"Raikage-sama!"
A collective gasp erupted from the Kumogakure shinobi below.
But in this critical moment, a surge of white steam suddenly burst from the Raikage's entire body, propelling him upward like a jet booster. In the blink of an eye, he narrowly dodged the Senjutsu Water Severing Wave.
Woo!
A sound like a train whistle echoed through the air as he threw a devastating punch. This time, his power skyrocketed, sending Hidan flying out of the village entirely. Landing firmly on the ground, the Raikage's face lit up once more with confidence.
"What is this?!" Kakuzu's small, green eyes widened in shock.
"That damn Uchiha Madara might be a bastard, but I have to admit, Kokuō he gave me is pretty damn good."
The Raikage glanced at the white steam mingling with his Lightning Release Armor, feeling the surging power coursing through his body. The ever-volatile man had no intention of standing still and explaining.
With a powerful stomp, he transformed into a blur of white and purple lightning, trailing a long tail of steam behind him. His speed soared to an entirely new level—far beyond what Kakuzu's airborne hearts could keep up with.
Woo!
"Steam Release: Thunderous Ninja Fist of Wrath!"
He launched another punch, steam erupting from his arm as he accelerated mid-strike. This blow carried destruction on par with Tsunade's monstrous strength.
"Earth Release: Earth Spear!"
Luckily, the heart targeted this time was the Earth Release heart. Under the combined effects of Earth Spear and Cursed Seal, it barely withstood the Raikage's devastating attack.
Kakuzu's expression darkened. If even his strongest defensive heart could only endure a single hit, then what would happen to the others?
He immediately manipulated his hearts to fly even higher, but the Raikage seized the Earth Release heart mid-air. Using it as a stepping stone, he leveraged Kokuō's steam to execute an aerial maneuver he had never been capable of before, launching himself once again.
"Boil Release!"
This time, Kakuzu wasn't so lucky—the Water Release heart was obliterated in one strike. But the Raikage wasn't done. Using the destroyed heart as a foothold, he launched himself once more, now aiming for the Fire Release heart.
"Take this!"
Hidan had recovered by now, hurtling back into the fray, swinging his scythe toward the Raikage.
The Raikage glanced at him with disdain.
"Boil Release: Raging Thunder!"
With a thunderous kick, he sent Hidan crashing into the ground, leaving a massive crater in his wake.
Inside the pit, Hidan struggled to rise, gritting his teeth in pain. But no matter how hard he tried, his body refused to cooperate.
"Damn it… My entire skeleton is shattered. That bastard Kakuzu is up there alone—if he gets killed by the Raikage, I'm screwed."
"Hmph!"
The Fire Release heart quickly met the same fate. Kakuzu, realizing the dire situation, hurriedly scattered his remaining three hearts, but before he could react further, the Wind Release heart was obliterated as well.
Sasori intervened just in time, deploying his puppets to shield Kakuzu.
Now, only two hearts remained. If the Raikage struck again, the old man would be finished.
"How about it?"
"This is the third state I developed after integrating with Kokuō!"
"I have to say, Kokuō and I are a perfect match."
The Raikage spoke with unshakable confidence and arrogance.
With this power, neither Kakuzu, Hidan, nor Sasori meant anything to him.
Not even the leader of the Akatsuki could stand against him—he was sure of it.
Kokuō's abilities naturally enhanced taijutsu. With the power of its steam, even its previous jinchūriki, Han—an otherwise ordinary ninja—was able to gain strength and speed rivaling Tsunade.
So what would happen when that power was stacked onto the Raikage?
The answer was clear. After entering his third state, his strength surpassed pre-Sage Mode Tsunade, and his speed had reached the point where even the Flying Thunder God Technique wouldn't be able to react in close to mid-range combat.
His Lightning Release Armor had evolved yet again, likely making him impervious to most S-rank ninjutsu.
And most importantly, the steam granted him temporary flight.
How strong was he now?
The Raikage believed himself to be invincible.
"Boil Release: Iron Fist!"
The Raikage launched his next assault, moving faster than the naked eye could perceive. Fortunately, Sasori was prepared. The Third Kazekage's Iron Sand flew out, forming a massive shield.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Defense!"
Boom!
The Iron Sand shield was instantly pierced through. Though the Raikage's momentum slowed slightly after the impact, he still retained a dominant presence, charging forward relentlessly.
Sasori's puppets and Wood Release techniques were either too slow to reach him or shattered upon contact.
On the ground, the Raikage displayed terrifying oppressive power. Unlike in the air, he could constantly use his legs to accelerate further.
Woo!
With a burst of steam, the Raikage punched straight through Kakuzu's Lightning Release heart.
Now, the old man was panicking. Only his Earth Release heart remained—one more hit and he was done for.
"You Akatsuki scum will pay for your invasion!"
"Kakuzu, you're the first!"
Woo!
The sound of steam pressurizing filled the air once again. Kakuzu was at his wit's end. There was nothing he could do except reinforce his body with maximum Earth Spear Jutsu. But on the ground, against the Raikage's overwhelming kinetic force, it wouldn't be enough.
Sasori desperately controlled his puppets in a last-ditch effort to slow the Raikage down, but nothing worked.
Boom!
Just then, a crimson blade slashed downward, its edge enveloped in flickering black flames.
Amaterasu!
The Raikage's eyes narrowed in shock. He had been briefed by Obito about Itachi and knew exactly what these black flames represented. No matter how strong his Lightning Release Armor was, it wouldn't matter—Amaterasu wouldn't stop burning until its target was completely incinerated.
In the original timeline, he was willing to sacrifice a limb to keep fighting because he believed Killer B had been killed by Sasuke's team. But this time was different. He still had options. There was no reason to risk losing an arm just to take down Kakuzu.
If the old man knew what the Raikage was thinking right now, he wouldn't know whether to feel relieved or furious.
"Itachi, you're here."
Sasori and Kakuzu both let out a sigh of relief.
Against an opponent like the Raikage, Itachi was the best choice to handle the fight. With Susanoo constantly guarding him and Amaterasu to burn through defenses, he wouldn't be as helpless as they were.
"Hm." Itachi nodded slightly.
Like before, he was stationed in a flexible position, sent wherever problems arose. Originally, he had expected to have an easy time like during the Konoha Crush, but things escalated far quicker than he had anticipated.
"The Uchiha clan's Susanoo… I've heard it represents absolute power and destruction."
"Today, I'll see for myself which power is stronger."
The Raikage gazed at the towering red figure before him—not with fear, but with excitement.
After all, he was invincible.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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