With Jiraiya's declaration, the already tense atmosphere snapped tight once more, like a blade drawn to its limit.
The shinobi of Kumogakure immediately shifted into guarded stances, their vigilance rising to its peak.
Then—
The Third Raikage suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha… I admire your courage, Konoha shinobi."
But in the very next moment, his tone turned cold, laced with killing intent.
"However… courage without wisdom is nothing but arrogance."
The faint blue glow around him intensified.
In an instant, his entire body was engulfed in crackling lightning.
This was his signature technique.
By cloaking himself in Lightning Release chakra, he stimulated his body at a cellular level, enhancing its vitality while enabling high-speed movement akin to a lightning flicker. At the same time, the electricity surging through him accelerated his neural transmission, drastically sharpening his reflexes.
The result—
A terrifying fusion of speed, defense, and raw physical power.
And as more chakra poured into it, those attributes would only continue to rise.
This was the Third Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
The "Lightning Armor."
A technique so formidable it was hailed as the strongest shield.
Bathed in that radiant blue lightning, he looked almost unreal—
Like some transcendent being, crackling with power.
Shimizu couldn't help but be reminded of something from another life… a warrior wrapped in blazing energy, beyond human limits.
So this is it…
The ultimate technique Jiraiya had once mentioned.
Aside from senjutsu, this was another path for a non–kekkei genkai shinobi to break through the limits of their own body.
Of course—
It wasn't something just anyone could achieve.
It required extraordinary affinity for Lightning Release, impeccable chakra control, and above all… a capable teacher.
Shimizu had considered developing a similar technique himself.
But the risks were too great.
If the balance wasn't perfectly controlled, overstimulating the body's cells with Lightning Release chakra could easily backfire—
Causing severe, irreversible damage to oneself.
Carelessly reinforcing the body with Lightning Release chakra was no trivial matter—one misstep, and the body itself could collapse under the strain.
As for walking the same path as the Third Raikage…
For now, the conditions simply weren't there. It was nothing more than a distant idea.
"The Third Raikage's reputation precedes him," Minato said with a confident smile, holding his tri-pronged kunai in a reverse grip. "I've always wanted to see it for myself."
That striking golden hair… and the unfathomable method he had just used to erase both Ōnoki's and Rōshi's techniques without a trace—
There was no mistaking it.
This was Konoha's Yellow Flash.
First, a weakened Shimizu had provoked them alone. Then Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, stepped forward. And now, even the Yellow Flash stood ready to fight at a moment's notice…
What exactly was Konoha relying on?
Dodai's eyes sharpened as he studied the young man before him.
As an elite jōnin of Kumogakure, he had long served under the Third Raikage. Ever since the Second Raikage's death, he had been one of the key figures supporting the village's rise to stability and prosperity. A veteran of the Second Great Ninja War, and a wielder of Lava Release himself, Dodai was no stranger to battle—or to reading the intentions of others.
Unlike Shimizu, whose capabilities remained somewhat elusive, the intelligence division of Kumogakure had compiled detailed analyses of the Yellow Flash.
After all, compared to the chaotic southern front between the Land of Fire and Sunagakure, information from the northwestern battlefield against Iwagakure had been far easier to obtain.
Several key facts stood out:
In the early stages of the war, Iwagakure's vanguard forces had been crushed under the Yellow Flash's command.
At one point, Iwa had dispatched an entire unit of elite ANBU to ambush a Konoha supply convoy—only to be lured into a trap and completely annihilated.
Then there was the captain of an Iwagakure jōnin squad—a seasoned veteran who had survived both the First and Second Great Ninja Wars.
He had been killed by the Yellow Flash.
Instantly.
Without any chance to resist.
That man had been a notoriously difficult opponent… and yet this young shinobi had ended him just like that.
And finally—
This same young man had launched a long-distance raid deep into Iwagakure territory, striking a base near the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Grass, utterly crushing their forces and forcing a full retreat back into their homeland.
Such audacity.
Such strength.
It was impossible not to respect it.
And now—
That same man stood here, acting with what seemed like reckless boldness.
Did that mean… the Yellow Flash had already anticipated this situation?
Moreover, his readiness to fight didn't feel like a bluff.
It felt real.
Dodai's thoughts drifted back to the negotiations with Konoha's Third Hokage.
The Hokage had personally stated that Konoha's concessions regarding Takigakure were a genuine sacrifice made to preserve the strategic partnership between their nations.
And if Kumogakure were to overstep—
If they made any further moves beyond the agreement—
It would be taken as a declaration of full-scale war.
At the time, Konoha had been stretched thin by ongoing conflicts, so Dodai hadn't taken those words too seriously.
But now…
Konoha was no longer entangled in war.
Which meant—
Was it worth the risk?
Was it worth testing the limits of that "Hero of Shinobi"?
All for the sake of the weakest tailed beast?
After weighing the matter again and again, Dodai finally stepped forward, choosing to mediate.
"Everyone, let's calm down," he said, his tone measured. "Konoha and Kumogakure have already signed a ceasefire agreement. To jump into battle over a disagreement like this…"
He paused slightly.
"Isn't that a bit reckless?"
"Dodai, you…" The Third Raikage looked at him, momentarily taken aback.
Dodai shook his head slowly.
"If we fight rashly now, and Iwagakure turns back for a counterattack, wouldn't we be handing them an opportunity?"
It was a reasonable point.
"The ceasefire still stands. Are we really going to trample on our village's credibility? Aren't you concerned about how the rest of the shinobi world will see this?"
In wartime, reputation might not seem all that important.
Breaking an agreement could even bring short-term gains.
But in times of peace—
A village's reputation directly affected the number of mission requests it received.
And missions were the lifeblood of a hidden village's economy.
Lose that trust, and the consequences would linger far longer than any battlefield victory.
Breaking an agreement was a double-edged sword—
A shortsighted move that traded the future for the present.
Because he had considered all of this, Dodai had chosen caution.
The Third Raikage had always trusted him deeply.
And so, after hearing his stance, the lightning cloaking his body gradually faded.
"…Then let's talk," he said at last.
Shimizu blinked in surprise.
That easy?
He had already been preparing for the worst—ready to summon Manda and use reverse summoning to bring Orochimaru into the fight if necessary.
And now…
The battle was just… over?
He glanced at Minato, who had also been poised to strike at any moment. The same flicker of surprise crossed his face.
Both of them remained cautious, wondering if this was merely a stalling tactic.
"Hahaha! Then no fighting it is," Jiraiya said, completely unfazed, dropping his guard with a hearty laugh. "Dodai's right—those Iwa guys might come back at any moment."
Then his expression turned just a touch more serious, though his smile remained.
"After all…"
"We and Kumogakure are strategic allies."
...
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