This time, the sense of anxiety was palpable, completely impossible to suppress.
Hearing the order, C and Samui shuddered. They bit their lower lips so hard they drew blood. After a grueling internal struggle, they made their choice.
"Cover each other! We retreat in waves!" C stepped forward. Ignoring Samui's completely shell-shocked expression, he screamed the order to the Cloud ninja on the front lines.
"C, you—" Samui started, her voice tight with panic.
"If we don't fall back, we all die right here! You organize an orderly retreat. I'm taking a squad to back up Lord Raikage!" C cut her off, waving a hand dismissively. His voice was harsh and rushed.
The main force had to retreat, but they couldn't just abandon Lord Raikage! C had already accepted the grim reality: he was going to trade his life to buy the Raikage a chance to escape.
He was a member of the Raikage's personal guard, after all!
His face was a mask of absolute resolve. He was ready to die.
Samui opened her mouth to argue, but the words died in her throat. This was no time for sentimentality. There was no room for hesitation.
"Yeah, I get it!"
On the battlefield, a split-second of indecision could be fatal. They had already wasted too much time. They needed to make every second count.
"I'm counting on you, Samui!" C gave her a firm nod. Then, he turned. "With me!"
"Yes, sir!"
The roar of acknowledgment echoed around them.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
With a burst of chakra, C led four or five Cloud ninja in a desperate sprint toward the clash between Menma and the Fourth Raikage. These were the elite of the elite from this strike force; the weakest among them was a Special Jonin.
Seeing Menma unilaterally curbstomping their Raikage, C harbored no illusions about actually taking the kid down. But if they could just stall Menma for a minute or two—just long enough for the Raikage to escape—that would be a victory.
The Cloud ninja following C had all made their peace with death. Everything was for Lord Raikage. Everything was for the Hidden Cloud.
They had no regrets!
As they closed the distance, they fanned out into a loose formation.
The scene before them was stark. Menma landed a brutal kick squarely in the Fourth Raikage's gut. The massive man launched backward, slamming violently into a boulder.
The rock shattered.
Gah!
Blood sprayed from the Raikage's mouth.
Under the relentless barrage, the Fourth Raikage's aura had weakened to a mere fraction of its former terrifying intensity. As Menma grew increasingly proficient with the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, he had completely taken control of the fight.
Whether it was speed or raw power, the gap between them was widening by the second.
True, when the Fourth Raikage had gone all out, he had posed a legitimate threat. During their last explosive clash, Menma misjudged the timing slightly, and the Raikage's Lightning Style grazed the lower left side of his abdomen, leaving a patch of charred flesh. But for Menma, that was just a flesh wound.
It was a stark contrast to the Fourth Raikage, who was hovering on death's door.
In terms of pure, unadulterated power, Menma, in this form, had the Fourth Raikage dead to rights. Not to mention Menma's Adamantine Sealing Chains and Flying Raijin Jutsu, which amped up his threat level exponentially. The Raikage couldn't run even if he tried.
The fight was over.
Watching the Fourth Raikage struggle to drag himself upright, Menma's lips curled into a cold sneer. Chakra flared around him as he prepared to deliver the killing blow.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, Menma sensed multiple chakra signatures closing in fast. Every single one radiated Jonin-level intensity. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted C and the others flanking him from both sides.
Menma's eyes narrowed.
Clap!
He slammed his hands together. "Earth Style: Earth Dome!"
He flew through the hand signs.
Rumble!
The ground shook violently. Starting from Menma's position, the earth split open, fissures tearing rapidly outward. Chunks of rock exploded upward, creating a jagged barricade that completely cut off C's advance.
Menma intended to use this jutsu to stall C and the others. All he needed was a few seconds. With just a few seconds, he was confident he could put down the heavily wounded Fourth Raikage once and for all!
This was a once-in-a-lifetime shot. He wasn't going to let these flies ruin it!
"Don't dodge! Push through!" C barked, his face a mask of grim determination. He saw right through Menma's tactic. Backing down wasn't an option.
"Yes, sir!!!"
Every second mattered.
As they closed in, C finally got a clear look at his Lord Raikage. The sight was horrific. The Raikage was covered in blood, missing an arm, and riddled with deep gashes. His once-overwhelming aura was terrifyingly weak.
C had never seen anything like it.
The Hidden Cloud Village could not lose its Raikage!
When the Third Raikage died on the battlefield, it had shaken the village to its core. But back then, they had the current Raikage, fully grown and ready to take the reins.
But now?
With Darui—the undisputed heir apparent—dead, C didn't think there was anyone left in the village who could step up. Dodai was highly respected, sure, but the ninja world respected power above all else. Dodai was an excellent strategic advisor, but he lacked the raw strength to be a true leader and command the village.
So, anyone of them could die. Even Yugito, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki fighting for her life nearby, was expendable. But the Fourth Raikage absolutely had to survive.
His death would shatter the internal stability of the Hidden Cloud Village.
"Lightning Style: Earth Flash!"
"Lightning Style: False Darkness!"
Ignoring the hail of flying debris, the Cloud ninja charged, throwing hand signs at point-blank range. Even as rocks tore into them—one poor bastard took a massive, gruesome hit straight to the gut—they didn't flinch.
They unleashed a barrage of high-powered Lightning Style jutsu.
Rumble!
They were going to cover their Lord Raikage, no matter the cost.
This reckless charge caught Menma slightly off guard, but it made sense. Feeling the massive wave of lightning jutsu barreling toward him, Menma paused. Seeing the Cloud ninja pushing through despite their injuries, a flicker of genuine respect crossed his eyes.
But respect wouldn't stay his hand.
Menma remained locked on the Fourth Raikage, ready to deliver the final strike. The barrage of lightning jutsu crashed into his back.
"Hah!" Menma grunted.
The Nine-Tails chakra surged, forming a shimmering golden barrier.
Bang! Bang! Rumble!
The attacks collided violently.
Bzzzt!
The crackling lightning was almost entirely absorbed by the Nine-Tails chakra shield. Menma barely even swayed.
The assault failed to slow him down.
He was just steps away from the Fourth Raikage, who was barely managing to steady himself.
"Spiralling Ring!"
Menma's face was ice-cold. A massive orb of dark chakra, ringed with a pale golden halo, materialized in his palm.
The Fourth Raikage's eyes narrowed. A manic look took over his face.
Rumble!
Bzzzt!
He pushed his Lightning Style chakra past its absolute limit. Even if he died here, he was going to take a chunk out of Menma. He had to wound this Nine-Tails brat to give his subordinates a better chance at escaping.
This was his final battle song.
This is my duty as the Raikage!!!
Rumble!
They met head-on. The fireworks were about to begin.
The Fourth Raikage tapped into the very last reserves of his life force, throwing everything he had into this strike.
At point-blank range.
"Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop!!!"
Explosive power. Blinding chakra. Pale gold and deep blue light collided.
Rumble!
Their eyes locked, each reflecting the other's impending doom.
"This is where you die, Raikage!"
"You little brat!!!"
The two colors of light merged, erupting in a blinding flash.
Bang!
The force of the impact triggered wave after wave of terrifying shockwaves. A split second later, a monstrous blast of air ripped across the battlefield.
"Lord Raikage!"
"Lord Fourth!"
C and the others, forced to halt their advance, stared at the epicenter of the blast, their faces pale with dread.
The sheer force of the aftershocks had thrown them backward. The power at ground zero was unimaginable.
Their Lord Raikage was already running on fumes. Watching him take an attack of that magnitude, their hearts plummeted into their stomachs.
But they were completely powerless. They couldn't get close to an impact of that intensity. Their desperate charge had been nothing more than a mosquito bite to Menma. They could only watch helplessly as Menma delivered his fatal strike.
The dust settled, revealing the crater.
Menma stood there, looking battered. A thin trickle of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth. His shirt was torn open, exposing charred skin, and his aura was noticeably weaker. It was clear that the violent collision had taken its toll.
It had been a desperate, all-or-nothing move. Pushing himself to the absolute limit, the Fourth Raikage had proven why he was considered top-tier Kage level. But it hadn't been enough.
In the end, he couldn't inflict any lasting damage on Menma.
The price he paid, however, was total collapse. He lay unconscious at Menma's feet, his breathing as shallow as a mayfly's. He was a bloody, mangled wreck.
Even if Menma didn't finish the job, the Fourth Raikage was living on borrowed time without immediate medical attention.
"Cough... cough..."
Looking down at the apex predator of the ninja world, whom he had utterly crushed, Menma coughed heavily. But a wide, unprecedented grin spread across his face.
He had beaten the Fourth Raikage.
And he had done it while keeping his own injuries completely manageable.
This wasn't just a victory in this battle. This meant Menma had officially claimed his spot at the absolute pinnacle of the ninja world. He was now strong enough to face down anyone, anywhere.
"Nothing personal, but our interests and loyalties demand this. For my own ambitions, you've got to die, Lord Raikage," Menma said, his eyes hardening with absolute resolve.
Swish!
With a flick of his wrist, he drew the Sword of the Thunder God from his hip. He aimed the tip squarely at the Fourth Raikage's face.
Whoosh!
He thrust the blade downward.
Hold back? Not a chance.
The smartest move was always the double-tap.
The cold steel descended. A chilling aura of death rapidly closed in.
At the very last second.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
From out of nowhere, multiple blue, rat-shaped fireballs streaked toward Menma, closing the gap in the blink of an eye.
The chakra radiating from them was massive. The threat was immediate and lethal.
Menma flinched. Unlike the run-of-the-mill Lightning Style jutsu the other Cloud ninja had been throwing around, this was different. Every alarm bell in his head was screaming.
This was no ordinary jutsu.
More importantly, he was already hurting from the clash with the Raikage. If he tried to tank this, he was going to take some serious damage.
He had no choice.
Whoosh!
Menma leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the attack and abandoning his execution strike.
A split second later.
Whoosh!
A slender figure dropped into the space between them.
She had pale blonde hair tied in a single braid and delicate, pretty features. But what commanded attention was the swirling cloak of blue chakra enveloping her.
This was power far beyond what any normal ninja possessed.
"The Two-Tails Jinchuriki—Yugito Nii!!" Menma's eyes narrowed.
But it was obvious the Hidden Cloud's Two-Tails Jinchuriki was in rough shape. She was covered in wounds. Her chakra, while impressive compared to an average ninja, was nowhere near what a Jinchuriki should be putting out.
The moment Menma laid eyes on Yugito, his gaze instinctively flicked toward Utakata, who was fighting a short distance away.