Outside the barrier, Dodai's hands blurred as he wove signs.
Setsuna Uchiha's face paled instantly. O recognized the technique: Earth Style: Earth-Core Rise. Normally, it's a massive jutsu used to uproot underground enemies by raising a localized volcano.
But in the Land of Hot Springs—a region saturated with geothermal activity and boiling underground reservoirs—the nature of this jutsu changes. It wouldn't just bring up earth; it would pull up an infinite supply of pressurized, 100°C boiling water capable of causing third-degree burns in seconds.
This environmental synergy was the Cloud's trump card. It was why they chose to ambush Setsuna here rather than at the Fire Country border.
Dodai couldn't wait any longer. All his plans had been derailed by that Uchiha brat inside the barrier. Ren had not only turned the tide against Moroi but had even awakened the Sharingan.
A flash of guilt crossed Dodai's face as he looked toward the barrier. To do this meant sacrificing his brother-in-arms, Moroi. The Cloud was a village that prized brotherhood above all. Regret and shame hammered at his heart, but then he remembered Setsuna's words—the promise of a 300-million Ryo bounty and the total wrath of the Uchiha.
The fear of that outcome was like a curse, repeating in his mind: Kill him. Kill him. Kill him.
"ENOUGH!" Dodai roared, his eyes hardening. "Moroi, release the barrier! I'm finishing this now!"
Inside the barrier, Moroi froze. "What did you say, Dodai-senpai?"
That split-second distraction was all Ren needed. Ren grabbed the edge of the katana blade with his bare, bloody hand, kicked Moroi squarely in the gut, and wrenched the sword away as Moroi sent skidding back across the ruins.
Moroi didn't even try to counterattack. He stared at Dodai outside the barrier in disbelief. "Open the barrier?" he whispered. "You're telling me to open it now?"
Moroi knew exactly what Earth-Core Rise would do in this terrain. He knew the scale of the destruction. "Are you kidding me?! You're weaving that sign and telling me to open the barrier? DO YOU WANT TO KILL ME TOO, DODAI?!"
Dodai's face flickered with guilt, but he refused to look Moroi in the eye. He turned to Ramii. "Ramii, cover me! Don't let that old bastard Setsuna get close!"
Ramii was shocked. "Dodai, you..."
"Don't make me repeat myself!" Dodai snapped. "If that old man escapes, do you have any idea what happens to us? Moroi has done his job; he sealed the brat's explosive tags. Now, that kid isn't a threat—he's a lure!"
Ramii looked at Dodai, the right hand of the Third Raikage, with a new sense of dread. No wonder he's high-ranking at such a young age... "You're right," Ramii muttered. "Sometimes, bonds are a stronger shackle than any barrier."
Dodai ignored him, slamming his palm onto the ground.
The earth groaned and buckled. A massive volcano began to erupt from beneath the ruins, its crater swallowing the entire area where Moroi and Ren stood. Thick steam began to hiss from the fissures.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, CLOUD?!" Setsuna roared, his eyes bloodshot with rage.
"Setsuna Uchiha, let's play a game," Dodai said, a cruel smile forming as he started the signs for Lava Release: Rubber River.
His plan was to use the lava to seal the crater like a pressure cooker lid. The boiling water rising from below would create a lethal pressure trap inside.
"You have two choices," Dodai shouted over the rumbling earth.
"One: you stay here and fight us. You can watch as that boy—the one who gave everything for you—is boiled alive. I admit, you won. You ruined our plan using only a single Genin brat. If you leave now, I won't stop you."
Dodai pointed a finger at the steaming, gaping maw of the volcano.
"Two: Jump in. With your skills, maybe you can save him. Who knows?"
Setsuna's expression shifted violently.
"My jutsu is about to seal the opening! MAKE YOUR CHOICE!" Dodai screamed.
Setsuna glared at Dodai with a hatred that could burn the world. Without a second thought, without a single word of hesitation...
He turned and leaped into the volcano.
Dodai's cold laugh echoed through the steam. "Then it's over."
He unleashed a torrent of liquid rubber, sealing the crater shut like a massive iron lid.
The dust settled. The silence was absolute.