Uzumaki Rebound!
In truth, it was simply the Uchiha Reflection, renamed for dramatic effect.
Crackle!
The lightning surrounding the Raikage's fist vanished in an instant, only to be explosively reflected back from the fan in Naruto's hands.
Bang! The Raikage was sent flying backward, skidding dozens of meters before finally stabilizing himself. His expression was one of shock and confusion. "What was that!?"
Swish!
Naruto lifted the fan with a playful smirk. "This is the fan passed down through generations of our Uzumaki Clan. It can reflect any attack~!"
"Ridiculous!" the Raikage roared in fury.
"Lord Raikage!!" The accompanying shinobi from Kumogakure quickly gathered behind him. Their numbers were in the hundreds, every one of them an elite among elites.
Naruto's tone turned amused. "You came well-prepared, didn't you? But are you sure you're up for this? The injuries you sustained in the Valley of Hell don't seem fully healed yet."
"Tch! Damn it!" At Naruto's words, the Raikage's shoulder wound throbbed faintly, but he gritted his teeth and retorted, "I won't fall in the same place twice! This time, I've come prepared. I've studied all your past abilities thoroughly!"
"Is that so? Your resilience is admirable, I must say. Perfect timing—I have something I'd like to test out as well."
Naruto slung the fan over his back and pulled out a scroll from his ninja pouch. Unrolling it, he pressed his palm against the seal at its center.
Poof!
With a puff of white smoke, a towering figure emerged—a mecha Naruto, a conceptual machine built through modifications using the Asura Path.
"Raikage, you'll serve as my quality assurance tester," Naruto said with a grin.
He opened a hatch on the mecha's back, revealing a hidden slot. Into it, he inserted several black rods, which acted as chakra receivers.
Buzz!
The mecha's Rinnegan-like eyes lit up, signaling its activation.
"Is that... a puppet!?" one of the Kumogakure shinobi exclaimed in disbelief.
"To be precise," Naruto corrected, "it's an offline puppet—one that doesn't require chakra threads for control."
Secret Technique: Dustless Bewildering Cover!
Naruto's figure vanished into thin air.
"What!? He disappeared!?"
"Is it some kind of camouflage jutsu?"
"Sensor ninja, report!"
A sensor ninja quickly scanned the area. "Aside from that puppet and the woman behind it, I can't sense any other chakra signatures!"
"Then let's take care of the woman first!"
At the rear of the battlefield, Violet, who was still trying to comprehend the situation, suddenly felt invisible hands grab her shoulders and legs. She was lifted into the air in a bridal carry.
"Ah!?" Violet's face turned pale with shock.
"Don't worry, it's me," Naruto's voice reassured her.
"Lord Pain?" Violet asked, still startled.
"This place isn't safe. Let's move," Naruto replied.
One kilometer away.
"This should do," Naruto said as he gently set Violet down and deactivated the Dustless Bewildering Cover.
"If the Raikage calls out my name in front of Violet," Naruto muttered to himself, "it could complicate things."
Swoosh! Naruto flicked his cloak and sat down cross-legged.
The mecha Naruto was being controlled remotely via the black rods, which acted as chakra receivers. Its Rinnegan-like eyes were linked to Naruto's vision, allowing him to see everything the mecha saw.
"Let's begin," Naruto said with a smile, raising two fingers.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The mecha's shoulders opened, revealing missile launchers that fired a barrage of rockets.
Kaboom! Explosions erupted across the battlefield.
"Scatter!" the Kumogakure shinobi yelled.
"Ridiculous!" the Raikage roared, his body transforming into a streak of lightning as he charged forward.
Naruto smirked. "Coming already?"
Rocket Arm!
The mecha's forearm detached, propelled by a burst of chakra from the severed joint. The arm shot forward like a missile.
"What!?" The Raikage hadn't anticipated such an attack, but his reflexes allowed him to react in time. He raised his fist to block.
Boom!!
The impact sent the Raikage skidding back a few steps, but the mecha's arm remained undamaged. The severed joint emitted a magnetic pull, drawing the arm back into place.
"That attack... If I had been more cautious, I could have dodged it," the Raikage muttered, his eyes narrowing. He charged again, his speed even greater this time.
Bang!
The mecha's arm launched again, but the Raikage, moving at high speed, managed to evade it.
Saw Blade Strike!
From the mecha's waist, a flurry of saw-blade-like tendrils shot out, reaching for the Raikage.
"What!?" The Raikage jumped back to avoid them.
Thud! But the previously launched arm returned, striking the Raikage's back with a heavy blow.
"Ugh!?" The Raikage stumbled, his Lightning Release Chakra Mode disrupted momentarily. The tendrils seized the opportunity, wrapping around him and pulling him forward.
Lightning Drill!
A high-speed drill emerged from the mecha's mouth, enveloped in lightning chakra. It spun rapidly, aimed directly at the Raikage's chest.
Screech!!!
Sparks flew as the drill made contact with the Raikage's lightning armor, which began to thin under the relentless assault.
"!!!" The Raikage's eyes widened, bloodshot with desperation.
"Lord Raikage!!" The Kumogakure shinobi rushed forward to assist.
"Stay back!!" the Raikage roared. "You'll die if you interfere!!!"
Slash!!
In a desperate bid for survival, the Raikage unleashed a surge of strength, breaking free from the tendrils. With a swift hand chop, he severed the mecha's arm, disarming the drill.
The crisis averted, the Raikage continued to furiously slash at the remaining tendrils. However, more tendrils emerged, entangling him once again.
Lightning Drill Mk. II!
The mecha's throat opened, revealing another drill, this one larger and spinning even faster. It lunged toward the Raikage's chest.
Clang!
The Raikage caught the drill with his bare hand, but the immense power shredded his palm, leaving it bloodied and raw. The pain was excruciating, yet he held on.
"Why!?" the Raikage screamed internally. "Why does this man always have new abilities every time we meet!? Why!?"
Suddenly, he recalled the words of Dodai, his trusted advisor.
"Lord Raikage, Uzumaki Naruto uses black rods as chakra receivers to control his summons remotely. These summons share his vision, making them incredibly dangerous."
"Black rods... Wait!" The Raikage's eyes darted to the mecha's back, where Naruto had inserted several black rods earlier. He realized the mecha's eyes had been fixated on him the entire time.
"I see now!" the Raikage shouted. "Everyone! Attack from its blind spot and target the black rods in its back! Use long-range techniques—quickly!!"
The Kumogakure shinobi launched a coordinated assault, their ninjutsu bombarding the mecha's rear. Several black rods were destroyed, leaving only one intact. The chakra flow weakened significantly.
Sensing the drill's power diminishing, the Raikage seized the opportunity. With a mighty twist, he broke the drill and severed the tendrils binding him. He dashed forward, his Lightning Release Chakra Mode pushed to its limit, and lifted the mecha high above his head.
"RAIKAGE BOMB!!!"
BOOM!!!
The mecha exploded into countless fragments, its head flying hundreds of meters away before its glowing eyes finally dimmed and went dark.
Panting heavily, the Raikage stood amidst the rubble, his voice echoing across the battlefield. "Uzumaki Naruto!! Show yourself!!!"
One kilometer away.
"So, that's the limit of the conceptual mecha," Naruto murmured, rising to his feet. "It seems creating such puppets still requires the expertise of Sunagakure's traditional puppet masters."
He turned to Violet. "Stay here and wait."
Swish! Using the Flying Thunder God Technique, Naruto reappeared on the battlefield.
Clapping slowly, he addressed the Raikage. "A, you've improved. But are you sure you're up for this? Your chakra seems significantly drained."
"Hmph! I came prepared for this!" the Raikage retorted. "Everyone, show this outsider the true power of Kumogakure's lightning style!"
"RAHHH!!!" The Kumogakure shinobi roared in unison as faint Lightning Release Chakra Modes flickered to life around them.
Naruto raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh? You've all learned this technique?"
The Raikage smirked. "Our village's secret scrolls always have backups. Now witness the signature move of the First Raikage!"
The shinobi formed seals, channeling their chakra toward the Raikage.
Lightning Release: Unified Magnetic Wave!
The Raikage's chakra surged exponentially, his Lightning Release Chakra Mode intensifying to several times its previous strength. Even his pupils turned a silvery-white.
"And now," the Raikage declared, "behold the ultimate technique I created to surpass you—Lightning Release Chakra Mode: Hundredfold Thunderclap!"
Beneath his mask, Naruto's lips curled into a genuine smile. "A, I'm truly impressed. You didn't come here recklessly, and your growth proves one thing."
"What's that?" the Raikage demanded.
"It proves my challenges have value."
Crackle! Purple lightning erupted around Naruto as he faced the Raikage head-on. "Come at me!"
BOOM!!! The two clashed, their battle shaking the earth.
From a distance, Gaara, the Kazekage, watched the spectacle unfold. Flanked by his Sunagakure shinobi, he stepped forward, his expression unreadable.
"Naruto," Gaara said softly, his voice carrying across the battlefield. "I've been waiting for you."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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