"The strength is incredible!"
"And the speed! How can it be this fast!"
The two fighters collided, each flashing a thought through their minds before simultaneously kicking toward the other.
Electricity crackled and surged around their legs. Facing off against Raikage A, Saitama remained fearless—his movements crisp and terrifyingly decisive.
A veteran of countless battles, he didn't hesitate for a second just because his opponent was Raikage A. Instead, he aggressively launched attack after attack.
Boom!
They separated momentarily, the ground beneath them crumbling like dust beneath a storm's wrath.
And almost instantly, they clashed again. Electric arcs flickered in the air between them as the air grew hotter with every passing second.
Saitama lunged forward with one arm like a spear aimed straight at Raikage A's chest, only to have it halted mere centimeters from impact, unable to push forward even an inch.
There, Raikage A extended both hands, his arms bulging with muscles twisting like iron clamps locked tightly around the limb.
Whoosh!
This time, he didn't waste time trying to overpower Saitama. In the previous exchange, he'd hesitated briefly and ended up struck by Saitama.
So now, the instant he gained control of Saitama's arm, A yanked him forcefully toward himself while sidestepping aside to avoid the sparking Ninjutsu radiating from Saitama's fingertips.
At the same time, he drove his knee upward into Saitama's pulled-in body.
Above the knee, tangible lightning gathered there, roaring with thunderous sonic booms.
Smack!
Saitama wasn't careless. As soon as his arm was restrained, he noticed Raikage lifting his knee. Instantly, his free hand shot upward in front of him before crashing down forcefully with his elbow, clearly preparing to intercept Raikage's incoming strike.
Surrounded by electricity, his elbow became like hardened steel brimming with deadly intent. Though smaller than Raikage A's knee strike, it radiated immense force.
Thud!
Saitama's expression shifted slightly as a numbing sensation traveled up his elbow, though it hardly hindered him. Seizing the opportunity, he exerted extra force trying to break free from Raikage's grip.
With a sharp *shhh* sound, he yanked back his arm and quickly retreated a couple of steps backward, bending slightly to gather momentum, his heels slightly rising.
"Hmph!"
Raikage brought his raised leg back down to where it had initially lifted from, stomping deep into the earth. His other leg instinctively stepped back, carving another deep crater as if pressing into Ephemeral.
Because of that, Saitama had slipped free so easily from Raikage's grasp.
Shshsh!
Without hesitation, Saitama pressed forward again, launching a rapid assault on Raikage.
His elbows, knees, palms, fingertips—all became weapons, radiating massive power wrapped in [Chidori Current]!
This relentless flurry of attacks came swiftly. Bolstered by the sharpened perception of the Sharingan, Saitama temporarily overwhelmed Raikage, forcing him into pure defense while retreating continuously.
Crash! Thud! Crack! Boom!
With every punch landing squarely on target, Saitama fought like a true Kumo warrior—even more so than the Raikage himself. Relying on electric currents to stimulate his cells and enhance his physical abilities, he launched an unrelenting, storm-like offensive.
Wave after wave of attacks continued without end, like an unending tide.
Moreover, each attack represented his absolute peak at that moment!
Saitama didn't worry about chakra or stamina consumption—thanks to Hashirama's cells, he was practically a living perpetual engine. As long as there was a balance in energy expenditure, it was extremely difficult for him to reach the point of exhaustion.
Even machines make mistakes—and Saitama was no machine.
Although Saitama carefully planned each assault, as the frequency of his attacks increased and the Raikage's passive counterattacks quickened, Saitama's strikes became somewhat rushed, revealing small openings.
Therefore, while continuously defending, the Raikage seized this opportunity to launch a direct counterattack against Saitama!
Just then, Saitama raised his knee upward, aiming at the Raikage's abdomen. The Raikage seemed to have been waiting precisely for such an opening, a triumphant smirk spreading across his face as he finally halted his constant backward retreat.
With a sharp 'pa' sound, the Raikage clenched both hands into a massive fist, striking directly at Saitama's knee. Instantly, he extended his leg to block where Saitama's leg descended. Then, with both hands apart, he launched a punch straight into Saitama's chest while grabbing his shoulder simultaneously—a near-perfect counter sequence.
Due to body positioning, Saitama couldn't immediately retaliate; instead, he quickly guarded in front of his chest, enduring the Raikage's strike head-on.
Boom!
Saitama flew backward, his fighting rhythm thus interrupted by the Raikage. Feeling numbness in his arms, his eyes turned extremely serious.
"The real battle begins now!"
After repelling Saitama, the Raikage coldly stared at him, slowly curving his lips into a grin, clearly brimming with fighting spirit. Moreover, his chakra exploded outward from his body like a tangible force.
"Minato Hokage, aren't you going to help him?"
Onoki glanced at Minato, who kept his eyes locked on the battle, speaking with an inexplicable smile on his face.
"I think the Raikage probably wouldn't want anyone interrupting his fight."
Minato forced a smile, flashing his signature grin toward the little old man beside him.
"This Saitama Uchiha truly possesses incredible strength! To actually match the Raikage evenly in terms of speed and power—Konoha is indeed a mysterious place!"
Onoki naturally understood that each Kage had their own pride. Even when facing an opponent as formidable as Saitama, they currently had no intention of joining forces against him unless the enemy were someone like the wielder of the Rinnegan, who might qualify as a threat severe enough to warrant a united response.
As for the strength Saitama demonstrated so far, he was clearly capable of standing on equal footing with these Kage-level individuals, and their attitude toward him wasn't one of contempt either!
Because although Saitama was strong, his power hadn't yet reached a level beyond their reach—so they still held onto the pride of mighty warriors!
"It looks like the Raikage is getting serious!"
Minato Namikaze and the Raikage had fought each other many years ago. Therefore, when he saw the lightning chakra surging all over Raikage's body before tightly clinging to his skin, Minato immediately recognized it as Kumogakure's unique Ninja Taijutsu!
[Lightning Release - Chakra Mode!]
A loud crackling erupted!
Raikage's body surged with thunderous power, churning the air around him into searing turbulence.
[Lightning Body Flicker!]
This was a Body Flicker Technique that could only achieve full power while in Lightning Release Chakra Mode!
As fast as lightning!
Whoosh!
Raikage vanished from his spot. Saitama's pupils contracted sharply, sensing an ominous situation.
Suddenly, the air behind him compressed!
It felt as if a blade had been pressed against his throat!
Chilling dread crept down his spine!
Without wasting a second, three jet-black Tomoe within each of Saitama's eyes began spinning rapidly, connecting with one another.
[Mangekyou!]
Boom!
Saitama opted for the fastest—and safest—solution available!
Activating the Power of the Mangekyou, he summoned Susanoo to provide complete protection for his body from every angle!
At the moment the Dojutsu activated, a layer of white bones instantly materialized, enveloping Saitama within. Chakra continued spreading outward while spiritual energy got consumed continuously, expanding the skeletal structure further until it formed a massive framework several meters tall.
A layer of blue-white electricity arced and danced constantly over the bone structure, forming the outermost layer of defense.
And at this exact moment, Raikage's attack arrived!
Though summoning Susanoo seemed to have taken a long time, in reality, it happened in an instant!
Bang!
Raikage's white figure appeared behind Susanoo, landing a heavy punch straight onto the skeletal frame.
He hadn't expected Saitama to activate a defensive Ninjutsu so quickly. Even if it was just a defensive technique, he believed he could easily shatter it!
In reality, however, sheer speed-enhanced impact alone barely affected Susanoo at all.
The moment Raikage made contact, the current on the skeleton reacted instantly, traveling back along his arm toward his own body in counterattack.
Zzzt!
Raikage's punch failed to do any damage to Susanoo at all and instead suffered retaliation from Saitama. His expression changed abruptly.
Without hesitation, he immediately withdrew from behind Saitama, cautiously hopping backward several times to land nearby. The surface of the fist he'd thrown moments earlier now looked scorched, having actually penetrated through the lightning armor covering his body.
"What is this?"
Minato stared at the skeleton that had suddenly appeared to protect Saitama, flashing a trace of shock and doubt in his eyes. Clearly, he wasn't quite sure what kind of ninja technique this was.
Looking at the horrifying yet eerie skeleton, Minato felt a strong sense of unease—as though witnessing something extremely evil. Although Saitama's Susanoo emitted a sort of 'sacred' white glow, the cursed aura of the Sharingan still clung stubbornly.
"You don't know either, Hokage? This should be a Secret Art used by a member of the Uchiha Clan. I encountered this last time we fought. At that time, it also shocked me quite a bit."
"And your bodyguard seems to know this technique too. It was Shisui who used it against Saitama and saved me!"
Rasa's voice rang out, filled with caution. Although his earlier exertion made him reluctant to confront Saitama directly, he was more than willing to answer Minato's question.
Moreover, seeing that even the Hokage himself, Minato, didn't fully understand all his ninja only fed Rasa's ego. Though he couldn't gain the upper hand politically, gaining recognition in these minor details gave him a satisfying sense of victory.
Minato narrowed his eyes slightly before glancing at Shisui beside him. He hadn't heard about this matter from Shisui before—or rather, Shisui hadn't explained it clearly last time.
It was indeed Shisui who had rescued Rasa previously, and now the Kazekage was claiming that Shisui also knew this technique.
This move didn't seem to resemble any elemental release techniques. Could it be a dojutsu ability unique to the Uchiha Clan?
Did Shisui withhold information because it wasn't the right time to reveal everything back then?
Minato processed this info fast and didn't doubt Shisui at all.
Back then, the Third still showed up around the village from time to time. It only made sense for Shisui, as an Uchiha ninja, to exercise caution.
"Hokage-sama, this is a dojutsu ability of the Uchiha Clan. Every ninja who develops their Sharingan to its ultimate state can perform this technique! That's why there are almost no records of it in the village."
Meeting Minato's gaze, Shisui held nothing back.
Minato nodded slightly, glancing briefly at the silent figure of Itachi nearby.
"Phew! That was close!"
Saitama exhaled deeply, sweat appearing on his forehead as he looked ahead at the enemy.
The Raikage's sudden surge in power after entering Chakra Mode had caught him off guard. Without entering Sage Mode, he couldn't keep up, so in desperation, he'd chosen this method of defense.
Still, everything was fine—more or less!
[Thud… thud…]
Looking at Saitama's current condition, the Raikage was equally puzzled. His expression serious, he stared at the skeletal structure surrounding Saitama and slightly drew back his fist, channeling lightning chakra into it to accelerate healing.
"A Sharingan ability?"
Noticing the completely different patterns now in Saitama's eyes, and hearing the conversation between Rasa and Minato, the Raikage quickly formed a hypothesis.
"That insane bone armor with crazy defense!"
He fixed his gaze on Saitama, straightening his body fully, clenching his fists tightly across his chest, and gathering power steadily.
[Haaaagh!]
With a sound similar to when Guy uses the Eight Gates Release technique, the Raikage's robe exploded into pieces, falling onto the ground. His muscular frame was now exposed, his bronze-colored skin radiating sheer physical might.
"He really stripped down already?!"
Most of Saitama's attention was momentarily fixed on the Raikage, though his peripheral vision remained alert for others.
His earlier confidence had faded into hesitation—he realized he'd been too cocky and careless.
In one-on-one combat, he wouldn't lose to anyone here—not even if facing two opponents simultaneously. But with so many enemies, he was uncertain how to proceed.
Over there, Shisui Uchiha and Itachi had both activated their Mangekyou, with Shisui even capable of using Susano.
Minato Namikaze with his Flying Thunder God technique, Onoki who wielded Dust Release… none of them were easy opponents!
Although the others hadn't acted yet, during battle he still needed to remain vigilant against them, which stopped him from going all out in combat!
"Kid, do you think I can't do anything to you just because you're hiding over there?"
The Raikage slightly arched his back as arcs of electricity continuously danced across his body, making his muscles firmer and tighter.
His hair, under this state, stood straight up like the Super Saiyan transformation from Dragon Ball, resembling a huge broom atop his head.
"Looks like I have no choice but to use that move. Quickly eliminate some enemies first; let's see if we can stabilize the situation and buy more time!"
Saitama narrowed his eyes. His left eye began emitting a strange glow while blood started gathering beneath his eye socket.
Drop!
Blood dripped from the corner of his eye onto the ground, and he could also feel some ocular power disappearing from within his eye.
Naturally, the Raikage assumed this was the cost of Saitama activating his skeletal ability, resulting in an overused eye. So he didn't look too worried.
Fixing his left eye on the Raikage, Saitama smiled as he poured even more ocular energy into it.
[Amaterasu]!
Without hesitation, he activated the Dojutsu technique residing in his left eye—the so-called strongest flame!
"Watch out!"
However, there were always those unwilling to let Saitama get his way, such as Rasa, who had once been caught in Amaterasu before!
Seeing blood suddenly flow from Saitama's left eye, Rasa inexplicably recalled his own past experience!
That black flame, which could never be extinguished, had burned away his former self and shaped the person he was today!
Since they now shared a common goal, he wouldn't stand by and let the Raikage get hurt or fall into disadvantage.
Therefore, the instant something abnormal occurred with Saitama, Rasa immediately realized what was happening and shouted a warning.
At the same time, he manipulated his Gold Dust, rushing toward the Raikage and raising a protective barrier before him!
Boom!
Almost simultaneously, the moment the Gold Dust rose from the ground, the black flames seemingly flashed into existence from another chamber, landing directly upon the Gold Dust.
"Huh?"
Saitama looked at Rasa and smiled. Rather than showing frustration from having his attack blocked, he seemed only slightly surprised that Rasa would actually go out of his way to assist the Raikage.
Whoosh!
A blur dashed from the side of the Gold Dust wall, rapidly closing in on Saitama!
"Don't get caught by his black flame—it cannot be extinguished unless the object it attaches to is completely burned away!"
Hearing Rasa's warning again, the Raikage—who had seemed somewhat reckless before—nodded as he launched another assault against Saitama.
Shshsh!
Perhaps influenced by Rasa's words, the Raikage, who had been charging straight forward initially, instantly changed his movement pattern into a zigzag course!
Moreover, his speed did not slow down at all due to these evasive maneuvers—it remained almost as fast as when moving straight.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Black flames continuously landed on the ground, yet they kept failing to hit the Raikage himself.
The best opportunity for an attack was actually during the very first attempt.
At that moment, Raikage had no sense of caution at all and never expected that Saitama's dojutsu could be activated in conjunction with eye movement.
However, things took an unexpected turn because of Rasa, which caused Saitama's first attack attempt to completely miss.
[Amaterasu], known as the strongest physical attack, can indeed be manipulated along with sight, but this control isn't instantaneous—it involves a slight delay!
This delay might be hard for most ninja to react to, but Saitama's opponent here is Raikage, a ninja whose speed is only slightly slower than Minato Namikaze, the master of the Flying Thunder God technique!
"This flame..."
Onoki and Minato Namikaze looked upon the golden sand particles tainted by the black flames, their brows furrowing.
Watching the gold dust gradually disintegrate into nothingness and vanish into thin air, they finally understood the true meaning behind Rasa's earlier warning—"Be careful."
"Is this also a dojutsu?"
Onoki murmured softly, deep in thought. It felt somewhat similar to his Dust Release—the difference being that one wiped things out instantly, while the other slowly consumed them into nothingness.
Whoosh!
A white clay bird appeared above, circling in the sky—it was Deidara, Onoki's student!
Although Deidara escorted Onoki to the Five Kage Summit, he didn't go with Akatsuchi into the actual meeting since his personality simply wasn't suited for such formalities.
Instead, Deidara remained at their inn, researching his clay bombs.
Not long ago, a tremendous explosion startled him. Realizing it came from the meeting site the old man had told him about, he rushed over right away.
Looking down from above, he spotted Saitama—wearing an Akatsuki cloak and possessing a skeletal-like body. Though unfamiliar, the two enemies he'd fought before left a deep impression on him, so he did not underestimate Saitama.
After confirming the old man was safe, Deidara didn't descend immediately; instead, he stayed airborne at a safe altitude, observing the two combatants below.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>