Whoosh—
A sharp slicing sound tore through the air, followed by crackling thunder, coming from the north.
Soaring high into the air, A, the Third Raikage, wrapped himself in a raging aura of Lightning Release Chakra Mode, and then slammed down toward the area just ten meters ahead of the Konoha group!
Judging from his terrifying momentum, it was clear he intended to shatter the ground into deep cracks, meant to strike fear into everyone present.
However…
The wooden ground conjured through Sage Art: Wood Release had grown to a thickness of dozens of meters. Its defensive strength and resilience far exceeded that of ordinary ground.
The Third Raikage hadn't intended to launch an actual attack or burrow underground—he was just aiming for a powerful, intimidating entrance.
With insufficient power…
THWACK!
Legs spread shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent to absorb impact, the Third Raikage's form flipped like a frog midair, bouncing upward and tracing an arc.
When he landed again, he was already dozens of meters away.
Complete silence blanketed the scene.
The Konoha shinobi could barely suppress the urge to dig their toes into the ground out of embarrassment, while the back of the Third Raikage faced them, leaving him uncertain whether he should turn around or not.
Damn it!
Who the hell made this ground like this? Is wood free here or something?
Wait... wood from Konoha *is* damn free!
"Man, who knew solid wood could bounce so hard?! Sent the Third flying and left everyone speechless! Oh yeah! Lucky it wasn't hollow underneath—nothing hiding beneath got crushed! Yeyeyey~!"
B's odd tone rang out.
Thud!
"Get serious!" shouted Little A, the future Fourth Raikage, punching B on the head, his temple twitching with rage.
If his old man, the Third Raikage, lost face, that meant Kumogakure lost face too!
This idiot B still had the heart to rap here!
Shoo~
Another sharp slicing sound tore through the air from the distance.
Using Earth Release: Ultralight-Weight Rock Technique to maintain flight, Onoki wore a grim expression as he plummeted from the sky directly toward the spot where the Third Raikage had first landed.
Not keeping up with A, the Raikage of Kumogakure was one thing!
But now he couldn't even surpass the younger generation of Kumogakure?!
But!
Didn't the Third Raikage just get bounced backward?
A muscle-headed brute with nothing but brawn in his skull!
Let me show you how it's done!
"System, bestow [Hard Landing] upon Onoki."
Kei Yamanaka observed the earth-element chakra gathering beneath Onoki's feet, his expression darkening.
Well then.
The unscathed Third Raikage wanting to show off first with sheer intimidation in front of Konoha was understandable enough.
You're already getting cocky again so soon?
A gray light flickered and vanished within Onoki's body—visible only to Kei Yamanaka.
The next second—
BOOM—CRACK—THUD—
With unstoppable momentum, Onoki slammed down, hitting the ground with a deafening crash. A sickening crack rang out from his waist—his bones clearly dislocating.
Before the old man could even process what happened…
[Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique] forced him to his knees, his hands slamming into the ground as he knelt before the Konoha delegation.
"..."
An unbearable silence settled in—one far worse than mere quietness.
"?Plum blossoms bloom twice, and misfortune always comes in twos!? Two Threes..."
WHACK!
"Shut up!"
A glared furiously and slapped B hard on the back of the head.
Making fun of Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, was one thing—but were they seriously going after their own Raikage next?
"Tsuchikage sure knows how to kiss ass."
Seeing someone else now in an even more awkward position, A wasted no time turning around to throw some mockery.
That bastard of an old man! It had been a deal clearly beneficial for both Iwagakure and Kumogakure, yet the old man hesitated endlessly, hoping Cloud would take the first step while he simply observed!
Serves him right for ending up like this!
"I retired a long time ago! If you want to make fun, go pick on Kitsuchi!"
Onoki winced in pain, sweat dripping down his face, but shot back at the Raikage with no restraint.
That previous Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi, hadn't even officially stepped down and already started acting like a coward—claiming full cooperation, only to leave him seeing stars!
He's just a retired geezer now.
What did the Third Raikage's insults have to do with him?!
Let Kitsuchi deal with it!
After all, *he* was the one who wanted to become Tsuchikage—not something forced upon him by Onoki!
"Eh?! Old man! You..."
Kitsuchi, the Fourth Tsuchikage, finally rushed in late, hurrying toward his father to help him up.
"Don't touch me! My back—it's broken!"
Onoki urgently stopped his son mid-motion.
Years of back pain had taught him that sudden movement would only make it worse!
"Was looking forward to fighting you... but you show up like this. Kinda ruins the mood for a spar."
Tsunade stayed silent for a moment, her frown deepening with irritation.
Stepping forward toward Onoki.
Peering past the Fourth Tsuchikage's signature hat, Kitsuchi offered her an awkward, sheepish grin, then squatted slightly, palm glowing with Medical Ninjutsu light, before firmly placing it on Onoki's lower back.
POP!
The displaced spine quickly shifted back into place.
The surrounding muscle damage quickly healed thanks to the Mystical Palm Technique.
"Just a minor slip-up earlier! Once we finish official business, feel free to challenge me anytime, Lady Tsunade."
Feeling the pain in his back lessen quickly, Onoki's expression began to relax.
But seeing the deep knee-shaped dents carved into the floor, he couldn't help but wish he could vanish straight back to Iwagakure.
Damn it, why now!
All those decades of reputation...
"It's just a minor bone fracture. I can heal you enough to move around for now, but your body's too fragile for heavy treatment. Take it easy for another half month before trying anything reckless."
Tsunade stood upright again, the glow from her medical chakra fading from her palm.
She could fully heal him without risking his lifespan—but why should she?
The only reason she healed him was out of respect for Tsuchi's genuine wish to merge the villages.
"Does the Hokage want to spar too? That suits me just fine."
Raikage A cast a subtle glance from the corner of his eye toward Yamanaka Kei, who had remained silent all along.
He fully understood the legendary Wood Release was an insurmountable challenge.
This was hands down the strongest opponent they'd ever faced!
But rumor has it that the current Fourth Hokage, Tsunade, and Kei are very close. If he defeated Tsunade and used her as leverage, then Iwagakure wouldn't sit still either!
Onoki wasn't the kind to back down!
Four-Tails, Five-Tails, Eight-Tails, Onoki, Tsuchi, and even his own son!
If there was even a chance of bringing Konoha down together, today might just be the day they finally beat those with the Wood Release!
As for the possibility of failure...
Cloud ninja have always believed in strength alone!
The strong were meant to call the shots!
As Raikage A, how could he possibly send his men to die knowing victory was impossible?
As for Mist...
Mist's leadership—if just one of them had been sane, he wouldn't be gambling everything on this final move!
"Only you?"
Tsunade's eyes gleamed slightly at those words.
She barely survived that bite—nearly died on the spot—finally gaining such strength, yet before she could even enjoy the perks of her new power, she got beaten to a pulp by her grandfather's wooden giant.
And he even said something like, "Since you can't die anyway, consider it body training!"
Like hell!
Now she just wanted to punch someone!
"My men have always respected Konoha ninja."
Raikage A frowned slightly, unsure why Tsunade seemed somewhat excited, but still gave a signal to Killer B and others beside him.
"The Eight-Tails is mine!"
Kushina tightened her fists until her knuckles cracked, her eyes locked onto Killer B with excitement.
This was her first time meeting Jinchuriki from another village!
How could she possibly let this opportunity slip away!
"Youth...!"
"Ah… This is…"
Might Lord was about to launch into one of his passionate speeches when he saw Fugaku Uchiha charging ahead. He immediately cut himself off and yanked Fugaku back.
"Lord Hokage and Kei-sama didn't just heal my body—they gave me back my youth! Director Fugaku Uchiha, this kind of gratitude that cannot be repaid…"
"The Uchiha Clan has always received kindness from Lord Hokage and Kei-sama. As clan head, I've always sincerely wished to repay both of them…"
They locked eyes—Sharingan meeting Sharingan—each talking past the other, trying to get the other to step down.
"I've always wanted to experience the power of the Uchiha Sharingan firsthand. May I ask if Lord Hokage objects?"
Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki from Iwagakure, stepped forward, surprisingly challenging Fugaku Uchiha directly under the shocked gazes of Tsuchi and Onoki.
Fugaku Uchiha instinctively turned his gaze toward Kushina beside him.
Earlier, when mentioning the Four-Tails, Five-Tails, and Eight-Tails, Kei-sama had even personally called out his own girlfriend.
Ugh...
"Here, take it. Take it."
Kushina waved a hand dismissively, passing Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, over to them.
"In that case, thank you very much, Lady Kushina."
The corners of Fugaku Uchiha's mouth curled upward as he pondered whether to gift Kushina a couple of shops later. He'd heard she had a thing for collecting rent!
"Are there any others from your Iwagakure village who'd like to spar?"
Tsunade turned to Onoki and Kitsuchi, gesturing toward Kei Yamanaka who stood beside her.
"I readily admit defeat against Kei-san's strength. The old man is getting on in years and isn't suited for fighting anymore. Han has never been one for violence. How about we go into the building and sit down for a chat instead?"
Kitsuchi swiftly slung an arm around his aging father while discreetly poking Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, with his hip, worried they might pull a Roshi and turn on them!
"Waist—my waist!"
Onoki quickly tried to stop Kitsuchi from squeezing harder as he felt his son-in-law's arm tightening around him.
Those Cloud ninja were far away from Sunagakure, unaware that Konoha had already brought back the First, Second Hokage, and Madara Uchiha through the Impure World Reincarnation technique. He knew all about it!
Did they really think he was like Roshi, with magma for brains?
That damn brat got what was coming to him today!
"Hmph! This is my personal matter, unrelated to the village."
Roshi noticed the murderous look in Onoki's eyes, as if he wanted to rip him apart. With a cold snort, he fixed his gaze firmly onto Fugaku Uchiha.
"Come on, come on! Everyone, let's go have some tea together!"
Kei Yamanaka waved at Murakumo Kurama and Hizashi Hyuga trailing behind the group before leading the way into the building.
"Hokage, watch out!"
A, the Third Raikage, long since having lost his patience, saw Kei Yamanaka leading the Tsuchikage and others away. His eyes narrowed as Lightning Release Chakra Mode surged around him, transforming into a streak of lightning charging straight toward Tsunade!
[Hell Stab Four-Finger Spear Hand]!
Boom!
Tsunade blocked the attack from A, the Third Raikage, her feet dragging across the ground leaving tracks more than ten meters long before finally stopping her backward motion.
She glanced at the small patch of torn skin on her right knuckles.
Rather than panic, she felt exhilaration!
[Sage Art: Yin Seal - Sage Mode, activate!]
"Magical Girl Transformation!"
Hearing Kushina shout the same 'technique name' simultaneously, Tsunade's eye twitched continuously.
Damn it!
If she'd known earlier, she wouldn't have yelled it out either!
Had her little sister picked up that stupid habit from that bastard Kei?
They were in the middle of a fight, alright?
Using those ridiculous-sounding techniques was seriously killing the momentum!
And you're twenty, for crying out loud!
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