Chapter 225. Battle Against the Fourth Raikage

"Retreat!" As soon as Tsunade saw the Fourth Raikage, she immediately shouted without hesitation. His appearance meant that the reinforcements from Kumogakure were not far away. If they didn’t seize this opportunity to leave, it would be difficult to escape once surrounded. Moreover, they had already achieved significant results. Thanks to their surprise attack, Kumogakure had suffered heavy losses, with hundreds of casualties. This could undoubtedly be considered the greatest success for Konoha and Sunagakure in the past two months. "Retreat?" The Fourth Raikage snorted coldly and said, "Stay here!" His aura surged suddenly, and lightning filled the air as he flashed in front of Hanekawa. Although he didn’t know how Hanekawa’s conversation with Samui had gone, no amount of intelligence was more valuable than Hanekawa himself. If Hanekawa didn’t want to return, he would force him to. Water Release: Water Instantaneous Body Technique! Hanekawa reacted extremely quickly. The moment the Raikage’s fist was about to hit him, he turned into a puddle of water. The Fourth Raikage was too fast. His punch missed, and his body involuntarily lunged forward. Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique! Hanekawa returned to his true form and formed hand seals. A water dragon roared as it flew out. The Fourth Raikage turned around and threw a punch, his fist covered in dazzling lightning. The water dragon was shattered instantly, scattering into droplets. Just as the Fourth Raikage was about to close in, he sensed a dangerous aura. Composite Ninjutsu: Earth Dragon Flame Flow! At Hanekawa’s feet, the ground swelled, and a massive dragon’s head emerged. Both Hanekawa and the dragon opened their mouths, firing mud bullets that merged with flames. The Fourth Raikage’s expression turned serious, not daring to underestimate the attack. Lightning Release Chakra Mode! Layers of lightning erupted from his body, coiling around him like snakes, instantly covering his entire form. The Fourth Raikage moved. A streak of lightning flashed through the air, accompanied by the crackling sound of thunder. Amidst the lightning and thunder, the Fourth Raikage dodged the flaming mud bullets and charged toward Hanekawa. "Be careful!" Tsunade turned back, her heart tightening. Although they were retreating, the Kumogakure ninja were numerous, and their entanglement meant that the retreat would take some time. During this period, Hanekawa had to hold off the Fourth Raikage. Lava Release: Rasengan! Hanekawa’s right hand grasped, and a scorching aura surged out, forming a spinning ball of molten lava. He hurled it toward the Fourth Raikage. What kind of Rasengan was this? The Fourth Raikage instinctively clenched his fist, and a brilliant flash of lightning appeared. Lightning Straight! Instead of retreating, he advanced, his hand like a sharp blade slashing toward the Lava Release Rasengan. Boom! A terrifying and scorching shockwave erupted. The lightning tore through the lava, and the resulting shockwave spread in all directions. Samui and the others quickly retreated to avoid being hit by the lightning and lava. "That’s Lava Release combined with Rasengan!" Dodai couldn’t help but say. He himself possessed Lava Release, though it was different from Roshi’s, but he still recognized it. As for the Rasengan, since Minato Namikaze often used it, it had become his signature jutsu, gaining considerable fame. "Did you learn Lava Release on your own?" The Fourth Raikage couldn’t help but ask. "Yes." Hanekawa admitted. "You’re truly a rare genius in the ninja world." The Fourth Raikage felt the same way his father, the Third Raikage, had. The person who sent Hanekawa as a spy deserved to die! If it weren’t for Tsunade and the others still being present, he would have directly asked Hanekawa to return to Kumogakure. Samui gritted her teeth. Just the fact that Hanekawa had learned Lava Release on his own meant that his talent had already surpassed hers and that of Yugito Nii, the geniuses of Kumogakure’s current generation. Only Darui, who possessed Storm Release, could barely compare. "Sensei, you all go ahead." Hanekawa said without turning his head. "It’s not that easy." After witnessing Hanekawa’s talent, the Fourth Raikage was even more unwilling to let him return to Konoha. He was a man of action, always believing that forcing things could still yield results. In the original story, he often seized secret techniques or geniuses from other villages. Even Konoha had been targeted by Kumogakure, with Kushina Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga being kidnapped. A large amount of chakra turned into lightning, coiling around the Fourth Raikage’s body. Hanekawa narrowed his eyes. He was very familiar with the Lightning Release Chakra Mode. He knew that the Fourth Raikage was using it to enhance his physical abilities, increasing his strength, speed, and reaction time. This was troublesome. If Hanekawa could use the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, he wouldn’t be afraid. But with Tsunade and the others present, he didn’t dare to use it, fearing that it would be noticed and hard to explain. But it was fine. Hanekawa still had advantages. His strength was slightly superior, though his speed was lacking. Moreover, he didn’t need to defeat the Fourth Raikage; he just needed to buy time, which was manageable. Whoosh! The Fourth Raikage moved like a bolt of lightning, teleporting toward Hanekawa. Earth Release: Earth-Style Core! Hanekawa unleashed a pre-prepared jutsu. In front of him, a massive cube of earth suddenly rose into the sky. The Fourth Raikage, about to throw a punch, staggered as he had to redirect his chakra to his legs to stabilize himself. As the earth block rose to its peak, a distance of four to five meters opened up between the two. Composite Ninjutsu: Lightning Water Dragon Bullet! Hanekawa formed hand seals and spat out a water dragon. The water dragon trembled in the air, and a surge of lightning erupted from within. Hell Stab: Thunderous Axe! The Fourth Raikage leaped into the air, his right leg raised high before slamming down, his entire body like a raging axe descending from the sky. The lightning-infused water dragon was split in half from top to bottom. The Fourth Raikage once again burst forth with terrifying speed, charging toward Hanekawa. Earth Release: Rock Arm! Hanekawa clapped his hands together. A giant hand made of rock appeared in front of him. "So it’s Ōnoki’s Earth Release." The Fourth Raikage didn’t stop, charging straight at the rock hand. In an instant, the rock shattered. But Hanekawa had already disappeared. The Fourth Raikage stood still, frowning. At that moment, the ground swelled, and a pair of hands reached out. But just as they were about to grab the Fourth Raikage’s feet, they missed. "Underground!" The Fourth Raikage leaped into the air and then stomped down. Lightning concentrated in his foot, bringing with it devastating destructive power. The ground cracked, revealing a deep pit. But Hanekawa had turned into a rock. It was an Earth Release: Rock Clone. "How annoying." The Fourth Raikage looked around, feeling extremely frustrated. This guy was too troublesome. He was clearly stronger than Hanekawa, but he just couldn’t pin him down. The sound of wind cutting through the air rang out. The Fourth Raikage instinctively turned and saw Hanekawa. Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves! Hanekawa spat out dozens of spinning wind blades. The wind became the sharpest of blades, forming a large-scale blade array in an instant. The Fourth Raikage felt threatened. He couldn’t take this head-on. Although his Lightning Release Chakra Mode provided decent defense, it couldn’t withstand so many wind blades. Without hesitation, the Fourth Raikage turned into a bolt of lightning, darting to the left and quickly moving out of the range of the wind blades. Hanekawa’s heart stirred. He had been focusing on using Earth and Water Releases recently, forgetting that Wind Release countered Lightning Release. Although it wasn’t a complete counter to the Fourth Raikage, it still provided some advantage. Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets! Hanekawa took a deep breath and then exhaled, firing chakra bullets like a machine gun. He felt like a pea shooter, continuously spitting out Wind Release projectiles. This Wind Release jutsu was one of Danzo Shimura’s signature techniques. The Fourth Raikage dodged again. He knew he couldn’t keep this up, so he suddenly accelerated, closing in on Hanekawa. His speed was like lightning, so fast that the naked eye could barely follow. In fact, in the original story, the Fourth Raikage’s full speed was so fast that even the Mangekyō Sharingan couldn’t track it. Hanekawa couldn’t help but show a look of caution. Clearly, the Fourth Raikage had cast aside any underestimation and had entered a serious mode. This meant the battle ahead would be even more difficult. Wind Release: Gale Palm! Hanekawa clapped his hands together, and a strong wind enveloped his body. Body Flicker Technique! His body narrowly avoided the Fourth Raikage’s punch. Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall! In front of Hanekawa, a wall of earth rose. Although it was shattered by the Fourth Raikage’s punch, it still bought him a moment. Water Release: Exploding Water Collision Wave! Just as the Fourth Raikage was about to advance, Hanekawa spat out an endless stream of water, forming a massive wave that surged toward him. "Fall back!" Dodai immediately shouted. While this amount of water wouldn’t affect the Fourth Raikage, it would be a disaster for many of the Chunin and Genin. "Hanekawa!" At that moment, Tsunade’s voice rang out in the distance. "Damn it!" The Fourth Raikage showed a look of unwillingness. Now that Tsunade, Hizashi Hyuga, and the others had retreated, Hanekawa would naturally escape as well. And in such a short time, there was no way he could stop Hanekawa. This meant that today, Kumogakure had suffered a crushing defeat. Lightning Straight: Thousand-Armed Kill! The Fourth Raikage’s eyes narrowed as he leaped into the air. Avoiding the massive wave, he dove down, his right hand forming a blade, radiating a terrifying aura. In the original story, the Fourth Raikage had used this jutsu to cut off the Eight-Tails’ right horn and had shattered the initial form of Madara Uchiha’s Susanoo, demonstrating its immense power. Chidori Current! Lightning erupted from Hanekawa’s entire body. Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique! Hanekawa’s right arm turned into rock. Superhuman Strength! Hanekawa threw a punch, colliding with the Fourth Raikage’s hand blade. In an instant, cracks appeared in the rock, but it didn’t shatter. A tremendous force surged through. The Fourth Raikage’s body swayed, and he took half a step back. But Hanekawa was sent flying. "As expected of the Lord Raikage!" Dodai, seeing the Fourth Raikage gain the upper hand, couldn’t help but exhale in relief. "Hanekawa did that on purpose." Samui suddenly said, her eyes narrowing. Hanekawa twisted his body in mid-air and quickly disappeared without a trace. Dodai’s expression froze. "This guy..." The Fourth Raikage couldn’t help but feel a sense of heaviness. Although he had the overall advantage, he had no way to deal with Hanekawa. If even he was struggling, others would fare even worse. Now he was certain that Hanekawa possessed strength comparable to the Kage of the Five Great Nations. Killing the Third Mizukage was no accident. "What a pity." The Fourth Raikage showed a look of regret. Such a powerful ninja should have belonged to Kumogakure, but instead, he had ended up in Konoha. "How are the casualties?" The Fourth Raikage turned to Dodai. "Over five hundred ninja have died, and the survivors are all injured to some extent." Dodai said with a heavy expression. The attacking Konoha ninja were mostly Jonin. In their surprise attack, they had caused massive damage in the first encounter, and the subsequent battle had been like lambs to the slaughter. "This isn’t your fault." The Fourth Raikage shook his head and asked, "Did you talk to Hanekawa?" "We did." Samui replied. "Let’s wait until Mabui and the others arrive." The Fourth Raikage thought for a moment and said. Half an hour later, Mabui and the Kumogakure reinforcements finally arrived. In a temporarily set-up tent. The four people who knew Hanekawa’s identity gathered together. Samui recounted her conversation with Hanekawa. "First, send someone to investigate his and Tsunade’s situation." The Fourth Raikage said thoughtfully, "If it’s true, then it’s somewhat credible." "Even if it’s true, it doesn’t prove much." Mabui said solemnly, "The key is what kind of intelligence he will provide." "Are we just going to wait like this?" Dodai asked discontentedly. "Aside from waiting, we have no other options." Mabui sighed. "..." Dodai was speechless. Even the Fourth Raikage couldn’t capture Hanekawa; there really was no other way. "Let’s wait for a while longer." The Fourth Raikage said decisively, "If he doesn’t provide any intelligence, we’ll expose his identity!" "Yes!" Mabui and the others replied in unison. Samui, however, sighed inwardly, hoping it wouldn’t come to that. Several kilometers away, the Konoha ninja, seeing that Kumogakure wasn’t pursuing them, stopped. "What a great victory!" Shikaku Nara said excitedly, "The insects I left behind counted over five hundred dead Kumogakure ninja." Everyone’s spirits lifted upon hearing this. This was indeed a significant achievement. Although the Land of Frost had gathered over ten thousand ninja from three sides, battles between ninja rarely resulted in such heavy casualties in a single encounter. After all, there were no large-scale battles, only small skirmishes. "This was all thanks to Hanekawa." Hizashi Hyuga, who had been using his Byakugan, had seen the entire battle. "If he hadn’t held off the Raikage, we wouldn’t have had such an easy time." "Indeed." The Konoha ninja all nodded. "As expected of Lady Tsunade’s student!" Hanekawa had achieved numerous remarkable feats over the past few years, and their opinions of him had long since changed. In their minds, he was no longer just an ordinary genius; now, he could even stand against the Fourth Raikage. Without a doubt, Hanekawa would become a high-ranking member of Konoha, wielding significant influence. "Enough, now’s not the time to talk about this. Let’s return to the main camp." Although Tsunade said this, the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but curl up, her mood clearly excellent. The group returned to the main camp. "You all did well." Orochimaru said after hearing the report. "I will report this truthfully." As the commander, he had to be fair and impartial; only then could he ensure that his subordinates followed orders without question. Only Danzo Shimura was grinding his teeth in frustration, but there was nothing he could do. Hanekawa’s performance today proved what Orochimaru had said earlier: only they could stand against the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee. _ Patreon.com/rashta 1. 345 adv ch of Talent System In Naruto 2. 560 adv ch of Qian Renxue’s Younger Brother 3. 270 adv ch of Uchiha Madara’s Cousin 4. 163 adv ch of WDQK: Divorcing Ling Qingzhu (Complete) 5. 487 adv ch of This Danzo Is Weird