----
In the spring, the Third Raikage planted a son in the Fire Country.
By autumn, he wouldn't be blessed with a full clan of descendants.
Because the Fourth Raikage would dig himself out and he was furious.
---
Lightning Crashes Again
Seeing his brother in trouble, Killer Bee's body ignited with a bubbling red chakra cloak.
Even though Gyūki was gone, Bee had retained a single octopus tentacle a limited reserve of Eight-Tails chakra.
It wouldn't last forever, and once depleted, he would die.
But right now, with his brother in danger, Bee couldn't afford to hesitate.
"Lariat!"
A red blur shot across the battlefield—Bee's hooked right arm smashed into the Third Raikage's throat, launching him backward into a boulder.
Ordinarily, this technique would break an enemy's neck.
But against the Third Raikage?
It was only enough to buy time for the Fourth Raikage to pull himself free from the crater.
"Not bad, Bee!" The Third Raikage tore free from the rubble, returning the favor with his own Lariat.
Bee barely managed to raise his arms in defense—
Only for the Fourth Raikage to intercept, tackling him aside and countering with a Lariat of his own.
The result?
Both father and son ended up grappling each other, simultaneously locking Lariats around each other's necks.
"RAAAAGH!"
"HAAARGH!"
Both flexed their muscles, trying to force the other down, but neither could overpower the other's Lightning Chakra Armor.
They eventually stumbled apart, releasing their holds.
The Third Raikage exhaled sharply, his lightning cloak flaring up.
"Enough games." He raised two fingers, his chakra surging further.
"So you're going straight for Hell Stab (Two-Finger Version)?"
The Fourth Raikage mirrored his father's stance—but he only raised a single finger.
He knew—his father's defense was called the "Strongest Shield."
None of his previous attacks had broken through.
That left only one answer—
The "Strongest Spear."
The Third Raikage narrowed his gaze. "Foolish. If you pierce my defenses, you'll die too."
"And what? You expect me to run? Call someone else to stop you?"
"Don't make me laugh. I am the Raikage!"
The Third Raikage's lips curled slightly.
"Your ninjutsu is average at best, but at least you carry yourself like a Raikage."
And with that he charged.
The Fourth Raikage did the same.
---
Two blades of lightning pierced through flesh at the same time.
Blood splattered the ground.
The Fourth Raikage smirked, looking at the hand stabbed through his own chest.
"Ha… Not bad."
But his own Hell Stab had also landed.
A single, high-powered thrust...
Straight into the same old wound on his father's chest.
The scar left by his previous battle with the Eight-Tails.
His strongest spear had finally broken through the strongest shield.
The Third Raikage chuckled.
"Took you long enough."
Then he staggered slightly, the sealing marks already crawling up his body.
Tenten swiftly unsealed a scroll, completing the sealing technique before the Edo Tensei body could regenerate.
The Fourth Raikage exhaled, pressing his bleeding shoulder.
"Tch… That old man. Always making things difficult."
"Yo, bro… I'm good…"
Killer Bee grinned, giving a thumbs up—
Before collapsing face-first.
"BEE!"
The Fourth Raikage panicked, checking his brother's pulse.
Bee was still alive, but his chakra reserves were dangerously low.
"I'll get you both to Lady Tsunade immediately!"
Tenten rushed over, her Flying Thunder God Kunai already in hand.
The Fourth Raikage looked at her gratefully.
"Do it."
Ōnoki couldn't resist smirking.
"A bit embarrassing, don't you think, Raikage?"
The Fourth Raikage gritted his teeth. "At least I didn't throw my back out, old man."
Tenten quickly teleported them away before the argument escalated.
With the Raikage brothers gone, Ōnoki turned to Gaara.
"Time to help the Mizukage."
---
The First Mizukage noticed Ōnoki and Gaara approaching from the sky.
He tried to raise a Water Fang Bullet to push them back, Only for Yagura Karatachi to slap his arm.
Coral began spreading from the impact.
The First Mizukage didn't panic.
Instead, he immediately pulled out a kunai and sliced off his own arm.
The coral-encased limb fell to the ground, while a new one rapidly regenerated.
Yagura sighed.
"Sacrificing a limb to counter my technique? You live up to your legend."
The First Mizukage chuckled.
"If I were truly as strong as my reputation, I wouldn't have lost to a child."
Ōnoki and Gaara landed next to Yagura.
The First Mizukage surveyed the battlefield.
"I see the others have fallen. You three plan to take me down together?"
Gaara nodded.
"You contributed greatly to the Mist Village. I respect that. But now, we must end this."
The First Mizukage simply smiled.
"Do what you must."
And so, the final battle commenced.
Despite his incredible power, the First Mizukage was still outnumbered and outmaneuvered.
In the end, Gaara sealed him inside another sand pyramid.
Just before being fully restrained, the First Mizukage spoke one last time.
"I have a feeling…"
"Something isn't right about the one controlling us. Be cautious."
Ōnoki raised an eyebrow.
"Controlling you? That should be Orochimaru. What's suspicious about him?"
Yagura folded his arms.
"Orochimaru isn't 'a little' suspicious."
"He's completely, entirely suspicious."
---
As the Four Kage clashed against their predecessors, the Sensory Division in the command center suddenly detected new incoming threats.
"Lord Hokage!"
The sensory ninja's face turned pale.
"New enemies are heading toward the command post!"
"A group of seven… but their chakra levels are nearly on par with Tailed Beasts!"
Minato stood up immediately, adjusting his kunai pouch.
His expression was unreadable.
"So they've finally arrived."
----
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