Qingyu vs. the Fourth Raikage (Parts One and Two)

Konoha Camp.

Tsunade stood at the entrance of the Main Tent, her brown-gold eyes gazing into the distance, her brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

For some reason, she felt uneasy.

She was familiar with this feeling; the last time it appeared was on the day Nawaki died.

She was treating the wounded in the Medical Unit when she suddenly felt a pang of heartache, and then the devastating news arrived.

"Lady Tsunade!"

Hyuga Ginka's voice came from the camp entrance.

Tsunade turned her head and saw Hyuga Ginka and Yūhi Kurenai running towards her quickly, both of them looking rather grim.

"What's wrong?"

"The main force of the Cloud Village, at least a thousand people, is gathered in the valley to the west."

Hyuga Ginka quickly reported back.

"Qingyu stayed behind to cover the retreat; Kakashi has gone to provide support."

Tsunade's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Thousands of people?"

Her voice trailed off.

"Yes, I confirmed it with my own eyes."

Hyuga Ginka nodded.

Tsunade closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

That brat actually managed to hold off thousands of people all by himself.

"Shikaku!"

Tsunade went and found the Nara Shikaku.

Nara Shikaku poked his head out from the Main Tent, still holding a map he hadn't had time to put down.

"What's wrong, Lady Tsunade?"

" Over Cloud Village appeared in the western valley. Qingyu, covering the rear, immediately gathered all available fighting ninja and simultaneously requested reinforcements from other strongholds!"

Tsunade spoke quickly, her words coming out as if squeezed out from between her teeth.

Nara Shikaku's expression also changed.

He turned and rushed back to the Main Tent, and a few seconds later, urgent alarms sounded throughout the camp.

"Everyone assemble! The Cloud Village is attacking!"

Nara Shikaku went to inform the ninjas in the camp.

The ninjas, who were resting, rushed out of their Camp Tent and hurriedly put on their equipment.

The Jonin quickly gathered in front of the Main Tent, awaiting instructions.

Tsunade stood in the center of the crowd, biting her thumb until it bled.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

A huge plume of white smoke exploded in the sky above the camp.

The Slug's enormous body emerged from the smoke, its tentacles swaying gently.

"Lady Tsunade."

"The Slug splits into smaller individuals and attaches itself to all the ninjas in battle, prioritizing medical support."

"Yes."

The Slug's body began to split apart, and hundreds of tiny Slug crawled toward the gathered ninjas, burrowing into their Ninja Tool Pouch and the gaps in their clothes.

Nara Shikaku had already organized the troops. He stood at the front of the group, his baton pointing westward.

"Set off!"

Tsunade walked at the very front of the group, her steps incredibly fast. An almost tangible sense of oppression permeated the air around her.

That brat actually went to block Raikage all by himself.

"Please don't let anything happen to you."

Tsunade thought to herself.

She thought of Nawaki. She thought of Dan Katō.

This time, she will not let anyone around her die.

Battlefield.

When Kakashi arrived, Qingyu was standing in a messy open space.

A dozen or so unconscious Cloud Village lay scattered around him, the ground cracked, trees broken, and traces of mud and gravel spreading in all directions.

Qingyu, who was among them, was completely unharmed.

"Kakashi."

Qingyu turned her head and saw Kakashi rushing out of the woods.

"Qingyu, I'm here to help you."

Kakashi was initially surprised that Qingyu was completely unharmed, and then he decided to go and help Qingyu.

Crack!

Purple arcs of electricity appeared in Kakashi's hand.

"Be careful, their powerful ninjas haven't made a move yet."

Qingyu reminded him.

"The Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki are both here."

"I see."

Kakashi nodded.

Qingyu turned her gaze back into the depths of the mist.

He could sense that those probing attacks were decreasing.

The Cloud Village began to disperse to both sides, clearing a passage in the middle.

The main character is coming.

Qingyu grabbed the collar of an unconscious Cloud Village next to him and lifted him up.

The ninja had been stunned by his Strength of a Hundred and was now as limp as a sack of rice.

Do you want to dance too?

Qingyu's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of every Cloud Village in the mist.

No one answered.

But a Kunai with Explosive Tag pierced the fog.

Qingyu turned her head to dodge, and with a swift movement of her left hand, she grasped the Kunai in her palm.

Qingyu grabbed the arm of the unconscious Cloud Village, stuck Explosive Tag on his body, and then kicked the unlucky fellow towards the Cloud Village.

Boom!

The Explosive Tag detonated the moment the ninja landed in the crowd.

The Kakkō and shockwaves knocked several Cloud Village to the ground, their screams mingling with the sounds of the explosions.

"Purple Electricity!"

Kakashi seized the opportunity, his figure transforming into a streak of purple lightning as he charged forward.

The White Fang Short Sword drew an arc of light in the mist, cutting down two Cloud Village.

Are all the ninjas of Konoha monsters?

The Fourth Raikage stood at a distance, watching this scene with a furrowed brow.

"Yes, brother."

Killer B stood beside the Raikage with his arms crossed.

"Konoha's reinforcements are arriving."

A Cloud Village rushed in from behind and knelt on one knee in front of the Fourth Raikage.

How many people are there?

"About three hundred, led by Tsunade."

The Cloud Village immediately reported to their leader.

The Fourth Raikage clenched his fist.

"He managed to hold on for so long all by himself."

The Fourth Raikage looked at Qingyu.

If he hadn't wanted to gather information about Qingyu, he would have already made his move.

Unfortunately, Qingyu hadn't even activated "Sage Mode" before he had already taken care of the enemies around him.

The Fourth Raikage could tell that Qingyu hadn't used his full strength yet.

"Qingyu possesses courage no less than that of the Third Raikage."

The sound from the Dodai came from the side.

The Third Raikage, his father, was the strongest Raikage in the history of Kumogakure.

His own father once fought against tens of thousands of Iwagakure Ninja single-handedly, battling for three days and three nights before finally succumbing to exhaustion.

Qingyu certainly hasn't reached that level yet.

However, the combat skills, Chakra control, and judgment of the battle situation he displayed have far exceeded the level that should be expected at his age.

We can't delay any longer.

The Fourth Raikage said in a deep voice.

He raised his hands, and the Lightning Style Chakra within his body erupted.

Boom!

Blue arcs of electricity surged from all the acupoints in his body, enveloping him like a layer of lightning-forged armor.

His blond hair stood up completely.

"Snort."

The Fourth Raikage snorted coldly.

His muscles swelled under the stimulation of Lightning Style Chakra, and his veins bulged like coiled dragons, making him look like an iron tower forged from lightning and steel.

Lightning Chakra Mode!

"Dodai, have everyone step back."

Dodai nodded and waved for the surrounding Cloud Village to retreat.

Qingyu sensed the burst of Chakra that resembled a blue sun.

According to the official guidebook, the Fourth Raikage possessed an enormous amount of Chakra.

There were even more Kisame Hoshigaki.

The Fourth Raikage didn't have Samehada to absorb Ninjutsu and Chakra; his Chakra reserves were simply enormous.

I wonder if I can synthesize an S-grade trait today.

Qingyu pondered to herself.

His A-Rank Trait, [Lightning Style Body], grants him the ability to partially Lightning Style Elementalization, and the condition for further upgrades is to defeat the Fourth Raikage using Lightning Style.

The next moment, brilliant blue arcs of electricity also appeared around Qingyu's body!

As Tsunade traveled, her brow furrowed more and more deeply.

She turned to look at Yūka Inuzuka beside her.

She was squatting on the ground, with her Ninja Dog Yukimaru sniffing the ground with its nose pressed against it.

How much longer?

Tsunade asked.

Yūka Inuzuka stood up, stroked Yukimaru's head, and shook her head at Tsunade.

"Yukimaru said the smell is very chaotic, a mixture of the Cloud Village Lord Qingyu's scent, along with a large amount of Lightning Style Chakra interfering—but the distance should still be about five kilometers."

Five kilometers.

For a ninja, five kilometers is just a few minutes' journey.

At a ninja's speed, it would only take a few tens of seconds or a minute to cover one kilometer.

But Tsunade knew that a few minutes on the battlefield could change everything.

"Speed up!"

Tsunade's voice echoed through the ranks.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade!"

The ninja beside him replied.

Tsunade ran while pondering to herself.

The fact that the Cloud Village have secretly gathered so many troops nearby indicates that they intend to launch a blitzkrieg and catch Konoha off guard.

The Fourth Raikage made a move.

Blue lightning exploded beneath his feet, and he charged towards Qingyu like a bolt of lightning.

His speed was so fast that even a regular Jonin's dynamic vision couldn't keep up with it.

His footsteps left deep imprints in the soil, each step accompanied by a thunderous crack.

Qingyu's Sharingan swirled.

Even the speed at which the electric arcs flickered slowed down in Qingyu's eyes.

The Fourth Raikage's fist, imbued with Lightning Style Chakra, slammed towards Qingyu like a heavy hammer formed from lightning.

Qingyu also threw a punch to meet the attack.

Lightning Style Chakra condensed on his fist, and blue-white arcs of electricity collided with the blue lightning on the Fourth Raikage's arm.

Boom!

The moment the two fists collided, the air was compressed into a visible white shockwave that exploded outwards.

The rainwater evaporated Setsuna upon contact with the air blast, and the ground around the two people dried and cracked instantly.

The Cloud Village at close range was almost blown away.

"Back off! Don't block the way!"

"Lord Raikage's battle is not something we can get involved in!"

The Cloud Village quickly urged their companions to move away from the two.

The Fourth Raikage felt his fist go numb.

This feeling made him very uncomfortable.

As the Raikage of Kumogakure, his Lightning Style Chakra is known for its ferocity and destructive power. He has mastered the "Lightning Chakra Mode" passed down from the Third Raikage.

Cells in the body can undergo highly intensive activation.

But after that direct collision, Qingyu's Lightning Style Chakra was surprisingly not at a disadvantage, Fourth Raikage even felt a tingling sensation.

This shows that Qingyu is in no way inferior to him in terms of "Lightning Chakra Mode".

"That brat's Lightning Style— "

The Fourth Raikage's secret passage was troublesome.

"His skill is actually no less than mine."

This realization greatly angered the Fourth Raikage.

He is the Raikage, the rightful successor of the Lightning Style in Kumogakure.

But this teenage kid from Konoha in front of him was somehow on par with him in his understanding of Lightning Style.

Intolerable!

The Fourth Raikage roared, and the blue arcs of electricity around his body suddenly surged.

His muscles swelled again under the stimulation of Lightning Style Chakra, and veins bulged from under his skin.

He made his move again.

This time he didn't use his fist.

The Fourth Raikage reached for Qingyu's chest.

His movements, though seemingly simple, contained the speed and power of "Lightning Chakra Mode | Activation".

Qingyu dodged to the side, the Fourth Raikage's arm brushing past the hem of his clothes.

Qingyu struck out with a backhand palm.

The Fourth Raikage did not take the blow head-on; his combat experience was extremely rich, and he changed direction before Qingyu's palm strike even touched him.

Knowing that Qingyu was very strong, he used "Lightning Style: Lightning Body Flicker Technique" to dodge, and then grabbed Qingyu's waist with both hands.

"Liger Bomb."

The Fourth Raikage shouted.

Boom!

The ground beneath his feet exploded, and he shot into the sky, carrying Qingyu in his arms.

Blue lightning swirled wildly around them, like a rising ball of lightning.

Reaching its highest point, the Fourth Raikage suddenly flipped over, slamming Qingyu headfirst into the ground with terrifying speed.

"This technique—"

Qingyu felt that this technique was very similar to "Front Lotus".

The Book of Formations describes this technique as follows. "A sudden and powerful strike that sends one straight to Nirvana, like a thunderous, resounding blow."

Although it's only a B-rank Taijutsu, only those who have honed their Nintaijutsu to its peak can unleash such power.

The next second, Qingyu condensed some of the "Senjutsu Chakra" from his abdomen into his hand.

Boom!

"Senjutsu Chakra | Enveloped in the invisible Natural Energy of the atmosphere, it strikes the Fourth Raikage."

A tremendous force came from his chest, and he was forced to release his grip on Qingyu's hands.

Qingyu flew out like a bullet, escaping the range of "Liger Bomb" at the last moment.

Boom!

The Fourth Raikage slammed heavily into the ground.

The earth beneath him shattered, instantly creating a massive crater.

The shockwave spread in all directions, uprooting the surrounding rubble and mud.

The smoke and dust cleared.

The Fourth Raikage knelt on one knee at the bottom of the pit, a clear mark on his chest.

Having dodged the Fourth Raikage, he slowly stood up, lightning still crackling around him.

His gaze pierced through the smoke and dust, landing on Qingyu was completely unharmed.

The Fourth Raikage's expression was grim.

This was the first time someone had managed to dodge his move.

Even Minato Namikaze dodged in advance using the "Flying Thunder God Technique".

Unlike Qingyu, who was forcibly interrupted even though she was already halfway through.

"Is this the power of 'Senjutsu'?

The Fourth Raikage noticed that Qingyu had no eyeshadow around her eyes.

But the strange feeling he just had was clearly that there was an invisible energy in the air assisting Qingyu.

"Cloud Village must control this power."

The Fourth Raikage made his decision.

It seems that besides the Tailed Beast, Cloud Village also needs to research a method for cultivating "Senjutsu".

Recently, Minato Namikaze seems to have also demonstrated the power of "Senjutsu" on other fronts.

Including Jiraiya, there are now three people in Konoha who can use this power.

If left unchecked, it might allow Konoha to gain an almost insurmountable lead.

Just like the Sealing Technique of the Land of Whirlpools back then.

It was because his Sealing Technique left all the ninja villages in the Shinobi World behind that he brought about the crisis of national subjugation.

Such power is truly frightening.

"Don't be so arrogant, kid."

The Fourth Raikage spoke.

Blue lightning gathered on his legs, and the refined Lightning Style made the electric arcs on his body even denser.

"Liger Bomb!"

The Fourth Raikage leaped high into the air.

His figure hovered in mid-air for a second, then fell like a Lightning Axe descending from the sky, slashing down at Qingyu.

His right leg kicked down with tremendous force, compressing the air in front of his leg into a white shockwave, like thunder splitting the sky.

"This move, huh?"

Qingyu could sense that the Fourth Raikage had converted most of the non-attribute Chakra he could extract into Lightning Style Chakra.

That's when he became somewhat interested.