Konoha's shinobi were far from weak. They were rapidly adapting to the Raikage's combat style, a shift evident in the declining rate of their casualties. As time wore on, the Raikage found it increasingly difficult to claim the lives of the Leaf's Jonin.
While the spontaneous coordination between the Konoha ninja was far from perfect, having forty-plus elites focused on a single target provided a significant margin for error.
Once they began treating him as a pure Taijutsu specialist, their tactics became far more logical. The Aburame's Kikaichu and the Kurama's Genjutsu were deployed first to obstruct the Raikage's vision and sensory range. These were followed by a barrage of Earth Style jutsu—Yellow Springs Marsh, Earth Corridor, and Earth Grinding Palm—which turned the solid ground into a treacherous mire, pinning the Raikage in place. Finally, a combined assault of Fire, Wind, and Water Style jutsu rained down, hitting him with enough force to make even a man of his stature struggle to stand.
But the Raikage was not so easily subdued. He flared his Lightning Chakra Armor to its limit and simply shut his eyes. Completely ignoring the sensory interference, he began to rampage, relying purely on instinct and raw sensation.
Tetsumaru was genuinely stunned by the Raikage's top speed. The rumors had suggested the Third Raikage wasn't known for his swiftness, but this was absurd—he was moving too fast for the naked eye to track.
Among the Konoha forces, only the Uchiha Jonin with their Sharingan were still able to land hits. Everyone else had ceased fire, fearing they would only end up hitting their own comrades in the chaos.
At this point, Tetsumaru's Secret Technique: Domain Field Barrier could no longer keep up with the Raikage's movements. He had no choice but to deactivate it and switch to the dynamic vision of his Eye of Truth. Only then did the Raikage's blurred form snap back into focus, though the sight made Tetsumaru's skin crawl.
Now that the Raikage had reached full velocity, obstacles like earth walls and trenches were shattered in a single strike. He charged straight through marshes and water pits with such speed that he didn't even need the Water-Walking technique; he was across the surface before his weight could even begin to sink.
If this guy "isn't good at speed," then how fast is the Fourth Raikage? And just how much of a monster is the Yellow Flash for suppressing a man like that until he's helpless?
In those few minutes of indiscriminate charging, several Konoha Jonin failed to dodge in time. They were caught in the wake of his strikes, sustaining injuries of varying severity.
Ironically, the injured ones were those who had given up on attacking to focus entirely on evasion; those who maintained their offensive pressure were actually better at timing their dodges. However, their stamina was draining rapidly. If this continued, a catastrophic body count was inevitable.
Then, some devious Jonin had a stroke of genius. He littered the battlefield with thousands of "pitfall traps"—holes just slightly larger than a human foot and three feet deep, dug in a dense, chaotic pattern. At such high speeds, it was impossible for the Raikage to avoid them all.
The moment he stepped into one, dirt and debris exploded. The Raikage's leg acted like a plow, tilling a three-to-four-meter trench through the earth, nearly sending him sprawling face-first.
This finally forced the Raikage to behave. He stopped his high-speed zig-zagging and settled for a heavy, deliberate stride. His threat level plummeted instantly.
The Konoha ninja let out a collective sigh of relief, finally feeling the shadow of death recede. But then a new realization set in: they had taken heavy casualties and exhausted themselves, while the Raikage—aside from some tattered clothes—hadn't lost a single hair.
The man was like a greased steel ball—impossible to break, impossible to catch. How were they supposed to deal with something this repulsive?
"The Lightning Chakra Mode and the Armor both consume chakra. Can the Kikaichu drain him?"
"No. The lightning chakra on his skin is too violent. The bugs are shaken to death before they can even get close."
"Does anyone else have an idea?"
The surrounding Jonin shook their heads. Even the Uchiha, who usually looked at others through their nostrils, wore expressions of frustration.
"I have a thought." A lean, white-haired ninja wearing glasses stepped forward.
"Senior Kon-nyo! You're here too? What's your plan?"
As the slender man stood, the others realized he wasn't naturally white-haired; his hair had turned snowy due to age.
"Our village's strongest jutsu was the First Hokage's Wood Style... well, never mind. Just below that, we have Sealing Jutsu," Kon-nyo said. "The Raikage is powerful. We shouldn't look at him as a ninja anymore. Treat him like a Tailed Beast."
The realization hit the crowd like a bolt of lightning. "!!! Oh, right! Senior is absolutely right!"
Cheers erupted. They had forgotten that they had specialized protocols for dealing with Bijuu—a task they were quite familiar with.
Step one: Restriction. That was mostly done. Step two: Large-scale suppression jutsu to prepare for the sealing ritual. Step three: The final seal.
"Senior Kon-nyo, please take command!"
"Very well. I shall lead. Gentlemen, give me everything you've got!"
"Understood!!"
Kon-nyo observed the terrain. As a veteran of the Sealing Corps, he quickly formulated a plan, adapting a strategy originally designed for the Nine-Tails to fit the current environment.
"Earth Style users, step forward! Earth Style: Mountain Jutsu! Block him from all four sides!"
Four massive mountains of earth erupted around the Raikage. Hearing the thunderous roar, the Raikage sensed the danger. He opened his eyes, squinting through the Genjutsu and the swarms of bugs to make out his surroundings.
He chuckled. "You think a few hills can cage me?"
Despite his bravado, he didn't hesitate. Identifying several stable footholds, he launched himself into a charge straight toward the eastern mountain.
"On my mark... release the Mountain Jutsu!"
The sudden withdrawal of chakra caused the entire mountain to collapse into a massive heap of loose, fine soil. The Raikage, having just lunged onto the slope, found no purchase. His foot sank, and he was swallowed by the shifting earth.
Kon-nyo saw his opening. "Earth Style: Earth Prison Dome!"
The crumbling mound was instantly affected by the new jutsu. In a flash, the loose dirt solidified into a reinforced, massive earthen cage.
The giant dome immediately began to shudder, echoing with sounds like a titan wielding a sledgehammer. Countless plumes of dust were kicked into the air as massive cracks spider-webbed across the surface.
"Everyone, reinforce it! Reinforce it now!"
Ignoring the falling rubble, Kon-nyo leaped onto the vibrating dome. By feeling the tremors, he accurately pinpointed the Raikage's position.
Estimating the Raikage's possible range of movement, Kon-nyo quickly marked the key nodes for the sealing formula. He then began directing the Jonin who didn't know Earth Style to start inscribing the sealing runes.
"Senior, we haven't been trained for this. Will the seals we draw actually work?"
"Yes and no," Kon-nyo replied bluntly. "What you draw will definitely be substandard, but I'm the only specialist here; there's no way I can do it all in time. We'll have to make do. Even a poorly drawn Nine-Mountain Seal should hold for ten days or so."
He glanced at the dome. "No matter how strong the Raikage is, he's a human, not a Bijuu. After ten days without food or water, will he still be this powerful?"
"Oh...!"
"But don't get careless. He's extremely dangerous. Once the seal takes hold, we'll prepare some heavy metal-mesh nets to bind him. Then we should be in the clear."
Capture the Raikage alive!
The Konoha ninja grew more excited as they worked, their hands moving faster and faster.
"Don't panic! If you draw it too poorly, the seal will fail. I have no desire to fight an enraged Raikage."
"Yes! Understood, Senior!"
While the Raikage struggled inside his earthen prison and the situation seemed to be heading toward his defeat, the Hidden Cloud's hidden cards finally played.
Suddenly, a Hyuga ninja on the outer perimeter screamed, "Enemy! An ambush!"
A blinding white beam of chakra streaked through the air, piercing the Hyuga's chest instantly. He didn't even have time to cry out before he collapsed, dead.
"Storm Release! It's the Cloud!"
Shadowy figures emerged from the forest, surrounding the Konoha ninja. Even Tetsumaru, watching from a distance, was caught within the closing circle.
"We're surrounded!"
Chaos erupted. Far in the distance, Mitokado Homura—who had been riding the high of the near-capture—froze. The sudden reversal left him stunned and incapable of reacting.
Because they had pre-planned their ambush positions, the Cloud ninja were perfectly placed to seal off all escape routes.
Kon-nyo scanned the newcomers. Their movements were sharp, their presence heavy. They're all Jonin.
In any other situation, forty Cloud Jonin surrounding forty Konoha Jonin would be a suicidal move. But right now, twenty of the Konoha ninja were occupied keeping the Raikage suppressed, unable to move. The remaining dozen were busy drawing seal runes.
Konoha couldn't spare the hands to fight. If they engaged, they couldn't finish the seal, and the Raikage would break free from the Earth Prison Dome in moments.
The Cloud's "Encircle the reinforcements to save the point" tactic had worked perfectly. Konoha's situation was dire.
Kon-nyo let out a long, weary sigh. The Raikage had been willing to act as bait, risking his own life to create a window of opportunity for his village. Meanwhile, Konoha's own "Kage" never left the village.
"The battle is lost. Everyone, break out and scatter. Good luck."
With those words, Kon-nyo used a Body Flicker and vanished from the top of the dome.
Every Konoha Jonin knew it was over. Without a word of complaint, they abandoned their posts and began their individual escapes.
BOOM!
A massive explosion rocked the battlefield. A dust-covered figure burst out of the Earth Prison Dome. He paused for a fraction of a second before lunging toward the retreating back of a Konoha ninja.
Hell Stab: Four-Finger Nukite!
An Uchiha Jonin, who was busy casting a Genjutsu on a Cloud ninja in his way, had no time to dodge. He was torn apart instantly, dead before he could feel the pain.
Next, the Konoha ninja learned the true difference between a Kage and a Jonin. No Jonin could face the Raikage alone—especially not when they were already engaged with Cloud Jonin. They couldn't even focus on evasion. With every lunge, the Raikage sent another Konoha ninja to their grave.
Tetsumaru had gone to ground the moment the Cloud appeared, tunneling deep into the earth and slipping past the encirclement with ease.
He knew Konoha would pay a heavy price today. They would likely lose at least twenty Jonin. A total wipeout was unlikely, though.
The Raikage had paid a steep price to break the seal early, and he wasn't in peak condition. After killing his seventh Konoha Jonin, he came to a halt. He deactivated his Lightning Chakra Mode and sat directly on the ground, no longer hiding his exhaustion.
"Konoha's ninja are truly something," the Raikage remarked. "After all that trouble, we only achieved half of what we aimed for."
Tutai and several other close aides gathered around. Tutai knelt immediately. "I am sorry, Lord Raikage. It was my lack of foresight. Not only did we fail to reach the target, but I also put you in mortal danger."
"Stand up," the Raikage said tonelessly. "Risking one's life is the duty of a shinobi. My title doesn't grant me immunity from that."
"Besides, the results are acceptable. Wait... what is that?"
A group of Konoha ninja, moving in a loose formation, was rapidly approaching the battlefield.
Leading the charge was the commander himself, glasses glinting. "Don't be afraid! I've brought reinforcements!"
The surviving Konoha Jonin were speechless.
Lord Homura, you're too late. Aside from the dead, we've already escaped.
But even if you're late, why did you bring Chunin and Genin? Are you trying to get them killed?
And why so few? Three hundred people? That's just a snack for the Raikage!
Tetsumaru, who was about to vanish into the distance, froze. Among that crowd of "reinforcements," he saw familiar faces. Running in the front row was the junior Ino-Shika-Cho trio: Yamanaka Ame, Nara Mao, and Akimichi Daidou.
Tetsumaru activated his Domain Field Barrier again to identify the rest. The good news was that there weren't many other classmates. The bad news? Aburame Wafu and his squad were among them.
This was the absolute worst-case scenario. Tetsumaru stared at the sky and let out a frustrated sigh. He couldn't leave now. Mitokado Homura was a goddamn disaster.
"I can't believe it," the Raikage said, slowly standing back up. "Is the Konoha commander truly this stupid?"
"I won't turn down meat delivered to my doorstep. Move out! Kill them all!"
Lightning crackled across the Raikage's body once more. He transformed into a bolt of blue light, charging straight for the reinforcements.
Seeing this, the Konoha Jonin who had already escaped began to turn back. Senior Kon-nyo suddenly appeared in front of Homura, blocking his path.
"You idiot!" Kon-nyo roared. "We'll hold the Raikage! Take the children and retreat immediately!"
Homura felt insulted and argued loudly, "How dare you be so rude! I came to save you—"
Another elderly Jonin arrived, his voice dripping with venom. "Beyond foolish! We were already safe! Who exactly are you saving?"
"I... I..."
A third Jonin landed, his expression pained. "You actually brought the village's future to a slaughterhouse. You've doomed us all."
Kon-nyo watched the Raikage's rapid approach, his patience gone. "Go! Just go! You've killed us all, the least you can do is listen!"
Suddenly, a wall of black insects erupted from the ground, cutting off the Raikage's path. It wasn't an earth wall or a rock cliff, but a dense, living barrier of millions of bugs.
"You think a few bugs can stop me?" the Raikage bellowed. His lightning flared, his speed increasing by thirty percent as he lunged straight into the Insect Wall.
On the other side of the wall, the hundreds of Konoha ninja saw a massive humanoid figure suddenly materialize. His back was to them, facing the insect barrier. He pulled his fist back into a classic straight-punch stance and unleashed it.
Just as the Raikage burst through the bugs, the massive fist met him. It slammed squarely into the Raikage's chin, the force of the impact sending the lightning-clad figure flying backward, crashing back through the very wall he had just breached.
Damn it. My old man is standing right behind me.
I guess I'm done playing the weakling today.
Tetsumaru shook out his hand, the bio-armor plates shifting and hissing with steam.
"Raikage... let's see just how tough you really are."