Chapter 392 – The Fourth Raikage (Part I)
"So you're Uchiha Fugaku."
The Fourth Raikage stood at the edge of the battlefield, looking at the red-eyed man before him—someone roughly his own age. A trace of disdain tugged at the corner of his mouth.
He knew Fugaku's background well enough. One of his goals in coming personally was to test this man's depth.
Of course… he also harbored other expectations.
The previous night, a messenger hawk had delivered new intelligence: Konoha had dispatched two forces.
And the commander of the second force was none other than the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
That news had only heightened the Raikage's excitement.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was a man his own father had once praised.
Though in the Raikage's eyes, that old fox had long since grown conservative, rigid, even obsolete—utterly worthless in terms of vision.
Yet reputation was reputation.
The title of "The Professor," the legend of a Shinobi Hero, still echoed throughout the shinobi world.
And the Fourth Raikage very much wanted to see just how much of that legend still remained.
Compared to Sarutobi Hiruzen, Fugaku simply didn't measure up.
Whether it was fame or perceived strength, the gap was obvious.
From a purely personal standpoint, the Raikage was a born battle fanatic. Fighting strong opponents thrilled him—it was how he honed himself.
From a political and strategic perspective, however, the calculation was even simpler:
Defeating the head of the Uchiha clan could never compare to crushing a man known as the Shinobi Hero in terms of the blow it would deal to Konoha's morale.
The Fourth Raikage might be hot-blooded.
He might act recklessly.
But that didn't mean he was stupid.
Far from it—he was sharp.
Even in later generations, his actions would prove that point.
Yes, he preferred brute force as a tool of intimidation.
But every act of force served a purpose: to elevate Kumogakure's prestige and standing.
Take the Fourth Shinobi World War, for example.
Becoming commander-in-chief of the Allied Shinobi Forces—what kind of postwar leverage and benefit would that position bring to him and the Cloud?
Anyone with half a brain could answer that.
It was only because Konoha, Suna, Kiri, and Iwa were riddled with internal problems, traitors, and the scars left behind by Akatsuki that they lacked the strength to contest him.
Iwagakure alone might have had the capacity—but even then, it couldn't outcompete the Cloud.
The outcome should have been set in stone.
Unfortunately for everyone else, Konoha was the protagonist of this era—and it possessed two utterly unreasonable men.
Fugaku's crimson eyes locked onto the Fourth Raikage, unflinching.
"Fourth Raikage, don't you think your actions have gone too far?"
"Too far?"
The Raikage's grin twisted into something feral.
"You talk about excess, yet it was Konoha that trampled on our goodwill, slaughtered our envoys, and spat on our attempt at peace. And you dare say we are the ones who went too far?"
"It seems there's nothing left to discuss."
Fugaku let out a quiet sigh.
"The truth of this matter is something we all understand. I'll say only this—take care of yourself, Raikage."
"Is that so?"
The Fourth Raikage snorted coldly.
"Then let me see what gives you the right to tell me to 'take care of myself.'"
The moment his words fell, the Fourth Raikage shot forward like a fired bullet, charging straight at Fugaku!
That terrifying speed—
for anyone else, reacting would have been impossible.
But for Fugaku, who possessed the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, it was still within grasp.
His body twisted slightly to the side, narrowly avoiding the Raikage's lightning-wreathed punch. In the same motion, Fugaku drove a vicious kick toward the Raikage's abdomen!
Yet the instant his foot connected, Fugaku's expression changed.
It felt like kicking a slab of steel.
A dull numbness surged up his right leg.
Before Fugaku could fully register it, the Raikage had already reacted. His right punch had missed, but he twisted his torso smoothly, clenched his left fist, and slammed it toward Fugaku with brutal force.
Feeling the oppressive pressure of that punch wind, Fugaku cursed inwardly.
Monster.
His eyes instantly shifted into their Eternal Mangekyō state—and he triggered genjutsu.
The Raikage's body stiffened for a split second, his fist freezing midair.
Fugaku seized the opening, yanking out a kunai and stabbing straight for the Raikage's neck!
Only then did Fugaku realize—
This wasn't a misjudgment.
The kunai struck the Raikage's neck… and failed to pierce it.
It didn't sink in at all.
The blade scraped across skin that felt like iron, leaving behind only a pale mark before stopping completely—unable to advance even a fraction further.
In that instant, Fugaku felt exactly the same shock Uchiha Kei had once felt when facing Huang Tu years ago.
No—
He was worse off.
At least Kei had managed to draw blood.
Fugaku hadn't even achieved that.
The Raikage's physical durability was absurd beyond reason.
Startled but not panicked, Fugaku reacted immediately. He had fought against a fourth-stage Susanoo before—he knew when to disengage.
The moment he sensed the Raikage breaking free from the illusion, Fugaku activated Body Flicker, vanishing from his original position.
BOOM—!
A thunderous explosion tore through the Konoha camp.
The earth trembled violently as if struck by a lightning bolt. Many shinobi nearby couldn't even keep their footing.
The shockwave blasted surrounding ninja into the air. Trees snapped instantly. Nearby structures collapsed under the impact.
The sheer destruction drew the attention of every shinobi still fighting.
With the terrain shattered, the Cloud shinobi hiding nearby were fully exposed.
Cloud ninja—countless of them—surrounded the camp, wielding kunai and swords. Though scattered, their numbers clearly exceeded a thousand. Even inside the camp itself, enemies were everywhere.
Yet at that moment, both sides paused.
They had realized who was fighting.
Their leaders were clashing.
Under normal circumstances, a clash between commanders wouldn't halt the battlefield—but this was different.
Konoha shinobi now knew they were facing the Raikage himself, and none dared to recklessly interfere.
Meanwhile, the Cloud ninja—few in number compared to the camp's defenders—were prepared to immediately protect the Raikage if Konoha attempted a concentrated assault.
Nara Kyōhei had already grasped the situation. He quickly summoned Uchiha Kawa and Uchiha Ryū, whispered brief instructions to them, then sent them off without delay.
"Well done," the Fourth Raikage said coldly, his expression dark.
"Very few people can trap me in genjutsu—and succeed. You're impressive… but that's as far as it goes."
"Is that so?"
Fugaku exhaled slowly. The three tomoe in his eyes spun rapidly.
"I'll admit it—your strength is extraordinary, Raikage. But do you really think this is all I'm capable of?"
As his words ended, the three tomoe fused together, forming a strange, ominous pattern within his eyes.
Against an enemy like this, Fugaku could no longer hold back.
Though this Eternal Mangekyō did not carry the same raw origin power as his original Mangekyō, years of mastery had made it fully his own.
And more importantly—
It could still awaken Susanoo.
Against tailed beasts…
Against monsters like the Raikage—
That was indispensable.
The Fourth Raikage sensed the change immediately.
The aura pouring from Fugaku now was completely different from before.
Something's wrong.
The Raikage frowned inwardly. He didn't understand what kind of transformation the Uchiha had undergone—but he refused to take unnecessary risks.
He lowered his stance.
In the next instant, brilliant blue chakra surged over his body, crackling with violent arcs of lightning.
Lightning Release: Chakra Mode.
Also known as Lightning Armor—the Cloud Village's signature technique.
By coating the body in lightning chakra, it drastically enhanced physical strength, defense, and speed. Nerve transmission was accelerated to extreme levels, allowing near-instant reactions.
As chakra output increased, so did its effects.
The most terrifying part?
The technique itself wasn't high-level—barely B-rank.
Yet its upper limit was nearly infinite.
Easy to learn.
Nightmarishly difficult to master.
With a sharp inhale, the Fourth Raikage exploded forward like a hunting beast.
He moved like lightning incarnate.
His arm thrust forward, fingers flattened like a blade.
"Lightning Release: Lariat!"
The sheer speed and momentum sent chills through nearby Konoha ninja, while Cloud shinobi erupted into cheers.
Fugaku had already completed his hand seals the instant the Raikage moved.
Towering earthen walls burst from the ground, forming barriers in the Raikage's path.
But before they could even slow him—
The Raikage's hand pierced through them like paper.
One wall shattered.
Then another.
Then another.
When the final wall collapsed and Fugaku came into view, the Raikage's lips curled into a cruel smile.
So this is it?
The head of the Uchiha clan—nothing special.
Then—
His expression froze.
Behind the crumbling earth, golden chakra had already gathered around Fugaku's body.
A colossal skeletal arm—vast, solid, terrifying—manifested and clamped down hard on the Raikage's attacking right arm.
In that instant—
The Fourth Raikage was stopped cold, unable to advance even a single step.
(Hell yeah Fugaku!!!)