Facing the dense Konoha army, Ai looked on with disdain.
"This is so annoying. I should just storm into Konoha and take the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki myself!"
Everyone knew that every generation of Raikage had a short temper.
They were the embodiment of brute force—overwhelmingly strong but easily provoked.
Although Ai was not Raikage yet, he already carried the presence of the Third Raikage.
After all, his father was a warrior who dared to fight tens of thousands of Iwagakure ninjas alone.
"Lord Ai, please calm down!"
"We still don't know Lei Xiao and the others' whereabouts. If you rush in like this, it could be dangerous."
A female Jōnin standing beside Ai quickly tried to dissuade him.
She wasn't joking—although Konoha's forces weren't as massive as tens of thousands of shinobi, there were still thousands of them.
If Ai charged in recklessly, even if he could take down a thousand enemies, it would still be a huge risk.
After all, Ai was the next Raikage.
He carried the future of the Hidden Cloud Village on his shoulders.
"Tch, what a hassle."
Ai clicked his tongue in frustration.
To him, things were simple—go in, take what he wanted, and if a fight broke out, he'd just beat down whoever stood in his way.
Running away? That was never an option.
Suddenly, a golden light flickered across the battlefield.
The female Jōnin's expression changed.
Something was wrong.
As expected, the moment Ai saw the golden flash, his body erupted with lightning.
Lightning Style: Chakra Mode—Activate!
Unlike Lei Xiao's version, Ai's Lightning Chakra shrouded his entire body like an impenetrable armor.
This technique, known as Lightning Release Armor, heightened his reflexes and speed to their absolute limit.
His cells were being stimulated to the max, filling his body with explosive power.
"There! The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki!"
With a thunderous boom, the hill beneath Ai shattered, and he shot forward like a bolt of lightning!
On Konoha's side, the Hyūga clan's Byakugan users had already spotted him.
"Cloud Shinobi forces are advancing at high speed!"
A Hyūga ninja shouted.
"His speed is incredible! Judging by his chakra, it's Ai—the next Raikage!"
A serious expression crossed Akamichi Takekaze's face.
If it were anyone else, it wouldn't be a big problem.
But Ai...
His speed was on an entirely different level.
Gripping his massive iron staff, Takekaze's voice was cold and firm:
"Stop him at all costs!"
"Yes, sir!"
Under his command, a large number of Konoha shinobi swarmed forward to intercept Ai.
Of course, Cloud Shinobi wouldn't stand by idly.
"Protect Lord Ai!"
"Understood!"
In an instant, a full-scale battle erupted!
The once-quiet forest turned into a chaotic battlefield.
Lightning flashed among the trees.
Ai, enveloped in blue lightning, sneered.
"With that slow speed, you're not even worthy of carrying my shoes!"
His speed was monstrous.
But it wasn't just his speed—his physical strength and endurance were just as terrifying.
Any ninja who tried to engage him was instantly knocked out in a single blow.
He was like an unstoppable blade, slicing through Konoha's ranks straight toward the village's heart.
"Stop him!"
Konoha shinobi threw themselves into battle without hesitation.
But against Ai, they were nothing more than obstacles.
"Lariat!"
Electricity crackled violently as Ai drove his elbow forward, releasing an immense surge of lightning.
The attack shattered the kunai of an approaching shinobi, sending him flying backward in an instant!
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"
A row of massive earth walls rose to block Ai's path.
But they were useless.
His Lightning Armor tore through them as if they were paper!
"Ninja Art: Expansion Jutsu!"
Finally, Akamichi Takekaze stepped in.
His body expanded dozens of times in an instant, transforming him into a titan.
Raising a fist the size of a boulder, he swung it down at Ai like an unstoppable avalanche!
A normal person would've dodged in the face of such overwhelming force.
But Ai was different.
He never dodged.
All he did was charge forward—like an unbreakable spear, ready to pierce through anything in his path.
The stronger his opponent, the more excited he became!
Lightning gathered around his arm, compressing into an electric axe of raw power.
"Lightning Release: Lateral Bolt of Pain!"
With a single strike, Ai's electrified blade clashed against the giant fist.
Thunder roared as lightning surged in all directions, illuminating the battlefield in a dazzling glow.
The ground beneath Ai's feet shattered into rubble.
But Ai simply grinned.
"You've lost."
With an overwhelming force, his Lightning Blade sliced through Takekaze's massive fist!
Blood splattered like a torrential downpour.
Takekaze staggered back, his face darkened.
Even with the boost from Expansion Jutsu, he was overpowered in raw strength.
Ai smirked.
Reckless as he was, he still had battle awareness.
Defeating Akamichi Takekaze wasn't his priority.
His real goal was Kushina.
"I don't have time to play with you."
With terrifying speed, Ai bypassed Takekaze and charged straight toward Kushina!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks to [Ethan] for joining my Patreon page!🎉 Your support means the world to me. 🙏
You can visit my Patreon page:
Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel
I upload 2 chapters daily on Patreon!
There are 50+ advanced chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.