At the main gate of Hidden Cloud Village, the Raikage stood with his back to the gate, four fingers pressed together, chakra erupting from between his fingers like blades. This was the Raikage's secret jutsu, the Lariat Hell Stab of Four Fingers.
Across from him was Naruto, clad in an Akatsuki uniform, holding a "Life-and-Death Orb," the orb swaying left and right, slowly having its life force drawn from it.
He had to drain it. Others couldn't withstand this orb, but the Raikage, with his armor, shouldn't die. And if he didn't die... wouldn't that just be healing him?
"This move... it seems similar to Chidori." Sasuke's Sharingan tightly followed the Raikage's lightning-flashing hand as he spoke.
As soon as Sasuke opened his mouth, Kakashi seemed to awaken a natural instinct, instinctively explaining, "Although I haven't seen it, based on rumors, its power should be above Chidori.
It's a ninjutsu that the Raikage lineage has refined for many years. Four fingers is the lowest power, one finger the highest. It's said to pierce through anything, known as the strongest spear, and the armor on the Raikage's body is its corresponding strongest shield…"
"Spear and shield, huh…" Sasuke murmured to himself, recalling a story about a spear and shield that Naruto told him when they were children. He then counter-asked, "What happens when the spear strikes the shield?"
Kakashi's dead-fish eyes rolled. This kind of brain-damaged thinking could definitely not belong to Sasuke. He looked at the blond hair in the distance and said, "He told you?"
"Mm."
Kakashi thought, Sure enough. But seeing the orb in Naruto's hand, and recalling Sasuke's question, his intelligence, comparable to Shikamaru's, immediately thought of a possibility… No way…
But time waited for no one. The two combatants were already ready to attack. "Here they come!"
Both started almost simultaneously, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. The Raikage extended his arm, four fingers like bayonets, directly stabbing towards Naruto's head. And Naruto…
He predicted the move, then slightly bent his body, slamming the Rasengan in his hand into the Raikage's elbow.
"Puff…"
A muffled thud. A few strands of blond hair floated in the air.
Kakashi was dumbfounded. This brain-damaged thought… was it actually feasible?!
Sasuke's expression remained unchanged. Hmm, next time I use Chidori in a fight, I'll remember to dodge this move…
Naruto touched the small missing patch of hair above his ear. That was close. I almost became a one-eared man.
Behind him stood the motionless Raikage.
The Raikage's four fingers on his left hand were embedded in the right side of his chest. His formidable physique allowed him to suppress the pain and the blood in his throat. "So that's how Dad got his scar back then…"
The scar on the Third Raikage's chest had plagued him for years. Now it was finally explained, but at what cost…
Removing his Lightning Release Armor, the Raikage's hand erupted with even more powerful lightning. Current surged, and wafts of cooked meat filled the air. With a forceful "splurt," he pulled his hand back, picked up Naruto's torn shirt, and tied it around his chest, covering the wound.
Looking at the white light that once again soared into the sky, engulfing the meteorites, the Raikage grinned broadly, licked the blood from his hand, and then reactivated his Lightning Release Armor, instantly rushing in front of Naruto and throwing a punch.
Even severely wounded, the Raikage showed no signs of retreat, because a Kage could only die in battle!
And when a person disregards life and death, he will…
"Bang…" Naruto was sent flying a dozen meters by a punch.
He had forgotten fear.
"Did it hit?" Through his Sharingan, Kakashi could see that Naruto's blocking movement just now wasn't precognition, but purely based on reaction speed.
"It hit!!!"
Inside the main gate of Hidden Cloud, the belated Cloud Ninjas erupted in cheers. After fighting for so long, they finally landed a direct hit.
In the crowd, Dodai's face was grim. He pulled a Cloud Ninja aside, pointed to the left, and instructed, "Go in that direction and find Lord Bee and Darui. Tell them the Raikage needs them."
After speaking, he walked out of the crowd and towards the two combatants.
"Are you trying to die?!" Naruto demanded, shaking his aching arm.
Even without seeing him, he could estimate the Raikage's injuries based on the angle of the punch. Although the Four-Finger Lariat's damage couldn't compare to the One-Finger Lariat that wounded the Third Raikage, that position would mean at least two broken ribs, plus a punctured lung. With such injuries, even if the Raikage's body was strong, he would die.
After all, he wasn't a Senju or an Uzumaki.
"Less nonsense! Come and die!"
The Raikage was about to strike when Dodai suddenly jumped out. "Wait!"
He continued, looking at Naruto, "If you want my eyes, I can give them to you…"
"Impossible! Our Hidden Cloud Village never compromises." Before he could finish, the Raikage interrupted him. "Dodai, stand down!"
"But your…"
The Raikage, in a voice much lower than usual, said solemnly, "I told you to get out!"
Having dismissed Dodai, the Raikage once again gathered his momentum, preparing to attack. Across from him, Naruto's thoughts stirred. He opened a portal near Sasuke, tore off his shredded sleeve, and threw it to the ground. "Bring it on! Who's afraid of who!"
If you're not afraid of death, neither am I! I'm someone who's already died once, damn it!
The two charged again.
"Bang!"
A fist wreathed in green wind met a large, lightning-charged fist. The Raikage took a step back, while Naruto was sent flying, sliding several meters on the ground. He got up, shaking his right hand, which was numb from the electricity. "Bah, again!"
Since he couldn't dodge, he'd go head-to-head. Let's see who falls first!
Kakashi rubbed his forehead. Here you go again. Can't you just defend from the side and stall until he collapses? Do you have to go all out?
"Let's go." Seeing the portal, the clone called out to Sasuke.
The Raikage's injury wouldn't be hidden for long; he might collapse at any moment. When that happened, the Hidden Cloud would surely riot. While the main body had fear perception and could fight, Sasuke might not. Although the Hidden Cloud might not be able to catch him, it was better to avoid trouble, so it was best to send him away first.
"Don't you need help?" Sasuke asked in return.
"No need."
"Oh." Sasuke placed his hand on the clone's shoulder. Since he said no need, then there truly was no need.
"Kakashi-sensei, are you leaving?"
"No." Kakashi replied. He can leave, but can I? If I leave, won't you jot it down in your little notebook?
"Then take care." The clone gave him a "good luck" look, then activated the teleportation with Sasuke. "Go find Karin when you get back. She might be needed later."
"Oh."
"Bang!"
Thrown back once more, Naruto, still in the air, threw a dragon bed at the Raikage, aiming to obscure his vision and…
Shattering the dragon bed, the Raikage used the flying quilt to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. He chuckled faintly. "You're not bad, brat."
Naruto, meanwhile, had already landed and slid for over five meters.
After all, with a lung injury, even if the Lightning Release seared the tissue to prevent massive hemorrhage, the insufficient oxygen supply significantly weakened the Raikage's attacks compared to before.
Wiping the contused blood from the corner of his mouth, Naruto felt he might be bleeding from his gums again, but that wasn't important.
Looking at the man before him, who was wounded by the paradox, he said, "You talk too much. Keep going!"
If you want to fight honorably, I'll give you the chance. But don't talk. Use that energy to throw a few more punches. I'm having a blast.
"Then come!"
"Bang!"
On the other side, on a cannon platform more than a dozen times thicker than a 381 main cannon, almost as thick as a person, Killer B gripped the controls, panting heavily.
"No… more?" Seeing no more mountains falling from the sky, a Cloud Ninja with tubes wrapped around him gasped violently, speaking in broken sentences.
Beside him were hundreds of similar Cloud Ninjas, all charging the Chakra Cannon.
"Looks like it's gone…"
"It's gone!!"
The scene erupted in cheers.
Suddenly, a Cloud Ninja seemed to sense something and said incredulously, "Lord Raikage's… chakra signature seems to be weakening…"
"Nani!!" Killer B jumped off the cannon platform, grabbing the Cloud Ninja. "Really?"
"Lord Bee, Senior Dodai sent me to find you. He said the Raikage has something for you…"
"I'll just…"
Just then, black dots appeared in the sky again. This time there were eight of them…
On the other side, a wicked smile curled on Naruto's lips.
Sometimes, if you don't try hard enough, you won't know what despair truly feels like.
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