Naruto: Reborn with Kaguya Powers-Chapter 52: Aki VS Raikage

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LET THE Chapter BEGIN.

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Ay and Aki appeared on a peak not too far from the village, but far enough that the naked eye would fail to spot them.

The father and son duo set up the checkpoints and the routes they would take for the upcoming race. This race was their own little secret.

Imagine hearing about a kid racing an airplane—or a snail outrunning a tiger. That's how people would react if this race ever got out.

"Are you ready, son?" Ay smirked. "Cause I am."

"Ready, get set—" Aki continued, and both shouted in sync:

"GO!"

While shouting the final word, each activated their Lightning Chakra Mode and any enhancements they attached to it. For Aki, it was the Flash Step, and for Ay, there was no enhancement—just pure LCM.

Covering himself in lightning like Killua, Aki looked like a certain god of thunder who awakened his lightning while confronting his sister.

Pushing chakra to his feet and activating Flash Step, Aki disappeared from his original position.

Their course stretched far, long enough for even a Jonin like Might Guy to need half a day at full sprint. The terrain shifted wildly: first rocky, then sand, forest, and finally water, before looping back.

At each checkpoint, they had to blaze the letter 'A' onto scattered rocks—proof of their speed.

Aki and Ay appeared at the first checkpoint almost simultaneously, both drew the letter 'A,' and disappeared like a flash.

Aki zipped through the course like a bolt of lightning. His movements were sharp and fluid, but even at his most refined, the speed caused destruction he couldn't fully control.

Step on a rock? It shattered. Hit the sand? He had to slow just enough or risk losing momentum instead of gaining it.

Ay was even more experienced—not a single pebble was damaged, and no tree branch got smashed by his steps. He was a little rough in his approach, would actively destroy things coming in his path.

The only reason Aki needed this push to match Ay in speed was because of his small frame. If Aki were of similar height, Ay would have lost the moment they began.

Alas, Aki was still 13, so he needed to be creative. Aki was aware that ice could slow him down but was genius enough to use it in a way it did the opposite.

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'I'm gonna win,' Aki declared as he reached beside Ay and started gaining distance.

"I was waiting for you," Ay smirked in response and unleashed even faster speed.

'I hope he wasn't holding back like I was,' Ay thought. This was his final card.

Ay reached the final checkpoint and carved the last 'A' just ahead of Aki.

But that didn't matter.

Aki had earned his respect.

Ay caught his breath quickly, then stood with his arms crossed, waiting for his son to do the same. Once Aki recovered, the Raikage finally spoke.

"Hmph. That was good," he said in a voice laced with pride. "That kick during the war—wasn't bad at all. At this rate, I might not even need to wait. You're already lookin' like the next Raikage."

He paused, eyes narrowing. The pride in his voice thinned into something harder.

"You really did grow stronger these past two years. Strong enough to survive without a village supporting you."

He let the words settle, then exhaled through his nose.

"I still don't like it. You say there's something you gotta do. Something that needs you to go rogue. You didn't tell me what—and I didn't ask. I figured if it was something you could tell me, you already would have."

Ay's jaw tightened as he turned his eyes to the horizon.

"You know how many rogues I've hunted down in my time? How many I've buried myself?" His voice got heavier with words. "Doesn't matter who it is. Friend. Comrade. Student. Once they leave the village, they all wear the same target."

He paused.

"And if the time ever comes... I'll chase you too."

Ay didn't flinch saying it. He meant it.

"That's not a threat. It's a promise. If you lose yourself out there, if you forget who you are—I will be the one to stop you."

He stepped forward, lowering his rough but honest voice.

"But I'm trusting you not to make me do that."

The lightning around him eased, like a storm starting to clear.

"Even if the world calls you a traitor... Even if the village forgets your name... I won't. When the day comes—and it will come—when you return... this place will still be your home."

His hand rested briefly on Aki's shoulder—just for a second.

"I'll make sure of that."

Then, he pulled back and frowned, serious again.

"But let me be clear about one thing."

Ay's tone hardened, sharp and final.

"You go anywhere you want. Just not Konoha. Step foot there, and I don't care what excuse you have—I will come for you."

'Damn, he's still traumatic about Konoha, got it, no going to Konoha 'til I can magically slip under Raikage's radar. Itachi should've been able to save Shisui because of my scroll of events 'til Danzo's unexpected death.'

'Shisui and Itachi are much bigger problems than Raikage, but I should be able to manage in a couple of years. I hope I get Tenseigan evolution and surpass my template.'

'Yeah, you wish, mister Aki, you haven't even unlocked full template yet,' Aki lamented to himself.

Aki saw his father's aged face and for the first time realized the weight Raikage carried and the reason the village had minimum traitors in canon.

No matter how kind a nation might seem, rogues were always a threat. And the Raikage? He was the hammer that kept them in check.

"Thank you, Father. I will keep everything to heart." Aki nodded and, with a swift Body Flicker, disappeared from his father's sight.

Ay lingered, watching the spot where Aki had been. For a moment, he stood there, then without a word, he gave chase. He stayed just far enough behind to be out of Aki's immediate reach—but not so far that he couldn't catch up if he wanted to.

The Body Flicker technique was indeed unpredictable, but it was no match for the Raikage's speed.

Aki noticed Ay's chase, but not sensing the intent to stop him, Aki stopped paying him any mind and headed toward the Rain Village, the den of the Akatsuki.

"Who's your favorite Akatsuki member? You can't choose Madara, Itachi, Obito, or Pain (Nagato)." Aki smirked at the audience as he crossed the waterway into the Land of Hot Springs.

Stopping at a quiet inn to grab a meal, Aki leaned back in his seat. His vision shifted outside through the window as the sky darkened.

"Alright, first things first," Aki muttered. "I need a mask. And not some secondhand Obito or Itachi knockoff. I've got reincarnated pride, damn it."

He tapped on the table thoughtfully. "Something custom. Maybe a death skull mask or something even better. Should I make an Otsutsuki mask? No one currently knows about them. Nah, that might be inviting Isshiki too early."

"It has to be something unique."

He reached for his drink, taking a sip. He thought, "I can't go around calling myself Aki anymore. That's the first rule of stealth. I need a new rogue name."

"I've also done enough fist fighting for it to be easily identifiable. Let's do some sword training. I'll use dual sword style for starters. Kazuto Kirigaya Style."

Then a smirk curled his lips. "I've seen enough anime for a backstory to be a problem."

"I'll need to refine my chakra control further. If something requires a kunai's worth of chakra, I'll do it with a thread's worth of chakra.

No way I'm reaching mortal max chakra control otherwise, even with Hyuga genes. I'll force Rinne-Sharingan out before 4GNW."

Aki stood and stretched casually.

"But first, hot springs," he muttered. "Every rogue needs a break before the world turns against him."

His eyes glinted in mischief.

"Maybe, just maybe, I'll spot a certain toad sage doing some of his... 'research.'"