Sparring-The Fourth Raikage (Middle)

"Boom..."

With a deafening roar, the Fourth Raikage's fierce attack blasted a huge crater into the ground, causing extensive cracking of the surrounding soil. Wisps of blue smoke rose from beneath his feet, a reaction to the powerful Lightning Release striking the ground. In addition, several wooden stakes shattered.

"That Hokage kid isn't so simple. Didn't you see those pieces of wood under the Raikage's feet? That's the Substitution Technique. I didn't expect the Hokage kid to be able to use the Substitution Technique in that state. He's really not simple. If I'm not mistaken, the Hokage kid should have formed the hand Hand Seals with one hand," Ōnoki said calmly.

"One-handed hand Hand Seals?" Gaara was clearly surprised, but he quickly realized why. No wonder he could escape from the Raikage's feet; it was because of the one-handed hand Hand Seals. He had already used Earth Release with one hand to capture the Fourth Raikage, but the Fourth Raikage advanced instead of retreating, disrupting his Earth Release. So, he had no choice but to use one hand Hand Seals, because his other hand was currently using Earth Release!

Earth Release: Rock Iron Spear!! Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!!! Combination Ninjutsu: Mountain of Blades and Sea of Fire!!!

Suddenly, Issui appeared behind the Raikage, his left hand pressed against the ground while his right hand Hand Seals. Several extremely hot fire dragons spewed from Issui's mouth, charging towards the Raikage. At the same time, the ground surged wildly, and stone pillars made of massive rocks burst forth from the ground, also targeting the Raikage. Combining Earth Release and Fire Style, the fire dragons, along with the rock spears, launched a fierce attack on the Raikage.

"It's a combination Ninjutsu! Impressive. It seems his mastery of Ninjutsu has reached a level of proficiency. Moreover, his hands work independently while simultaneously Hand Seals techniques, executing the combination Ninjutsu flawlessly. Truly impressive! He's not inferior to this old man. Sigh, young people are indeed formidable. No wonder the outside world calls him the Demon God, Konoha calls him the Star of Hope. It seems there's some truth to it. However, this alone doesn't prove his strength. Let's keep watching; I'm sure he'll continue to surprise everyone," Ōnoki exclaimed.

"Hmph! Lariat!!!" Although the Raikage was somewhat surprised by Issui's strength, he did not back down. He stimulated the cells in his body with Lightning Release Chakra and rushed into the sky at an extremely fast speed. Then, he concentrated Lightning Release Chakra throughout his body and rushed towards Issui with swift speed. He wanted to use brute force to knock Issui away!

"Bang..."

The Fourth Lightning's body sent Issui flying, its speed exceeding the speed of sound, reaching approximately three-thirds of the speed of sound!

Issui clutched his chest and quickly retreated. Raikage's speed was simply too fast; it was impossible to discern his movements clearly. It seemed that Raikage was practically invincible in close combat. However, Yi Shui was no ordinary being either. It seemed that if he didn't reveal some of his strength, he would be looked down upon.

"Ice --Profound Mystery: Land of Ice and Frost!!" Issui pressed his hands to the ground, and a large amount of ice-attribute Chakra surged from his body. Instantly, the surrounding world was covered with a thick layer of ice crystals, which, combined with the current icy and snowy environment, was even more dazzling. Each ice crystal was constantly emitting a cold aura.

Even those watching the sparring felt a chill run down their spines, their bodies stiffened slightly, and their reactions became less responsive. The surrounding air temperature also grew colder, and everyone instinctively tightened their clothes.

"He actually changed the environment. He's really amazing. His Ice Release is much more powerful than the Ice Release of the Kirigakure Yuki Clan. In this environment, everyone fighting him will probably react more slowly. This technique must be controlling the Raikage's speed. In this environment, even if the Raikage activates his Lightning Release, his speed will be reduced by half." Mei Terumi exclaimed.

Ōnoki nodded in agreement. "You're right. Hokage -kun's technique is meant to limit Raikage's speed. After all, if Raikage goes all out, probably no one can catch him. But I think Hokage -kun's technique isn't that simple."

"Genjutsu - Ice and Snow World!! All Things in Nature!!" Issui grinned wickedly at Raikage, his hands rapidly Hand Seals, and then his body mysteriously and gradually merged into the ice crystals, disappearing without a trace.

Gaara watched as the Issui sank into the ice crystals and disappeared, saying with some surprise, "What happened? It looks a bit like Genjutsu. The Raikage is in trouble. Kumogakure isn't usually very good at Genjutsu. Although the Raikage is a top-tier S-rank ninja, he's not that good at dealing with Genjutsu."

Mei Terumi discerned a slight clue about the technique "Water Release: Issui Technique" and said calmly, "This isn't a simple Genjutsu; it's practically a real Genjutsu. It blends seamlessly with the surrounding environment to launch a mental attack on the enemy while simultaneously using Ninjutsu. Simply put, there are real attacks and fake attacks within the Genjutsu. This kind of Genjutsu is extremely advanced. And if I'm not mistaken, we were all caught in the Genjutsu at the beginning. It's a combination Genjutsu, a multi-layered Genjutsu!"

Ōnoki reached out and touched the ice crystals on the ground. A chilling sensation shot straight to his head, but strangely, his body didn't feel the cold. It was just a subconscious feeling, not something he actively perceived. It was as if it was being perceived by someone else. Genjutsu! What a realistic Genjutsu! So it used the environment. But it's probably not that simple.

He touched the ice crystals on the ground again with his hands, and this time it was cool as well. But this time, Ōnoki felt that the feeling was real. What was going on? The two places had different sensations. Although they were generally similar, the sensations were obviously different. One was physical, and the other was subconscious. The two were very different. This kind of Genjutsu was too terrifying.

"The Raikage is in big trouble. This Genjutsu has surpassed the level of A-rank and belongs to the realm of Profound Mystery Genjutsu. If I were to fall into it, I'm afraid I would have to pay a very high price to get out," Ōnoki said, standing up.

Gaara said calmly, "My sand tells me that it's dangerous around here!"

The Fourth Raikage was like an ant on a hot pan, feeling as if his surroundings had suddenly changed. He realized he had fallen into Issui Genjutsu, but no matter what he tried to use his usual experience to escape it, it was useless. Even when he finally emerged from the Genjutsu, he found that his surroundings had changed again, and he was back in the same Genjutsu —a bizarre situation.

Long ago, the Kumogakure had been constantly searching for various methods to break Genjutsu. As the village's Raikage, he had learned a little bit about it. However, after using the methods he knew, he found that none of them worked. He was still trapped in the Genjutsu, and strangely enough, he himself wasn't even sure if he was truly in Genjutsu, because the surrounding environment was incredibly realistic, terrifyingly so. Generally, Genjutsu is virtual, but once Genjutsu becomes real, it's different. It transcends Genjutsu; let's call it creation!

"Hiss..."

A large number of ice snakes emerged from the ground and slowly crawled towards Raikage. They were not fast, but they gave people a very ferocious feeling. One of them opened its mouth wide, revealing pairs of sharp fangs!

"Hmph, watch me blast you all apart! Nintaijutsu - Lightning Release - Lariat!!" The Raikage concentrated his Lightning Release Chakra in his elbow and charged towards the swarm of snakes. One ice snake was shattered by his attack, turning into fragments of ice scattered on the ground.

However, after this group of ice snakes was destroyed, a large number of ice snakes emerged again. They continued to perform the same actions as the previous group of snakes, charging towards the Raikage. Just like the previous group of snakes, they slowly crawled towards the Raikage.

"Again, brat! You're not going to keep using these useless ice snakes, are you? They're no match for me. Show me something new! These things can't do anything to me. Nintaijutsu: Lightning Release - Lariat!!" The Raikage charged at the ice snake swarm again, but this time he was cursing incessantly.

To Raikage's horror, after the first group of ice snakes was eliminated, he discovered another group had appeared. Upon closer inspection, he realized a crucial problem: not only were the numbers of these waves of ice snakes roughly the same, but their shapes were also remarkably similar. He could conclude that this was Genjutsu, a trick to deceive him. These ice snakes were merely virtual entities and posed no threat whatsoever; his previous attack had been a complete waste of effort.

Those watching from the sidelines, however, witnessed a completely different scene. They discovered that Raikage had launched two haphazard attacks in succession, without any strategy or method, and it was unclear what he was striking. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought he was cultivating in the snow.

Gaara then asked in confusion, "Why can't the Raikage see us when we're in Genjutsu just like him? And why can't we see some of the illusions he sees? This shouldn't be happening."

Ōnoki, having experienced much, thought for a moment and gradually grasped a clue, organizing his thoughts as he said, "This is the power of multiple Genjutsu. In this kind of Genjutsu, because many Genjutsu are layered, they can perform different functions. We are only within the shallow layer of the Genjutsu, because Issui wasn't targeting us, and he wanted us to see the Raikage's state. But the Raikage is different; he is within the deep layer of the Genjutsu, so naturally he can't see us in the shallow layer."

At that moment Mei Terumi suddenly said, "Look, the scene has changed! There are a lot of ice snakes around the Raikage, but he's not making a move. Instead, he's smiling. What's going on? Why isn't he attacking those ice snakes?"

Ōnoki sighed and said, "How terrifying! The illusions and the real attacks were so intricate. The Raikage's previous two attacks were likely influenced by Genjutsu, targeting the ice snakes. But he suddenly realized it was just Genjutsu, and stopped attacking when the third attack appeared. Unfortunately, this attack was real! It's an unimaginable Genjutsu attack, combining illusion and reality, so subtle and indistinct, that it's impossible to defend against!"