Projection magicians starting from the Uchiha clan

Killer Bee closed his eyes, seemingly listening intently, but the Eight-Tails' attitude surprised him so much that he forgot to say his usual refrain: "Hachi said he felt fear. The chakra he felt was like the god who gave birth to them, the Sage of Six Paths."

He had never seen the Eight-Tails so terrified; it was a tremor that went deep into its bones, as if the shadow of death had already enveloped its entire body.

Tailed beasts are not afraid of ordinary death. Whether they die because of the death of their jinchūriki or are killed in the outside world, they can always be reawakened in some corner of the world.

For them, death was nothing more than a long sleep.

However, if one were to die at the hands of Iori, the situation would be quite different.

As the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, Iori possesses the power to absorb and digest them, transforming them back into the Ten-Tails.

In that case, they will never be able to revive and become part of the Ten-Tails again.

The Fourth Raikage's gaze was piercing. He solemnly said to Killer Bee, "Bee, go back to the village and inform the Jonin that a powerful enemy may be approaching. I need to see who they are and how they dare to do such a thing."

As he spoke, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the force, and the veins on his forehead bulged like earthworms, his anger boiling in his chest.

In his memory, the ninjutsu of resurrecting the dead has always been a taboo in the ninja world, and no one has ever truly succeeded in it.

The closest attempt is the legendary Impure World Reincarnation technique of the Second Hokage. However, even ninjas summoned through Impure World Reincarnation lose their senses such as pain and taste, and their actions are restricted by the caster, so it cannot be considered a true resurrection.

He suspected that the chakra he sensed from his father came from a puppet resurrected using a ninjutsu.

"No, big brother, I can't let him face danger alone. We're partners, aren't we? The AB duo can only unleash their full power when they're together! Bastard! Idiot!"

Killer Bee started rapping with a serious expression, refusing the Fourth Raikage's order.

"Yes, Kumogakure cannot lose the Eight-Tails, do you understand?" The Fourth Raikage's voice was deep and powerful, his face was serious, and his eyes revealed an undeniable determination.

"Especially when the Eight-Tails is also fighting in fear, we can't let you go into battle."

He paused, took a deep breath, and continued, "Go and gather the elite Jonin who are still in the village, and bring them to support me."

"Brother, why don't we retreat first and then go find them after we regroup?" Killer Bee asked, his concern causing him to lose his composure. He frowned and asked, puzzled.

"Idiot! How can you fight them inside Kumogakure? Do you want to destroy the village?" The Fourth Raikage's voice rose eight octaves as he angrily rebuked Killer Bee. "Quickly, go back immediately! My life or death may depend on how quickly your reinforcements arrive!"

Killer Bee gave the Fourth Raikage a deep look: "Big brother, you must survive!"

"Hmph, I am the Raikage, how could I die so easily!" The Fourth Raikage said nonchalantly, then urged Killer Bee to leave.

Killer Bee didn't linger any longer. His body moved like lightning, circling back to Kumogakure at top speed.

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"The Eight-Tails and the Fourth Raikage have separated. It seems they don't believe you've really been resurrected." Sensing the Eight-Tails' chakra gradually fading away, Iori looked at the Third Raikage, a slight smile curving his lips.

The Third Raikage wasn't angry at their distrust; instead, he smiled with satisfaction.

"Of course. Before you, there was no such perfect resurrection technology in the ninja world. Now, thanks to the materialization of my soul, I am even stronger than I was in life."

"Until I truly witnessed your power, this is a ninjutsu I could never have imagined."

"It's normal for them not to believe it. As a Shadow, being cautious is a good habit."

Iori thought about it and nodded in agreement. From the perspective of the Fourth Raikage, it was only natural that he did not believe in the resurrection of the Third Raikage.

boom!

A blue lightning bolt suddenly flashed across Turtle Island, like a crack ripped through the sky.

Then, the lightning bolt shot towards the shore with tremendous force from the direction of Turtle Island.

"It's the Lightning Blade. It seems his strength has increased a lot over the years," the Third Raikage muttered to himself, looking at the lightning bolt.

As he finished speaking, blue lightning began to flash around his body.

A powerful electric current surged from his muscles, enveloping his body and making him look like Thor had descended.

In the midst of conversation, he instantly entered Lightning Release: Chakra Mode, his hair standing on end with the power of electricity, like a lion.

"Hell Thrust - Four-in-One Hand!"

The Third Raikage bent down, retracting his thumb. The four fingers of his right hand emitted a terrifying light under the powerful lightning chakra, his fingers like a sharp spear, ready to pierce the enemy's heart at any moment.

"It seems that becoming a Heroic Spirit has significantly enhanced you. Without the constraints of a physical body, the flow of chakra has become much easier."

Looking at the Third Raikage bathed in lightning, Iori couldn't help but comment.

While becoming a Heroic Spirit is an enhancement for most people, those who benefit most are taijutsu and ninjutsu ninjas.

After the originally fragile body is transformed into a chakra polymer, there is no need to worry about the body being damaged due to overload; on the contrary, it can unleash its full power.

The ones who suffer the most are those like Uzumaki, who are born with a lot of chakra. After becoming Heroic Spirits, their original chakra advantage is almost completely wiped out.

"Please rest assured, although he is now a qualified Kage, he is still no match for me in my Heroic Spirit form. I'll be right back."

The Third Raikage's voice was full of confidence. His figure, enveloped in lightning, moved like a bolt of lightning as he met the rapidly approaching blue lightning bolt.

Two bolts of lightning collided in mid-air, producing a deafening roar that turned the entire sky blue.

The waves stopped churning at that moment, as if the whole world was waiting for the outcome of this duel.

Boom! A deafening roar came from the point of impact, so loud it seemed to shake the sky.

A powerful force exploded in the sea, sending massive amounts of seawater flying into the sky and falling like rain, like a sudden storm.

At the point of impact, a vacuum suddenly appeared, the surrounding seawater was pushed aside, forming a huge hole, which was then quickly filled by the surrounding seawater, making a rumbling sound.

The Third Raikage's fingers collided with the Fourth Raikage's arm, but neither could gain the upper hand.

The air crackled with the crackling of electricity, and a resolute light shone in both of their eyes.

"You've grown, Ai!" The Third Raikage exclaimed, looking at the imposing Fourth Raikage.

"Shut up! Don't try to fool me with my father's appearance and voice!" The Fourth Raikage roared in anger, his eyes blazing with fury. How dare this person speak to him in such a tone? Did he really think he was the Third Raikage?

"As the Raikage, besides caution, keen eyesight is also very important." The Third Raikage shook his head with some disappointment. "If you still can't recognize who I am, then that's a bit unreasonable."

The Fourth Raikage shook his head with a grim expression: "Although your chakra and ninjutsu are very similar to your father's, there may be other ways to replicate them."

"Is that so? Then let's continue." The Third Raikage smiled slightly and continued his attack on A.

Both were masters of ninjutsu and taijutsu, their Lightning Release: Chakra Mode skills were superb. In just a few seconds, they had exchanged more than ten blows, stirring up countless waves.

"What is your purpose in returning? Have you truly been resurrected? Who is behind you? Tell me, Father!" The Fourth Raikage lowered his voice and shouted at him.

By now, the Fourth Raikage was basically certain that the man in front of him was indeed his father, or at least he had his father's memories.

Therefore, he was willing to take a gamble, hoping that his father's will could prevail over the brainwashing orders.

The Third Raikage calmly said, "I have indeed been resurrected, but it's hard to call me human now. My form of existence is closer to that of a tailed beast, and my body can be said to be made of chakra."

"As for the power behind me, it's more accurate to say it's the current Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Iori, rather than Konoha."

"Konoha? Father, have you betrayed us?" The Fourth Raikage asked in disbelief, never expecting that his father would actually betray Konoha for the sake of his life.

"Betrayal? Perhaps, but first, I want you to face reality: in front of that man, the Hidden Cloud Village is as fragile as an infant."

"If we really want to survive, the only way is to integrate," the Third Raikage sighed, speaking helplessly.

Konoha's strength is already immeasurable. They don't even need to send out any living ninjas; the three Hokage who have become heroic spirits are enough to sweep through the ninja world.

If the Cloud Ninja don't seize the opportunity to integrate, they will only become part of Konoha as defeated ninja in the future.

When faced with two evils, one must choose the lesser. Even though the Third Raikage was reluctant, he could only choose the better way for the Cloud Ninja with tears in his eyes.

"No, the Cloud Ninja will never compromise. There are only Cloud Ninja who die in battle, not Cloud Ninja who surrender!" the Fourth Raikage said resolutely.

His body leaped high into the air, as if to pierce the sky, his feet wreathed in dazzling lightning, like the wrath of a god, as he furiously brought down: "Righteous Thunder Sinking Wrath Thunder Axe!"

"Hell Thrust - Two-Pronged Strike!" The Third Raikage retracted one finger again and thrust it towards A's foot without hesitation.

Two fingers, like sharp spikes, slammed heavily into the Raikage's leg, unleashing a burst of intense lightning.

The air was filled with the scent of lightning, and electricity danced around their bodies like frenzied sprites.

This attack resulted in both of them being severely injured. The Third Raikage lost a finger, and the Fourth Raikage's foot was also fractured due to the intense impact.

The Fourth Raikage landed on the ground, gritted his teeth, and used lightning to stop the bleeding from his wound. The high temperature forcibly blocked the wound, and the blood stopped flowing.

His forehead was covered in cold sweat, but his eyes remained firm.

But when he stood up and looked at the Third Raikage, he was surprised to find that the Third Raikage's fingers were completely intact.

"Chakra Repair Technique, a special healing technique developed by Lord Uchiha Iori for Heroic Spirits." The Third Raikage extended his perfectly intact fingers, calmly looking at the Fourth Raikage.

That slightly sorrowful look in his eyes deeply pierced the heart of the Fourth Raikage.

He knew his father's thoughts: when the enemy is so strong that they are invincible, it is better to take a step back, make sacrifices, and preserve strength for the future than to perish together.

The Third Raikage died in the Land of Earth to cover the retreat of the ninja army, and his surrender to Konoha now stems from the same idea.

But the Fourth Raikage was different. As the current Raikage, he could not accept the destruction of the Cloud Ninja under his watch.

"Father, do you really think there's no hope for the Cloud Ninja?"

The Fourth Raikage wanted to make one last effort, but he was met with the Third Raikage's resolute words.

"Face reality, A. The strength of the Cloud Ninja is nothing in their eyes. Whether it's Uchiha Iori or Senju Hashirama, their strength is far above mine."

"If it weren't for their desire to minimize the losses to the ninja world, the four great ninja villages would have been wiped out overnight!"

"You should surrender. The Cloud Ninja need you. Even if the Cloud Village no longer exists, as long as the Cloud Ninja are still here, the Cloud Village will live on in our hearts."

The Fourth Raikage remained silent for a moment, then spoke: "Then, Father, can you have that man take action himself? I want to see if he can make me despair."

He still chose to trust his father, but his final resentment made him want to truly witness the invincible power his father had spoken of.

The Third Raikage was about to turn around and ask Iori a question when his pupils contracted as he looked ahead. It turned out that Iori had appeared behind the Fourth Raikage at some point.

"So, what would you like to see? Genjutsu, ninjutsu, taijutsu, ocular jutsu—the choice is yours," Iori, who had been watching the show from behind the Fourth Raikage, suddenly spoke up.

"What?!" The Fourth Raikage was shocked and instinctively jumped out of the water, moving away from Iori.

"Why are you keeping your distance? If you want to be able to hit me, you should get closer and attack."

"Or are you afraid that if you get close to me, any part of me might disappear from your sight?"

"If that's the case, then it's just unnecessary worry. Combat distance only has meaning when the opponents are of equal strength."

"Therefore, the fighting distance between us is meaningless."

With his hands in his pockets, Iori calmly looked at the Fourth Raikage and said with a hint of sarcasm.

The Fourth Raikage's heart was pounding; his body had not yet recovered from the shock he had just experienced.

Iori appeared like a ghost, silent and stealthy. If he had actually launched an attack, the Fourth Raikage might no longer be alive.