The man was tall and imposing, with bronzed skin that gleamed despite the biting cold. He wore only a thin white shirt, and the bulging muscles beneath were plain to see. His forearms were wrapped in thick metallic guards that radiated a dangerous aura.
The Fourth Raikage.
He had actually appeared on the battlefield at the Fire-Frost Frontline.
"Sakura, who is—?"
Sasuke, struggling to lift his head, tried to look forward, but Sakura had already handed him over to Shino.
"You guys go on ahead. I'll catch up later."
She patted Kiba's shoulder lightly, feigning a relaxed tone.
"Sakura, who is that guy?"
Kiba's expression turned grim as he saw the massive man slowly advancing toward them.
"Stop asking questions and get moving!"
Kiba was about to say more, but Shino grabbed his arm and pulled him away.
One carried the seriously injured Sasuke, and the other carried the unconscious Yugito Nii, retreating as quickly as they could.
But just then—!
A shadow pounced like a panther at Kiba!
Darui!
Sakura's eyes went cold. Snowflakes exploded beneath her feet as she shot forward like a beast, charging straight at Darui!
"Nani?!"
Only when facing Sakura head-on did one truly understand how terrifying this girl was. That unparalleled strength—one punch was all it took to blast Darui away!
He had come rushing in like a panther, and now he was sent flying just as fast!
Darui crashed down hard, staring at his greatsword, now dented with four little cat-faced fist imprints. He couldn't help but suck in a breath of icy air.
That kind of strength… it was no wonder she could take on the Two-Tails in hand-to-hand combat.
Had he not drawn his sword in time to block, that one punch might've shattered him completely!
"Boss, this girl's no joke."
Darui said, still shaken, his eyes on Sakura.
"If she weren't strong, Yugito wouldn't have lost."
The Fourth Raikage said coldly. "You go after those two kids. I'll kill this girl."
"OK."
With the Raikage here and Yugito captured, Darui didn't dare to be lazy anymore. He immediately chased after Kiba and Shino.
But this time, Sakura didn't intercept him. Instead, she quickly formed a hand seal.
"Summoning Jutsu: King Enma!"
Before the old monkey could even react, Sakura barked an order:
"Stop the dark-skinned one behind me."
King Enma's heart sank. He had barely returned to the Monkey Clan and was already being summoned again.
Another enemy?
Without hesitation, King Enma charged at Darui!
"Heh, not bad."
The Raikage's sharp eyes locked onto Sakura. And in the blink of an eye—he disappeared!
So fast!
Sakura's pupils shrank. Instinctively, she raised her arms to block!
Boom!
A crushing force slammed into her, sending her flying backward!
But before she could land, that massive figure appeared in her trajectory, fist already swinging!
But this time, Sakura was ready. Twisting her body midair, she planted a hand on the ground and launched herself upward, narrowly avoiding the Raikage's second blow!
And not only that—she stepped on the metal guard of the Raikage's arm mid-move and launched a counter kick toward his head!
For someone who once claimed to be the rival of Namikaze Minato, the Raikage's reflexes were incredibly fast. He ducked just in time to avoid the kick!
Sakura landed, immediately following with a roundhouse kick aimed at the Raikage's chest!
But—
Zzzzt… Crackle!
"Ha!"
Blue lightning arced across the Raikage's body as he let out a low growl. He stood his ground, unmoving, taking Sakura's kick head-on!
At the same time, his arms moved like lightning, trying to grab her into a crushing bear hug!
Sakura's foot was still on his chest when she realized it—she instantly pushed off and flipped back to gain distance.
"Strength like Tsunade's."
"Summoning like a Hokage."
"No doubt, you're truly the disciple of a Kage."
The Raikage looked at her standing firm in the snow, then patted the faint footprint on his chest.
"Heh. I'll take that as a compliment."
Sakura's gaze met the massive man's, a flicker of provocation in her eyes.
"For a village like Konoha, which has long used its resources to suppress other nations, it's unfair how many geniuses you've produced."
The Raikage stared at the girl, momentarily dazed. He was reminded of another once-in-a-generation genius—Namikaze Minato, the fleeting flower of the past.
No…
This girl was even more of a prodigy than Minato.
Minato hadn't defeated the Two-Tails at age twelve.
"Hold on."
"All that talk about Konoha using its advantages to suppress others only started four years ago."
"It hasn't always been that way."
"Don't twist the truth."
Sakura corrected him calmly.
"You're well-informed."
"But it won't save you from meeting the same end as Namikaze Minato."
The Raikage grinned fiercely, then suddenly lunged like a bolt of lightning!
Boom!
Snow exploded, air surged, and a powerful shockwave blew out in all directions!
Sakura raised one hand to block the Raikage's punch. Their fists collided—his dark-skinned, muscular fist against her fair, slender one. The contrast was stark.
"You think I don't know?"
"This is all part of my plan, idiot."
She smirked at the Raikage.
To him, that smirk was infuriating.
"What did you say?!"
The Raikage erupted in fury!
Because of the Land of Fire's new strategy, how many of his people in the Land of Lightning had gone cold and hungry?
Some had resorted to digging up grass roots and eating tree bark!
If it continued like this, even cannibalism wouldn't just be words from a history book!
"Heh… I said, this was all my plan."
Black markings spread across Sakura's forehead as her emerald eyes turned beastlike, like a tiger ready to strike.
"You bastard! You deserve to die!"
"Heavy Flow Explosion!!"
Electric light surged, arcs crackled through the air—the Raikage roared and charged, fists flying like a raging storm!
"Heh."
"Cloud Shinobi started this game. Why can't we play too?"
Sakura's mocking tone didn't waver as she engaged the Raikage in a brutal, fist-on-fist brawl between true warriors!
The tempo of their punches was blindingly fast—Sakura had to carefully control the flow of chakra with each strike, adjusting the output just right to stall the Raikage.
She needed to buy Kiba and Shino time to escape.
If the Raikage ignored her and went after them, it would be a disaster.
Even with her monstrous strength, speed techniques, and Heaven Seal enhancements, she was still just slightly slower than the Raikage in his Lightning Chakra Mode.
But that slight difference in speed?
It was enough to mean death for Sasuke and the others.
----
(End of Chapter)