Boom!!
Red killing intent laced with densely packed lightning erupted between the two men!
What followed, however, was an eerie silence as the surrounding air spiraled inward toward the center!
A streak of red light flashed past, and a thunderous blast erupted in the middle of the camp, shaking the heavens!
The entire camp seemed to have been put on pause.
Like the wrath of a god, it unleashed endless energy. A chakra sphere mixed with killing intent exploded between the two men, vivid red killing intent intertwining with raging lightning in a spectacular sight!
The explosion's shock wave swept through the entire camp like a violent storm. Panicked, the ninja unleashed ninjutsu to try to protect themselves and their comrades. Tents and camp facilities were flattened in an instant.
Dust flew, and smoke obscured everything.
The Konoha ninja flickered in and out of sight amid the explosion's aftermath. Fortunately, they had kept their distance from the fight from the outset, and the wounded had begun evacuating the moment the night raid started.
At the center of the explosion, a massive crater emerged amid utter devastation. Ripples of killing intent and lightning lingered in the air like echoes of the blast.
Konoha's people began organizing rescue efforts for the unlucky ones caught in the blast. The explosion's aftermath gradually subsided, but the shock and unease in the ninja's hearts lingered.
This clash, which might have represented the greatest fighting power in the Shinobi World at that time, left a profound memory in every ninja's heart.
Even the battlefield outside the camp was affected, and the massive explosion drew the attention of the unconscious Eight-Tails Jinchuriki.
At the very center of the crater, Takahashi Yū stood firmly in place, his entire body charred black. He exhaled a mouthful of black smoke.
Both hands kept pounding his chest with repeated thuds. When he and the Third Raikage had clashed head-on, neither had defended or dodged!
The One-Finger Nukite had struck him head-on. Originally aimed at his heart, it had hit his chest instead after he turned his body slightly.
His smashing punch, originally aimed at the Third Raikage's head, had likewise landed on his collarbone when the man tilted his head slightly.
This time, he had truly been in danger. Not only had [Unyielding] flashed like a neon light, even his main attribute, [Physical body], had flickered faintly. Although Takahashi Yū's defenses had not been breached, the force of the Nukite, along with its lightning, had penetrated his body.
Now his heart had stopped beating under the effects of the lightning and his own surging blood!
He had also lost nearly half his stamina outright, and it was still draining! All because his body was constantly repairing itself.
Thump, thump!
Finally, after pounding his heart back into motion, Takahashi Yū let out a breath of relief.
The Third Raikage clambered out of the rubble. He had been blasted a considerable distance away. Enduring the numbness in half his body and feeling the severe drain on his chakra, he jumped down into the huge crater their attacks had blasted open.
Both men stood in silence.
The Third Raikage: His body is a whole level above mine. I can't break through his defenses.
Takahashi Yū: My attacks aren't as strong as his. I can't break through his defenses.
The only scar on the Third Raikage's body had been caused by his own attack. His offensive power exceeded his defensive power by a fair margin, but he could not break through Takahashi Yū's defenses.
Takahashi Yū's defenses were stronger than the Third Raikage's, but he lacked a high-damage means of attack. His offensive power was weaker than the Third Raikage's, so he could not break through the Third Raikage's defenses either.
These two warriors, invincible in the Shinobi World, had both run into the problem of uneven strengths!
According to the figures on Takahashi Yū's rudimentary panel, it looked like this:
[Third Raikage A] Physical body: 15% Attack: 18% [Takahashi Yū] Attack: 14% Physical body: 19.99%
This was the first time they had encountered an opponent of the same type. They had always enjoyed watching enemies die in despair, unable to break through their defenses. Now they were the ones unable to break through the other man's defenses.
Pah! Disgusting!
Takahashi Yū and the Third Raikage spat at the same time.
The Third Raikage straightened the finger he had broken in the thrust. He had broken his fingers countless times while practicing Hell Stab, and he paid this pain no mind.
It was just that he would not be able to use Hell Stab with that finger for a while. He was more concerned about the numbness in half his body. Having been struck in the collarbone, he might need some time to recover.
Takahashi Yū wiped the soot from his face. His hair had not escaped either, having been burned to uneven lengths.
Both knew that this one-on-one battle between real men was about to become a contest of endurance, pitting Takahashi Yū's stamina against the Third Raikage's chakra to see whose reserves ran dry first!
Then let the fight begin!
Takahashi Yū knocked his fists together, and the Third Raikage activated Lightning Chakra Mode again!
Outside the camp, Hatake Sakumo and Danzo were having some difficulty keeping the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki occupied. When the Eight-Tails' attention had been diverted earlier, Sakumo had slipped in and landed a vicious slash.
The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki's Partial Tailed Beast Transformation had now reached the osteification stage, making things very difficult for a fragile "mage" like Danzo and a fragile "assassin" like Sakumo.
Blade flashes and Wind Release were rather inadequate against the partially transformed Eight-Tails.
Danzo and Sakumo both understood this. Danzo no longer wanted to keep the Eight-Tails. He would much rather return the tailed beast before him to Kumogakure. The Eight-Tails was almost out anyway; better to return it to its rightful owner.
"Huff... huff..." Danzo had nearly blown his lungs out, yet he still had not done any real damage to the Eight-Tails before him.
Even when there were wounds, they healed in no time.
"Lord Danzo! This isn't working. We can't take him down. We need to retreat!" Sakumo said earnestly.
"Huff... I know. I've already ordered everyone else to fall back ten li, but the two of us can't retreat. Takahashi Yū is still fighting the Third Raikage. If we retreat and the Eight-Tails heads over there, it'll only add more uncertainty!"
"Let's retreat, Lord Danzo! The Eight-Tails clearly has no awareness right now. It won't affect anything!"
"But..."
Before Danzo could finish, he saw the plain densely packed with Cloud Shinobi in white-and-red uniforms.
"Lord B has lost control! Sealing Squad! Where's the Sealing Squad?"
A squad of dark-skinned Cloud Shinobi had already arrived ahead of the others.
"So fast! Just what you'd expect from those highland barbarians! Hmph!"
"Retreat, Sakumo! Leave the Eight-Tails for them to enjoy."
Seeing that the situation had taken a bad turn, Shimura Danzō spoke to Hatake Sakumo.
Sakumo grabbed Danzo by the back of his collar and ran toward the camp. They had worked together on the Land of Lightning battlefield for a long time and had long since developed an unspoken understanding.
Danzo let Sakumo carry him away, looking toward the Eight-Tails as his hands formed a complex series of seals.
"Self-Exerting Curse Binding Seal!"
Pitch-black cursed seals crawled upward from beneath the partially transformed Eight-Tails' feet, soon covering his entire body. For a moment, the partially transformed Eight-Tails actually could not move!
The Self-Exerting Curse Binding Seal was a cursed seal used to restrain an enemy. Of course, Danzo was not helping the Cloud Shinobi resolve their crisis.
If you had been imprisoned, never seeing daylight, and had your power stolen, and now you finally saw a glimmer of escape, just about to see the blue sky again, only for another kind of prison to suddenly try to cage you, how would you react?
With fury, of course, struggling with all your might!
"Roar!!!"
"Let them enjoy it. We're giving up this camp!"
Before you continue