Chapter 129: He Has to Die
"Lightning Release — Lightning Blade!"
"Wind Release — Vacuum Sword!"
The shriek of electricity and the howl of cutting wind flashed past Sakura on both sides and slammed head-on into the Raikage.
" THE—! "
He didn't move. Didn't dodge. Lightning erupted across his entire body and he roared — both hands shot out and seized Kakashi and Shirakumo by the wrists, one each, and with nothing more than a twist of his torso he hurled them both away simultaneously.
Kakashi had pushed his Lightning Release Chakra Mode to maximize speed. Shirakumo had wind-augmented his. Their combined strike had accomplished essentially nothing.
BOOM. BOOM.
Two high-power jutsu detonated in the snow.
Enma, meanwhile, had driven Darui back and materialized at Sakura's side.
"You alright?"
He looked at the girl — dust and snow all over her.
"Fine. Good timing."
Sakura shook her head and looked back at the Raikage, whose expression had gone dark enough to be genuinely alarming.
"Well, well." One fine eyebrow arched. "Going to make a move?"
The green eyes didn't bother hiding it.
Before, she'd been deliberately provoking him to keep his attention locked on her. Now she had actual backing.
Enma on her left. Kakashi and Shirakumo between her and the Raikage.
He has to go through Kakashi first.
A bold idea was forming.
Kill the Raikage. Right here.
The green eyes fixed on him without any attempt at concealment — the look of a predator that has identified its prey and is deciding exactly when to move.
The Raikage looked at her. When he spoke, his voice was low and deliberate.
"The agreement still stands. I stay at a hundred meters. You reach Konoha's perimeter — you release Shi and Yugito."
Sakura almost laughed.
The original deal had been for Shi. When had Yugito been added to the terms?
"That's quite a calculation you're running."
"Should I be impressed or insulted?"
"Wasn't it you who said that in the face of absolute strength, everything else is noise?"
The vein at the Raikage's temple was visibly pulsing. His self-control was holding by a thread.
"Boss." Darui's expression was not much better. "Easy."
They'd lost Yugito. Now Shi too. But making a move based on emotion right now would be the wrong call. The only play was to stall, get close enough to the main force, quietly arrange an encirclement, and take them both back at once.
Kakashi had moved to Sakura's side. He spoke quietly near her ear.
"Don't push it too far. Sasuke and the others are still inside Kumogakure's operational range."
Sakura kept her expression neutral.
So you two came here without making sure they were clear first. Wonderful.
"Have Shirakumo get Sasuke's group out fast. You stay here — watch Darui."
"I'll hold the Raikage with Enma."
The plan came without hesitation.
One-on-one against the Raikage, she put the odds at roughly even. With Enma, it shifted — sixty to her forty, in her favor.
Shirakumo was already moving before she finished speaking, turning and heading back without a word.
This girl had proven herself. Not just capturing the Two-Tails — staying behind alone to hold the Raikage while her teammates escaped. Shirakumo had developed a considerable amount of respect for the Hokage's student in the past several minutes.
The Raikage watched Shirakumo go and his eyes darkened.
"Haruno Sakura." His voice was tight. "What do you want. Name it."
He could not remember the last time he'd felt this cornered. Not even facing Minato Namikaze had been this aggravating.
"Back up another fifty meters."
No hesitation.
"You—"
He was about to unleash something colorful about her shamelessness.
At a hundred and fifty meters, Shi could die three times over.
"You broke the agreement first. You had him attack me from behind. Don't act like you have the moral high ground here."
Sakura's eyes were cold. Her grip on Shi's shoulder tightened slightly. He made a pained sound.
"A hundred and twenty." Darui stepped in, addressing Sakura directly. "That's as far as we go."
"Fine. A hundred and twenty."
"But neither of you leaves my line of sight."
She glanced at Kakashi and began walking backward, pulling Shi with her.
In practice, she could kill Shi right now. But she needed to think about Sasuke and the others — Shi had to stay alive a little longer.
She kept her pace measured. Not rushing. Buying time.
After a stretch, Kakashi's eye drifted — seemingly by accident — toward the spot where Sasuke and Kurenai's group had been sheltering.
Empty.
Kakashi saw it. Darui saw it too.
Both relayed the information quietly to their respective partners, and Sakura immediately broke into a full sprint, hauling Shi toward Kumogakure's border.
The Raikage and Darui stayed glued to her heels.
Sakura glanced back at the two of them keeping pace behind her like they'd been attached, then looked forward again and matched Kakashi's speed without any particular concern for Shi's comfort.
Shi was not having a good time.
Wind screaming in his ears. Snow hitting his face. Both arms dislocated, jaw hanging open, being carried at full sprint by the person responsible for all three.
Along the way they passed several Kumogakure patrol teams, each one stopping to stare.
What—
Konoha ninja. Strolling through their operational territory. In broad daylight. Like they owned the place.
Each patrol moved to intercept — and a familiar, rough voice stopped them cold.
"Stand down."
"No attacks."
The Raikage's expression was thunderous, but his feet kept moving — one step behind them, unwavering.
He'd stopped his people from attacking. He hadn't told them to disperse. With one quiet gesture he sent a runner breaking away toward the main force.
That, at least, gave him something.
Darui's expression remained troubled.
His own plan had been to quietly coordinate the encirclement. But these two weren't giving him angles to work with — they were running in a straight line toward Konoha's lines, not threading through terrain, not creating opportunities.
And now everyone in the area had seen it.
The Raikage of Kumogakure, chasing two Konoha ninja and not attacking.
Because of one man.
In peacetime, that might have been acceptable. Leadership showing mercy, choosing a subordinate's life over pride.
But this was wartime.
If I get captured, every soldier watching was silently thinking, will the Raikage do the same for me?
The moment that question took root, something began to rot.
Wartime demanded a different calculus.
And that meant Shi—
He had to die.
(Chapter End)
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you