Chapter 441 — Battle (Part 2)
Standing within the barrier, Kei calmly watched the Fourth Raikage. A faint smile appeared on his face.
The Raikage's condition was… miserable.
Even worse than in the original timeline.
Back then, when he fought Uchiha Sasuke, his reckless refusal to retreat had cost him his left arm.
But in this world—
he had faced Sasuke's father instead.
And father and son had used the same tactic.
The result?
He had lost an arm even earlier—
and worse, it was his right arm.
For a shinobi, losing an arm was devastating—
especially one's dominant arm.
Even elite fighters trained to compensate with their off-hand would still suffer from subtle imbalances.
Against weaker opponents, it might not matter.
But against someone equal—or stronger—
those flaws became fatal.
Kei had no intention of underestimating him.
Even without using his dōjutsu, he didn't believe himself inferior.
Yes, the Raikage's speed was terrifying—
almost absurd.
But Kei could see it.
Even before, when he had suppressed his eye techniques, he could still track the Raikage's movements—
barely keeping up, forced into a defensive rhythm.
And that—
was something Kei despised.
A fight without initiative?
He couldn't even remember the last time he'd accepted such a position.
Previously, he had dominated the Raikage completely—
using his advantages to leave him helpless.
That was the kind of battle Kei preferred.
But now?
"That kind of overwhelming suppression… won't happen again," Kei thought.
He slowly drew his blade—Cheyu—as azure chakra shimmered along its edge.
"If his speed isn't at its peak… then that's my advantage."
---
The Raikage's body crackled with lightning chakra as well.
He stared at Kei in silence.
He understood his own condition perfectly.
Just as Kei had assessed—
he couldn't fight at full power.
Seventy to eighty percent at best.
And if he wanted to avoid further damage—
he should probably hold back to around fifty.
Pushing himself would only worsen his injuries.
He had already paid the price once against Uchiha Fugaku.
Then came that mysterious Uchiha—
and everything collapsed from there.
Now his body was on the brink.
But—
so what?
The Raikage was a battle fanatic.
Kumogakure shinobi, in general, were.
Still, he was no fool.
With so little intelligence on Kei, he chose a cautious approach.
The last time, he had gone all out too quickly—
misled by his assumptions from fighting Fugaku.
The result spoke for itself.
This time—
he would be careful.
---
And so—
they froze.
Neither moved.
Neither struck first.
They simply watched each other—
searching for flaws.
Yet their presence filled the barrier.
A faint breeze stirred.
Then grew sharper.
Heavier.
The tension thickened—
pressing down like a weight.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Five minutes.
Still—
no one moved.
"Cough… cough…"
The Raikage suddenly coughed, his body swaying slightly.
Kei knew it was an act—
but he had no interest in dragging this out any longer.
With a flick of his wrist, he threw a kunai.
At the same time, he formed a one-handed seal—
chakra surging within him.
In the next instant—
a massive fire dragon roared from his mouth,
charging forward with overwhelming force!
---
The Raikage stepped forward—
ignoring the incoming kunai entirely.
With a single chop of his left hand—
he split the fire dragon in two.
The kunai brushed past him harmlessly.
But—
Kei was already there.
His crimson eyes had locked onto the Raikage's movements.
His blade thrust straight for the heart!
The Raikage reacted instantly.
Uncertain of the blade's power—and committed to a cautious strategy—
he sidestepped rather than risking a direct clash.
At the same time, his left fist shot toward Kei's chest.
But Kei's reflexes—
his coordination—
were monstrous.
He pressed down on the Raikage's arm, using the force to lift himself—
then drove a kick toward his head.
The Raikage ducked low—
lightning chakra surging violently across his body.
Inside, frustration simmered.
The loss of his right arm made both offense and defense awkward.
If it were still there—
he wouldn't need to dodge.
He could counter directly.
But reality offered no such mercy.
---
"Fast… incredible coordination… terrifying perception…"
The Raikage assessed silently.
"…but nothing else yet."
As his lightning aura flared—
Kei reacted instantly.
He released his grip and leapt back.
That surge of electricity—
a trap.
A tactic Kei himself often used.
He wasn't about to fall for it.
Landing lightly, Kei let out a small laugh.
"So… you're probing me?"
He found it amusing.
Did the Raikage really believe his body could endure a prolonged test like this?
Still—
Kei didn't care.
His goal was simple.
Defeat him.
Not through overwhelming force—
but through refined technique.
---
"Then let's see what you learn."
In a flash—
Kei accelerated.
His blade sliced through the air with a sharp whistle—
aiming directly at the Raikage's right side.
The missing arm.
The flaw.
He wouldn't ignore it.
Just as he had once exploited Obito's blind side—
he would do the same here.
The Raikage sensed it immediately.
"Damn it…"
He cursed inwardly—but had no room for pride.
This was how shinobi fought.
Exploit strengths.
Exploit weaknesses.
Relentless pressure—
until the enemy breaks.
And Kei—
never waited.
He preferred overwhelming offense—
forcing mistakes through sheer momentum.
And it worked.
The Raikage was being pushed back—
again and again.
Even with his speed—
the weakness remained.
Against a Sharingan user—
every opening was visible.
Every flaw—
punished.
---
"Head Kei is… pressing the Raikage?"
"That's insane—I can't even see them!"
"I heard that mysterious Uchiha once said only Head Kei could interest him in battle…"
"Maybe it's just their styles. Lord Fugaku focuses more on ninjutsu—Head Kei excels in taijutsu. But his ninjutsu is no joke either—his hand seals are absurdly fast!"
"…!"
The Konoha shinobi watching from outside couldn't help whispering.
The two figures inside the barrier—
were nothing but blurs.
Afterimages overlapped—
intertwined—
colliding again and again.
Only their silhouettes gave them away.
The Raikage's massive frame.
Kei's lean form.
And yet—
it was the smaller figure—
that dominated the exchange.
Strange.
Unreal.
And yet—
somehow completely natural.
Because—
that was Uchiha Kei.
---
At last—
the Raikage's patience began to crack.
He could already tell—
this opponent's speed…
was no joke.
Kei's speed could already rival sixty to seventy percent of his own Lightning Release Chakra Mode at full output.
That was absurd.
The Raikage needed a high-level ninjutsu just to reach that level—
yet Kei hadn't used any technique at all.
No secret art.
No enhancement.
Just raw coordination, flexibility, and physical control.
Under normal circumstances—
he might not even be faster than Kei.
That thought alone made his expression harden.
No more probing.
No more hesitation.
If this dragged on—
his body wouldn't hold.
He had to end it quickly.
---
"Lightning Release: Raigyaku Suihei!"
Dodging another strike aimed at his right side, the Raikage leapt backward.
Midair—
his chakra exploded outward in blinding brilliance.
Then—
he slammed his fist into the ground.
BOOM!
A deafening roar tore through the barrier.
The earth beneath him shattered instantly—
rock fragments blasting outward like a storm of shrapnel.
At the same time—
a massive circular shockwave surged in all directions.
The ground trembled violently.
Even the barrier itself flickered under the impact.
---
Kei halted—
shifting into a defensive stance.
The flying debris and thick dust cloud obscured both vision and movement.
But he understood immediately—
this was the Raikage's move to force a decisive clash.
A desperate push to end the fight.
Kei wasn't worried.
If anything—
he was looking forward to it.
---
Then—
his dynamic vision caught it.
Through the dust—
a figure.
The Raikage.
Leaping forward.
Using floating chunks of debris as stepping stones—
one foot tapping a rock midair—
propelling himself higher—
then shifting direction—
closing in with terrifying precision.
"Die!"
In less than a breath—
he was already in front of Kei.
A furious roar erupted—
as his left arm surged with overwhelming chakra!
---
Kei recognized it instantly.
Four-Finger Nukite.
Still probing?
A faint smirk crossed his face.
Then—
black chakra began to rise from his body.
At the same time—
his blade slipped from his hand.
Lightning crackled—
like a chorus of a thousand chirping birds.
"Since you want to play—"
"then let's do this properly."
The three tomoe in his eyes spun rapidly.
---
BOOM!
The Raikage's arm pierced straight through the dark Susanoo.
But in the next instant—
his left hand was caught.
Gripped tightly by Kei.
And then—
his world changed.
---
A blood-red moon.
Hanging in the sky.
Reflected—
in a pair of slowly spinning Sharingan.
The moment he saw it—
he understood.
Genjutsu.
A Sharingan illusion!
---
The Raikage roared internally—
forcing his chakra to surge—
breaking free at maximum speed.
But—
the instant he snapped back to reality—
a sharp pain exploded in his chest.
Lightning chakra—
had already been driven into his body.
And at that very moment—
Kei's blade—
had struck into the ground beneath them.