Naruto: Maelstrom Of The Uzumaki

The battle began in earnest as Uzumaki Raiden's shadow clones charged into the smoke, followed closely by his true body. Hiashi Hyuga and Fugaku Uchiha entered right behind him, while Minato and Duy stayed at the edge of the smoke, ready to react.

Raiden's team was well-prepared. Hiashi's Byakugan, Fugaku's Sharingan, and Raiden's Kagura Mind's Eye gave them unparalleled awareness, making the obscuring smoke almost irrelevant. Minato and Duy, lacking such sensory abilities, remained on standby outside the smoke, waiting for their opportunity.

The Initial Clash

The sounds of combat soon erupted within the smoke. The clash of kunai, the sharp cries of pain, and the roar of techniques filled the air. Then came the bursts of white smoke as Raiden's shadow clones were systematically destroyed.

"Ahhh—!" A scream echoed as one Iwagakure shinobi fell.

The sound of kunai piercing flesh reached Minato's ears, and his eyes narrowed. "They've started taking them down…"

"Stay ready," Duy said quietly, flexing his fists.

The Dust Clears

Suddenly, a fierce wind erupted from the center of the smoke, scattering the dust and revealing the battlefield.

"Wind Style: Breakthrough!" an Iwagakure shinobi shouted, the gale clearing the air in moments.

Raiden, Fugaku, and Hiashi retreated to regroup with Minato. Fugaku now wielded a blood-stained short blade, while his face and clothes bore evidence of intense combat. Hiashi looked disheveled, his rain-soaked clothes streaked with mud and dust. Raiden, by contrast, was untouched, his movements precise and calculated to avoid direct engagement.

On the other side, the remaining Iwagakure forces came into view. Of the 30 who had charged, only 17 remained standing. The ground was littered with the injured or dead, some bearing stab wounds from Fugaku, others incapacitated by internal injuries inflicted by Hiashi.

Those marked with Raiden's curse seals lay motionless, their bodies bound by black markings that pulsed ominously.

Roshi's Fury

"You brats again?!" Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, emerged from the Iwagakure ranks, his face twisted in rage. He scanned the carnage and glared at his subordinates, his disappointment palpable.

"They're just kids, and yet… this is what you let them do to us?"

Minato's gaze shifted to Hiashi. "How many left?"

Hiashi's Byakugan flared as he assessed their opponents. "The weakest are already down. The rest are all skilled shinobi."

"Watch the ground!" Fugaku and Raiden shouted simultaneously as they leapt back. A moment later, jagged stone spikes shot up from the ground where they had stood.

The Iwagakure shinobi had launched a surprise attack, concealing their hand seals until the last moment. Minato and Hiashi evaded just in time, but Duy was slower. Though he avoided being impaled, a spike grazed his leg, leaving a deep cut.

"Duy, are you okay?" Minato called out, concern etched on his face.

"I'm fine!" Duy replied, though blood seeped down his calf. Before Minato could react further, an Iwagakure shinobi appeared beside him, his arm encased in stone.

"You're next, kid!" the shinobi snarled, throwing a punch at Minato's chest.

Minato twisted away, deflecting the blow with a kick and creating distance. The Iwagakure shinobi exploded into smoke—a clone.

Raiden vs. Roshi

Meanwhile, Raiden was locked in a standoff with Roshi. The Jinchuriki's eyes burned with fury as he focused solely on Raiden.

"Red-haired brat," Roshi growled, his voice dripping with venom. "Do you know why I've come straight for you?"

Raiden's expression remained calm. "I don't need to know."

Roshi let out a chilling laugh. "I sensed your chakra—it's the same as the one that reinforced the barrier that stopped my Tailed Beast Bomb! It was you, wasn't it? Only you are worth killing personally!"

As he spoke, five balls of molten magma formed around him, their heat warping the air. Just as he was about to unleash them, a brilliant white light flashed beneath his feet. A complex sealing formula spread across the ground, binding him in place.

"Sealing Array!" Raiden announced, a triumphant smile on his face.

The Counterattack

The Sealing Array immobilized Roshi, his movements completely restrained. "What is this?!" he roared, struggling against the invisible chains. His chakra surged as he began to transform, a fiery red chakra cloak enveloping him.

Despite his efforts, the seal held firm—for now.

Raiden didn't waste time. "Yin Seal: Release!" he shouted, unleashing a massive reserve of chakra stored in the diamond-shaped seal on his forehead. The energy coursed through his body, forming intricate markings across his skin.

"Are you… Jinchuriki too?!" Roshi's eyes widened in disbelief as Raiden's chakra rivaled his own.

"No," Raiden replied coldly, biting his finger and smearing his blood on a seal etched into his left hand. "But I have enough power to finish this. Totsuka Blade!"

A glowing red gourd materialized in his hands, and from it, he drew a spectral blade of pure chakra. Its presence radiated overwhelming spiritual energy.

Roshi's struggles grew frantic. "No! You won't seal me!"

Raiden raised the blade, pointing it directly at Roshi. "You won't leave this battlefield alive."

The Final Clash

The moment Raiden swung the Totsuka Blade, Iwagakure shinobi rushed to intervene. Though Hiashi and Fugaku fought fiercely to stop them, some broke through the line, charging at Raiden.

Raiden's swing cut through several attackers, but there were too many. Even as Roshi howled in pain from the blade piercing his waist, more Iwagakure shinobi closed in on Raiden.

"Damn it!" Minato shouted, racing to Raiden's aid.

Raiden's shadow clones moved to shield him, but they wouldn't hold for long. "It's too late," Raiden muttered, his grip tightening on the blade. "This is all I can do…"

In the chaos, Roshi reverted from his Tailed Beast state, clutching a deep wound in his side. His eyes blazed with fury as he locked onto Raiden.

(End of Chapter)

>>>>>>>

Please leave PowerStones and Reviews if you're enjoying the story

Read up to Chapter 100 ahead on [Patreon.com/ggfanfiction]