Naruto: Limit Breaker

Chapter 117: The Third Hokage vs. The Fourth Raikage

Whoosh—

Several figures, clad in Konoha vests, raced across the southern sea just off the coast of the Land of Waves, their speed easily rivaling a car at 120 miles per hour.

Among them, a short, elderly figure stood out—Sarutobi Hiruzen, the former Third Hokage.

The moment the signal flare signifying the alliance was fired from the island, Hiruzen had already been waiting on a nearby outpost. As soon as Homura launched the second flare, he wasted no time. Alongside a unit of Anbu, he charged across the sea, heading straight for the conflict.

Yet, even as their signal lit the skies, another flare had risen from the island's center—this one different. It wasn't Konoha's doing. It seemed that the Kazekage of Sunagakure had acted in tandem.

Sure enough, on the western sea, a second squad of shinobi—this time wearing the tan vests of Sunagakure—was also rapidly advancing.

Leading that group was none other than the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.

The shadows of Konoha and Suna were converging on the battlefield.

---

Forming an alliance was no simple matter. Historically, whenever a ceasefire or treaty was reached, the presence of the Kage—in person—was crucial. Only through their appearance could the pact be acknowledged as real, binding, and trustworthy.

This occasion was no different.

As always, the true leaders didn't plunge into the chaos unless absolute victory was assured. The cost of losing them mid-conflict was too high. Without their guidance, entire villages could collapse.

Thus, Homura and Ebizo had merely been the vanguard—representatives meant to gauge the situation, test the waters. Even if they failed to finalize negotiations, it would be enough to confirm that a true alliance could be formed.

Once that condition was met, the true power players—like the Third Hokage and the Fourth Kazekage—would take over, bringing gravity and political weight to the decision.

And now, with confirmation that the alliance had succeeded, there was no more need for caution.

They moved.

---

"Stop!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's command cracked like a whip.

The moment they crossed into the territorial waters of the Land of Waves, he raised his hand sharply. His voice, though aged, carried the unquestionable authority of a Hokage.

In an instant, his entire unit halted with flawless control. Even the sudden stop caused only a minor ripple across the ocean surface—barely a disturbance.

But from the surrounding mist, several figures surged forward.

Swoosh—

They appeared from every direction, moving with clear intent.

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, then spoke, voice hoarse but sharp as steel.

"...Fourth Raikage. I didn't expect to see you here."

His age-spotted face remained composed, but his eyes—clouded yet observant—locked onto the towering man who had emerged across the water.

"The alliance has already been formed," Hiruzen continued, tone cold. "Whatever you're attempting now, it's meaningless."

Behind him, Konoha's Anbu were already moving. Silent, efficient—blades drawn and at the ready.

---

"Third Hokage. It's been years."

The Fourth Raikage stood tall, arms folded across his chest, eyes glowing with intensity.

"I didn't expect to see you reduced to this."

His voice held no mockery—just brutal honesty, sharp as lightning.

"Even the so-called Ninjutsu Professor couldn't escape the effects of time," he said coolly. "But before you retire and settle into your coffin, why not make a contribution to the rise of Kumogakure?"

He tilted his head slightly.

"Become the cornerstone of a new era... one where we lead the ninja world."

Hiruzen scoffed. "You people from the Hidden Cloud... still as arrogant as ever."

He studied the Raikage carefully. "I take it someone from the Kazekage's side is being intercepted too?"

"The Fourth Kazekage... he's in his prime," Hiruzen added thoughtfully. "A lot harder to deal with than an old man like me. You really think your allies will be able to stop him from delivering the news?"

He saw through their entire strategy without needing to be told.

Kumogakure didn't care if the alliance held or not. What they wanted... was control. If they could eliminate Sarutobi Hiruzen here, they could shift the power balance, use his death to elevate themselves above Konoha within the new coalition.

But interestingly, Hiruzen noted, there were no other allied forces nearby.

It seemed Rasa was facing similar interference.

"We're only a temporary alliance," the Fourth Raikage said plainly, shrugging. "If I take you out—and that fossil of a Tsuchikage doesn't replace the Kazekage—we'd have no problem pivoting to work with Sunagakure instead."

His tone was maddeningly casual.

Meanwhile, further back, Kumogakure's support shinobi had finished preparing a simple but powerful sealing barrier. A glowing, faint-blue dome now enclosed the area, severing it from the mainland's detection range.

The Raikage glanced at the shimmering chakra field beside him, visibly pleased.

"The battle in the Land of Waves is still raging," he said. "Even if your Hyuga try to scan this way... their perception will be blocked."

He cracked his knuckles.

"So, 'Hero of the Shinobi World'—I wonder... are you stronger than the Yellow Flash?"

As he spoke, chakra began to surge from his body in waves, dense and electric, like a storm about to break.

Though the Raikage's brashness was well-known, it was often mistaken for recklessness.

But the truth? He was far more cunning than he appeared.

---

Behind him, the Hidden Cloud shinobi flared with chakra of their own. They were ready.

Hiruzen shifted his stance slightly, muttering under his breath, "Ninjutsu?"

His aged eyes flicked over the Raikage's body, tracking the chakra flow—searching for openings, figuring out the pattern.

But before he could gather more data—

CRACK!

The Fourth Raikage vanished in a single step.

"So fast—!"

Hiruzen's instincts kicked in.

Years of battlefield experience screamed at him—move—and he dove away just in time.

BOOM—

In the next instant, a figure—blazing like a streak of lightning—crashed into the spot Sarutobi Hiruzen had just vacated.

Whoosh!

The raw force of the Raikage's punch tore through the air, sending a towering wave of seawater into the sky.

Ding—ding—ding—!

The clash had begun.

From all directions, kunai and shuriken rained down in a deadly storm—launched by Kumogakure's elite ninjas, aiming straight for the new location Sarutobi had shifted to.

But Konoha's Anbu reacted immediately. Like shadows flickering through the mist, they moved in defense, flinging their own weapons to intercept the barrage mid-air.

Within the sealed, shimmering light-blue barrier, the battlefield split into two brutal duels.

On one side: the Fourth Raikage vs. the Third Hokage.

On the other: Kumogakure Anbu vs. Konoha's Anbu.

---

Crackling—

"The lightning chakra... it's nearly reached the pinnacle of elemental transformation."

Crouched low on the sea's surface, Hiruzen's gaze followed his opponent calmly—even as chakra-laced weapons continued to whistle past him. Every few seconds, he'd tilt his head or shift his weight just slightly, evading each attack with eerie precision.

Even from a single clash, Hiruzen could sense it.

"This technique... it's not just raw power. It's lightning-based enhancement—using chakra to stimulate muscle function and accelerate nerve transmission. Speed and strength, amplified in tandem."

This was no ordinary armor of chakra. It was the pinnacle of Kumogakure's lightning-style taijutsu.

"You really are the 'Professor,' huh?"

The Fourth Raikage's voice rumbled with excitement, a savage grin stretching across his face. "You've already seen through my technique after just one exchange."

Then his chakra exploded—again.

It roared outward in a blazing wave, coating his entire body in a second skin of pulsing blue energy. The barrier around him shimmered in response as the crackling of lightning intensified.

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Hiruzen again. His massive fist—like a boulder wrapped in thunder—came crashing forward.

But again... it missed.

---

Hiruzen had already moved.

Despite his aged frame, the old Hokage was still sharp—his instincts honed from countless battles. His dodges were deliberate, just a split-second ahead of the Raikage's trajectory.

He couldn't see the Raikage's movements with his eyes anymore. But he didn't need to.

He felt them.

This was the edge of a seasoned warrior—the instinctual awareness born not from youth, but from experience. His body might be slow, but his mind was fast, and his battle sense sharper than any jōnin's.

One chased. The other evaded. Over and over, like a dance of shadows.

Each time Hiruzen shifted positions, the Raikage was hot on his heels.

---

"Sarutobi Hiruzen! Is this all your title of Hokage amounts to?! Dodge and delay?!"

The Raikage's voice thundered across the battlefield like a beast's roar. His upper garments had long since been shredded by the friction of his own lightning, revealing his bronze, muscular torso—coiled with power, crackling with chakra.

He looked like a predator locked onto its prey.

The barrier's range was tight, and the clashing of Anbu from both sides only added to the chaos—jutsu exploding left and right, streaks of fire and water lighting up the dome.

But none of it touched the Raikage. His lightning chakra armor deflected or incinerated everything.

He didn't need to dodge like Hiruzen did. He was built to tank through the battlefield.

Even so... he couldn't land a hit on the wily old monkey.

No matter how fast or unpredictable his movements became, Hiruzen always slipped away, just before impact—like smoke slipping through fingers.

---

Despite the pressure, Hiruzen's face remained calm—wrinkled, yes, but unbothered. His brows furrowed slightly, but he didn't panic.

He could already estimate his opponent's max output. The Raikage's chakra had grown denser—yes—but its patterns were familiar now.

He'd seen this tactic before: overexertion for shock value.

And he wasn't rattled anymore.

The Raikage's words, loud and provocative, were nothing but noise. This wasn't about pride. It was about survival.

He knew his own limits. He was old. His body no longer had the resilience it once did. One direct hit could very well be fatal.

In contrast, even if he landed a clean strike on the Raikage, it might only stagger him.

So Hiruzen waited.

He was searching for the one perfect opening. The moment where a well-timed counter could shift the tide.

He wasn't here to show off. He was here to win.

---

From afar, another pair of eyes observed.

Hizashi stood on a seaside boulder, posture upright, expression serious.

He couldn't see through the barrier, just as the Raikage claimed—but that didn't matter.

He could still sense something.

"His rhythm... it's so precise. Calm and deliberate. He's not just surviving. He's controlling the pace."

The Byakugan might've been blocked by the barrier—but Hinata had seen enough to know Hiruzen's style. His patience. His discipline.

He was holding back—not from weakness, but by choice.

He was saving everything for the exact moment.

---

Even if others couldn't see it, Ryuunosuke could.

From a higher vantage point, his evolved Byakugan pierced the mist and distortion of chakra barriers alike.