Snap.
That was the final sound of life slipping away—fragile, fleeting.
The crack echoed straight into the Raikage's chest, hammering at his heart.
Everything had gone according to plan at first.
Armed with the Land of Fire and Konoha defense maps, the squad had slipped through the Land of Fire's barrier without a hitch, reaching Konoha undetected.
By now, he had confirmed that the barrier key recorded on the scroll was genuine.
All that was left was to infiltrate Yugito Nii's location quietly and bring her back to Kumogakure.
To ensure success, every member of this mission had been handpicked—each one an elite among the Kumo's finest, all with exceptional skill in concealing their chakra.
And because of the mission's importance, the Raikage himself had personally taken the lead.
Yet even with all that, something had gone wrong.
The boy standing before him fought with brutal precision, carrying that signature massive blade on his shoulder and the gourd at his waist.
The moment he saw him, the Raikage understood who he was facing.
So this was Hakken Yoru.
The so-called "Konoha Demon"—the one who had gravely injured his brother Killer Bee and captured Yugito Nii.
The Konoha Demon. That was the name every shinobi in Kumogakure used for him.
Only those who had seen the mangled remains of their fallen comrades could truly understand where that name came from.
Every strike he delivered ended in death—whether by decapitation or dismemberment. Such cruelty was not something a child should be capable of.
That was the work of a demon.
"Brat, you're Hakken Yoru, aren't you?"
Lightning crackled across the Raikage's body as the armor of Lightning Release Chakra Mode flared to life, glowing fiercely beneath the night sky.
"Since you know my name, how dare you trespass?"
Shouldering his Zanpakutō, Hakken tilted his head slightly as he spoke.
The Raikage's face twitched, his expression twisting with disbelief.
Did this brat just—?
Who gave you the courage to say that?
'Since you know my name, how dare you trespass?'
Even Konoha's current Hokage, Minato Namikaze, would never speak with such arrogance.
Did he think himself Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage?
Still, this was Konoha's territory.
The explosion from his earlier Lightning Bomb probably had already drawn attention.
And worst of all, there was the possibility that the "key" he'd obtained from Mabui had been planted deliberately—a trap meant to lure him here.
Was this boy's appearance merely coincidence, or had he been waiting here all along? Were there other Konoha forces surrounding them even now? The Raikage couldn't tell.
Originally, after his initial strike had failed, he had planned to retreat.
Though he'd always looked down on Konoha's so-called "softness," the village had changed—and with Minato alone already being a handful, staying any longer was risky.
But those eight words—those arrogant, cutting words—snapped his temper in an instant.
"Brat, don't you dare underestimate the Raikage!"
Lightning flared violently around his body as A made up his mind.
He would crush Hakken Yoru right here, as quickly as possible, and then leave.
He was the Raikage, after all!
Boom!
The ground beneath him exploded into fragments, and his massive frame shot forward like a missile.
Speed—that was the Raikage's greatest weapon.
Underestimate the Raikage?
Hakken never had.
In fact, it was quite the opposite—he regarded him with the utmost seriousness.
The man before him was the strongest opponent he had ever faced.
There was no doubt about that.
Obito Uchiha? His Kamui was certainly powerful, but the Raikage was different. His strength came purely from his own body—raw, unyielding power.
A true Kage-level shinobi.
Not that Hakken looked down on Obito. His dōjutsu, taijutsu, every skill he possessed—those too were genuine strength.
But a fighter who relied entirely on physical might—this was the first time Hakken had faced one like that.
Just from his aura alone, he could tell: the Raikage's power even surpassed Killer Bee's when he wasn't in full tailed-beast form.
Clang!
A simple, brutal hand chop slashed toward Hakken. Without hesitation, Hakken brought his Zanpakutō up horizontally, blocking the blow head-on.
Boom!
The air itself seemed to freeze from the collision. The shrill screech of metal grinding against metal filled the forest, making the scalp crawl.
Hakken's body was thrown back over ten meters before skidding to a stop.
What monstrous strength!
Shaking the numbness from his arm, he licked his dry lips, adrenaline burning through his veins.
Raising his blade with one hand, Hakken pointed it straight at the Raikage.
In that moment, the madness in his eyes ignited—his killing intent surged like a storm, overflowing with battlelust.
"Bring it on!"
This time, he chose to strike first.
Pale blue chakra shimmered along the surface of his Zanpakutō, while tendrils of black energy leaked from the blade. Two of his primary slashing traits activated at once.
Swish!
A wave of golden and black sword energy tore through the air.
The destructive spiritual pressure it carried made the Raikage's expression harden.
According to Killer Bee, this was the very energy that had left him weakened.
But with my speed, it won't touch me!
Whoosh!
His figure vanished instantly.
In Lightning Release Chakra Mode, his speed had reached its limit—near instantaneous. Within a blink, before Hakken's slash could fully manifest, the Raikage appeared right behind him.
"Brat, your life ends here!
Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop!"
He brought his hand down in a brutal chop, using his own weight to add force to the blow.
At that moment, the Raikage's confidence surged—no one could react to this speed.
That was the source of his arrogance.
Even the Fourth Hokage couldn't counter this directly. The only reason Minato Namikaze had defeated the A-B Combo before was because he'd already placed his Flying Thunder God seals in advance.
But a loss was a loss. The Raikage never made excuses.
...
BOOM!
A violent tremor shook the ground, collapsing it inward.
Just as the Raikage had intended, his strike slammed squarely into the boy's back.
Dust exploded outward.
Under the moonlight, lightning roared through the forest—then, as the chaos settled, a calm voice echoed through the haze.
"Hey… that actually hurt."
Buzz!
Golden light erupted skyward.
Even space itself seemed to tremble, and a leaf drifting overhead disintegrated into dust in an instant.
Unlike chakra, the life energy capable of creation, this was power born from the soul itself—pure, crushing pressure that left the Raikage momentarily stunned.
What kind of ability is this?
Why have I never seen it before?
Before him, the golden aura surrounding the youth condensed into a massive, skull-like form, roaring at him with primal fury.
A manifested defense of pure spiritual power!
Now that Hakken's First Template had reached twenty percent progress, he could finally unleash this formidable defensive technique.
The overwhelming pressure pouring from his body took shape—a giant golden skull that encased him completely, cutting him off from all external attacks.
Its heat was searing; any assault that touched it would have its spiritual essence burned away instantly. This barrier's strength could even rival Hadō #96: Ittō Kasō.
Though Hakken's spiritual pressure hadn't yet reached the monstrous level of Zaraki Kenpachi, the raw power of this technique was already beginning to show its true potential.
"Come on—fight me!"
The next instant, the roaring golden skull lunged forward, slamming into the Raikage head-on.
The clash only grew fiercer from there.
...
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