With a flash of lightning, A broke straight through the wall and sped off into the distance.
Only a roomful of high-ranking officers were left staring at each other in stunned silence.
"I'll go arrange for a support unit."
Dodai shook his head helplessly. Having once assisted the Third Raikage, he was long accustomed to this family's temperament.
...
Elsewhere.
Takeshi's squad had just taken down a Kumogakure shinobi and were resting in a spot that seemed relatively safe.
"I've already scouted around—other than us, there's no other living creature in the entire village."
After searching the place thoroughly and finding no sign of anyone, Umino Ikkaku returned indoors.
"That's good. Even though there shouldn't be any civilians lingering in a battle zone, you can't rule out the possibility of a few taking a foolish gamble."
Yūhi Shinku nodded, handing over some roasted rations to him.
"Our overall commander—his name's Senju Sōjirō, right? I thought the Senju clan had all hidden their surname and stopped gathering together?"
Turning the rations over on the fire, Takeshi asked curiously.
This was his first time meeting a Senju, and a living one at that.
Hearing Takeshi's question, Yūhi Shinku's expression didn't change; his tone remained casual.
"Just like the Uchiha clan has radicals, the Senju clan also has some who refuse to abandon their name and staunchly oppose the First and Second Hokage's policies."
"Sōjirō's parents were among them."
So that's how it was.
After listening to Yūhi Shinku's explanation, Takeshi understood.
"So you're saying this Sōjirō..."
Takeshi assumed the man must also be a radical, but Yūhi Shinku immediately shook his head.
"Jōnin Sōjirō is a moderate. His daughter doesn't even keep the Senju name."
"I see... hiss—hot!"
Popping a crispy piece of ration bread into his mouth, Takeshi sucked in a sharp breath as it burned his tongue.
"So that's what you'd call a stereotype."
Umino Ikkaku, sporting a small mustache, was also hearing this for the first time and spoke with some emotion.
"When you mention the Uchiha, the stereotype is prideful, aloof, and extreme. Mention the Senju, and it's gentle, strong, and full of love."
"But in reality, the Uchiha have approachable moderates, and the Senju have decisive, hardline fighters."
"Hmph."
At that, Takeshi suddenly flicked the skewer into the ground.
The sharp sound made Umino Ikkaku close his mouth instantly, thinking he'd said something wrong and upset the young jōnin.
Although the two jōnin present were both older and more experienced than Takeshi, when they learned their captain was this not-yet-adult boy, not one of them objected.
It wasn't out of fear for his background, but pure recognition of his strength.
"Pride? If you're talking pride, no one beats the Hyūga."
Takeshi, who didn't usually hold grudges, suddenly remembered Hyūga Hiashi's Byakugan.
The look in those pale eyes was one he detested.
Seeing the disgust on Takeshi's face, Umino Ikkaku and Yūhi Shinku exchanged a glance and tactfully stayed silent.
It was obvious he had a significant grudge with the Hyūga, and that was not something they could—or should—get involved in.
"Alright, we've rested enough. Time to meet up with the main forc—"
Takeshi stood, stretched lazily, and then suddenly slammed his palm against the ground.
"Ice Release: Ice Rock Hall!"
Along with the ice wall came a howling thunderclap.
The building they'd been resting in collapsed in an instant, shattering the ice wall Takeshi had raised into dust.
Kakashi, who had been keeping watch from the roof, rolled across the ground twice before stabilizing himself, half-kneeling with hands trembling slightly.
"Sorry—he was too fast. I didn't have time to—"
"It's fine. This isn't an opponent you could handle so easily."
Takeshi's face was grim, smeared with dirt he didn't dare take a hand to wipe away.
Yūhi Shinku and Umino Ikkaku were in even worse shape—the attack had come so suddenly that even though Takeshi had bought them a heartbeat, the shockwave still caught them. Thankfully, neither was seriously injured.
"Shimura Takeshi. So it really is you."
A stepped out of the rubble, brushing away the dust with a sweep of his sleeve to reveal his full form.
"Fourth... Raikage!"
Yūhi Shinku's pupils constricted. Even in battle, his voice now carried a faint tremor.
"Who? This guy?!"
Umino Ikkaku hurriedly summoned a broad-bladed ninjatō and took a defensive stance.
A didn't answer. Before anyone could react, his figure vanished—and in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Takeshi.
So fast—faster than a few years ago.
Takeshi didn't have time to form seals, so he poured chakra into his vitals, coating them with ice crystals.
A sharp pain flared in his throat, followed by a shift in the surrounding scenery.
"Lightning Oppression Hot Blade!"
Not good!
If he'd been a moment slower, his head would have been separated from his neck!
Sent flying by A's strike, Takeshi ignored the pain in his throat and quickly opened his pouch of Flying Thunder God kunai, letting them spill to the ground.
To Kakashi and the others, it just looked like the Raikage had smacked him so hard his gear had exploded.
Rolling across the ground a few times, Takeshi coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The ice crystal protecting his neck had been completely shattered—some sharp fragments had even cut him in the process, leaving thin scratches across his pale skin.
Isobu: What terrifying power.
Sensing Takeshi's injuries from within their shared consciousness, Isobu began pouring out tailed beast chakra to heal him before Takeshi could even speak.
Even after landing that blow, A didn't slow down.
Leaping high into the air, he coated his foot in lightning chakra, executing a Lightning Release taijutsu technique.
"Lariat!"
The force of impact blasted a deep crater into the ground, cracks spiderwebbing outward from it.
Dust flew high, and another building collapsed in an instant.
Fortunately, Takeshi had used Flying Thunder God to teleport away just before the strike landed, or he would have been splattered on the spot.
A, realizing his attack hadn't connected, wrenched his foot free from the earth. Locating Takeshi's new position and spotting the scattered Flying Thunder God kunai, he lunged forward again.
"Damn—he's so fast you can't track him with the naked eye!"
Kakashi and the others tried throwing ninja tools to slow him down, but with A in Lightning Chakra Mode, nothing hit— and even if by some miracle a kunai or shuriken did, it would simply bounce off the crackling blue aura surrounding him.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo