"Raikage-sama, are we heading straight back?"
Darui gazed at Raikage's back and noticed that the latter hadn't slowed his pace even slightly. He couldn't help but think this whole outing had been a bit impulsive.
"Hn, straight to B. I'm somewhat worried about him. As you know, Akatsuki has already made their move. Although B is powerful, the enemy is strong too—they might overwhelm him."
Raikage spoke in a calm voice. If they rushed straight to Raikō Ravine at full speed, perhaps they could arrive in time or at least find some abnormalities that might delay the enemy's progress.
"If Akatsuki members are all like the one we just encountered..."
Darui felt concerned. Saitama's strength had left a deep impression on him, stirring quiet anxiety within.
"Saitama Uchiha's strength places him among the strongest in Akatsuki. You heard what the other Kage said just now as well—many Akatsuki ninja have already been exposed. Though their abilities are strange and surpass average jonin, none of them reach Saitama Uchiha's level! Although we've lost our reinforcement, there's no need to be overly concerned."
Raikage comforted his guard. Darui possessed exceptional talent. He inherited his father, the Third Raikage's legacy, at a very young age and is now the only user of Black Lightning left in Kumogakure. He had even developed both Lightning and Water Release to an extreme level, thereby mastering Storm Release.
[Storm Release—a rare fusion of Lightning and Water Release] Not only did it possess the devastating power of Lightning Release, but also the fluid transformation ability of Water Release. It was hailed as a powerful kekkei genkai with "guidance functions," effectively compensating for Lightning Release's difficulty in control, making it an outstanding bloodline limit.
In Saitama's previous life, Madara Uchiha had also used Storm Release in battle after becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki and mastering Six Paths Senjutsu. Its power was truly incredible.
Darui had many good qualities, but he had one major flaw that particularly annoyed Raikage A—he always seemed lazy and indifferent, displaying a "troublesome" attitude completely opposite to most Kumo ninja.
"Well then, I hope there aren't any serious issues with B's side."
Darui rolled his eyes slightly. His usual stoic expression betrayed nothing, but Raikage—who knew him well—could hear the sincerity beneath his words.
In this aspect, Raikage understood Darui completely. Though he usually gave off a "lazybones" vibe, at crucial moments, he remained the most reliable subordinate by Raikage's side!
"That would be best. I'll pick up the pace!"
Raikage nodded slightly before accelerating again, dashing forward like a lightning bolt shaped human.
As ninja from Kumogakure, their physical condition ranked highest among shinobi nations. Because of their existence of Ninja Taijutsu techniques, they moved significantly faster than other ninja during travel.
This was one of the reasons they were able to stand as equals against Konoha. Unfortunately, Konoha was favored by the Shinobi World—it always seemed to produce new geniuses who kept Kumo under control.
...
The closer they approached the Land of Lightning, the more dramatic environmental changes appeared around them. Towering rock forests became increasingly common while the air grew extremely dry.
The rock formations here were vastly different from those in the Land of Earth. While the Land of Earth mostly consisted of earthen mounds and wind-eroded layers, this place was filled with towering natural pillars that seemed to rise endlessly, as if countless donuts had been stacked on top of each other.
Moreover, the dry air made the free-floating electric currents in the atmosphere extremely active. In the distant sky, thunder rumbled from time to time, creating a strangely wondrous sensation.
Iron Country lay along the coastal region above the Land of Fire, and also below the Land of Lightning, not far at all in distance.
Though concern weighed on him, Raikage forced himself to stay calm and sort through everything that had happened.
After being attacked by Saitama, he had briefly felt anger, which caused him to overlook many key points. Now, after leaving that place and heading toward Raikō Ravine, he had cooled down sufficiently to reflect deeply.
The current threat was this: the Akatsuki Organization was trying to capture all the Tailed Beasts. Then they planned to "cleanse" the entire Shinobi World, building an ideal realm envisioned by the Rinnegan-wielding ninja.
This was a compiled intelligence report pieced together from what various encountered Akatsuki members had revealed, and it had become the greatest point of conflict between the Hidden Villages and the Akatsuki.
Such "cleansing" was something no Hidden Village wished to see—it was their most troubling issue.
According to Hokage Minato's earlier description of the cleansing scale, the Five Great Villages seemingly would no longer exist within the Shinobi World. Of course, this didn't mean they would be completely wiped out, but rather "disbanded" by the Akatsuki's enigmatic leader.
If any other terrorist group had dared say such things, they'd be wiped off the face of the ninja world by the next morning.
But Akatsuki was different—based on the current trend, the other side really might achieve this "ideal" goal.
After all, they had already collected most of the Tailed Beasts from across the various villages, gaining tremendous strategic power. This directly threatened the villages that had once possessed Tailed Beasts, shattering the balance maintained in the ninja world for years.
It now seemed clear that their goal went beyond just creating Jinchuriki fighters—they wanted every single Tailed Beast for a specific reason.
As for what that reason was, Raikage had some understanding.
Because of B's strong bond with Eight-Tails Gyuki, he had learned things from the beast that no Hidden Village or clan archive had ever recorded.
Tailed Beasts hadn't always existed—they were all born from a much more powerful "entity." Gyuki itself feared and dreaded this original entity greatly, knowing little about it.
Gyuki had only told B that the Akatsuki intended to resurrect this legendary "entity," thereby achieving their ultimate goal. It also mentioned that a crucial requirement was obtaining another legendary item—the Rinnegan.
Before attending the Five Kage Summit, Raikage hadn't seriously considered that Akatsuki was actually trying to revive the entity described by Gyuki. However, upon arriving here and learning that the Akatsuki indeed had someone possessing the Rinnegan, everything suddenly connected clearly in his mind.
Now, with such a powerful and malicious organization revealing its fangs to everyone, it was only natural that they could not allow it to continue existing.
The key to resisting them lay in the two Tailed Beasts still residing within the Five Great Villages.
Thinking about this, Raikage A felt even more worried about Killer B. He almost wanted to slap himself for not taking the threat seriously and sending B directly to Raikō Ravine to train alone until the dust from Saitama's attack settled.
In his mind, no one had ever dared to intrude upon the Land of Lightning, let alone approach Raikō Ravine—so close to Kumogakure.
Yet as he reflected further, the more he realized how arrogantly overconfident he had been.
The only somewhat reassuring factor was that B was not like Yugito—still young and in a vulnerable position. When fully unleashed, B's strength should be no less than his own as the Raikage. It would be nearly impossible for the enemy to take B away without causing noticeable disturbance, and the village should have been able to respond accordingly.
Back then, Mabui had already voiced concerns about stationing B at Raikō Ravine. She would most certainly take care of the fallout from what would clearly be just another one of this Raikage's occasional poor decisions—an all-too-familiar part of her duties as his long-time secretary.
After considering all of this, the Raikage gradually regained his calm expression, though his speed never slowed.
And the previous Five Kage Summit had also laid down preliminary foundations for cooperation, establishing general strategies and policies for dealing with their future enemies.
However, there still lacked a concrete standard regarding how much each village should contribute.
Logically speaking, Akatsuki was merely an organization; if the Five Great Villages gathered together all their top-tier fighters, the problem should be easily resolved.
But during the meeting, Onoki and others had suggested mobilizing massive forces, deploying the main armies to crush Amegakure using overwhelming power from across the Shinobi World.
According to their explanation, this was about demonstrating momentum: achieving objectives quickly while simultaneously intimidating the entire shinobi world, warning those lurking in the shadows who likewise intended to destroy the Hidden Village system to abandon their ambitions.
Of course, the proposal hadn't yet been decided upon when Saitama's attack came unexpectedly, interrupting the summit. Yet one thing remained clear:
"Whoever dares to lay a hand on Kumogakure must be ready to face our wrath!"
Gazing forward toward a flash of lightning, Raikage A maintained his usual composed expression as he continued rushing ahead. His upper body was completely exposed due to having torn off his clothing during his earlier battle with Saitama, revealing tightly-packed, solid muscle rippling with motion as he ran.
Interestingly enough, although there were many masters of Taijutsu throughout the shinobi world, none possessed bulging muscular builds quite like Raikage A.
On the other hand, someone like Guy, who solely specialized in Taijutsu and had brought it close to perfection, remained surprisingly lean, with no particularly prominent muscle groups.
Of course, it could simply come down to different training philosophies. But what really baffled onlookers was that despite his enormous physique, Raikage A's burst speed hadn't slowed—not compared to Guy's. In fact, some believed it might even outpace him. That was one of the great mysteries of the shinobi world.
Zzzzt! Zzzzt! Zzzzt!
Saitama leaped from rock to rock, pressing forward relentlessly. He had been tailing the Raikage the entire time, using his extraordinary sensor ability to keep track of the two ahead.
He hadn't made his move yet because he was still too close to the Land of Iron. If he was going to ambush Raikage A again, he needed to make sure no one would interfere.
Thus, he kept following the Raikage deep into the territory of the Land of Lightning, pushing further in without pause.
As he ran, he narrowed his eyes slightly, monitoring the movements of the Raikage and the other person up ahead.
This area was already deep within the Land of Lightning. Continuing onward would soon bring him into Kumogakure's sphere of influence, where any confrontation would carry great risk. This place would be his best chance to strike.
Although both were users of Lightning Release and the terrain gave them some advantage, Saitama didn't believe he'd lose against the Raikage and the next Raikage, who had not yet fully matured.
From the Land of Iron to here, he had gone much deeper than expected, but he still underestimated how fast the Raikage moved—or perhaps just how determined he was to rescue his younger brother.
It seemed like the Raikage was accelerating more and more with each step, rushing madly in one direction.
Now that he had decided to attack, Saitama silently increased his speed.
Locking onto the two glowing blue figures within his sights, Saitama glanced at the surrounding environment—a vast open space surrounded by towering stone pillars, perfect for battle.
An open battlefield would let the Raikage charge freely—but it also gave Saitama the perfect stage to push his limits. Both were masters of Lightning Release; there was no way around it but to face each other directly.
Once he made up his mind, Saitama ceased hiding his presence. A brilliant layer of chakra surged from his body, electrifying every cell and dramatically boosting his speed.
Rushing toward the Raikage within his sights, Saitama wore a wide grin, clearly thrilled.
The Raikage's fighting style was extremely similar to his own, and when it came purely to Lightning Release, they were evenly matched. Without considering Mangekyou, Wood Release, or Sage Art, Saitama might even be at a disadvantage against the Raikage.
And facing a truly formidable opponent like that was exactly what got him fired up.
Though on opposing sides, the bond between powerful warriors remained intense.
Challenging a legendary figure universally seen as the apex of Lightning Release in the Shinobi World, Saitama could identify his own shortcomings and discover directions for future improvement. Though he now stood at the same level as the Five Kages, such strength alone wasn't enough for him to look down upon the entire ninja world or reach his ultimate goal. So continuing to grow stronger was naturally something he desired.
As Saitama accelerated and openly revealed his presence, the distance between himself and the Raikage rapidly closed until they were only hundreds of meters apart.
Seemingly sensing something, the Raikage suddenly halted mid-step and sharply turned his head back.
What he saw was Saitama rushing forward, clearly displaying unmasked determination on his face.
"Didn't expect you'd actually dare to chase after me—do you take me for a pushover?"
Raikage halted abruptly with a swish, then turned to look at Saitama Uchiha. He felt somewhat surprised by Saitama Uchiha's presence here. While he had anticipated that someone like Saitama Uchiha wouldn't back off easily when he left, there were so many Kages present, including two clearly at the lower end of the Five Kages — Rasa and Ameyuri Ringo. And yet, Saitama Uchiha still chose him.
It was somewhat unexpected, but upon reflection, it made perfect sense.
Minato mastered the Flying Thunder God technique — there was no way to keep him pinned down if he didn't want to stay. Though Raikage himself was fast, he couldn't match Minato's ability to instantly teleport using techniques like the Flying Thunder God.
Both he and Minato needed to return quickly to support their respective jinchūriki. Meanwhile, Saitama Uchiha, as a member of the Akatsuki Organization, only needed to stall for time, giving his comrades ample opportunity to deal with the jinchūriki.
So between Minato and himself, naturally he was the easier target to pursue. Though he hated to admit it, Raikage figured all this out in no time.
But what Saitama Uchiha probably never considered was...
Raikage hugged his chest while the two large golden bracers on his wrists gradually glowed brighter.
Initially confused about Raikage's behavior, Tarui followed Raikage's gaze backward and soon spotted a nimble figure shrouded in arcs of electricity leaping between stone pillars, rapidly approaching them.
After focusing closely, he recognized it immediately — Saitama Uchiha, who had previously caused chaos during the Five Kage Summit before being repelled. Now, it seemed like he'd regrouped and come forward again.
How did he chase over here?
Hadn't he sustained injuries from the Tsuchikage earlier and chosen to retreat?
What kind of situation is this?
Though filled with doubts, Tarui quickly adjusted his mindset, stepping beside Raikage and abandoning his usual "slacker" attitude, now fully alert.
This enemy had maneuvered freely even among the Five Kages, while currently they only had two people — himself and Raikage — which seemed comparatively disadvantageous compared to their previous lineup in the Land of Iron.
"Raikage-dono, you should head to Raikō Ravine first. I'll hold him off here."
Chewing hard on the piece of grass root in his mouth, Tarui slowly swallowed it before speaking to Raikage.
He looked serious, like he'd really thought it through before making the call. Naturally, he didn't think he alone could defeat Saitama Uchiha. However, confident in his formidable strength, he did believe he could effectively delay him.
Now that Saitama Uchiha came chasing after us, he's probably trying to keep slowing Raikage down, preventing Raikage from supporting Killer B.
In other words, it looks like the enemy failed the first time around, so now they're throwing Saitama Uchiha into the fight again. Therefore, Raikage shouldn't waste any more time here.
Because maybe Killer B was already locked in a fierce battle right now, where Raikage's participation might just turn the tide!
This was Tarui's resolution — the reason he chose to stay behind on his own accord, buying time for Raikage to reach Raikō Ravine. As for other important matters regarding himself, none required immediate attention at this moment.
This was his moment of rising from the slacker state — and also his Ninja Way.
"Absolutely unnecessary!"
"I'd like to see what other tricks Saitama Uchiha still has up his sleeve to dare chase after me!"
The Raikage radiated overwhelming confidence, completely unshaken by the enemy.
"Hmm? But what about B's situation..."
Tarui sensed something off and cast a worried glance at the Raikage, feeling it unwise to let the Raikage get distracted by minor matters at the expense of more important affairs.
"I know my limits. Besides, you alone wouldn't be able to handle the enemies here. I value your worth as a ninja very much. How could I allow you to come to harm in a place like this?"
The Raikage placed his hand on Tarui's shoulder, speaking each word solemnly and deliberately.
Seeing Tarui hesitate, the Raikage shot a cold glare toward Saitama. "Sometimes I still need to trust my little brother when it comes to things regarding him, because he's long since stopped being the mischievous kid who only knew how to joke around. As for this end, let's work together and bring him down!"
"The sooner we finish off Saitama Uchiha, the quicker we can go support B. This is both a trial for B and for us!"
"If that's how it is, although it might be somewhat troublesome, I'm feeling motivated nonetheless. I am, after all, the man who inherited [Black Lightning] from the Third Raikage and earned his recognition!"
Tarui locked eyes with Raikage A, seeing the determination within, and likewise broke into a smile.
"Hmph."
A flicker of satisfaction crossed the Raikage's face, but his gaze hardened further. Though the words sounded simple enough, everyone understood the difficulty involved without needing further explanation.
"Get ready, here we go!"
The Raikage bent his left leg, extended his right foot half a step backward, then lowered his waist slightly, assuming an offensive stance.
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