"*Shinra Tensei!*"

  Lightning surged from all dires, but the overwhelming repulsive force dispersed it with ease. The same force tore up the ground, flinging the attag Kumogakure shinobi into the air.

  "Ugh—argh!!"

  "It deflected round Surge*? How is that even possible?!"

  "*Shinra Tensei!*"

  *Whoosh!*

  Five seds ter, a sed wave of repulsive force bsted the shinobi even further, rendering them pletely incapacitated.

  With repeated use, Naruto had honed his trol over *Shinra Tensei*. Against jōnin-level oppos, orike would leave them writhing in pain as if their bodies were falling apart. A sed strike would incapacitate them entirely, though it wasn’t lethal.

  Beh the cracked walls of the Raikage’s residence, Dodai had mao protect himself from the sed wave by using his *Lava Release: Rubber Ball* to create aic shield.

  His mind raced. "What just happehat teique repelled both the ining jutsu and the shinobi who cast them. Physical attacks and ninjutsu alike are pletely iive against him?"

  Through a gap in the rubber shield, Dodai observed the immobilized Kumogakure jōnin scattered across the battlefield.

  "There was a brief window betweewo attacks. If not for that, I wouldn’t have had time to create this shield. So, that ability isn’t without its fws..."

  Naruto, surveying the se with his pierg gaze, casually flicked his Akatsuki cloak and strode toward the entrance of the Raikage’s residence.

  Dodai’s eyes narrowed. "I miscalcuted. I assumed an enemy who o create chaos before approag would be cautious aively weak. That’s why I allocated most of our forces to handle his aplices. But it seems... I was gravely mistaken."

  "If that repelling teique has an interval of vulnerability, there might be a ce to exploit it with my jutsu."

  After a brief but meticulous analysis, Dodai partially opened his rubber shield aended his hand.

  Naruto g him indifferently. "Stop, Uncle Rubber. Your jutsu won’t protect you a sed time."

  *ch!*

  Dodai froze mid-motion, cold sweat dripping down his face.

  "He saw through me pletely. His strength is on airely different level. Who is this man?"

  *Rustle!*

  Dodai dispelled his rubber shield and cautiously asked, "The Raikage isn’t in the vilge right now."

  Naruto replied calmly, "Of course I know that."

  Dodai’s eyes sharpened. "What is yoal?"

  Naruto smiled faintly. "Oh? Are you to fulfill it for me?"

  Dodai’s gaze flickered. "You could try stating it. Perhaps... we egotiate."

  "We’re both shinobi here. Let’s not kid ourselves."

  Naruto averted his gaze, and with a sudden *whoosh*, a gust of wind swirled beh his feet. Defying gravity, his body began to rise into the air.

  Dodai’s eyes widened as he tracked Naruto’s ast. "He’s not using Onoki’s *Light-Weight Rock Teique* to lighten his body, nor is he employing a medium like Rasa’s golden sand to create a ptform. He just... fly? Wait... could it be? That repelling teique—its essence—is it the manipution of gravitational fields?!"

  Naruto’s mastery over the Rinnegan had grown signifitly. He could noute gravitational fields to overe gravity itself, achieving flight—an ability he had only gained in his previous life after obtaining the Six Paths power.

  H in mid-air, Naruto swept his sleeves dramatically.

  *k! k! k! k!*

  Four bck rods shot out, embedding themselves precisely around the Raikage’s residence.

  *Whoosh!*

  Naruto raised two fingers in front of his chest, f a hand seal.

  "*Four Violet Fmes Formation: Modified!*"

  *Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!*

  From the bck rods, purple fmes erupted and rapidly expanded, f a massive barrier of fire that isoted the Raikage’s residence from the outside world.

  Outside the barrier, Dodai excimed, "He executed an enhanced version of the *Four Violet Fmes Formation* all by himself?! You... you’re a rogue shinobi from Konoha who joihe Akatsuki, aren’t you?!"

  Naruto’s voice came from within the barrier, calm and deliberate. "Not Akatsuki. *Meishō*. It’s important—so I hope you remember the distin."

  Ihe barrier, Naruto made no further remarks. He waved his hand.

  *Boom!*

  The roof of the Raikage’s residence colpsed as Naruto desded into the building.

  ---

  *Boom! Boom! Boom!*

  Kumogakure was in chaos, with smoke rising from all dires.

  Jūgo, Suigetsu, Konan, Kisame, and Orochimaru unleashed their signature teiques, engaging Kumogakure’s elite shinobi in fierce battles, buying Naruto precious time.

  ---

  Uhe cover of night, in the forests b the Land of Lightning and the Land of Waves...

  The Raikage and Killer B’s group were resting.

  "B, you only escaped death this time because they wao capture a jinchūriki alive. If I had arrived even a momehe sequences would have been unimaginable."

  "Over the years, they’ve acted in the shadows, targeting the jinchūriki of Sunagakure, Kirigakure, and Iwagakure oer another. Even Konoha’s jinchūriki defected from the vilge and disappeared. It’s only a matter of time before they e for you again. From now on, you’re staying in the vilge—no exceptions!"

  "Stay put? What a drag, bro~ You’re such a nag, bro~ Dumb fool, stupid fool~!" Killer B sang, shaking his head dismissively.

  The Raikage’s vein twitched as he snapped, "Hey, you idiot B! I’m being serious here!!"

  *Thunk!*

  Killer B immediately quieted down after receiving one of the Raikage’s infamous iron punches.

  *Sigh.* The Raikage sighed heavily. "Fine. How about this? If you stay in the vilge obediently, I’ll assign Samui to apany you around the clock."

  Killer B’s eyes lit up behind his sungsses, aopped singing. "Around the clock? Including at night?!"

  The Raikage chuckled. "That depends on your charm, doesn’t it? But don’t you dare do anything that would disgrace the honor of a shinobi!"

  *Crack!*

  Suddenly, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky above the Raikage.

  He raised his hand, catg it effortlessly.

  "*Thunderunication Jutsu*. Has something happened in the vilge?"

  The lightning dissipated, delivering an urgent message directly to the Raikage’s mind.

  "The vilge is utack. Return immediately!"

  *Whoosh!*

  The Raikage shot to his feet.

  Killer B called out, "Big bro—"

  The Raikage turo his team. "Mabui, prepare the *Heavenly Transfer Jutsu*!"

  Mabui stood up, armed. "What’s going on?"

  "The vilge has been attacked!"

  The shinobi around them gasped. "What?! Who would dare?!"

  The Raikage’s voice was cold. "In today’s shinobi world, who else but the Akatsuki would have the audacity? B was just rescued, and now the vilge is utack. Who else could it be?"

  The Kumogakure shinobi grew tehey had all heard of the devastation Akatsuki had wrought upon Konoha. To them, Akatsuki was a dire threat to the shinobi world.

  The Raikage turo B. "I o return to the vilge immediately."

  Killer B, uanding the gravity of the situation, nodded solemnly. "Don’t worry, big bro. This time, I won’t sneak off. Go bad take care of the enemy!"

  The Raikage smiled appreciatively. "Good. Once I crush those Akatsuki bastards, I’ll see you ba the vilge."

  The two brothers bumped fists, grinning.

  "Mabui, activate the jutsu!"

  Mabui had already prepared the *Heavenly Transfer Jutsu*.

  *Crackle!*

  The Raikage activated his *Lightning Release Chakra Mode* and stepped into the jutsu’s seal. This was necessary to prevent his body from being torn apart during the light-speed transfer.

  Mabui closed her eyes and formed a hand seal.

  "*Ninja Art: Heavenly Transfer Jutsu!*"

  *Whoosh!!*

  With a fsh of light, the Raikage vanished.

  Darui sighed. "The shinobi world is truly a troubled pce these days. Let’s hurry back as well."

  *Whoosh!*

  At that moment, an ominous bck vortex swirled ience, dist space itself. A cold voice greeted them.

  "Well, well. Finally, we meet—Eight-Tails jinchūriki, Killer B."

  From behind his mask, Tobi’s *Sharingan* glinted coldly as he surveyed the wary shinobi before him.

  "The Raikage isn’t here? That saves me a lot of trouble."