Kari lay sprawled in the large pit like a dead dog.
Looking at the unconscious Kari, Uchiha Tatsumi did not approach further. A jet-black kunai appeared in his hand, and he shot it directly at Kari's head.
"Die."
Just then, an overwhelming surge of chakra erupted from not far away. Even standing at a distance, Uchiha Tatsumi could feel the scorching pressure it carried.
What immense chakra!
In an instant, a figure shot forward like lightning, the sheer force of his movement parting the falling rain. When Uchiha Tatsumi looked up again, a man had already appeared beside Kari.
The newcomer stretched out his right hand and caught the kunai that had been inches away from piercing Kari's head.
"What are you trying to do to my disciple, you little brat from Konoha?!"
The last words were roared with such force that Uchiha Tatsumi's eardrums felt like they were about to burst, as if an explosion had gone off right next to him.
The man looked to be middle-aged, wearing purple clothes with a chest protector. His red hair was tied into a high ponytail, and a thick, bushy beard covered his face, giving him a rugged and imposing appearance.
Uchiha Tatsumi's expression shifted in shock. He had immediately recognized the man—the Four-Tails Jinchuriki.
I've been tricked again.
Never had the intelligence reports mentioned that Iwagakure had dispatched the Four-Tails Jinchuriki to the battlefield! How had he ended up running into him here? A hint of irritation flickered through Uchiha Tatsumi's mind.
Are those Anbu guys eating sh*t?
Senju, damn you!
A grim realization settled in. If the Jinchuriki was here, what did that mean for the main battlefield? Of course, Jinchuriki varied in strength—some were unstoppable, while others were weak due to their inability to control their Tailed Beasts. But the real problem wasn't their power; it was the consequence of their deaths.
If a Jinchuriki were killed, their Tailed Beast would break free. The devastation of a rampaging Tailed Beast was something no village could afford to bear.
Thus, Jinchuriki were more of a deterrent than actual weapons. But now, Iwa had deployed one. This meant only one thing—they were desperate.
Had Iwa's forces been pushed to the limit? If so, that could only mean that the final battle was near.
But what if he was wrong? What if the battle had already ended, and Konoha had lost?
For the first time, doubt crept into Uchiha Tatsumi's mind. His presence here had changed things—was it possible that history had changed as well?
The air grew heavier with tension. The sound of rain striking the ground seemed to fade, replaced by the whispering rustle of swaying leaves.
Roshi narrowed his eyes as he scanned the destroyed battlefield and the lifeless bodies of Iwa's fallen ninjas.
"Did you kill all of them?!"
His voice was thick with fury.
Roshi was one of Iwagakure's strongest shinobi, a man who had trained alongside the Third Tsuchikage. But despite his strength, the Tsuchikage treated him like a mere tool—constantly monitoring him, restricting his freedom, and only now unleashing him when things had already gone south.
And now, if he had arrived even a moment later, his disciple would have been killed.
His chakra flared, a suffocating presence that made Uchiha Tatsumi's body tense instinctively.
Roshi didn't hesitate—he grabbed Kari's unconscious form and flung him toward a safe distance. Then, his hands formed seals with deadly precision.
"Earth Release: Mountain Earth Technique!"
The ground shook violently as two massive hemispheres of earth rose up and surged toward Uchiha Tatsumi, threatening to crush him where he stood.
The sheer scale of the attack was ridiculous—this was the kind of technique used to restrain Tailed Beasts, not a single shinobi.
Uchiha Tatsumi's eyes narrowed. He had no choice but to meet it head-on.
Lightning chakra surged through his hands, a piercing sound echoing through the air. In an instant, Chidori was fully formed, its deadly light illuminating the dark battlefield.
His speed skyrocketed. A blur of movement, and he was already outside the range of the collapsing earth.
But he didn't stop there. Before the Chidori could dissipate, he kicked off the ground and shot toward Roshi like a bolt of lightning.
Roshi didn't even flinch.
Just as Uchiha Tatsumi's Chidori was about to pierce through him, Roshi grabbed his wrist mid-strike and redirected the attack to the side.
Uchiha Tatsumi's eyes widened.
What?!
For the first time in battle, his Chidori had been casually deflected.
That meant… Roshi was faster than him.
So this was a Kage-level ninja.
Roshi's grip tightened, and with a mocking smirk, he yanked Uchiha Tatsumi forward. A devastating kick sent him flying backward, smashing into the ground.
Stones scattered as Roshi let out a cold chuckle. His eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Do you feel it now?" he sneered. "That powerlessness? That overwhelming gap?"
"You talk too much." Uchiha Tatsumi spat out blood but didn't hesitate—his Sharingan spun, and a genjutsu instantly struck Roshi.
His left hand flicked out a kunai, aiming straight for Roshi's forehead.
But the Jinchuriki broke free immediately.
A flicker of movement, and Roshi dodged the kunai effortlessly. His counterattack came swiftly—his foot lashed out, striking Uchiha Tatsumi squarely in the chest.
The impact sent a searing pain through his ribs as he was hurled across the battlefield.
"Yes, yes, that's the look I like!" Roshi laughed.
Uchiha Tatsumi gritted his teeth. His situation was bad. His battle with Kari had drained him, and his remaining chakra was already dangerously low.
Fighting a Kage-level opponent in this condition was suicide.
"Spacing out in battle is fatal, brat."
Before he even registered the words, pain erupted in his chest.
Roshi had already closed the distance.
A fist flew toward him, but at the last moment, Uchiha Tatsumi wove a one-handed seal and vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.
Still, his ribs ached. That last hit had connected.
He needed to drag this out. Genjutsu was his best bet.
His Sharingan spun once more, launching another illusion. He leaped backward, putting distance between them.
Roshi's eyes gleamed. "The Uchiha clan's genjutsu truly is something else."
But he was done playing.
"It's over." Roshi took a deep breath, his chakra surging violently.
"Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rock Technique!"
He spat out several massive lava spheres, each one large enough to consume an entire person.
The air crackled as the heat warped reality itself.
Uchiha Tatsumi's body tensed. He ran.
But the lava followed.
Roshi's precise control locked onto him, cutting off every escape route.
Four lava balls converged from all sides.
Trapped.
There was nowhere left to run.
"Brat," Roshi grinned, his voice filled with finality.
"Die."
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