Facing the Third Raikage, Rōshi's expression finally turned grave.
Judging from the power erupting from the man before him, Rōshi knew one thing for certain—he was no match.
Even if the Kumo ninja are no longer a threat, this is our chance to wipe them out completely. I can't let him interfere.
"Lava Style: Fire River Cascade!"
Molten magma surged forward like a tidal wave. The Third Raikage charged straight into it, taking the attack head-on—two fingers extended like blades, stabbing toward Rōshi.
"Useless. That temperature isn't even hotter than my bathwater!"
The Lightning Release Chakra Mode enveloped his body, completely blocking the oncoming magma.
"Impossible—how can this be?!"
Even if the lava didn't hit directly, its temperature exceeded a thousand degrees. Under normal circumstances, it should have affected him even through the Lightning Armor—but the Third Raikage looked completely unfazed, carving a path through the magma with his lightning-coated fingers.
"Too late!"
Leaping backward, Rōshi slammed a crimson chakra arm into the ground, barely evading the Raikage's strike.
He released his Lava Release Chakra Mode, the Tailed Beast Cloak re-forming around his body. Dropping to all fours, black-and-red chakra surged outward, forming four tails. A chilling pressure spread across the battlefield.
Savage Steel Claws!
The beast-cloaked forelimb slammed into the ground. In an instant, it was as if mountains collapsed and oceans overturned—the shockwave blasted every ninja in the area clear.
The ground beneath the Third Raikage suddenly split apart. A massive black-and-red chakra hand burst forth, snatching him up like an ant crushed in a fist.
Looking closely, one of Rōshi's four tails had pierced deep into the earth—the giant hand was an extension of that tail.
As the colossal chakra palm closed, countless black-and-red chakra droplets erupted from Rōshi's Tailed Beast Cloak, converging before his mouth.
In a blink, the droplets condensed into a small black sphere.
At that moment, the sphere seemed to be compressed by an invisible force—compressed again and again.
Pop.
Pop.
Pop.
Rhythmic explosions echoed through the air. Even the ground beneath Rōshi caved inward.
A chakra sphere once the size of a soccer ball was compressed down to the size of a ping-pong ball. Before the stunned eyes of distant onlookers, Rōshi opened his mouth—white vapor spilling out—and swallowed it whole.
Tailed Beast Ball: Void Hound Cannon!
The ultra-dense chakra rapidly expanded inside his body, swelling Rōshi into a near-perfect sphere. He forced open his clenched jaws, and the pressure finally found release—
A blinding white beam erupted straight toward the captured Third Raikage.
The massive chakra hand was shredded instantly, like water torn apart by a hurricane, revealing the Raikage within.
At the moment of impact, a white shockwave spread outward like a flat circular wall of air. A cone-shaped blast exploded from the collision point, tearing up the land for over a hundred meters. Even Kumo and Iwa ninja in the rear were caught in it—reduced to nothing but scattered remains.
Rōshi pulled his tail free from the ground, his pale pupils locked on the dust cloud ahead. Rationally, no one should have survived such an attack—yet his instincts screamed that this wasn't over.
"What?!"
Blue lightning suddenly burst from the smoke.
The Third Raikage transformed into a bolt of lightning, charging straight at Rōshi.
Rōshi's attack had been cataclysmic—but the Raikage had endured even Killer B's Eight-Tails Tailed Beast Bomb. Compared to that, this compact Four-Tails blast was nothing.
He was the man with the strongest body. To this day, no one had ever broken that ultimate shield—not even a Tailed Beast.
"No—!"
Even prepared, Rōshi hadn't expected this.
Someone who took a Tailed Beast Bomb head-on—without a scratch.
He instinctively swung Savage Steel Claws at the Raikage, but the chakra limb was split cleanly in two on contact.
Even as Rōshi desperately tried to evade, he was too slow.
The arm he extended was severed midair by the Raikage's finger spear.
White steam poured from the stump of his left arm as Rōshi's agonized roar echoed across the battlefield.
For the first time, someone had pierced his Tailed Beast Cloak.
Four tails of the cloak—armor even the legendary Kusanagi Blade couldn't penetrate.
"ROAR—!"
"So it missed…" the Third Raikage muttered. His original target had been Rōshi's neck.
That single moment of interference from the claw—and Rōshi's desperate dodge—had barely saved his life.
"One-Finger Hellstab!"
This time, the target was Rōshi's chest.
Sensing the killing intent, Rōshi abandoned all thought of counterattacking and fled in sheer desperation.
"You coward—stop running!"
The Third Raikage roared in fury, but there was nothing he could do.
His Hellstab, like Kakashi's Lightning Blade, was devastating but linear—easy to predict and evade. Kakashi compensated with the Sharingan. The Third Raikage did not have that luxury.
Rōshi fled at full speed. Even down an arm, his current state was far faster than the Raikage could pursue.
"Damn rat…"
Then the sounds of Kumo ninja shouting reached his ears, snapping him back to reality.
"Retreat!!!"
"Iwa ninja scum—just wait! One day, I'll make you pay for this!"
Ignoring the fleeing Rōshi, the Third Raikage charged toward the retreating Cloud forces.
"Lateral Bolt of Pain: Chop!"
Leaping high, he slammed down near the battlefield's edge. The ground split apart, rocks blasting skyward as a wide ring of Iwa ninja were sent vomiting blood by the shockwave.
"Lightning Bomb!"
He seized an Iwa ninja and drove him headfirst into the ground. When the lightning detonated, nothing remained but pulp.
The Third Raikage became a living thunderbolt, carving a path through the battlefield. Wherever he passed, Stone ninja fell. Blue lightning flashed—and a corridor of death was torn through the ranks.
"All units—withdraw!"
Now standing alone at the battlefield's edge, the Third Raikage became a living wall. One by one, Kumo ninja passed behind him. Iwa ninja who gave chase halted the moment they met his gaze.
One man holds the line—ten thousand cannot pass.
Like a primordial beast, the Third Raikage stared down thousands of Iwa ninja. Every warrior who met his eyes broke out in a cold sweat.
"Retreat!"
That command came from Rōshi.
He had already shed his Tailed Beast Cloak. The stump of his left arm had regenerated under the Four-Tails' power, but the strain on his body was obvious—his face was pale.
If he continued fighting, he could have dragged the Third Raikage into a three-day, three-night battle and killed him through attrition.
But now wasn't the time.
Iwagakure couldn't afford more losses.
Sunagakure was still attacking.
Konoha was watching like a tiger in the grass.
And Takigakure, Kusagakure—wolves drawn by the scent of blood.
Trapping the Third Raikage any longer would cost too much. The objective had already been achieved—the Kumo had lost all ability to advance.
The Iwa ninja on the front line finally exhaled in relief. The Raikage's presence alone was terrifying—no one wanted to keep fighting.
Watching the Iwa forces withdraw, the Third Raikage clenched his teeth and turned away.
This debt… I will repay it.
An Iwa ninja approached carrying Rōshi's severed left arm. The cut was clean—if they were fast enough, Iwagakure's medical corps might be able to reattach it.
"…As I thought," Rōshi muttered, gripping the stump, his eyes sharpening. "I'm still too weak."
What he needed now was power.
What Iwagakure needed was power—and morale.
"We stopped the Kumo and the Third Raikage."
"Return to Iwagakure."
"We are victorious."
And indeed they were.
Barring the unexpected survival of the Third Raikage, the Iwa forces had annihilated over half of the Kumo army—an undeniable, overwhelming victory.
Amid thunderous cheers, the Iwa ninja army marched home toward Iwagakure.
----------------------------------///
Advance Chapters on Patreon!
p(a)treon(.)com/HudaLin
-Remove the parenthesis to access patreon normally
Thanks for the Support!