Stubborn Cloud Ninja

"Make a choice! Hand over the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, or let Kumogakure be wiped out."

"Lightning Release: Lightning Illusion Flash Pillar."

An incredibly dazzling burst of light erupted, illuminating the surrounding area in an instant. The Cloud Ninja behind Xi were already prepared and had closed their eyes the moment Xi made his move, completely unaffected by the intense light.

When the light faded, the Asura Path stood motionless on the mountain path.

"Lord Third Hokage, please don't be offended!"

"Everything is for the village, act quickly!"

"Cloud Flow, strike forward!"

The Cloud Ninja leaped out, wielding their long swords and slashing at the Third Raikage.

A series of clanging sounds rang out, and sparks could be faintly seen flying.

The recoil from the longsword in his hand sent him flying backward. If his companion hadn't caught him, he might have tumbled off the mountain path and fallen into the abyss.

The Cloud Ninja were bewildered as they looked at the chipped edge on their meticulously forged longsword.

"This is outrageous!"

Finally, a Cloud Ninja cursed aloud. They never expected that the enemy behind them could keep the Third Raikage's body intact and retain the powerful and invincible defense that was in front of him. They could kill the Third Hokage Raikage's body even if they tried for a lifetime.

"How strange!"

Xi frowned deeply. His Lightning Illusion Flash Pillar wasn't meant to dazzle anyone; it was actually a Genjutsu designed to make the opponent mistake it for Ninjutsu that obstructed their vision, thus causing them to fall victim to Genjutsu.

However, judging from the appearance of the Third Hokage Lord, he did not seem to be under Genjutsu; his round eyes remained as cold as ice.

Or rather, these puppets are immune to Genjutsu.

"Hiss!"

Thinking of this, Xi suddenly felt a toothache. He knew very well how strong the Third Raikage's physical body was. To be precise, everyone in the Cloud Ninja knew the story of how the Third Hokage Raikage fought the Eight-Tails single-handedly for three days and three nights, only to collapse from exhaustion. Even the Tailed Beast Bomb couldn't harm the Third Hokage Raikage in the slightest.

Now, the physical body of the deceased Third Hokage Lord has retained its former strength, and even Genjutsu are ineffective against it.

It has absolutely no weaknesses!

"Have you tested them enough?" Asura Path spoke again. "Stop wasting any more time. Either hand over the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, or watch helplessly as Kumogakure is swallowed up by the blizzard! Two choices. Go tell your Raikage that time is running out."

hope's face was extremely gloomy, and his teeth were grinding together.

However, no matter how angry he was, they were clearly helpless against the Third Raikage blocking their path.

"So it was you guys who caused the blizzard!"

The roar was like thunder, and a streak of azure lightning swept across the sky above the Cloud Ninja, appearing directly in front of Xi.

Ai stared at his dead father, his anger reaching its peak, but he forcefully suppressed it. This was not the time to lose his temper; the enemy was those two freaks, and with his men, the chances of taking them down were slim.

"Raikage, you've come at the perfect time. I'll say it again: give me the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, and I'll stop the blizzard."

Asura Path stood confidently in the middle of the mountain path, looking down at Ai.

"Was Yugito Nii you before?"

"Yugito Nii? Ah! You mean the Two-Tails Jinchuriki? That's right, we took him. Now, we need the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. Raikage, make a choice! Will you protect the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, or the hundreds of thousands of people in your Kumogakure?"

Asura Path spoke slowly.

Ai Hu stared wide-eyed at his father's all-too-familiar face, his heart aching as if being torn apart by a knife.

"Lord Raikage, we mustn't be fooled by these scoundrels!"

"Don't worry, Xi, I won't use my brother as a bargaining chip," Ai said, emphasizing each word. He stared at Asura Path, "Listen up, you bunch of bastards! The Cloud Ninja don't trade their own people. We only protect ourselves with our fists."

"Boom!!!"

A burst of azure lightning erupted, shattering Ai's white cloak into pieces. Sparkling arcs of lightning coiled around his arms, and the rocks beneath his feet crumbled under the weight.

"Heavy Downpour."

With a swift, powerful elbow strike, Ai slammed his elbow into Asura Path's neck amidst a deafening roar, sending the burly man flying. His body was embedded deep into the rock face, leaving a spiderweb-like crack.

Snowflakes drifted down from the stone platform above the cliff, burying half of Asura Path's body.

"Hateful!"

Despite landing a successful blow, Ai showed no sign of triumph.

The hard sensation coming from his elbow made him dare not relax for a moment.

"How stubborn!"

Asura Path waved his hand, and a burst of lightning instantly evaporated the snow off his body. He stood up calmly, looked at Ai who was on high alert, and shook his head.

"You Cloud Ninja are even more stubborn than the Stone Ninja! Can't you just make a peaceful deal? Trading the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki for hundreds of thousands of people in your village is such a good deal! And if you refuse to trade, we'll still have to deal with the Eight-Tails after everyone in Kumogakure is dead."

"It's not worth risking the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in the entire village to uphold your so-called bottom line. If everyone dies, your insistence will become a joke. You might as well make a deal with me here. As long as we get the Eight-Tails, we will leave the Land of Lightning immediately. I'm not afraid to tell you, our next target is the Nine-Tails of Konoha. So, Raikage, what do you think?"

"Bang!!"

A flash of azure lightning illuminated the scene as Ai's powerful punch slammed into Asura Path's neck.

Asura Path leaned back, his right foot striking Ai's abdomen with the force of a venomous dragon, causing both of them to stagger backward almost simultaneously.

"You ungrateful wretch! Since you're so eager to die, then die!"

As soon as Asura Path finished speaking, his clothes ripped apart, and a hacksaw tail suddenly extended from his lumbar spine. It flew along the mountain path like lightning to Ai's front and stabbed him hard in the lower abdomen once again.

"Sizzle!"

The hacksaw pierced Ai's lower abdomen, like hitting a steel plate forged from refined steel. Sparks flew from the friction, but it couldn't go any further.

"Lightning Release: False Darkness"

No one stood idly by. Now that the Lord Raikage had made his decision, all they had to do was obey orders, even if it meant sacrificing their lives.

The sharp lightning bolt, like an indestructible spear, charged forward and struck the head of the Asura Path with deadly accuracy.

The strike that could pierce through metal and stone only bent the neck of the Asura Path.

"Water Release, Water Whip."

A long water whip suddenly flew up from the cliff beside Asura Path, accurately ensnaring his head and dragging him directly into the abyss.

"Lord Raikage, we've come to keep the Third Hokage occupied. Please go find the mastermind behind this."

A dark-skinned young Jonin grinned at A, then leaped off the cliff, followed closely by seven or eight Cloud Ninja. (To be continued)