Hope He Had Never Known, Forgiveness He Could Never Grant

As Arata opened the Gate of Wonder, the dark green chakra flames around him shifted like rolling waves, visibly turning a vivid blue.

Chakra poured out. Power roared. The ground beneath his feet shattered under the force of the energy spilling from his body alone!!

Facing the Raikage at his strongest, he could hardly afford to be careless.

But there was no need to go all out, either!

The Seventh Gate would suffice.

There was nothing more to discuss. Both Arata and the Fourth Raikage had made their intentions clear.

All that remained

was to settle it in battle!!

Lightning Release: Liger Bomb!

Surging electricity engulfed Ai's left arm.

The air shrieked and the space around him shuddered as he hurtled toward his target like a meteor fired from a cannon.

Not one Kumogakure ninja could follow their lord's movements.

All the survivors saw was a long tail of lightning!!

While Ai was desperate to smash open an escape route for his subordinates, Arata gathered every ounce of chakra he had unleashed.

"Secret Technique: Daytime Tiger!"

As the words left his lips, the outline of a white tiger appeared before him.

The instant it took shape, it sprang like a starving beast onto its prey!!

Roar!

The tiger's haunting roar drowned out the sharp crack of lightning.

When the two forces collided, a torrent of energy swept across the surrounding land.

The already shattered ground sank deeper. Stones and chunks of rock hurled into the air were ground into dust too fine to see.

Even the Kumogakure ninja too close to retreat were stripped of flesh, limbs, and life by the blast of colliding energy!!

Agonized screams rose on every side.

That brief clash made the difference in their strength plain.

Countless wounds had appeared across the Fourth Raikage's thickly