Sparring-The Fourth Raikage (Part 2)

The Fourth Raikage calmly watched as a large number of ice snakes approached him, seemingly oblivious. His two failed attempts gradually made him realize that Issui was toying with him, exhausting his stamina before delivering a devastating blow. In that case, Issui would be the victor in this battle.

Actually, anyone would think the same way, but things are never that simple. While you're calculating against others, they're calculating against you. The Raikage is completely being led by the Issui. The first two Genjutsu attacks were used to confuse the Raikage, and the third attack is the real attack.

If Raikage looked closely, he would have noticed a fundamental difference between this third attack and the previous two: their aura. The ice snakes of the first two attacks were merely simulations; although they appeared ferocious on the surface, their inner workings were entirely illusory. The third attack, however, revealed the true killing intent emanating from these ice snakes—a real killing intent that was absent in the previous two attacks.

"Hiss..." One after another, ice snakes appeared in front of Raikage and launched a rapid attack on him, some coiling, some biting, some whipping... Each ice snake used its most ferocious means to attack, determined to inflict heavy damage on the enemy.

At first, the Raikage wore a disdainful expression, but when the intense pain surged through his body, his face turned ashen, like a wilted eggplant. He had been framed and outmaneuvered by Issui's petty scheme. Instantly, he concentrated his Lightning Release Chakra throughout his body, greatly stimulating the activity of his body's cells, and used his most ferocious attack to shatter the ice snakes around him.

"Boom... Boom... Boom..."

Raikage was consumed by rage. In his eyes, Issui was just a child who posed little threat to him. But now it seemed that things were not so simple. He had only been fighting for a short time when he was dragged into Wei Shui's trap and injured. Although the injuries were only superficial and posed no real threat, they had made him lose face. In a fit of rage, unable to find Issui, he blasted his ice snakes to smithereens!

Ōnoki looked at the Raikage, who was attacking frantically in the arena, and shook his head, saying, "The Raikage's mentality isn't good. A bad temper is bad for his health. He was so easily provoked by Issui. This won't do. If this continues, defeat is inevitable."

Mei Terumi disagreed with Ōnoki's opinion, saying calmly, "I don't think the Raikage is that simple. He's been in that position for so many years; how could he be defeated so easily? Although he's not good at Genjutsu Raikage, he's not that crazy. He's just angry, but not blinded by rage. Just watch; he's not that simple."

Gaara nodded in agreement, saying, "I think so too. If the Raikage were to lose so easily, he would absolutely not deserve to be the Raikage. Although the current situation is somewhat troublesome, it is not insurmountable. Every Ninjutsu has its flaws; we just need to analyze it carefully."

Leaving aside everyone else's feelings, on Raikage's side, amidst his relentless, fluctuating attacks, he suddenly noticed a clue. He gradually grasped that fleeting feeling of inspiration. Carefully considering his attacks, he discovered that each time he left the icy ground beneath his feet, the surrounding environment shrank slightly. And while he couldn't see Ōnoki and the other two before, once he jumped out of a certain limited area, he could vaguely sense their presence. What did this mean?

After the Raikage destroyed all the ice snakes, he stood quietly on the ground, pondering the specific actions of Issui when he activated his Genjutsu. First, Issui used an Ice Release Secret Technique to crystallize the surrounding world, and then he used his Genjutsu. Why did he alter the terrain before activating the Genjutsu? It certainly wasn't for his own advantage in battle, and even if it was, it wasn't for that simple purpose. His true purpose was probably...

Issui underground, Ichisui quietly observed the Raikage's expression. It seemed he had roughly guessed something. Although Issui's Genjutsu was powerful—even if the Sharingan entered Genjutsu, Confucius couldn't escape—it had a significant flaw: its height limit was only eight meters. Beyond eight meters, the Genjutsu became ineffective. The reason this Genjutsu could be considered Genjutsu S-rank Ninjutsu was because it utilized the surrounding environment. Once the support of the environment was lost, the Genjutsu became merely a regular Genjutsu.

The ice crystal world created by Issui only rises to a maximum height of eight meters, which limits the height range of the Genjutsu. Therefore, once outside this height range, Issui's technique becomes only at the level of an ordinary Genjutsu.

A slight smile crept onto the Raikage's lips. He understood; now was his time to strike back. He channeled all his Lightning Release Chakra into himself, stimulating his muscles and cells, then stomped heavily on the ground, rising into the air at incredible speed. At his highest point, the Raikage was already over ten meters above the ground. He Hand Seals, dispelling Issui's Genjutsu and detecting Issui's presence. He decided to unleash Issui swift and devastating attack. After being tormented for so long, he was furious beyond measure.

"Nintaijutsu - Lightning Release - ((Super) Liger Bomb!!!"

The Raikage's body began to spin rapidly around one of his legs, with flashes of lightning dancing around him. Gradually, he transformed into a thundercloud storm, the rapidly swirling air enveloping his entire body. A flurry of lightning illuminated the sky. Finally, the thundercloud storm that the Raikage had become descended at an incredibly swift speed, shooting off like an arrow, its target the Issui hidden beneath the ground.

Although Issui was surprised by the Raikage's counterattack, he wasn't afraid of his attack. Moreover, the Ice Release he had set up earlier wasn't entirely useless; the Genjutsu was merely a cover for the power of his Ice Release. The real battle had only just begun, and the outcome was uncertain. However, one thing was certain: the Raikage wouldn't be victorious today. There was no reason other than Issui's superior strength. There's always someone stronger, and there's always someone better!

"Ice - Ice Kill Evolution, Twin Dragon Ice Storm!!"

Issui channeled all his Chakra into the ground, instantly transforming the surrounding icy world. Snowflakes fell heavier and heavier, ripples spreading outwards from Issui. Ice crystals transformed into giant ice snakes that swirled around him. Gradually, these ice snakes coalesced into two enormous ice dragons, each over thirty meters long. Amidst the mingling ice and snow, the crystal eyes of the two ice dragons emitted a purplish-red light. They roared at Issui thundercloud storm formed by the Raikage and charged towards it at the same high speed!

Ōnoki, Gaara Mei Terumi caught in the Ice Release of the Issui -style attacks. The surging icy power forced them to quickly leave the area where the two were fighting. The biting cold was unbearable, and the extreme cold was making them feel quite uncomfortable. It seemed that the temperature here was close to absolute zero.

"What amazing Ice Release Ninjutsu! I never imagined he could master it so perfectly. If we're talking about Ice Release in this world, he's the best. After seeing his Ice Release Ninjutsu, I think no one can surpass him. No wonder he became Hokage at such a young age. It seems his strength has reached or even surpassed that of an ordinary S-rank ninja," Ōnoki exclaimed.

Gaara shook his head. "You're not quite right. His strength is far beyond what it is now. Haven't you heard that he's a ninja with Kekkei Genkai? He hasn't used Kekkei Genkai abilities yet."

Ōnoki said in surprise, "I really don't know much about him. I hadn't paid much attention to him before, just noticed him a little. I didn't expect him to be Kekkei Genkai ninja. It seems that the Raikage is completely out of luck this time."

"Boom... Boom..."

The twin ice dragons and the thundercloud storm collided heavily, and everyone's vision blurred, unable to see anything clearly. A constant roaring sound filled their ears, demonstrating the intensity of the collision.

Gradually, as everyone took in the scene, they discovered that Issui was simply standing quietly on the ground, without a single scratch on her body, and was in high spirits and good condition, with a slight smile on her lips.

On the other side, the Raikage lay sprawled on the ground in a disheveled state, but he still stubbornly braced himself with his arms to prevent himself from collapsing completely. A trickle of bright red liquid appeared at the corner of his mouth, and his entire body was covered in shattered ice crystals. His hair was covered in a large amount of ice and snow, making it look like it had been dyed, turning it a bright silver.

Everyone could clearly see the situation here: the Raikage had lost his fighting ability. In this battle, the Hokage, Issui Kanna, had won, and the Raikage had become Issui's stepping stone, proving to everyone Issui's strength. He was fully qualified to become the leader of the Allied Shinobi Forces.

Seeing that the battle was basically decided, Mifune stepped forward and said, "Alright, you two can stop now. The battle is over. The winner is the Sixth Hokage, Issui Kanna, from Konoha, and the loser is the Fourth Raikage, A Yotsuki, from Kumogakure. All the Kage present saw this. That's the result. Now, can we continue our discussion?"

The Raikage stood up, looking at Issui with a complicated expression, and said through gritted teeth, "Hmph, although I lost to you, it was because I was not strong enough. I won't cheat. I can accept defeat. I officially take back what I said before. You are a formidable opponent, not some insignificant doll, but a true ninja."

Issui smiled and said, "Thank you. Actually, your strength is quite good too. It's just that you were a little lacking in Genjutsu at the beginning, which gave me the upper hand. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to win so easily. Moreover, your personality suits my taste. Although I thought you had a bit of a temper before, after our exchange, I found that you are quite calm and meticulous despite your rough exterior. No wonder you were able to become the Raikage."