Third Raikage vs. Senju Zen

"Crack!!"

Before the Third Raikage could figure it out, Suikazan Fuguki suddenly raised his hand.

With his hands raised high towards the Third Raikage, who was hanging upside down on the ceiling, a jet-black leopard-shaped bolt of lightning suddenly shot out.

The dark lightning was shattered by the Third Raikage's punch.

However, the astonishment in his eyes was hard to conceal. This Black Lightning Technique was his unique secret skill. In the entire Kumogakure, only Darui had learned it, and no third person had mastered the Black Lightning Technique.

He didn't believe a Mist Ninja could master his unique technique.

"Unless... it absorbed my attack and then released it again? What a bizarre ability."

The Third Raikage took a deep breath. If Ninjutsu attacks are ineffective, then let's try Taijutsu!

His right hand was outstretched, his thumb pressed against his palm, and his four fingers together like a sharp knife. Azure lightning flickered between his fingers, faintly forming a flickering, unpredictable sharpness.

His waist sank, his legs pressed down like springs, and then suddenly he unleashed an incredibly terrifying force.

Hell Stab - Four Fingers Thrust!!

The ceiling was shattered by the Third Raikage, and he plummeted down with lightning speed, raising his right palm to stab fiercely at Suikazan Fuguki's head.

His first move was a deadly strike.

"Ninjutsu, Senbon."

Suikazan Fuguki suddenly lowered his head, and his long, orange-red hair began to dance. His originally soft hair suddenly tightened, and each strand became as hard as a steel needle, shooting into the air with a rustling sound.

The hair struck the Third Raikage, making a series of clanging sounds as if hitting a steel plate.

Without causing the Third Raikage the slightest harm, the right palm, radiating sharpness, touched the top of Suikazan Fuguki in the next instant.

"Smack!"

The head of the Suikazan Fuguki really did explode like a ripe watermelon, splattering red and white matter all around, sticking to the walls, and emitting a pungent, bloody smell.

With his feet firmly planted in a pool of blood, and shaking off the brain tissue clinging to his hands, the Third Raikage's brows remained furrowed.

Looking at the headless corpse of the Suikazan Fuguki lying on the ground, he felt that something was wrong.

Ultimately, the Konoha missing-nin was supposed to appear didn't show up. So why is one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist here? And where are the Ninja Blade?

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen Mist Ninja have a great reputation, thanks to their seven Ninja Blades, each with a different function.

However, this Seven Ninja Swordsmen did not use Ninja Blade.

Konoha and Mist Ninja?

The Third Raikage frowned, pondering the connection.

But before he could figure it out, another unexpected event occurred—

"Truly impressive, as expected of Lord Raikage."

A man's voice suddenly echoed in the hall, and footsteps gradually approached from a distance.

Wearing a black robe embroidered with clusters of red clouds, Senju Zen smiled broadly and gazed at the scene from afar, his eyes looking as if he were looking at a rare treasure.

The Third Raikage stood motionless, noticing in the distance the Konoha forehead protector Senju Zen wore on his forehead, the leaf emblem broken horizontally. A thought struck him, and he asked in a deep voice, "Konoha missing-nin? Senju Zen? Or Uchiha Genso?"

After hearing what Yellow Flash said, he also specifically looked up information about Konoha's only two S-rank missing-nin.

However, the information was scarce; only a few words were used to introduce the person's name and what they had done before defecting from Konoha.

The photo was taken when I was a teenager, showing a very youthful appearance, quite different from the person in front of me.

"Senju Zen".

The hall was quite a mess because of the previous trampling by Gamaken; there wasn't a single intact place to step.

Senju Zen kicked over a standing bluestone, stepped on it, and introduced himself to the Third Raikage with a smile.

"Genso has left outside to deal with those troublesome fellows; it's just the two of us here."

"The Senju Zen, is it? You and this Mist Ninja... what exactly are you planning to do?"

The Third Raikage questioned sharply, and at the same time kicked the headless corpse of Suikazan Fuguki, sending it crashing to the ground and becoming a bloody mess.

Just by looking at their clothes, it's obvious without even guessing that the dead Mist Ninja and this Senju Zen were in cahoots.

"What for? It's simple! I've only come to this place to find something." Senju Zen looked at the corpse of Suikazan Fuguki, his smile unchanged.

"Things? What things?"

The Third Raikage asked, a look of doubt appearing between his brows.

"..." Senju Zen smiled, revealing a set of pearly white teeth, "Your life."

······

The Third Raikage squinted, remaining silent.

He was momentarily stunned by this unexpected answer. He had even guessed that these guys' target might be Jinchuriki, but he never expected it to be him.

He didn't understand what was so special about an old man like himself that was worth remembering.

However, he could tell that Senju Zen wasn't just making things up; there might be some hidden meaning in his words, but he was certain that his target was him.

Having seen through this, he breathed a sigh of relief, even secretly glad that the other party hadn't chosen to make a move in the village, but rather in these mountains.

"Raikage, how about we make a deal? If you surrender obediently, we'll leave immediately and promise not to stay in the Land of Lightning for even a minute longer. Our main target is Konoha; compared to the Cloud Ninja, we'd rather destroy Konoha... What do you say to this deal?"

"Senju Zen," he said with a smile.

"Konoha? Hmph! If you want my life, you'll have to take it yourself!"

The Third Raikage stomped his foot on the ground, and suddenly, like a cannonball fired, accompanied by a whistling wind, a cold, azure-blue lightning bolt arrived in front of Senju Zen in an instant.

"Hell Stab - Four Fingers Thrust!"

Here we see this terrifying attack once again.

However, as if he had foreseen the future, Senju Zen slightly crouched down and tilted his head to the side, narrowly avoiding the sharp palm strike.

Shinra Tensei.

Senju Zen's right hand was aimed at the Third Raikage's body; he was originally going to launch this attack before the Third Raikage got close.

Unexpectedly, the Third Raikage's speed was truly terrifying, reaching its limit.

Fortunately, he wasn't just watching the Third Raikage with one pair of eyes; he instinctively reacted, dodging the ferocious attack and launching a counterattack.

An invisible and traceless repulsive force suddenly erupted, landing on the Third Raikage's well-developed chest. In that instant, as if struck by a battering ram, the Third Raikage's magnificent body swayed, and he slid backward.

Yes, it slid out.

The Third Raikage devised a countermeasure in the blink of an eye, sinking his feet deep into the rubble and carving two deep trenches, each fifteen or sixteen meters long, into the broken ground.

His face was filled with utter astonishment.

For the first time in many years, a 'human' has driven him back.

Previously, only the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails had accomplished this feat, using the monstrous strength derived from their massive Tailed Beast bodies to send him flying.

Gazing intently at Senju Zen's eerie, wavy, circular eyes, the Third Raikage steeled his gaze. He realized that if he didn't handle this situation properly, he might truly die here. (To be continued)