Killing Intent Spanning the World!!

At the border of the Land of Lightning.

A Kumogakure logistics base had suffered a surprise attack. Watchtowers lay shattered, and the ground was littered with the corpses of Kumogakure shinobi and broken weapons. Smoke and the stench of blood mingled with the biting mountain wind.

Shimura Danzō's face was hidden beneath the shadow of his hood. Behind him, Root shinobi clad in black radiated a deathly aura.

"Set everything on fire. Withdraw immediately."

Danzō's voice was hoarse and low, completely disregarding the corpses of Root shinobi lying amid the ruins.

Amid the blazing flames, just as the group was about to enter the mountain pass—

A blinding burst of lightning suddenly exploded before them, and invisible space-time fluctuations tore through the surrounding air!

Pale blue Chakra ripples spread outward. This phenomenon reminded Danzō of a secret Kumogakure technique. His pupils constricted as he cried out in a low voice.

"Heavenly Transfer Technique!"

During the early days of the First Shinobi World War, Tobirama Senju had dominated the battlefield with the Flying Thunder God, unstoppable wherever he went.

Many powerful shinobi began targeting his technique, devising methods to counter the Flying Thunder God.

There had never been an invincible technique in the Shinobi World—only invincible people.

Even someone as powerful as Tobirama Senju had turned to studying forbidden techniques like the Impure World Reincarnation after being countered. He had even laid his hands on Hashirama Cells in order to break the deadlock.

The Heavenly Transfer Technique was a space-time transportation secret technique developed by Kumogakure. It could send objects to any location at the speed of light, in an attempt to surpass Tobirama Senju's Flying Thunder God.

However, the technique had failed to achieve the intended results. Ordinary people were torn apart and killed because they could not withstand the transfer speed, so it was later mainly used to transport durable supplies.

Since the technique's creation, only one person had ever been transported with it.

Boom—!

An incomparably burly figure appeared out of thin air and crashed heavily onto the ground. Arcs of lightning flickered through his tawny hair as an unmatched, domineering pressure radiated from him.

Spanning the distance of space and time—

The Third Raikage, Ay, had arrived!!

"Finally caught you... you stinking rats hiding in the gutter."

"You ran wild in my village, and you think you can leave unharmed?!"

The Raikage's voice was like a great bell. Though he stood alone before them, his presence overwhelmed them all!

"The Third Raikage..."

Danzō gestured for the Root shinobi to remain alert, then said coldly, "Coming here alone? You think far too little of me."

He was not particularly afraid.

Everyone knew that Wind Style was the strongest counter to Lightning Style. The Raikage might be the strongest Lightning Style shinobi alive, but...

I, Danzō, am the strongest Wind Style shinobi alive!

The Raikage advanced step by step, each footfall making the rubble on the ground tremble.

"Against shameless scum like you, I alone am enough."

Danzō refused to back down and sneered. "Shameless?"

"A band of thieves who specialize in robbery and plunder—what right do you have to call others shameless?"

"Or are you not ashamed of such things, but proud of them instead?"

"No wonder you inherited the position from the Second Raikage, who was betrayed by his subordinates and died in the most humiliating way possible—"

Crackle—!!

A shrill thunderclap rang out as the Raikage transformed into an afterimage of lightning, his thunderous killing intent raging wildly!

"Die!!"

The Root shinobi attacked in coordination, while Danzō swiftly formed hand seals.

"Wind Style: Vacuum Great Sphere!!"

A high-pressure sphere of wind howled forward and collided head-on with the lightning!

A few short minutes later.

The Root shinobi, skilled in assassination and tempered by brutal training and bloody trials, had been completely wiped out.

Joint formations, forbidden technique backlash, desperate self-destruction...

No matter how hard they struggled, they could not breach that man's defenses. They were utterly crushed by that bronze-colored figure wreathed in flashing lightning!

Crack—

After twisting the neck of the last Root shinobi, the Raikage looked indifferently at Shimura Danzō.

"Your Wind Style is decent. It barely managed to make me feel cool."

Danzō's breathing was ragged, his face slightly pale, and his eyes were filled with disbelief.

How was that possible...

What kind of body was this? He had endured Danzō's Wind Style head-on without suffering even the slightest injury, completely ignoring the iron law of elemental restraint!!

Summoning Technique!!

Danzō immediately used the Summoning Technique to call forth Baku. The enormous Summoning Beast, as massive as an elephant, appeared and joined him in using Wind Style.

Its trunk blasted out a violent gale, and countless enormous wind blades screamed forth, slicing through mountain rock without the slightest obstruction!

Wind Style: Vacuum Serial Waves!!

With Baku's support, Danzō's Wind Style attacks were several times stronger and broader in scale than before. This was unquestionably Kage Level combat power!

Heh...

The Raikage snorted softly. Without anyone seeing his movement, he instantly passed through the overwhelming barrage of wind blades and appeared before Baku.

Before Danzō, standing atop Baku, could react—

Boom!!!!

A lightning-infused fist blasted out. Baku let out a miserable cry as his skull exploded, and he flew away like a kite with its string cut before dispelling the Summoning Technique and fleeing just before smashing into the cliff wall.

So fast!

So strong!!

It was not just his attack power and defense—I could not even see his speed at all!!

Was this guy a monster?!

Swish!!

The Raikage twisted his waist in midair and swept a kick at Danzō, caving in his arm, waist, and abdomen along with it.

Bang!!!

Danzō crashed into the mountainside, curled up, and vomited a mouthful of blood. His face was deathly pale.

How could he be this strong!!

The Third Raikage... was far stronger than the previous Raikage!!

Only then did Danzō remember something...

The Kinkaku and Ginkaku Rebellion, which had assassinated the Second Raikage and caused Lord Tobirama's death... had been quelled by the man before him!

The fastest speed, the strongest attack, the strongest defense...

Among all the living people in the Shinobi World, it was impossible for anyone to defeat this monster!!

The Raikage slowly walked over and looked down at the gravely wounded, dying Danzō.

"You caused Kumogakure considerable losses. Don't think you'll die so easily."

"Sarutobi Hiruzen is your close friend. For your sake, he will surely be willing to pay a considerable price."

Danzō gritted his teeth and tried to force himself to stand, but the bones on one side of his body had all been shattered. He simply could not do it.

He regretted more than anything that he had not carved a forbidden technique onto his body that would take his enemy down with him.

Rather than be captured and used to trade for Konoha's interests, he would rather die immediately!

"Hehe... you only have this much courage. You don't even dare kill me... Are you afraid of Konoha's retaliation...?"

Blood foamed at Danzō's mouth. He could only try to provoke the Raikage in hopes of dying quickly.

"Provocation is useless against me."

The Raikage grabbed Danzō and said in an utterly humiliating manner, "If it were Sarutobi Hiruzen, I would definitely kill him if given the chance. As for you..."

"You'll amount to nothing for your entire life. You pose no threat at all."

Thump—

Danzō's heart suddenly stopped. It felt as though something inside him had shattered.

No matter...

No matter who it was, was I always inferior to him...?

The Raikage was about to leave with Danzō.

Suddenly,

He stopped and turned around.

A figure stood there, as though he had appeared from thin air.

His eyes narrowed, revealing a grave expression.

"What terrifying killing intent... Who are you?!"

The killing intent was too dense, lingering like mist and preventing the Raikage from seeing the newcomer's appearance clearly.

Thud—

A round object fell before the Raikage and rolled several times.

When he recognized the face on that severed head, the Raikage's pupils shrank.

It was the Kumogakure shinobi who had used the Heavenly Transfer Technique to send him here!

In those unclosed eyes, the tomoe pattern of the Sharingan remained for a moment before slowly fading.

"Logically speaking, I should have waited until you killed that man before appearing."

Kamizuki spoke faintly, without the slightest emotional fluctuation.

"Unfortunately, I could not wait even one second."

Three tomoe revolved within his scarlet pupils. Grim Pupil Power containing all the malice in the world surged forth, freezing space and time.

Killing intent spanning the world erupted with a deafening roar!!

"I am Uchiha Kamizuki."

"The man who came to kill you!!"