Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

The Tailed Beast Bomb tore through the sky, trailing a purplish-red exhaust flame and emitting a low, resonant hum.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was incredibly deep. Its speed was nothing to scoff at; while twelve kilometers wasn't covered in the blink of an eye, it didn't take long either.

The purplish-red sphere traced an arc through the air, plummeting toward the area where the ambushers lay hidden.

Twelve kilometers away.

In the woods atop a hill, dozens of Kumogakure ninjas lay scattered and concealed among the bushes, rocks, and undergrowth.

Clad in dark combat uniforms and covered in camouflage made of dead leaves and dirt, they remained perfectly still, blending seamlessly into their surroundings.

They were the elites of Kumogakure. Each possessed extensive combat experience, having survived countless life-and-death trials.

Yet, not a single one of them noticed the approaching purplish-red speck of light in the sky.

It wasn't a lack of vigilance; the speck was simply too small, too far away, and its color didn't stand out against the bright daylight.

It looked like an ordinary shooting star streaking across the sky. Who would pay attention to a shooting star?

That was, until it had crossed more than half the distance.

As it drew closer, the point of light grew larger, its color deepened, and the noise grew louder.

The low hum echoed from afar, sounding like millions of bees flapping their wings in unison. The Kumogakure ninjas hiding on the hill finally sensed that something was wrong. Someone looked up at the sky.

The purplish-red sphere had become like a miniature sun, its blinding light stinging the eyes.

Its speed actually increased as it neared its target, as if something were pushing it from behind.

"Scatter!"

Someone roared, their voice laced with terror.

Someone had finally realized the anomaly. The sheer oppressive weight and the terrifyingly intense chakra fluctuations were enough to chill anyone to the bone.

The ambushing ninjas leaped from their hiding spots, sprinting frantically in all directions.

Their speed was astonishing. Some bounded across treetops, some darted between rocks, and others simply rolled down the hillside. Their reaction time was certainly not slow, but ultimately, they were a step too late.

The purplish-red sphere crashed down.

First came the white light, erupting from within the sphere like a sun being born on the earth.

The radiance was so blinding that it forced eyes shut; even shadows seemed to vanish entirely.

The white light swallowed everything. Trees, rocks, dirt, and even the air itself lost their form in the face of the brilliance, reduced to absolute nothingness.

Then came the fire.

Flames hot enough to melt steel surged outward from the epicenter of the explosion.

The fire was blue-white, its temperature so extreme that even the air seemed to combust. It spread in all directions like a tidal wave, turning everything in its path to ash.

Those who failed to escape the blast radius were frozen in the white light for a split second before being erased from existence, like pencil marks wiped away by an eraser.

There were no screams, no struggles. Not even ashes remained.

The shockwave of the explosion followed closely behind.

From a distance, it looked like a visible ripple distorting the air as it swept out in all directions.

Trees were uprooted and hurled into the sky. Rocks were shattered into countless fragments. The ground trembled violently, as if something were churning beneath the earth.

Wherever the shockwave passed, total devastation followed.

The deafening roar was the last to arrive.

But once it hit, it was impossible to ignore. It sounded like a thousand thunderbolts detonating simultaneously, causing eardrums to throb with pain.

Yugito Nii stared in that direction.

Her eyes stung from the piercing white light, but she refused to blink. She stared fixedly as the mushroom cloud rose from the ground, watching the flames and thick smoke billow into the sky while the shockwave leveled everything in the vicinity.

Her lips trembled. As a Jinchuriki, she knew the destructive power of a Tailed Beast Bomb all too well.

It was a power that Matatabi, the beast sealed within her, could also wield—compressing chakra to its absolute limit, drawing upon natural energy, and releasing it to obliterate everything in sight.

But she had never actually witnessed a Tailed Beast Bomb detonating right in the middle of a crowd of people.

The people swallowed by the white light, the bodies that didn't even leave behind ashes—they were her comrades. They were Kumogakure ninjas who fought for the village just like she did.

At this moment, she was powerless to change the situation. She also knew perfectly well that she could do absolutely nothing against Uchiha Taiga.

Her power was sealed by him, her taijutsu was like child's play in front of him, and her speed couldn't match his. She could only stand there, unable to change a single thing.

With that realization, Yugito's eyes grew red.

Tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.

One drop, two drops, three drops... they fell faster and heavier.

She didn't wipe them away. She simply stood there, letting the tears flow freely.

Uchiha Taiga looked at her and chuckled. "Oh my, good kitty, why are you crying? Do you really have such deep feelings for Kumogakure?"

Yugito acted as if she hadn't heard him.

Taiga continued, "As far as I know, Jinchuriki are basically treated like monsters in their villages, ostracized and bullied by the ignorant masses. But you give me a somewhat different impression."

He laughed as he spoke.

"I really have to hand it to those ignorant fools, actually daring to bare their fangs at a Jinchuriki. Truly impressive. If it were me, I would've slapped them across the face long ago, regardless of who they were."

Yugito remained standing in a daze.

She stood there, her vacant gaze fixed on the burning hill. Tears continued to stream down her face, her mind completely blank.

Seeing no reaction from her, Taiga shrugged and said no more.

He then turned his head, looking toward the hill with slightly narrowed eyes.

"Not bad, not bad."

His tone grew a bit more serious.

"Some people actually managed to escape. Is the one leading them your village's Kage?"

Through his Byakugan's vision, he saw several figures charge out of the sea of fire.

Some were covered in wounds, their clothes burned to tatters. Some were being supported by their comrades, stumbling with every step. Others were still in one piece, though their chakra fluctuations had weakened significantly.

The man leading them had a burly physique and dark skin. His short blonde hair stood on end like a blazing fire.

He wore a white short-sleeved jacket on his upper body, exposing two thick arms bulging with muscles and scars. There were burn marks on his body as well, but they didn't look severe, nor did they impede his movements.

Fourth Raikage A.

Beside him followed a muscular young man in his twenties, also with dark skin and short blonde hair. He wore a pair of sunglasses, sported a short beard on his chin, and had seven short swords hanging from his waist.

His clothes had several holes burned into them, and his hair was slightly singed, but his mental state seemed quite fine.

As they spoke, figures dashed out of the forest one after another.

Some were in a wretched state, some were injured, some were supported by comrades, and others limped along.

Their faces were filled with anger and hatred, their eyes locked onto the direction where Uchiha Taiga stood.

Raikage A walked at the very front.

His strides were wide, each step carrying an oppressive weight. His eyes looked as though they were about to spew fire as he glared at the youth standing on the mountain path.

The muscular young man beside him was even more agitated. He rushed forward in a few quick steps, pointed at Uchiha Taiga, and opened his mouth.

"You despicable thing, hurting my brothers like a sting! I'll wipe you clean, so no one thinks we're mean, yo yo!"

As he spoke, he performed a series of rap gestures—waving his hands, twisting his waist, spinning around, and tracing the rhythm in the air with his fingers, as if performing on a stage.

The veins on Raikage A's forehead throbbed, but he didn't say anything, seemingly accustomed to his comrade's antics.

Uchiha Taiga looked at the muscular young man and paused for a moment.

Then, his eyes lit up.

You should have said so earlier, brother. I know how to do this too.

He stood up straight, cleared his throat, spread his hands, and began his performance.

"Yo, yo! The Raikage is here but it's all in vain, bringing your brothers just to feel the pain. One or two of you, it's all the same, I think it's time you retire from the game!"

He struck similar poses, even adding a moonwalk at the end, before pointing two fingers in Killer Bee's direction.

Killer Bee was startled, but Uchiha Taiga didn't give him time to react.

"Kumogakure is trash, one Tailed Beast Bomb and you scatter in a flash! So many dead, do you even care? If you want revenge, stop spitting hot air!"

Killer Bee's movements froze.

He maintained his hand-waving pose, his mouth hanging open, his eyes wide behind his sunglasses.

A few seconds later, his body went limp as if all his strength had been drained away, the eyes behind his sunglasses filled with utter defeat.

"No! I... I lost!"

His voice was very soft, carrying an unprecedented sense of frustration.

"His freestyle is better than mine."

The veins on Raikage A's forehead throbbed twice more. He took a deep breath, suppressing the fury in his heart, and looked straight at Uchiha Taiga.

His gaze was like two knives, wishing he could hack the youth to pieces.

"You Konoha brat."

His voice was low, as if squeezed from the depths of his throat.

"I underestimated you."