"A relic of a forgotten age... I've been waiting for this for a long time, old man!"
Facing the legendary titan of the Sengoku era, the Third Raikage didn't show a hint of hesitation. Instead, he stood his ground with a fierce, overbearing arrogance.
"Listen to you," Ikki replied, a playful smirk dancing on his lips. "You talk as if you actually own the calendar."
Ikki's gaze, much like Uchiha Madara's, held a certain detached amusement. To the legends who had carved the world out of chaos, this wasn't the 'Strongest Raikage'—this was a big fish in a shallow pond who had never seen the true depth of the ocean.
"This is my era," Ai declared, his voice deepening. "It is the era of the Hidden Cloud. If you stand aside, I'll finish these Konoha fools. If you have an objection, I'll sweep you into the dustbin of history before I kill them."
With every word, the Raikage's presence expanded. His chakra flared, surging to its absolute limit without him moving a single muscle. The sheer pressure generated a violent, howling gale that tore across the battlefield.
"You?" Ikki shook his head, a chuckle rumbling in his chest. "You think you are the one to bury me?"
"Let's find out!"
Murderous intent flared in the Raikage's eyes. He channeled a torrent of chakra into his fist, releasing it like a dam bursting. The ground beneath the two men buckled and groaned as if struck by a massive pile driver, collapsing in concentric rings. A cloud of dust and gravel erupted, swirling outward like a high-level Wind Style jutsu.
"He... he hasn't even used his full strength until now?" Danzo whispered.
He and his commanders watched from the sidelines, their hearts sinking. The realization was a bitter pill to swallow: the monster they had been struggling against for days had merely been playing with them.
But even as the Konoha ninja reeled from the Raikage's display of power, the man himself was experiencing a much deeper shock. Despite the raw force he was pouring into his strike, Ikki held his fist in a vice-like grip. The giant didn't waver; his feet didn't move an inch.
He's stopping me with pure strength? Ai stared at Ikki, disbelief flickering in his eyes.
The Raikage was in his absolute prime—spirit, body, and will all peaking simultaneously. He was a man who defined himself by his physical perfection. Yet here was a man who should have been nearly a century old, suppressing him as if he were a child.
"What a pitiful 'Shadow' you are," Ikki said, his voice steady. "If this truly were your era, you would be able to see the gap between us without me having to lift a finger."
No matter how much chakra the Raikage burned, Ikki remained a solid, immovable wall.
"An old man's lecture means nothing to me," Ai snarled, electric snakes of blue lightning beginning to coil around his limbs. "The times have changed. This isn't the Sengoku era anymore!"
Chakra roared to life, forming the iconic Lightning Style Armor around his body. But just as he prepared to unleash his true speed, he realized something was wrong.
Ikki's head had slumped forward. A rhythmic, wet snoring sound began to echo between them.
"Is he... asleep?" The Raikage's eyes widened in pure astonishment. The lightning armor he had just manifested flickered and dimmed as his concentration wavered.
"Lord Ikki fell asleep?"
"Is he exhausted? Or is he just that arrogant?"
Danzo and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio stared in stunned silence. To fall asleep in the middle of a life-or-death struggle with the Third Raikage—it was beyond eccentric. It was borderline psychotic.
"Don't do anything stupid," Tsunade's voice rang out, sharp and commanding.
"Lady Tsunade? Do you know what's happening?" Shikaku Nara asked, his brow furrowed.
"He isn't tired, and he isn't being careless," Tsunade explained, her eyes fixed on Ikki's napping form. "There is only one reason Uncle Ikki falls asleep during a fight."
She paused, a wry smile on her face as she looked at the bewildered Raikage.
"It's because the opponent is too weak. He's so bored by the lack of a challenge that he simply can't stay awake."
The silence that followed was heavy. Danzo and the others looked from Tsunade to the Raikage, their minds reeling. For days, this "weak" opponent had been grinding them into the dirt. To hear that the man who had nearly destroyed them was considered a "bore" by Ikki was a devastating blow to their pride.
But if the Konoha ninja felt insulted, the Third Raikage was beyond livid. Ikki's peaceful snoring, combined with Tsunade's casual dismissal, was the ultimate humiliation. His eyes burned with a renewed, vengeful fire.
How will the "Strongest Spear" react to being called a "bore"? Can the Raikage even wake the sleeping titan?
A/N: If we hit 100 Powerstones I'll publish 2 more chapters :))