In terms of dramatic entrances, Hayashi had seen plenty throughout his life, but the Third Raikage's appearance could still rank among the most impressive.
Descending from the sky through the Heavenly Transfer Technique while wrapped in black Lightning Release chakra, the massive figure crashed onto the battlefield like a meteor. Dust and shattered rock erupted across the Gobi Desert as thunder roared through the air.
It was flashy, intimidating, and completely fitting for someone like the Third Raikage.
Being cool was clearly a lifelong commitment for that man.
Still, Hayashi found the situation strange.
Why was the Third Raikage here?
If Kumogakure had arrived as enemies, that kick from the sky would not have landed near the Third Tsuchikage. It would have smashed directly into Ōnoki's skull.
Yet now the two of them stood side by side, exchanging looks like longtime allies.
Hayashi narrowed his eyes.
So Iwagakure and Kumogakure had secretly formed an alliance.
No wonder Ōnoki had acted so confident from the very beginning.
Hayashi glanced at the burly Raikage, his expression turning odd.
Logically speaking, without Hayashi's interference in the timeline, the Third Raikage should have died fighting ten thousand shinobi alone during the Third Great Ninja War. Yet here he was, alive and cooperating with Ōnoki.
The butterfly effect really had become ridiculous.
Hayashi did not rush forward. Instead, he calmly remained where he stood, observing the two Kage.
The pair clearly disagreed on something.
Ōnoki had invited the Third Raikage here specifically to deal with Konoha's Lightning Flash.
Because Hayashi possessed the Flying Thunder God Technique, killing him quickly was nearly impossible. If Ōnoki stayed behind alone, the battle would only drag on endlessly.
At the moment, Hayashi alone was tying down the two strongest fighters on Iwagakure's side.
The battlefield's balance was extremely delicate.
The high level combatants on both sides stood at six against five. With Hayashi holding back both Ōnoki and the Third Raikage, the remaining elite shinobi were essentially locked into one-on-one fights. More importantly, Konoha still had two monsters that Iwagakure could not stop.
Those two were Orochimaru and Sakumo Hatake.
The pair moved through the battlefield like blades tearing through cloth. Everywhere they passed, Iwagakure shinobi fell in waves.
Because of that, Iwagakure's strategy was straightforward.
The Third Raikage would fight Hayashi.
Ōnoki would stall Orochimaru and Sakumo.
The remaining forces would engage normally, relying on Iwagakure's superior numbers to overwhelm Konoha.
From Ōnoki's perspective, this exchange was worth it.
The Third Raikage, however, clearly had different intentions.
He did not want Iwagakure winning too easily.
If both Konoha and Iwagakure suffered devastating losses, Kumogakure would ultimately benefit the most.
Ideally, the Third Raikage wanted to join forces with Ōnoki to eliminate Hayashi first, then deal with Sakumo Hatake and the others afterward. As for how many Iwagakure shinobi died in the process, he could not care less.
Even as allies, they remained wary of each other.
Otherwise, the Third Raikage would not have waited until the war had already begun before appearing through the Heavenly Transfer Technique.
Unfortunately for him, the disagreement was pointless.
Ōnoki had already decided to leave.
The Third Raikage could not stop him, nor could he abandon the battlefield himself. Turning against each other now would benefit nobody.
After reaching an agreement, Ōnoki slowly floated into the air.
"Third Raikage, I'll leave this battlefield to you," he said with a faint smile.
"No matter how this war ends, Iwagakure will support Kumogakure afterward."
The Third Raikage merely snorted.
Ōnoki exhaled lightly before flying southward at high speed.
Hayashi did not attempt to stop him.
Against someone flying high in the air, interception was far too difficult.
Soon, only Hayashi and the Third Raikage remained facing one another.
The atmosphere instantly grew heavy.
The Third Raikage stared at Hayashi in silence.
He had no interest in underestimating this young shinobi. Konoha's Lightning Flash had already shaken the entire ninja world.
Hayashi also had no intention of speaking.
In his eyes, the Third Raikage was already dead.
Whether today's corpse belonged to the Tsuchikage or the Raikage made little difference.
"Sizzle!"
Violent lightning suddenly exploded around the Third Raikage's body.
Dense Lightning Release chakra wrapped around him, forming the famous Lightning Release Armor.
Unlike the Fourth Raikage's brighter chakra cloak, the Third Raikage's lightning appeared darker and heavier. It was not because his chakra was weaker.
On the contrary, his chakra was so condensed that its color had deepened.
The Third Raikage slammed his fists together in front of his chest.
Boom!
The impact sounded like a massive bell echoing across the desert.
The ground beneath him cracked apart as dirt and debris exploded outward in every direction.
Then he moved.
The Third Raikage charged directly toward Hayashi.
For the first time, Hayashi felt such terrifying chakra from someone without a Kekkei Genkai.
It was comparable to a Tailed Beast.
Honestly, Hayashi respected the Third Raikage.
Ignoring the Ōtsutsuki clan and monsters like Might Guy, the Third Raikage could easily be considered the peak of what an ordinary human shinobi could achieve.
Unmatched durability.
Overwhelming strength.
Extreme speed.
A body refined to its absolute limit.
He truly was a monster.
Unfortunately, Hayashi himself was hardly normal.
When it came to close combat while in Sage Mode, he feared nobody.
Shukaku quickly retreated from the area.
The Third Raikage could physically wrestle with the Eight Tails. With Shukaku's smaller frame, staying nearby would only make him a target. It was better for the Tailed Beast to rampage through Iwagakure's forces instead.
Meanwhile, the streak of lightning had already arrived before Hayashi.
The Third Raikage raised his right arm.
His hand flattened as four fingers extended forward. Blue Lightning Release chakra condensed around them, forming sharp spear-like points.
Using his Mangekyō Sharingan, Hayashi could clearly see the compressed lightning particles gathering around each fingertip.
Hell Stab: Four Finger Nukite.
The attack pierced directly toward Hayashi's head.
Hayashi merely smirked.
With a casual motion, he raised his hand and tossed two Flying Thunder God kunai into the air one after another.
At the same time, his body blurred.
Hayashi was naturally a speed type shinobi. Combined with Sage Mode and the Flying Thunder God Technique, even the Third Raikage struggled to keep up.
The Raikage could only see an afterimage where Hayashi had originally stood.
The real Hayashi had already appeared behind him, gripping one of the marked kunai.
"Sage Art: Massive Rasengan!"
A sphere of blue chakra erupted in Hayashi's palm.
Within an instant, it expanded into a gigantic spinning mass of destruction.
The Third Raikage reacted immediately, launching himself backward.
But before he could fully escape, the Rasengan expanded several more meters outward.
Midair, the Third Raikage twisted his body and thrust his arm forward once again.
This time, one finger bent inward.
Hell Stab: Three Finger Nukite.
Boom!
Lightning exploded around him as he accelerated forward violently.
His sharpened fingers pierced straight into the massive Rasengan.
The gigantic sphere of chakra split apart under the force of the attack.
The Rasengan surged past both sides of the Raikage before detonating in the distance.
A storm of blue chakra scattered across the battlefield like glowing rain.
Hayashi had expected this outcome from the beginning.
Before the Rasengan fully exploded, he vanished once more through the Flying Thunder God Technique, instantly reappearing behind the Third Raikage using the second kunai.
From the moment the kunai were thrown to the instant the Rasengan collapsed, Hayashi had already used Flying Thunder God twice consecutively.
To ordinary shinobi, the exchange was impossible to follow.
Even the Third Raikage failed to react in time.
Electricity burst across Hayashi's body as Chidori Current surged around his leg.
Then he struck.
Bang!
The kick slammed heavily into the Third Raikage's back.
Enhanced by Sage Mode and Lightning Release, the attack carried monstrous force.
The Third Raikage was blasted downward like a cannonball.
The ground exploded on impact.
Dust swallowed the battlefield instantly.