Clang!
After dumping another basket of crushed stone into the mixer, the Fourth Raikage, A, wiped the sweat from his forehead.
His strong upper body was bare. His dark-brown skin gleamed with an oily shine, covered in liquid that was impossible to tell apart as either sweat or rainwater.
Hearing that voice, his motion of carrying stone suddenly froze.
Then, mechanically and stiffly, he turned his neck toward the source of the sound.
"Where did this stinking… brat come from?!"
The Fourth Raikage, A, spoke in a voice like thunder, lightning crackling all over his body.
"Who's your uncle?! Don't randomly claim relatives!"
Whether he was obedient or communicative, all of that was built on one prerequisite—
The person in front of him was Uchiha Kai.
But that did not mean his temper had improved.
He was still that hot-tempered, unyielding Fourth Raikage, A!
Boom!
A violent aura directly exploded outward with Lightning Release chakra, blasting sand and gravel everywhere!
Broken stones flew in every direction!
Even the old Iwagakure man who had just been acting as an overseer with a whip was knocked head over heels by the violent shockwave. His little leather whip went flying too.
His whole body was thrown into the mud face-first.
It was very hard not to suspect that the Fourth Raikage, A, had done that on purpose.
"Lord A! Calm down, calm down!"
"Lord Raikage, please don't be impulsive! Think about our compensation money!"
"Good heavens, those were the bricks I just finished! Lord Raikage, do you know how long I watched over that batch of bricks?!"
Around him, after noticing A's movements, a group of Kumo shinobi hurriedly rushed over, grabbing his waist and pulling at his legs to stop him.
They were afraid that if this guy got unhappy, he might destroy the entire Konoha industrial park again.
If that happened, they…
Might really have to work until they died of old age.
The scene became chaotic for a moment.
"Hmph! Relax!"
A waved his single arm and directly threw the Kumo shinobi rushing over like torn sacks.
His gaze first swept over Sasuke, then Boruto. White mist sprayed from his nostrils.
"I'm not some blond brat. Don't come to me trying to claim relatives!"
After saying that, he continued his work.
Boruto: "…"
He stared blankly.
He had never imagined that one day, he would see the Fourth Raikage this irritable.
Sasuke also froze.
Especially after seeing that Raikage A's right arm was broken, he subconsciously turned his head toward the boy strolling around with his little hands behind his back, baby-fat cheeks full of inspection, and murmured,
"Second Brother… was I this powerful at this time?"
"I actually cut off the Raikage's arm this early?"
In his view, that arm had clearly been prepared for his Amaterasu.
Otherwise, the mighty Amaterasu would not have even one dazzling battle achievement to its name. Saying that out loud would be laughable.
"You?"
Kai raised his brows. A trace of amusement finally appeared deep in his eyes.
It was a familiar smile.
That was the familiar flavor!
The real Sasuke had returned!
He cleared his throat, then nudged his mouth and asked, "So, want to fight?"
Sasuke: "Hm?"
He froze for a moment.
His experiences over the past ten-plus years made him instinctively want to refuse without thinking.
But when the words rose to his throat, they were forcefully blocked there.
Difficult to spit out.
It seemed…
It had been a very long time since he had fought someone in such a simple, pure way.
Should he… try?
Second Brother was so strong. Even if he went all out, he probably would not seriously injure him, right?
As he thought this, a trace of arrogance that had vanished for more than ten years gradually surfaced at the corner of his mouth.
"Good!"
Sasuke's voice sank. His only hand tightened around the Kusanagi Sword, his gaze flowing.
"Then let's fight."
"I just happen to want to see what is so impressive about you, Second Brother."
It was not a doubtful question.
It was a declaration!
He also wanted to know how far this second brother, who seemed to have wandered into the wrong timeline, had truly gone!
And even more, he wanted to know…
The gap between himself and "the past."
Of course, with the Mangekyō in his right eye and the Rinnegan in his left—
Sasuke believed he was not weaker than anyone!
Even if Urashiki had forced him into such a miserable state, that had only been because his chakra had been taken.
In terms of true combat power, he did not fear the other party.
"Since that's the case, how about we put something on the line?"
Kai stopped walking. His gaze swept across Sasuke's tense body, and his little brows lifted again.
"If you lose… how about letting Senior Orochimaru study you?"
Sasuke: "…"
He did not speak.
He only silently shifted backward and took his stance.
Whoosh!
In his hand, the Kusanagi Sword angled toward the ground. At the tip of the blade, threads of purple, oppressive lightning began to coil.
The atmosphere between the two instantly froze.
Fortunately, this place was on the outskirts of the Forest of Death and would not affect the progress of the Forest of Death industrial park.
"Eh? Why are they fighting all of a sudden…"
Jiraiya's face twitched. He grabbed Boruto by the back of his collar just as the boy was preparing to move closer, dragging him behind a rock.
"Sit still and watch."
"Eh, eh, eh?!"
Boruto struggled and poked his head out, his bright blue eyes wide and full of excitement.
"Lord Sasuke is going to fight his second brother! I'm so excited!"
One of them was the person he had admired since childhood.
The other was the boy who had stunned him after he traveled through time.
Which of the two was stronger?
Although he already had a rough answer in his heart, reason told him that he still needed to watch.
Hearing this, Jiraiya could not help looking toward the two figures in the field with their stark contrast.
It had to be said—
Sasuke was one of those rare tall, slender men. Compared to him, Uchiha Kai's height made him look almost like a short winter melon.
Especially with Sasuke holding a blade in one hand, his cloak draped behind him, and his face cold as frost.
All these complicated elements combined to forcibly create the illusion of a wandering warrior with many stories.
As for the lazy figure opposite him…
Anyone who did not know better might think he was watching a television drama!
Kai had not even prepared a starting stance.
"Being this careless… he might suffer for it…"
Jiraiya murmured, his eyes staring fixedly. He did not dare blink even once.
Through the shocked reactions that future Sasuke and Boruto had shown upon seeing him…
It was not difficult for him to guess that in the future time-space, he was already dead.
But precisely because of that, Jiraiya was filled with doubt.
According to his understanding of himself, whether in sensing ability, concealment, intelligence gathering, or combat strength, he was among the best in the current shinobi world.
Even if he could not win, he could reverse-summon himself back to Mount Myōboku.
There was no need for him to stubbornly resist and fight to the death.
Unless he had encountered information that he absolutely had to uncover, yet carried extreme danger to his life!
Only that could explain why he would risk his life and not use reverse summoning!
Whoosh!
At the same time, in the center of the battlefield, Sasuke moved!
His speed was extremely fast, leaving only a blurry afterimage where he had been.
This was not Body Flicker!
It was purely an explosive burst of taijutsu combined with the dynamic vision of both eyes!
Even within a field of vision blurred by speed, he could accurately lock onto Uchiha Kai's traces and launch his attack.
Zzzzt!
The Kusanagi Sword fell in a single slash, cutting open the curtain of rain.
The blade light was instantly wrapped in blue Lightning Release power!
It stabbed straight toward Kai's throat!
There was nothing fancy about this sword strike.
No elaborate technique.
There was only instinct tempered through countless battles of life and death!
Whoosh!
The sword tip instantly pierced through raindrops.
It pierced through the air.
It pierced through—
Uchiha Kai's neck!
"Hm? Did I accidentally kill my brother?!"
Sasuke's pupils shrank violently!
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