The Cloud Ninja Village, renowned for its martial traditions, had always valued strength above all. As the Third Raikage, A—the mightiest in their history—embodied this ideal perfectly. Known for his indomitable will and unmatched strength, he was a warrior who always charged at the frontlines during each Great Ninja War.
This war against Konoha was no different.
Upon receiving intel that Konoha had established a forward camp near the Fire Country border, the Third Raikage didn't hesitate. He mobilized his elite Cloud Ninja unit and led the charge personally.
"All of you Konoha ninjas… prepare to die!" the Third Raikage roared.
Lightning surged violently across his massive frame as he activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, a technique that cloaked him in high-frequency chakra, exponentially boosting his speed, reflexes, and defense. His skin glowed with bluish-white arcs of lightning—he was now a walking weapon.
"Hell Stab: One-Fingered Piercing..."
In a flash, he launched himself into the heart of Konoha's defensive line. The ground cracked beneath him as he moved—barely visible to the naked eye.
"BOOM!"
He struck with a devastating vertical chop. The shockwave and lightning impact obliterated the terrain and sent Konoha shinobi flying like broken dolls. Screams echoed as a dozen were incapacitated in a single blow.
"He's too fast—!"
"That's the Lightning Chakra Mode! Normal attacks can't get through!"
"Push back! Hold the line! Don't let them breach the camp!"
But it was no use. The Third Raikage was an unstoppable force. With every elbow thrust and shoulder charge, he cut down swathes of resistance. His signature technique, Hell Stab, had once pierced through the shell of a tailed beast. Against ordinary ninja, it was slaughter.
"Lord Raikage is overwhelming them—charge!!"
Emboldened by their leader, the Cloud Ninjas surged forward. Konoha's outer camp was beginning to collapse under the sheer might of the assault.
Amidst the chaos, Yamanaka Inoichi, Konoha's lead sensory ninja, issued commands to coordinate reinforcements from nearby platoons.
"Hold fast! I've already sent a signal to Lord Byakuya! He'll be here soon!"
He focused his chakra to maintain the Mind Body Transmission Technique, linking distant units across the battlefield. But in doing so, he caught the attention of the worst possible enemy.
"You're a sensor ninja… then you die first!" the Raikage bellowed.
Without warning, the Raikage charged straight at Inoichi.
"HAIYI!"
"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"
Akimichi Chōza threw himself between them, enlarging his right arm in an instant and swinging it like a battering ram. The Raikage met it head-on with a chakra-enhanced strike.
"Lariat!"
A collision of raw power and chakra erupted.
BANG!
Chōza was sent hurtling backward, crashing through supply crates and earthen barriers, groaning in pain.
"Choza!!" Nara Shikaku shouted, already weaving seals.
"Shadow Imitation Technique!"
He released his clan's secret technique, and his shadow darted toward the rampaging Raikage. But even Shikaku's tactical genius and refined chakra control couldn't keep up.
"Too fast... I can't catch him—!"
Soon, the Third Raikage charged toward Yamanaka Inoichi, his fist cloaked in crackling Raiton chakra. The sheer pressure distorted the air around it—a testament to the destructive force of his Nintaijutsu.
Had that punch connected, Inoichi, despite being a skilled sensor and tactician, would've been fatally wounded—if not instantly killed.
But just as the blow was about to land, a black shadow flashed in front of him.
"Boom!"
The impact created a shockwave that cracked the ground and blasted up a storm of dust and debris.
As the smoke began to settle, a single figure stood firm amidst the crater—his white cloak fluttering gently.
Byakuya Uchiha.
He had blocked the Raikage's punch with a single arm, his Mangekyō Sharingan spinning calmly.
"You... actually blocked my punch?" the Third Raikage muttered, eyes narrowing. He quickly leapt back, instinct warning him that this was no ordinary opponent.
"Lord Byakuya!?" Inoichi gasped, clutching his chest, his mind racing from how close to death he had been.
"Thank you… you saved my life…"
Byakuya didn't turn around.
"Fall back. This one's mine," he said coolly.
Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Chōza, and Inoichi exchanged glances. They knew there was no place for them in a battle between monsters.
"Yes, Lord Byakuya!" they acknowledged, retreating with the other Konoha shinobi.
The Raikage's sharp gaze locked onto Byakuya. "So you're Uchiha Byakuya? Konoha really has nothing left, sending a child to fight a Kage."
Byakuya didn't flinch.
"Who let this barking mutt out of its cage?" he said dryly.
"What!?" the Third Raikage's face twitched with rage.
"You've got lightning in your fists, but not a shred of sense in your head," Byakuya said, brushing dust off his sleeve. "Mad dogs like you should stay on a leash."
"You arrogant little bastard!!" the Raikage roared, his entire body cloaked in Raiton no Yoroi, lightning surging more violently than before. "I'll break every bone in your body!"
"Good," Byakuya said, eyes glowing scarlet. "Then I won't have to hold back."
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