In front of an opponent who could trade blows evenly with Hatake Sakumo, Arata Itsuki didn't dare underestimate anyone.
Especially since the man had four subordinates with him.
No matter how he looked at it, Arata was at a disadvantage.
So the first thing he did was fire a signal flare.
This situation was different from the previous ambush—this time, he could call for backup.
There was no reason for him to fight alone and gamble his life unnecessarily.
All he needed to do was hold the enemy off.
Once Sakumo arrived, the two of them could easily wipe out this entire unit.
The moment the signal flare shot into the sky, Zōshirō's puppets had already reached Arata.
Six of the ten puppets rushed forward.
It seemed Zōshirō had plenty of battle experience—he wisely kept several puppets close to guard his real body.
Arata quickly noticed something else:
all of the puppets' cloaks were marked with the symbol of the Senju Clan.
If his guess was right, these puppets were made from the corpses of Senju shinobi.
The clan was nearly extinct now.
For Zōshirō to obtain this many corpses…
Could he be working with Danzō!?
Three of the attacking puppets wielded weapons—clearly melee types.
Their swords glistened with purple poison; even a graze would be fatal.
Fortunately, Arata's speed was monstrous.
With a single step, he evaded all three at once.
Their strike hit the ground behind him—
A violent shockwave erupted, the earth cracking apart in jagged lines.
"That's… the Senju clan's monstrous strength!?"
Arata had grown up alongside Tsunade—he knew that power well.
He recognized it immediately.
While Arata was briefly stunned, the other three puppets attacked.
They moved together, pressing their heads into a triangular formation.
Then—all at once—they opened their mouths and unleashed ninjutsu without any hand seals.
In an instant, a combined elemental attack of lightning, wind, and fire roared toward him.
Arata knew at a glance that it was at least S-rank, powerful enough to threaten even a Kage.
And with lightning and wind fused into it, its speed was terrifying—
from a distance it looked like a pale blue laser cannon.
Arata had learned his lesson from Sakumo:
his elementalization could not defend against attacks infused with lightning-nature transformation.
He absolutely couldn't take this one head-on.
He had to dodge.
BOOM!
The beam screamed past his cheek and struck a small hill behind him.
In less than a second, the twenty-meter mound vanished completely.
Zōshirō's strength was now unmistakable.
This single technique alone placed him squarely in the Kage-level realm.
His official record listed him as an Elite Jōnin, but if he were made Kazekage, he would be more than qualified.
At the Konoha border camp, the moment the flare went up, troops were dispatched.
Sakumo himself was the first to act.
He understood Arata's true abilities better than most—
and if Arata was requesting backup…
It could only mean one thing:
he had encountered Zōshirō.
"Hang in there, Arata…"
His speed increased again as he dashed toward the battlefield.
Back at the scene, after two devastating waves of attacks, Arata refused to stay passive.
Lightning surged across his body—then he drew the short blade at his waist.
This jutsu, he had named Thunder God Mode:
transforming part of his body into lightning to drastically boost both speed and strength.
Seeing Arata's transformed state, Zōshirō's expression tightened.
He recognized that jutsu immediately.
He instinctively thought of the Raikage's legendary Lightning Armor.
Lightning Armor—speed like a thunderbolt, destructive power that shredded puppets with ease—
It was one of the puppet master's greatest natural counters.
Earlier, Arata's speed alone had already shocked Zōshirō.
He'd begun doubting whether Arata was truly just a Tokubetsu Jōnin.
And now…
This lightning armor-like jutsu gave Zōshirō a very bad feeling.
Just as he prepared to react—
Arata vanished.
In the very next instant—
The head of a Jōnin standing beside Zōshirō flew into the air.
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