"A, go!"
Tsuda's breathing grew rapid. He knew he could no longer afford to hold onto false hopes—
The enemy came fully prepared!
The Third Raikage didn't chase after them. Instead, he turned and charged toward the Iwa-nin, only to be met by Ōnoki.
Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!
A cylindrical beam shot forth.
The Third Raikage dodged, but several Kumo-nin behind him weren't so lucky.
Three or four of them perished.
But right now, the Third Raikage didn't have the luxury to care about his subordinates. He had to carve a path for the others to escape.
However—
The next moment, a flash of a blade arrived once more.
Having suffered from it once, the Raikage understood the essence of that strike—
The so-called "blade light" was actually highly concentrated, almost solidified Wind Release chakra. But the most terrifying part wasn't the "blade"—it was the light.
It was both genjutsu and an invisible wind blade, sharper than any chakra-infused weapon.
Even his strongest defense had been breached!
All the Iwa-nin were overjoyed, but Kyoichi himself wasn't satisfied.
He and Minato had joined forces, each using their most powerful Wind Release techniques, yet all they'd managed was barely piercing the defense, leaving only a minor wound.
Such a small injury...
It probably wasn't even enough to hinder the Third Raikage's movements—and that was when he wasn't mentally prepared. If he had been ready, the result would be even worse.
Ōnoki understood this too, so he wasn't feeling optimistic.
And now—
The Third Raikage had already closed in. Ōnoki couldn't stop him if he ignored the safety of his fellow Kumo-nin. He was already almost at the front of the earth wall.
Boom!
An explosion rang out.
A trap of explosive tags was triggered.
But—
It didn't work. It couldn't even break through his defense!
The Third Raikage rampaged across the battlefield, deliberately stepping on traps to clear a safe path.
Now that's badass.
Kyoichi couldn't help but admire him.
This man was truly a beast. But right now, they couldn't afford to let him keep bulldozing through traps. Kyoichi turned, and one of his blades transformed into the Samehada, wrapped in bandages.
Then—
Whoosh!
A sharp gust howled.
The Third Raikage heard it. He pulled out a kunai with his left hand and turned to block.
But—
The incoming slash only skimmed past him—it wasn't a direct clash. The next instant, the blade in Kyoichi's left hand flashed like lightning, aiming for the Raikage's kunai-wielding hand.
His face grew grim.
He realized the Lightning Release armor on his left hand had inexplicably lost a large amount of chakra…
Not good!
He made a snap decision.
With a flick of his wrist, the kunai surged with Lightning chakra, vibrating at high frequency as it shot out.
If that kunai landed, it would be deadly.
But the key point—
He switched hands and used the side with more chakra to block the blade, while simultaneously jabbing his right hand—two fingers extended—straight at Kyoichi.
It was a one-for-one trade!
Boom!
His two-finger jab met with Minato's Rasengan.
Though it didn't injure him, it interrupted him for a crucial moment.
In that instant—
A thin wound appeared on his arm.
Then, in the blink of an eye, both attackers vanished.
Flying Thunder God!
The Third Raikage took a deep breath. His mind flashed back to the jutsu of Tobirama Senju.
He had guessed earlier that it might be that technique.
Now it was clear: the enemy hadn't just marked their kunai with the teleportation formula—there was also one on the silver-haired ninja himself. That's how they could close in so quickly.
In other words—
Getting close to him meant facing two attackers at once.
And…
Just as he finished fending off Kyoichi and Minato, Ōnoki's Dust Release came for him again.
This time was different.
Previously, no one had obstructed him, so he could easily dodge Ōnoki's Dust Release. But now, he had just blocked an assault from Kyoichi and Minato...
"Raikage-sama!"
Tsuda turned back and saw the Raikage within the range of the Dust Release. He panicked. If A hadn't knocked him aside with a punch, he might have been skewered by several earth spikes already.
"Go!"
A didn't look back. No matter what state his father was in now, his mission was to get everyone back home.
They had to break through the Iwa-nin's defenses!
Lightning Release chakra flared across his body. Killer B followed close behind without turning back, charging along the path the Third Raikage had cleared toward the earth wall.
Over a dozen Iwa-nin squads came to intercept them.
But—
Their ninjutsu was useless against the Lightning Chakra Mode, and their ninja tools and explosive tags were blocked by the Raikage's lightning armor. Though A took some hits, nothing was fatal.
In just seconds—
He was already at the base of the earthen fortress.
Lariat!
Though just a single strike, it carried most of the chakra in his body.
One karate chop—
The earth wall collapsed with a thunderous crash. But behind it, multiple layers of defense still stood. Two to three dozen Iwa-nin squads surged forward, an overwhelming force of enemies and jutsu.
A and B were momentarily at a loss.
Ōnoki turned, ready to use his Dust Release to finish A off, but—
A kunai shot out from beneath the earth.
A high-frequency vibrating Lightning kunai—it rendered any defensive jutsu completely useless.
Ōnoki had to redirect his attention.
The next moment, the place his Dust Release had just struck—
The Third Raikage burst out from the earth.
At the last moment, he had stomped down with tremendous force on the ground, softened by the earlier explosion, creating a pit to dodge the Dust Release's range.
Now, the Third Raikage was covered in dirt and looked battered—
But he was still alive.
And more importantly—
He was charging forward again, straight into the Iwa-nin defensive lines.
Kyoichi and Minato's attacks?
He blocked the chakra-draining blade, and ignored everything else.
His wounds multiplied.
But—
He had bought time. In the blink of an eye, he was already at the foot of the earth wall.
Then—
He crashed into it like a human cannonball.
Boom!
The wall crumbled. The Third Raikage tore into the Iwa-nin ranks. His fingers were the sharpest spear—no defense could stop them.
In just a few breaths, several Iwa-nin were already dead—
Most of them were jonin!
Kyoichi and Minato rushed after him, but their speed was clearly a step behind. By the time they caught up, the Raikage had already plunged into the crowd.
In that brief window, he had slaughtered dozens of Iwa-nin, throwing their formation into chaos.
Taking advantage of this, the main Kumo-nin forces broke through from another gap, clashing with the remaining Iwa-nin in a chaotic melee.
Far in the distance, battles could still be seen between Iwa-nin and Land of Lightning reinforcements—but Iwa's forces were limited.
As long as they could break through the second line and coordinate with the incoming Lightning ninja from inside, escape was very much within reach.
But…
The real difficulty lay in the second defensive line.
Most of them were already running on fumes—especially A, Killer B, and Dodai. The three had been leading the charge from the start, burning through the most chakra.
"Bro, I'll take the front! You fall back!"
Killer B's twin blades flashed like lightning, and Tailed Beast chakra surged to the surface.
"B, you bastard… You better survive! Get stronger, then come back and kick my ass!"
A's tears streamed down his face. He and B weren't brothers by blood, but their bond ran deeper than blood ever could. No words were needed—they already understood what the other intended.
B was going to borrow the power of the Tailed Beast… to carve a path for everyone else.
There was no other choice.
A had already burned through the last of his chakra—just breaking through the earth wall and forcing his way into the defense line had been his final push.
This war… he was paying the price for his recklessness and lack of caution.
"Of course, dumbass, jackass!"
Killer B cursed in rhythm as he slashed through the enemy ranks. At the climax, Tailed Beast chakra erupted, and his blades began to vibrate at high frequency, crackling with lightning.
Lightning Release: Super Vibrato Lightning Blade!
Both swords struck together—no Earth-style jutsu could stand against them. Around him, the Tailed Beast cloak formed a protective barrier, and octopus-like tails sprouted from his back.
Those tails were weapons too!
The other Kumo-nin followed in his wake, expanding the breach step by step, retreating in the direction of the Land of Lightning.
"Kyoichi, you guys still not making a move…?"
Ōnoki was growing frantic—and furious.
Those two were clearly just dragging their feet.
He wasn't sure exactly how strong Namikaze Minato was, but he knew all too well the kind of power Kyoichi had. If that guy went all out, his speed should be way faster than this.
cough cough "Minato hasn't fully recovered his chakra yet," Kyoichi said, shooting Minato a look. "We're about to extract the Third Raikage."
Minato was speechless.
Really? Shifting the blame again?
Give me a break.
Wasn't this your idea in the first place?
Still… Minato didn't say anything more.
Letting the Third Raikage kill a few more Iwa-nin was perfectly aligned with Konoha's interests anyway. Besides, if they had pulled him out too soon, Ōnoki might've just left the Raikage behind and focused all his forces on taking down A and Killer B.
None of us are saints—don't act like we don't know each other.
In the next instant—
Kyoichi's speed suddenly doubled.
Gate: Open!
In a blink, he was already in front of the Third Raikage. Minato appeared beside him a moment later. Kyoichi used Samehada to drain part of the Raikage's Lightning Release chakra, while Minato coated his palm in Wind Release chakra to shield it, then placed it directly onto the Raikage.
Lightning chakra was suppressed by the wind.
The Raikage tried to dodge, but—
In the next second, his world spun. A weightless, disorienting sensation overtook him, and by the time his vision cleared, he was already in a different location.
Flying Thunder God Technique—they'd teleported him far from the battlefield.
It was a special kunai Minato had planted earlier.
The Third Raikage was dazed for a moment.
Then coughed up blood in rage.
Flying Thunder God, what the hell?!
What was Tobirama Senju thinking when he invented this nasty, cheating-ass jutsu?
He yanked the kunai from the ground and crushed it in his fist.
Then—
Charged straight back in!
No choice.
A and the others were still caught in the midst of the Iwa-nin. If he left now, the enemy would just turn around and swarm them. Even if he survived… without his comrades, Kumogakure had no future.
What would be the point?
Ōnoki had been elated at first.
You actually teleported him away?
Brilliant!
But—
A second later, he spotted the Third Raikage not far away, tearing back into the fray.
"…Why didn't you send him farther?"
"That would've taken more chakra—and time. Wouldn't have worked."
"Ugh…" Ōnoki gave a long sigh. "Fine, I'll pretend that makes sense."
Still, even in that brief moment… he had room to make his move.
Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!
He aimed it stealthily at A. That kid was completely drained of chakra and stamina—dodging was basically impossible.
"Ōnoki! Don't you dare!!"
The Third Raikage moved like a bolt of lightning. This time, he truly didn't care about Kyoichi or Minato.
Samehada? A sword?
Screw it!
He slashed a long cut down his own arm, blood spraying—but he didn't slow down, charging into the heart of the Iwa-nin. Along the way, he hurled multiple kunai and explosive tags—all aimed at intercepting Ōnoki's strike.
When he reached them, he saw A hurled far back from the blast, while a few of Killer B's octopus tails had been blown off, nearly disintegrated.
He made it in time—he saved A!
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