Uchiha Kai let out a thunderous shout.
Black Armament Haki surged across his entire body, Scarlet Conqueror's Haki swept outward in a storm, and shockwaves rippled through the heavens and earth.
His Sharingan spun wildly, Observation Haki expanded—every twitch of the Third Raikage's body was laid bare to his eyes.
His Tekkai flared.
Muscles turned to living steel, his body darkened further, and he spun like a whirling top—
transforming into a miniature black cyclone that blasted straight toward the Third Raikage.
The Raikage's expression changed instantly.
In that split second, his earlier ease vanished; his entire being tensed with grave caution.
He felt it—
danger.
"Lightning Style: Armor!"
Crackling blue lightning enveloped his form, shaping into a heavy suit of armor.
He knew.
His instincts screamed it: flesh alone could not withstand that blow.
And then—impact.
Boom!
The black tornado of Kai's Tekkai Jade smashed into him like a falling mountain.
The shockwave blasted outward—
Even Namikaze Minato on the ground and Ōnoki in the air were nearly swept away by the sheer force, forced to retreat further.
A sharp crack rang out.
The Raikage's lightning armor shattered almost instantly.
Agonizing pain lanced through his body.
He was only a hair's breadth from having his legendary defense crushed completely.
His massive frame was hurled back through the air, features twisted in a feral grimace.
Yet when his eyes locked on Kai, they burned not with fear—
but with wild exhilaration.
Yes.
He hadn't expected it.
This twelve-year-old boy, barely past childhood, possessed such monstrous strength.
But that only thrilled him more.
It was like meeting his own kind.
For years, he had no true opponents.
Even the Eight-Tails was unsatisfying. Strong, yes, but not human. Just chakra given form.
Life had become dull.
Even facing death today, he felt nothing from slaughtering faceless fodder.
But now—
Uchiha Kai's existence reignited his fighting spirit.
"Good! Excellent!" the Raikage roared, eyes blazing.
"To think a bloodline clan like the Uchiha would produce such a taijutsu monster…
The Sage of Six Paths has not been unkind to me.
To meet you before I die—my life has no regrets!
Kai-dono, prepare yourself…
I will fight with my full strength!"
His grin twisted with savagery and joy.
This was the respect of a warrior.
No cheap shots, no holding back.
For the first time, he regarded Kai not as a boy, but as a peer.
And the title dono—that was not granted lightly.
It was reserved only for those he truly acknowledged.
"Lightning Style: Strongest Armor—open!"
"Hell Stab—One Finger!"
The Raikage's aura exploded.
Lightning crackled darker, tinged with black, as his killing intent reached its peak.
The strongest spear and the strongest shield—
both unleashed in unison.
"Very good," Kai answered, eyes sharp and cold.
"Ai-dono, come!"
For the first time, he too spoke that title.
His respect was genuine.
No jutsu.
No tricks.
Only fists.
Boom!
They collided again.
The resulting blast tore the valley asunder.
The shockwaves alone cracked the earth, sent rocks flying, and darkened the skies with dust.
Kai fought without restraint—
Tekkai, Kami-e, Shigan, Soru, Geppō, Rankyaku…
every Navy Six Style technique and its evolutions unleashed in seamless flow.
The Raikage's taijutsu was simpler—
but devastating.
His spear and shield alone were enough to crush entire armies.
They clashed at blinding speed.
In less than five minutes, hundreds of exchanges.
No ninjutsu.
No Mangekyō Sharingan.
Just pure, unrelenting taijutsu.
The valley lay in ruins.
Mountains shattered into rubble.
The world itself seemed on the verge of collapse.
On the sidelines, Minato's face was etched with shock.
He had seen Kai use taijutsu before, but only in passing.
Mostly, Kai relied on ninjutsu and his Mangekyō.
But this—this was different.
Minato had to admit it, even to himself:
even with Sage Mode, he would not win against Kai.
"Impressive. Truly impressive," Ōnoki muttered, voice tinged with awe.
"Kai-dono's Mangekyō was already terrifying, but who would have thought his taijutsu rivaled even that?
Konoha truly has successors worthy of its name.
My old friend Hiruzen Sarutobi… it seems he can retire without worry.
As for us in Hidden Stone Village… ha. We have no such prodigies."
He sighed with feigned melancholy, then cast Minato a sidelong glance.
"Yellow Flash-dono, I envy you."
Yes, envy.
But also jealousy.
And bitterness.
Konoha was too blessed.
Even under the misrule of fools like Hiruzen, even after the White Fang was driven to suicide, even after countless shinobi died…
new geniuses just kept appearing.
Hidden Stone Village had no such luck.
Without him, they were barren of true champions.
Of course, Ōnoki's words carried hidden intent.
He knew well of the friction between the Uchiha and Konoha's leadership.
And Minato was Sarutobi's favored heir, Jiraiya's disciple.
If Minato brought his words back…
maybe it would spark infighting in Konoha.
That would only benefit Iwa.
But he miscalculated.
Minato was no schemer.
He took Ōnoki's words at face value, seeing only genuine praise.
He frowned slightly, then smiled faintly.
"Tsuchikage-sama, you overpraise us.
Kai-dono's power is indeed remarkable, beyond my expectations.
I'm glad he is on our side.
But you need not envy us.
Hidden Stone Village's youth will surely grow strong as well.
Let's both work hard for our villages' future."
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