The flames roared to life.
More than a dozen kunai, each laced with explosive tags, detonated simultaneously.
BOOM!!
Combined with the force of the Great Fireball Technique, a pillar of flame dozens of meters high erupted into the sky, igniting the dense forest below. The air shimmered with heat.
Whoosh!
Body Flicker Technique!
The Fourth Raikage blurred from sight, his speed breaking perception. The instant the detonations ignited, he reappeared a hundred meters away, his body wreathed in lightning.
"That ANBU..."
He gritted his teeth.
Whoever this masked shinobi was, he hadn't come for negotiation.
And his strength—Kage-level, no question.
Across all five great nations, few ANBU reach such heights. After all, once someone attains that level, why remain in the shadows?
"Jiraiya… and a mysterious Super ANBU…"
The Fourth Raikage's brow furrowed.
Was Konoha planning to eliminate him here in the Land of Fire?
Suddenly—
A violent gust crashed from above.
Boom!
"So fast!"
The Raikage darted back just as Tatsuya descended, executing a Leaf Hurricane that shattered the massive tree he'd just landed on.
CRACK!
The towering trunk splintered and fell.
"A taijutsu specialist?"
The Raikage narrowed his eyes. Whoever this ANBU was, he wasn't just fast—he hit hard.
"Good. It's been a while since I've fought a speed-type. Let's dance."
Lightning surged around him.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The two collided repeatedly, exchanging rapid-fire blows. Each clash left shockwaves in their wake.
Tatsuya's kunai scraped across the Raikage's throat more than once—but none landed cleanly.
In return, the Raikage's brute force had already left Tatsuya's wrist tingling.
"So this is the man who once challenged Uchiha Madara's Susanoo head-on…"
Tatsuya's mind remained steady.
His current strength had just reached the Kage-level threshold—his foundation not yet fully tempered.
Without the physical attribute boost he'd just picked up—the reflex enhancement included—this would've been a disaster.
Still, he wasn't worried.
Once the Uchiha Massacre happens… Fourth Raikage will be nothing more than target practice.
The battle intensified.
Their speeds left only afterimages in the field. Yet despite the Raikage's advantage in brute force, Tatsuya showed no signs of losing ground.
The shinobi watching were stunned—Cloud, Mist, and Leaf alike.
"When did Konoha's ANBU become this monstrous?!"
Terumi Mei's expression grew grave.
If this ANBU joined the fray, she might not make it back to the Land of Water.
"No... If Konoha allows this one to grow—he could become their second Namikaze Minato."
In the Raikage's sharp eyes, killing intent surged.
This ANBU's speed, power, and instincts were too refined—far beyond Elite Jōnin. And given his likely proficiency in ninjutsu… he was a threat even among the Kage-level elite.
"Unacceptable."
"Kill!"
The Raikage charged forward again, his chakra exploding outward.
Tatsuya's eyes narrowed.
So… we're going all out.
He vanished in a flicker, creating distance using Body Flicker Technique.
"You're not the Yellow Flash. You can't run."
The Raikage gave chase, lightning cracking through the trees.
BOOM!
Another smoke bomb exploded.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Tatsuya unleashed another blazing inferno.
"Again?!"
The Raikage, livid, shot around the fireball like a thunderbolt.
Too slow.
He appeared behind Tatsuya in a flash.
"No—!!"
Jiraiya, who had been preparing to intervene, screamed too late.
"DIE, reckless ANBU!"
With monstrous force, the Raikage caught Tatsuya and hurled him downward.
"RAIKAGE-STYLE: THUNDERING EXPLOSION!!!"
Lightning detonated across the clearing.
BOOOOOOM!!!
A crater exploded beneath them.
"Die!!!"
It was the Raikage's ultimate close-quarters kill move. No one had ever survived being slammed with that level of force while surrounded by his Lightning Armor.
"NO!! Tatsuya-kun!!"
"Captain!!"
Konoha's shinobi looked on in horror.
Even Yuhi Kurenai's vision went white with panic.
He couldn't be… truly dead…?
...