Deep within the battlefield.
The fierce battle between Uchiha Yusuke and Kumogakure's AB Combination continued without pause.
What began as cautious probing had long since turned into a life-and-death struggle.
The Fourth Raikage charged like a raging gale, still wearing that expression of absolute dominance over all.
"Is it really worth risking your life for a village like Konoha?"
"Uchiha Yusuke, I advise you to surrender sooner rather than later!"
Yusuke remained silent—then answered with a flying sword slash.
"Make me surrender?"
"You're not qualified."
"Defeat me first, then talk."
A flicker of anger flashed through the Fourth Raikage's eyes.
Since Yusuke was clearly determined to fight him to the bitter end, there was no need to waste words any longer.
The Fourth Raikage roared in fury.
"Uchiha Yusuke, you're courting death!"
"B! Switch to an all-out assault formation!"
Receiving his brother's command, Killer B immediately raised his right thumb.
"Got it, bro!"
"Eight-Tails mode—engage!"
"Yeah!"
With a strange shout, red chakra suddenly surged around Killer B's body.
This was a state that drew upon tailed-beast chakra, drastically enhancing speed and strength while also granting powerful regenerative ability.
The Fourth Raikage's gaze sharpened as he further increased the activation level of his physical body.
"Feel the Raikage's rage, brat!"
Seeing the movements of the Fourth Raikage and Killer B, Yusuke's expression gradually grew serious.
At the same level of Kage strength, fighting two opponents at once was no easy task.
The Fourth Raikage and Killer B gave Yusuke no time to think, launching a ferocious assault.
"Lightning Abuse Horizontal!"
"Lightning Lariat!"
Their attack speed was terrifyingly fast—without activating his Sharingan, Yusuke could barely even track them.
Killer B, borrowing the Eight-Tails' chakra, was manageable.
But the Fourth Raikage's speed was already close to that of Minato Namikaze's space–time movement. Even a three-tomoe Sharingan would likely struggle to predict his attack trajectory.
Yusuke reacted instantly. He raised his sword horizontally to block Killer B, then relied on his elemental transformation to tank the Fourth Raikage's elbow strike head-on.
Boom!
A tremendous impact erupted.
The chakra-metal katana in Yusuke's hands bent into a crescent shape under the force.
Immediately after, Yusuke was blasted backward, crashing violently into the ground as his body dissolved into flames.
"Rumble—!"
Blazing fire roared, then gradually gathered into a human form.
Uchiha Yusuke slowly walked forward.
"So this is the Lightning Release Chakra Mode…"
"Blue lightning, speed rivaling the 'Yellow Flash'."
"The Fourth Raikage truly lives up to his reputation."
Seeing Yusuke completely unharmed, even the Fourth Raikage showed a trace of admiration in his eyes.
"You weren't injured by that?"
"As expected of the famous 'Flame Demon.'"
After fighting for some time, even the Fourth Raikage had to admit it—
Yusuke had pushed the manipulation of flames to a level bordering on the divine.
Even the Hōzuki clan's mastery over water likely couldn't compare to Yusuke's control over fire.
And most importantly—
Yusuke was only seventeen years old.
At such an age, he had already created a Fire Release so powerful that even the Fourth Raikage was impressed.
Given time to mature, who in the entire shinobi world could possibly stand against him?
At that thought, a powerful killing intent suddenly erupted from the Raikage.
As the leader of a nation, he understood better than anyone the importance of eliminating threats before they fully matured.
If Yusuke could not be turned into an ally, then he had to be erased—early.
With that decision made, the Fourth Raikage spoke in a deep voice.
"B, the two of us attack together."
"Keep draining his stamina and chakra."
The Fourth Raikage truly deserved his reputation as a battle-hardened Kage—he instantly saw through the weakness of Yusuke's Fire Release Chakra Mode.
Elementalization that nullified physical attacks was troublesome, but stamina and chakra were still finite.
Even his father, the so-called "Unrivaled Shinobi" Third Raikage, had been worn down and killed through attrition.
Uchiha Yusuke would be no exception.
"Ultimate Ox Lightning Lariat!"
The Fourth Raikage and Killer B attacked simultaneously, unleashing relentless combination techniques.
Their speed was so fast that even ordinary Kage-level shinobi would struggle to evade.
Yusuke's expression turned grim as he faced them head-on.
"Sharingan—activate."
With his three-tomoe Sharingan open, Yusuke could finally barely keep up with the movements of the Fourth Raikage and Killer B.
But seeing didn't mean he could avoid everything.
Nearly half of their attacks still had to be blocked by the passive effect of his flame elementalization.
"One-Sword Style: Blazing Vortex!"
"One-Sword Style: Crimson Flame Mirror!"
Even while being pressured, Yusuke never stopped counterattacking.
His flame-infused sword energy caused serious trouble for both the Fourth Raikage and Killer B.
The Fourth Raikage cursed angrily.
"Damn it!"
"Why is Uchiha Yusuke this hard to deal with?!"
"These flames burn like hell!"
Killer B rolled his eyes.
"It's just minor injuries, bro—quit whining."
"Little Eight lost several tentacles to that kid. I'm way worse off than you!"
The Fourth Raikage's fury flared.
He desperately wanted to discipline his shrimp-like little brother, but with a powerful enemy before them, this clearly wasn't the time.
Glancing at Killer B, the Raikage thought coldly:
"Enjoy it while you can."
"Once Uchiha Yusuke is dealt with, I'll deal with you."
Turning back to Yusuke, the Fourth Raikage plunged straight into another brutal exchange.
"I refuse to believe I can't bring you down!"
"Lightning Bomb!"
Enduring the burning pain in his hands, the Raikage grabbed Yusuke and slammed him into the ground with a point-blank throw.
Killer B seized the opening and charged in.
"Supersonic Vibration Lightning Blade!"
A lightning-infused slam combined with a chakra-flowing blade—
Even with elementalization, Yusuke was starting to feel the strain.
"One-Sword Style: Flame Demon."
Yusuke drew his sword fiercely, transforming into a towering giant of fire.
Faced with the surging inferno, the Fourth Raikage and Killer B were forced to retreat.
"Huff… huff…"
Yusuke was breathing heavily.
He had forced back the AB Combination—but his own consumption was equally severe.
Looking at Yusuke, the Fourth Raikage couldn't help but sigh.
"To last this long against us brothers…"
"You have every right to be proud."
"Your talent is the greatest I've seen in my entire life."
"Even compared to the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze…"
"You don't fall short in the slightest."
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