"No!"
The Fourth Raikage instinctively reached out his hand and shouted unwillingly.
Hanekawa immediately snapped back to reality and looked at him, her eyes narrowing involuntarily.
"Lord Raikage! Take care!"
Mabui formed a hand seal with both hands and spoke resolutely.
Heavenly Transfer Technique!
But in the next second, a flash of light streaked by.
Hanekawa appeared in front of Mabui as if teleporting.
The moment he saw her standing with the Fourth Raikage, he had already anticipated the use of the Heavenly Transfer Technique.
Perhaps in the entire Konoha, only Hanekawa could react in time.
After all, Tsunade and the others were unaware of the technique's existence.
Demonic Illusion: Hell Sight Technique!
Hanekawa locked eyes with the shocked Mabui.
She was instantly caught in the genjutsu, freezing in place.
"Die!"
Seeing this, the Fourth Raikage flew into a rage.
Lightning Release: Lariat!
Fueled by his fury, he unleashed one of the secret techniques of Lightning Release Taijutsu.
Lightning flickered.
The Fourth Raikage charged at Hanekawa.
He raised his elbow, sharp like a blade, as if to cleave his enemy in two.
Hanekawa didn't dodge.
His chakra was nearly depleted—he was even overdrawing from his Yin Seal.
But he believed he would be fine.
"Get out of the way!"
An enraged Tsunade blocked the Fourth Raikage's path.
Superhuman Strength!
She clenched her fist and swung it forward.
At the same time, a cold flash streaked by.
Sakumo Hatake, wielding his white short sword, struck at the Fourth Raikage from the left.
"Aaaaah!"
In this dire moment, the chakra in the Fourth Raikage's body surged once more.
Strongest Lightning Release Armor!
His hair stood completely on end—his full-power state.
The Fourth Raikage transformed into a flash of lightning, narrowly dodging their combined attack.
"Hanekawa! Are you okay?!"
Tsunade turned to Hanekawa, noticing his pale face, and felt a sudden panic.
"Don't worry about me. Capture the Fourth Raikage first!"
Hanekawa shook his head and spoke quickly.
"Not a chance!"
Freed from the genjutsu, Mabui, Samui, and the others rushed forward.
The Heavenly Transfer Technique had been interrupted, and reactivating it would take time.
With the Fourth Raikage now in a life-or-death situation, Mabui and the others could only focus on rescuing him.
"Hanekawa!"
The Fourth Raikage glared at Hanekawa, his mere movement causing a blinding flash of lightning to streak through the air.
Kumogakure's crushing defeat had all stemmed from Hanekawa.
His hatred ran deep.
"Shisui!"
Hanekawa remained calm and clapped his hands together.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
With the newly acquired A-rank ability "Cat Catcher" combined with the B-rank ability "Fire Release Specialist Jōnin," his Fire Release power was boosted by 250%.
The moment the giant fireball emerged, scorching waves of heat spread in all directions.
The Fourth Raikage's heart tightened.
Sensing the danger, he knew he couldn't take it head-on.
A flash of lightning.
The Fourth Raikage instantly dodged to the left.
With a whoosh, Uchiha Shisui blocked his path.
After recovering for a while, though still exhausted, Shisui could now barely fight.
Mangekyō Sharingan!
Shisui's eyes pulsed, revealing their unique dark patterns.
The Fourth Raikage instinctively glanced at them—his vision spun, and he found himself in a pitch-black genjutsu space.
Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique!
Shisui formed a hand seal.
Inside the genjutsu, the Fourth Raikage suddenly found himself bound, enormous iron stakes descending from the sky to pin down his limbs.
He let out a painful cry, realizing he had been caught in an illusion.
With a surge of willpower, his muscles tensed, and lightning erupted across his entire body.
The genjutsu space cracked and shattered.
But the moment he opened his eyes—Tsunade and Hanekawa's fists were already in his face.
Superhuman Strength!
Master and disciple punched at the same time.
Despite the Strongest Lightning Release Armor's defense, he couldn't withstand their combined full-force strike.
The Fourth Raikage was sent flying, crashing into the ground with a loud boom.
The ground cracked, and debris scattered.
"Ugh!"
Struggling to rise, he coughed up a mouthful of charred blood.
"Lord Raikage!"
Mabui, Samui, and the others were in a panic.
"Sorry, I can't let you through."
Sakumo Hatake blocked their way.
The recovered Hizashi Hyūga and others also joined the fight.
"I won't go down that easily!"
The Fourth Raikage wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and stood up again.
Heavy Flow Strike!
His body flashed, focusing all his chakra into his elbow before smashing it toward Hanekawa.
Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique!
Hanekawa clenched his fists, and his arms turned to stone.
Their fists collided, producing a deep thud.
Cracks appeared on the stone covering Hanekawa's arms, but he successfully blocked the Fourth Raikage.
Superhuman Strength!
Tsunade stepped forward and landed a punch on the Fourth Raikage.
He was sent flying again, his Strongest Lightning Release Armor shattering, revealing an opening.
Uchiha Style: Flame Blade Leap!
Seeing the exposed gap, Uchiha Shisui drew his sword and slashed at it.
The blade trembled, and a fiery blade shot forward like an arrow.
Despite the searing pain, the Fourth Raikage gathered his Lightning Release chakra.
Lightning Oppression Horizontal!
With a swift hand chop, he severed the fire blade in half.
Lightning Taijutsu: Suto Lida!
The Fourth Raikage's body vanished from sight and reappeared behind Hanekawa in an instant.
Suto Lida was one of the Fourth Raikage's fastest taijutsu techniques.
He had even used it against Minato Namikaze in the original story.
If not for the Flying Thunder God Technique, Minato would have struggled to evade it.
But Hanekawa could.
Like the Fourth Raikage, he had learned Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
Not that he needed to use it—he simply had the reflexes to react.
Water Release: Water Body Flicker Technique!
Hanekawa clapped his hands together, and his body turned into a puddle of water.
The Fourth Raikage's punch struck empty air. Without hesitation, he stomped down on the water.
Lightning Dominates Water.
Even if Hanekawa survived, he would be paralyzed.
But in the next second, a pair of crimson eyes suddenly appeared before him.
The Fourth Raikage's body stiffened—he had fallen into a genjutsu.
Heavenly Leg of Pain!
Tsunade leaped into the air and delivered a crushing kick to the Fourth Raikage.
A terrifying impact rang out.
The Strongest Lightning Release Armor finally shattered.
His body was sent crashing into the ground like a cannonball.
Boom!
It was as if a bomb had gone off, leaving a several-meter-wide crater.
"Cough… cough…"
The Fourth Raikage wasn't dead yet. He struggled to his feet, feeling as if his entire body had been shattered.
Every cough brought up thick, dark blood.
"It's over, Raikage."
Tsunade walked forward slowly.
The Fourth Raikage tried to move, but she knocked him down with a single punch.
He had reached his limit.
No matter how strong he was, he couldn't defeat Hanekawa, Tsunade, and Uchiha Shisui combined.
"All Kumo shinobi, stand down!"
Tsunade's voice roared across the battlefield.
"If anyone moves, I'll kill the Raikage!"
Her words sent shockwaves through the Kumo shinobi.
They wore expressions of disbelief.
The invincible Fourth Raikage had fallen!
After a few stunned seconds, the remaining Kumo ninja dropped their weapons in surrender.
Mabui instinctively stepped back, feeling dizzy.
This outcome was worse than her worst fears.
She had at least hoped to escape with the Fourth Raikage—but Hanekawa had disrupted her Heavenly Transfer Technique.
Now that the Raikage had been captured, Kumo's entire leadership had been wiped out.
Even though thousands of Kumo shinobi remained in the Land of Frost, it wouldn't make a difference.
"H-How did it come to this…?"
Samui's lips parted, but she had no words.
She instinctively looked at Hanekawa.
Everything had started with him.
But thinking deeper, the real cause was Kumo itself.
If they had never sent Hanekawa to Konoha in the first place, would things have turned out differently?
But there were no "ifs."
"We won!"
Suddenly, Hizashi Hyūga shouted in excitement.
His words sparked a chain reaction.
The surviving Konoha shinobi erupted in cheers.
Hanekawa exhaled in relief, but exhaustion immediately followed.
His legs gave out, and he fell backward.
Thump.
He felt himself land on something incredibly soft—cushioned by a pair of warm, ample pillows.
"Hanekawa!"
Tsunade caught him from behind, suppressing the panic in her heart.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Just completely drained of chakra."
Right now, Hanekawa just wanted to rest in her embrace.
Hearing this, Tsunade quickly placed a hand on his forehead.
Her chakra flowed through his body, checking for injuries.
She finally sighed in relief.
No external or internal wounds.
It was a miracle.
After fighting the Two-Tails, the Eight-Tails, and the Fourth Raikage, he was completely unharmed.
Just then, the sound of rushing wind filled the air.
A group of Konoha shinobi descended from above.
It was Orochimaru, Danzo Shimura, and others—hastily arriving from Konoha's main base.
"What is going on?!"
Danzo scanned the battlefield, his voice cracking with shock.
Had he seen a ghost?
The Fourth Raikage, Yugito Nii, and Killer Bee— all lying on the ground?!
Even Orochimaru, usually calm, looked shaken, his expression filled with disbelief.
How… how was this possible?!