This was...
A clone? Through the layers of water pressing down on him, the Third Raikage slowly shifted his gaze from the figure behind and to his side—the one controlling the water sphere and identical to that Uchiha Clan brat—to the towering stone pillar that had suddenly risen from the black lightning pool and now stopped ascending.
That made sense. A mere Water Prison Technique only needed a clone! If the real body were this close, facing him would mean tremendous danger to his life.
As the Third Raikage's gaze fell upon the stone pillar, that perfectly reasonable thought crossed his mind.
At such close range, if the Water Prison Technique failed to hold him, that Uchiha Clan brat would practically be walking into a trap, delivering his chest straight to the Raikage's fist. It was nearly suicidal!
Even if the other side intended to exploit reverse psychology, the instant he broke free of the Water Prison Technique, there was no way he would spare a clone that could serve as a tactical anchor. The first thing he would do after regaining his freedom would likely be to smash that clone apart.
He believed that Uchiha Clan brat certainly understood this as well. Placing his real body so close to him was no different from courting death!
This Water Prison Technique was meant to trap him and fix his position. Then the main attack should come from that stone platform, from the real Uchiha Clan brat and his clones...
With that thought, the Third Raikage narrowed his eyes slightly. Reflected in his sharp gaze were the red mist ribbon crackling with black lightning and the stone pillar rising nearly three meters out of it.
"Crack... crack..."
At that moment, a series of rocks cracking and flaking away sounded through the