The duel between the Fourth Raikage and Kiyosuke was set in a dense forest.
Towering ancient trees filled the area, many of them so wide it would take a dozen people to wrap their arms around the trunks. The shinobi from Konoha and Kumogakure stood watch outside the forest, eyes locked on one another with wary tension.
Kiyosuke sat calmly on the grass, eyes closed as he rested. From the direction of Kumogakure, he could hear shouts of:
"Raikage-sama!"
"Raikage-sama will definitely win!"
He opened his eyes and saw a towering man approaching, surrounded by a crowd from Kumogakure.
The man wore the Raikage's hat, had a tall, muscular frame, and wore a white cloak left open to reveal chest muscles like slabs of iron and a sharply defined eight-pack.
He looked fierce, with two thin mustaches above his lips, adding a touch of humor to his savage face. But no one would dare laugh—everyone knew just how terrifying this man was.
The Fourth Raikage, A!
A man whose short-range speed could rival Namikaze Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique. In their past battle, he had lost by just a hair, and since then, he had acknowledged Minato as a worthy rival.
When Minato died, the Raikage had mourned him for a few minutes. Without a rival, he felt a strange loneliness.
But he was also relieved. Minato, with his overwhelming mobility, had been a massive threat to Kumogakure. His death brought great advantage to the village—at least in terms of speed, there was now no one in the shinobi world who could match him.
Not even that Uchiha brat, known for his "Body Flicker."
As long as he could kill Asakawa Kiyosuke today, it would be a tremendous victory for Kumogakure. Killing this kid—who wasn't even twenty—would deal a heavy blow to Konoha. With that, they wouldn't even need a war; they could renegotiate a peace treaty and demand reparations from the now-crippled village.
He could tell—Konoha was relying entirely on Kiyosuke.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was already past his prime. Though more cunning than ever, he was cautious and no longer had the strength to take risks.
Of course, a price had to be paid to avoid war, but that was exactly what he intended. As long as he killed this brat, it would all work out.
"So you're Asakawa Kiyosuke?" the Fourth Raikage boomed, his voice thunderous as he scrutinized him.
Kiyosuke picked at his ear.
"Why are you yelling so loud? Can't you speak at a normal volume? Yeah, I'm him."
"Hmph! Arrogant! You'll fall by my hand!"
"Who wins and who loses isn't decided yet. Hey, where's that little brother of yours? I figured the two of you would team up to take me down."
"Just me is more than enough to handle you." The Raikage snorted. "The rules are simple—whoever drops first, loses."
"Fine by me."
Kiyosuke patted the dirt off his pants and stood up. He turned to Myōkōin Shōgo behind him and said:
"I'm leaving the rest to you. Stay alert."
"Yes."
Kiyosuke nodded, then followed the Fourth Raikage—who had now removed his hat—deeper into the forest.
They came upon a clearing.
Kiyosuke glanced around and said:
"This spot isn't bad."
"It's perfect... for your grave!"
The Raikage's body suddenly flared with lightning, his hair standing on end as he instantly entered Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
This form gave him explosive speed and extreme defensive power, making him nearly untouchable—able to attack and defend with unmatched balance.
Dominating the shinobi world was no challenge for him.
Seeing the Raikage's Lightning Cloak, Kiyosuke's body ignited with flames. The fire quickly sank into his skin, converting into internal heat.
The control he had once lacked—he now wielded perfectly.
The flames circulated as internal energy, boosting his strength and speed significantly.
However, in this state, he could no longer enter elemental form. If he tried, the energy inside him would have no outlet, disrupting the process and possibly harming him.
"Die!"
The Raikage vanished in an instant, reappearing behind Kiyosuke. His arm, as thick as Kiyosuke's thigh, came crashing down.
Kiyosuke reacted quickly, raising his arm and catching the strike with his enhanced strength. He grabbed the Raikage's arm and hurled him over his shoulder, slamming him into the ground.
The Raikage caught himself with one hand and regained his balance. His leg lashed out like a steel whip, aiming for Kiyosuke with deadly force—one solid hit would mean instant death.
Kiyosuke leaned back, narrowly dodging, and exhaled a wave of fire from his mouth.
But simple flames posed no threat to the Raikage. He charged through them and threw a punch.
Muscles tensed, lightning surged, and cellular activity intensified—his blow became unimaginably destructive.
Kiyosuke turned and met the strike with his own punch.
Boom!
The fists collided—flame and lightning entangled, clashing fiercely. Neither side yielded.
The next instant, a shockwave erupted from the impact, blasting both fighters backward.
They stumbled a few steps, regaining their footing.
Kiyosuke clenched his tingling fist.
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode really is a pain... There doesn't seem to be a clean way to beat it besides wearing you down."
"If you think you can do it, bring it on!" the Raikage roared.
"Then I'll give it a shot!"
Kiyosuke lowered his stance and spread his arms. All the heat energy in his body surged toward his right leg.
"...Huh?"
The Raikage sensed danger and moved to strike, but Kiyosuke had already leapt into the air—his leg raised high.
The Raikage swung his fist at the incoming kick.
BOOM!
A devastating explosion tore through the clearing. The heat stored in Kiyosuke's leg was unleashed in full, colliding with the Raikage's strike and triggering a massive blast. Flames surged outward, consuming trees in every direction.
The Raikage tumbled out of the blast zone, barely stabilizing himself.
He stared at the center of the explosion in shock.
"This lunatic actually used a move like that!"
Who would've thought such a simple-looking kick held that kind of destructive power?
He hadn't expected it at all. And now, more than ever, he knew—Kiyosuke had to die. If he lived, he would become a grave threat.
Kiyosuke's body slowly reformed.
After channeling all his heat into the kick, he could elementalize again. Though his body had detonated in the attack, it reassembled without issue.
He looked toward the Raikage and clicked his tongue.
As expected, Lightning Release Chakra Mode's defense was insane.
It might even rival Susanoo.
Then again, in some ways, it was probably more practical.