Kuro: Why Does Everyone Have to Question Why I Left Konoha?

Within Manda's blue serpentine eyes, the Fourth Raikage, radiating lightning, drew ever closer.

It felt the terrifying power contained in that chop, and a sense of crisis that it had rarely experienced since adulthood instantly spread throughout its entire body!

Just as the Fourth Raikage's hand blade was about to touch his head, Manda released the Summoning Technique with the fastest speed he had ever used in his serpent life.

However, even though Manda's movements were almost at their limit, the huge horn on the right side of its snake head was still severed cleanly by the Fourth Raikage's hand blade.

"Aaaaaah--You bastard!!"

Manda, feeling the intense pain emanating from the severed horn, glared intently at the burly man who was still in a slashing stance mid-air.

"Human... you'll remember this!!!"

Boom--!!!

As Manda finished speaking his unwilling words, his enormous body vanished from the spot in an instant.

The severed snake horn fell from the sky and crashed heavily down the mountain, creating a huge crater several feet deep and kicking up a cloud of dust.

Itachi watched this scene with a serious expression.

The moment the smoke and dust reached his side, he prepared to act, wanting to use the cover of the smoke to create distance between himself and the Fourth Raikage.

However, just as he was about to move, the Fourth Raikage forcibly changed direction in mid-air and rushed towards Itachi at high speed.

Itachi stared intently at the Fourth Raikage in mid-air, his heart sinking.

"It's so fast, so incredibly fast..."

Even with the visual perception of the Mangekyō Sharingan, he could only barely see a fleeting afterimage crackling with lightning.

At such close range, there was no way I could dodge his attack!

"It seems... that's the only option left."

Itachi quickly made a decision in his mind and swiftly focused his eye power on his right eye.

Mangekyō Sharingan in his right eye began to spin at high speed...

At the same time, the Fourth Raikage had already rushed in front of Itachi.

His elbow, enveloped in Lightning Release Chakra, lashed out suddenly, aiming straight for Itachi's face.

"Lariat!!"

Itachi felt the violent pressure rushing towards him, his expression calm to the point of being cold.

He simply focused the focus of his right Mangekyo precisely on the Fourth Raikage's legs.

Amaterasu.

The moment those dark flames touched the Fourth Raikage's legs, his speed advantage would crumble instantly.

The Raikage, having lost his balance, was not only unable to continue the pursuit, but also had to amputate his legs before Amaterasu spread throughout his body.

Under the sudden, intense pain and the shock of losing balance, even if the opponent was the Fourth Raikage, it would be impossible for him to maintain the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.

In this way, not only can I seize that gap to escape, but I can also gain some unexpected benefits.

Firstly, the Kumogakure, which has always coveted Konoha, will lose a crucial top-tier fighter and will be unable to deal with Konoha in the short term.

Secondly, the Kumogakure Village will inevitably launch a series of retaliatory actions against the Akatsuki.

Since the conflict with the Fourth Raikage was triggered by Orochimaru's summoning beast, Pain is unlikely to suspect him.

Although he would face the full force of the Kumogakure in pursuit afterward, compared to these tangible gains, it was merely a trivial trouble...

Itachi quickly pondered in his mind, then fixed his gaze on the Fourth Raikage's legs, and whispered the ultimate Dōjutsu known as "having the temperature of the sun" and "the strongest physical attack":

"Heaven (Ama)--"

"Block!!"

Just before Itachi was about to unleash Amaterasu, a long sword wrapped in blue lightning steadily blocked the Fourth Raikage's violent elbow strike.

Itachi stared at the black-haired figure that had suddenly appeared in front of him, his eyes widening instinctively.

"Knock?!"

Kou completely ignored Itachi's astonished gaze behind him.

He simply held the Inazuma firmly in his hand, coldly staring at the pair of eyes so close to his face.

The Fourth Raikage looked into Kotobuk's cold, scarlet eyes, and a hint of surprise flashed across his rugged gaze.

He quickly withdrew the force from his elbow, took a sharp step back, and lightning crackled beneath his feet, instantly creating distance between himself and Kou.

Ai stood on the rock scorched black by his own Lightning Release Chakra, cautiously observing the handsome young man who had suddenly appeared before him. He then slowly shifted his gaze to Uchiha Itachi behind him, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Is it just my imagination...?"

The Fourth Raikage looked at Itachi behind him and Chunin.

Just now, he did indeed sense a deadly danger emanating from that boy named Uchiha Itachi.

Ai looked at the Itachi behind Kou and a strong sense of vigilance immediately rose in his heart:

"It seems that the news about the Uchiha Clan being wiped out by a mere thirteen-year-old brat wasn't fake news after all."

He then turned his gaze back to Kou, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes that seemed quite out of character for his rugged physique.

A moment later, the lightning that had been wrapped around the Fourth Raikage began to slowly dissipate.

After exiting Lightning Release Chakra Mode, his once-standing blond hair fell down, restoring his usual rugged yet composed appearance.

Upon seeing the Fourth Raikage ahead, who was the first to retract his fighting stance, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was close! That weasel's scheme almost succeeded..."

He Chunin, glaring fiercely at the evil person behind him who was staring blankly at his back.

"Discarding the Doujin Rai at this time? Are you kidding me!"

If you want to die, then die. I don't want to fight a Perfect Jinchuriki in a berserk state!!

Joining Akatsuki was dangerous enough as it was, but with this, my situation is getting even more dangerous!

While muttering annoyed to himself, Kou subtly shook his numb hand and then calmly sheathed Inazuma.

After doing all this, he turned his gaze back to the Fourth Raikage opposite him, his eyes now black, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"It's been a long time, Fourth Raikage."

Under Itachi's astonished gaze, the Fourth Raikage slowly spoke.

His voice was still rough and deep, but the rage he had shown when facing Itachi was gone:

"Ah, I haven't seen you since the day Kumogakure and Konoha signed the ceasefire agreement."

Ai gazed at Kou before him, and a hint of emotion, completely out of place with the atmosphere, surfaced in his rugged eyes:

"I was really shocked when I heard the news of your defection from Konoha."

Hearing the Fourth Raikage's calm words, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly.

Wait, why does everyone he meets bring up his defection from Konoha?

Was his defection from Konoha really that surprising?!

Ai had no idea what Kou was thinking at that moment.

He simply looked at the handsome, black-haired young man before him and slowly spoke, his words carrying a profound meaning:

"After all, I'm really curious about why you, who stopped our Kumogakure's plan to seize the Byakugan five years ago, defected from Konoha so soon afterward..."

The Fourth Raikage looked at Kokoro and slowly uttered the name he still remembered:

"Konoha's Black Lightning - Uchiha Kuro".