Massive rocks came hurtling through the air, their shrill whistles never letting up. The Cloud ninja weren't slow, but the Stone ninja weren't foolishly following behind them. Instead, they quickly split into several squads, planning to cut them off.
The Cloud ninja were vastly outnumbered. The longer this dragged on, the greater the chance they'd be surrounded.
"You go on ahead. We'll hold them off," Cahill said decisively to A.
"We'll cover you!"
The Shadow Guard might not have been particularly strong, but they were unquestionably the most loyal protectors of the Raikage. The moment he realized they were in a tight spot, he prepared to sacrifice himself.
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Fourth Raikage A roared, his voice even more forceful than Cahill's.
His burly arms, wrapped in crackling lightning, smashed the incoming rocks as easily as tofu and knocked aside the thrown kunai. Though they were fleeing for their lives, his bearing only grew more imposing.
"I'm a ninja who'll inherit Pops's name, A! I'm the Fourth Raikage! Do you want to disgrace my name?!"
The Mist's Seven Ninja Swordsmen were famous throughout the world, and the Mist ninja took pride in inheriting the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's blades.
The Cloud had its own proud duo: A and B. If Fourth Raikage A fled now under his subordinates' protection, then once he inherited the name A, the duo that the Cloud regarded as a source of pride would become a laughingstock in the Shinobi World.
Only if the next generation proved themselves could they possibly wash away that stain.
But when talking with other people of their rank, the Kage, someone with that kind of history would undoubtedly be held in lower regard.
"We're insignificant, but you're the next A, the future of the Cloud! Go!" Cahill clearly didn't care about his own insignificant reputation.
As long as Fourth Raikage A escaped, he was sure he could reclaim their honor himself.
No matter how persuasively Cahill put it, the younger Fourth Raikage A clearly wasn't the kind of hothead who could understand reason.
He gritted his teeth and abruptly halted his charge. His toes dug into the ground, and the tremendous force made it cave in beneath him. Twisting at the waist, he reversed direction and charged straight toward the Stone ninja's main camp.
"What are you doing, you bastard?!"
Fourth Raikage A's move nearly made Cahill's eyes pop out of his head. In a panic, he quickly turned and followed after him.
You're charging alone at an army tens of thousands strong. Do you really think you're invincible? The Lightning Release Chakra Mode might withstand countless Earth Release attacks, but your stamina and chakra are limited!
Even Lord Third Raikage wouldn't recklessly charge straight into the Stone ninja ranks. So why was Fourth Raikage A even more reckless than the Third?!
"If we run together, neither of us will get away!"
Countless Earth Release techniques overlapped, and spikes surged forward like the quills of a hedgehog. Blinding lightning wrapped around Fourth Raikage A, and he smashed through the earthen spikes like a cannonball.
His fierce eyes immediately locked onto the most prominent, most conspicuous figure in the crowd of red headbands.
His eyes were as unyielding as stone. With the burn scar across his face and his red attire, he looked like a volcano poised to erupt at any moment.
"Found you!" Fourth Raikage A grinned, his horrifying smile making him look like a demon.
The slight change in direction made Cahill understand what Fourth Raikage A was thinking. Unlike the reckless A, Cahill had worked hard to gather intelligence and study the situation so he could assist Third Raikage A.
Though Kitsuchi's appearance had changed considerably, Cahill recognized him at once.
"The Third Tsuchikage's son. Is this a fated encounter?"
The Stone and Cloud had been locked in bitter conflict for countless years. Had the next generation already begun their rivalry, too?
Kitsuchi was charging at the very front of the Stone ranks, and he clearly saw Fourth Raikage A's actions. If this had happened a few days earlier, he might have relied on the Stone ninja to help deal with him.
But he wasn't the same man he'd been before.
His muscles tensed, and he stamped down hard to accelerate. The surface of the earth even tore beneath his tremendous strength. Despite his solid, rocklike build, he leaped into the air.
Massive chunks of rock encased his arms, and he hurled himself down like a cannonball.
In the ranking of hotheads in the Naruto world, Fourth Raikage A had long been near the top. And now he was young, hot-blooded, and in a frenzy after being humiliated.
He was in no way inferior in presence. Even when facing Kitsuchi as he descended from above, he didn't dodge.
His burly arms slammed into Kitsuchi's massive stone arms.
A heavy impact exploded where they clashed!
The thick rock shattered beneath the ferocious lightning, while the skin over their sturdy flesh split under the force of the blow.
After several seconds of being locked together, neither could keep his balance. They staggered backward.
Whether by instinct or unspoken understanding, the two men—despite meeting for the first time—recovered from their stumbles at the same moment and turned to look at each other.
Aside from Pops and that bastard, this is the strongest man I've ever seen!
This guy's no pushover. His Lightning Release Chakra Mode is more polished than that of most Cloud ninja I've seen!
"I'm the son of Third Raikage A, and I'm the ninja who'll definitely inherit the name A. What's your name?" Fourth Raikage A held out his right arm, blocking Cahill behind him.
They were clearly at a disadvantage, but his desire to fight had already caught fire!
He wanted to fight this man one-on-one!
Seeing his movement, Kitsuchi silently made a gesture for his men to stop. The Stone ninja also halted their attack in tacit agreement.
"Kitsuchi, son of Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki." Kitsuchi strode forward with a resolute expression. "You can't escape, Fourth A."
"You'll fall to me! You'll be the stepping stone on my path to becoming a Kage."
Though their exchange had been brief, the encirclement was already complete!
"Ever since that bastard humiliated me, I swore I'd never lose to anyone again. You're the strongest person my age I've ever met, Kitsuchi!"
"But I absolutely won't lose!" Fourth Raikage A's eyes were no different from a wild wolf's.
Hearing his words, Kitsuchi's brows drew together. "That bastard humiliated you?"
"Was it that Uchiha?"
"Huh? You too?" Fourth Raikage A's burning fighting spirit suddenly plummeted.
The tense atmosphere abruptly dissipated.
Kitsuchi touched the burn scar on his cheek. His expression gradually twisted, and though he said nothing, Fourth Raikage A understood exactly how he felt.
"I'll definitely beat that bastard!" ×2
"I'll beat you!" ×2
"Stop copying me!" ×2
Before you continue