Flames burn

More than a dozen kunai with attached explosive tags detonated simultaneously.

Rumble!

Coupled with the force of the Great Fireball, a towering flame surged into the sky, igniting the dense forest and filling the air with scorching heat.

Swish!

The speed of the Fourth Raikage was incredible. As soon as the explosive tags ignited, he had already moved 100 meters away with the Body Flicker Technique.

"This Anbu..." the Fourth Raikage growled through gritted teeth. This Konoha Anbu had been lurking in the shadows, clearly up to no good! Moreover, his strength was undeniable—Kage-level!

Among the five major ninja villages, there was no second Kage-level Anbu. After all, who would stay in Anbu if they were truly powerful?

"Jiraiya, and now this mysterious Super Anbu!" the Fourth Raikage thought quickly. Could it be that Konoha intended to keep him in the Land of Fire this time?

Boom!

A powerful gust of wind pressed down on him in an instant.

"So fast!" the Fourth Raikage exclaimed as he dodged. Immediately, Kazuya, who had flown over, used the Leaf Hurricane to kick the tree he had just stood on.

Rumble! The tall tree, over ten meters high, suddenly broke and collapsed.

"Is he a taijutsu specialist?" the Fourth Raikage frowned. This Anbu was extremely fast and had powerful chakra—definitely not an ordinary opponent!

"Good! It's rare to meet a high-speed ninja, so I'll play with you!" the Fourth Raikage's spirit lifted. As his Lightning Release Armor shone brightly, he charged forward at extreme speed.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In the blink of an eye, they clashed several times. Each time, the kunai in Kazuya's hand brushed against the Fourth Raikage's throat but couldn't hit him. On the contrary, after several exchanges, Kazuya's wrist was already numb.

"What a powerful force!" Kazuya thought. "As expected of the man who dared to cut through Susanoo with his bare hands!" He quickly realized the gap between them. He had just entered the Kage-level, and his foundation was not yet solid. It was challenging to fight against a seasoned Kage like the Fourth Raikage.

Moreover, the opponent's speed was extraordinary. If it weren't for the fact that he had recently improved his physical talents and reaction speed, the situation would have been even worse.

However, Kazuya remained calm. In a few years, after growing stronger, he could take on reckless fighters like the Fourth Raikage with ease.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Their speeds increased, leaving only afterimages on the battlefield. Despite the Fourth Raikage having a slight upper hand, Kazuya showed no signs of defeat.

Incredible! At this moment, not only Konoha's ninjas but even the Elite Jōnin from Cloud Village and Kirigakure were astonished.

"When did Konoha's Anbu produce such a formidable fighter!?" they wondered in disbelief.

"The situation is worsening!" Terumi Mei observed the mysterious Konoha Anbu in the distance, her expression growing serious. Konoha Anbu's strength far exceeded their expectations! If this Anbu fighting the Raikage intervened, her chances of returning to the Land of Water alive were slim.

"No!" she thought. "If this person continues to grow... he might become Konoha's second Namikaze Minato!"

The Fourth Raikage's eyes filled with clear killing intent. This Anbu's speed, strength, and combat experience were all top-tier, surpassing Elite Jōnin and even rivaling mid-level Kage. His ninjutsu prowess would not be lacking; he was a formidable enemy.

"Kill!" The Fourth Raikage decided decisively. His output suddenly increased.

"Going all out?" Kazuya's eyes flashed. If the Raikage wanted to risk his life, there was no problem. Konoha had others who could face the berserk Raikage.

In an instant, feeling the sudden surge of killing intent, Kazuya widened the distance with the Body Flicker Technique.

"You don't have Flying Thunder God! You can't escape!" the Fourth Raikage growled, tracking Kazuya relentlessly.

Boom!

A cloud of white smoke exploded.

Smoke bomb!

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" Kazuya quickly formed seals, and another massive fireball shot out.

"Again!" the Fourth Raikage was furious. This damned Anbu, using the same trick twice—was he mocking him!?

Swish!

This time, the Raikage didn't block at all. He bypassed the Great Fireball with great speed and appeared directly behind Kazuya.

"Wrong move..." Jiraiya shouted from a distance, too late to intervene.

"Die!" the Fourth Raikage roared, grabbing Kazuya and slamming him hard towards the ground.

"Thunder... I explode!!!!" The Raikage's chakra exploded terrifyingly. He wanted to kill this Konoha Anbu!

"Die!!!" he roared again. The ground burst instantly. This was the Fourth Raikage's super killer move—lifting the enemy and smashing them to the ground with super heavy weight, coupled with explosive Lightning Release Chakra. No one had survived this move so far!

"No!" "Kazuya-kun!" "Team leader!" The Konoha Shinobi were horrified. Kurenai Yuhi was so anxious she was about to faint. Was Kazuya really going to die at the hands of the Raikage?

However! The expected bloody scene did not occur. Instead, Kazuya's body suddenly burst into flames and exploded.

"What!?" the Fourth Raikage was shocked. Could it be a Shadow Clone!?

Boom! Rumble!

A huge explosion. Smoke and dust rose into the sky.

"That is... A-level ninjutsu! Shadow Clone Explosion!" Jiraiya exclaimed from a distance. "It's so fast I didn't even notice!"

"Kazuya-kun!" Seeing this, Kurenai felt a surge of relief.

The Cloud Shinobi and Kirigakure ninjas, however, looked grim.

"Master Raikage!" "Boss!" "Support quickly!" Several Elite Jōnin from Cloud Village rushed to help, but were intercepted by nearby Konoha Anbu.

"We must not add pressure to the battlefield over there!" Sarutobi Shinnosuke commanded decisively, stopping a Cloud Shinobi.

"Yes, Captain!" Inspired by Kazuya's astonishing performance, the Anbu ninjas became more determined.

When the smoke finally cleared, the slightly embarrassed figure of the Fourth Raikage appeared. Black smoke rose from his body. Despite the protection of his Lightning Release Armor, the explosion had left burn marks on him.

"Damn..." The Fourth Raikage's face twisted with rage. That Anbu, using dirty tricks one after another—did he not dare to confront him head-on!?

"Ahhhhh!!!" The Raikage roared like a wild beast, his Lightning Release Armor glowing even brighter.

"I must kill you! Otherwise, in the future, you'll become a major threat to Cloud Village!" He stared intently at Kazuya. Today, this Konoha Anbu had to die!

In the previous battle, the Raikage had not used his full strength, reserving it for a potential retreat. But now, he was ready to unleash everything to decapitate this Konoha Anbu!

"Leave the next battle to me!" In an instant, Jiraiya appeared next to Kazuya, his expression serious.