Suddenly the next second, A and Tsunade landed in a quake, cracking the ground as it trembled.
Their arrival was anything but subtle.
A massive shockwave burst outward the moment their feet struck the valley floor. The earth split beneath them, jagged cracks spreading like spiderwebs through the dry ground. Loose stones jumped into the air while dust billowed outward in thick clouds.
The surrounding cliffs echoed with the impact.
Naruto saw this and smiled, stepping forward calmly as the dust slowly settled around them.
His orange cloak fluttered lightly in the wind created by their landing, the faint golden glow of his chakra flickering around him.
"Wait here, I'll show you," he said, his smile becoming a very confident smirk.
Bee blinked behind his sunglasses.
He knew that tone.
A stepped forward, his massive frame radiating power. The yellow lightning cloak of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode crackled violently around his body, arcs of electricity snapping against the ground and scorching the earth beneath his feet.
The air itself seemed to vibrate from the pressure of his chakra.
"Did your balls finally drop, kid?" A growled.
His deep voice carried across the valley like thunder. He rolled his shoulders slightly, muscles flexing as lightning surged brighter around him.
"Just because you have that endless chakra doesn't mean anything."
He took another step forward, the ground cracking under his heel.
"YOU WILL NOT PASS!"
His declaration echoed across the valley walls, bouncing back and forth between the cliffs like rolling thunder.
Even the birds perched along the rocky edges took flight in panic.
He continued, pointing directly at Naruto.
"If you can pass me, I'll let you and Bee join the war!"
Naruto didn't say a word. His eyes shifted briefly to the side as he glanced at Tsunade.
Tsunade immediately understood. She sighed lightly.
"This will be fun…" she muttered.
Without hesitation she leaped away, her powerful jump launching her far across the valley where she landed safely on a distant rock formation, folding her arms as she watched the confrontation unfold.
The valley suddenly grew quiet. Tension rose as Naruto and A stared at each other.
Neither moved.
The air between them felt heavy, like the calm before a storm. Bee stood several meters behind Naruto, sweat beginning to drip down the side of his face.
Bee was sweating buckets, clenching his fists.
Even with all his confidence and bravado, he still feared his brother in some type of way. A wasn't just the Raikage.
He was a monster in close combat.
Bee had fought him countless times growing up, and he knew better than anyone how terrifying A could be when he fought seriously.
The next second—
Naruto's figure flashed as he sped forward. The ground beneath him exploded from the sudden acceleration.
Bee saw him move as his body flashed.
A's eyes narrowed. He saw Naruto approaching him head-on.
'Kid really is ballsy.'
Without hesitation A thrust his fist forward, his lightning-coated arm blasting through the air with enough force to tear apart stone.
The punch was meant to intercept Naruto instantly.
But the next second—
Naruto vanished yet again.
A's punch blasted through empty air, the shockwave splitting the ground ahead of him. Naruto was now standing next to A on the edge of passing him.
A looked over fast.
His battle instincts reacted instantly.
He twisted his massive body with frightening speed, his leg whipping upward as he came up with a brutal kick aimed directly at Naruto's ribs.
But Naruto had already moved yet again in great speed.
To A's shock, the blond ninja had already repositioned. Naruto appeared in front of him and came with a punch.
His fist cut through the air, nothing holding it back. The wind pressure from the strike alone warped the air around it.
BAAM
The impact exploded like a cannon blast.
A was hit hard, the force of Naruto's punch slamming directly into his torso and launching the Raikage across the valley.
The massive man shot through the air like a missile before crashing violently into the side of a rocky hill.
BOOOM
The entire hillside crumpled inward. Rocks shattered as the cliff partially collapsed, massive boulders breaking loose and tumbling down over A's body.
Dust and debris filled the air as the hill partially gave way. For a moment, everything went still.
But the next second—
A rose up. A violent burst of lightning chakra erupted from the rubble.
The yellow aura around him flashed brighter than before, exploding outward and obliterating the rocks that were about to bury him.
Boulders shattered mid-air as the lightning cloak surged with power. He stepped forward through the falling debris like an unstoppable force.
Small pieces of rock bounced harmlessly off his glowing armor of lightning.
A lifted his hand slowly, wiping his mouth with the back of his palm.
He looked down. There was blood.
Instead of anger—A smiled. A wide, excited grin spread across his face.
'Been a while since I got hurt.'
Lightning crackled even louder around his body. His eyes locked onto Naruto again.
'He might be exactly who he thinks he is,' he thought.
He charged his chakra and moved.
Lightning exploded around A's body as his chakra surged violently. The yellow aura surrounding him intensified, arcs of electricity snapping outward and scorching the ground beneath his feet. The air crackled loudly as the Raikage leaned forward.
In a blink the tall man was right next to Naruto with his fist cocked back as he punched forward.
The speed was monstrous. His movement tore a trench through the ground behind him, dust and broken stone exploding into the air. His massive fist shot toward Naruto's head like a lightning bolt.
Naruto dodged to the side.
He shifted his body just slightly, the punch missing his face by inches. The wind pressure from the strike blew Naruto's hair back as the attack blasted past him and shattered the ground behind.
His hands slipped into his pockets.
He tilted his head slightly, completely relaxed.
As he smirked.
"Can't touch this," he said.
A's eyebrow twitched.
Naruto began dodging A's attacks without panic.
The Raikage's fists blurred as he unleashed a barrage of strikes. Each punch carried enough force to shatter stone, lightning chakra tearing through the air with every swing.
Naruto simply moved. He swayed left and right. He leaned back as a fist passed inches from his nose. He stepped forward under a hook.
He twisted his shoulders to slip past a downward strike. Over and under everything A threw at him.
His feet barely shifted across the ground. His expression never changed.
Basically toying with the Raikage. The difference in control was obvious. A's attacks were explosive and powerful.
Naruto's movements were calm and precise. Bee watched this, his heart in his mouth.
Sweat dripped down his face beneath his sunglasses. He had never seen someone treat his brother like this before.
'What is this fool doing? Making Bro angrier is the last thing he should be doing!' he thought.
Bee clenched his fists nervously.
He knew exactly what happened when the Raikage lost his temper. As Bee thought, A grew angrier as he saw Naruto's smug grin taunting him.
Every missed strike made the veins along A's forehead bulge further. Lightning burst more violently around his body.
The ground cracked under his feet with each step.
"You dare disrespect me boi!!!" he shouted as lightning flashed.
His roar echoed across the valley. The lightning cloak around him surged brighter, sparks exploding off his shoulders and fists.
Naruto stopped. He straightened slightly. Pulling his hands out his pockets. His relaxed posture shifted and eyes sharpened. The playful smirk faded into something more serious.
"Alright, I'll take this seriously," he muttered.
The words were quiet. But they carried across the battlefield. For a split second, something strange happened.
A felt it. A small, unfamiliar chill ran down his spine. A feeling he had not experienced in many years. A would later remember the moment those words were spoken. And the brief, overwhelming fear that came with them.
TO BE CONTINUEd