The Price of Wounding the Golden Lion!

Countdown: 02:44.

Sakumo became a streak of white lightning.

He moved too fast for the naked eye to follow.

The rock beneath his feet shattered inch by inch.

His short blade, wrapped in Lightning Release chakra, thrust straight for the Golden Lion's throat.

The Golden Lion floated in midair.

He clenched his cigar between his teeth, a flicker of excitement crossing his eyes.

"Perfect!"

He did not retreat.

Oto, the famed sword below his right knee, slashed upward.

Jet-black Armament Haki coated its edge.

The blades collided.

A shrill metallic screech tore through the air.

A visible ring of white pressure exploded in midair.

The surrounding trees were torn out by their roots.

The webbing between the thumb and forefinger of Sakumo's sword hand went numb.

This monster's physical strength was astonishing.

Even without his legs, the sword strikes delivered through his prostheses were as heavy as mountains.

That jet-black power was stranger still.

It was as hard as invisible armor.

Even his densely concentrated Lightning Release chakra had failed to cut through that defense at once.

Sakumo did not try to overpower him.

Using the recoil, he forcibly twisted at the waist in midair.

His body swung back around.

He tapped his toes against empty air.

Chakra erupted beneath his feet, creating a momentary foothold.

He charged at the Golden Lion again.

This time, he avoided a head-on clash.

Hatake Style Swordsmanship was famed for its unpredictable moves and extreme speed.

When it came to fighting with a blade, Sakumo feared no one.

The Golden Lion unleashed a flurry of kicks.

The famed swords Oto and Kogarashi wove an impenetrable web of blades in midair.

Every flying slash carried an edge sharp enough to split a cliff face.

Sakumo did not back down.

The White Fang Short Blade in