The other fighters quickly backed off, eyes locked on the black flames spreading across the ground.
The flames didn't seem to radiate much heat, but anyone touched by even a trace would slowly vanish, completely consumed by fire. Earlier, the gold dust Rasa had used to aid the Raikage had already been completely devoured by these black flames.
"Truly a dangerous kind of flame."
Deidara hovered above, watching the old man and others dodging the black flames, frowning slightly.
He couldn't figure out how the enemy had summoned those flames—they were clearly not a standard Fire Release jutsu.
He felt a chill of fear from those flames—as if even flying high above, he'd be helpless against them.
"Hey, you two over there—don't act recklessly! The enemy is a ninja capable of fighting your own Raikage. Although your strength isn't bad, stepping in might get you killed!"
Onoki shot a glance at Kishi and Tarui, who looked like they were about to jump in, and warned them firmly.
Hearing Onoki's words, the two exchanged glances, seemingly considering.
"Don't you guys even believe in the Raikage's strength yourselves? Although the enemy is strong, the Raikage is no weakling either."
Onoki countered, though his gaze quickly returned to the ongoing battle, focusing particularly on Saitama.
This time, Kishi and Tarui remained silent, arms crossed around their weapons warily watching the fight unfold inside. They had decided that at the first sign of trouble, they would jump in immediately—there was no way they were letting anything happen to the Raikage.
Though they knew the Raikage was strong, judging from the battle, the enemy seemed just as powerful. Worse yet, due to bizarre abilities involved, they appeared to lack crucial intel. Because of this, the Raikage was struggling in the fight.
"Kid, I'll shatter that armor of yours!"
Suddenly, the Raikage flashed into view, arcs of electricity surrounding his powerful muscles, radiating an overwhelming aura.
Saitama had already stopped using Amaterasu. Against someone as fast as the Raikage, his Amaterasu had almost no chance of hitting—activating the Dojutsu required a split-second delay, which made all the difference in this elite-tier battle!
At the sound of the Raikage's voice, Saitama tensed his entire body and turned sharply toward him.
Ocular Power stirred within his eyes. The electric current coating Susano's frame grew more intense, slowly beginning to take shape—almost like forming muscle or armor.
At this point, Susano was still in its early phase, only clearly forming around the ribcage area. While it looked somewhat primitive, its defensive capabilities remained considerable.
[Lightning Beast Pursuit Dance – Thousand-Year Style!]
A thunderous roar erupted from the Raikage's mouth, causing Saitama's eyes to narrow slightly.
He remembered this move!
The Fourth Raikage had used this very technique to smash through Madara Uchiha's initial stage Susano—a taijutsu move of immense power.
And younger versions of A had seemingly used this same attack to sever one of Gyuki's horns?
Without hesitation, Saitama pushed Susano's form further in its evolution. The electricity covering its exterior surged violently, tightly adhering to the skeletal frame. More currents then appeared out of nowhere, filling in the empty spaces along the skeleton like forming flesh, beginning to shift and ripple like real muscle.
But Saitama didn't get the chance to fully activate Susano's defense, as Raikage's attack was already incoming!
Swoosh!
Raikage thrust his left hand forward, channeling a massive surge of lightning chakra into his palm before unleashing a devastating hand strike straight at Saitama's Susano.
The strike seemed simple, yet it carved out a white void in the air—as if ripping through space itself and leaving behind a vacuum zone.
Crack!
Although prepared, Saitama was still stunned by the raw power behind Raikage's strike—the ribcage of his Susano's skeletal frame shattered on impact!
"Hmph!"
Raikage immediately leapt backward after delivering the blow, not lingering for even a second.
Attack—retreat. Done flawlessly.
He had showcased his peak strength and speed—flawlessly executing attack and retreat in a single motion.
Meanwhile, struck head-on, Saitama felt an overwhelming force slam into him, sending him tumbling sideways uncontrollably.
Though he tried resisting, he was ultimately driven straight down into the ground like a meteor, flipping over and throwing up massive chunks of earth from deep below.
The earth cracked violently, spreading outward from where Saitama crashed down, carving deep fissures across the once-flat ground.
"Not bad, Raikage!"
Saitama narrowed his eyes. Most of that attack had been absorbed by Susano, so although he looked somewhat disheveled and had been slammed to the ground, he hadn't actually sustained any injuries at all.
To onlookers, however, it seemed as though Raikage had flattened Saitama in a single blow, seemingly leaving him no chance to retaliate.
Kishi and Darui's eyes lit up slightly, regaining their calm composure.
Indeed, Raikage was still Raikage. Although his defenses had earlier been breached by the enemy, this current display was truly his normal level of strength—the opponent seemingly having no way to counterattack at all.
[Righteous Thunder Roaring Lightning Axe!]
After briefly retreating, Raikage launched himself high into the air, soaring above where Saitama had fallen, then raised his right leg.
"Heh."
Saitama had already been angered by Raikage's previous blow. Seeing him continue attacking now only stirred more rage, his eyes flashing coldly.
"If I don't show my real strength, it seems I'll always be underestimated!"
With that thought, Saitama activated a massive amount of ocular power deep within his eyes. The skeletal frame of his Susano underwent a dramatic transformation—not only instantly mending the damage but evolving even further.
Earlier, to defend against Raikage's attacks, he had reinforced his Susano with a faint muscular outline, but ultimately still failed to stop Raikage's assault.
Now, he increased his output of ocular power even more.
Countless streaks of lightning surged outward from Saitama as they flowed toward his Susano. This time, instead of just fractured bones and a faint muscular outline, his Susano started evolving into a full-fledged form.
Almost instantly, the entire upper half of its body materialized on the spot, encasing Saitama at its very center.
This time, the Susano'o was about ten meters tall. Although it was only the upper half of a body, it appeared mighty and imposing. The entire figure was blue and white in color, with a layer of armor composed entirely of lightning tightly clinging to its form. Its muscles weren't overly bulky, but they exuded a distinct aesthetic appeal. Its head resembled that of a traditional samurai warrior, wearing a tightly-fitted helmet that revealed only one red eye and one blue eye.
The Raikage was already mid-kick. He had noticed Saitama Uchiha's transformation too, but despite feeling slight surprise inwardly, he did not halt his assault. Instead, he poured even more force into his attack, gathering large quantities of lightning and chakra into his leg.
He was supremely confident in his lariat and had no intention of pulling back. Retreat wasn't something his personality allowed.
Swish!
Seeing the Raikage coming, Saitama commanded his Susanoo and immediately swung its arm—a thunderous slash tore through the air.
In its right hand, a blade formed purely from lightning sliced through the air, sweeping toward the airborne Raikage like a massive Chidori shrieking mid-flight.
"What the—?!"
Minato narrowed his eyes, watching the Susano'o suddenly transform into a complete upper body, clearly shocked.
"This ninjutsu is called Susanoo! And this is its second stage. It's not only defensive but can actively launch attacks as well!"
Shisui explained. At full power, he could barely reach this level with his Sharingan, though never this effortlessly.
"Hmm."
Minato nodded slightly. Having served as Hokage for many years, he had seen countless classified documents and vaguely recalled the name of this technique. Yet witnessing it firsthand left him puzzled.
"The Uchiha Clan's Dojutsu is truly incredible. No wonder they were a bloodline family capable of rivaling the Senju Clan during the Warring States era."
Boom!
The Raikage was struck directly by Susano'o's slash. Like a meteor streaking across the sky, he flew sideways without offering the slightest resistance.
From this clash, Saitama claimed ultimate victory—and in a completely dominating fashion!
"Raikage-sama!"
Over there, his two followers changed expressions and immediately leapt toward where the Raikage landed.
"I'm fine!"
The Raikage's voice came from within the rising dust cloud, sounding full of energy at first, then followed by a coughing fit.
Clearly, being hit by Saitama hadn't been easy to handle.
Minato fell into thought when a voice sounded beside him.
"Sensei."
Kakashi, who had not been with Minato until now, approached from the distance and landed next to him, standing alongside the two Uchiha ninja.
Hearing the commotion earlier, he rushed over without hesitation—only to see Saitama send the Raikage flying like a meteor.
"Glad you're here."
Minato gave a slight nod. Previously, due to Kakashi sustaining battlefield wounds, he had left him at the inn to monitor the perimeter while giving him time to recover.
"What exactly is happening here?"
Kakashi looked around, seeing only Saitama—the lone Akatsuki member present—and felt confused.
"Saitama Uchiha suddenly appeared here and attacked us! As for the specific details… Hmm?"
"Minato fell silent mid-sentence, as if struck by a sudden thought, his expression shifting instantly.
He stared solemnly at Saitama within the battlefield, a contemplative look crossing his face.
"I underestimated you, old man! This Konoha Rogue Ninja is no ordinary enemy!"
The Raikage slowly stepped forward, his chest bearing a fresh slash wound that ran diagonally from shoulder to lower abdomen. It had only just been inflicted by Saitama's sword—mere moments ago!
"Saitama, why are you here? What is your true objective? Could it be that Akatsuki has already begun targeting the remaining Tailed Beasts?"
A thought sparked in Minato's mind, though he remained somewhat uncertain. He confronted Saitama directly.
"Huh? Figured it out already?"
Saitama glanced toward Minato without speaking. Instead, he simply commanded Susano to shift its stance slightly and twirled the blade in his hand with several dazzling sword techniques.
"So it seems I was right after all!"
Observing Saitama's silence, Minato felt his unease growing stronger, but he quickly suppressed the feeling and regained his composure.
"Hokage-sama, what's wrong?" Onoki looked toward Minato, puzzled.
"This attack by Saitama Uchiha wasn't just an impulse—it must be part of Akatsuki's carefully planned operation. If he's acting alone here, where are the rest of his Akatsuki comrades..."
Minato shared his suspicions.
"This... The Nine-Tails and the Eight-Tails should still be under village protection, right? Would Akatsuki dare attack the Hidden Villages directly? You're not dealing with some low-tier backwater like Takigakure Village."
Though initially surprised, Onoki soon found this possibility quite plausible.
Akatsuki don't play by normal rules! Furthermore, their strength is formidable—especially since they've acquired the Rinnegan—a legendary dojutsu said to rival divine powers.
"What should we do then? Should we return immediately to reinforce our villages?"
Kakashi turned to his teacher, then cast a complex glance toward Saitama.
"That won't be necessary for now. I've already made arrangements within the village. Let's handle this matter first. This time, we're not letting Saitama walk away!"
Minato turned to face the two Uchiha, his voice growing serious.
"We understand, Hokage-sama!"
Shisui and Itachi exchanged glances, then quickly grasped the hidden meaning behind Minato's words.
"Kid, is what the Hokage says really true?"
Hearing Minato's words, the Raikage grew furious as he glared at Saitama.
Before arriving, he had acknowledged Akatsuki's strength, yet hadn't considered them worthy of Kumogakure's full effort. But after coming here and learning more intelligence, he began worrying about Killer B, whom he'd stationed at Raikō Ravine.
If that enemy wielding the Rinnegan attacked, how much chance did the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki really have?
"What good does your concern do now? While I'm attacking you here, my teammates are already striking the remaining targets."
Since things had reached this point, Saitama no longer hid the truth. If Minato Namikaze wanted to escape, he indeed wouldn't be able to stop him completely. But as for others wanting to go reinforce elsewhere, they'd have to defeat him—kill him—first!
"Dammit!" he growled, clenching his fist.
Raikage's expression darkened. The information imbalance made him feel anxious inside.
He quickly exchanged glances with his two companions and saw that they too were now serious.
"It seems I'll have to step in personally. We absolutely cannot allow both the Nine-Tails and the Eight-Tails themselves to fall into Akatsuki's hands. Only after clearing up this situation here will we be able to offer further assistance. If all Tailed Beasts end up under Akatsuki's control, the future of the Shinobi World will become truly uncertain!"
After careful consideration, Onoki decided to act.
At this point, Saitama was no longer the priority. Everyone's focus shifted toward protecting the other Tailed Beasts.
Although Konoha and Kumogakure were both formidable Hidden Villages, Akatsuki wouldn't act unless they were certain of success. Since that possibility existed, those determined to protect the Tailed Beasts and eliminate Akatsuki absolutely could not allow such a scenario to unfold!
Though Raikage was unquestionably the strongest fighter present, he seemed powerless against enemies protected by Susano. So it became only natural for Onoki to intervene.
No one in the Shinobi World had yet been recorded as capable of resisting Dust Release!
With these thoughts, Onoki began floating upward.
"This is when we start getting serious! I hope their operation goes smoothly too."
With everyone around him growing restless, Saitama felt an overwhelming sense of pressure.
Previously facing just Raikage hadn't been too bad, but now both Tsuchikage and Hokage appeared ready for combat—nearly causing suffocating oppression.
[Dust Release - Original Severing Technique!]
Onoki clasped his hands together, forming a square-shaped transparent barrier between his palms, with a pure white "core" at its center.
"Here it comes!"
Saitama positioned Susano to face Onoki head-on and commanded it to raise both of its arms defensively across its chest, crossing the weapons it held in each hand to block the attack.
Boom!
In the next instant, Onoki silently unleashed his Dust Release straight at Saitama.
That was so like Onoki!
A white, nearly transparent energy wave shot from Onoki's hands directly toward Saitama and mighty Susano.
With a "Bang!" the Dust Release struck Susano squarely, forcing it backward.
Lightning crackled across Susano's surface trying to resist the power of Dust Release, but soon it dissipated into air, followed by the armor and muscles formed from lightning, then finally the skeleton itself...
Even the Second-Stage Susano couldn't withstand the full might of Dust Release, collapsing piece by piece after merely holding firm for one second.
This outcome had fallen within Saitama's expectations. He never intended to rely solely on Susano to endure Onoki's attack—he only wanted it to buy some time.
In an instant, a flash of white light swept through, and Saitama vanished from sight, leaving behind only a long scar carved into the earth by the Dust Release.
This blast tore through the ruins behind him, stretching all the way to the distant mountains, obliterating everything in its path without a trace.
Kakashi and the others gasped in shock. They had heard countless terrifying stories about Dust Release before—but this was the first time they experienced its power up close.
Kakashi had once fought against Iwagakure under Minato's command for several years. Now, seeing Onoki's incredible power, his admiration for his teacher only grew stronger.
Minato-sensei had a unique advantage against Dust Release thanks to the Flying Thunder God Technique. As for Saitama…
Before Kakashi could finish thinking, he realized Minato had already vanished from beside him.
"Huff!"
Saitama appeared next to where he had stood moments ago, panting heavily.
The next second, a yellow flash abruptly appeared beside him—Namikaze Minato!
Boom!
The Rasengan slammed into the ground, creating a massive crater as Saitama disappeared from the spot once again.
"According to plan, Minato should've abandoned this place and returned to defend the village after discovering our target was the Tailed Beasts. So why is he still hanging around here fighting me?" Saitama thought, puzzled as he used Body Flicker to escape the blast zone.
What he didn't know was that Konoha now had more than one practitioner of the Flying Thunder God Technique. There was also Minato's student, Obito Uchiha, who possessed extraordinary space-time abilities.
Because of this, Minato felt relatively confident about Kushina's safety, which led him to decide staying behind to eliminate Saitama.
After using Body Flicker to move away, Saitama reappeared elsewhere—but immediately a blue blur came charging straight at him.
"Die, old man!"
The Raikage's attack came roaring in, chakra surging around his leg as he delivered a devastating kick toward the landing Saitama.
The Raikage's reaction speed had always been astounding. With chakra stimulating his cells, his perception and reflexes were pushed to their peak.
From Saitama's memory, during the Fourth Raikage's fight with Minato, he had used his incredible observation skills to memorize every kunai Minato threw, attempting to strike back the moment Minato activated his Flying Thunder God Technique.
So naturally, detecting Saitama emerging from his Body Flicker Technique wasn't difficult for him.
Noticing the Raikage's attack, Saitama had no time to use Body Flicker or Lightning Cutter again. He raised both arms, channeling Chidori Current over them to block the Raikage's kick.
With a bang, the Raikage's foot slammed into Saitama's arms, sending him flying instantly.
[Magnet Release - Gold Dust!]
Rasa, who had previously resisted Saitama's heavenly crushing blow, launched an attack at this critical moment.
Although he looked somewhat weak, the ninjutsu he unleashed was incredibly powerful.
Since Saitama had been sent airborne by the Raikage's kick, he was now helpless midair. Along his gliding path, Rasa's gold dust surged upward, transforming into sharp spikes aimed directly at him.
Without fear or panic, Saitama knew from the start that accepting this mission meant facing situations like being ganged up on by powerful enemies. His response was simple—give it everything he had.
Time seemed to freeze. Saitama floated just half a meter above the ground, deadly spikes of solidified gold dust rising beneath him and closing in from behind.
In that instant, Saitama took a deep breath!
Countless natural energies began to converge into his body, instantly merging with his innate, unbound chakra and transforming into the required sage chakra.
Shi!
His eyes widened as the Mangekyou pattern shifted once more—the once-inky center slowly gleamed gold, and the Sharingan's eerie intensity deepened into icy menace.
Saitama entered [Snake Sage Art], activating Sage Mode. In an instant, the world itself seemed to shift around him. His control over his body and the world around him surged dramatically—he could even sense the faint resonance of the Gold Dust beneath his feet…
<><><><><><><><>
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
<><><><><><><><>