of Cloud Ninja echoed behind.

As the Cloud forces diminished, their formation shrank. Naruto's movements became more restricted, and his sage chakra reserves were nearly depleted. 

Quickly retreating, Naruto summoned a shadow clone to replenish his chakra. 

Recognizing this familiar tactic, the Raikage seized the moment. 

With incredible speed, he lunged at Naruto just as the shadow clone transferred its chakra back. 

Anticipating this, Naruto teleported away using Flying Raijin, narrowly avoiding the attack.

Realizing the dwindling Cloud forces couldn't afford another loss, the Raikage stationed himself at the centre of his remaining ninjas, forming a protective barrier. 

These elite Cloud ninjas, skilled in chakra nature transformation, collectively executed a Lightning Release barrier, weaving their chakra into a defensive lightning web. 

Breaking through it required immense power—far beyond what a standard Rasengan could achieve.

Naruto created two more shadow clones, pooling a vast amount of chakra into his strongest jutsu: Wind Release: Rasenshuriken. 

The Raikage's eyes widened as he recognized the attack. Although he had experienced its devastating power before, he still charged in, determined to intercept it. 

Naruto remarked, "It seems you value your comrades more than your own life, Raikage." 

"But if you started this war, you should have been prepared to pay the price."

Naruto teleported to another location and hurled the Rasenshuriken. 

The lightning barrier crumbled like paper under its force, and the clustered Cloud ninjas were caught in the devastating blast. 

Just as the attack was about to annihilate them all, the Raikage, with his One-Finger Nukite, charged into the blast, slicing through the Rasenshuriken. 

Although he sustained injuries, he managed to save most of his men, with only a small portion falling to the attack.

Naruto launched another Rasenshuriken, but the Raikage, despite his injuries, sped forward again. 

This time, the close distance made it difficult for Naruto to outpace him with teleportation alone. 

While the attack claimed a few more lives, it fell short of Naruto's expectations. 

Exhausted, Naruto's Sage Mode dissipated once more. The Raikage, though gravely injured, stayed vigilant, protecting his remaining forces without launching another attack.

Naruto summoned two shadow clones to continue gathering sage chakra, preparing for another assault. 

With a deadly calm, he formed yet another Rasenshuriken, its ominous hum striking terror into the hearts of the Cloud ninja. 

Staring down the Raikage, Naruto declared, "Waiting for reinforcements, are you? Looks like they're running late. In that case, I'll deal with you first!"

Naruto hurled the Rasenshuriken straight at the Raikage.

<End Chapter>

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