At the edge of the scorched giant crater, Raikage's boot sole crushed a piece of wood still burning. His gaze swept across the battlefield, settling on the unnatural objects on the ground.
Inside the giant crater, several specially made kunai were scattered sporadically.
On the blades of the kunai, similar but different Ninjutsu patterns were engraved. Those were the symbols that enemy Shinobi once feared most on the battlefield, the shadow left by that golden-haired man over the entire Ninja World, the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"…I didn't expect that after the death of the Yellow Flash, someone could still learn such a troublesome Ninjutsu!"
Menma stood silently on the ruins. He had one foot on a broken tree beam, casually tossing a Flying Thunder God kunai in his hand.
"It's the most troublesome Space-Time Ninjutsu, yet you actually charged over by yourself?" His voice came through the mask, carrying a lazy mockery, "Should I call you confident or arrogant?"
"Enough talk!!"
The moment Raikage's roar exploded, his figure had transformed into a dazzling lightning bolt! Lightning Release Taijutsu: Liger Bomb!!
His elbow was raised high, chopping down like a battle-axe. The air was squeezed by brute force and Lightning Release, creating a deafening boom. This strike was enough to pulverize mountains.
But it missed.
Menma's figure dissipated like an illusion the instant before Raikage touched him. Raikage's nerves suddenly tensed. His eyeballs rotated rapidly, capturing the position of every kunai.
Left? Right? Front? Back?
"Here!"
Raikage's intuition suddenly warned him! He roared, and his body, enveloped in lightning, burst forth again. "Lariat!!"
The direction of his charge was exactly where Menma had just appeared! But just as he lunged forward, Menma smirked, and the kunai in his hand was suddenly tossed high into the sky.
Raikage's muscle memory was faster than thought. Since the kunai was thrown, the enemy must have instantly moved into the air! His charging trajectory twisted abruptly, and the lightning, like a dragon raising its head, shot straight into the sky—however, there was no one in the air.
"Damn it...!"
The hairs on his back suddenly stood on end. In Raikage's ears, a low, hoarse sneer came from under the mask. "You rely too much on 'premonition', Raikage."
"Spiral Wheel Ring."
A black Chakra sphere exploded on Raikage's back, and the distorted force field of collapsing space tore cracks in his Lightning Release armor. Intense pain accompanied by a blast of wind sent Raikage flying. His body crashed into the ruins, raising a cloud of smoke and dust.
"Cough...!"
Raikage propped himself up from the rubble, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. He wiped away the blood, his Lightning Release armor surged again, and the fighting spirit in his eyes became even more ferocious.
"This is excellent! Flying Thunder God Technique!"
The battle that was interrupted with Minato Namikaze that day...!" He clenched his fists, his Lightning Release Chakra surged again, "Here, answer my confusion!"
Who is truly the fastest in the Ninja World?
"Swish—!"
Menma's figure vanished like a ghost, and the next second, he appeared behind Raikage's side, the Spiral Wheel Ring in his hand mercilessly striking Raikage's back.
Raikage's reaction was terrifying. The moment the Spiral Wheel Ring touched him, his body transformed into a dazzling lightning bolt, moving several meters sideways, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow.
"Boom—!"
The Spiral Wheel Ring missed, exploding into a ten-meter-diameter crater on the ground. The black Chakra aftershock spread like ripples, even making the air tremble.
"Tsk, you're quick to dodge," Menma's voice came from under his mask, carrying a playful tone.
Raikage did not respond. His gaze was fixed on Menma, the electric arcs of his Lightning Release armor crackling, his muscles slightly warm from high-speed movement.
The black phantom and the lightning constantly intertwined on the battlefield. The Spiral Wheel Ring continuously exploded in the giant crater. After experiencing the hardship, Raikage was no longer reckless but began to constantly dodge Menma's Spiral Wheel Ring.
After a short battle, Raikage came to a conclusion: this guy... is different from Minato Namikaze!
Minato's Flying Thunder God was more elegant, like a golden flash, weaving a path of death on the battlefield. But the Menma in front of him... his fighting style was more brutal, more insidious!
"Don't get too cocky, kid!"
Raikage suddenly pushed off the ground, which cracked under the immense force. His figure shot towards Menma like a cannonball, Lightning Release Chakra condensing in his fist.
"Lariat!!"
Menma did not dodge or evade, he simply tossed a Flying Thunder God kunai—
"Swish!"
Raikage's fist pierced through an afterimage, while Menma's true body had appeared in mid-air, a black Spiral Wheel Ring once again condensing in his hand.
"It's useless. No matter how fast you are... you can't beat 'instantaneous movement.'"
The battle gradually turned into a one-sided war of attrition.
Raikage's speed was indeed unrivaled in the Ninja World; his Lightning Release armor pushed his explosive power and reaction time to the limits of human capability. But Menma's Flying Thunder God... simply didn't belong to the category of "speed."
This wasn't about who was faster... but about who was closer to the "finish line"!
Raikage's breathing became heavy, and the Chakra consumption of his Lightning Release armor far exceeded expectations. Every charge, every dodge, rapidly depleted his stamina. And Menma... remained at ease.
"Boom—!"
Another Spiral Wheel Ring exploded beside Raikage. Although he barely dodged, the aftershock of the blast still tore through the defense of his Lightning Release armor, leaving a bloodstain on his shoulder.
Damn it...!
Raikage gritted his teeth, the fighting spirit in his eyes still undiminished, but his body's fatigue could no longer be ignored. His wounds were increasing, and the glow of his Lightning Release armor gradually dimmed.
And Menma... remained as elusive as a ghost.
"Do you still want to continue, Raikage?"
Menma's voice came from all directions. Flying Thunder God kunai were scattered across the battlefield, and his figure seemed to be everywhere.
Raikage gasped for breath, the electric arcs of his Lightning Release armor flickering faintly. His gaze swept around, finally settling on Menma's true form.
"Don't look down on me...!"
He fiercely punched his own chest, and Lightning Release Chakra erupted again! "I am... Raikage!!"
However, something unexpected happened.
"No, I don't want to fight anymore."
Menma's voice suddenly rang out, like a basin of cold water poured onto the heated battlefield.
Raikage's muscles even paused slightly because of it. He stared intently at Menma, a storm raging deep within him. What was this guy saying?
He clearly had the upper hand, and if he dragged it out, his side would surely lose... Why did he stop?
Raikage's mouth was still stubborn, a cold snort escaping his throat. "What, scared?" But his nerves were even more taut; years of combat instinct made him smell something abnormal.
Menma did not answer immediately. His gaze from under the fox mask swept over Raikage, then past Konoha in the distance. Silence, like an invisible pressure, slowly enveloped the battlefield.
"You seem to have misunderstood something."
Finally, Menma spoke, a hint of undetectable weariness in his voice. He raised his hand slightly. "I don't want to fight anymore—not that I can't fight, but I want to end this battle."
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly clenched his five fingers!
"Boom—!!!"
Violent Wind Release Chakra suddenly erupted. The air was instantly compressed into a visible hurricane. The ground cracked, and shattered stones were swept into the air, turning into a deadly barrage! Raikage's Lightning Release armor hummed piercingly under the wind pressure. His feet sank deep into the ground, plowing two furrows, yet he uncharacteristically chose not to charge, but instead firmly stabilized his stance.
No. This Wind Release isn't for attack, but... to restrict movement?
Raikage's intuition wildly warned him. He looked up, only to see Menma's figure appear in mid-air, his black robe flapping, his right palm facing upwards, a mass of black energy rapidly condensing at a terrifying speed.
That was no longer the Spiral Wheel Ring.
The Chakra concentration far exceeded before. The surrounding air distorted due to energy overload, even faintly tearing open tiny spatial rifts. Merely gazing at it made one's eyes sting.
"Great Spiraling Ring of Yu. Don't die, Raikage."