At the very moment when Fourth Raikage A's right hand, covered in blue electric arcs and capable of shattering mountains, was about to swing down to give the order for a general assault...

A sudden change occurred.

The sky grew dark.

It wasn't dark clouds obscuring the sun, but a more eerie gloom, as if the light itself was being swallowed by some invisible force.

In the Land of Whirlpools, inside the Uzukages Office.

This place had become the cerebral hub of the entire war fortress. Uchiha Kei sat calmly in a specialized chair, the back of his head connected to dozens of shimmering Chakra wires that eventually merged into a strangely shaped instrument resembling a Black Obelisk.

"Tsukuyomi Broadcast System, activate."

"Mental energy output power: thirty percent."

"Connecting to thirty-six Chakra Signal Amplification Towers nationwide."

"Target lock: All members of the Kumogakure Fleet."

"Commencing wide-area, multi-layered, Cognitive Interference-type Genjutsu Projection."

As Kei's will was commanded, an indescribably vast and majestic mental energy was instantly amplified and encoded through that Black Obelisk. It then spread out over the Land of Whirlpools like an invisible tide, instantly covering the entire sea.

Every Ninja in the Kumogakure Fleet, whether Jonin, Chunin, or Genin, felt a simultaneous tremor from the depths of their souls. it was the illusion of being looked down upon and scanned from a mental level by some higher-dimensional life form.

"What... what is that?"

A Cloud Jonin standing at the front of a warship pointed at the sky with a dry voice, his expression frozen.

Everyone, including Raikage A, who was about to give his command, and Killer Bee, who was boredly humming a rap beside him, instinctively looked up.

They saw that in the gloomy clouds ten thousand meters above the fleet, a giant human face, larger than anything imaginable, was slowly emerging.

The outline of that face was traced by countless shimmering Chakra lines, as clear as if it were solid. Long black hair flowed slowly in the currents of the genjutsu, every strand appearing like a flowing river of stars.

On that handsome, nearly perfect Eastern face, the most striking feature was the eyes.

A pair of Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, as vast as lakes, featuring a pattern that fused a Six-pointed Shuriken with a Taiji Yin-Yang Fish.

They emitted no killing intent or malice; they simply watched the massive fleet below, which was spread across the sea like a colony of armored ants, with a calm and indifferent gaze.

Before this massive face, the warships with thousands of tons of displacement were as small as toys in a bathtub. And the Ninjas on the decks, who prided themselves on being elites, were as humble as dust.

"Genjutsu?"

Beside Raikage A, his secretary C, as a sensing Ninja, made a judgment immediately, but his voice was filled with unbelievable horror.

"How is it possible... a genjutsu of such immense scale? And... in my perception, there was no process of Chakra gathering or release; it's like it... appeared out of nowhere!"

This completely overturned his understanding of genjutsu.

Conventional genjutsu, even large-scale ones, require a source of Chakra release and a range of effect. But this one... its range covered the entire fleet and even further. Moreover, its energy fluctuations were less like a technique and more like a phenomenon—a phenomenon akin to a miracle.

"Uchiha... Kei..."

Raikage A squeezed the name out from between his teeth.

He recognized this face; in the files of major intelligence agencies, the danger level of this face had long been listed as the highest.

But he never dreamed that the other party's entrance would be so inconceivable.

A feeling of being completely suppressed arose from the bottom of his heart. This was not a suppression of power, but a crushing blow on a cognitive dimension.

Just as the Kumogakure Fleet was plunged into a deathly silence of shock, the giant face moved.

His lips opened and closed slightly.

A calm, clear voice, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, did not travel through the vibration of the air. Instead, it was like a sudden revelation, ringing directly and simultaneously in the minds of every Hidden Cloud Ninja.

"Fourth Raikage, A."

That voice seemed to originate directly from the depths of everyone's soul; it was impossible to block and impossible to resist.

"Before you give that order which might cause you bitter regret, I will give you a chance to answer my question."

Kei's voice was very flat, as if he were making small talk.

"Are you sure you want to let these thousands of Hidden Cloud Ninjas who trust and follow you all perish at the bottom of this cold sea, all for your own selfish gain and your pathetic desire for conquest driven by greed?"

This question was like an invisible heavy hammer, striking hard at the heart of every Hidden Cloud Ninja.

They instinctively looked at their stern-faced companions beside them, then at the cold, hard deck beneath their feet. Finally, their gazes turned toward that city in the distance, which appeared as quiet and beautiful as a divine kingdom within its golden Barrier.

Kei's voice did not pause, continuing to ring in their minds.

"I know the history of Hidden Cloud. In the First Shinobi World War, you paid a heavy price for the arrogance of the Kinkaku-Ginkaku Force. In the Second Shinobi World War, you fought Konoha over borders, and thousands died. In the Third Shinobi World War, you attempted to kidnap Hinata of the Hyuga Main Family, which triggered a full-scale conflict with Konoha. Your father, the Third Raikage, died of exhaustion while facing ten thousand Iwa Ninja alone to cover his comrades' retreat."

"Every war was initiated by Hidden Cloud. Every time, you paid a price in blood. And this time, for an ethereal desire for conquest, to seize technology and Bloodline Limits that do not belong to you, you have set foot on this path once again."

"Tell me, everyone on the deck, are your lives meant to be consumed just to satisfy the repeated greed of those above you?"

An emotion called fear began to spread uncontrollably through the fleet.

They were elite Ninjas; they did not fear death.

But they feared a meaningless death.

If this war was only to satisfy the personal desires of the Raikage, then what was the point of gambling with their lives?

"You bastard!"

Raikage A felt the morale of the troops behind him wavering, and a surge of humiliated rage instantly overwhelmed his initial shock.

He abruptly looked up and let out a sky-shaking roar at the giant face in the sky.

"Save your deceptive tricks, Uchiha Kei! In the Shinobi World, might always makes right! The winner takes all! The loser has nothing!"

"Behind me are Hidden Cloud's strongest warriors! We are here to conquer, not to die!"

Raikage A's roar contained powerful Lightning Release Chakra, finally awakening some of the wavering Hidden Cloud Ninjas from the influence of that eerie genjutsu.

They tightened their grip on their weapons again, and the confusion in their eyes was replaced once more by a fanatical intent to fight.

In their perception, Lord Raikage was invincible!

The Kumogakure was unbeatable!

"Might makes right?"

Kei in the sky seemed to have heard something interesting.

For the first time, a trace of expression appeared on that giant, indifferent face.

A smile that bordered on pity.

"You are right, Raikage. In the Shinobi World, might indeed makes right."

"But you seem to have a fundamental, fatal misunderstanding of the word'strength'."

"Do you think that gathering eight thousand Ninjas, sailing over a hundred warships, and putting on a menacing display constitutes strength?"

"No."

Kei's voice carried a faint hint of mockery.

"That isn't called strength; that is simply... being numerous."

"In my eyes, you are very weak."

Raikage A's pupils instantly contracted to their limit.

Weak?

He, the Fourth Raikage, leading eight thousand elite Ninjas to the enemy's doorstep, was actually being evaluated by the opponent as... weak?

This was the biggest joke he had ever heard in his life, and also the greatest insult!

"Bluffing!"

Raikage A laughed in extreme anger, pointing at the phantom in the sky as he hissed.

"Do you think you can scare me off by using this flashy genjutsu to create a giant shadow? Uchiha brat! I admit your genjutsu skills are sophisticated, but war does not rely on these deceptive tricks!"

"It relies on solid fists! On Ninjutsu that can completely tear the enemy to shreds!"

"If you have the ability, then deactivate your turtle shell and come out to fight me fair and square! What kind of hero hides behind a Barrier!"

Killer Bee also chimed in from the side, rapping: "Yeah, yeah, don't be a coward in a shell, come out and test your rap and swordsmanship against me, I'm the strongest Jinchūriki, yeah!"

Facing Raikage A's roar and Killer Bee's provocation, Kei in the sky merely smiled.

There was no anger or disdain in that smile, only a composure and calm similar to an adult watching a child throw a tantrum.

"Since you are so stubborn, and since you know nothing of true power..."

Kei's voice rang out in everyone's mind one last time.

"Then let me show you what you are about to face."