361-365

*Chapter 361: Who Are You Talking To? A Lightning Strike That Shakes the Earth!*

At this moment,

A figure, as if emerging from the wilderness, drenched in blood and covered in sharp wounds, slowly stepped out of the Tenshukaku.

His long, grizzled hair and beard fluttered even without wind. His fierce and indifferent gaze swept past the three members of Akatsuki,

And then,

It landed on Jiraiya!

The next instant—

"Here he comes!"

Jiraiya's expression tensed as he clasped his hands together. Using the brief moment he had spent hiding within the stomach walls of the Myoboku Mountain Rock Inn Toad, he gathered natural energy, synthesized it into Senjutsu Chakra, and entered ‘Sage Mode.’

In an instant, his perception of the environment drastically heightened.

Then, from the sudden disturbance in the natural energy around him, he deduced the location from which his opponent’s attack would strike.

Without hesitation—

"Sage Art: Needle Senbon!"

Jiraiya jerked his head, causing his long white hair to rapidly extend. Then, aiming in a single direction, he unleashed a storm of countless Needle Senbon, like a torrential downpour. Simultaneously, using Senjutsu Chakra, he activated the hair roots, allowing him to fire endlessly without restriction!

The dense rain of Senbon spread out like a barrage from a machine gun, relentlessly pursuing a bolt of lightning streaking through the battlefield.

"With this, his movement will be sealed off, and then—"

The moment the lightning neared, aiming for his throat, Jiraiya swung his right fist in a seemingly empty strike.

"—Boom!"

Though it seemed like a missed attack, it miraculously connected, briefly halting the charging old warrior wrapped in lightning.

In that instant, Jiraiya’s left hand rapidly formed a massive Rasengan infused with Senjutsu Chakra—

"Now’s my chance!"

Jiraiya’s eyes turned fierce as he aimed his palm at the incoming Hell Stab: One-Fingered Thrust. His plan—redirect the attack so that it would pierce through the lightning-scarred chest of the Third Raikage!

At this moment, he had unknowingly made the same choice that Naruto would in the Fourth Great Ninja War.

However—

"Hmph, this move again?!"

The Third Raikage’s gaze turned ice-cold.

"A legendary Sannin, resorting to the same underhanded tricks as that brat… Die!"

The last time in Hell Valley, Shinji had used this very technique to gravely wound him, nearly costing him his life. Now, as Jiraiya reenacted the scene, it reopened the barely healed wound on his chest.

In the next instant—

Just as Jiraiya thought his strike was certain to land,

The towering, wild Third Raikage suddenly vanished in a burst of lightning, dodging the attack effortlessly.

Then—

In a flash, he appeared behind Jiraiya, swinging a hand blade toward the back of his neck!

"Lightning Burial: Level Thousand Dance!"

Jiraiya’s eyes widened in shock.

He had never expected that, despite his strategy of baiting, misdirection, and a concealed finishing move, the Raikage had already anticipated his attack!

This meant that the barrier technique he had prepared, the Toad Gourd Prison, would also fail to trap the Third Raikage.

The situation had turned dire.

He was now in immediate mortal danger!

At that moment—

"Shikigami Shield!"

"Haaahhh!!"

"Shinra Tensei!!"

Three furious shouts erupted behind Jiraiya.

Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan had appeared to assist him!

First, Konan quickly formed a three-layered shield purely made of explosive tags in front of her.

However, in the face of Lightning Release, the explosive tags were rendered ineffective, and the shield was instantly cut apart.

Next, Yahiko swung his massive steel greatsword, slashing at the Third Raikage’s arm!

Clang!

Yet, despite its tremendous force, the greatsword only managed to stall the Raikage for an instant. His lightning-infused hand blade continued pressing down, slicing through the sword and breaking it in half!

Just then—

A powerful repulsive force erupted from the center of the four warriors!

"Boom!!"

The Third Raikage was blasted away by Shinra Tensei!

As he was sent flying through the air—

A short distance away, Miyashiro Homura leaped up, revealing blood-soaked, fiendish eyes, attempting to lock eyes with the Raikage!

However—

His gaze only caught a lightning afterimage vanishing midair!

The next moment, Homura felt his Akatsuki cloak yanked from behind.

Then, with a ruthless motion, he was hurled toward the ground!

"So fast!"

His eyes widened in horror.

How could an old man on the verge of the grave be faster than his Blood Dragon Eye’s tracking vision?!

"Boom!"

With a single casual strike, the Third Raikage sent Homura crashing into the ground, embedding him five meters deep.

As he landed,

The fierce old warrior declared coldly,

"One down."

Then, his gaze shifted toward Nagato.

"That technique just now, which repels everything in an instant…"

"If I counter it with the Hell Stab stance, I should be able to completely neutralize it."

With that thought, the Third Raikage once again became a bolt of lightning, vanishing from sight.

At that moment,

Jiraiya, Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato stood back-to-back, tense and alert, their eyes constantly scanning for the Raikage’s movement.

Then—

Jiraiya suddenly turned and shouted, "Be careful! He’s coming!"

Nagato immediately raised his hand.

"Yahiko, Konan!"

The two nodded, forming seals and activating their techniques.

Immediately—

Another shockwave from Shinra Tensei exploded outward from the four, uprooting everything in the vicinity!

Amid the raging storm,

A bolt of lightning, momentarily stalled in the repulsive force, revealed the terrifying old man within!

"Water Style: Wild Water Wave!"

"Paper Style: Paper Binding Coffin!"

Yahiko and Konan simultaneously launched their prepared attacks at him!

Yet—

The lightning-wrapped figure remained motionless for a fleeting instant, then…

He started running against the force of Shinra Tensei!

That’s right—

Running!

Within Shinra Tensei’s powerful repulsion, he ran forward, gaining speed with each step!

Yahiko and Konan’s attacks missed their target, while Nagato’s eyes widened in horror.

"How is this possible?!"

"His body… is more monstrous than a Tailed Beast’s?!"

In theory, only someone with explosive power exceeding a half-Tailed Beast form could resist Shinra Tensei’s repulsion.

But how could a human body surpass a Tailed Beast’s strength?!

Nagato was forced to pour more chakra into the technique, sweat forming on his brow as he struggled to maintain it.

At that moment,

His 'Void' ring trembled.

A hazy projection of Shinji flickered into view.

Seeing this, Nagato clenched his teeth and shouted,

"Shinji, I searched with the Human Path!"

"The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning isn’t here!"

"Also… the plans of Iwagakure are complicated, but for now, take the others and evacuate!"

However—

As he relayed the information—

A chilling, emotionless voice suddenly rang in his ears:

"Who are you talking to?"

Nagato snapped his head up in shock—

The blood-covered, lightning-clad old man was already standing before him.

Chapter 362: Ha! Ultra Bomb!

At this moment—

Beneath the Tenshukaku, in front of the shattered city walls,

upon hearing the horrified cry from Phantom Lantern,

Shinji furrowed his brow slightly. Then, as if sensing something, he tilted his head slightly upward.

His eyes, adorned with three pitch-black tomoe, rotated subtly—

"Here it comes!"

At the horizon—

A figure suddenly leaped from a towering rock pillar, standing 600 meters high, thousands of meters away!

And then—

Cloaked in dazzling lightning, the figure took a massive jump, soaring over a thousand meters through the air, continuously accelerating—faster, and even faster!

Their body transformed into a streak of ferocious lightning, plummeting like a meteor towards the battlefield!

"No way! There's no way someone could jump thousands of meters—even from 600 meters up!"

"That falling trajectory… that guy looks like he's flying!"

As the raging lightning drew closer,

Terumi Mei's eyes widened in shock, a chill running down her spine. A heavy pressure pressed upon her, an inexplicable sense of dread.

And in an instant, she recognized the formidable opponent within the lightning—

None other than the ultimate boss of the Hidden Cloud Village—Third Raikage, A!

Beside her, Hozuki Mangetsu, his Byakugan active, turned pale as if he had seen a ghost. Whipping his head toward Shinji, he urgently warned:

"Shinji! That guy has—"

But before he could finish—

A sharp, piercing electrical hum suddenly exploded in their ears!

The sound of electricity, when reaching a certain intensity and exposed to the air, caused the atmosphere to tremble, producing a constant "zzzzzz" sound.

Then—

In that instant, the ear-piercing current filled the air, drowning out all other sounds.

The descending lightning struck the ground!

With an impact that seemed to overturn the very earth itself, it tore through the ground, lifting massive stone slabs into the air.

A shockwave erupted from the lightning’s impact point, not far from Shinji!

In an instant—

A dust storm nearly 100 meters high exploded, spreading outward at an extreme speed, forming a shockwave ring that swept in all directions!

As the wave of dust rushed toward him,

Shinji, his Sharingan spinning, scanned through the chaos, trying to locate the Third Raikage, A.

However—

In the next instant,

his brow furrowed slightly, his gaze focusing on the airborne dust.

This wasn’t just ordinary dust—

it was mixed with some kind of powder!

Under the observation of his Sharingan, this powder appeared as a dark yellow, fine, fur-like substance—

somewhat resembling the scales shed by butterflies when they flap their wings.

Each tiny particle contained a special chakra,

a chakra that effectively disrupted vision—even the Three-Tomoe Sharingan suffered from its interference.

Moreover, it seemed to be poisonous!

"What the hell is this?"

Having inhaled some of the powder, Shinji immediately felt a slight numbness in his chest, causing him to frown deeply.

On instinct, he summoned Susanoo around himself.

No matter what, protecting himself and dispersing this stuff with Susanoo was the safest move!

However—

At that moment—

A long-lost sense of imminent danger suddenly exploded in Shinji’s mind!

The next instant—

"—Crack!"

The outer defenses of his Susanoo were shattered by an unseen force!

And then—

A brilliant yet soundless flash of lightning burst before his eyes!

"!!"

Shinji’s pupils contracted violently, his three tomoe spinning wildly—

In mere milliseconds, he identified what had appeared before him—

A finger!

A lightning-cloaked finger—delivering the Hell Stab: One-Finger Thrust!

Unlike the previous encounters where the Third Raikage's attacks roared with thunder, this time, the Hell Stab had produced no sound.

Just like the Flying Thunder God Technique, it had seemingly appeared out of nowhere!

Yet, even though he saw it and recognized it—his body couldn't keep up!

For some reason, the Third Raikage's Hell Stab was even faster than before—

faster than what Shinji’s body could react to!

Only by activating Sage Mode could he keep up with this attack!

But—

Shinji chose not to activate [Sage Mode]!

If the Third Raikage’s true goal was to force him to reveal his trump card, then now was the moment he absolutely couldn’t let that happen!

And from the opponent’s perspective—

If this attack didn’t force out his trump card, it would at least exploit his weakness, making him lose a crucial advantage for the rest of the battle!

And right now—Shinji’s most obvious weakness was—

His heart!

So far, every enemy who had gathered intel on Shinji had always targeted his heart first—

that troublesome heart capable of unleashing devastating Fire Release techniques!

In the span of mere milliseconds, his instincts and battle-hardened mind had formulated a complete counter-strategy!

Shinji’s expression twisted into a savage grin, madness flashing in his eyes—

The next instant—

Lightning struck!

First layer—Susanoo, Third Stage—shattered!

Second layer—Lightning Release Chakra Mode—shattered!

Third layer—Eight-Tails’ Chakra, forming a half-tailed beast cloak—shattered!

Fourth layer—Earth Release: Earth Spear, forming a diamond-hard skin—shattered!

Fifth layer—Sage Transformation: Cursed Seal Level 2’s impact membrane—shattered!

Five layers of defense—

Yet against the Third Raikage’s full-speed, gravity-driven Hell Stab: One-Finger Thrust, propelled by a thousands-meter-long sprint—

One by one, they broke apart!

Until, finally—

The piercing thrust ripped through Shinji’s last defenses, slicing open the skin of his chest,

tearing apart the ribcage before his heart,

and in a single motion—stabbing directly into his heart!

And then—

CLANG!

A sound like metal striking metal rang out!

The unstoppable Hell Stab—

Had been blocked.

By Shinji’s still beating heart.

It couldn’t penetrate even an inch deeper!

"What the hell!?"

The Third Raikage, his hand plunged into Shinji’s chest, stared wide-eyed at Shinji’s face, his expression one of absolute disbelief.

"What is this thing!?"

But—

Shinji suddenly twisted his head and sneered at him.

And at that moment—

From the wound in his chest, black tendrils burst out, coiling around the Third Raikage’s impaled arm!

Forbidden Technique: Earth Grudge Fear!

Then—

A brilliant light ignited inside Shinji’s chest!

Growing brighter and brighter!

"Damn it! What is this!?"

Seeing this, the Third Raikage felt an overwhelming sense of dread—

cold sweat instantly drenched his back!

At that moment—

Five elemental forces converged inside Shinji’s heart,

unleashing a cataclysmic energy blast!

Earth Grudge Fear: Five-Element Final Strike!

From behind Shinji, the shattered Susanoo reformed—

One colossal hand gripped the struggling Third Raikage tight!

The other—raised a towering lightning sword!

And then—

With a crazed grin, Shinji bear-hugged the Raikage, locking him in place—

"Screw it—let’s blow up together!"

"Ha! ULTRA BOMB!"

And in the next moment—

A pillar of blinding light erupted, tearing apart the sky itself!

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 363: The Chaos of Iwagakure! Seven-Tails’ Furious Thunder!*

On the other side, atop the Tenshukaku...

“Nagato, what do you mean by the information you just mentioned?”

“What exactly did you see in that Iwagakure ninja’s memories?”

At that moment, the Third Raikage, Ay, leaped away from the Tenshukaku. The four people present simultaneously felt relieved.

Jiraiya was also grateful for the failure of his own strategy—had the battle continued, he wouldn’t have been able to capture the Third Raikage with the Barrier Technique: Toad Gourd Prison. With his current attack methods, he had no way to break through the Third Raikage’s defenses.

To defeat him, Jiraiya would have had to summon the two Great Toad Sages and use *Sage Art: Toad Confrontation Chant*.

However, doing so would have required someone to buy him time—forcing his three disciples to risk their lives in battle. That was too heavy a burden for Jiraiya to bear.

Yahiko and the others also breathed a sigh of relief.

Just now…

They had been just a hair’s breadth away from Nagato summoning the *Demonic Statue of the Outer Path*.

Summoning it would have required Nagato to sacrifice his own life force and prematurely reveal their trump card to the Five Great Nations, which was highly unwise.

Moreover, given the Third Raikage’s speed in breaking through *Shinra Tensei*, unless he was caught off guard and directly hit by a Chakra Dragon to have his soul extracted, there was no way to stop him from escaping.

After all, the *Daimyo of the Land of Lightning* wasn’t here—he had no reason to fight to the death with them.

At that moment, upon hearing Yahiko’s inquiry, Nagato glanced toward the Third Raikage, who was leaping toward Shinji, his expression darkening.

Looking at Yahiko, Konan, and Jiraiya, he spoke with a heavy tone.

“Yahiko, Konan.”

Pointing to the unconscious Iwagakure jōnin, Higashishibito, lying on the ground, he continued,

“Jiraiya-sensei’s investigation was correct. This Iwagakure ninja infiltrated this place to confirm the whereabouts of the Third Raikage.”

“Confirm the Raikage’s location?”

“Why is Iwagakure looking for the Raikage?”

Yahiko furrowed his brows slightly and asked.

Hearing the question, Nagato took a deep breath and spoke solemnly:

“From this man’s memories, I saw that Iwagakure seems to have devised a plan… and this plan is called—”

*‘Iwagakure’s War to Annihilate a Nation!’*

“Iwagakure has developed a method to break through the Third Raikage’s strongest Lightning Armor and kill him. Moreover, taking advantage of Kumogakure’s current full-scale vigilance against Shinji and us, the Akatsuki, they have secretly mobilized an army of over ten thousand to cross the sea and invade the Land of Lightning’s mainland.”

“The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, along with Iwagakure’s top elites, have all been committed to this war!”

“We don’t know where Iwagakure’s army is right now…”

“But one thing is certain: their goal is to seize this opportunity to completely wipe out Kumogakure!”

“This… such a thing…”

Hearing Nagato’s words, Jiraiya was taken aback.

But after thinking for a moment, he found it reasonable.

Earlier, from Orochimaru’s intelligence gathered during the *Kumogakure Collapse Plan*, it was mentioned that Kumogakure had considered forming an alliance with Iwagakure—planning to take advantage of the war between Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Konoha to launch a surprise attack on Iwagakure from behind.

Both Kumogakure and Iwagakure had been scheming against each other for a long time. Shinji’s actions had only accelerated everything, allowing Iwagakure to seize this moment. While the entire Land of Lightning was on high alert for Shinji’s assassination attempts, they secretly mobilized their army, planning to catch Kumogakure off guard with a devastating strike.

“Additionally,” Nagato said gravely,

“There’s another crucial piece of information I extracted from Higashishibito’s mind!”

“Seven days ago, an Iwagakure ninja witnessed the Third Raikage in the Land of Taki, following the battle in Hell Valley. There were also signs of an intense battle at the scene.”

“If Iwagakure wants to completely crush Kumogakure, they must eliminate the Raikage. Since his whereabouts were unknown, they sent Higashishibito to investigate.”

“According to Higashishibito’s findings, five days ago, the Third Raikage was seen here, at the Tenshukaku, accompanied by someone.”

“Taki Village? Why would the Raikage go there?”

Jiraiya rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

Then, as if suddenly realizing something, his eyes widened in shock.

His head snapped toward the descending bolt of lightning.

*“Taki Village… the Seven-Tails!!”*

“He went to Taki Village and forcibly took the village’s *Seven-Tails Jinchūriki!*”

“If the Third Raikage now has the power of the Seven-Tails…”

A chilling scenario flashed through Jiraiya’s mind, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

*“This is bad!”*

*“Shinji is in danger!”*

Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan were shocked upon hearing this, quickly turning their gazes toward the battlefield below.

At that moment…

As lightning crashed down, raising a cloud of dust,

From a higher vantage point, they could see more clearly—

Alongside the dust cloud, a dark yellow, scale-like powder spread silently across the battlefield.

Jiraiya’s face grew serious as he spoke:

*“That’s the Seven-Tails’ stealth technique!”*

*“Secret Technique: Scale Powder Concealment!”*

“This technique obscures the enemy’s vision, and the Raikage can use electric currents to create noise, masking his own movements. This allows him to move and attack undetected within the scale powder, making it nearly impossible to defend against.”

Hearing this, Nagato and the others realized how dangerous this ability was.

With the Third Raikage’s speed and attack power—combined with the strength of a Tailed Beast—he would become a terrifying assassin in this near-invisible environment!

“Nagato! Send this intel to Shinji immediately using *Illusionary Projection Technique*!” Yahiko commanded urgently.

“Tell him to blow away or escape the scale powder’s range at once!”

Nagato nodded and immediately tried to activate the *Illusionary Projection Technique*.

However…

Before he could even establish the connection, the battlefield’s situation shifted dramatically!

In an instant—

*“—CLANG!!”*

A sound like steel striking a bell rang out from the battlefield’s center!

Contrary to everyone’s expectations, the clash was nearly a death match from the very first exchange!

In the next moment—

A towering *Susanoo* rose from the ground, sword in hand, striking downward!

Then—

A massive energy beam burst forth, dispersing the dust, piercing the sky, and shattering the clouds!

Only then…

Did the *Illusionary Projection Technique* connect, and from the other side, Shinji’s strong and confident voice rang out:

“Oi, Nagato? What now?”

At that moment,

Amid the swirling dust of a massive crater,

Shinji tore off his Akatsuki cloak, revealing his muscular upper body, staring intensely at the figure before him—

A blood-drenched, ferocious old man, swaying seven crimson tails behind him.

Cracking his knuckles, Shinji grinned savagely.

*“Finally, you old bastard, you’re here!”*

From the Tenshukaku, watching the scene unfold,

Nagato hesitated for a moment, wanting to say something—but it seemed that Shinji already knew everything he needed to.

Moreover, judging by his eager expression, he was clearly intent on personally settling this score.

After a brief silence, Nagato could only say dryly:

“…Nothing. Just be careful.”

“Oh, and one more thing—*Iwagakure’s ten-thousand-strong army is attacking Kumogakure.*”

“Please stall the Third Raikage for now. We’ll investigate and locate the key player in this—*Iwagakure’s Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Roshi.*”

“The child you’re looking for… might be in his hands.”

*(End of Chapter)*

*Chapter 364: What Exactly Is the So-called "Super Shadow"?*

As the thick lightning beam shot into the sky, tearing through the clouds,

the sky within a ten-thousand-mile radius darkened from the soft glow of dawn to a deep, oppressive gray.

Heavy clouds swirled around the gaping hole in the sky, flashing intermittently with blue lightning.

The entire sky seemed ready to unleash a torrential downpour at any moment.

Encased within towering fifty-meter-high walls lay a vast, desolate plain.

From a god’s-eye view, this scene resembled nothing less than a grand arena.

At this moment,

the battlefield was engulfed in howling winds, uprooted vegetation, and cracking earth, with dust mixed with scale powder swirling through the air, forming an overwhelming sandstorm.

Inside the deep crater gouged by the colossal Susanoo’s sword,

Shinji listened to the intel transmitted via Nagato’s Phantom Body Technique:

"The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning isn’t here?"

"Iwagakure is leading ten thousand troops to attack Kumogakure?"

"And Hidan... is in Iwagakure’s hands?"

Shinji furrowed his brows slightly.

Taking a deep breath,

though the situation appeared increasingly complex,

with Akatsuki, Konoha, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure all maneuvering to seize their share of the chaos,

to Shinji, the solution was clear—

Everything revolved around a single core issue:

Akatsuki couldn’t assassinate the Daimyo without confronting the Third Raikage.

Iwagakure couldn’t assault Kumogakure without clashing with the Third Raikage.

And Shinji’s revenge demanded that he face the Third Raikage head-on!

Thus,

here and now,

this was the ultimate battlefield!

All he needed to do was to beat the opponent to death, to the point where he could no longer stand!

To make him seethe with rage, drown in despair, and succumb to powerlessness!

To make him wallow in endless regret!

To make him pay for his actions eight days ago when he killed Uchiha Setsuna!

Slowly tightening the torn Akatsuki robe around his waist, Shinji spread his feet, adjusted his stance, and lifted his head slightly, gazing ominously at the menacing figure across from him—

a monstrous being swaying seven massive, blood-red tails.

The killing intent that had been suppressed deep in his heart since the Hell Valley incident

was now rising uncontrollably!

At this moment, the flames of hatred took shape behind Shinji, manifesting as an enormous shadow towering seventy meters high!

"Shinji... this brat is indeed dangerous!"

"Those eyes... this sinister chakra... and that entirely new power—could this be the Mangekyō Sharingan?"

The Third Raikage, Ay, exhaled deeply, releasing a thick white breath. Clenching his fists, he fixed his gaze on the massive entity forming behind the young man in front of him, his mind growing tense.

His internal organs, shaken and displaced from the impact of Futsunomitama and the Ultimate Shot of Earth Grudge Fear, rapidly realigned themselves under the influence of the tailed beast’s power.

Then,

his expression turned ice-cold, and he roared:

"A mere Uchiha?"

"Now that I’ve mastered this power—

"Here and now, I will slaughter you and all your comrades!"

In the next instant,

the Third Raikage took a slight step back,

his figure vanishing into the dust-laden air, filled with the crackling of electricity, like the chirping of a thousand birds.

He transformed into a streak of lightning too fast for the naked eye to track!

Behind him, the seven blood-red tails split into three pairs, swaying violently.

This was the ability of the Seven-Tails—Nanabi’s Wings.

It allowed a Jinchūriki to transform their half-tailed beast appendages into three pairs of wings, granting them extreme speed and the ability to fly.

By combining the Lightning Release Chakra Mode with Hell Stab: One-Fingered Spear’s innate speed,

this threefold enhancement made the Third Raikage’s speed surpass even his past limits—so much so that even the Mangekyō Sharingan struggled to track him.

Jiraiya’s analysis had been correct.

Under these conditions, the Third Raikage was an even more formidable assassin than the legendary White Fang of Konoha!

For a moment,

Shinji’s eyes narrowed. Against such overwhelming speed, he could only dart his gaze left and right, trying to predict his opponent’s movements.

"Not on the left... not on the right... not behind!"

"Then... above!"

An intense sense of danger made Shinji snap his head up.

Above him, a streak of lightning had already appeared—

high above Susanoo’s head, nearly a hundred meters in the air.

But in the blink of an eye, the Third Raikage disappeared once more!

Before Shinji could react,

the streaking lightning plunged toward the ground at even greater speed.

The moment the Third Raikage’s feet hit the earth, the black lightning encasing his body instantly shattered the ground beneath him!

At an unimaginable speed, the black lightning tore through the battlefield, sending three massive rock fragments hurtling toward Shinji like javelins, each propelled by Ay’s devastating kicks!

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Encased in black lightning, the three boulders smashed against Susanoo’s outer shell!

*Boom—*

*Boom—*

*Boom—*

Shockingly, the seemingly unimpressive black lightning javelins actually cracked Susanoo’s armor.

The debris from the shattered rocks, mixed with Nanabi’s scale powder, exploded upon impact,

causing dust to rain down,

instantly obscuring Shinji’s vision while the infiltrating toxin from the scale powder left his body slightly numb!

"Poisoned by Nanabi’s toxins and attacked from four different angles—

"Just how far can that flea-like intuition of yours predict?"

In the next instant,

the Third Raikage Ay appeared behind Susanoo,

his Hell Stab: One-Fingered Spear carving a gash into the fleshy exterior before he shot inside,

landing a devastating punch squarely into the unprepared Shinji’s back!

The impact sent him soaring through the air, launching him out of Susanoo’s protection!

Then,

the Third Raikage, now a streak of lightning, broke free from Susanoo once more, using Nanabi’s wings to propel himself into the sky.

Since slicing through five layers of defenses hadn’t been enough to kill Shinji,

the Third Raikage aimed to finish him before he could form another defense!

At this moment,

Ay leaped over thirty meters high, his face filled with fury as black lightning crackled around him. His hair bristled upwards, his eyebrows arched with intensity.

"Thunderous Wrath—Furious Thunder Axe!"

With a powerful axe kick infused with black lightning, he aimed straight for Shinji’s face!

"Die, brat!"

However,

just then,

Shinji, who had been launched skyward, twisted his head 180 degrees, revealing a chilling grin.

His scarlet eyes contracted into vertical slits!

"You’re the one who’s going to die!"

The next moment,

Shinji opened his mouth and vomited out a massive white-scaled serpent over five meters long,

lunging straight at the Third Raikage’s face!

Seeing this, the Third Raikage’s memories of Hell Valley surged back, sending a chill down his spine!

However, as expected, the scene of blood splattering did not occur.

Instead, the stab was like a clay ox entering the sea—it simply vanished without impact. The hand wrapped in lightning thrust into a snake's mouth, only to encounter a place filled with razor-sharp black threads, cutting deep into the flesh!

And in the next moment—

The ground exploded as dirt and rocks flew in all directions.

A massive Susanoo hand burst out from beneath the earth, gripping the Third Raikage tightly. Suspended midair with no foothold, he could only flap his three pairs of tail wings in an attempt to ascend.

At the same time, Shinji, now clad in full Uchiha attire, emerged from underground. He swiftly stepped onto Susanoo's gigantic arm, using it as a springboard to propel himself upward!

In his hand, the Kusanagi sword glowed with golden light as he swung it down toward the Third Raikage’s head—

"Was I always fighting a snake substitute? Did you swap places during the first attack!?"

Trapped in the crushing grip of Susanoo’s hand, Ai's pupils shrank abruptly. His brows furrowed in shock as he stared at Shinji, who remained expressionless, both hands gripping the sword, preparing to strike!

"Damn it!"

"I have no choice but to use this!"

The Third Raikage Ai’s face darkened. The crimson-tailed beast cloak surrounding his body surged violently, completely covering his head. In that instant, he fully entered a semi-tailed beast transformation mode.

Atop his head, a sharp, antenna-like structure formed.

In the next second, Ai abruptly swung his head forward, smashing it into Susanoo’s grip. Using the steel-hard antenna of the Seven-Tails, he severed Susanoo’s massive thumb that was holding his head. Then, he opened his mouth wide—

Violent tailed beast chakra gathered frantically at his lips, condensing into a rapidly rotating sphere in an 8:2 ratio of Yin and Yang.

"Bug-Eating Cannon!"

Now fully in his semi-tailed beast form, the Third Raikage Ai clung to Susanoo's massive hand with all four limbs. His expression twisted with ferocity as he swallowed the Tailed Beast Bomb. His eyes locked onto Shinji, who was coldly swinging his sword down toward him.

Then, he suddenly opened his mouth.

With his back to the sky, he unleashed destruction upon the earth—

"——Boom!!"

The black-and-red beam of the Seven-Tails’ Bug-Eating Cannon descended from above!

In an instant, it shattered Susanoo's arm and surged wildly toward Shinji!

Seeing this, Shinji's expression changed slightly. He swiftly pulled two kunai from his ninja tool pouch and hurled them toward the ground. Gripping the attached wires, he abruptly altered his trajectory, plummeting downward!

The dark red energy beam roared past his ear.

Just as his back slammed into the ground—

A massive shadow came crashing down!

It was the enormous white-scaled snake, which had been crushed and thrown by the Third Raikage Ai in an instant.

Seeing this, Shinji had no choice but to push off the ground with one hand, flipping sideways to dodge.

However—

In the very next moment—

A terrifying figure wrapped in black lightning, with seven crimson tails waving behind it, had already broken through the surface, charging toward him like a storm.

The attack—Hell Stab: One-Finger Thrust—was aimed straight at Shinji’s forehead!

Fast!

Unbelievably fast!

The Third Raikage Ai’s speed far exceeded Shinji’s expectations.

By forcibly wielding the power of the Seven-Tails, Ai’s speed was no longer a simple sum of 1+1.

At this level, he had completely surpassed every other Kage of this era!

On top of that, his individual combat prowess was already near the level of a super Kage-tier gatekeeper.

An attack that pierced through everything, speed that defied reason, and an almost impenetrable defense—

The Third Raikage’s abilities had reached the limits of human capability!

And yet—

Faced with this attack that could turn his brain into mush within half a second—

Shinji... smiled.

His face twisted into a cold sneer, a cruel smirk, a mocking grin, a look of utter disdain!

The three pitch-black tomoe in his eyes spun wildly, almost forming a single line.

His Sharingan locked onto the incoming thrust—

Yet, the angle was slightly off.

The finger, which should have struck directly between his brows, had veered off toward his earlobe.

"Because his speed has exceeded his neural reaction time, he can't perfectly control this power."

"How pathetic."

"Raikage!"

In that instant—

As if time itself had frozen—

Shinji shook his head in disappointment.

"If you had swapped neural reaction speeds with your son, you might have had a chance to break through this limit."

"But if this is all you can do—"

His indifferent gaze locked onto the finger, slowly approaching the left side of his forehead.

A glint of killing intent flickered in Shinji's eyes.

"Then—"

"I win."

At that very moment—

The veins around Shinji’s eyes bulged suddenly!

His heartbeat doubled in speed!

The terrifying natural energy stored within the [Sage’s Heart] surged into his limbs and bones!

The crimson in his eyes vanished, replaced by sharp golden snake pupils!

A quantitative change led to a qualitative leap—

And qualitative change drove power—

Power that could rewrite reality!

Within half a second, in a world that seemed to be frozen in time, Shinji performed a series of expressions and movements—shaking his head, sneering, and smirking with disdain.

All because—

He had entered Sage Mode!

And all of this was clearly visible in the eyes of the Third Raikage Ai.

In that moment—

A flood of shock crashed through Ai’s mind like a raging tide, exploding in his skull!

In less than half a second, Ai had "seen" Shinji perform a series of actions that only someone who had surpassed extreme speed could achieve.

The implications of this phenomenon—

The realm it represented—

Was precisely the same domain that Ai himself had only set half a foot into—the world of stasis!

When one’s speed surpassed a certain threshold, it created the illusion of stagnation.

If someone could perform ten times, a hundred times more movements than others within the same unit of time—

Then it would feel as though time itself had slowed.

However, Ai had barely begun fumbling through this realm, like a child taking their first unsteady steps.

But Shinji—

He was already a master, controlling his movements with the precision of an experienced driver!

The sheer horror of this realization—

Far surpassed his initial shock upon seeing the terrifying Susanoo,

Or hearing about Shinji tearing through two defensive lines,

Or single-handedly ripping apart two Jinchuriki.

Because those feats—Ai himself could accomplish.

But what Shinji had just done—

Even in Ai’s most confident domain, he could not!

Realizing this, the Third Raikage stared at Shinji in disbelief, mouth opening slightly as if to speak—

"You—"

But Shinji merely gazed at him coldly.

"Then allow your ignorant self to witness this... and die with the regret of never attaining it!"

His lips curled into a villainous smirk as he taunted—

"Let me show you—"

"What it truly means to surpass a Kage!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 365: A Blazing Collision, Blooming Like a Flower!

The golden vertical pupils suddenly contracted!

As the pitch-black lightning converged into a single piercing strike, aimed like a dagger, Shinji tilted his head to the right with the smallest, fastest movement possible, narrowly avoiding the deadly attack!

With a swift pivot on one foot—

The sheer force instantly shattered the ground within a five-meter radius, driving deep into the earth, reaching a depth of eight meters!

Using the momentum, he lashed out with his other leg in a powerful whip kick, striking directly at the strongest Lightning Release Armor covering the body of the Third Raikage, Ay.

Boom!

The sheer force, akin to that of a rampaging Tyrannosaurus, caused the Lightning Armor to ripple!

Hooking onto Ay’s inner ankle, Shinji twisted his entire body around the Third Raikage, violently swinging himself into position. In an instant, he latched onto Ay, driving his elbow into the inner side of Ay’s right arm.

The force of the impact forcibly redirected the Hell Stab: One-Fingered Assault, making it veer off-course—toward the Third Raikage himself!

"His speed… it's on par with the Hell Stab!?"

The Third Raikage’s eyes widened in shock.

"But..."

"I am not the same as before!"

Ay’s gaze hardened. In a split second, he forcefully transformed his stabbing fingers into an open palm, absorbing the backlash from the redirection. Then, he counterattacked, swinging his hand towards Shinji’s eyes!

However, that brief delay had already shifted the battle’s momentum.

Ay’s palm strike slammed into an abruptly materialized, flame-like ribcage—

Susanoo!

With a single strike, the encasing skeletal structure around Shinji shattered!

But Shinji had already used the impact to propel himself backward, swiftly leaping away!

In the next moment—

As he landed, his foot skidded against the ground, kicking up a three-meter-high mound of dirt behind him.

Then, with a sharp twist of his foot, he stopped his backward momentum and rocketed forward again!

BOOM!!

The mound of earth exploded apart as his foot launched a shockwave, creating a violent gust that tore backward!

During this instant, blue lightning flickered wildly across Shinji’s body—

Lightning Release: Chakra Mode, activated!

Shinji became a streak of pure electricity, gripping the scabbard of his sword, the blade trembling with power, occasionally flashing with dazzling golden light. He shot toward the Third Raikage like a meteor!

With ample reserves of both chakra and natural energy, Shinji was no longer limited to a single ability—he could now seamlessly merge the two different power sources.

And the result of combining Sage Mode with Lightning Release: Chakra Mode was—

His Iaido sword-draw technique reached a terrifying new speed, matching the Third Raikage’s full-power burst.

But more importantly—his reaction time and control over his body surpassed even Ay’s!

This strike—

Ay had no way to dodge it!

In this battle of speed demons, Ay instantly realized something shocking:

"This brat..."

"He’s using me to test his techniques!?"

"This is a level of speed he’s never reached before—he’s adapting his body in real time."

"He’s growing stronger as he fights!!"

The realization made Ay’s expression darken. A savage killing intent flashed in his eyes.

"In that case..."

"Seven-Tails! Give me all your power—now!!"

At that moment, within his mental world, Ay's unyielding will—honed through countless battles—erupted as he brutally pummeled Chōmei, forcing the Tailed Beast to relinquish its chakra completely.

As his eyes subtly shifted, his half-Tailed Beast transformation began to take hold.

His pupils bulged, transforming into insect-like compound eyes—hexagonal, white, and utterly inhuman.

The world before him suddenly became crystal clear.

And finally, the rebellious Tailed Beast chakra completely submitted to him!

Ay’s entire aura changed drastically!

Meanwhile—

Shinji twisted mid-air, unsheathing his sword.

The golden blade, wreathed in whirling winds and crackling lightning, split into three distinct arcs!

Sage Mode: Lightning Release Chakra Mode - Secret Sword: Swallow Return!

A fusion of raw power and sheer technique, unleashing an ultrasonic vacuum slash capable of slicing through Lightning Release Armor!

The tip of his blade moved so fast it broke the high-supersonic barrier, emitting a deafening boom!

Three golden slashes shot forward—

Clashing head-on with the growing crimson lightning surrounding Ay!

"—BOOM!!"

The ground within a hundred-meter radius quaked violently, collapsing into a massive crater.

Web-like cracks spread wildly, tearing through the land. Grass, rocks, and debris were flung skyward by the residual impact!

As the dazzling golden light and crimson lightning struggled against each other—

Shinji’s eyes flashed with a ruthless glint.

His golden irises spun slightly, revealing three pitch-black tomoe—

At Ay’s feet, the shattered earth erupted open—

A colossal Susanoo warrior, forged from blood-red energy, surged forth, gripping a thunder-forged greatsword!

The eighteen-meter-long sword swung like a club, hammering down onto Ay’s skull!

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

The Third Raikage was pounded straight into the earth, driven deeper with each crushing impact!

But then—

A monstrous surge of power erupted from the depths of the crater!

A bloodied figure, eyes wild with battle lust, shot into the sky!

Ay’s seventh tail coiled around his arm, partially transforming, extending into a massive, twenty-meter-long tendril infused with black lightning—

A technique so devastating, it had once sent a living Uchiha Madara flying—

Hell Stab: Tentacle Strike!

Yet—

Shinji didn’t dodge.

He grinned savagely and dove straight into the attack!

Mid-flight, he struck his own chest—igniting a blazing inferno across his body!

Fire Release: Chakra Mode, activated!

Gripping his legendary Kusanagi Blade, he poured an overwhelming amount of natural energy and chakra into it—forming a forty-meter-long, scorching flame blade!

Ninjutsu, Senjutsu, Natural Energy, Tailed Beast Chakra—

The Sword of Whirling Tempests, the Great Sword of Blazing Fury, the Ultrasonic Vacuum Slash—

Different techniques, fused together through Sage Mode, flowing seamlessly into one another!

And in this moment—

Shinji finally saw it—

The ultimate ability granted by his Heart of Steel!

By endlessly stacking abilities—

He could push quantity into quality!

In an instant—

Crimson lightning and a multicolored light-blade collided!

The next moment, the two figures exploded apart, only to crash into each other again!

Their strikes focused into a single point—

And then—

It bloomed, like a flower!

A hurricane of force erupted, tearing the battlefield apart!

With every clash, they obliterated everything within a hundred meters!

The earth collapsed, trembled, roared!

In just five minutes, they had carved a path ten kilometers long, from the north of the city to the south!

The six-hundred-meter-high rock pillar, atop which stood the Tenshukaku, was pierced through and collapsed into rubble!

From an aerial perspective—

The once-thriving city now resembled a barren wasteland, a flower field of devastation—

A Hollowed Bloom of Death.

(End of Chapter.)