Chapter 78: God-level Manga Artist

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Kimimaro's eyes glowed with bloodlust.

The bone spurs he held high dripped with blood.

Just as Kimimaro was about to strike down the man before him, the terrified man clung to Kimimaro's leg, tears and snot streaming down his face as he pleaded, "Please, spare me! I beg you, don't kill me!"

Kimimaro tightened his grip on the bone spur, ready to finish the job, but then Orochimaru's warning echoed in his mind: *"Restrain your temper, and don't kill people so casually!"*

With a deep breath, Kimimaro threw the bone spur to the ground.

"Get lost," he commanded coldly.

The man, trembling and having wet himself in fear, scrambled away as fast as he could.

Koyuki Kazahana, watching from a distance, was stunned. *Did I see that correctly? Did he just pull out his own bones!?* she thought, her mind reeling.

She noticed that Kimimaro's green vest was soaked with his own blood, yet he seemed completely unfazed by the pain.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Koyuki asked, incredulous.

Kimimaro answered calmly, "It hurts, but this is the nature of my bloodline. It's also my primary method of fighting."

Koyuki was at a loss for words.

Kimimaro had fought and killed many, so much that he had become numb to pain.

...

**Meanwhile, in another part of the world...**

In the slums of Kumogakure, a relatively unknown manga artist struggled to make a name for himself.

For years, he had drawn uninspired comics about heroes rescuing damsels in distress, but they never sold well and brought him no recognition.

Everything changed when the manga artist discovered "Icha Icha Paradise."

It was as if a door had opened in his mind, unleashing a flood of inspiration. *This is what people crave—these kinds of risqué stories!* he realized.

He thought to himself, *Only by embracing this style can I become famous across the entire ninja world!*

The manga artist's imagination ran wild.

Originally, he had considered using Mabui, the Raikage's secretary, as the female lead, but as his personal goddess, he couldn't bear to draw her in such a way.

So, he invented a random beautiful woman for the role instead.

Choosing the male lead had been much more challenging, until he saw a poster of the Fourth Raikage.

*Those muscles, those invincible lines—he's the perfect candidate!* the artist thought, grinning as he picked up his pen.

He gave the Fourth Raikage a new name: "Honji Rai."

And so, "Honji Rai" quickly became popular across Kumogakure. The artist's comic, featuring the Raikage in absurd and lewd scenarios, spread like wildfire.

The manga artist knew that once the Raikage discovered his work, he would be hunted down, so he fled to a small village nearby to avoid capture.

He was already planning the sequel, with titles such as "Honji Rai 2: Peerless Thunder," "Honji Rai 3: Legend of the Thunder King," and "Honji Rai 4: Ultimate Thunder King."

As he imagined the success of his upcoming works, the manga artist became increasingly excited, dreaming of selling his "Honji Rai" series to the entire ninja world!

...

**Back in Kumogakure…**

The Fourth Raikage had spent an entire day searching for the elusive manga artist who had slandered him.

But the artist had vanished without a trace.

At that moment, an uninvited guest appeared in Kumogakure—Sasuke Uchiha.

In an instant, Sasuke materialized in the middle of the Valley of Clouds and Lightning. As he arrived, a single magatama in his Rinnegan vanished.

Sasuke scanned his surroundings, ready to swap places with anything within his line of sight.

Even when his vision wasn't focused on a specific object, Sasuke could still manipulate space to his advantage.

Matatabi, the Two-Tails, stirred within Sasuke, wondering, *Why does this place look so familiar? Are we in Kumogakure again?*

Suddenly, a figure spotted Sasuke and launched a lightning bolt directly at him.

It was Samui, the captain of the guards at the Valley of Clouds and Lightning.

She was responsible for protecting the village's Jinchūriki.

However, both Jinchūriki she was supposed to guard—Matatabi and Gyūki—had either escaped or gone missing, leaving her feeling ashamed and responsible.

When Samui saw Sasuke, she didn't hesitate. *An intruder!* she thought, launching a direct attack.

"Who are you, and why have you come to the forbidden grounds of Kumogakure?" Samui demanded as she threw another lightning attack at Sasuke.

But Sasuke merely smirked. In the blink of an eye, he swapped places with Samui, leaving her to face her own attack.

"Nani???" Samui exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock.

Despite her surprise, Samui reacted quickly, using another lightning technique to cancel out her own attack.

"Impressive reflexes," Sasuke said, genuinely impressed as he observed Samui's composure.

He couldn't help but notice her strong and graceful figure, leading a mischievous thought to cross his mind.

*I wouldn't mind marrying a woman like Samui from Kumogakure,* Sasuke mused, though he quickly dismissed the idea.

Without warning, Sasuke reappeared behind Samui, his Rinnegan consuming another magatama as he swapped their positions once more.

He grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms and rendering her immobile.

Samui sneered, "You've made a mistake!"

Blue arcs of electricity sparked across her body as she attempted to paralyze Sasuke with her Thunder Release.

But Sasuke tightened his grip, and smirked. "No, you've made the mistake. My Thunder Release is far stronger than yours."

In an instant, Sasuke overpowered Samui, leaving her completely paralyzed and unable to move.

As Sasuke held her, he noticed something hard pressing against her chest. *What is this…?* Sasuke wondered.

His curiosity got the better of him, and he reached into her jacket, pulling out a small book.

The title read in large, bold letters: "Honji Rai."

Sasuke felt as if he had been struck by lightning. *What is this…?* he thought, flipping through the pages.

As he read, his expression grew more incredulous. *This is… incredible! What kind of genius came up with this story?*

The comic depicted the Raikage falling in love with Darui, and even falling for Gyūki. *This is so bizarre it's almost abstract!* Sasuke thought, shaking his head in disbelief.

He glanced down at Samui. "You're a girl… and you actually read this stuff?" he asked, bewildered.

Samui, still paralyzed, finally got a good look at Sasuke's face. *He's so handsome…* she thought, but quickly refocused. "I don't like it!" she insisted. "A colleague gave it to me!"

Sasuke's expression softened into a knowing smile. "What a duplicitous woman."

As he prepared to leave, Samui called out, "Wait, are you just going to leave me here like this?"

Sasuke asked Samui, "What else do you expect to happen?"

Samui, stubborn and defiant, demanded, "Who are you?"

Sasuke replied, "Uchiha Sasuke."

With that, Sasuke vanished, leaving Samui to ponder the encounter.

Sasuke's Heavenly Hand Power was indeed formidable, but it had its limitations.

These restrictions, however, were insignificant compared to the power it provided. Sasuke had a theory—his Rinnegan held godlike abilities, but his body had yet to reach the same level of power.

This mismatch was likely the reason he couldn't fully unleash the Rinnegan's potential, limiting how often he could use its abilities in quick succession.

Originally, according to the system's plan, Sasuke wasn't supposed to awaken the Rinnegan until he was 20 years old.

However, Sasuke had unlocked it earlier due to his own growth, which probably explained the limitations he faced.

Not dwelling on it further, Sasuke set off toward the Raikage Building.

...

The Raikage Building, Kumogakure

The imposing golden structure of the Raikage Building stood tall, exuding an aura of authority.

As Sasuke approached, the ANBU guards at the entrance immediately sensed the threat of a formidable adversary.

"Stop! Who are you!?" one of them demanded.

Sasuke glanced at C, who stood at the forefront, his yellow hair split in a distinctive style.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha from Konoha. I need to see the Raikage immediately. I have questions for him—he signed a peace treaty, so why is he violating our borders?"

C looked troubled, unsure how to respond. He started to speak, but then thought better of it. In this situation, he wasn't the one who could make the decision.

"Wait here," C finally said. "I'll inform Raikage-sama."

Sasuke, however, wasn't in the mood to wait. "No need," he said coldly. "I'll find him myself."

The Kumogakure ANBU moved to intercept, but C shook his head. "Let him go."

...

Inside the Raikage's Office

The Fourth Raikage sat at his desk, his head throbbing with frustration.

It wasn't just the usual duties of running the village—it was the disaster of the "Honji Rai" manga that had thrown his life into chaos.

Nearly everyone in Kumogakure had seen the comic that mocked and defamed him. His image as a wise and powerful leader had been shattered by that vile book.

At that moment, a gust of wind swept through the office, and suddenly, Sasuke was standing before the Raikage.

The Fourth Raikage, startled, felt his anger flare. "Who the hell are you? How dare you break into the Raikage's office uninvited!"

Sasuke calmly revealed his Rinnegan, his eyes brimming with menace. "I am Sasuke Uchiha, and I'm here to negotiate on behalf of Konoha."

The Raikage scoffed dismissively, "A mere boy..."

But before he could finish his sentence, the Raikage felt an overwhelming pressure behind him, as if a massive force was bearing down on him.

His body reacted instinctively—all the hairs on his body stood on end, and cold sweat began to form on his brow.

Only then did the Raikage truly take in the sight of the young man before him. As Raikage, he was well aware of those with powers on his level. He recognized the Rinnegan.

"How… how do you have the Rinnegan?" the Raikage asked, disbelief evident in his voice.

Sasuke didn't bother answering.

Memories flashed through the Raikage's mind—he remembered the infamous brothers from Kumogakure, Kinkaku and Ginkaku.

They were notorious for their cruelty, pillaging and destroying wherever they went. Even the Raikage had found them difficult to deal with.

The brothers wielded four legendary ninja tools, each with immense power. It was said that these tools were connected to the Sage of Six Paths, the legendary figure who first wielded the Rinnegan.

The Raikage also recalled the reports from his spies in Amegakure.

They had often spoken of Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki, who was said to be invincible due to his possession of the Rinnegan—the eyes of a god.

Now, the Raikage was staring into those same eyes, and for the first time in years, he felt something he hadn't in a long time—fear.

His body instinctively tensed, every fiber of his being screaming at him to be cautious.

Though his spirit was fearless, his body couldn't help but react to the primal terror of facing such overwhelming power.

The Fourth Raikage's body had been honed to near perfection—he was the son of the Third Raikage, who was famed as both the strongest spear and the strongest shield.

Yet despite this, he could feel the fear creeping in, making his heart race.

This sensation of fear, though unsettling, also excited the Raikage. Lightning crackled around his body as he activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode.

"Body activation!"

"Second activation!"

"Third activation!"

"Ultimate activation!"

The Fourth Raikage pushed his body to its absolute limit. "You must be confident if you're here to negotiate on behalf of Konoha!" he roared, charging at Sasuke with blinding speed.

His movements were fast enough to rival the Flying Thunder God Technique.

But to Sasuke, it still wasn't enough.

"Heavenly Hand Power!"

In an instant, Sasuke activated his ability, expanding a field within a five-meter radius where time slowed down by threefold.

The Raikage, who had been moving at lightning speed, now appeared sluggish in Sasuke's eyes.

Within the Time Distortion, everything slowed to a crawl, including the Raikage's thoughts. Only Sasuke remained unaffected.

A magatama disappeared from Sasuke's Rinnegan as he swapped positions with the Raikage.

The Raikage, unaware of the shift, crashed into the wall with tremendous force, leaving a massive hole.

Sasuke's Susanoo partially materialized, and he pulled back an arrow made of purple chakra, aiming it directly at the Raikage.

The arrow shot forward, exploding on impact and obliterating half of the Raikage Building.

The explosion was so powerful that it shredded the Raikage's clothes and left his body charred. Even his hair was singed away by the intense blast.

Sasuke stood tall amidst the destruction and said coldly, "Raikage-sama, am I qualified to negotiate with you now?"

The Raikage's face darkened. He was a man of few words, but he knew when he was outmatched.

"You are qualified," the Raikage admitted, his tone serious.

He was never one to mince words. Sasuke's display of strength had earned his recognition.

The Raikage had pushed his Lightning Release Chakra Mode to the absolute limit, yet he couldn't even touch Sasuke.

Sasuke is faster than Minato was back then, the Raikage thought, his mind racing. When we switched places, I didn't even realize it until it was too late.

The Raikage's physical strength had always been his greatest asset, but even that hadn't been enough to withstand Sasuke's power.