Senju Haruto was not using a true Shikai.
In the Shinigami arts, once you learn the true name of your Zanpakutō, you can release it by calling out its name.
But if you intentionally call the wrong name, the release will be incomplete—this is called a Half-Shikai.
That was what Haruto had done now: speaking only half of Thunder Dragon's name, his Zanpakutō shifted into the form of Thunder Gauntlets.
"Jūryū Baku!"
The Fourth Raikage, A, didn't care for Haruto's flashy tricks. Without hesitation, he gathered Lightning Release chakra into his elbow and drove a fierce strike toward him.
Haruto remembered this move clearly.
Back when Sasuke led the Taka squad, A had used this very attack to send the fully Cursed Seal–transformed Jūgo flying.
It was a technique with tremendous power.
Boom!
As A charged in, Haruto raised his arm, open palm meeting the Raikage's elbow head-on.
Different currents of lightning clashed, sparking thunder and releasing invisible shockwaves that blasted outward.
Rumble!
The last remnants of floor, walls, and ceiling crumbled away under their clash.
Mifune instinctively stepped back at the sight.
If he hadn't already been told of Haruto's identity, he might have thought two Kage were dueling before him.
And Mifune wasn't the only one shaken—Sarutobi Hiruzen himself could not suppress his unease.
He knew better than anyone the power of the Fourth Raikage.
Back in the Third Great Ninja War, A had been one of Kumogakure's main forces, alongside his brother Killer B—both feared across the continent.
Even Namikaze Minato had given him high praise after facing him in battle.
Years had passed since that war, and A had grown into the Fourth Raikage, stronger and faster than ever.
Yet here was this up-and-coming Haruto, blocking his attacks.
"Lord Raikage!"
C and Darui exchanged a glance, ready to move in with a feint.
But just as their hands began to form seals, Hiruzen appeared before them without warning.
"It's best you stay out of this," he said, hands clasped behind his back and smiling faintly.
It was no request—it was a warning.
C and Darui froze. They knew all too well the difference in strength; a rash move could get them instantly crushed by the Third Hokage.
And if they distracted A, it could cost him dearly.
What they thought would be a one-sided fight had suddenly turned into something entirely different.
"Senju Haruto…"
Mifune muttered the name, his hand tightening around his sword hilt. A bad feeling welled up in his chest.
"C, Darui—stay where you are!"
Even while trading blows with Haruto, A had noticed the situation. Worried Hiruzen might attack his men, he barked a warning.
Still, there was no way he would give up this chance.
Haruto was not only skilled in Wood Release, but his mastery of Lightning Release was formidable.
"Lightning Release: Horizontal Chop!"
With a sharp roar, A twisted mid-air, focusing power into his other hand, shaping it into a blade before sweeping it across with all his might.
Crackle!
The lightning around Haruto intensified, its pitch climbing higher and higher.
Unlike A's explosive burst, Haruto's energy wasn't purely Lightning Release—it was a unique power of his Zanpakutō, slower to build but more refined.
The arcs around him collided and rubbed together, creating thunderclaps—each one a higher "rank" of power.
Crackle!
Crackle!
The Benrai Echo rose steadily.
By the time A's hand blade neared, it had reached Benrai Rank Six.
Boom!
Haruto clenched his fist and met the strike head-on.
Thunderclaps and lightning exploded, the shockwave reducing the last of the ceiling and walls to dust.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Seeing the collapse, Hiruzen had no choice but to use a stronger Earth technique to block the falling debris.
Rumble!
The ground roared, sunlight pouring in through the destroyed roof.
Mifune and his samurai stood frozen—this was the power of a true shinobi battle.
"You're good," Haruto said, locking eyes with A. "To take Lightning Release this far… impressive. But… you can go further, can't you?"
A stared back in disbelief. Was this man… complimenting him?
A mere guard from Konoha—at best an elite jōnin—daring to praise the Raikage?
And worse, A couldn't shake the feeling that Haruto hadn't even used his strongest move against his last attack, as though he were testing him… from far above.
"No…"
A shook his head. He was the Fourth Raikage—there was no one stronger than him in the field of Lightning Release.
"Raaah!"
With a roar, he abandoned all restraint, pushing his Lightning Release Chakra Mode to the limit.
"Going all out now?" Haruto's gaze sharpened as A's hair stood on end like a Super Saiyan's.
In this state, Haruto knew, A's speed was unmatched—even Mangekyō Sharingan struggled to follow him. He could even dodge Amaterasu.
But—
Crackle!
The moment A entered this form, Haruto's Benrai Echo reached its peak: Benrai Rank Nine.
The purple lightning around him no longer just circled his body—it surged into his flesh and bones, reforging them in an instant.
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode?!"
A's eyes widened. Only a Raikage could use such a technique—yet here it was, in the hands of a Konoha shinobi.
"No," Haruto said, shaking his head. "This is Benraitei."
In the same instant, he raised both fists and aimed straight for A's chest.
"Benrai Burial!"
Visible arcs of thunder coiled into a massive dragon under Haruto's control, crashing into A's chest.
The speed was so overwhelming that even A, famed for his reflexes, couldn't activate Body Flicker in time.
BOOOOM!
The deafening thunderclap shattered Hiruzen's Earth Flow Wall.
The Fourth Raikage, without even a chance to counter, was hurled down to the ground.