"Reinforcements are coming?"
In the midst of the chaos, the Raikage thought to himself, relieved that they had already obtained two pairs of Rinnegan. It was time to retreat, though it was unfortunate that Yugito couldn't be rescued.
"Bee, retreat!" the Raikage shouted.
"You think you can run?" Hidan yelled as he charged forward with his scythe. However, he didn't even last a single exchange before being sent flying back at an even faster speed by the Raikage.
Though the Raikage's stamina was waning after prolonged combat, he was still far beyond Hidan's level.
"Hidan, your strength is nothing compared to a true powerhouse," Kakuzu said, looking down at Hidan, who was sprawled on the ground.
"Shut up, Kakuzu!" Hidan snapped as he got up.
"If you think you're so great, why don't you try? You wouldn't fare any better!"
"Hmph! Fine, I'll show you!"
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!" "Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
The duo unleashed a combined Fire and Wind Release technique, sending a wave of scorching flames toward the Raikage, covering a wide area with intense heat.
"Four-Finger Thrust!"
The Raikage, clad in his Lightning Release armor, didn't even flinch at such an attack. He charged straight through the flames and struck Kakuzu, instantly destroying one of his hearts.
Fast! So fast!
Kakuzu hadn't even had time to react before the Raikage's hand pierced his chest. Fortunately, thanks to Earth Grudge Fear, he wasn't dead yet. Otherwise, this would have been the end for him.
"Hey! Are you kidding me, Kakuzu?" Hidan exclaimed.
"You always brag about fighting the First Hokage, but now you're getting one-shot by the Fourth Raikage? You're just full of hot air, aren't you? Don't tell me this guy is stronger than the God of Shinobi himself!"
Hidan finally realized that Kakuzu had been exaggerating all along. No wonder the First Hokage didn't even remember him.
"Shut up, Hidan!" Kakuzu growled as he quickly distanced himself from the Raikage, feeling deeply embarrassed.
Damn it!
Why does this world have to have techniques like Edo Tensei?
"The mighty Kakuzu, equipped with the unique treasure Earth Grudge Fear, possessing five hearts and capable of using five different elemental jutsu—yet killing you is merely a trivial task."
"And Hidan, with your strange immortality, you can synchronize the injuries inflicted on yourself with your enemies through your blood ritual for the Jashin. But my defenses are impenetrable, so collecting my blood is out of the question."
"And Sasori of the Red Sand, the greatest puppet master in the ninja world, who controls human puppets, including the strongest puppet—the Third Kazekage, capable of using Magnet Release. Yet your Magnet Release can't keep up with my speed."
The Raikage listed their abilities one by one, his face showing disdain.
If it weren't for the leader of the Akatsuki possessing the Rinnegan, these three wouldn't stand a chance against him. Not to mention, Killer Bee was standing by his side.
Speed truly is a cheat.
As the saying goes, "In martial arts, speed is king."
Just think of how Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, left the four great ninja villages helpless—not because they couldn't defeat him in direct combat, but because they couldn't catch him.
While the Raikage's speed was slightly inferior to Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique, his defense and offense were far superior.
"Prepare to meet your doom," Sasori said as he manipulated Hiruko to step forward. Unlike Kakuzu and Hidan, Sasori wasn't one to take insults lying down. After years of meticulous research, he had grown much stronger.
"Wood Release: Thorn Killing Technique!"
Hiruko had successfully been implanted with Hashirama's cells, and since it was a puppet, there was no risk of cellular erosion. In fact, the erosion had only strengthened Hiruko's overall durability.
Swish!
The Raikage showcased his incredible speed once again, dodging the massive wooden thorns that erupted from the ground. He effortlessly circled around them and charged directly at Hiruko.
Sasori couldn't match the Raikage's speed, but he could predict his movements and respond accordingly.
Sssss!
A cloud of poisonous gas spewed from Hiruko's mouth, while countless thorny vines grew from its body, forming a turtle-like defensive stance. Sasori hoped this would shield Hiruko from the Raikage's attack.
But his enemy was the Raikage—a hotheaded brute who didn't care about such defenses.
Holding his breath, the Raikage ignored the thorns entirely and delivered a powerful punch to Hiruko's back.
"...!" The Raikage instinctively stopped himself from shouting the name of his technique, focusing all his energy into his right fist.
Boom!
The ground beneath Hiruko cracked like a spiderweb, but its reinforced back remained completely unscathed.
Hiruko's back had been strengthened far beyond its original design, and with the addition of Wood Release, not even a Tailed Beast Ball could penetrate it—except perhaps those from the Eight-Tails or Nine-Tails.
Hiruko's right arm extended, transforming into thousands of hands that reached for the Raikage. Sparks flew, and the Raikage's figure reappeared at his previous position, having dodged the attack effortlessly.
"Foolish big brother! You said retreat, yet you're not retreating! I'm gonna get killed here, idiot!" Killer Bee's rap echoed from above. Alone, he was no match for the Deva Path and was being thoroughly beaten.
"Let's go!" the Raikage shouted, finally deciding to retreat. With reinforcements arriving, there was no chance for further victories.
If more reinforcements showed up, escape would become impossible.
Universal Pull!
The Deva Path reached for Killer Bee, attempting to capture the Eight-Tails.
"Lightning Oppression Horizontal!"
The Raikage swung his arm horizontally at the Deva Path, forcing Nagato to cancel Universal Pull and switch to Almighty Push.
"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"
A long wooden dragon appeared, wrapping itself around the retreating Eight-Tails.
"This is bad! Bee, break free quickly, or we're doomed!" the Eight-Tails shouted in panic.
"Tailed Beast Eight-Fold Roll!"
Under Killer Bee's control, the Eight-Tails curled into a tire-like war chariot. After a struggle, it managed to break free and fled into the distance.
Is my Wood Release still not strong enough?
Sasori felt frustrated. Letting the enemy escape had greatly diminished the impact of his entrance.
"Let's head to my main body," the Deva Path said, seeing that the Raikage and Eight-Tails were out of reach.
"So, Leader, you personally stepped in and only managed to capture the Two-Tails?"
"And you almost got countered?"
"Leader, you're really not up to par," Hidan quipped.
The Deva Path's flying motion paused imperceptibly. Hidan, that guy!
"Hey! Hey! What happened here just now?" Hidan asked loudly upon arriving at another part of the battlefield.
The ground was covered in scorched remnants, with burning trees and extreme heat radiating everywhere. Even the ground was unbearably hot.
"Kisame, use Water Release to cool things down!"
"Damn it, it's so hot!" Hidan complained.
"Hey! Why aren't any of you saying anything?" He felt ignored and grew increasingly annoyed.
"Don't ignore me! Say something!"
"Huh? What did you say?" Deidara shouted.
Hidan frowned at Deidara's unusually loud voice.
"I said, what happened here?"
"Huh? What did you say?" Kisame walked over, seemingly noticing Hidan trying to talk to him earlier.
"I said, use Water Release to cool things down! And lower your voices!" Hidan shouted each word deliberately.
"Huh? What did you say?" Deidara and Kisame blinked and asked again.
"I swear I'm going to sacrifice all of you to Jashin!"
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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