"Boom!"
A heavy impact rolled through the outpost, shaking every person present.
The Fourth Raikage's expression darkened.
He had not expected his attack to be stopped by Hikaru like this. Worse, the recoil had injured him instead.
He could feel fractures forming in his arm, and sharp pain was already spreading through his nerves.
"So this is Wood Release?"
Under the enhancement of Lightning Release Chakra Mode, the Fourth Raikage knew exactly how terrifying his explosive force could be.
Especially when he used Lightning Release: Lariat, a technique that strengthened both his burst speed and piercing power.
Yet even that had been blocked and reflected back at him. It made his expression grow even more wary.
But that wariness faded just as quickly.
Wood Release was a technique said to suppress tailed beasts. He had heard that this boy had once used Wood Release to hold back the Nine-Tails.
If such a powerful jutsu could block him and even injure him, then it was not unreasonable.
And facing such a technique only made him excited.
The Fourth Raikage was a battle maniac by nature. He liked challenging all kinds of powerful opponents.
Wood Release was a legendary technique. He had never faced it directly before. Even his father, the Third Raikage, had never fought against such power.
Now he had the chance. How could he not feel excited?
As for the fracture in his arm?
It was troublesome, but with chakra nourishing his body, the injury would not cause too much trouble. It would not greatly affect his ability to fight now.
"Interesting. This is really interesting!"
The Fourth Raikage stared at the wooden wall before him, then suddenly let out a thunderous shout. He leapt backward, then charged forward again at an even greater speed.
The blue lightning around his body became even more violent. He raised his hand high as overwhelming strength and chakra intertwined around his arm.
"Lightning Release: Lariat Chiyo Dance!"
A thick layer of chakra wrapped around his arm. Then he sprang upward and slashed down toward Hikaru's Wood Release.
This time, the Lightning Release taijutsu he unleashed was even more terrifying. Hikaru raised his brow slightly.
He knew this technique's power was no joke. The Fourth Raikage had once used it to sever one of the Eight-Tails' horns with a single hand.
In the future Fourth Shinobi World War, he would even use this move to split through Madara Uchiha's initial Susanoo form.
"He's really going all out. Fine, I'll take this a little seriously too."
Hikaru thought calmly, but he did not activate Jōgan Chakra Mode. Instead, he chose another method.
In an instant, without any warning, his chakra shifted.
Red markings appeared around his eyes.
Sage Mode.
Even though Hikaru felt he could deal with the Fourth Raikage without using this mode, he had no intention of getting injured if he could avoid it.
Besides, caution was always necessary.
At the same time, he formed a single hand seal. He could let the Wood Formation Wall continue to endure the Raikage's assault, but he had no habit of simply taking hits.
"Wood Release: Root Burial Explosion!"
"Bang!"
The moment Hikaru released his jutsu, the wooden wall in front of him shattered under the Fourth Raikage's strike.
The Raikage did not slow down at all. He continued charging straight toward Hikaru.
But his advance was blocked.
Hikaru suddenly extended one hand.
In the next instant, a massive tree burst from his arm and lashed toward the Raikage, wrapping around him at terrifying speed.
The tree moved quickly, and the Raikage could sense a frightening power surging inside it. His expression changed at once.
He immediately gave up on forcing his way toward Hikaru. After all, his goal was to exhaust Hikaru's chakra. Since Hikaru had used such a large-scale jutsu, that objective had already been achieved.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
Deafening explosions rang out one after another.
Hikaru's Wood Release hammered toward the Fourth Raikage again and again, while the Raikage displayed his speed and violence to the fullest.
He dodged the incoming branches while constantly swinging his arm blades, cutting apart the Wood Release attacks.
But Hikaru's Wood Release seemed endless. It kept surging forward without pause.
Most importantly, every strike carried immense destructive power. The Raikage understood clearly that the impact itself was not the real danger. These trees were trying to bind him and end the fight.
"What a troublesome jutsu. But this works too. I want to see how long your chakra can last!"
With that thought, the Fourth Raikage increased his force even further. The roaring impacts continued to shake the entire camp.
The shockwaves nearly flattened the surrounding area. Dust and smoke filled the space like a thick curtain.
The nearby shinobi had long since retreated. Clearly, they were making room for the battle between these two monsters.
Even so, they had still underestimated just how frightening the destruction from their clash could be.
Several shinobi were struck by the shockwaves. Both Konoha and Kumo shinobi were caught in the aftermath.
The unlucky ones were thrown into jagged debris and died on the spot.
At that moment, the shinobi who had been thinking of continuing the battle all pulled back.
The Kumo shinobi had charged too deeply and were surrounded by Konoha forces, while Shikaku Nara also did not want his own people to be killed by the collateral damage. He temporarily stopped issuing attack orders.
In a strange way, the Kumo shinobi had escaped disaster. For a short time, both sides fell into a rare state of peace.
The fierce battle naturally drew whispers from the remaining shinobi, whether they were from Konoha or Kumo.
But the two sides felt very differently.
The Kumo side felt suppressed and uneasy, because they could tell their Raikage's situation was not ideal.
That was something they found difficult to accept. In their eyes, the Fourth Raikage's strength had long been deeply rooted in their minds.
After all, he had the reputation of the Third Raikage behind him, and he had once personally severed the Eight-Tails' horn. His strength was beyond doubt.
Yet now, Hikaru was suppressing him. This was the first time they had ever seen such a thing.
On Konoha's side, their morale had already been raised after Hikaru slaughtered more than a hundred Kumo shinobi.
Now that they saw him suppressing the Fourth Raikage, their morale rose even higher.
Wood Release truly was worthy of being the First Hokage's jutsu.
As a descendant of the First Hokage, Hikaru being able to display such power at his age suddenly seemed almost acceptable.
Only now did they realize they might have underestimated their Anbu Commander and supreme battlefield commander.
Shikaku and the others watched the scene unfold. Although they felt some regret that their plan had been disrupted, what shocked them more was the strength displayed by Hikaru and the Fourth Raikage.
"These two really are monsters…"
The attacks stopped abruptly.
The Fourth Raikage's figure stood faintly within the lingering smoke.
The smoke curled around him, but his silhouette remained upright and imposing, almost making him look even more formidable.
He did not move. His eyes remained fixed on the other end of the smoke.
Although Hikaru's attacks had not caused him severe injury, he had to admit that the boy's jutsu was terrifying.
He had been dodging and striking those branches the entire time, so he naturally understood just how dangerous they were.
Especially the branches he smashed apart with his hands. Even with Lightning Release Chakra Mode protecting him, he did not feel well right now.
He could feel that the fractures in his bones had worsened. A piercing pain kept spreading from his arm.
More importantly, he still had not landed a single hit on Hikaru.
That was not merely bad.
It was disastrous.
Because he realized this boy was even more troublesome than Minato Namikaze.
The Fourth Raikage had not yet gone all out, but he had to admit that he had underestimated Hikaru's strength.
"Still…"
The Fourth Raikage clenched his fist.
He knew he could not afford to keep holding back.
Whether he wanted to break through quickly or retreat, he had to make a decision now. Otherwise, no one knew how this would end.
He truly wanted to exhaust Hikaru's chakra and kill him that way, but continuing with that plan was no longer realistic.
Hikaru stared at the Fourth Raikage. Through his Jōgan, he saw the Raikage's chakra rising continuously. He understood that the man was now fully serious.
He was not surprised that the Fourth Raikage had been hiding his power.
Keeping something in reserve to deal with unexpected situations was something every qualified shinobi did.
Besides, Hikaru himself had not gone all out either.
At that moment, the lightning around the Fourth Raikage grew even more terrifying. His hair stood upright.
A vast amount of chakra surged around him, ripping open the ground beneath his feet and sending shattered stones flying.
At that moment, he made his decision.
He would continue attacking.
He could retreat, but he had already considered the consequences.
If he retreated like this, Hikaru could use Flying Thunder God to hunt down his subordinates.
He had to stay here and keep pressure on Hikaru. If Hikaru turned back to chase his men, then he could slaughter Hikaru's troops as well.
With that thought, the Fourth Raikage's body instantly appeared in front of Hikaru.
His speed was outrageous.
Hikaru did not use Flying Thunder God this time. It was not because he lacked chakra, but because there was no need.
With the Jōgan, his sensory ability, and Sage Mode active at the same time, his insight into his opponent had reached an extreme level.
And with the enhancement of advanced Sage Mode, every aspect of his body had been greatly strengthened.
His speed might still be slightly slower than the Fourth Raikage's, but he could absolutely keep up.
Hikaru shifted lightly and dodged the Raikage's attack with ease. Then a ninja blade appeared in his hand.
Blue chakra instantly coated the blade. He drove it straight toward the Fourth Raikage's heart.
If a kunai could not pierce the Raikage's defense, Hikaru did not mind trying a sword.
And this time, his chakra contained senjutsu.
What his kunai had failed to do before would become different once senjutsu was added.
The Fourth Raikage reacted quickly. He had already sensed that Hikaru's state had changed, and he could not be certain of the sword's power.
His body was also not in ideal condition. Since he had decided to fight steadily, he naturally would not casually use his body to take the blow.
He turned sideways and avoided Hikaru's slash. At the same time, his right fist shot toward Hikaru's chest.
Hikaru did not possess the Sharingan's instantaneous dynamic vision, but his reaction speed was still frighteningly fast. Besides, in some situations, he did not need that kind of visual ability at all.
Whoosh!
The Fourth Raikage's fist tore through the air, but it only struck Hikaru's afterimage.
Hikaru had already appeared behind him.
The ninja blade in his hand stabbed toward the Raikage's chest without hesitation.
This time, Hikaru was certain he would hit.
But to prevent the Raikage from suddenly dying right in front of him, he slightly adjusted the angle.
Hikaru had always known that if he truly wanted to kill the Fourth Raikage, he only needed to use a little more force.
Although the Raikage's defense was somewhat beyond his expectations, Hikaru had not been using Sage Mode or Jōgan Chakra Mode before.
If he activated either one, the Fourth Raikage might already have been stabbed full of holes.
Instead, he had merely paid tribute to Minato Namikaze by giving the Raikage a round of harmless scraping.
"Puchi!"
There was no surprise. Hikaru's sword pierced straight into the Fourth Raikage's body.
But Hikaru frowned.
Although the blade had gone in, it had only sunk a few centimeters.
The Fourth Raikage's body was thick and powerful. That depth could not reach his organs at all. At most, it had pierced into his muscles.
Sure enough, even though the Raikage had been struck, his vital areas were unharmed.
And this time, he displayed astonishing ferocity.
He clamped the blade in place with his muscles, then twisted his body violently.
Caught off guard, Hikaru was nearly thrown by that brute force. He quickly stabilized himself, but the Fourth Raikage had already turned around.
His eyes were filled with excitement and killing intent. His fist smashed toward Hikaru again.
The terrifying fist wind carried thunderous chakra as it roared forward.
Unfortunately, Hikaru's figure vanished again.
"Why hasn't he returned yet? Idiot, fool…"
Inside the Kumo camp, Killer B sat on the roof of the command building, looking into the distance while muttering his strange rap.
His elder brother, the Fourth Raikage, had left the camp early that morning with a thousand men to attack Konoha's outpost.
Killer B understood why his brother had done it, but honestly, he felt it was unnecessary.
Konoha's current situation was poor. Even though Killer B did not pay much attention to such matters, he still knew roughly what state Konoha was in.
A weakened Konoha did not seem worth probing so carefully.
If this were the past, perhaps they would have had to be cautious.
After all, the man named Minato Namikaze, who later became the Fourth Hokage, had left a deep impression not only on the Fourth Raikage, but also on Killer B.
Although Minato had not dealt them any substantial injury, he had still caused the brothers to lose face.
At that time, the Fourth Raikage had not fully mastered Lightning Release Chakra Mode, and Killer B had not completely mastered the Eight-Tails' power.
On top of that, Flying Thunder God was far too terrifying. It was only natural that the two brothers were beaten down.
But now, even if they still could not hit Minato easily, they were far more confident than before that they could defeat him.
To face someone like Minato, the first requirement was durability.
That meant possessing a powerful enough defense.
Otherwise, with Flying Thunder God's ability to appear at any weak point without warning, the user could launch a fatal strike at any moment.
Without sufficient defense, one could easily be killed instantly without even the chance to struggle.
"Big Bro's opponent this time also seems to know Flying Thunder God, but apparently he doesn't know that Rasengan jutsu."
Killer B shook his head as he thought.
He had faced the Rasengan before, so he naturally understood its power.
The Eight-Tails had also told him that Minato's Rasengan was similar to the Tailed Beast Ball used by the tailed beasts.
Both were techniques that rotated chakra to condense form and maintain terrifying power.
The difference was that tailed beasts used Yin and Yang Release to form Tailed Beast Balls, while Minato only used one type of chakra.
Its power might not rival a Tailed Beast Ball, but its potential was undeniable.
According to the Eight-Tails, if Minato continued developing that technique, it might eventually reach an unexpected level.
But there was no need to worry about Minato now. He had gone away to recuperate, and ordinary people had no idea where he was.
"Still, that Konoha Nightingale seems to know Flying Thunder God and Wood Release. And Little Eight seems very wary of Wood Release too."
Killer B had heard about Wood Release many times, but he had no real concept of how powerful it was.
At this point in the shinobi world, most people no longer had any clear understanding of Wood Release's true strength, because no one wanted to bring up the Shinobi God who had once pacified the world.
And even fewer people wanted to mention the Shinobi Asura who stood equal to him.
As for Wood Release, the Eight-Tails inside Killer B had plenty to say. After all, he had once been educated by it himself.
Unfortunately, whenever Killer B asked, the Eight-Tails never gave a clear answer.
Perhaps it was because the lesson back then had been too harsh, but the moment Wood Release was mentioned, he simply did not want to face it.
Even when Killer B said that another Senju who could use Wood Release had appeared in the shinobi world and had even blocked the Nine-Tails' attack, the Eight-Tails only reacted slightly.
In the end, he dismissed it with, "If he only blocked that Nine-Tails guy, then there's no need to worry. He hasn't reached Hashirama Senju's level."
That vague answer frustrated Killer B, but it still gave him some useful information.
According to the Eight-Tails, did that mean Wood Release could deal with tailed beasts very easily?
The thought had only just appeared in Killer B's mind before he immediately shook it away.
If it was really that powerful, why had Hashirama Senju not unified the entire shinobi world?
From the founding of Konoha, the first ninja village, until now, the shinobi world had already gone through three great wars.
The brutality of war was beyond imagination. Especially for those who had experienced it, war was not just something described on paper. It was a pain carved into flesh and bone.
That experience was unforgettable. Even now, many shinobi could still close their eyes and recall mountains of corpses and seas of blood on the battlefield.
War twisted people. It made them cold. It affected them for the rest of their lives.
Countless people who had once been gentle became numb and ruthless after being baptized by war.
Tracing the source of it all, the establishment of ninja villages was indeed the main reason why the intensity of war had multiplied.
During the thousand-year Warring States Period, the world had been chaotic.
But because clans had to consider their continuation and inheritance, most conflicts between ninja clans stopped before total annihilation. Rarely would they choose a mutually destructive battle.
So although the Warring States Period was full of conflict, the scale and intensity of war were not as extreme.
After ninja villages were established, both the scale and intensity of war increased dozens of times.
Many bloodline clans and secret technique clans that had been passed down for a thousand years either disappeared or declined within just forty or fifty years after the village system began.
In a sense, the creation of villages protected peace in one area.
But the appearance of villages also created greater wars because of uneven development and conflicting interests.
In Killer B's view, if Hashirama Senju truly had such overwhelming power, why did he not integrate the entire shinobi world?
If he had, there would not have been so many wars. Even if conflicts arose, they could have been resolved with minimal loss.
"So either he wasn't strong enough, or his brain had a problem. Idiot, fool!"
Killer B bluntly gave his own conclusion.
Of course, personally, he leaned more toward the first explanation.
"Hm?"
At that moment, Killer B's expression suddenly became serious.
Someone was returning from the distance.
But the returning shinobi all had strange auras.
Most importantly, he saw his elder brother, the Fourth Raikage.
And this was the first time he had ever seen his brother look so battered.
"The Fourth Raikage's temper is quite fierce."
Hikaru stood atop a patch of ruins and looked at the Fourth Raikage, who had once again smashed a deep crater into the ground not far away.
He could not help but smile.
"Hmph!"
The Fourth Raikage snorted coldly and slowly straightened.
His dark, powerful body stood upright like an iron tower.
He glanced at the blade lodged in his back, then pulled it out without hesitation and tossed it to the ground.
Clang.
The sword hit the ground with a crisp sound. Fresh blood soon began dripping, leaving red spots on the earth.
The Fourth Raikage's expression was especially grave now.
Because under Lightning Release Chakra Mode, his defense had actually been pierced.
This was not merely a kunai scratching his skin as before. His defense had truly been breached.
"That was Water Release. But the quality of that Water Release is extremely high!"
The Fourth Raikage thought quickly.
After that exchange, he had gathered quite a bit of information.
"Although I still don't know what those eyes are, I've figured out some of his abilities. He's skilled in Water Release. That chakra-coated kunai and sword technique should be Water Release: Water Blade Slash.
"But normally, that jutsu shouldn't be able to break through my defense. And this brat's chakra also has a huge problem."
The Fourth Raikage was a battle maniac, but a battle maniac did not fight with muscles alone. He was clearly someone who used his head as well.
Although Hikaru had not used many Water Release techniques, Water Blade Slash alone was enough to impress the Fourth Raikage.
But no matter how impressive it was, he did not believe that the Water Blade Slash alone could truly pierce his defense.
The fact that his skin had only been broken earlier proved this.
Moreover, Hikaru's current state and chakra were clearly abnormal.
His chakra now carried a natural aura unlike before. His speed and power had also increased greatly.
In addition, the Fourth Raikage clearly noticed that around those glowing blue eyes, Hikaru now had strange red markings.
He did not know what state this was, but he knew the boy before him was extremely dangerous.
The danger level was something he could no longer handle alone.
Unless he joined forces with his younger brother Killer B, defeating this boy would be difficult.
"Still, I've basically tested the limits of this brat."
The Fourth Raikage thought.
In his view, Hikaru's current state should be his limit.
This boy was truly more troublesome than Minato Namikaze, but no matter how troublesome he was, his age still restricted him.
Although the Fourth Raikage had already been slapped in the face once by reality, he had previously believed the boy's physical strength and chakra were not impressive.
Now, however, it was clear that while Hikaru was still somewhat weaker in raw strength during taijutsu exchanges, he could keep up in speed.
Add Flying Thunder God to that, and the Raikage had no way to land a proper hit.
Flying Thunder God combined with Hikaru's current state had already made the Fourth Raikage feel the threat of death.
On top of that, the boy's chakra was not normal either. He was so young, yet he could use so many jutsu.
But this boy had stopped at the most dangerous moment. Especially just now, when the Raikage had clearly felt lethal danger, Hikaru still did not finish the strike.
That meant the boy's chakra was probably starting to run low. He had stopped likely to recover chakra.
Flying Thunder God, Wood Release, this strange mode, and abundant chakra.
No matter how proud the Fourth Raikage was, he knew he could not defeat this boy alone.
Fortunately, although he was arrogant to the point of being conceited, he had not forgotten that he was a shinobi.
A shinobi was someone who used any means necessary to achieve the objective.
Since he could not solve this alone, he would join forces with Killer B.
For Kumo's victory, there was nothing he could not choose to do.
"But now it's time to retreat."
As the smoke gradually dispersed, the Fourth Raikage stared at Hikaru in the distance and quickly thought through his options.
"This brat should be recovering chakra. I'll keep him occupied and let the others leave first.
"But I have to be even more careful. This brat really does have the ability to kill me."
The Fourth Raikage instantly made his decision.
He knew staying behind to cover the retreat was not a good thing.
His father had once stayed behind to cover his troops' retreat and fought ten thousand shinobi for three days and nights before dying on the battlefield.
But as Raikage, he had to shoulder responsibility.
He had brought these subordinates out. He had to bring them back.
He was not like Konoha, a village that could even send five- or six-year-old children to the battlefield.
He would never tell others, "Go."
He would only say, "Follow me."
However, Hikaru seemed to see through his thoughts.
Before he could give the order, Hikaru suddenly spoke.
"Lord Raikage, aren't you curious how the hundred Kumo shinobi you sent earlier died?"
"Hmph!"
The Fourth Raikage's expression instantly became furious, but he knew anger was useless right now. He only said firmly, "No matter how they died, they were heroes of Kumogakure. And I will avenge them!"
"Is that so?" Hikaru nodded lightly, then sighed. "Then I'm sorry. I'm afraid you won't have that chance in this lifetime."
"Don't run your mouth." The Fourth Raikage almost spat the words through gritted teeth. "I said I would avenge them, and I will. Senju Hikaru, I will remember the blood debt of those hundred shinobi forever!"
"Then remember it."
Hikaru did not care about the Fourth Raikage's anger at all.
His chakra surged again.
The instant he moved, the Fourth Raikage became completely alert. He knew Hikaru was about to attack again.
"Actually, you don't only need to remember them. You also need to remember the Kumo shinobi behind you. And perhaps even yourself."
As his words fell, Hikaru formed a single hand seal.
His surging chakra, infused with senjutsu, had already finished gathering.
"Because now, I'm getting serious."
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
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