Kuro: Believe it or not, you can't outrun me?

In the blink of an eye, the Fourth Raikage appeared in front of Kotobuki!

The burly body crackling with lightning rapidly magnified in Kou's vision, and the elbow, enveloped in Lightning Release Chakra, slammed towards Kou's abdomen with terrifying force!

Looking at that hideous face so close to his, the despairing expression he had just worn vanished completely in that instant.

His expression instantly turned calm, and a flash of cold, scarlet light suddenly appeared in his deep black eyes.

The Three Tomoe Sharingan has been awakened.

Although Ai's face was ferocious, his gaze toward Kou was quite clear.

He calculated the force of this strike very clearly. With Uchiha Kuro's physical abilities, this elbow strike would definitely knock him unconscious without killing him.

At that time, he would carry the kid back to Kumogakure and arrange for "professionals" to give him a Thunderous Sit Package, squeezing out every last drop of the Will of Fire from the brat's body!

Once it was confirmed that he was pregnant, given the sense of responsibility this man had demonstrated in the intelligence files, he would never simply walk away...

Thinking of this, a hint of gloom flashed deep in Ai's rugged eyes, a gloom he himself was unwilling to delve into.

Such methods, even on the scale of the entire Ninja World, are undoubtedly despicable acts that are universally condemned.

He also knew that this violated his bottom line.

But since it concerned the interests of Kumogakure, he had to do it even if it went against his own conscience.

The moment his father, the Third Raikage, died in battle, and the moment he succeeded as the Fourth Raikage, he was no longer just A, the one who only charged forward in the AB duo.

He is the Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure.

The village's interests... come before everything else!

The plan to seize the Byakugan Hyuga the Hyuga clan back then was the same; now, the plan to seize the Uchiha Clan's bloodline is also the same!

Thinking of this, the gloom in the Fourth Raikage's eyes was instantly replaced by an even more resolute determination.

"After the baby is born, I will definitely make it up to you (referring to the supplements) with the best conditions."

Ai silently added a sentence in his mind, and then without the slightest hesitation, he delivered a thunderous elbow strike towards Kou's abdomen!

Just as that thunderous elbow, powerful enough to shatter an entire mountainside into dust, was about to strike Kou, a flash of blue lightning streaked across Kou's body.

That lightning was completely different from the violent lightning that wrapped around the Fourth Raikage.

Its imposing presence is far less fierce; compared to that, it is more restrained and refined...

Kou calmly watched the approaching thunderous elbow, and just as the shockwave, powerful enough to send an ordinary Jonin flying, was about to hit his face, he whispered:

"Lightning Release: Swift Thunder."

As lightning flashed across Kou's body, he seemed to transform into a real bolt of lightning in that instant.

Just before the Fourth Raikage's elbow strike was about to touch him, he vanished silently from his spot, faster than the Raikage, leaving only a few wisps of lingering electricity that hissed softly in the air.

The Fourth Raikage stared at the black-haired youth who had vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye, a deep look of surprise flashing in his rugged eyes.

But the power of his attack was already fully charged, and even if the target suddenly disappeared, it would be impossible to forcibly withdraw it halfway.

"Boom--!!!"

The Fourth Raikage's elbow strike missed, and the elbow slammed heavily into the cliff behind him.

In an instant, half of the mountaintop shattered under the terrifying impact!

The entire mountain trembled violently from the aftershocks of that attack, and countless fragments of rock flew downwards, crashing down on the Fourth Raikage!

But he merely snorted coldly, and an even more powerful burst of lightning erupted from his burly body.

Ai was like a chariot driven by lightning, smashing all the boulders that would have crushed ordinary people into mincemeat into tiny pebbles, and then strode out of the collapsed mountain.

Dust and debris fell behind him, yet they didn't even scratch his skin.

The Fourth Raikage stood firmly on the ground, his rugged eyes locking onto the black-haired youth who stood calmly in the distance.

He recalled the blue lightning that had just flashed across his body, a knowing glint in his eyes.

Lightning Release: Swift Thunder...

"I see. So this is the technique you developed based on our Kumogakure's Lightning Release Chakra Mode."

Ai looked at Kou, and surprisingly, a genuine expression of approval appeared in her eyes, which never revealed their true emotions to outsiders.

"Although I had heard of this technique before, I didn't really take it seriously."

Now that I've witnessed it with my own eyes, I can understand your nickname "Black Lightning" to some extent.

It must be admitted that this technique is excellent; in some aspects, it has even surpassed the Lightning Release Chakra Mode that has been passed down and improved over generations in Kumogakure.

Hearing the Fourth Raikage's lavish praise, he immediately adopted an exaggerated expression, scratching the back of his head and chuckling:

"Oh, it's not as exaggerated as you say. It's just a little gadget I made by chance, nothing special..."

"But in the end, our Kumogakure's Lightning Release Chakra Mode, passed down through generations, is still superior."

The Fourth Raikage interrupted Koko's feigned politeness, saying with certainty:

"If I'm not mistaken, your technique is still in its unfinished stage."

This is mainly because you lack sufficient understanding of the core principles of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode as its original form.

"If you're willing to return to Kumogakure with me, I can personally take you as my disciple and teach you the complete inheritance of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode."

After Ai finished speaking, a genuine interest appeared in his eyes.

This time, he wasn't just making empty promises—he was genuinely considering the possibility.

This is the pure competitive spirit and appreciation for talent that arises in a ninja who has dedicated his life to practicing Lightning Release Nintaijutsu, upon seeing a junior who has led him down a different path.

But Kou's next response froze his expectant eyes in the next instant.

"Huh? Are you kidding me! My Swift Thunder are no match for your Lightning Release Chakra Mode? Don't make me laugh, you spineless bastard Ni-ge, you're just making trouble!"

Kou deliberately provoked, his handsome face full of disdain and defiance:

"You want to take me as your apprentice? You're not worthy! You can't outrun me, believe it or not!"

"... Arrogant brat!"

The Fourth Raikage's already dark face darkened even further.

Veins bulged on his forehead, and the initial appreciation and recognition in his eyes were instantly burned away by a raging fire of anger.

"Since you're so confident in your speed, how about we have a go at it?"

Ai raised the arm still crackling with lightning and pointed it directly at Kou:

"If you lose, you'll have to obediently return to Kumogakure with me, get married and have children as soon as possible, and preserve the Uchiha Clan's bloodline for Kumogakure!"

Listening to the Fourth Raikage's resounding declaration of war, he tilted his head, as if seriously considering the proposal:

"What if I win?"

"You win?"

The Fourth Raikage paused for a moment, then a ferocious yet confident smile slowly spread across his rugged, bronze-colored face.

"There's no need to even think about something that's impossible!"

Before he finished speaking, the already incredibly powerful Lightning Release Chakra Mode on his body suddenly expanded!

Blue lightning erupted wildly from his massive body, cracking the ground several feet around him!

A suffocating atmosphere of anxiety instantly filled the air.

As Chakra sensed the terrifying Lightning Release that seemed to envelop the entire mountaintop, his Three Tomoe Sharingan, remained calm and unmoved.

"The fastest in the modern era, or the fastest in the previous era...?"

He silently muttered to himself, a bright glint flashing deep in his eyes.

A brilliant idea popped into his mind at that moment.

"Let's make this clear beforehand: you are the challenger!!"

Kotori extended his finger and pointed provocatively in the direction of the Fourth Raikage, his words filled with almost arrogant confidence:

"You are nothing but a mortal who gained fame by chance before I had even grown up!"

"I'll show you who is the fastest Ninja World today!"

Before he finished speaking, a fierce and dazzling blue lightning suddenly erupted from Kou's body.

The lightning was completely different from the fleeting glimmer of light that had appeared when he dodged the attack earlier.

It is no longer restrained, but more dazzling, revealing all its hidden sharpness!

In the next instant, Kou transformed into a blinding bolt of lightning and vanished from the spot.

When his figure reappeared in the Fourth Raikage's sight, the lightning had already reached the other side of the mountain range.

The Fourth Raikage stared in shock at the terrifying speed that Kotori unleashed in that instant, a speed no less than his own at full power.

But that shock lingered in his pupils for less than half a breath before being completely replaced by an even more intense excitement and anticipation.

"I haven't felt this way since I became the Fourth Raikage..."

The Fourth Raikage looked at the blue lightning bolt that had just landed on the distant mountain ridge, and a ferocious and excited smile appeared on his lips.

The lightning on his body suddenly erupted at the same moment, and the cliff beneath his feet was crushed into pieces by the immense pressure the instant he exerted his strength.

In the next instant, Ai transformed into a giant lightning pillar several times thicker than Kou's lightning bolt, and with even greater ferocity, he chased after Kou's direction!

He stared intently at the incredibly slender blue lightning bolt in front of him, his rough voice brimming with undisguised fighting spirit and excitement:

"Don't get me too excited, kid!!"

Just ahead, Kou sensed the massive pillar of lightning approaching him at an alarming speed from behind, and a sinister smile crept onto his lips.

Plans in place!