Having Shikaku Nara take on more responsibility was, in truth, no different from how things had always been handled within the ANBU.
When too much authority was concentrated in the hands of a single person, it also meant every burden and every decision piled onto that same individual. That kind of structure was a disaster waiting to happen.
Of course, decentralizing power was not automatically a good thing either.
If authority became too diluted, then when a critical moment arrived, you might find yourself unable to accomplish anything you actually wanted to do. Obstacles would appear at every turn, and that kind of inefficiency was just another form of failure.
The key was balance.
That was why, although Natsuhiko had delegated the "right to advise," he still firmly held the final decision-making authority in his own hands.
Naturally, this approach was far from perfect. There were still plenty of loopholes and flaws hidden within it.
But at the very least, it remained manageable for now, and he did not need to worry too much about problems spiraling out of control.
Once he handed the matter over to Shikaku, Natsuhiko no longer paid it much attention. He trusted that Shikaku Nara was more than capable of sorting out those messy issues.
As for Natsuhiko himself, there was only one thing he needed to consider—
Should he personally head out tomorrow?
According to Shikaku's analysis, Kumogakure would likely send someone extremely powerful.
In Natsuhiko's memories, aside from Killer B and the Fourth Raikage A, he honestly could not remember whether Kumogakure had any other truly terrifying shinobi.
The original story had never gone into much detail about them. Even Konoha's countless jonin were mostly only explored if they happened to interact with the protagonists.
But a lack of explanation did not mean those people did not exist. Natsuhiko understood that better than anyone.
After all, several remarkable talents had already appeared around him.
Setting aside Sora and Renge, the two female shinobi in the secretariat who had displayed exceptional capability, even Nara Rokushiro—someone Natsuhiko had casually dragged in to help handle paperwork—had turned out to be an enormous surprise.
Because of that, Natsuhiko never underestimated people simply because he had never heard of them.
Likewise, he would never assume someone was weak just because they had not appeared in the original story.
If one really thought about it, the person who should not have existed in this world to begin with was Natsuhiko himself.
Since he already existed here, the appearance of other unknown monsters was hardly strange.
"If I'm this uneasy about it, I might as well go take a look tomorrow," Natsuhiko muttered to himself. "I'm also curious to see what tricks the Fourth Raikage still has left."
With that thought, he stopped dwelling on unnecessary matters. He casually picked an empty room and went to rest early.
Truthfully, Natsuhiko knew there were still many things waiting for him to handle—comforting the shinobi stationed within the base, reviewing reports from the front lines, and countless other tasks.
But after years in the ANBU, he had developed more than a few bad habits.
And one of those habits was simple:
If subordinates existed, then their value should be shown at times like this.
...
At dawn, Natsuhiko finally stepped out of his tent with a yawn. The cold morning breeze swept across the camp, instantly driving away the last traces of sleepiness.
After a full night's rest, he felt refreshed.
The nonstop travel had not exhausted him physically, but mentally it had been another matter entirely. The pressure resting on his shoulders was anything but light.
Sometimes mental exhaustion was far more unbearable than physical fatigue.
After lazily stretching, Natsuhiko quickly washed up before silently activating his Jōgan.
He had not forgotten what Shikaku told him yesterday.
He wanted to see for himself whether Kumogakure would really make a move as predicted.
Before that, however, he also intended to check what kind of arrangements Shikaku had prepared overnight.
And the moment he looked, a faint smile spread across his face.
"Not bad at all."
Natsuhiko had not expected that while he was resting, Shikaku would deliberately weaken the defenses in one direction while secretly setting up a large number of traps in that very area.
In addition to that, Shikaku had stationed a considerable number of shinobi inside barracks close to each entrance.
Clearly, he was wary that Kumogakure might not necessarily attack through the area with the weakest defenses.
Natsuhiko had to admit the arrangement was quite clever.
No matter which point the enemy chose to break through, those shinobi would be able to reinforce the area immediately.
Alternatively, they could hold themselves back temporarily and wait until the Kumogakure forces fully entered the camp before moving together and surrounding them in one decisive sweep, turning the battlefield into a perfect encirclement.
As for whether Kumogakure would cooperate so obediently, Natsuhiko had no idea.
Still, preparing the battlefield in advance was itself a statement of attitude.
And clearly, Shikaku had handled everything exceptionally well from beginning to end.
As Natsuhiko adjusted the focus of his vision and swept his gaze into the distance, his brows soon furrowed slightly.
He had spotted Kumogakure's main force.
Not only that—
He even recognized the person leading them.
"The Fourth Raikage?"
Yesterday, Natsuhiko had spent quite some time wondering who Kumogakure would send to lead the assault. But according to his original line of thinking, it did not really matter who showed up.
Whoever it was, he could simply crush them head-on.
Based on his own assessment, his current strength had already reached the level of Hashirama Senju during the Warring States Period.
At the absolute minimum, he was certainly no weaker than the reanimated Hashirama from the Fourth Great Ninja War.
As long as he remained careful and avoided ridiculous situations—like getting stabbed in the back by a random kunai—there was little to worry about.
Although, considering his regeneration abilities, even being ambushed probably would not cause too much trouble.
Still, caution remained the most important thing.
Even someone as overwhelmingly powerful as Hashirama Senju, with that monstrous healing ability, had still ended up dead in the end.
Natsuhiko had no intention of becoming that unlucky.
His future was bright, and there was no reason to lose everything over some absurd sneak attack.
Being careful above all else had become the guiding principle he lived by.
And the safest method was naturally simple—
No matter who the opponent was, ensure his own safety first, then erase the enemy completely.
Unfortunately, the Fourth Raikage could not be killed yet.
Not because his death would somehow affect the future plot.
As far as Natsuhiko was concerned, the original storyline had already gone to heaven a long time ago.
People who should have died were still alive and well, while others who were meant to die far in the future had already been burned into ashes by his own hands—so thoroughly that even Edo Tensei would not be able to bring them back.
If the Fourth Raikage had not been trying to strengthen both his personal prestige within Kumogakure and the village's overall standing—
And if Minato Namikaze had not been injured while Natsuhiko's true strength remained mostly hidden—
Then whether the Raikage would even dare provoke Konoha at all would have been questionable.
"Woooo—!"
At that moment, a deep and resonant horn echoed throughout the camp.
Along with the blaring signal, countless shinobi rapidly assembled.
Even those who had clearly just woken up and were still half-asleep rushed out immediately. Under the command of their squad leaders, they swiftly formed organized formations before moving into concealed positions.
That level of discipline and execution pleased Natsuhiko greatly.
He casually loosened his shoulders and stretched his body while listening to the continuous explosions erupting beyond the camp perimeter. Then he calmly headed toward the outer defenses.
He could not simply steamroll the Fourth Raikage right now.
Not because he lacked the strength—
But because the timing was not right yet.
Still, completely suppressing the Raikage and beating him senseless for a while?
Natsuhiko was extremely confident he could manage that.
...
"How's the situation?"
Moving alongside the rapidly assembling shinobi forces, Natsuhiko quickly found Shikaku, who had clearly only just gotten out of bed himself, and immediately asked.
Shikaku looked visibly exhausted. There were faint dark circles beneath his eyes, subtle but noticeable enough to show he had not rested properly at all last night.
Throughout the entire journey, Natsuhiko had forced everyone into a near nonstop rapid march, and naturally Shikaku had endured the same pace.
But unlike the others, he had needed to think about far more.
Most matters along the way had been planned out by him before being reported to Natsuhiko.
Even when Natsuhiko had already made decisions in advance, Shikaku would still carefully reconsider every detail himself.
It could honestly be said that among everyone present, he was the most exhausted person of all.
If not for a ninja's physical endurance supporting him, an ordinary person would probably have collapsed long ago.
"It's Kumogakure," Shikaku replied quickly. "I still don't know who's leading them, but their offensive pressure is extremely strong.
"And just as expected, they didn't focus on the area where we intentionally weakened the defenses. Instead, they're spreading out their attacks to divide our firepower. At the moment, I still can't determine where their true breakthrough point will be."
Shikaku quickly explained the current situation, though it was obvious from his expression that he remained confident. No matter where Kumogakure chose to attack, the forces he had arranged would be able to reinforce the area rapidly.
Even if they could not arrive immediately, they could still create localized numerical superiority and eventually close the encirclement.
"Your deployment is solid," Natsuhiko said with a nod.
But soon afterward, he let out a faint sigh.
"However, Shikaku-sama… the one leading them is the Fourth Raikage."
"What?"
Shikaku's entire body stiffened at those words.
"Commander Natsuhiko, how do you know that?"
The title of "Kage" alone carried terrifying pressure, and the Fourth Raikage was no exception.
Shikaku did not know the exact extent of the Fourth Raikage's strength, but the shadow cast by the Third Raikage still lingered over the entire ninja world.
In the past, only two people had truly been recognized as enemies capable of facing ten thousand alone—
Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.
But after those two legends, the Third Raikage had achieved a similar feat himself.
Even if he ultimately failed, even if the number of enemies he killed was perhaps exaggerated, the fact remained that he had held back an entire army for three days and three nights through sheer personal strength.
Who would dare claim a monster like that was weak?
Who would not fear power of that level?
And the Fourth Raikage was his son.
Even though he once fought alongside the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki and merely forced a stalemate against Minato Namikaze, no one doubted his strength.
More importantly, many years had passed since then.
There was no way he had remained stagnant.
"I saw him," Natsuhiko replied with a faint chuckle.
But before he could elaborate further, Hiashi Hyuga hurried over.
"This is bad—they launched a direct assault and already broke through the first defensive line. They've entered the camp!"
Hiashi wasted no time with unnecessary words.
"And the one leading them really is the Fourth Raikage!"
"Looks like this situation is genuinely troublesome now…"
Shikaku sighed softly, but his gaze unconsciously settled on Natsuhiko.
Natsuhiko had identified the Fourth Raikage before even Hiashi had confirmed it.
And he had specifically said he "saw" him.
That alone left Shikaku deeply puzzled.
How exactly had he seen that far away?
Could Natsuhiko possess some ability similar to the Byakugan?
More importantly, Natsuhiko showed no signs of panic whatsoever.
Did he still have some hidden trump card?
"Shikaku-sama," Natsuhiko said with a smile after noticing his expression, "issue the order to deal with the Kumogakure shinobi. We can't let them continue wreaking havoc inside the base."
Then his tone grew calmer.
"As for the Fourth Raikage… leave him to me."
After saying that, Natsuhiko gave Shikaku no chance to ask further questions.
In the next instant, he began walking directly toward the Raikage's position.
Shikaku watched him leave, his mouth opening slightly before closing again.
He still wanted to ask how Natsuhiko had seen the enemy from that distance.
But after glancing around at the assembled shinobi forces, he quickly forced those thoughts aside and began issuing orders according to Natsuhiko's instructions.
At that moment, screams were already echoing throughout the camp.
He knew it was time for him to move as well.
...
Natsuhiko advanced steadily through the camp as chaos rapidly spread in every direction.
The sharp clash of blades rang through the air, and the entire battlefield descended into disorder.
"Over here! There are Kumogakure shinobi here!"
"Someone's injured on my side! Medical team—where's the medical team?!"
"I wounded one! I cut down a Kumo ninja! Sensory unit, find him quickly!"
Amid the confusion, countless voices from Konoha shinobi overlapped with one another until they became impossible to distinguish clearly.
Natsuhiko himself felt little reaction to the screams.
As a former ANBU operative, he had heard similar sounds far too many times.
Still, this kind of large-scale battlefield chaos was something he had rarely witnessed personally.
Even though it was fundamentally a clash of cold weapons and ninjutsu, the sheer scale of it all was undeniably overwhelming.
But Natsuhiko's heart had long since become cold enough.
Though he acknowledged the scene's intensity internally, almost none of it showed on his face or body.
He slowly closed his eyes.
And when he opened them again, his pupils had already turned a brilliant azure blue.
At that very moment, two Konoha shinobi suddenly came flying through the air before smashing violently into the ground.
The sharp sound of bones breaking was unbearably harsh to the ears.
The sheer force behind that blow made Natsuhiko stop in his tracks.
Slowly, he lifted his head and looked into the distance.
Even though figures constantly crossed in front of him amidst the chaotic battlefield, nothing could obstruct his vision.
Within his sight stood a tall, heavily built man with dark skin, radiating an overwhelming presence.
He wore no forehead protector and was dressed only in a loose white robe.
Yet simply standing there without moving at all, he unconsciously exuded a terrifying pressure that weighed down on everyone around him.
"I was originally planning to look for you myself," Natsuhiko said with a faint smile, "but it seems I won't need to waste the effort after all."
The moment he saw the man, Natsuhiko had already recognized him.
The leader of this surprise assault—
The target he had been searching for.
The Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure.
With that thought in mind, Natsuhiko quickened his pace slightly. Casually, almost absentmindedly, he killed two Kumogakure shinobi foolish enough to charge toward him.
Soon enough, he arrived directly before the Fourth Raikage.
The two finally stood face to face on the battlefield.
"Konoha's Nightingale?"
Standing amidst the battlefield's chaos, the Fourth Raikage narrowed his eyes slightly as he stared at the boy before him, who looked no older than fifteen or sixteen.
Natsuhiko appeared far too young.
And yet, several years ago, this same brat had caused enormous trouble to Kumogakure itself.
A person capable of wielding both Wood Release and the Flying Thunder God Technique was not someone the Raikage would ever underestimate.
Especially those eyes.
That strange blue light flickering endlessly within them gave even him an uncomfortable sense of pressure.
Still, pressure was only pressure.
The Fourth Raikage felt that as long as he focused himself properly, he could completely ignore it.
He did not know what ability those eyes possessed, but he believed he could handle it.
And no matter how unusual they seemed, he refused to believe they could compare to the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan.
True, he did feel as though he were being observed and seen through completely.
But that was all.
Beyond that, the Fourth Raikage also did not believe this kid could compare to Minato Namikaze.
The humiliation Minato had inflicted upon him remained unforgettable even now.
It was a disgrace burned into his memory for life.
But the boy standing before him was simply too young.
In the shinobi world, age did not necessarily determine strength. In fact, many ninja weakened as they grew older.
However, there was still a certain stage in life where age represented whether someone had truly entered their prime.
The current Fourth Raikage had not yet fully reached his peak, and he still possessed room for further growth.
But compared to this fifteen or sixteen-year-old brat, he believed his combat experience, physical capabilities, and chakra reserves far surpassed Natsuhiko's in every way.
Even if this kid possessed the Flying Thunder God and the terrifying Wood Release—
How many times could he actually use those techniques?
Furthermore, at that age, the boy's physical body was likely lacking as well. The moment the Raikage managed to close the distance and force a taijutsu battle—
Natsuhiko's defeat, or even death, would simply become a matter of time.
Ever since he and Killer B had once been suppressed by Minato Namikaze years ago, the Raikage had trained relentlessly in the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
At his current level, he truly no longer feared mere Flying Thunder God ambush tactics.
"That's me," Natsuhiko replied calmly with a small nod. "Though if Lord Raikage wishes to call me Senju Natsuhiko instead, I certainly wouldn't mind."
"Senju… what a nostalgic surname."
The Fourth Raikage slightly raised his chin before revealing a mocking smile.
"But unfortunately, I doubt the future will have much place left for the Senju."
Then his gaze swept over Natsuhiko with undisguised disdain.
"And is Konoha truly that short on manpower? To think they actually sent a brat like you here."
"No, no, no… Lord Raikage, I think you've misunderstood something."
At that moment, Natsuhiko revealed a smile of his own. He lightly shook his head before continuing calmly,
"Konoha didn't send me alone because it had no one else to spare."
His smile widened slightly.
"It's because Konoha believes I alone am enough to deal with all of you."
The instant those words fell, Natsuhiko shot forward like a bullet, charging directly toward the Fourth Raikage!
That completely unconventional move caused the Raikage's brows to twitch upward.
The physical difference between them was enormous. No matter how one looked at it, close combat should have been the last thing this brat would choose.
And yet he rushed in head-on anyway.
It was so abnormal that it practically screamed trap.
No sensible shinobi should have made such a decision.
Still, the Fourth Raikage did not lower his guard in the slightest.
After all, this was a man who had carved out a terrifying reputation across the ninja world while serving in the ANBU. Facing someone like that required absolute caution.
Natsuhiko's speed was not particularly fast at first.
However, just as he closed in on the Raikage—
His figure vanished without the slightest warning.
The Fourth Raikage instantly understood.
"A feint… Flying Thunder God is his real attack."
Fortunately, he had not acted rashly.
That thought flashed through his mind as his body reacted the moment Natsuhiko disappeared.
Blue chakra crackling with electric arcs suddenly erupted around him. The Lightning Release Chakra Mode seemed as though it had long since fused into his very bloodline; with merely a thought, it activated instantly.
Clang!
A sharp metallic sound rang out.
Like a ghost, Natsuhiko appeared directly behind the Fourth Raikage!
A kunai had already formed in his hand, its edge coated in a faint layer of chakra, yet surprise flickered across Natsuhiko's expression.
"His reaction time is incredible. He was waiting for it. And damn, he's solid," Natsuhiko thought.
The Raikage's reaction speed had genuinely exceeded his expectations.
But what shocked him even more was the man's defense.
Natsuhiko had already used Water Blade Slash with that strike, yet he still failed to break through the Raikage's defenses.
At Natsuhiko's current level, even ordinary Water Release or Earth Release techniques possessed destructive power far beyond what normal shinobi could imagine.
And yet the Fourth Raikage had blocked it so casually.
That alone was enough to make even Natsuhiko reevaluate him.
At that exact moment, the Raikage suddenly twisted his body and swung a vicious punch toward Natsuhiko!
Feeling the terrifying pressure generated by that fist alone, Natsuhiko could not help but inwardly marvel.
The Fourth Raikage truly was a monster.
That explosive physical power was downright frightening.
"But no matter how strong you are," Natsuhiko thought calmly, "what's the point if you can't hit your target?"
Chakra surged slightly within his body.
In the next instant, he once again appeared behind the Fourth Raikage.
This time, the kunai in his hand stabbed viciously toward the Raikage's throat.
Clang!
Another sharp metallic sound echoed out.
The kunai struck the Raikage's neck—
And failed to pierce through.
The man's body was practically solid steel.
The blade only managed to leave behind a faint bloody mark before it could advance no further.
BOOM!
A thunderous blast echoed throughout the Konoha camp.
As the sound erupted, the ground itself trembled violently. Countless shinobi lost their footing, unable to even stand properly amid the shockwave.
The terrifying impact blasted nearby ninja away, shattered trees instantly, and even caused surrounding buildings to collapse on the spot.
Although Natsuhiko had launched a sneak attack, the Fourth Raikage's counterpunch had carried absolutely no hesitation or restraint.
That fist slammed directly into the earth, unleashing catastrophic destruction in a single blow.
The Fourth Raikage slowly turned around with a dark expression.
He lightly touched his neck, glanced at the faint trace of blood staining his fingers, and then lifted his gaze forward.
After stabbing him, Natsuhiko had immediately widened the distance instead of lingering nearby.
Still, he had not retreated very far.
The Raikage locked onto him almost instantly.
"You're impressive," the Fourth Raikage said in his deep, heavy voice. "Very few people have ever managed to break through my defenses. Before today, I certainly never counted you among them. You've truly given me a surprise."
"A surprise?" Natsuhiko smiled and lightly shook his head. "If this is enough to surprise you, then Lord Raikage is far more disappointing than I expected."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"After all… I haven't even started trying yet."
"Hmph. Big words." The Fourth Raikage snorted coldly.
In the next instant, the chakra within his body surged even more violently than before.
"But the warm-up is over. From here on, you'll be facing your destiny."
"My destiny?"
Natsuhiko let out a faint sigh, almost sounding amused, while his own chakra began roaring through his body like a tidal wave.
"Then I'd really like to see exactly what kind of destiny Lord Raikage intends to give me."
—
"What the hell is going on?!"
Outside the Konoha stronghold, countless shinobi were thrown violently to the ground.
Others scrambled away in panic, desperately trying to avoid being buried alive beneath the collapsing buildings around them.
At this point, nearly everyone was bewildered.
Only moments ago, they had still been locked in combat with their enemies, but then a single exchange had forced both sides to instinctively retreat.
And only after pulling back did they finally realize what had caused such destruction—
Their leaders were fighting.
Under normal circumstances, battles between commanders would not affect ordinary shinobi to this extent.
But Konoha's forces already knew the enemy leader was the Fourth Raikage, so none of them dared act recklessly.
Meanwhile, Kumogakure's side was already outnumbered to begin with. If Konoha launched a large-scale attack against the Raikage, they would immediately need to move to protect him.
Especially because Kumogakure's sensory ninja had finally begun detecting something after entering the camp.
Konoha's defenses had clearly been prepared in advance.
It was obvious now—
The enemy had predicted their arrival and was attempting to surround and annihilate them.
Because of that, they had no choice but to remain cautious and prevent the worst possible outcome.
Yet while doing so, both Konoha and Kumogakure shinobi found their eyes drawn toward the battlefield where the Fourth Raikage and Konoha's Nightingale clashed.
The combat power displayed by those two was simply beyond imagination.
The Fourth Raikage fought with overwhelming force, every movement carrying terrifying destructive power.
Meanwhile, the man known as Senju Natsuhiko moved with an almost unreal grace. His figure drifted across the battlefield like a phantom, elusive and impossible to predict.
Their battle was mesmerizing.
And unbelievably fast.
Whether they were Konoha shinobi or Kumogakure ninja, all anyone could see were afterimages flickering constantly across the battlefield.
No one could clearly grasp the true state of the fight.
But even so, everyone understood one thing—
If they got even slightly too close, they would likely die instantly.
BOOM!
Another deafening impact exploded outward, and the earth trembled violently once again as Natsuhiko and the Fourth Raikage finally separated.
Within the drifting smoke and dust, the Raikage's eyes remained fixed on Natsuhiko, his expression growing increasingly serious.
He understood the previous exchange better than anyone.
Their speed had been so extreme that ordinary shinobi could not even perceive what had happened.
But he himself knew very clearly—
Not once had he successfully touched Senju Natsuhiko.
Meanwhile, Natsuhiko had repeatedly relied on the Flying Thunder God Technique to toy with him, striking him again and again with chakra-coated kunai.
If not for his monstrous defenses and the protection granted by the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, he might already have died on the battlefield.
The Lightning Release Chakra Mode was one of Kumogakure's most unique techniques.
It was also known as the Lightning Armor.
By concentrating Lightning Release chakra throughout the entire body, the user wrapped themselves in both lightning and chakra.
The technique stimulated the body's cells, greatly enhancing physical activity and allowing the user to move with lightning-fast speed.
At the same time, it dramatically increased defensive capabilities, while the electrical stimulation within the body accelerated neural transmission speed as well.
And as the amount of Lightning Release chakra increased, both the user's speed and defense rose even further.
What made the Lightning Release Chakra Mode truly terrifying was that the technique itself was not even considered especially high-level.
Strictly speaking, its difficulty was only around B-rank.
And yet its upper limit was nearly impossible to measure.
It was the kind of jutsu that was easy to learn, but unbelievably difficult to truly master and unleash at its full destructive potential.
Ever since being humiliated by Minato Namikaze years ago, the Fourth Raikage had trained relentlessly in this technique.
Now, he could confidently say he had pushed it to an extremely high level.
But even so, facing this monster named Senju Natsuhiko still left him feeling strangely powerless.
That feeling alone was abnormal.
Especially because Natsuhiko's physical abilities seemed vastly stronger than he had originally imagined.
A child holding a blade might not even be able to pierce a wooden board.
But an adult could do it easily.
Initially, the Fourth Raikage had viewed Natsuhiko as merely a "child."
But now it seemed this brat's physical capabilities were no weaker than a fully grown adult's—perhaps even greater.
"Not bad," Natsuhiko said as he slowly emerged from the smoke, still wearing that relaxed smile. "Lord Raikage's turtle shell really is ridiculously hard."
He casually twirled the kunai in his hand.
"I stabbed you so many times, yet you're still standing. Honestly, I doubt even the shinobi from Iwagakure are as durable as you."
"Hmph. I'll admit it—Konoha's Nightingale is indeed impressive."
The Fourth Raikage spoke slowly, his expression grave.
But soon afterward, a mocking smile appeared on his face.
"I'm just curious… how much longer can you maintain such high-frequency use of the Flying Thunder God Technique?"
The moment his words fell, the Raikage exploded forward like a hunting leopard.
Even though he knew he might not be able to land a direct hit, his goal now was simple—
Drain Natsuhiko's chakra.
Force him into a state where he could no longer continue using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
It was not a particularly honorable tactic, but the Raikage understood clearly that if he failed to do this, there would be no clean way to end this battle.
Senju Natsuhiko's Flying Thunder God was far more bizarre than Minato Namikaze's had ever been.
The Raikage had yet to even see the marked kunai used to guide the space transfer.
If they failed to tie him down—or better yet, exhaust him completely—
Then their retreat today might very well become a repeat of the nightmare once known throughout the ninja world as the Yellow Flash.
The Raikage's speed became a bolt of lightning tearing across the battlefield.
One arm thrust forward, his fingers flattened together like the edge of a blade.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Straight!
The terrifying speed and overwhelming pressure behind that attack caused the observing Konoha shinobi to tremble nervously, while the Kumogakure ninja erupted into loud cheers.
Yet this time, Natsuhiko did not use the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Instead, he simply watched the charging Raikage calmly.
Only when the distance between them was about to vanish did chakra suddenly surge violently through his body.
"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"
The earth trembled violently.
In the next instant, massive wooden walls erupted upward one after another, instantly rising between Natsuhiko and the Fourth Raikage.
And the result—
Was like a speeding vehicle crashing headfirst into a mountain.
The Fourth Raikage's advance stopped dead on the spot.
He could not move forward even half a step further.
In fact, Natsuhiko vaguely thought he heard the sound of bones cracking.
...
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