Hokage's Office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, Danzō, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu—these four elders were once again gathered, their faces grim.
As Kiyosuke walked in, Sarutobi Hiruzen was the first to speak.
"Kiyosuke, we received a letter from Kumogakure."
"Oh? Are they declaring war? Looks like I'll have to take a little trip to Kumogakure," Kiyosuke replied casually.
Sarutobi's face darkened.
Can't you be serious for once?!
"No. Maybe war, maybe not," he said.
"Hmm? So are they fighting or not?" Kiyosuke asked, clearly annoyed.
So indecisive—not like that hotheaded Fourth Raikage at all.
"The Fourth Raikage has issued a challenge. He wants to duel you. If you win, there won't be a war. The peace treaty will continue," Danzō said. "Asakawa Kiyosuke, the village has raised you. Now it's time for you to give back to the village."
"Hah."
Kiyosuke let out a cold laugh.
"All they want is my head."
He felt a little disappointed. He'd expected the Fourth Raikage to come up with something bold—something earth-shaking. But this? It was such a predictable tactic. Disappointing.
Anyone with half a brain could tell this was a setup to kill Kiyosuke.
And yet... it was the best move.
Letting Kiyosuke fight the Fourth Raikage and win—this would not only prevent a war but also prove Konoha's strength to the world.
Prove to every country and every shinobi village that Konoha was far from weak. No one could bully them.
When Sarutobi Hiruzen received Kumogakure's proposal, he had secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, avoiding war was the best outcome for Konoha right now.
As for Kiyosuke... they had to believe he could defeat the Fourth Raikage.
Konoha had already deployed forces to the border of the Land of Fire to stand off against Kumogakure. There had been no fighting yet, but it had to be resolved soon. A prolonged standoff would be bad for both sides.
Even the daily supply consumption was starting to add up.
"Fine. I accept. Where's the battlefield?"
"At the border."
"No problem."
"We'll send some people to assist you," said Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Hiashi added,
"Kiyosuke-sama, this matter started because of our Hyūga clan. I'll accompany you as well."
"I appreciate the gesture, but I prefer to act alone," Kiyosuke replied. "Besides, I'm leaving Naruto in your care."
"If I don't come back, please raise him as one of your own."
Sarutobi and Danzō both frowned, clearly displeased by Kiyosuke's words.
But they didn't lash out. Not now. They still needed Kiyosuke's power.
Hiashi shook his head.
"Please don't say such things, Kiyosuke-sama. You will return in triumph. In the meantime, Naruto will be treated as if he were the young master of the Hyūga clan. He'll receive only the best."
"No need for all that. That kid's tough. He doesn't need pampering. A young master's life wouldn't suit him anyway."
"Well, no time to waste. I'll pack and head out."
With that, he turned and left the Hokage's Office.
The Hyūga brothers bid farewell to Sarutobi and the others before leaving as well.
...
Konoha's Front Gate
The Hyūga brothers brought Naruto and Hinata to see Kiyosuke off at the gate.
Naruto showed no signs of sadness. He waved cheerfully.
"Kiyosuke-san, hurry back, okay? And don't forget to bring me a souvenir! Ow—!"
He yelped as Kiyosuke flicked his forehead.
Holding his head, Naruto grumbled.
Kiyosuke said,
"Don't cause trouble at Hinata's house. Don't interrupt their training. Keep up your horse stance practice. I'll check your progress when I get back."
"Ugh... horse stance is exhausting."
"You can skip it if you want," Kiyosuke replied.
Then he turned to the Hyūga brothers.
"I'm counting on you to look after Naruto."
"Don't worry. We'll take good care of him."
"Wishing you victory and glory!!"
"Appreciate the kind words," Kiyosuke said with a wave, walking away from Konoha.
...
News that the Fourth Raikage would duel "Arsonist" Asakawa Kiyosuke spread quickly through the shinobi world.
Many forces were watching the impending battle with great interest.
Beneath the surface, chaos was brewing. Some even hoped both men would perish in the fight—that would be a devastating blow to both Konoha and Kumogakure.
Others dreamed of capitalizing on the chaos. After all, the bounties on the Fourth Raikage and Kiyosuke were astronomical.
Getting just one of their heads would be enough to live in luxury for the rest of their life—with a harem, no less.
And so, schemers and mercenaries began flocking toward the battlefield.
Kiyosuke moved swiftly.
In just a few days, he reached the border.
Konoha's forces had already set up camp there.
The one in charge of the Konoha ninja was an experienced elite jōnin named Myōkōin Shōgo. He quickly received Kiyosuke and updated him on the current situation.
It was mostly a standoff for now. Neither side had made a move.
The Fourth Raikage had already arrived and was simply waiting for Kiyosuke to show up.
Now that Kiyosuke was here, Shōgo finally felt at ease.
The Fourth Raikage's speed was second only to the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.
And with that insanely durable Lightning Release Armor, Konoha's attacks barely made a scratch.
Back in the day, the Third Raikage had fought alone for three days and nights to cover his comrades' retreat, ultimately dying from sheer exhaustion after battling ten thousand enemies.
That alone spoke volumes about the terrifying might of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
As the son of the Third Raikage, the Fourth likely wasn't any weaker.
Against someone like him, unless Konoha sent out another Kage-level fighter, no one could win.
But now that Kiyosuke was here, Shōgo felt a bit more confident.
"I remember Uchiha Shisui's stationed here, right?" Kiyosuke asked.
Since Kumogakure had been pressing at the border for a while now, skirmishes with Konoha were common.
Konoha regularly sent out ninja to fight on the front lines, and Shisui had made quite the name for himself here.
His nickname, "Shisui of the Body Flicker," had become increasingly well-known.
"That's right. I'll have someone call him for you."
"Good," Kiyosuke nodded.
Not long after, the young Shisui arrived.
"It's been a while, Kiyosuke-senpai."
"Yeah, it has. I'm going to duel the Fourth Raikage. You're coming with me."
"Me?" Shisui looked puzzled.
Kiyosuke explained,
"We need to be cautious. The Fourth Raikage might be planning an ambush. Kumogakure still has two jinchūriki, and that Eight-Tails one has excellent control over his beast."
"I'm not trying to get hit in the face with a Tailed Beast Bomb."
"You're our trump card. You're coming with me."
Better safe than sorry.
The Fourth Raikage might look like a reckless brute, but you don't become Raikage without brains.
He claimed it'd be a one-on-one duel, but Kiyosuke knew better.
Odds were, it would be him and his sworn brother Killer B.
Kiyosuke didn't know the exact plan, but based on the circumstances, that was the most likely scenario.
But whatever.
He had his own ace up his sleeve: a Mangekyō Sharingan that could control Tailed Beasts.
"What should I do?" Shisui asked.
"You'll see soon enough."
Kiyosuke gave him a mysterious smile.
And Shisui instantly had a bad feeling.
He just knew—this was going to be rough. Probably for a long time, too.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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