Naruto: The Senju Patriarch

Taking in a deep breath, the Raikage got into his fighting stance for what he hoped would be the final time, and pointed a single finger at Katsuro.

One finger Hell Stab, huh? Looks like he's trying to end this fight right now, Katsuro thought.

But it's no matter - so am I.

At the same time, Katsuro and the Raikage dashed towards each at blinding speed so fast that none of the surrounding Shinobi were able to see their movement, as they engaged in a rapid Taijutsu battle of pure strength, speed and chakra.

The Raikage made the first move, trying to strike Katsuro square on the heart off the bat, but Katsuro dodged to the left and tried to counter with a swift downwards strike to his attacking arm using Kiba in its single sword form, hoping to sever the arm. The Raikage anticipated this however, and folded his arm and then used his elbow to try and deliver a swift, brutal strike to Katsuro's jaw, which the latter avoided using Flying Raijin: Level 1, teleporting to a nearby Kunai, before re-engaging the Raikage in another exchange of blows.

Even though he's badly injured, he's gotten this much better? While the Raikage primarily attacked with his one finger Hell Stab, Katsuro held Kiba in his dominant right hand, and used his left for Rasengans. Both Shinobi, each the strongest of their villages, were thinking the same thing.

He's leveled up everything - his speed, strength and even his Battle IQ.

He's predicting my movements and attacks.

At this rate, this battle will go on forever - I need to end this, here and now!

As Katsuro tried to counter with yet another Big Ball Rasengan at the Raikage, the latter moved swiftly, flashing to Katsuro's side. He went for the liver with his Hell Stab, causing Katsuro to turn, but suddenly, he disappeared.

A feint!?

Katsuro tried to turn back, but it was too late.

With a final roar, the Raikage's Hell Stab struck Katsuro right in the heart, and A savoured the look of surprise and pain in his opponent's eyes.

Yes! I've-

Suddenly, Katsuro disappeared in a ball of smoke.

Huh? No! It can't-

"Flame Rasengan!"

A massive, burning ball of pure flame and chakra smashed into the Raikage's back creating an explosion of pure flames that even consumed Katsuro due to the proximity. The immediate area was turned into a wasteland, with a huge crater consumed in flames.

Despite not being the recipient of the attack, Katsuro felt the sheer heat impact even him causing severe burn marks all over his skin and face. But the Raikage was in a much worse condition.

It looked like someone had used a burning drill directly on his back, with the only reason it had not pierced through being that he had concentrated as much chakra as he could on his back when he realised he had lost track of Katsuro.

While Katsuro stood over him breathing more heavily from the fumes and suffering caused by his own attack, he saw almost the entirety of the Raikage's body on the ground was suffering from 3rd degree burn marks.

Katsuro thought the Raikage was dead, but the very laboured and shallow breathing he saw as the flames died down which swept up some dirt told otherwise.

How resilient, to even fight death in this state. Raikage Ai, you have my respect.

Katsuro thought back to the fight, and the move which had ended it.

When Katsuro had first used the Flying Raijin when the Raikage switched to One Nukite, in the split second of time it took for him to react he had made a shadow clone as he immediately teleported himself to a Kunai some distance away from the battle. With the rushed clone purposely having just enough chakra to put up a reasonable but lose; the instant it popped Katsuro who had taken the time to 'charge' up a Flame Rasengan teleported the closest Kunai behind him before using his superior speed with the Susanoo no Mikoto to deliver the ball of hell he had created.

I would have preferred a direct confrontation against an opponent of your calibre, but my responsibilities meant I had to take the path of least resistance. Katsuro thought seriously as he began using the mystical palm technique to accelerate his already slowly but fairly visibly healing skin.

As he stood over the unconscious Raikage, barely hanging onto life - Kumo seemed all but defeated. Katsuro's attack brought dread upon them as they realised their one way to win was extinguished, but the majority of them refused to acknowledge what they saw fighting with a hope that the truth would become a lie.

The lack of visibility from the dust, smoke and crater helped to perpetuate this but it wouldn't change the facts. The Raikage had lost, and in the short time it had taken for him to lose Kumo had been reduced to just 5000, and as more died the more they lost.

When all hope seemed lost just then the ground seemed to shake faintly, as the Shinobi on the far left of the battle felt their senses go haywire - questioning if they were in a Genjutsu.

But just as the truth for Kumo wouldn't change, it wouldn't change here either.

In the distance a huge force of Iwagakure Shinobi were spotted, moving in an orderly fashion while being led by Onoki in the sky alongside their two Jinchuuriki.

A few days earlier…

In the Village Hidden in the Grass, a large force of around 4000 Iwa Shinobi gathered. However, Konoha, without much delay, noticed their movements in the Grass Village and responded by sending the Third Hokage, along with Jiraiya, Fugaku and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, to lead the Uchiha clan and a large amount of civilian Shinobi to total a large force of 6000. Having saved a significant number on the Kumo front thanks to being able to receive reinforcements from the Kiri front that had closed quickly, Konoha was glad to have such an army to face Iwa who had the most Shinobi out of any great village. They went into the warzone thinking they would face at least 8000 Shinobi even if only a few thousand had been confirmed.

Hiruzen was quick to assume leadership against Iwa, wanting to take on Onoki once again to prove himself. He knew he was not suited to face the Third Raikage's superior strength and speed that had made him the strongest Kage of their generation, so he was left with no choice but to face the Iwa forces in the Village Hidden in the Grass, who by themselves were still a large opponent, and where the Tsuchikage could appear at any moment. He was getting older, but he knew he could still fight an aging Onoki to at least a standstill, and despite his flaws would happily do so for the village. Regardless, Hiruzen still was wary of the upcoming battle. But was assured, he had Jiraiya who had grown massively - even being able to use the fabled Sage Mode by his side alongside Fugaku and the Uchiha clan who were great combat powers even if their relationship was strained. The Third Hokage had made his friendship with Danzo clear while also complicitly allowing his behaviour, and thus had gotten on the bad side of Fugaku quite obviously, to not only him, but also to the rest of the clan leaders. It would make leading the Iwa front more difficult.

Damn it, the majority of the clan leaders only treat me with the minimum amount of respect because I'm Hokage. And that Katsuro, the cause for these problems, he's even about to take that! He is even stealing Minato, the genius I chose, after Tsunade. At the very least, I'll take back my honour in these battles and show why I am the Hokage! Hiruzen calmed down before internally sighing. The situation is almost irreversible now, he would have to die but I don't think anyone could kill him. It seems my time is up… but at least I can rest assured with a force like him? Konoha will win this war even if I'm dead.

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