"What!?"
The Fourth Raikage's pupils shrank in shock.
Meanwhile, Shisui grinned with joy, quickly saying:
"Menma-dono, you're finally here! The Fourth Raikage is trying to kidnap a young member of our clan!"
"I know."
Menma nodded and replied:
"You step back. Leave this to me."
In the original story, the Fourth Raikage had fought against Namikaze Minato. The former's cellular activation granted him peak speed.
Given Shisui's current strength, he was no match for the Fourth Raikage.
"I understand!"
Shisui nodded, backing away while warning:
"Menma-dono, please be careful. The Fourth Raikage's strength and defense are astonishing. I attacked him with kunai earlier, but they had no effect at all—couldn't even pierce his skin…
Also, he seems to have some sort of taijutsu that combines lightning release and body enhancement techniques..."
Menma gave a slight nod.
The Raikages of Kumogakure have always possessed cellular activation and Raiton: Raigeki no Yoroi (Lightning Release: Lightning Armor), granting them explosive power and incredible defense.
Their bodies were praised as the strongest shields, while also being the strongest spears.
"S-rank missing-nin Namikaze Menma, you're the one the Uchiha clan is now loyal to?"
The Fourth Raikage gazed at Menma with a heavy expression.
From the brief exchange just now, he had already sensed Menma's power.
It was ridiculously strong—at least on par with his own.
Under normal circumstances, he'd never want to provoke such an enemy.
But this time, his goal was the Uchiha.
For the sake of the Sharingan, one of the Three Great Dōjutsu, it was worth the risk—even if it meant fighting such a dangerous opponent.
"That's right, Fourth Raikage. I heard that all the Raikages of your line are called the strongest shields and the strongest spears..."
A smirk appeared at the corner of Menma's lips as he wrapped his arm in Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), saying:
"Let me see for myself!"
The two locked eyes for a brief moment before, in the next instant, they both burst forward at full speed—like twin beams of light colliding head-on.
"Bang! Bang! Bang...!"
The sound of fists striking flesh echoed fiercely.
Their speed was so fast, their power so immense, that their figures were invisible to the naked eye—only the sharp sonic booms could be heard tearing through the air.
"So fast! So fast! Menma-dono and the Fourth Raikage's speed... I can't believe it..."
Shisui's pupils dilated to the limit.
Even with his fully matured Mangekyō Sharingan, he couldn't clearly track their movements.
"Two monsters..."
Izumi couldn't help but cover her mouth in shock.
Red Lotus, watching for a while, could only give a wry smile:
"With this kind of speed... even if I wanted to help Menma-dono, I couldn't."
Faced with such an overwhelming clash of speed, all they could do was watch.
If they tried to intervene, they'd risk accidentally hitting either the Fourth Raikage or the golden-haired youth.
The thunderous booms in the air continued.
The crackling blue lightning of the Raikage.
The golden flash of Menma's hair.
These two streaks of light collided again and again—hundreds of times in just a single second—making it impossible to tell who had the upper hand.
"This guy... how is his fist so hard...?"
Within the flurry of motion, the Fourth Raikage looked at the golden flash before him in disbelief.
"I'm using Raigeki no Yoroi! My body is harder than steel, yet this guy can match me punch for punch...
And this speed—it's not even space-time ninjutsu, just pure speed—and he can keep up with me...
This guy...!"
Compared to the Raikage's shock, Menma's mind was calm. He had long known the Fourth Raikage wasn't easy to deal with.
"Ranton: Shūdan (Storm Release: Severing Barrage)!"
Menma raised his right leg and swung it fiercely toward the Raikage.
The Raikage, unwilling to back down, threw a punch to meet the strike head-on.
Fist and shin collided—another earth-shattering boom erupted in the air.
"So hard...!"
The Raikage sucked in a cold breath.
He felt a sharp pain in his lightning-clad arm as if he had just struck something harder than steel.
Before the Raikage could react, he saw a sharp blue slash erupt from the leg that had blocked him.
"Not good!"
The Raikage's pupils contracted. He knew he couldn't dodge, so he clenched his teeth and activated his strongest Raigeki no Yoroi.
"Crack! Crackle...!"
Blinding lightning erupted around him.
For a moment, every hair on the Raikage's body stood on end, arcs of electricity swirling wildly.
"Whoosh!"
The blue slash streaked through the air, striking the Raikage square in the chest.
Even with his formidable physique, the Raikage was sent flying backward for dozens of steps, panting heavily.
But Menma frowned in dissatisfaction.
"Didn't even break his defense!?"
Looking at the Raikage's chest, there wasn't even a scratch.
The Raikage nearly coughed up blood.
This guy's too arrogant—he's the Fourth Raikage! The man known as the strongest shield! How could he be so easily wounded?
Yet despite that, the Raikage's wariness of Menma skyrocketed.
"This guy's taijutsu... is on par with mine."
Gritting his teeth, the Raikage roared, his body surging with thunder as he charged at Menma again, shouting:
"Jūryūhō!!! (Heavy Flow Bomb)!"
With his cellular activation ramped up, his body gained even more explosive power.
From a distance, he looked like a lightning bolt hurtling straight for Menma.
This punch landed square on Menma's head.
"Boom!"
Menma's head exploded into a burst of flames.
"What!?"
The Raikage's heart skipped a beat in shock.
But in the next moment, Menma reformed behind him, his voice cold as ice:
"Katon: Shiranui (Fire Release: Unseen Flames)!"
In his hands were two blazing flame spears, which he drove fiercely toward the Raikage's chest.
"Raaaah!"
The Raikage roared, ignoring the incoming fire spears and swinging his fist at the golden-haired youth once more.
The spears failed to pierce the Raikage's defense yet again.
But Menma was growing annoyed.
With a cold voice, he muttered:
"Enough of this, huh?"
Clenching his fist tightly, he poured his full power into it, covering it with Busoshoku Haki, and met the Raikage's punch head-on without flinching.
"Boom!!!"
A massive shockwave erupted.
Both the Raikage and Menma's expressions changed, but Menma quickly regained composure, shouting once again:
"Shakuton: Kōjōsatsu (Scorch Release: Overheat Murder)!"
Superheated flames burst from his hands.
This was a product of combining Fire Release and Wind Release nature transformations—a Kekkei Genkai that could vaporize a body's moisture entirely.
"Your defense is strong... but can it stop me from burning you into a dried husk?"
Menma advanced, wreathed in flames like a god of fire.
This time, the Raikage's expression finally changed, a sliver of regret flashing through his heart.
Perhaps... he shouldn't have come here without proper intel.
This incident... might just bring a powerful enemy upon the Hidden Cloud.
But what was done was done—there was no turning back now.
The Raikage snapped his gaze downwards and roared:
"Bee! Did you catch the boy yet!?"
(End of Chapter)
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