"Quick, run!" Jugo entered the Curse Seal of Heaven's Level Three state, but he was utterly outmatched against the Raikage. The fact that Jugo dared to capture his younger brother on his own turf enraged A, prompting him to unleash a deadly attack that made Jugo immediately cough up blood.
"Jugo!" Sasuke felt a pang of pity. Frankly, Jugo was not one to speak much, but he was an absolutely trustworthy comrade. Even Sasuke, who was typically distant, was attached to him. This gentle giant had a way of putting others at ease, especially during crucial moments like this.
"Don't say more. Since Kimimaro gave his life to protect you, I will too." Jugo roared, ignoring his injuries. After entering the cursed mark Level Three, his vitality and resistance steadily improved.
"Your courage is commendable. I never expected someone like you to have such a reliable comrade. Even if you die, you won't have regrets. Lightning Release Chakra Mode!"
A shouted loudly. Although he admired his opponents, it was precisely for this reason that he used his ultimate jutsu. The best way to respect formidable foes was to go all out and not underestimate them.
"Amaterasu!" Sasuke employed Amaterasu once more. The pain in his eyes made him want to shut them, but he had no choice if he wanted to survive.
"If I hadn't seen this technique before, and if I had underestimated your combat skills, your ambush might have succeeded. But unfortunately, I've memorized this move. As long as I'm cautious of your Visual Jutsu, I'll be fine. You don't use Mangekyou's jutsu often, do you?"
A burst of crackling lightning erupted from A's body as he activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode. With his whole body electrified, A's speed far surpassed Sasuke's abilities and his Mangekyou Sharingan. The jet-black flames suddenly lost their target.
A was like a bolt of lightning streaking through the sky, rendering Amaterasu unable to keep up with his speed. Even with Susano'o and an arm gone, Sasuke couldn't stand against him. Without an arm, he was even less of a match. Whether he could hold onto his life was now questionable.
"Damn it. Blaze Release - Kagutsuchi!" Sasuke opened his eyes. After his battle with Itachi, he had been exploring the abilities of his Mangekyou Sharingan. He could now use the abilities of both eyes.
It had to be said that his Amaterasu needed to be combined with Kagutsuchi to compare with Itachi's Amaterasu. Itachi's Amaterasu itself possessed remarkable transformation abilities, while Sasuke's combination of two Visual Jutsu granted him this capability.
A vast network of Amaterasu flames appeared out of thin air. Sasuke continuously unleashed Amaterasu, no longer caring about the strain on his eyes. After all, preserving his life was paramount. As for whether he would be mocked when he returned, Sasuke couldn't care less anymore.
"Hmph!" A snorted in frustration. His vanishing figure reappeared. The massive network of Amaterasu flames blocked A's path, forcing him to halt momentarily. In that instant, Amaterasu surged forward. A evaded once more, giving Sasuke and Jugo the chance to escape.
As A evaded Amaterasu's pursuit and crossed the expanse of flames, Sasuke, Jugo, and Suigetsu had long since begun madly fleeing. They disappeared without a trace, heading in an unknown direction.
"Darn you, Sasuke. You managed to escape, huh? Hmph, consider yourself lucky this time. Unless you avoid running into me, I won't let you off next time." A realized that the Sasuke he had looked down upon had actually escaped from him—such a disgrace.
"And you, thinking of slipping away again? If it were any other time, I wouldn't bother with you. Didn't I already tell you? The entire world is searching for you on behalf of the Akatsuki. You're not a child anymore. Even if you don't care about the village or me, you should at least care about your safety."
A grew increasingly impassioned in his speech, and by the end, his eyes were filled with tears, causing Killer B to bow his head in shame, unable to utter a word.
"Clap, clap, clap."
In such a quiet environment, a round of applause sounded, a truly eerie occurrence. Both A and Killer B were startled; they hadn't sensed anyone's presence. How was this possible?
"It's you!" A's eyes slightly narrowed, then widened as he looked towards the source of the voice. He exclaimed in surprise. He hadn't expected this person to appear at this moment.
"Of course it's me. I must thank you both for putting on such a splendid fight as a welcome gift for me," the newcomer was none other than Ryoha. He had arrived long before Sasuke and the others began battling the Eight-Tails. But with such a live performance, he certainly couldn't pass it up. Unfortunately, he hadn't brought popcorn, just some tea. Otherwise, it would have been even more exhilarating.
"Why have you returned here?" A signaled discreetly to Killer B. Although he was confident in his own abilities, he didn't dare to underestimate this young man with an unknown background.
"Of course, I came to see what the first person who answered Tsunade's summons is capable of." Yes, after completing the Dark Swamp technique, he had come out for a walk and to see what significant events had occurred in the Five Great Nations, as well as how they planned to deal with him. At the same time, he officially joined the contest for dominance in the ninja world. As his opponents, the Five Great Nations were naturally the ones he wanted to play with.
"So, prepare to die." Lightning surrounded A, forming a tightly-knit armor of electricity. Ready to fight at a moment's notice, without the overwhelming sound effects of Raikiri, only the sound of whistling lightning and thunder cutting through the air could be heard. In the blink of an eye, he covered hundreds of meters and launched a fist charged with the power to shatter the earth toward Ryoha.
However, just as A maintained his attack posture and before he could even touch Ryoha, Ryoha had already appeared behind A. He placed a hand on A's shoulder, who was still caught up in his attacking motion.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. It seems there's no shortage of arrogant people. What surprised me, however, is that the impressive-looking A is just another person who talks big. Weren't you defeated by Minato back then, just as you were now? Let me tell you one thing—my body's speed and the speed of my Space-Time Ninjutsu are faster than even Minato's. Your speed is still too slow." Ryoha patted A's shoulder, almost as if mocking him for overestimating his abilities.
"Hah! Lightning Oppression Chop!" A felt a mix of shock and anger. He had actually been played by a younger person. Concentrating lightning in his hand, he slashed forward with a hand chop, showcasing his taijutsu.