At the edge of the charred, giant crater, the sole of the Raikage's boot crushed a still-smoldering wood chip. His gaze swept across the battlefield, settling on the unnatural objects on the ground.
Scattered within the crater were several special kunai.
Engraved on the blades were similar yet distinct formula markings. It was the symbol that enemy ninja once feared most on the battlefield, the shadow cast upon the entire ninja world by that blond man—the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"...To think that after the Yellow Flash's death, someone else could learn such a troublesome jutsu!"
A dark figure stood silently on the ruins. Menma balanced on one foot on a broken tree pillar, casually tossing a Flying Thunder God kunai in his hand.
"It's the number one most difficult Space-Time Ninjutsu, yet you actually charged in here all by yourself?" his voice, laced with lazy mockery, came from behind the mask. "Should I call you confident or arrogant?"
"Cut the crap!!"
The instant the Raikage's roar exploded, his figure had already transformed into a blinding streak of lightning! Lightning Release Taijutsu: Guillotine Drop!!
He raised his elbow high and brought it down like a battle-ax, the air screaming under the brute force and lightning chakra. This single blow was enough to pulverize a mountain.
But it hit nothing.
Menma's figure dissipated like a phantom an instant before the Raikage made contact. The Raikage's nerves tensed, his eyes darting, tracking the position of every kunai.
Left? Right? Front? Back?
"Here!"
The Raikage's instincts suddenly flared! He roared, his body erupting in lightning once more. "Liger Bomb!!"
He charged in the direction where Menma had just reappeared! But just as he lunged, a smirk played on Menma's lips, and he suddenly tossed the kunai in his hand high into the air.
The Raikage's muscle memory was faster than his thoughts. If the kunai is thrown up, the enemy must teleport into the air! His charging trajectory twisted unnaturally, the lightning streaking towards the sky like a rising dragon—however, the sky was empty.
"Crap...!"
The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. A low, cold laugh came from under the mask, right beside the Raikage's ear. "You rely too much on 'prediction,' Raikage."
"Spiraling Ring."
The inky black chakra sphere exploded against the Raikage's back. The warping force of the spatial collapse tore cracks in his Lightning Release Armor. Intense pain and the blast wave sent the Raikage flying, his body crashing into the ruins and kicking up a cloud of dust and smoke.
"Cough...!"
The Raikage pushed himself up from the rubble, a trickle of blood escaping the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away, his Lightning Release Armor flaring up again, the fighting spirit in his eyes growing even more ferocious.
"Excellent! The Flying Thunder God Technique!!"
The battle with Minato Namikaze that was cut short...! His fists clenched, and his lightning chakra surged once more. "Right here, right now, answer my question!!"
Who is truly the fastest in the ninja world?!
Swoosh—!
Menma's figure vanished like a ghost. The next second, he appeared behind and to the side of the Raikage, the Spiraling Ring in his hand mercilessly smashing towards the Raikage's spine.
The Raikage's reaction was terrifying. The instant the Spiraling Ring made contact, his body transformed into a blinding streak of lightning, shifting several meters to the side and narrowly avoiding the fatal blow.
BOOM—!
The Spiraling Ring missed, exploding a ten-meter-wide crater in the ground. The aftershock of dark chakra spread out like ripples, making the very air tremble.
"Tsk, you're pretty quick to dodge," Menma's mocking voice came from under the mask.
The Raikage didn't respond. His eyes were locked on Menma, the arcs of his Lightning Release Armor crackling, his muscles heating up from the high-speed movement.
The black phantom and the streak of lightning continuously weaved across the battlefield. Spiraling Rings exploded in the crater one after another. Having learned his lesson, the Raikage no longer charged recklessly, instead focusing on evading Menma's attacks.
After a short period of fighting, the Raikage came to a conclusion. This guy... is different from Minato Namikaze!
Minato's Flying Thunder God was more elegant, like a golden flash weaving a tapestry of death on the battlefield. But the Menma before him... his fighting style was cruder, more sinister!
"Don't get too cocky, brat!"
The Raikage stomped the ground, which cracked under the immense force. His figure shot towards Menma like a cannonball, lightning chakra gathering at his fist.
"Heavy Strike!"
Menma didn't dodge, simply tossing a Flying Thunder God kunai lightly into the air—
Swoosh!
The Raikage's fist passed through an afterimage, and Menma's real body appeared in mid-air, a new inky black Spiraling Ring forming in his hand.
"It's useless. No matter how fast you are... you can't beat 'instantaneous movement'."
The battle gradually turned into a one-sided war of attrition.
The Raikage's speed was indeed unmatched in the ninja world. His Lightning Release Armor pushed his explosive power and reaction time to the limits of humanity. But Menma's Flying Thunder God... was not in the realm of "speed" at all.
This wasn't a competition of who was faster... but who was closer to the "finish line"!
The Raikage's breathing became ragged, the chakra consumption of his Lightning Release Armor far exceeding his expectations. Every charge, every dodge, was rapidly draining his stamina. And Menma... was still completely at ease.
BOOM—!
Another Spiraling Ring exploded beside the Raikage. Although he managed to avoid it, the aftershock of the blast still tore through his Lightning Release Armor's defense, leaving a bloody gash on his shoulder.
Damn it...!
The Raikage gritted his teeth. The fighting spirit in his eyes had not diminished, but the fatigue in his body could no longer be ignored. His wounds were increasing, and the glow of his Lightning Release Armor was gradually dimming.
And Menma... was still as elusive as a ghost.
"Want to keep going, Raikage?"
Menma's voice came from all directions. The Flying Thunder God kunai were scattered all over the battlefield; his figure seemed to be everywhere at once.
The Raikage was panting, the arcs of his lightning armor flickering weakly. His gaze swept around, finally settling on Menma's true body.
"Don't look down on me...!"
He slammed his chest, and his lightning chakra erupted once more! "I am... the Raikage!!"
However, something unexpected happened.
"No, I don't want to fight anymore."
Menma's voice suddenly rang out, like a bucket of cold water poured onto the heated battlefield.
The Raikage's muscles even tensed for a moment. He stared at Menma, a storm brewing in his mind. What is this guy saying?
He has the upper hand. If this drags on, I'll be the one to lose... Why is he stopping?
The Raikage's words were still tough, a cold snort escaping his throat. "What, scared?" But his nerves were stretched even tighter. Years of combat instinct told him something was wrong.
Menma didn't answer immediately. His gaze from under the fox mask swept over the Raikage, then past him to Konoha in the distance. The silence descended like an invisible pressure, slowly enveloping the battlefield.
"You seem to have misunderstood something."
Finally, Menma spoke, a hint of an imperceptible weariness in his voice. He raised a hand slightly. "I don't want to fight anymore—not that I can't fight, but that I want to end this battle."
As he finished speaking, he clenched his five fingers into a fist!
BOOM—!!!
Violent wind-style chakra suddenly erupted! The air was instantly compressed into a visible hurricane. The ground cracked, and rubble was swept into the air, turning into a deadly barrage! The Raikage's lightning armor hummed under the wind pressure. He dug his feet deep into the ground, plowing two furrows, but for once, he didn't charge, instead holding his ground firmly.
This isn't right.This Wind Style isn't for attacking, but... for restricting my movement?
The Raikage's instincts screamed at him. He looked up and saw Menma's figure floating in mid-air, his black robe whipping around, his right palm facing up, where a mass of inky black energy was gathering at a terrifying rate.
It was no longer a Spiraling Ring.
The chakra density was far greater than before. The surrounding air distorted from the energy overload, even faintly tearing into small spatial rifts. Just looking at it made one's eyes sting.
"Great Spiraling Ring. Don't die on me, Raikage."
-------
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