"You bastard, you trying to mess with me?!"
At that moment, the Fourth Raikage, A, was practically exploding with rage—his veins popping as the pound-sign on his forehead bulged more and more.
He tried to launch another attack, but found his fist firmly gripped by Naruto. No matter how hard he pulled, he couldn't break free.
There was only one explanation—the other guy was stronger.
"…What is your purpose for intruding into the Hidden Cloud Village?" After several deep breaths, the Fourth Raikage managed to suppress his anger.
As expected, power spoke louder than words. Even someone as impulsive as the Fourth Raikage had no choice but to cool his head when faced with overwhelming strength.
"Just collecting interest on an old debt."
Did Naruto have a grudge against the Hidden Cloud? In a way—a big one. Second only to his grudges against the Hidden Mist and his own Leaf Village.
His mother, Kushina Uzumaki, had once been kidnapped by the Hidden Cloud. His future wife, Hinata Hyuga, had been kidnapped twice—and her cousin Neji's father had died because of it.
If Konoha doesn't have the spine to make Cloud pay that debt… I will.
One debt at a time. I'll collect it all.
Today, we start with the interest.
Naruto held grudges. He wasn't exactly the most forgiving person. His heart was as narrow as a needle. And he definitely didn't tolerate anyone bullying his mom—or his girl.
Honestly, the only Great Nations that hadn't wronged him yet were Iwa and Suna... or so it seemed. Then again, the Fourth Hokage's fearsome reputation had been earned by killing a whole lot of Iwa-nin…
"Interest? Debt?" The Fourth Raikage couldn't make heads or tails of Naruto's cryptic answer. His fury surged once more. Pale blue chakra flared around his body, and his perfectly groomed slick-back stood up like spiky blades.
"I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!!"
Blue lightning surged and cloaked his body—Raikage's signature technique: Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
A hereditary jutsu passed down the Raikage line. By cloaking the body in Lightning Release chakra, it supercharges the user's muscles, drastically increasing speed and power.
Even Naruto couldn't help but exclaim, "Whoa, that move looks badass—I have to learn it!"
With his golden hair, if Naruto pulled that off, he could cosplay Super Saiyan 2 no problem.
Charged up with Lightning Release Chakra, the Raikage wrenched his arm free from Naruto's grasp.
"DIE!"
A's roar was like a thunderclap, shaking the air. He channeled chakra into his elbow and slammed it toward Naruto with explosive force.
"Lariat Elbow!" (Jūryūbō!)
In the original series, this move sent Jūgo—while in Curse Mark Level 2—flying back to base form in a single hit.
Naruto, however, didn't dodge. In fact, under the mask, his expression brightened with excitement.
A pure taijutsu fight? His favorite.
Especially when the opponent was none other than the man considered the top taijutsu user alive—just under Might Guy with the Eight Gates.
This was the real deal. Nothing beat fists clashing—that was the romance of true warriors.
"Alright then, let's clash!"
Naruto wrapped chakra around his whole body, channeling most of it into his right hand. As A's elbow strike approached, Naruto made his move.
"Rock-Paper-Scissors—Paper!"
This was the signature move Goku (a.k.a. Kakarot) loved to use in his early Dragon Ball adventures. He'd used it to fight Master Roshi, take down General Blue, and more. While the move disappeared later in the series, it earned its stripes in the early days.
Legend has it that Rock-Paper-Scissors was based on ancient martial arts:
"Paper" is a palm strike meant to damage internal organs.
"Scissors" targets specific points using fingers.
"Rock" is the classic external-damaging punch.
It was known as a destructive technique—once labeled an "evil art" and banned.
So yeah… it's literally rock-paper-scissors as a martial art.
Raikage's elbow smashed into Naruto's palm, releasing a shockwave of wind pressure that scattered stone debris and even knocked over nearby gravestones.
Boom boom boom— the Fourth Raikage staggered back five steps, nearly losing balance. Naruto, on the other hand, stood completely still.
The difference was clear.
"The next punch is sending you flying," Naruto said, pointing at A with a grin.
Such strength… even greater than that woman Tsunade, A thought.
He had once crossed paths with the famous Sannin Tsunade, and they'd even tested strength in an arm-wrestling match. Though Tsunade's raw power slightly surpassed his, A was confident he could win in a real fight.
"Again!"
The Raikage, unwilling to concede, gathered lightning chakra into his fist—this time going all out.
"Lightning Style: Liger Bomb!!" (Raiton: Raiga Bomu!)
This was stronger and faster than his previous elbow strike. A full-force, no-holds-barred attack.
"Rock-Paper-Scissors—Rock!"
Naruto met the blow head-on with his own attack.
Their fists collided.
The Raikage felt like he'd punched steel. A wave of pain surged through his hand, but he gritted his teeth and stood his ground. Neither backed down as they locked fists in a show of brute strength.
Then came the mocking chuckle in his ear.
"Fourth Raikage? That's it?"
Before he could retort, a surge of overwhelming power burst from Naruto's fist. The next instant—the Raikage was airborne.
He had always been the one sending people flying.
Now it was his turn.
"I haven't even started using my full strength, and you're already down."
For the first time in his career, the Fourth Raikage—in Lightning Chakra Mode—was completely overpowered.
Coughing and breathless, A climbed back to his feet, eyes bloodshot, looking like an enraged bull.
"Strength alone means nothing! You're just a reckless brute!" he growled. Was it self-consolation… or a declaration?
Brute? Me? Are you serious?
Naruto almost laughed out loud being called a brute by this guy.
"No matter how powerful you are, if you can't land a hit, it's meaningless."
The next moment—the Raikage moved. Again.
"What matters is raw destruction!"
"Lightning Style: Guillotine Drop!" (Raiton: Jigyaku Raigeki!) (OC)
Cloaked in lightning, the Raikage turned into a bolt of blue energy, charging Naruto like a thunderclap. His raised arm looked like a massive battle axe.
Are you cosplaying Gordn from Saint Seiya with that axe smash?
Because that guy's way cooler than this.
At his top speed in Lightning Chakra Mode, the Raikage was faster than almost any shinobi alive.
But Naruto was faster.
It was like he could predict A's movement. With a subtle shift, he dodged easily.
"What was that about meaningless if you can't land a hit?" Naruto's voice rang mockingly in A's ear.
But A didn't listen—he barreled forward again.
"Lightning Bullet Bomb!" (Rai Me Bakudan!) (OC)
Since his last move missed, A quickly transitioned into a new technique. He combined taijutsu with lightning chakra, giving his blows both physical and electrical explosive power.
Unfortunately, the wide motion and airflow it generated made it impossible for Naruto not to notice it.
Naruto dodged again with ease.
Still, the Raikage grinned.
Because this—this was all just setup.
Then, with a blinding surge of lightning, the Raikage's entire body exploded in blue light, illuminating the entire sky.
"Lightning Destruction Dance: Millennium Step!" (Rairyaku Suimen Chiyo Mai!) (OC)
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