Beep! Beep! Beep!
The Fourth Raikage abruptly looked up from his office desk. The sound of the village's invasion alarm echoed through the air—a sound that, apart from routine drills, hadn't been triggered in decades.
What was going on today? Could it be a malfunction?
"Raikage-sama! We're under attack!" An Anbu operative rushed in to report.
"Attack? By whom?" The Raikage shot to his feet, his imposing aura instantly filling the room like a towering mountain, suffocating everyone present.
"It's the Akatsuki! Darui-sama is leading a team to engage them—"
Crash!
Before the Anbu could finish, the Fourth Raikage smashed through the glass window at the back of his office, leaping out in his usual unceremonious style.
"Seriously?" His sultry secretary Mabui sighed in exasperation. This was the fifth window replacement this month.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on such trivial matters. Mabui quickly turned to the Anbu beside her and commanded, "Summon all Anbu and the Shadow Guard immediately to protect the Raikage-sama. The Akatsuki are not to be underestimated."
"Understood!" The Anbu vanished in a flash.
Though Mabui appeared to be just a secretary, she was, in fact, a core member of the Hidden Cloud Village's leadership, authorized to issue commands during emergencies.
"You, gather all the village's jōnin," she instructed another operative.
Once the orders were given, Mabui set down the documents in her hands and sprinted in another direction. She knew the Akatsuki's strength well. If they dared to attack, they must have been fully prepared. She needed to seek help from the mysterious man who claimed to be Uchiha Madara.
Meanwhile, the Fourth Raikage arrived at the battlefield with incredible speed, only to find chaos had already erupted.
The Hidden Cloud ninja were brave and skilled, but even courage and strength had their limits—especially against enemies like Sasori, Kakuzu, and Hidan.
"Die, you bastards!" The Raikage roared, his fury ignited by the devastation inflicted upon his village. Lightning Release chakra surged around his body, forming an armor-like barrier that not only protected him but also significantly boosted his speed.
In a flash of lightning, he charged at the maniacally laughing Hidan, delivering an elbow strike that sent him flying. Hidan crashed through several buildings before finally coming to a stop.
"Liger Bomb!"
"Ah, damn it! That hurts, you bastard!" Hidan yelled as he climbed out of the rubble. His skin darkened to a deep earthen tone, and wings began to sprout from his back.
Laughing maniacally, he taunted, "You bastard! I've become much stronger this time! Prepare to die!"
Dragging his scythe, Hidan took a short run before flapping his wings and gliding toward the Raikage, aiming for a deadly strike.
Clang!
Hidan's scythe clashed with the metal ring on the Raikage's lightning-clad arm, producing a sharp, clear sound. The Raikage's arm dipped slightly under the impact, but he quickly countered, flinging Hidan away with a powerful shove.
This guy's strength had increased significantly, and his speed had also improved. Was it due to this strange transformation? The Raikage pondered, but before he could dwell on it, three blazing fireballs came hurtling toward him, followed by a Wind Release: Vacuum Wave.
A series of attacks struck the Raikage, who seemed momentarily distracted.
"Raikage-sama!" The Hidden Cloud ninja watching from a distance cried out in concern.
But their worry was unnecessary. The Raikage emerged unscathed from the explosions, his Lightning Release armor completely intact. It wasn't something that could be broken so easily.
"Sasori, I'll leave these small fry to you," Kakuzu said.
The earlier ninjutsu had been his doing. His primary goal for coming here was to reclaim his dignity after being humiliated by the Raikage in their last encounter. Now that his target had appeared, he couldn't hold back any longer.
Activating all five of his hearts, Kakuzu turned to face the Raikage. "Raikage, your head must be worth quite a bounty. I'll be taking it today."
The Raikage responded with a dismissive smirk. "Kakuzu, Hidan, my opinion of you hasn't changed since last time. Killing you two is as easy as flipping my hand."
"Hah!"
The Raikage's body began to expand, his muscles swelling to twice their normal size under the intense stimulation of Lightning Release chakra. His hair stood on end, sharp as blades, giving him an aura that seemed capable of cutting through anything.
"In my second state, the only one who could match my speed was the Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze."
"You two may have grown a bit stronger, but you're still insignificant."
"Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop!"
A flash of lightning streaked across the battlefield. In his second state, the Raikage's speed was so fast that none of the onlookers could track his movements.
With a roar, the Raikage appeared in front of Kakuzu's Fire Release heart monster and slashed at it with his hand like a blade.
"Kakuzu, that's one heart down!"
Boom!
"What?!" The Raikage was stunned to see the Fire Release heart monster sent flying but not destroyed. He had been confident that his strike could kill any enemy, yet it had failed to eliminate the heart.
Kakuzu was equally shocked but quickly activated his cursed seal's second state. His five hearts gained enhanced defensive capabilities and took to the sky.
"Raikage, it seems your attacks are still lacking. Now, it's my turn," Kakuzu said smugly.
With the cursed seal's boost, his heart monsters had gained significantly increased defense and the ability to fly, making them far more formidable. He was confident he wouldn't lose to the Raikage now.
"Fire Release: Majestic Flame Destroyer!"
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
Three large-scale, powerful ninjutsu were unleashed in quick succession. If they couldn't match the Raikage's speed, they would overwhelm him with area-of-effect attacks.
"Lightning Cutter: Sky Leap Strike!"
The Raikage suddenly appeared behind Kakuzu, using the rooftops below to propel himself into an enormous leap. He aimed a punch at Kakuzu's Wind Release heart.
"Die!"
Having worked with Kakuzu for years, Hidan had been keeping an eye on his blind spots. When he saw the Raikage leap into the air, he swung his scythe toward the Raikage's neck.
Kakuzu had deliberately positioned the heart at a height that would tempt the Raikage into jumping. As the Raikage ascended, gravity would slow him down, making his movements predictable and giving Hidan a chance to strike.
In midair, without anything to push off of, the Raikage wouldn't be able to dodge, counterattack, or change direction.
However, the Raikage glanced at Hidan's scythe without a hint of concern.
"Your feeble attack can't even scratch my Lightning Release armor."
"We know that, of course. The real attack isn't here."
"Sage Art: Water Severing Wave!"
After charging for some time, Kakuzu's Water Release heart unleashed the Sage Art: Water Severing Wave. A unique Water Release technique, its offensive power was undeniable—especially when enhanced with Sage chakra.
At this moment, with Hidan pinning the Raikage in midair, the Water Severing Wave closed in rapidly.
"Raikage-sama!" This time, the Hidden Cloud ninja below were genuinely panicking.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~ The story isn't over...🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters? 🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world? ✍ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?✨patreon.com/GoldenLong