Giving Nara Shikaku more responsibility was essentially the same as what Hikaru had done back in the Anbu.
If too much authority was concentrated in one person's hands, then every matter would also pile onto that one person. That was absolutely disastrous.
Of course, dividing authority was not always a good thing either.
If power became too diluted, then when a critical moment arrived, it would become impossible to do what needed to be done. Every step would meet resistance, and that would be equally disastrous.
The key lay in control.
That was why Hikaru had given away the right to advise, but still kept the final right of decision firmly in his own hands.
This method was far from perfect. It still had plenty of flaws and hidden problems.
But at least for now, Hikaru could manage it, and he did not need to worry too much about things spiraling out of control.
After leaving the matter to Nara Shikaku, Hikaru no longer had to concern himself with all the messy details. He trusted Shikaku to handle those complications properly.
The only thing Hikaru needed to consider was simple.
Should he personally move tomorrow?
According to Shikaku's judgment, Kumogakure would likely send someone powerful.
In Hikaru's memory, aside from Killer B and the Fourth Raikage, A, he honestly could not remember many truly formidable Kumo shinobi.
After all, the original story had not explained every detail.
Even among Konoha's many jonin, the focus had mostly been on those connected to the main characters.
But just because someone had not been mentioned did not mean they did not exist.
Hikaru understood that very clearly.
After all, plenty of talented people had appeared around him already.
Putting aside saya and Ayame, two female shinobi who had shown excellent ability in the secretarial office, even Nara Shikashiro, whom he had casually pulled over to help handle some affairs, had given him a huge surprise.
So Hikaru no longer underestimated people simply because he had never heard of them.
Likewise, he would not assume someone was weak just because they had never appeared in the original plot.
Besides, strictly speaking, Hikaru himself was the one who should not exist in this world compared to the original timeline.
Since he existed here, it was not strange for this world to have other hidden monsters unknown to the original story.
"If I'm not at ease, I'll go take a look tomorrow. I'm also curious what tricks the Fourth Raikage can still play."
With that thought, Hikaru stopped worrying about other matters.
He casually found a room and went to sleep early.
He knew there were still many things he needed to deal with, such as calming the shinobi in the outpost and compiling reports from the frontline forces.
But after spending so long in the Anbu, he had developed plenty of bad habits. He truly did not have the patience to personally handle everything.
Wasn't the value of subordinates shown precisely at times like this?
At daybreak, Hikaru walked out of his tent with a yawn.
The cold morning wind brushed against him, making his mind sharpen slightly.
After a full night of rest, he felt much better.
The continuous forced march had not placed much strain on his body, but it had been mentally exhausting. Hikaru's pressure had not been small.
And sometimes, mental fatigue was far more unpleasant than physical fatigue.
After stretching lightly, Hikaru quickly washed up, then silently activated his Jōgan.
He had not forgotten what Shikaku said yesterday.
He wanted to see whether the Kumo shinobi would really act that way.
But before that, Hikaru wanted to see what kind of arrangements Shikaku had made.
The moment he looked, a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Not bad."
Hikaru had not expected Shikaku to deliberately weaken the defense in one direction after he went to sleep, while setting many traps there.
In addition, Shikaku had hidden a good number of troops in the barracks near each entrance.
That was clearly to prevent Kumo from choosing a route other than the weakest point.
He had to admit, Shikaku's arrangement was interesting.
No matter which point Kumo attacked from, Konoha's shinobi could reinforce it immediately.
Or they could endure for a while, wait until the Kumo forces entered deeper, then move together and complete the encirclement.
Whether Kumo would cooperate that smoothly was another matter, but making preparations in advance was an attitude in itself.
Clearly, Shikaku had handled everything quite well.
His attitude had been good from beginning to end.
When Hikaru adjusted his vision and swept his gaze into the distance, he soon frowned.
He had discovered Kumogakure's main force.
Not only that, he had even found out who was leading them.
"The Fourth Raikage?"
Hikaru had been thinking yesterday about who might lead the attack.
But according to his original thinking, it did not matter who came. He could simply crush them.
Based on his own judgment, his current strength should have already reached Hashirama Senju's level during the Warring States Period.
At worst, he should not be weaker than Hashirama when he was reincarnated during the Fourth Shinobi World War.
As long as Hikaru was careful not to be stabbed in the back by something ridiculous like a kunai, he would be fine.
With his recovery ability, even if he were stabbed, it probably would not be a serious problem.
But caution was still key.
Even someone as strong as Hashirama, with such terrifying recovery ability, had still died in the end.
Hikaru had no intention of being that unlucky.
His future was bright. There was no need to get himself killed over some meaningless backstab.
Caution first.
That was the principle he had defined for himself.
And the safest way to deal with any opponent was naturally to protect himself first, then destroy the enemy completely.
However, the Fourth Raikage could not be killed yet.
Not because his death would affect the future plot.
In Hikaru's opinion, the plot had long since gone to heaven.
People who should have died were still alive, while people who were supposed to die in the future had already been burned to ashes by him. Even the Impure World Reincarnation could not save them.
If not for the Fourth Raikage needing to build his own prestige in Kumogakure and push Kumo further upward, combined with Minato Namikaze's injury and Hikaru's true strength not being fully exposed, it was hard to say whether Kumo would have dared to provoke Konoha at all.
"Wooo—"
Just then, a deep and resonant horn echoed through the camp.
Along with the horn, countless shinobi rapidly assembled.
Even though some of them still looked half-asleep, they still rushed out quickly, forming squads under their respective captains before disappearing into cover.
Such execution pleased Hikaru greatly.
He stretched his body slightly, listened to the explosions coming from the outer edge of the camp, then walked toward the perimeter.
He could not simply crush the Fourth Raikage yet.
It was not that he lacked the strength.
The time was not right.
But Hikaru was very confident about firmly suppressing the Fourth Raikage and beating him down in front of everyone.
"How's the situation?"
Following the rapidly assembling shinobi, Hikaru soon found Nara Shikaku, who had also just gotten up.
Shikaku looked tired.
There were faint dark circles under his eyes, which made it obvious that he had not rested well last night.
Hikaru had forced everyone to march quickly along the way, and Shikaku was naturally no exception.
Moreover, Shikaku had far more to consider.
Many things along the way had been thought through by him first, then reported to Hikaru.
Even when Hikaru had already made preparations, Shikaku would carefully reconsider everything again.
In a sense, he had been the most exhausted person during this march.
If not for a shinobi's physical foundation, an ordinary person would have collapsed long ago.
"It's Kumo. We still don't know who is leading them, but their impact force is very strong.
"They didn't attack the direction where I deliberately weakened the defense. Instead, they split up and attacked separately to draw our attention. I still don't know where their real target is."
Shikaku quickly explained the current situation.
But he still sounded confident.
No matter where the enemy attacked, the troops he had arranged could reinforce quickly.
Even if they could not arrive immediately, they could still create local numerical superiority and eventually form an encirclement.
"Good arrangement."
Hikaru nodded. Then he sighed softly.
"But Minister Shikaku, the enemy commander is the Fourth Raikage."
"What?"
Shikaku's whole body stiffened.
"Commander Hikaru, how do you know that?"
The deterrence of the Fourth Raikage was enormous.
Or rather, anyone bearing the title of "Kage" carried enormous pressure.
Shikaku did not know the Fourth Raikage's exact strength, but the Third Raikage had left an unforgettable impression on the entire shinobi world.
Once, the only two shinobi in the world who could be called men capable of facing armies alone were Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha.
But after them, the Third Raikage had accomplished another incredible feat.
Even though he had ultimately failed, and even though he might not have killed that many enemies, he had resisted an army alone for three days and three nights.
Who would dare say he was weak?
Who would not feel fear toward that level of power?
The Fourth Raikage was the Third Raikage's son. Even though he and the Eight-Tails jinchūriki had once been forced into a stalemate by the Fourth Hokage, no one could deny his strength.
And now, so many years had passed since then.
There was no way he had not grown stronger.
"I saw him."
Hikaru smiled lightly, but before he could finish speaking, Hyūga Hiashi rushed over.
"Bad news. They forced their way through the first defensive line. They're already inside."
Hiashi wasted no words and continued immediately.
"And the one leading them is the Fourth Raikage!"
"Looks like this is going to be a little troublesome."
Shikaku sighed softly, but his gaze locked onto Hikaru.
Hikaru had discovered the Fourth Raikage even earlier than Hiashi, and he said he had "seen" him.
That made Shikaku deeply puzzled.
How had he seen him?
Did he have something like the Byakugan?
And Hikaru did not look panicked at all. Did he still have some hidden move?
"Minister Shikaku, give the order to handle the Kumo shinobi. Don't let them cause chaos inside the outpost."
Hikaru noticed Shikaku's gaze and smiled.
"As for the Fourth Raikage, leave him to me."
After saying that, Hikaru did not give Shikaku any chance to ask more questions.
In the next moment, he walked directly toward the Fourth Raikage's position.
Shikaku watched Hikaru leave. His mouth opened slightly, but he ultimately closed it again.
He had wanted to ask how Hikaru had seen the Raikage.
But when he looked at the shinobi already assembled around him, he immediately thought for a moment, then issued orders according to Hikaru's request.
Screams were already rising throughout the camp.
He knew it was time for him to act as well.
Hikaru walked forward.
The entire camp had become noisy.
The sound of blades clashing rang out as the battlefield rapidly fell into chaos.
"Over here! Kumo shinobi over here!"
"We have wounded here! Medical squad! Where's the medical squad?"
"I cut him! I wounded a Kumo shinobi! Sensory team, hurry up and find him!"
Voices kept rising through the chaos.
The sounds overlapped, making it difficult to distinguish one from another.
Hikaru did not feel much from the screams.
As an Anbu shinobi, he had heard similar sounds far too many times.
However, this chaotic scene was still his first real experience of a battlefield on this scale.
He had to admit, even a clash of cold weapons on this level was shocking.
But Hikaru's heart had long since grown cold enough.
Although he felt some shock inside, his body showed almost no abnormal reaction.
He slowly closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, they had already turned bright blue.
At that moment, two Konoha shinobi suddenly flew backward and crashed hard into the ground. The sound of breaking bones was painfully clear.
The force made Hikaru stop.
He slowly raised his head and looked not far away.
Even with figures constantly crossing in front of him, his vision was not affected at all.
In his sight, a tall, muscular, dark-skinned shinobi stood there with a look of disdain.
He wore no forehead protector. His body was covered only by a white robe.
Yet just standing there without moving, he naturally gave everyone an unimaginable pressure.
"I was planning to look for you. Looks like there's no need to waste time now."
Seeing this man, Hikaru smiled.
He had already recognized who this was.
He was the commander of this surprise attack.
He was also Hikaru's target.
The Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure.
With that thought, Hikaru slightly quickened his pace.
He casually killed two unlucky Kumo shinobi who rushed toward him without knowing better.
Then, finally, he stood face to face with the Fourth Raikage.
"Konoha's Nightingale?"
The Fourth Raikage stood on one side of the battlefield, looking at the fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy before him.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Hikaru looked far too young.
But this boy had caused no small amount of trouble for Kumo a few years ago.
Someone who mastered both Wood Release and the Flying Thunder God Technique was not someone the Raikage would underestimate no matter what.
Especially those eyes.
They looked strange.
The blue light flickering and flowing inside them made even him feel a faint pressure.
But that pressure was only that.
The Fourth Raikage felt that as long as he focused, he could ignore it.
He did not know what those eyes could do, but he believed he could deal with them.
He also did not believe these eyes could compare with the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan.
Although he felt as if he were being watched and seen through, it was only that.
Besides, the Fourth Raikage did not think this boy could compare to Minato Namikaze.
Minato had left him with an unforgettable humiliation. He would remember it for the rest of his life.
But this brat's age was right there.
A shinobi did not necessarily become stronger with age. In fact, when they grew too old, their strength might decline.
But at a certain stage, age also represented whether a person had truly stepped into their prime.
The Fourth Raikage had not yet fully reached his own peak. He still had plenty of room to grow.
But compared to this fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy, he believed his experience, physical strength, and chakra reserves all far surpassed Hikaru's.
Even if this brat had Flying Thunder God and a terrifying technique like Wood Release, how many times could he use them?
Besides, at this age, his body should still be a concern.
Once the Raikage found a chance to force him into close-range taijutsu, defeat or even death would only be a matter of time.
Four years ago, after he and his younger brother Killer B had been forced back by Minato Namikaze, he had trained bitterly in Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
Now, he was not afraid of minor Flying Thunder God ambushes anymore.
"That is me."
Hikaru nodded lightly.
"Of course, Lord Raikage may call me Senju Hikaru as well."
"Senju. What a nostalgic surname. Unfortunately, I'm afraid there won't be much of a future for the Senju anymore."
The Fourth Raikage raised his chin slightly and suddenly showed a disdainful smile.
"And is Konoha so short on people that they sent a brat like you?"
"No, no, Lord Raikage. You're misunderstanding."
Hikaru smiled as well. He shook his head gently and continued.
"I think Lord Raikage should understand it this way: Konoha believes no one else is needed. I alone am enough to deal with all of you."
As soon as his voice fell, Hikaru shot toward the Fourth Raikage like a bullet.
This unconventional move made the Fourth Raikage raise his brow.
The difference in physical strength between this brat and him was obvious.
Yet the boy had rushed straight at him.
That was abnormal.
It did not look like something a person with a brain would do.
But the Fourth Raikage did not lower his guard at all.
This was someone who had made a name for himself in the shinobi world as an Anbu. Facing such a person required extreme caution.
Hikaru's speed was not particularly fast right now.
But the moment he was about to reach the Fourth Raikage, his figure disappeared without warning.
The Fourth Raikage immediately understood.
This brat's charge was a lure.
Flying Thunder God was the real method.
"Good thing I didn't move recklessly."
That thought flashed through the Fourth Raikage's mind, and his body reacted the instant Hikaru vanished.
Blue chakra wrapped in arcs of lightning erupted from his body.
Lightning Release Chakra Mode seemed to have long since fused into his blood. With a single thought, he activated it.
Clang!
A crisp sound rang out.
Hikaru appeared behind the Fourth Raikage like a ghost.
A kunai had appeared in his hand, coated with a thin layer of chakra.
But his expression carried a hint of surprise.
"Fast reaction. Was he guarding against it the whole time? And this guy's body is ridiculously tough."
The Fourth Raikage's reaction speed had surprised Hikaru.
But what surprised him even more was the man's defense. It was almost unbelievable.
Hikaru had already used Water Blade Slash, but he still failed to break through the Raikage's defense.
With Hikaru's current power, even his Water Release and Earth Release techniques were far beyond what ordinary shinobi could imagine.
Yet the Fourth Raikage had blocked it so easily.
That truly made Hikaru take him a little more seriously.
At that moment, the Fourth Raikage suddenly turned. He raised his hand and punched fiercely toward Hikaru.
Feeling the terrifying fist wind, Hikaru had to admit the Fourth Raikage was a monster.
The explosive force behind that attack was frightening.
"But what does it matter if your strength is great, when you can't hit me?"
Hikaru's chakra moved slightly.
In an instant, he appeared behind the Fourth Raikage again.
The kunai in his hand stabbed out, this time toward the Raikage's neck.
Clang!
Another crisp ringing sound echoed.
His kunai struck the Raikage's neck but still failed to pierce through.
This man's body was practically a sheet of steel. The kunai only left a faint red mark before it could no longer advance.
Boom!
A thunderous roar erupted inside the Konoha camp.
Along with the roar, the ground shook violently. Many shinobi could not even stand steady.
The shockwave sent several nearby shinobi flying. Trees snapped in an instant, and nearby buildings collapsed under the force.
Hikaru had attacked the Fourth Raikage, but the Raikage's punch had not paused or held back in the slightest.
His fist slammed into the ground, creating terrifying destruction in that instant.
The Fourth Raikage turned around with a gloomy expression.
He touched his neck lightly, looked at the faint red stain on his fingers, then turned his gaze forward.
After stabbing him once, Hikaru had already pulled away.
He had no intention of lingering in place.
But he had not retreated far, so the Fourth Raikage quickly locked onto him.
"You're quite good," the Fourth Raikage said in a deep, heavy voice. "Very few people can break through my defense. I didn't count you among them before. You really gave me a surprise."
"A surprise?"
Hikaru smiled and shook his head softly.
"If this counts as a surprise, then Lord Fourth Raikage is a little disappointing. After all, I haven't even used any real strength yet."
"Big words are not spoken like that."
The Fourth Raikage snorted coldly.
In the next instant, the chakra inside his body became even more abundant.
"But playtime is over. Next, you will face your fate."
"My fate?"
Hikaru sighed faintly.
In the next moment, the chakra inside him surged wildly as well.
"Then let me see what kind of fate Lord Raikage intends to give me."
"Damn it. What the hell is going on?"
At the outer defense zone of the Konoha outpost, countless shinobi fell to the ground in a sorry state.
Others quickly crawled away to avoid being buried by collapsing structures.
They were all stunned.
They had no idea what had just happened.
They had been fighting the enemy, and then that sudden impact had forced both sides apart.
Only after separating did they notice who had caused it.
The leaders of both sides were fighting.
Normally, a clash between commanders would not affect the battle of ordinary shinobi.
But Konoha had already recognized the opponent as the Raikage, so they did not dare act rashly.
The Kumo side had fewer people. If Konoha launched a large-scale attack against the Raikage, they needed to be ready to protect him.
Especially since some of them were sensory-type shinobi.
From outside, they had not been able to detect much.
But after entering, they had sensed some clues.
Konoha's layout seemed to have predicted their arrival.
This was an encirclement.
Therefore, they had to make the necessary preparations to prevent the worst situation from happening.
At the same time, just like the Konoha shinobi, their attention was fixed on the Fourth Raikage and Konoha's Nightingale.
The combat power displayed by these two had far exceeded everyone's imagination.
The Fourth Raikage's movements were bold and overwhelming, carrying terrifying destructive power.
As for Konoha's Nightingale, whose name seemed to be Senju Hikaru, his movements were elegant and elusive, yet ghostlike, making him impossible to grasp.
Their clash was mesmerizing.
More importantly, both of them were too fast.
Whether it was the Konoha shinobi or the Kumo shinobi, all they could see were afterimages.
They had no way to truly understand the exact state of the battle.
Even so, they all knew one thing.
If they got even slightly closer to the battle between those two, they could die.
Bang!
Another dull impact rang out.
The earth trembled violently once more.
Hikaru and the Fourth Raikage separated again.
Within the smoke, the Fourth Raikage's eyes locked onto Hikaru. His gaze had turned grave.
He understood the previous exchange clearly.
Perhaps others could not see because they were moving too fast, but he knew very well that he had not touched Senju Hikaru even once.
But Senju Hikaru had used Flying Thunder God to toy with him several times and had stabbed him repeatedly with kunai.
If not for his excellent defense and the protection of Lightning Release Chakra Mode, he might have already died on the spot.
Lightning Release Chakra Mode was one of Kumogakure's most unique techniques.
It was also known as Lightning Release Armor.
By focusing Lightning Release chakra throughout the body, the user covered themselves in chakra and lightning.
It activated the body, allowed the use of Lightning Release Body Flicker, and greatly enhanced defense. The lightning flowing through the body also increased nerve transmission speed.
As more Lightning Release chakra was used, both defense and speed increased.
The most terrifying part was that this jutsu was not particularly high-level.
In terms of learning difficulty, it was only a B-rank technique.
But its upper limit was immeasurable.
It was the kind of jutsu that was easy to learn, yet unbelievably difficult to master and unleash at a truly terrifying level.
After being taught a harsh lesson by Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Raikage had trained bitterly in Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
Now, he had cultivated this technique to a rather impressive level.
Even so, when facing this man, he still felt a sense of helplessness.
That was abnormal.
Especially because Hikaru's physical qualities seemed far better than he had imagined.
A child holding a knife might not be able to stab through a wooden board.
But an adult could do it much more easily.
The Fourth Raikage had originally thought Hikaru was a "child."
Now, it seemed this brat might not be weaker than an ordinary "adult."
"Not bad. Lord Fourth Raikage's turtle shell really is tough."
At that moment, Hikaru slowly walked out of the smoke, still smiling.
"I stabbed you so many times and you're still fine. Even Iwagakure's shinobi probably aren't as durable as you, Lord Raikage."
"Hmph. I have to admit, Konoha's Nightingale is indeed impressive."
The Fourth Raikage spoke gravely.
But soon, a mocking smile appeared on his face.
"I just wonder how long you can continue using Flying Thunder God at such a high frequency."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Fourth Raikage charged forward like a leopard.
He knew he might not hit Hikaru.
But right now, his goal was to exhaust Hikaru's chakra.
He would force him to continue using Flying Thunder God until he could no longer maintain it.
This method was not glorious, but he knew that if he did not do this, the situation would be difficult to end.
Senju Hikaru's Flying Thunder God was far stranger than Minato Namikaze's.
The Fourth Raikage had not seen any guiding kunai used to traverse space.
If he did not entangle this man and wear him down, then when they retreated, the nightmare of the Yellow Flash might reappear.
His speed was like a bolt of lightning.
His arm extended slightly forward, all five fingers flattened like a blade.
"Lightning Release: Lariat!"
Such terrifying speed and such overwhelming pressure made the watching Konoha shinobi feel their hearts tighten.
The Kumo shinobi, meanwhile, erupted into cheers.
But this time, Hikaru did not use Flying Thunder God.
He simply watched the Fourth Raikage calmly.
Only when the Raikage was about to reach him did his chakra surge violently.
"Wood Release: Wood Formation Wall!"
The earth trembled violently.
In the next instant, wooden shields rose from the ground one after another, directly blocking the space between Hikaru and the Fourth Raikage.
The wooden shields stopped the Fourth Raikage as if he had slammed into a solid wall.
He could not advance another step.
Hikaru even faintly heard the sound of bones cracking.
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