Gifts Before Parting

"Kill me? You Konoha brats really have a big mouth!"

Every strand of his hair stood on end as the Fourth Raikage erupted into a blind rage. The Lightning Release chakra coating his body surged, expanding outward and intensifying to a level far beyond his previous Lightning Release Armor mode.

"Brat, this move was originally prepared for the Yellow Flash. Since you're in such a hurry to die, I'll let you witness the strongest Lightning Release Armor!"

"Lightning Release: Double Lariat!"

Combining the explosive speed of his lightning cloak with immense physical strength, he surged toward Uchiha Hanazuki at a speed that far eclipsed any standard Body Flicker.

"It ends here, you Uchiha brat!"

"Does it? No matter how powerful a technique is, it's useless if it can't hit the target. Am I right, you big lug with no talent for rapping?"

Dust billowed into the air as the Raikage's immense force plowed deep furrows into the earth. He looked down, only to find a single twisted, deformed kunai left in his wake.

Killer Bee, who had been busy picking up pen and paper to record his inspiration, turned his head. Before he knew it, Hanazuki's figure had silently appeared beside him, his brow furrowed.

"As I thought, you really have no talent for rapping, Eight-Tails Jinchuriki."

"Fool! You fool! You've been going on about talent this, talent that—you really are an annoying brat!"

Tentacle-like appendages sprouted from his arm, the brown skin covered in pale, fleshy suckers that were deeply unsettling to behold.

"Bee! Show this brat the power of the AB Combo! Lightning Release: Double Lariat!"

"Fool! You fool! Let me show you the power of our brotherly combo jutsu!"

Chakra that seemed to possess a life of its own suffused his skin. The appearance of a pale red Tailed Beast Cloak allowed Killer Bee to move with a speed that matched the Fourth Raikage, launching a pincer attack that arrived in an instant.

"A Tailed Beast Cloak? As expected of a Perfect Jinchuriki who has mastered the beast's power. This is a parting gift—it's over."

Bang!

The collision of powerful arms instantly ground the kunai into dust. As the chakra seal engraved on the hilt flared with light, a pitch-black sphere surrounded by a ring of stars manifested before them.

"Spiral Wheel."

A brilliant, blinding radiance swallowed everything within its reach. After a long, lingering silence, a cataclysmic explosion tore through the air.

Whoosh! Bang! Hiss...

Countless trees and boulders were pulverized into sand by the sharp needles of chakra. All that remained in the center of the forest was a massive crater, as if struck by a falling meteorite.

Tentacles spread out as a massive creature with the head of an ox and the tail of an octopus unfurled its body, letting out a roar that shook the heavens.

"Bee! You woke me up just to have me block this for you? That hurt!"

"Fool, you fool! Crisis... averted."

The Fourth Raikage, shielded beneath the Eight-Tails, reappeared. He surveyed his subordinates, who lay scattered and lifeless, his veins bulging with rage.

"You damn brat! How dare you, how dare you make a fool of me! You wretched Uchiha brat, I will find you, and I will tear you and that bastard Onoki into pieces!"

Gyuki, the Eight-Tails, couldn't help but sigh at the sight.

"He's completely lost to his rage. Who exactly is the enemy? Could the brat who made your brother this angry be the same ninja who just used that Tailed Beast Bomb-like technique?"

"Uchiha brat, arrogant! Brother and I, team up, he escaped."

Gyuki was stunned. He looked at Killer Bee, who was still muttering his rap, and pressed for more information.

"You're saying a young Uchiha brat escaped from you and A? Looking at A's state, he used his strongest Lightning Release Armor. Does that brat possess a Body Flicker technique even faster than the Fourth Raikage? A formidable opponent indeed."

"And what is this chakra that makes me feel so repulsed? It feels somewhat similar to the Nine-Tails, yet it's inexplicably loathsome. Is it just my imagination?"

While Gyuki remained puzzled, dozens of miles away, near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers, several figures descended from the sky.

"Are we safe?"

Quickly returning to a state of alert, Kakashi scanned the surroundings. Rin, Obito, Sarutobi Hina... out of the ten three-man squads, only Uchiha Hanazuki was missing.

A moment later, a figure in black robes descended from the sky, landing right in Anko's arms.

"Sorry, I used a bit too much chakra. The Flying Thunder God Technique at this distance is still quite a strain. Still, escaping is a success in itself. I'll leave the rest to you."

"Tch, you're just a guy who likes to show off, and you call others fools."

Despite her words, Anko hoisted Hanazuki onto her back. Complex gazes turned toward them, each filled with different emotions.

There was the relief of having escaped death, the joy of survival, and a complicated feeling that was hard to put into words—but above all, there was shock and fear.

"What kind of monster is that guy? To trade blows with someone like the Fourth Raikage and actually survive?"

"Flying Thunder God is Minato-sensei's technique. How did he learn it?"

"A monster, a genuine monster. And of all people, he had to be from the Uchiha clan..."

The whispers of the crowd did not escape Uchiha Hanazuki's ears. Anko couldn't help but mutter under her breath.

"It's all because you hide your strength so well that you've drawn all this attention to me."

"Are you unwilling? If so, I'll ask Uzuki Yugao to carry me instead. She probably wouldn't have as many complaints, right? Yugao."

He tilted his head slightly, looking the two girls up and down before flashing a thoughtful, toothy grin at Yugao.

Both girls had purple hair and brown eyes, though one wore her hair long and the other wore fishnet stockings.

The long-haired one possessed a charm mixed with innocence, while the short-haired one had a sweetness tempered by passion and resolve. Both were beauties in the making.

"You... you guy, you have so much to say while making me carry you. But how did you manage to escape?"

"I owe it to Yugao's ninja sword. Time was too tight, and I didn't have enough Flying Thunder God kunai prepared, so I had to settle for the next best thing and use whatever I could."

Shifting his gaze, he saw the formula carved into the blade stuck in the grass with some sharp object, clearly visible under the refraction of the sunlight.

Is this level of Body Flicker Technique just something prepared in a rush? This guy...

His pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks. Kakashi, usually a man of few words, fell into self-doubt. As a member of the prestigious Uchiha clan, why would he hide his strength so deeply?

"The situation is roughly clear. The reconnaissance mission failed, and you encountered a vanguard squad composed of the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, then managed to escape by luck?"

"In any case, thanks to you, our lives were saved. Uchiha Hanazuki, I will report your meritorious service to Lord Hokage truthfully."

"If you have time for idle chatter, you'd better hurry back to Konoha Village. How long do you intend to stay here? This isn't the Land of Fire, you idiot."

Sarutobi Hina's mouth twitched, and her expression visibly soured. Even if he was a savior, this brat was as annoying as ever.

Suddenly, Hanazuki turned his head and barked a sharp warning.

"Go! Someone is approaching!"