"Lightning Release: Thunder Rat Swarm!"

Karui took the initiative, a volley of small, crackling lightning orbs shooting from his hands. They scurried across the ground like electric rats, their movements erratic as they swarmed toward Danzō and Shiro.

"Grrr-woof!"

Danzō dropped to all fours, baring his teeth with a feral snarl. He puffed out his cheeks, and his mouth became a cannon.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A rapid-fire barrage of compressed air bullets shot from his mouth, each one finding its mark. The lightning rats were instantly annihilated, their electrical energy dissipating harmlessly into the air.

"Damn it! He's using Wind Release!" Karui swore, recognizing the technique. The elemental nature of ninjutsu created a cycle of strengths and weaknesses. Wind was the natural counter to lightning. Unless the power gap between the users was immense, Danzō held a clear advantage against a Lightning Release user.

Nikai, his face pale, suddenly remembered something crucial. "Lord Raikage!" he reminded his leader urgently, "the sensory ninja said there were eight of them! We've only seen three. If we get bogged down here, more of their reinforcements will arrive!"

Boom!

The lightning chakra enveloping Raikage A surged with even greater intensity. "So what if it's Wind Style?! So what if there are reinforcements?! So what if it's Danzō?!" he roared, his voice like thunder. "We stop them here! We prevent them from reaching Samui! That is what we must do!"

"Nikai, don't lose your nerve! Remember our primary target!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Raikage vanished in a blur of motion, reappearing behind Danzō in an instant.

"Die, Danzō!"

With a single, decisive strike, the Raikage brought his right fist down, aiming for Danzō's waist, while his left palm shot out, grabbing for Shiro. He would end this in one move. Even if he failed to injure Danzō, he would capture the boy. A mere child could never hope to evade an attack at this speed.

However, what happened next shattered the Raikage's expectations. The child he had dismissed so easily caught his outstretched palm, stopping it cold. Not only had he matched the Raikage's impossible speed, but his strength was equally immense.

This brat…!

The Raikage was stunned. He had never imagined his attack could be so effortlessly neutralized by a small boy.

Shiro held his hand, a small, knowing smile on his face. "You're not so tough, after all. But I must thank you."

This was why he had come. For the past two years, the rewards from his sign-ins had all been simple experience points. But just recently, the system had issued a new directive, a new mission.

Engage a Kage-level ninja in combat.

The reward: a perfect, one-to-one copy of his opponent's jutsu and abilities, his to use permanently. And his target, the Raikage, stood right before him.

This child is no ordinary person! The thought repeated itself in Raikage A's mind, a frantic, desperate mantra.

"Hah!" he roared, and the chakra around him surged once more. His hair stood on end, his eyes wide, his body now encased in a shell of pure, destructive power. This was the Raikage's strongest form. His lightning armor pulsed with an overwhelming intensity, and his speed reached a new, impossible height.

Danzō reacted instantly. The moment the Raikage's fist descended, he had already anticipated the move, twisting his body away to a safe distance.

"Woof! Woof! Woof!"

After roaring fiercely at the Raikage, Danzō raised his head to Shiro, a meek and proud look in his eye as he sought praise from his master.

"Excellent, Danzō," Shiro said, patting his mount's head before leaning in and whispering his next command.

"See that big, dark-skinned fool? Do not kill him. Just provoke him. The more techniques he uses, the more I can master."

"Woof! (Understood)."