The Two-Tails had been suppressed.
The Eight-Tails was battling the Nine-Tails, clearly outmatched, with defeat imminent.
Shee had just died before his eyes.
Tutai was nailed to a tree.
As for the others, overwhelmed by sheer presence, most had already perished in the aftermath of the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails' battle.
It was almost a complete annihilation.
Only a few "ants" unnoticed by Naruto were lucky enough to survive, barely hanging on under the rubble and broken trees.
How long had it been? This squad had left the Hidden Cloud and not even an hour had passed.
Naruto stood up, looking down at A. "You are angry."
"But why are you angry? Because I killed them?"
"How ridiculous."
"To challenge the strong."
"Without being prepared to be crushed and die."
A gritted his teeth, "Then prepare yourself to be killed by me."
He bent slightly and vanished in an instant.
In the next moment, he appeared on the head of the Two-Tails.
The lightning cloak shone even brighter.
"Lightning Style, Lariat."
A swung his fist, striking at the golden-haired head.
Naruto raised an arm to block.
A's pupils dilated.
Even at his speed, this golden-haired boy had reacted.
And he merely sank his stance, withstood the attack without being forced back. In terms of strength alone, he couldn't overwhelm him.
Was he already so polished at such a young age?
"Is this your true speed?" Naruto flipped his hand, grabbing his wrist, sounding disappointed, "It's impressive for a ninja to reach this level."
"But not quite as good as before."
Naruto grasped a sword hilt with his other hand.
He drew "Ashura," aiming to slash across the Raikage's arm.
A raised his other hand.
"Lightning Style, Slashing Radial."
Electricity surged through his palm like a protruding horn.
It was a hand blade, swinging horizontally towards Naruto's neck.
Even without using Lightning Style, this "hand blade" generated a howling wind with its force.
A lethal attack.
Naruto did not evade.
He abandoned incantation.
"Bakudō #8, Repulse."
A small chakra sphere, no bigger than a fist, floated out and hovered in front of his neck.
The hand blade chopped down!
With a crack, the force impacted the chakra sphere, causing cracks to spread from the point of contact, but it did not shatter.
A's expression was startled.
What kind of technique is this?
His full-force strike couldn't break it.
But soon, the surprise twisted into pain on his face.
The golden blade swung down.
Effortlessly severing his right arm.
In a sense, it was a form of escape.
A lightly tapped his foot, leaping to the other side of the Two-Tails' head, cautious.
Naruto picked up the arm, inspecting the severed point.
The flesh was vibrant and red, with little blood loss.
A significant portion of Lightning Release chakra remained, visibly animating the flesh with its stimulations, showing no increase in vitality but exhibiting unusual activity.
"Stimulating body cells with lightning chakra?" Naruto quickly understood. "So you use this method to gain speed."
Interesting.
A's expression grew serious as he took a deep breath.
Strength, speed, reaction.
All superior to his own.
This was one of the most formidable enemies he had encountered thus far.
The last to give him such a sense of oppression was "The Fourth Hokage."
"Aren't you going to use that technique?" Naruto sealed the arm, looking up at him.
A retorted, "Which one?"
"That technique that let you arrive so quickly." Naruto tilted his head towards the direction of the Hidden Cloud Village. "Almost like light."
"I'm really curious about this."
"If you've got anything that could threaten me,"
"It's only that."
A's expression became even grimmer.
The Heavenly Transfer Technique?
Did he only see that speed as a threat to him?
"Nine-Tails brat, don't be so arrogant!" A grumbled angrily, "I'm more than just that."
"My speed is by no means lesser than your father's."
"I am from the Village Hidden in the Clouds."
"The Blue Lightning!"
With his words falling, the chakra of Lightning Style enveloping his body became even more violent, similar to the difference between the Three-Tails form and the Four-Tails form.
The illusory armor around him grew more tangible.
The hair clinging to his head stood up strand by strand, crackling with electricity, encircling him.
With an instantaneous movement, he shot out, moving even faster!
His speed was beyond what the naked eye could capture.
The sound of the wind ripping, A appeared behind him, his leg striking down with increased lightning brightness.
"Lightning Style, Righteous Thunder Anger Lightning Axe."
This was the physical technique he was most proud of!
Naruto almost turned his head the moment A appeared: "Your speed is somewhat improved."
"But you still haven't used that technique."
"One person can't achieve it, can they?"
As the single-leg strike came down.
Naruto caught it.
The tremendous force made the Two-Tails' head slightly sink, fitting flush with the ground.
Also causing the muscles in Naruto's arm to twist under the load.
But.
A's face was extremely heavy.
Still couldn't cause any harm.
"Then there's no point in continuing this game with you." Naruto tightened his grip on his ankle.
He felt the bone seemed to crack.
Naruto adjusted his chakra slightly.
Without using full strength, with just less than half of his power, he even omitted the incantation.
"Destructive Way No. 32, Yellow Fire Flash."
The sakura-colored shockwave exploded from Naruto's hand, completely engulfing A and piercing through.
Even though the "Lightning Release Chakra Mode" formed an armor on his body.
The right leg that endured the fiercest impact, its flesh and blood were completely disintegrated.
Up to the hip bone was exposed, mere fragments of flesh hanging upon it.
A did not die.
With one hand, he maintained the seals.
Lightning Style protected his upper body.
Although it was also scarred and bloody, it was somewhat better than the right leg.
"It's difficult to spare the life of an ant while ensuring they are still punished." Naruto dropped the Raikage to the ground, "Now, let's have a proper talk."
"What kind of compensation must the Cloud Village offer,"
"to pray for my forgiveness?"
Raikage A bit his lip, the pain from his wounds, the destruction of his mental resolve, all these burdens piling up, left him nearly speechless.
"The location of the True Waterfall," Naruto murmured softly, "The information and research results stolen from the Land of Whirlpools by the Cloud Village."
"And your Lightning Style Chakra Mode."
"That technique which lets you move nearly at the speed of light."
"For now, these are the demands I can think of."
"Do you have anything to add?"
Raikage A lifted his head and glared at Naruto: "You have quite the appetite."
"As expected of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."
Naruto chuckled: "Compared to your village, these costs are nearly insignificant."
Raikage A remained silently contemplative.
Naruto turned back: "Someone is coming."
"Their chakra isn't weak."
Following his gaze, Raikage A saw them.
Behind the mountain, two figures leaped into view.
They were the vanguard squad, hastening non-stop to provide reinforcements.
One was a man with white hair and dark skin.
The other, a female ninja with yellow hair and fair skin, and a physique more muscular than even Mei Terumi.
"Release Lord Raikage!" shouted the white-haired man, sealing signs with his hands.
Chakra, unlike the typical "Five Elements" nature, gathered in front of him.
"Storm Release: Laser Circus."
With a shimmering light blue wave, a misty steam unfurled.
In the blink of an eye, it transformed into numerous beams of lightning, shooting towards Naruto.
Naruto glanced down at Raikage A, raising his hand: "A combination of lightning and water."
"It's a Kekkei Genkai."
"His chakra isn't weak either, almost rivaling Mei Terumi from the Hidden Mist."
As he spoke, he performed a ghostly technique.
"Binding Spell No. 39, Arch Wheel."
Chakra surged and flowed.
A rapidly spinning shield emerged, intercepting all incoming laser beams.
The dark-skinned man gritted his teeth.
What kind of technique is that?
No seals required, yet its defensive power is formidable.
Is it another special Kekkei Genkai?
Naruto continued softly towards A, "If you were to die, then for the next Raikage of Hidden Cloud, he should be one of the candidates, right?"
Raikage A's eyes widened, "What do you plan to do with Darui!"
He felt a bad premonition rise within him.
Naruto smiled but said nothing.
Golden chains danced outwards, aiming for the dark-skinned man.
Darui dodged.
But dozens of chains closed in densely.
A blonde female ninja wanted to help him out, swinging her sword, but only sparking a few sparks, unable to cause any damage.
After several exchanges, Darui's foot was caught.
Once trapped, the chains wound upward through the breach, enveloping him entirely in the blink of an eye.
A chain pierced through.
It shattered Darui's throat, penetrating thoroughly.
Meanwhile, the blonde female ninja beside him was also pierced through the heart, her life's breath slowly fading away like the others around her.
The chains retracted.
Two bodies were cast aside onto the ground.
"No matter how many Raikages there are, I can kill them all," Naruto looked at Raikage A with a calm face, "The reason I'm sparing you is because you're the current Raikage."
"And you've been one for quite a few years, attaining some prestige."
"If you cooperate, many things will become very convenient."
"If you don't cooperate, I have no problem with that—it just means switching to a new Raikage until I find one willing to work with me."
Raikage A grit his teeth, clenching his left fist, "Why don't you just destroy Hidden Cloud."
"What a selfish answer," Naruto said softly, eyes cold, "The life and death of ninjas don't matter, of course."
"But what about the innocent civilians?"
"If you vanish so easily, other nations will eagerly start wars."
"Even I, a person from the Land of Fire, am considering the civilians of your Land of Lightning."
"And yet, your heart has no room for them."
Raikage A paused, looking at Naruto in disbelief.
His expression was even more surprised than when he realized Naruto's strength could completely crush him.
Civilians?
Could he really be considering this?
"So, what's your answer?" Naruto raised a blade, pointing at his throat, "Cooperate, or not?"
As he spoke, he turned his head, looking towards the direction of Hidden Cloud, "Someone else is coming, although a bit slower than those two."
"But there are twelve Jonin in total."
"Hidden Cloud's strength is truly formidable. Including those I've killed, there have been almost fifty, right?"
"Do you think among these, I can find a Raikage willing to cooperate with me?"
(End of Chapter)