As expected, the Kumogakure forces were fully prepared.
"The one at the center, up front…" Hyuga Zensuke was the first to notice, pointing out the enemy with the strongest chakra.
"I see him." Danzo nodded grimly, leading the group as they faced off against their Raikage.
It didn't even take Byakugan—everyone present could immediately identify the Raikage's position.
At the same time, Danzo felt the faint lock of an enemy's gaze.
Raikage A erupted with an intense electric charge, his body a blur as he shot straight toward Danzo.
"As I expected. Perfect." Danzo's body became surrounded by Wind-Style chakra.
"Stay back. Don't interfere." He broke away from the group, moving with surprising agility despite his seemingly frail appearance.
The contrast between Danzo's nimble movements and the Raikage's ferocious charge was stark.
"Rasengan."
As the two were about to collide, a blue sphere began forming in Danzo's hand.
The Raikage's eyes narrowed. Sparks intensified across his body as his speed increased further.
Boom!
Clang... zzt... clash... clang clang...
Two blurred figures crossed paths. The Raikage narrowly evaded the Rasengan and struck Danzo's wrist, sending the Rasengan flying before it exploded.
The two blurred figures clashed again, faster than any of the surrounding shinobi could follow.
"This… is the difference between us and Kage-level shinobi?" The bitter tone was filled with frustration, envy, and a touch of jealousy.
Ikawa Kamimi, a Jonin, couldn't help but feel the enormous gap after witnessing another Kage-level battle.
"A Kage will always be someone you can only look up to. Woman…" A scoffing voice cut through the air. Kamimi didn't need to turn to know who it was. She ignored Pakura standing beside her and continued observing the battle.
The air suddenly grew hotter.
"Pakura, stop. Danzo-sama will be angry," Uchiha Itachi warned softly.
The heat in the air gradually subsided.
In just five minutes, the two combatants had already exchanged over 30 blows.
The Raikage's clothes were torn in several places as though lashed by a whip, yet his body remained unscathed.
They now stood apart, each studying the other intently.
Danzo had to admit that his usual advantage in Taijutsu was ineffective against the Raikage. He had narrowly dodged a punch earlier and could tell the Raikage was faster, with strength on par with his own.
His Rasengan couldn't land a hit, and even the Wind, which did strike, couldn't break through the Raikage's defenses.
The Raikage fought much like him—once he got a grip on his opponent, he wouldn't let go.
Yet the Raikage himself was just as surprised. Their clan's style was built on Taijutsu, and Danzo was the first enemy capable of standing toe-to-toe with him.
Not even Minato Namikaze had dared to engage him head-on like this.
The Raikage exhaled deeply and halted his relentless Taijutsu barrage, leaping backward.
He locked eyes with Danzo.
"So, you're Konoha's only elder. Strong, I'll give you that. But today, you're staying here. That's the price for underestimating the Kage of a village."
Electricity crackled fiercely around him.
"Gah…" A distorted expression crossed the Raikage's face as a pained groan escaped.
The wild charge of electricity extended to the surrounding grass, causing it to stand on end. Random bolts occasionally struck the ground.
"Kage of a village, huh?" Danzo quipped, unfazed by the Raikage's build-up. He struck first.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave Barrage."
Danzo wasn't just skilled in Taijutsu.
A series of high-pressure wind streams shot toward the Raikage, cutting through the air like water jets.
The Raikage's speed ramped up again, allowing him to narrowly dodge the barrage as it sealed off the area around him.
Danzo frowned. That speed…
He studied the Raikage's unstable lightning and twisted expression.
This feels like a forbidden technique, similar to the Eight Gates.
Suddenly, a scream erupted from the Kumogakure side—a shinobi had been hit by Danzo's stray attack, throwing them into disarray.
"Damn it…" The Raikage glared at Danzo, his teeth clenched in rage. Danzo could see blood on his teeth—whether from the forbidden technique or sheer fury was unclear.
"That was an accident. Believe me or not, it's up to you." Danzo formed a series of hand signs.
His instincts flared. He kicked off the ground to dodge left just as the bandage over his right eye disintegrated, revealing his Sharingan.
The Raikage had somehow closed the distance, now right next to him.
A backhand punch, the bracer on the Raikage's arm slicing through the air, skimmed past Danzo's ear, the static causing his hair to stand on end.
So fast… That almost took my head off. His speed had clearly doubled from earlier. He'd been holding back during the first exchange.
A follow-up hook shot toward Danzo's chest before he could regain his balance.
Though Danzo's Sharingan could track the attack, his body couldn't move fast enough to dodge. He also felt a faint numbness from the Raikage's lightning aura.
"Rasengan."
Danzo formed a partially complete Rasengan in both hands, using it to block the incoming fist.
Boom! The half-formed Rasengan exploded between them, churning the ground as if it had been tilled.
Danzo flew backward but managed to land gracefully with Wind-Style chakra assisting him. His clothes, however, were in tatters just like the Raikage's.
He studied the Raikage, whose face was twisted further by chaotic lightning as he stabilized his chakra.
"That… was way too close," Danzo muttered, exhaling slowly.
He felt the tremor in his hands from the Rasengan explosion.
That speed rivaled Space-Time Ninjutsu. If I'd taken that hit to the head, I'd be dead—or worse.
The Raikage's eyes were locked on Danzo's now-exposed Sharingan.
That red Three-Tomoe Sharingan… It must have caught my second strike.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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