Kakashi's seemingly small actions were anything but aimless—each subtle movement was a calculated probe, measuring just how overwhelming the Fourth Raikage's offensive capabilities truly were.
After all, there's always a difference between reading about something and standing right in front of it.
And now, firsthand experience confirmed what the manga only hinted at—the Fourth Raikage's speed and destructive power were monstrously real.
This was no longer a clash of personalities, but a true duel between two shinobi built on speed and the violent poetry of thunder-style combat.
"Hatake Kakashi," the Raikage growled, muscles rippling beneath his lightning armor. "Didn't expect a man your age to still have this kind of fight in him. Konoha is lucky."
"The Fourth Raikage flatters me," Kakashi replied calmly. "Yugito Nii, Killer Bee, Darui… Yunyin has its share of prodigies."
"No," A replied bluntly, eyes locked with Kakashi's. "None of them are like you. After Konoha lost its Yellow Flash, I didn't expect another shinobi would emerge who could threaten me with speed. You're something else. It's enough to make a man envious."
"Konoha's strength isn't mere luck," Kakashi replied, eyes narrowing.
"Hmph, just the lingering afterglow of past glory," A scoffed. "Konoha struts like it's still head of the Five Great Nations—but Yunyin rises. The strong lead now."
"Arrogant."
"Arrogance?" A's voice dropped. "You'll see. No matter how sharp your blade, today I'll take your life and your Sharingan."
"You're welcome to try."
Lightning cracked.
The Fourth Raikage charged forward, arm cocked. A meteor of raw power.
Kakashi reacted instantly, drawing Raikiri's precursor blade, White Fang's Fang, in a sweeping arc from his right hand.
Fist met blade.
No ordinary ninja would dare such a clash head-on, but the Raikage wasn't ordinary. Encased in Raiton no Yoroi—his unique Lightning Release armor—his power and durability surged to inhuman levels. The chakra blade barely slowed him.
In canon, A shattered Suigetsu's Executioner's Blade with one punch, and that was no trick of framing. Even factoring in its previous damage, the feat underscored one truth: the Raikage's strength was titanic.
Steel clashed with lightning-infused flesh. Sparks and chakra exploded in the air.
Kakashi gritted his teeth as his arm vibrated violently. What kind of brute force was this?
A didn't stop. Another fist came flying.
Kakashi's left hand sparked—Chidori!—an A-rank jutsu birthed of precise chakra control and deadly speed.
Raikage paused mid-swing, impressed. "That's an interesting lightning style!"
Lightning clashed with lightning.
The two forces met, the current screaming as it exploded outward.
A shockwave tore through the battlefield. Dirt flew. Trees bent.
Both men staggered back.
"Impressive jutsu," Raikage said, shaking his left hand. The direct clash with Chidori had cost him—it left tingling numbness, despite his armor. "A talent like yours… should've been born in Yunyin. Konoha doesn't deserve you."
Kakashi's left hand trembled. "Appreciated, but this was just the opening act."
They weren't equals in raw strength. That much was clear.
Had Kakashi hesitated in activating Chidori, his bones would've snapped under the blow. The Raikage's physicality, enhanced by his chakra armor, exceeded Kakashi's by a wide margin.
And yet, Kakashi didn't fall.
The Raikage charged again, his body a streak of blinding light.
A punch blitzed the space Kakashi had occupied.
Boom!
A crater opened in the ground.
Before the debris could settle, A launched another attack.
Another punch. Another dodge.
Kakashi's eyes tracked each motion, his Sharingan spinning.
But even with it, the Raikage's speed escalated.
"Hatake Kakashi," A barked. "Your Shunshin speed's impressive. But against me—cloaked in Lightning Release—it's insufficient!"
Kakashi didn't deny it.
His body flicker technique had long surpassed many in Konoha. He'd trained to the pinnacle of high-speed combat. But the Raikage was different.
Years of reinforcing his body with constant lightning release had made him a living weapon.
"I thought you'd push me at top speed," A said, tone dropping. "But you're still short. A few more years, and maybe you could've matched me. But you won't live to see them!"
Lightning cracked above.
The Raikage leapt into the air like a cannonball, his frame surrounded by a vortex of electric power.
Kakashi's breath caught. He recognized the stance—
"Raiton: Ōnami - Chōyo Mai!!"
A raised one arm, molding lightning into a blade-like edge.
The technique wasn't named in the manga, but its structure resembled the Liger Bomb or Guillotine Drop—an aerial, high-impact lightning-enhanced taijutsu finisher.
Kakashi knew he couldn't dodge.
So he didn't.
Hands blurred.
Lightning surged—quieter this time.
Not the roaring howl of Chidori, but the whisper before the storm.
A pale blue arc danced in his palm.
Two compressed spheres of lightning formed around him—eerie, silent, and deadly.
Hyuga Feiyu's Byakugan activated. His eyes widened. "Fall back! Everyone clear the area!"
Raikage's assistant, too, shouted. "Retreat! Don't stay here!"
Both sides paused instinctively and leapt back.
Even without understanding the jutsu, instinct screamed: danger.
The Fourth Raikage's eyes narrowed. He could feel it—this wasn't a clone or bluff.
That thunder in Kakashi's hand wasn't ordinary.
He dove anyway.
The battlefield froze.
The Raikage descended like a comet. "Chōyo Mai!!!"
Kakashi's Sharingan spun furiously, reading every line of movement.
Then—
"Raikiri!!!"
The upgraded version of Chidori burst forth from Kakashi's right hand, now wielded with killing intent.
They collided mid-air.
Blade met blade-hand. Lightning met lightning.
For a heartbeat, everything stopped.
A black sphere formed from the compressed chakra between them. Pressure built outward.
The ninja on the edge of the battlefield watched in awe.
Feiyu whispered, "Kakashi… he's keeping up with the Raikage?"
Even the Raikage's assistant seemed frozen. "He's… matching Lord A?"
Then—
BOOM!
An explosive shockwave expanded from the clash.
A storm of wind and energy ripped trees from their roots and hurled debris into the sky.
Shinobi shielded their faces, bracing.
When the winds settled, the results were clear.
Two bodies flew from the epicenter.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Both Kakashi and Raikage tumbled before skidding to a halt.
The Fourth Raikage came up to a knee. His right hand was blackened, scorched by direct contact with Raikiri.
Kakashi was on one knee too, his left arm supporting him, his right arm twitching violently—blood trailing down to his fingertips
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