Hiruzen The Professor!

"Darui, you must protect this village... and its people. You must also nurture a future generation that we can entrust it to."

With those final words spoken, A chose to be the one to stay behind on the battlefield. How could Darui, Killer B, and the rest of the Kumo ninja force bring themselves to flee, forcing their superior to cover their retreat?

A did not look back. With firm resolve, he waved his hand and shouted loudly, "This is the final order of the Fourth Raikage, NOW GO!"

A final surge of thunderous lightning erupted. He turned into a streaking meteor, charging at the Konoha ninjas! He would burn through the last of his chakra if it meant claiming Kakashi's head.

As they watched the lightning fade into the distance, the Kumo ninjas were in tears. The scene overlapped with the memory of the Third Raikage dying of exhaustion while covering his subordinates. Now, they saw the same determination in the back of the Fourth Raikage.

The Raikage lineage was truly a line of loyal martyrs.

Killer B wiped his tears, tossed his broken sunglasses into the air, and began to rap.

♪Lightning turns into a falling star~

Pops' back engraved in my heart so far~

Fool bro's final rap,

I now sing it back to back,

Konoha, hear this well

This day, I will tally in hell!♪

Darui wiped his tears too. His eyes now bloodshot, he gave a loud command, "We're moving out!"

---

Kakashi raised his hand.

The Konoha ninjas halted at once, obeying his command.

He twitched his ears, squinting as he looked ahead with suspicion. "There's a sound ahead... Tsuru, use your Byakugan."

Immediately, an ANBU wearing a crane-faced mask adjusted his chakra, and his eyes lit up, clearly a Hyūga from the branch house.

After observing, Tsuru spoke in surprise, "Captain Kakashi, the Raikage is approaching us alone!"

Kakashi stroked his chin, pondering briefly before he understood.

The Raikage had chosen to stay behind alone. In ordinary times, he might admire such a decision. But now, there was no room for sentiment.

He declared, "This place will be the Raikage's grave."

Then, he issued orders. "Set traps on site. Oboro, go alert Guy's unit and converge on me. We're taking the Raikage down."

An ANBU carrying a longsword identical to Hayate's quickly received the order and departed.

After a few more seconds of thought, Kakashi gave another order: "Neko, inform Yamato's unit at the front. Disregard the battle here, focus entirely on intercepting the remaining Kumo forces."

He didn't intend to just slay the enemy general, he meant to crush their remnants too.

Another ANBU wearing a cat-faced mask received the command and vanished instantly.

Moments later, Tsuru suddenly exclaimed, "It's too late! He's speeding up!"

No sooner had he spoken than explosive thunder rang out in the distance.

He shouted with urgency. "Not good! The Raikage is accelerating! Distance now 2000 meters... 1000 meters... He's too fast! It's over! Neko has encountered him, no, he deliberately sought out Neko!"

Massive trees toppled as dust filled the air. In a flash, the fight was over, Kakashi didn't even have time to issue a rescue order.

Neko had been killed.

No need for Byakugan anymore.

Not far away, a muscular man, like a beast of thunder, hurled aside the corpse of the ANBU he had been dragging and roared to the skies. "Who want to face me in battle!"

Another comrade lost.

Kakashi's face was expressionless. He raised his forehead protector, revealing his Sharingan, now spinning wildly, finally locking into the form of three scythe-like tomoe.

"Engage!"

At that moment, he also radiated thunderous energy and led the Konoha forces in an encirclement to kill the enemy general.

---

Yamato's unit was the final ambush line, waiting along the only path the Kumo remnants could take to return home. Finally, they detected traces of the Kumo ninjas.

They waited for the enemy to enter their trap, he would then lead the charge.

At that moment, a scouting ANBU wearing an insect mask reported, "Captain Yamato, Kakashi and Guy's units are currently locked in fierce battle with the enemy."

Upon receiving this, Yamato stared at the approaching Kumo remnants in the distance.

"No Raikage..." he muttered, brow furrowed.

That meant Kakashi was currently fighting the Raikage himself.

Had the Kumo ninjas split into two forces? he pondered.

Should they launch a direct assault on the remaining Kumo ninjas, or turn back to support Kakashi? The value of the Raikage versus that of the Eight-Tails… the number of lives that would be sacrificed if they fought separately or regrouped.

After a moment of silent contemplation, he gave his order, "Turn southwest immediately. Full speed. We're reinforcing Kakashi's unit."

Taking down the Raikage together was still the more valuable strategy.

---

Kakashi and Guy's units had already joined forces and were surrounding the Raikage.

Despite his severe injuries, A still didn't appear to be at a disadvantage, he was burning his chakra like fuel, with every attack carrying the intent to take his enemies down with him.

In the battlefield's center, Kakashi, Guy, and A were locked in an intense fight. It was now a certain kill situation; no need to risk more ANBU lives.

All surrounding escape routes were sealed off by Konoha's ANBU. Ninjas specializing in control techniques, such as those from the Nara or Yamanaka clans, launched surprise attacks on A whenever possible.

A tried to prioritize eliminating these control-type ninjas, but Kakashi and Might Guy intercepted him every time.

Fuinjutsu specialists had combined efforts to form a powerful sealing technique, erecting a sturdy, transparent barrier. Even at full strength, a high-speed ninja like A wouldn't be able to escape, let alone now, when he was like a trapped beast making a final stand.

Kakashi ducked under a hand-chop from A and thrust his Raikiri toward his enemy's kidney.

"A unit is waiting in the forest. None of the remaining Kumo ninjas will make it back."

A's pupils shrank.

In that split-second of distraction, Guy's flying kick, like a battle axe, slammed into A's back.

Already at the end of his strength, A couldn't dodge. The powerful kick sent him staggering forward. Even the chakra he burned with his life had its limits. The lightning around him no longer roared.

Seemingly from nowhere, countless thorned vines twisted around A's limbs like giant pythons.

Yamato, who had been lying in wait and conserving his strength, finally launched his strike.

Kakashi's left eye surged with chakra, focusing on A's head to unleash a killing blow.

A summoned the last of his strength to twist his head aside, avoiding a fatal hit. His arm, however, was caught in the space-time technique, twisting and tearing off, spraying blood. Yet, he suddenly burst into laughter. "So your last unit… is right here!"

Yamato's final attack didn't bring him despair. Instead, it gave him a feeling of hope in the darkest moment. Because it meant Darui and Killer B… could escape safely.

His own death was now certain. So, he would save the last of his chakra for himself.

He gathered his lightning chakra into his own head, and in an instant, electricity scorched his brain from the inside.

With this, the secrets of Kumo would be protected.

A was dead.

The battlefield fell into sudden silence. A flicker of lightning still danced across his charred body.

Kakashi, Guy and Yamato looked at one another. For a moment, no one spoke. After a few seconds, Kakashi, looking weary, gave the final command.

"It's over. We've won."

Guy nodded. Yamato released his Wood Release and began the process of sealing A's corpse.