"Sasuke-kun!"
Sakura Haruno cried out instinctively.
She had wanted to rush forward and catch Sasuke Uchiha, but he fell too quickly.
By the time she could react, he had already slammed into the ground.
"Don't come any closer!"
Sasuke stood up with a pale face.
Thanks to activating his Mangekyo Sharingan at the last moment, he managed to avoid most of the damage.
He wasn't as badly injured as one might expect.
Just his left elbow was fractured.
But right now, he couldn't think about that.
He stepped forward confidently in front of everyone—only to be kicked flying.
Imagine how awful he must feel right now.
Especially with Natsume, Sakura Haruno, and Ino Yamanaka standing behind him.
The former had gone through so much trouble just to help him awaken his Sharingan, but his performance had been so poor.
The latter two were his teammates—if they spread this around, would he ever live it down?
Sasuke tightened his grip on his samurai sword.
Chakra surged outward from his body, rapidly manifesting as crackling lightning—Chidori Current!
Electricity spread across his entire body.
From their earlier clash, he realized that the Third Raikage specialized in Nin-Taijutsu.
High-speed movements, devastating attacks.
Given his relatively frail build, even a single hit could be devastating.
That's why he used Chidori to protect himself.
The Third Raikage didn't press the advantage.
It was because of Natsume's command.
To Sasuke, however, it felt like sheer mockery.
He took a step forward, vanishing entirely from sight and bursting forth with incredible speed.
It matched the Third Raikage's earlier speed.
His samurai sword slashed diagonally upward from below.
Then again, his height left him no other option.
The Third Raikage countered simply—he raised his right arm and brought down his elbow.
[Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique!]
Sasuke Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan locked eyes with the Third Raikage.
Normally, even breaking free from the illusion quickly would still result in a brief delay.
His plan was to use that moment to dodge the elbow strike and finish him off.
But the Third Raikage was already under control—how could he fall victim to another genjutsu?
Unless… it was Kotoamatsukami.
After all, in the original narrative, Itachi Uchiha had used Kotoamatsukami to escape Impure World Reincarnation.
"How is that possible?"
Sasuke Uchiha's expression froze.
The Third Raikage completely ignored his illusion and struck Sasuke's sword with his elbow.
The blade didn't shatter, but it trembled violently from the impact.
Off balance, Sasuke lost his grip on the blade—it soared through the air and landed far away.
Before he could react, the Third Raikage lifted his leg high and brought it crashing toward Sasuke's head.
A violent gust of wind heralded the danger.
At the crucial moment, Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan flared.
[Futsu-Kami!]
A crushing binding force surged outward.
The entire space froze for an instant.
[Shifting Body Technique!]
Sasuke rapidly retreated backward.
As he silently exhaled in relief, he locked eyes with the Third Raikage, a flicker of pride gleaming in his gaze.
Once trapped by his dojutsu, escape was practically impossible.
Lightning crackled across the sky.
Arcs of lightning crackled outward in an instant, engulfing the Third Raikage as his hair bristled with static charge.
Before the space could collapse around him, he vanished completely—
The Ultimate Lightning Release Suit!
Forged from concentrated Lightning Release chakra, this armor granted immense defensive and offensive capabilities.
The Third Raikage rarely appeared in the original story.
But when A, the Fourth Raikage, activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode and donned the ultimate Lightning Release Suit, his speed rivaled Minato Namikaze's Flying Thunder God Technique. Even the Mangekyo Sharingan couldn't follow his movements, and he could evade Sasuke Uchiha's Amaterasu.
Even if the Third Raikage was slightly inferior, he wouldn't be far behind.
"No way!"
Sasuke Uchiha witnessed the scene with a sense of disbelief, as though his belief itself had been challenged.
He'd believed that awakening his Mangekyo Sharingan would make him superior to almost anyone.
Yet he was defeated so decisively in a mere village like Takigakure.
This outcome was hard for him to accept.
The Third Raikage gave him no time to recover. With a flash of lightning, he appeared directly before him.
[Futsu-Kami Invocation!]
Refusing to accept defeat, Sasuke activated his Dojutsu once more.
At the same time, his hands formed seals rapidly, and he spat out a massive fireball.
The Third Raikage remained unfazed. He thrust forward his right fist, tearing through the fireball and striking Sasuke Uchiha directly in the chest.
The impact was unmistakable—his chest collapsed inward, and blood burst out like a violent shockwave.
"Aaaah!"
Sasuke let out a scream as he was blasted backward like a cannonball.
The Third Raikage glanced at him, then calmly dodged the warped space just moments later.
All of it took less than a second.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
"Sasuke-kun!"
Sakura Haruno used her Flash Movement technique to appear instantly in front of Sasuke, her hands glowing green.
Mystical Palm Technique.
The soothing chakra brought Sasuke back to his senses slightly.
He tried to push himself up but immediately spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Don't move, Sasuke-kun!"
Panic and fear filled Sakura's face as she spoke, "Your injuries are too severe—you can't move recklessly."
"Ino, help me out."
Ino Yamanaka quickly rushed over, her hands also glowing with green chakra.
In an instant, Sasuke was bathed in green light.
With the brief battle now over, everyone finally snapped out of their shock.
At first, they marveled at Sasuke Uchiha's strength—both his Three-Tomoe Sharingan and Lightning Cutter were clearly jonin-level techniques.
Yet the overwhelming victory of the Third Raikage left them even more speechless.
Particularly Suizen and Shibuki.
Because they recognized the signature techniques radiating from the Third Raikage's body.
Kumogakure's Nin-Taijutsu.
Especially the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
The Third Raikage had died during the Third Great Ninja War.
He had fought ten thousand Iwagakure ninja alone for three full days and nights before ultimately succumbing to exhaustion.
Takigakure hadn't taken part in the Third Great Ninja War, so they'd never seen the Third Raikage fight.
But that didn't stop them from making guesses.
"Are you… the Fourth Raikage?"
Swallowing hard, Suizen asked cautiously.
After all, the Third Raikage was known to be long dead.
Few even knew about the Impure World Reincarnation technique.
So it was only natural they assumed he was the Fourth Raikage.
Suizen thought it made sense. Kumogakure had always been hostile to outsiders, eyeing the other ninja villages like a predator. It made sense for them to target Takigakure, which housed a tailed beast.
At this moment, however, Suizen hesitated. Teamwork with Kumogakure was undeniably risky.
"Raikage?"
Shibuki's heart skipped a beat. His entire body stiffened with fear.
Suizen alone wasn't enough to scare him. But with Kumogakure involved, it could mean total annihilation for Takigakure.
"I'm not," the Third Raikage said indifferently. "Who I am doesn't matter. Now is the time for you to act."
Upon hearing this, Suizen gritted his teeth and shouted, "Attack!"
There was no use hesitating further; there was no way he'd back down now. Besides, success was right before them, and he wasn't willing to let go.
With Sasuke Uchiha out of the picture, only Natsume remained. That was something the Third Raikage could handle. The rest weren't worth worrying about.
As soon as the words left his mouth,
His hands moved rapidly through seals. Chakra surged outward, forming a colossal water dragon that charged toward Shibuki and his allies.
The ninja behind him followed suit. Various ninja tools and jutsu were launched at once.
In an instant, the entire space filled with multicolored chakra. An oppressive force bore down on them.
Shibuki couldn't help but retreat several steps. If it were just him alone, he'd have only one choice—surrender.
But Natsume was here. He had heard of Natsume's exploits before, and that gave him hope.
As for Suizen, he didn't even recognize him. He simply assumed he was an ordinary Konoha Jonin, which was why he concluded the Third Raikage would deal with him.
Under Shibuki's expectant gaze, Natsume brought his palms together.
Sasuke Uchiha was out of action—the trial had already become meaningless. Of course, this didn't mean it was over. There would be another chance.
The earth beneath them shook violently. Trees erupted from the earth, surging upward at an incredible speed.
In moments, they filled the space before the waterfall, blending seamlessly into the surrounding forest.
Under Natsume's control, countless vines stretched outward, like carnivorous pitcher plants consuming everything in their path.
"Wood Release?!" Suizen's pupils contracted in shock. Without thinking, he leapt upward.
Everyone throughout the ninja world knew Wood Release belonged to Hokage Natsume. This meant he was facing someone truly dangerous.
"Ahh!" The ninja behind him lacked his speed. They were swallowed by the forest, their screams pierced the air one by one.
But Suizen had no time to worry about them. Because he himself was in danger. While twisting midair, dodging rapidly, he glanced toward the Third Raikage.
"Where are they?!" Suizen froze momentarily, then found himself bound tightly by vines.
He thrashed wildly, but it was no use. Cursing under his breath, his body shook with fury.
He never expected the Third Raikage to run off that fast. Just Natsume alone?
Although he was powerful, you weren't weak either! Won't even fight? What a disgrace to power!
Shibuki stared wide-eyed at everything unfolding before him. He knew Natsume was strong, but he hadn't imagined he'd be this strong. That matched exactly what he'd heard in whispers.
He had anticipated a brutal fight.
But it ended in mere seconds.
Shibuki had reason to believe that without Sasuke Uchiha, it might have ended even faster.
"They're all yours."
Natsume pointed at Suizen and the others who had been captured and said.
Snapping out of his shock, Shibuki opened his mouth, as if to speak—but no words came out.
At this moment, he suddenly sighed thoughtfully—if only I had power like his… maybe I wouldn't feel so powerless?
"I'll go call people."
Shibuki turned and disappeared into the great waterfall.
Natsume approached Sasuke Uchiha.
He was already asleep.
"How is he?"
Natsume gave him a quick look up and down and asked.
"There's no serious danger,"
Ino Yamanaka stood up and replied. "But due to heavy blood loss, he needs rest for some time."
Medical Ninjutsu wasn't omnipotent.
It could heal wounds but couldn't restore one back to perfect condition.
What was lost internally couldn't be replaced so soon.
"Sakura, I'll take you and Sasuke back to Konoha Hospital first—you can look after him there."
Natsume thought for a moment and said.
"Me and Ino will stay here and finish this mission."
"Okay!"
Haruno Sakura dispersed her chakra, nodding with a slightly pale face.
Yet at the thought of being alone with Sasuke Uchiha, her eyes lit up with excitement.
[Flying Thunder God Technique] was activated.
In a flash, Natsume vanished—leaving only himself and Ino Yamanaka behind.
Before the two could speak, Shibuki had already arrived, leading several other ninja from Takigakure.
When they saw the sudden emergence of the forest—and spotted Suizen among the captives—many wore looks of shock.
This mini-chapter isn't over yet—more excitement ahead!
—
Now he finally understood.
After a bit of commotion,
Suizen and the others were all locked away inside Takigakure's prison.
But Natsume didn't plan to leave just yet.
Because he was curious about the Hero Water and the Giant Tree that produced it.
He suspected it might be related to Kaguya Otsutsuki.
Hero Water was essentially life force converted into chakra.
It strongly reminded him of the Ten-Tails—or rather, how the God Tree absorbed planetary energy to produce Chakra Fruits.
"Hokage-sama, thank you for your assistance."
Shibuki stepped forward sincerely. "If you hadn't timely provided intelligence, Takigakure might've already been in big trouble."
Seeing the Third Raikage's power made him realize that even having Fuu, the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, wasn't enough to guarantee safety.
Therefore, Konoha indeed saved his village.
However, the crisis facing Takigakure wasn't completely resolved.
They may have lost Suizen, but gained an even more terrifying foe—the Third Raikage.
Although he didn't openly admit it was the Raikage, his Nin-Taijutsu undoubtedly originated from Kumogakure.
Either way, there was definitely a connection.
"Hokage-sama, I have another request to make of you."
Taking a deep breath, Shibuki continued. "Please notify us immediately upon receiving any news regarding this powerful ninja from Kumogakure."
"No problem."
Natsume smiled and said. "But I have a condition."
"Go ahead."
Shibuki wasn't surprised.
While relations between Takigakure and Konoha were strong, there was no such thing as free assistance.
"I'd like some Hero Water."
Natsume spoke, "Not too much — just a few ryo's worth will do."
Shibuki looked reluctant when he heard this.
But after hesitating for a moment, he still nodded.
"Please follow me."
Shibuki turned and walked deeper inside.
Shortly afterward, a towering, massive tree came into view.
Although it couldn't compare to the actual God Tree, it was still about twenty or thirty meters tall.
Natsume narrowed his eyes slightly. He felt a strange sense of familiarity.
He rubbed his chin, recalling that in the anime, it had once mentioned how the Sage of Six Paths sent Asura and Indra to deal with the remains of the Ten-Tails.
Perhaps this Giant Tree had grown from those remains.
"This tree really is huge."
Natsume feigned admiration as he asked, "How old is it?"
"Age?"
Shibuki shook his head, saying, "I'm not sure. This tree was already here before Takigakure was founded."
Natsume fell into thoughtful contemplation.
The system of one village per country was established by Hashirama Senju.
In other words, it must be at least a hundred years old.
Shibuki climbed the tree and vanished into its thick canopy.
About ten minutes later, he reappeared.
"Hero Water boosts a ninja's chakra, but it also drains their life force. Use it with caution."
Shibuki pulled out a glass bottle as he explained.
"Thanks."
Natsume accepted it without hesitation.
They left together once more.
Since it was already deep into the night, Natsume didn't rush off immediately but chose to stay behind.
[Because of your actions, Suizen, Shibuki, and Fuu's destinies have changed. You have gained a total of 130 destiny points.]
Inside the room, the Tamaki of Destiny let out a prompt sound.
What surprised Natsume was the appearance of Fuu added among them.
Perhaps it was because her storyline had changed.
Natsume had no way of knowing exactly how.
Soon, he started studying the Hero Water.
It was an application of Yang Release.
Boosting chakra meant increasing both physical and spiritual energy.
However, since it consumed life force, it belonged to Yang Release.
Similar to the Eight Gates, forcibly unlocking the body's potential.
Endure it, and nothing happens. Fail, and it leads to death.
This reminded Natsume of the meteorite from outer space in the Star Village.
Absorbing the meteorite's radioactive power could grant immense strength.
But it came with harmful side effects on the body.
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