Chapter 71 — One Kick Away from the Endgame
Two days later, in a small town within the Land of Hot Water.
Yami sat beneath the eaves of a hot spring inn, leisurely savoring a cup of the local sake.
After days of covert operations in Hell Valley, the mental strain had begun to weigh on him. This town—about half a day's journey from the valley—served as a brief respite.
Just as he set down his cup—
The inn's front doors were shoved open with force.
A tall figure stepped inside.
Bronze skin gleamed under the sunlight like polished metal. Short, pale-yellow hair stood upright, and his entire body radiated an almost tangible aura of pressure.
Yami's pupils narrowed slightly.
He blinked once, almost doubting his own eyes.
The newcomer was none other than A, candidate for the Fourth Raikage.
This future Raikage was no ordinary shinobi. Though often labeled a brute, no man could ascend to the seat of Kage through recklessness alone.
Not to mention—
He was one of the very few men who had nearly kicked the story into its ending with a single strike—
Even slightly earlier than Might Guy.
A strode into the inn, sharp eyes sweeping across the room before finally landing on Yami.
Their gazes met.
For a brief instant, something invisible sparked in the air between them.
"Boss! Your best sake!"
His voice was loud and confident. But as he passed by Yami's table, his stride paused ever so slightly.
Yami could clearly sense the violent Lightning Release chakra coursing through A's body—like thunderclouds waiting to erupt.
Outwardly calm, Yami raised his guard internally.
A took a seat at the adjacent table and asked casually,
"You don't look like you're from the Land of Hot Water."
Yami smiled faintly.
"Just a wandering samurai."
The exchange sounded ordinary—
But each word carried weight.
Though Ay appeared rough and straightforward, his sharp eyes carefully evaluated every subtle movement Yami made.
And Yami could tell—
A was measuring him.
Likewise, A had clearly sensed the unusual fluctuations in Yami's chakra.
"A samurai?"
A flashed a grin of white teeth.
"A wandering samurai with that kind of strength?"
Yami simply raised his cup in acknowledgment, neither confirming nor denying.
He could see the faint surprise in A's eyes.
The future pillar of Kumogakure hadn't expected to encounter someone in this border town who made even him feel pressure.
After a brief standoff of gazes, Yami set down his cup and stood to pay.
He suppressed the urge rising within him.
This was not the place.
As he passed by A—
The latter suddenly pulled out a money pouch and tossed it onto the counter.
The innkeeper caught it awkwardly, confused.
A spoke then.
"This brother's bill is on me."
He turned, eyes burning slightly.
"If you truly are a wandering samurai, Kumogakure welcomes you anytime."
Yami scratched the back of his head, momentarily exasperated by the unexpected goodwill.
He could only nod in thanks.
---
After leaving the inn, Yami immediately found a secluded spot.
The Flying Thunder God formula activated—
And in an instant, he reappeared at the Uchiha encampment near Hell Valley.
"Senior Yashiro."
Uchiha Yashiro, who had been patrolling the camp, turned at the sound.
A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes when he saw Yami appear out of nowhere.
"The Kumogakure envoy has already reached the Land of Hot Water," Yami said without preamble.
"It's the candidate for Fourth Raikage—A."
Yashiro's expression changed abruptly.
"What? Him? And this quickly?"
Yashiro's expression darkened almost immediately.
He hadn't even known when Kumogakure had dispatched their envoy—let alone who they had sent.
As one of the captains stationed at Hell Valley, to be completely unaware of such critical intelligence—
It was unacceptable.
"Uchiha Batō…"
He ground the name out through clenched teeth.
"He dared to withhold something this important?"
Yami spoke calmly.
"At this point, it seems Captain Batō intends to use Kumogakure to achieve something of his own."
Yashiro's Sharingan activated instinctively, three tomoe spinning slowly within crimson eyes.
"What exactly is he planning? This borders on betraying the Uchiha's position."
The sudden development disrupted their prior calculations.
Fortunately, Yami's chance encounter had revealed the envoy's identity ahead of time. The two immediately began adjusting their strategy.
---
When A's figure appeared at the entrance of Hell Valley, Batō was already waiting.
"Envoy of Kumogakure, welcome to Hell Valley."
Batō gave a slight bow—just respectful enough to feel suspicious.
A's sharp gaze lingered on him for a moment.
"Lead the way."
They walked toward the Chinoike settlement, one ahead of the other.
Batō appeared to choose a path casually, yet it subtly avoided the standard Uchiha patrol routes.
As they passed through a narrow crevice between rock walls—
Suddenly—
Several kunai and shuriken shot out from the shadows, aimed directly at A's vital points. The speed and force behind them were anything but ordinary.
A snorted coldly.
Lightning exploded around his body.
In Lightning Release Chakra Mode, his speed blurred into afterimages. Every projectile missed effortlessly.
Then—
As if sensing something—
He pivoted and threw a punch into the rock wall.
"BOOM!"
Stone shattered.
From the debris, a concealed figure was forced into view.
The attacker wore a strange mask. Unsettling crimson light flickered in his eyes.
---
From a distant vantage point, Yami and Yashiro observed everything.
They exchanged glances.
"That's not one of ours," Yashiro muttered, Sharingan spinning rapidly. "But that chakra… it resembles the Chinoike clan."
Yami expanded Kagura's Mind's Eye to its limit, analyzing the masked man's chakra.
"This presence… feels familiar."
Before he could finish the thought, the battlefield shifted again.
A and the masked figure clashed violently.
Lightning crackled against eerie blood-red chakra, sparks exploding with every collision.
A appeared to be holding back—likely aiming to capture rather than kill.
But anyone could see the masked man's defeat was only a matter of time.
"That level of strength…" Yashiro frowned. "At least jōnin-tier. There aren't many in the Chinoike clan capable of this."
Yami's gaze cooled.
He noticed Batō maintaining a careful distance from the fight—close enough to observe, far enough to avoid involvement.
Almost as if deliberately avoiding suspicion.
---
At the center of the battlefield, A grew more ferocious by the second.
Lightning Release Chakra Mode surged to full power.
His speed and raw force were terrifying.
Finally, the masked man was driven into a narrow rock crevice at the valley's edge.
In a flash, his body began sinking into the stone—
As if merging with it.
"You're not getting away, you bastard!"
A roared.
"Liger Bomb—!"
With explosive force, A' s reinforced arm smashed into the rock face.
The impact was monstrous.
The masked enemy—half-embedded in stone—was struck directly.
Blood sprayed violently.
The scene was brutally visceral.
---
From afar, Yami couldn't help but click his tongue.
If he hadn't possessed his own trump cards—
Taking that kind of hit head-on would have been disastrous.