Haruto swept his gaze over the battlefield, quickly taking stock of the situation.
Yamanaka Kaze's chakra had completely vanished. Tenzo was badly wounded. Aburame Torune and Hyūga Nichi also bore injuries of varying severity.
Only Kakashi remained standing beside him without a scratch — though Haruto could see the guilt in his comrade's eyes.
If he guessed correctly, Tenzo and the others had tried to stall the Fourth Raikage, giving Kakashi the chance to retreat.
No matter how one looked at it, Kakashi was the most important person here.
"Good thing I made it in time," Haruto murmured to himself. After completing his mission at the Valley of the End, he had gone straight into the forest — and happened to run into this Konoha unit.
After a quick exchange, he had confirmed Kakashi's direction. Without that, his lack of sensory ability might have caused him to miss them entirely.
And… Kirabi isn't here.
Haruto's eyes narrowed. Aside from the Raikage, whom he had just kicked flying, the rest of the enemy were merely ordinary Cloud shinobi.
Not only was Kirabi absent, but even the Raikage's two closest aides — Darui and C — were nowhere to be seen.
As I thought… A is still haunted by the death of the Third Raikage. He's terrified of losing his younger brother, so he won't allow Kirabi to leave the village.
As for Darui and C, they were likely deployed in other sectors. After all, the forests around the Valley of the End covered an enormous area.
"Haruto?!"
Only now did Kakashi register his arrival, staring at him in shock. He hadn't expected Haruto to suddenly appear like this.
"What about the Mist front…?"
Kakashi drew in a sharp breath, quickly asking about the other battlefield.
"It's already handled," Haruto said without a second thought, though his gaze shifted to A, lying on the ground.
Just moments ago, to save Kakashi, Haruto's first move had been to drop from above and kick the Raikage away.
But A's body was monstrously tough — strong enough to withstand even the bone-crushing impact of the Heavenly Transfer Technique.
And with his Lightning Release Armor active, his defense was even greater.
"Haruto…"
The Raikage's voice rumbled low as he sprang back to his feet with a sudden kip-up.
The Cloud shinobi reacted instantly. In less than two breaths, they had spread out into formation, surrounding Haruto and the others, cutting off any escape route.
A's killing intent sharpened.
Even now, the events in the Land of Iron burned vividly in his memory.
No matter how he looked at it, he had no reason to let Haruto live.
Today, Senju Haruto would die.
"What do you mean, 'it's handled'?" Kakashi asked, his voice tight with disbelief.
Could Haruto really have repelled the Mist's invasion in just one night?
It seemed impossible. Haruto might be an exceptionally powerful shinobi, but he had been up against an entire hidden village.
"It means exactly what it sounds like. Fall back, Kakashi — this isn't a fight you can join."
Haruto didn't bother explaining further, but Kakashi understood.
"…I see," he replied reflexively, though instead of retreating, he suddenly dashed forward.
He wasn't foolish enough to try clashing head-on with the Raikage.
His opponent wasn't just a Lightning Release master — he was the strongest man in the Cloud, its leader.
Even Kakashi's most powerful jutsu, Lightning Cutter, couldn't pierce him.
No — Kakashi's target was Tenzo.
As a comrade he had acknowledged, Kakashi would never allow Tenzo to die here.
Even if A didn't finish him off immediately, Tenzo's injuries were grave. If they didn't get him out now, the battle between Haruto and the Raikage could easily take his life.
But A's speed far outstripped Kakashi's.
Just as Kakashi reached Tenzo and bent to lift him, A flickered in behind him, fist drawn back, lightning crackling. With a boom, he drove his punch forward.
The speed was such that even sensing the danger, Kakashi had no time to dodge.
In that split second, Kakashi shut his eyes tight and locked his arms around Tenzo, determined to shield him with his own body.
Obito… Rin… looks like I'll be seeing you again.
Boom!
A deafening crash exploded behind him. The shockwave rippled outward, slamming into Kakashi's back hard enough to nearly knock him off his feet.
Even so, he managed to withstand it — but blood sprayed from his mouth before he could stagger back to Haruto's side with Tenzo in his arms.
Only after confirming that both he and Tenzo were safe did Kakashi glance back.
From the ground had risen a massive hand of sand, gripping A's iron fist and stopping it cold.
That was the only reason Kakashi had escaped.
"That's… the technique from Sunagakure," Kakashi realized aloud, then looked toward Haruto.
Hyūga Nichi and Aburame Torune began to move as well, intent on aiding Haruto.
But before they could take a single step, Kakashi stopped them.
"This fight… only Haruto can handle it," Kakashi said firmly. "If we rush in, we'll only hold him back."
The truth was, even without their injuries, none of them could match the Raikage — much less now.
Joining in would only split Haruto's focus as he tried to protect them.
And the outcome of this duel would shape the rest of the war.
It was the decisive moment.
"As Haruto's comrades, all we can do now is trust him," Kakashi said, gently laying Tenzo on the ground and guarding him in case any other Cloud shinobi tried to attack.
Thankfully, Tenzo's wounds, though severe, weren't immediately fatal. His vitality far exceeded that of ordinary men.
Torune and Nichi understood. The best way to help Haruto now was not to hinder him.
They abandoned the idea of assisting directly, falling back to stand beside Kakashi, forming a defensive formation to block any interference.
A watched all this silently. He didn't press the attack on Tenzo again.
Haruto's earlier display had made one thing clear: unless he took Haruto down, he wouldn't be killing anyone here today.
Boom!
A wrenched his arm free from the sand.
This wasn't their first fight, and he saw no need for cautious probing.
"Bring out that Lightning Body of yours," he challenged, focusing entirely on Haruto.
Just remembering how Haruto had knocked him out before sent a wave of humiliation burning through his chest.
"Lightning Body?"
Haruto smiled faintly and shook his head.
"I don't use that move."