The Raikage had considerable confidence in his own power.
Even knowing the masked man before him was extraordinary, the Raikage wasn't some pushover either.
Did this flimsy golden net think it could stop his full-power strike?
The Raikage snorted inwardly.
Today, he'd make this masked bastard understand—not everyone was like that old fossil Ōnoki, the Tsuchikage.
ZZZT—CRACKLE!
Electricity snarled and gathered, a violent white light erupting around the bulging muscles of the Raikage's elbow.
The golden net met his assault head-on.
CLANG!
Metal screamed. The net bowed inward—deep—but didn't break. Not a single crack appeared.
The Raikage pushed harder, muscles straining.
From Hanataki's palm, golden light surged. The net expanded instantly, snapping outward to envelop the Raikage.
The Raikage's eyes widened. He shot backward like a bolt of lightning.
The net closed on empty air, dissolving into fading motes of gold.
"As expected… not someone to be taken lightly," Ōnoki muttered, his brow furrowed deeply.
Ōnoki, Mei, the Raikage, and Rasa now surrounded Hanataki from all four directions. Their expressions were uniformly grave.
"Is this all you've got?" Hanataki looked at them, a light chuckle escaping him.
The child in his arms finally stirred.
"Who… are you?"
Gaara stared up at Hanataki, unblinking.
His chubby, dumpling-like face was full of pure, unadulterated confusion. He looked soft, pale, and unbearably cute.
"…"
The corner of Hanataki's mouth twitched beneath his mask.
Damn kid, trying to act cute?
To maintain his cold, ruthless villain persona, Hanataki ignored Gaara completely.
Ōnoki glanced at Mei. "Where's the Hokage?"
"Likely managing the aftermath at the Chūnin Exam arena," Mei replied.
Ōnoki's heart sank. He trusted the other Kage, but the Hokage's presence was a different kind of reassurance. This masked man had struck twice now, both times targeting a Jinchūriki. His goal was clear.
"Don't underestimate me!" the Raikage roared, having overheard. "It's not just the Hokage who can handle him! I refuse to believe the four of us together can't take down one man!"
His gaze burned into Hanataki. Judging by the voice, this opponent was young. If four Kage couldn't defeat him… the shame would echo across the entire shinobi world.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Great Burial!"
Rasa rose into the air atop a wave of golden sand. Beneath him, a tidal surge of glittering particles rose like a mountain, rushing to engulf Hanataki from all sides. The sand blotted out everything—enough to bury a man in a pyramid instantly.
"Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!"
The gold dust carried Mei upwards, positioning her above Hanataki. From her lips, she exhaled a cloud of boiling, acidic mist, sealing off every possible escape route below.
"Earth Release: Golem Technique!"
The earth shook. The ground beneath Hanataki's feet heaved. Massive stone pillars erupted, combining with the gold dust to form a solid, impenetrable tomb around him.
The Raikage waited on the sidelines, crackling with energy. With an assault like that, even if he doesn't die, he'll lose a layer of skin. If there's even half a breath left in him, I'll finish the job.
"The power of a Kage… incredible!" muttered ordinary shinobi who had arrived at the scene, awestruck by a battle they couldn't hope to join.
"He can't possibly survive that!"
"No doubt! That's a combined attack from four Kage! He'll be dust! Not even bones left!"
No one questioned the Kage's might.
Yet, on the battlefield, the Kage themselves were far less confident.
A bad feeling pricked at Mei's mind. Ōnoki, having witnessed the Hokage's previous fight with this foe, knew these attacks were nowhere near enough to kill him.
Rasa, cautious by nature, wore the gravest expression of all.
Suddenly—the scent of something burning.
Rasa's eyes snapped wide. He retreated in a flash of movement. A split-second later, the other Kage sensed it too. They scattered from the center.
BOOM!
Countless golden beams of light erupted, piercing through rock and gold dust alike. The shattered debris—stone and glittering sand—exploded outward in a deadly rain. The beams lanced through distant walls and buildings.
"Watch out!"
Uchiha Juri saw the defense squad was directly in the line of fire. Black skeletal ribs erupted from the ground, armored plates forming an instant shield that absorbed the golden barrage.
"Captain!"
The shielded squad members stared at Juri in shock. They'd forgotten—Captain Juri had once been a teammate of the Fifth Hokage, Tsukimi Heshu.
Unscathed, Hanataki stood calmly in mid-air. In his arms, Gaara remained perfectly placid.
"Lightning Release: Lariat!"
The Raikage's furious roar split the air. Lightning sharper than any blade gathered around his arm. He moved—unbelievably fast. Where he passed, rubble was pulverized into dust under the pressure.
He reappeared above Hanataki, his lightning-charged hand-chop screaming down toward his target.
"Don't get too cocky!"
Hanataki vanished. Reappeared behind the Raikage.
What?! The Raikage's mind reeled. That speed… I've only seen it from Minato and Heshu!
He had no time to react.
An invisible shockwave burst from Hanataki's palm. To the spectators, the attack seemed weak, almost nonexistent.
But to the Raikage—every hair on his body stood on end. A chill of primal fear shot down his spine.
CRASH!
"BROTHER!"
Killer Bee, who had slipped away from the exam chaos for a drink, came rushing back. The first thing he saw was his older brother face-planted into the earth, embedded deep in the soil of Konoha.
"…"
He was worried. Really. But a small, deeply inappropriate part of him really wanted to know what his brother was thinking right now.
Weighing 'fight the masked man' against 'dig brother out,' Bee chose option two. He lunged forward.
"Brother?"
"Brother!"
"Brother…?"
He used a tentacle to haul the Raikage out. The man was battered, bruised, and utterly still.
Bee's voice shifted from confusion, to panic, to utter despair. Tears welled in his eyes.
"Brother… I can't believe… you went and died on me…"
"What the HELL are you talking about?!"
The Raikage's vision cleared from stars just in time to hear the mournful wail. His face turned darker than a cast-iron pot.
Bee blinked back tears. "Brother! You're not dead?"
The Raikage shoved him aside, trying to stand.
"Hn?"
His body locked up. A sharp, coppery taste filled his mouth.
"Brother?" Bee stared, confused.
The Raikage coughed—a violent spray of blood. He stumbled back, clutching his chest. A searing, grinding pain erupted in every organ, every bone.
He stared up at Hanataki in horror. The attack… it didn't just hit the surface. It shattered everything inside.
His vision began to blur and double. A bitter taste filled his mouth—not just blood. Maybe… Bee had been right after all…
"Raikage!"
A voice cut through his grim thoughts. The air shimmered. Heshu appeared before him.
"Ho… Hokage?" the Raikage mumbled.
Heshu raised a hand. A gentle, green-gold light coalesced in his palm. It washed over the Raikage.
Warmth. A deep, soothing warmth flooded his veins, chasing away the jagged pain. His body felt… whole. Strong.
"Ha!"
The light faded. The Raikage clenched his fist. He felt power thrumming through him—peak condition!
"Hokage. I won't forget this debt," the Raikage vowed, voice solemn. A real man's promise. Unbreakable.
"He's strong. But I don't give up! Bee! With me!"
He looked back at Hanataki, high above, his expression dead serious.
"Brother! You're on fire!" Bee yelled, surging to his feet.
"Go!"
Two streaks of lightning shot toward the sky.
From the moment Heshu appeared, Hanataki's gaze had been locked on him. His eyes held a complex emotion everyone could feel.
Hanataki raised his hands. Golden light swirled beside him, solidifying into four identical clones—another ability of his Ultraman form.
Ōnoki's frown finally eased. He let out a booming laugh. "Hah! Five Kage fighting side by side… it really gets the blood pumping!"
Even against such a foe, the will and camaraderie of the Five Kage moving as one stirred his old heart. After all these years of war… such a sight was rare.
"Blood pumping?" A shadow fell over Ōnoki. One of the clones stood before him. "You need to be alive for that."
A beam of pure destructive energy lanced toward the old Tsuchikage.
Ōnoki focused. "Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World!"
Two pillars of energy collided mid-air, erupting in a shockwave that shook the ground.
Elsewhere, Mei and Rasa clashed with their own clones.
And quickly realized the problem.
"This man… his chakra reserves are impossible!" Mei hissed, her right arm grazed by a glancing beam. Even divided into clones, the masked man showed no fatigue. His chakra seemed infinite, inexhaustible.
At the center, the real Hanataki began extracting the Tailed Beast from Gaara's small body. However, he simultaneously activated cell modification and restoration techniques, ensuring Gaara's life wouldn't be in danger even after the extraction.
"Release him!" Heshu's figure flickered, appearing instantly across from Hanataki.
A dark, malevolent chakra began to leak into the air, pressing down on every shinobi present.
"The Tailed Beast is being extracted!" Rasa's heart lurched. He knew what that meant—once the beast was removed, the Jinchūriki died.
"Alright then."
To everyone's shock, Hanataki nodded agreeably. He tossed Gaara's small form away like a discarded toy.
And in the same motion, fired a condensed beam of light directly at the falling child.
"Gaara!" Rasa's focus shattered.
In that moment of distraction, the clone facing him moved. A crescent blade of light sliced across his chest.
"Never lose focus in battle," the clone stated coldly.
Heshu moved. A blur in the air. He appeared beneath Gaara, catching him securely in his arms.
"Hokage-sama!"
Konoha shinobi screamed as the beam meant for Gaara now shot straight toward their leader.
Time seemed to freeze. Space held its breath.
The beam… stopped. Halted in mid-air mere inches from Heshu's face, unable to advance further. An illusion of suspended time.
"I won't let you hurt Gaara."
Heshu's voice was firm, resolute.
[Ding! Target Gaara Affection has reached 60!]
That's my cute little Gaara!
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