Hell Stab, the Raikage Takes Action

Ryosuke felt something rapidly draining away from within his body.

But a surge of power filled the darkness in his heart once more.

The passive skill High-Speed Regeneration had finally activated.

As his injuries rapidly healed, Ryosuke was surprised to discover that his chakra and stamina were recovering just as quickly.

He wasn't back to full strength, but he'd recovered most of it.

He was both shocked and delighted.

Did the system want him to become some kind of masochist who enjoyed hurting himself?

Ryosuke shook his head and pushed the thought aside.

The Cloud Ninja Jonin was still howling at the sky, mourning his comrade.

This was his chance.

This time, Ryosuke no longer worried about conserving chakra. He immediately activated Lightning Release: Lightning Armor and the Eight Inner Gates.

"Hm?"

The Cloud Ninja Jonin had astonishingly keen senses.

He sensed danger almost instantly.

He used the Substitution Technique at the same time.

Ryosuke's always-reliable killing blow only cut through a log this time.

Ryosuke stood where he was and shook his head helplessly.

"I miscalculated. I forgot to activate the Sharingan. I moved too fast and couldn't even keep track of my target."

With the supercharged boost from Lightning Release: Lightning Armor, Ryosuke's body had been activated to an unprecedented degree.

His two-tomoe Sharingan couldn't even keep up with his own speed.

That was why he hadn't noticed his target using the Substitution Technique until the last moment.

But the Cloud Ninja Jonin was even more surprised than he was.

"How are you still alive? And how do you know the Raikage's techniques?"

He asked in astonishment.

This Uchiha brat had shocked him again and again.

Not only was the kid holding his comrade's weapon, he also knew ninjutsu unique to Kumogakure.

"You're only figuring that out now? I really wonder how you became a Jonin. Are there really no capable ninjas left in Kumogakure?"

Ryosuke taunted him.

"Uchiha brat, how dare you mock me!"

"Lightning Release: Hell Stab: Four-Finger Nukite!"

The Jonin extended four fingers on his right hand, Lightning Release Chakra crackling around them.

[Congratulations, host. The system has detected an S-rank ninjutsu, Lightning Release: Hell Stab: Four-Finger Nukite. It has been recorded.]

Whoa, wasn't this the signature technique of the Third Raikage?

How did this guy know it too?

The system's notification didn't make Ryosuke happy. If anything, it startled him.

This technique was similar to Hatake Kakashi's Chidori, but even more powerful.

The Third Raikage's technique was also known as the "Strongest Spear." Along with Lightning Armor, known as the "Strongest Shield," it formed the foundation of Kumogakure's Nintaijutsu.

This was an upgraded version of the Lightning Release: Piercing Technique Ryosuke had just learned.

Ryosuke didn't dare let his guard down. He retreated at high speed, putting distance between them.

"Uchiha brat, you've managed to piss me off. Now I'll show you the Third Raikage's signature technique!"

With that, the Cloud Ninja Jonin charged at Ryosuke.

But he was nowhere near fast enough to catch him.

The two began a game of chase.

Ryosuke didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The guy had only learned a tiny fraction of the Third Raikage's technique, yet he was already acting so smug.

As soon as Ryosuke let his guard down, the other man caught up with him and stabbed through his chest again.

But this time, Ryosuke suddenly burst apart, vanishing in a flurry of crows.

"Is this... a genjutsu?"

The Cloud Ninja Jonin froze for a moment.

Then a voice rang out above him.

"Let me show you the true power of the Third Raikage's so-called 'Strongest Spear'—Hell Stab: Three-Finger Penetration!"

Ryosuke was enveloped in a mass of lightning, then leaped toward the Cloud Ninja Jonin at incredible speed.

"What? How is this possible?"

The Cloud Ninja Jonin couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Was this the power of the Sharingan?

After seeing the technique just once, Ryosuke could copy it—and even improve it?

A burst of lightning exploded behind the Cloud Ninja Jonin.

It pierced him again, even though he had already used the Substitution Technique to evade the attack.

"To think I'd lose to an Uchiha brat... Cough..."

The Cloud Ninja Jonin spat out a mouthful of blood in despair, then fell dead.

[Congratulations, host. You have killed an enemy and randomly plundered one ninjutsu.]

[Congratulations, host. You have obtained the ninjutsu Lightning Release: Lightning Snake Thrust.]

Ryosuke pursed his lips. He wasn't very satisfied with this haul. He hadn't gotten Hell Stab.

Then he dropped onto the ground.

He'd just forced himself to use the Hell Stab: Four-Finger Penetration he had only just recorded, and even forced an upgrade to it.

He hadn't expected that simply retracting one finger would double the chakra cost.

On top of that, he'd used Lightning Release: Lightning Armor, the Sharingan, and the Eight Inner Gates.

The result was that he'd burned through two-thirds of his chakra.

The chakra he'd just recovered was almost gone again.

"Looks like even the simplest changes in form are still too much for me right now," Ryosuke muttered as he drank some water.

As for the Hell Stab technique, known as the "Strongest Spear," he probably wouldn't be able to learn it after all.

It was possible that other Cloud Ninja knew the technique, but after this incident, they probably wouldn't act alone anymore.

Ryosuke felt it was a shame.

He wondered if he should find a chance to ask Hatake Kakashi to teach him Chidori.

But he still hadn't figured out how to master chakra of other natures.

Kumogakure, the Raikage's Office.

"What? Another three Anbu squads have lost contact? What are you people even doing? You're all useless!"

The Fourth Raikage smashed the desk in front of him to pieces with one punch.

Behind him, his secretary Mabui shook her head helplessly. "Lord Raikage, this is already the fifth desk we've replaced for you this month. Please stop wasting the village's resources."

Surprisingly, when the white-haired kunoichi spoke, the usually short-tempered Fourth Raikage didn't get angry.

"Mabui, how many groups of bait do we have left?"

"We had twelve groups in total, but six have already lost contact. This is happening far too quickly, Lord Raikage. You should consider whether Konoha is using this as a scheme to weaken us."

Mabui analyzed the situation calmly.

"Impossible. The Third Hokage doesn't have the guts. It seems we underestimated the Sharingan, especially Shisui Uchiha's power. Mabui, prepare the Heavenly Transfer Technique. I'll go face Shisui Uchiha myself."

As the Fourth Raikage spoke, he had already taken off his Raikage robes.

"Lord Raikage, that would be far too dangerous. We can send out more Jonin. You should stay in the village and oversee the whole operation," Mabui urged.

"I'm the Raikage. I can't stand by and watch the village's elites get killed one by one without doing anything. Follow my orders."

"Yes."