Reborn in Konoha; I Think I’m Cultivating Immortality

The second day dawned, though the sky was shrouded with dark clouds, casting a gloomy shadow over the land. It looked like it might rain. 

Early in the morning, nearly ten thousand Kumogakure shinobi gathered at the base of Moonfall Mountain, poised for the assault to come. But their faces betrayed a lack of confidence; compared to the previous day, the hope in their eyes seemed dimmer.

While Kumogakure's upper ranks had regained their resolve after the previous night's meeting, the rank-and-file ninja were still in the dark about the Second Raikage's new strategy.

Nonetheless, the leaders believed that if today's plan succeeded, everything would shift in their favor.

On Konoha's side, however, the shinobi stationed high atop Moonfall Mountain looked down with a steadfast confidence. Every face was set in determination, filled with unshakable faith in their victory.

Hui observed the vast Kumogakure army below and breathed a slight sigh of relief. It seemed they had indeed chosen to concentrate their forces and mount a frontal assault. 

For him, this was an ideal scenario, as it allowed his large-scale jutsu to be deployed to maximum effect.

"It looks like Kumogakure went with the first option Lord Hui predicted yesterday," a Konoha elite remarked, his admiration plain, drawing nods and murmurs of agreement from those around him.

In his analysis the day before, Hui had outlined a few possible strategies Kumogakure might adopt. 

The first was to send their most skilled fighters to engage and occupy him directly, preventing him from overwhelming the battlefield. 

Judging by the shinobi gathered at the front of the Kumogakure force, it seemed Hui's prediction was spot on.

At the head of the Kumogakure forces stood the Second Raikage and his apprentice, both of whom had been seriously injured in their battle with Hui only a day before. 

The speed of their recovery surprised even Hui, making him long for a jutsu akin to the Lightning Release Chakra Mode—one that could grant not only enhanced offensive and defensive capabilities but also impressive regeneration.

Besides the Raikage and his apprentice, four more shinobi joined them. Two of them emanated enormous chakra reserves, marking them unmistakably as Jinchūriki. 

The third was armed with a sword, indicating a mastery of kenjutsu, while the last had an unusual chakra signature suggesting a bloodline limit. 

Hui assessed them quickly—no doubt, all six were Kage-level combatants.

"Still not giving up? I already told you, as long as I'm here, you won't set foot beyond Moonfall Mountain!" Hui declared confidently, his voice ringing out over the mountain and stirring a wave of excitement and faith among Konoha's shinobi while casting doubt and unease over Kumogakure's ranks.

Of course, his words only affected those with wavering resolve. 

For experienced warriors like the Second Raikage and his team, whose shinobi way was built on a lifetime of battle, his challenge had little effect.

"Enough boasting, Mochizuki Hui!" the Second Raikage shot back, his voice filled with defiance. "Today, we'll bury you here!" He signaled to two of the figures by his side.

They stepped forward, and suddenly, a crimson chakra began to surge around them, forming into shapes that increasingly resembled monstrous tails.

"Jinchūriki!" someone on the Konoha side exclaimed, instantly recognizing the transformations taking place. Hui watched the two Jinchūriki with a hint of disappointment. 

Compared to the future perfected Jinchūriki of Kumogakure, these two wielded the tailed beasts' power with raw, unrefined control.

Clearly, neither had achieved the level of a perfect Jinchūriki—they couldn't fully master the tailed beasts' power. As they moved deeper into the transformation, the aura around them grew more violent, their sanity slipping away bit by bit.

"They're really resorting to Tailed Beast Bombs?" Hui muttered, furrowing his brow. 

Tailed Beast Bombs were powerful, and countering them could be draining. However, sensing the vast reserves of chakra within himself—over twenty times that of an ordinary shinobi—and the rapid speed at which it replenished, he couldn't help but smile. After all, he never minded a battle of attrition.

Besides, he wasn't one to sit back and wait. His figure flickered, and in an instant, he was standing a short distance away from the Raikage and his team.

The two Jinchūriki had completed their partial transformations. 

Their bodies, now enveloped in a deep red-black chakra cloak streaked with tendrils, had lost all semblance of humanity. 

Seemingly overcome by the beastly chakra, they locked eyes on Hui, their instincts kicking in as they prepared to attack. Dark spheres of yin-yang chakra began to gather at their mouths, slowly forming the destructive Tailed Beast Bombs.

Everyone watching held their breath, transfixed by the sight of the Bombs being prepared. Some of the Konoha shinobi swallowed nervously, beads of sweat gathering on their brows.

Hui was unimpressed. He often found it baffling how many people would simply stand back, mesmerized, as their enemies charged up a powerful technique without attempting to interrupt it. 

Was it fear of the unknown or just being awestruck?

Either way, he had no intention of giving them a free shot. Just as the Tailed Beast Bombs stopped expanding, on the brink of release, Hui made his move. 

Drawing on his chakra, he manipulated the earth beneath the Jinchūriki's feet without the need for hand signs.

A chunk of ground suddenly jutted up beneath them, tilting their bodies backward. The Jinchūriki stumbled, momentarily losing control of the unstable Tailed Beast Bombs, which veered off-course. 

One of the Bombs detonated high above like a firework, while the other exploded dangerously close to the Kumogakure ranks, sending a shockwave that bowled over countless shinobi, scattering them like leaves.

The terrifying might of the Tailed Beast Bombs left everyone in awe.

Just as Uchiha Itachi once said, no jutsu was without flaw. The Tailed Beast Bombs might be powerful, but if they missed their target, they were just wasted chakra.

"Damn it!" the Second Raikage growled in frustration. Had his trump card, the Tailed Beast Bombs, really been countered so easily?

"He's using jutsu without hand signs! Hui's abilities are beyond comprehension—we can't even tell what techniques he's employing!" the Third Raikage added, his tone filled with dread. 

They had anticipated Hui's proficiency with ninjutsu, but to see him manipulate techniques so effortlessly from a distance was a shock.

"Forget the Tailed Beast Bombs—we're switching to close combat!" the Second Raikage commanded, ordering the two Jinchūriki to withdraw from full transformation mode and revert to the tailed beast chakra cloaks.

The Jinchūriki hadn't achieved the perfect control over their tailed beasts, so remaining in full transformation was risky; they could lose their sanity entirely to the beasts' influence. 

If that happened, they might turn into mindless killing machines, possibly even losing their bodies to the tailed beasts, causing indiscriminate carnage on the battlefield.

With that, the two Jinchūriki stepped back, their crimson chakra cloaks stabilizing as they prepared to unleash their Kage-level power in a more controlled manner.

The six Kage-level shinobi, now ready, charged straight toward Hui.

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