"Hmm?... This is..."
Ai's reaction was quick; noticing the movement beneath his feet, he tried to jump away with his speed, but found his legs entangled in something and unable to move.
Upon closer inspection, it appears to be a cluster of threads covered with hidden black runes.
"The seal was set up during the initial exchange of blows..."
A crack appeared in the ground, and Ai's figure fell through it before the crack closed.
Ai found himself in a pit, surrounded by Explosive Tag Explosive Tag, which were climbing up his body from beneath his feet.
Boom boom boom...
A violent explosion erupted in the confined space, ripping away the surrounding soil.
A majestic figure, crackling with blue lightning, burst forth from the flames, his hair standing on end like an angry Vajra.
"Kid!! I'll make you feel the fear that comes with anger..."
That was really close. If he hadn't activated Lightning Release Chakra Mode, he would have been severely injured or killed in that explosion.
"Oh? You weren't even hurt by that kind of explosion? That's quite an impressive skill."
Aoki Tsuki was also shocked; no wonder it was called the Lightning Release Armor.
At the entrance to the arena, two young men on guard duty began to talk.
The blond-haired boy said, "What? To Body Activation to this extent? It seems our boss has met a formidable opponent this time."
The white-haired youth carrying a long sword casually chimed in, "Hmm, the opponent seems to be proficient in Lightning Release as well. That sword is no ordinary weapon... a big problem!"
"Damn the Akatsuki, they've killed so many people, they must be driven out of the Land of Lightning completely."
This assault team was personally led by Raikage and consisted of ten elite members.
Those two kids came here just to show off their resumes.
"I hope so, but I have a feeling it's not that simple... hope, don't let your guard down, this is our first mission with the boss."
"Knew."
Xi closed his eyes, Hand Seals, and quickly activated his senses to detect any potential dangers in the surrounding area. Soon after, he was covered in sweat.
"This is... the end!"
"What's wrong?" Darui immediately perked up upon seeing this.
hope hurriedly said, "There's someone flying in the sky outside, controlling lots of paper scraps that are plastered all over this arena..."
Under Darui's horrified gaze, Xi trembled as she uttered the most terrifying answer.
"They all look like Explosive Tag."
"Get out of here!!" Darui shouted immediately upon hearing this, and then rushed out of the exit with Xi.
Seeing this, the other Cloud Ninjas also hurriedly ran towards the exit.
At this moment, Aoki Tsuki and A were engaged in close combat. Faced with the continuous high-intensity attacks of the Fourth Raikage, a ninja of extreme speed, there was no chance for Hand Seals and release Ninjutsu.
Fortunately, he had stockpiled Senjutsu Chakra beforehand, and fought by enhancing his swordsmanship with Sage Mode.
" Dragon Pursuit!!"
With the Sage Mode activated, the Dragon Pursuit's attack power surged, and the whirlwind generated by its rapidly spinning slashes formed a massive white dragon head.
roar...
Ai could only rely on the heavy copper ring on his wrist to block the frenzied slashes, his steel teeth almost grinding to powder, his anger blazing.
His opponent's attacks were relentless and incredibly fierce; his Taijutsu were in no way inferior to his own, and he was equally unforgiving once he gained the upper hand.
"Don't get too cocky, kid!!"
Ai let out a roar, withstood the fierce attack, and swung his elbow at Aoki Tsuki's body.
" Lariat "
The chain attack was forcibly cut off, and the opponent took advantage of Aoki Tsuki's pause to cut in, demonstrating considerable experience in close combat.
However, his swordsmanship was already superb, and he smoothly switched his longsword to slash upwards from the side.
" Countercurrent Fang "
The massive blue canine tooth met Ai's powerful elbow strike.
Thud...
In the violent collision, both sides were thrown back by the impact. Just then, the entire building suddenly shook, and the dome collapsed with a crash.
Facing the falling stone slabs, Ai pointed his fingers like knives and charged straight upwards, Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop.
puff...
The stone slab was shredded like tofu, and Ai dashed past it and escaped.
Immediately afterwards, a giant crescent-shaped Vacuum Blade sliced open an exit from the side, and Aoki Tsuki's figure also escaped from the arena.
Rumble...
Moments later, the entire top of the massive circular building collapsed, leaving only a ring of broken walls standing.
Aoki Tsuki and Ai stood facing each other on their respective sides of the wall.
Not far away, the Kumogakure's assault team was facing Shuriken raining down from the sky.
Why is she here?
There was absolutely no notification. Things were a bit strange tonight. Aoki Tsuki is still a little confused. Maybe it's because things have been too smooth for the past few years.
I never expected to be sabotaged.
"So you had accomplices too. Today, you'll all stay here."
Ai clenched her fist.
Upon hearing this, Aoki Tsuki twirled his sword and replied, "How dare you speak so arrogantly! Bring it on!"
thunderbolt...
The next second, the two simultaneously activated their Lightning Body Flicker, transforming into two bolts of lightning that collided.
" Cloud Piercer!!"
" Lightning Release: Lightning Oppression Sword "
The blade tip pulsed with the power of thunder, demonstrating its unstoppable penetrating force.
Ai concentrated his Chakra in his fist, unleashing a torrent of destructive power in an instant; the two were evenly matched.
Seemingly anticipating the outcome of this attack, Ai followed up with a series of attacks, turning around and delivering a whip kick.
Aoki Tsuki had no intention of competing in strength with this brute, so he crouched down to dodge the attack and then unleashed his strongest sword technique.
" Heavenly Weeping!"
The condensed white blade light sliced through the void, creating a waterfall-like wave of energy. The sharp aura of the strike sent a warning bell through Ai's heart.
Without hesitation, he unleashed his strongest attack, the 'Family Hand Chop'.
" Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop "
A high-intensity electric current bursts forth from the palm, transforming into an indestructible blade to meet the challenge head-on.
Sizzle...
The lightning collided with the blade and was absorbed in the next instant, a change that caught Ai off guard. Immediately afterwards, the blade pierced through the Lightning Release Armor.
Click...
The brass ring on his arm was then cut to pieces, and Ai quickly took advantage of the moment to react.
As he swiftly withdrew his arm, he advanced instead of retreating, twisting his body and launching a powerful impact with his strongest shoulder against his opponent who was right in front of him.
Iron Mountain Lean!!
This is something that has been honed through countless battles, turning the ability to fight back from a desperate situation into an instinct, etched into one's very bones.
Thud...
"Ah..."
Aoki Tsuki felt as if he had been hit by a wild bull; his ribs broke instantly, his internal organs were crushed, and he coughed up blood.
It flew more than ten meters before crashing headfirst into a pile of rubble.
"Hold!!"
Facing a master like Ai, he dared not waste any time. He endured the pain and quickly Hand Seals.
Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave
Splash...
A massive surge of water swept out, instantly filling the original arena and turning it into a large swimming pool.
Ai, who was about to rush over, quickly retreated upon seeing this and jumped onto the broken wall, gazing at the water.
"Damn it, he's even proficient in Water Release..."
Ai's right hand was now soaked in blood; if he hadn't reacted quickly enough, he would have lost his right arm from that knife wound.
Glug... Glug...
Two splashes of water, tinged with a hint of blood, rose from the surface, Aoki Tsuki slowly rose from the water.
It must be admitted that he is not as experienced in combat as the Fourth Raikage.
What's the use of a powerful move if it can't hit anyone?
"You almost got killed, you bastard! Cough cough... You reckless fool, it's time to fight with Ninjutsu now."
Unfortunately, he was at a disadvantage in close combat, and he was also injured, so he could only launch ranged attacks.
"You're sharp-tongued. Just wait until I catch you, and let's see if you'll still be so stubborn."
Ai glanced at the large pool below and guessed that his opponent must have set a trap inside; his words just now were merely to provoke him into taking the bait.
Unfortunately, he wasn't afraid of these things at all.
Swish...
Ai jumped off the wall and landed on the water's surface, rushing over at lightning speed and arriving in front of him in the blink of an eye.
He was greeted by a deluge of hair, which blocked his way in all directions.
"So that's how it is. Was it hair that bound me before?" Ai thought of the runic threads that restricted his leg movements when they first fought.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
As expected, Ai was once again bound by a small clump of hair. When he tried to unleash his Chakra to break free, he found that the clump of hair was exceptionally tough.
Water Release: Water Dragon Bite Explosion
Suddenly, a giant dragon head appeared from underwater, opened its mouth, bit Ai, and shot into the sky for tens of meters before turning around and swooping down.
Ai, inside the water dragon's mouth, opened his eyes wide in anger; he had already guessed what was about to happen.
"That bastard!!"
By utilizing gravity and the immense impact of the water dragon to deliver the most violent blow to the opponent, this is the tactical application of the Water Dragon Bullet Technique, which greatly increases its power.
Rumble...
The entire pool was as if a magnitude 10 earthquake had struck, the shockwaves instantly knocking down the surrounding walls and sending water surging in all directions.
A deep crater appeared in the center of the arena, and Ai climbed out of it.
He reached up and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Even with his ox-like strength, he couldn't withstand such a terrifying impact.
This is the second injury since the start of their match.
Fortunately, his enemy was more seriously injured than him, so the advantage was still on his side. He looked at the completely collapsed arena.
Ai said, "Your Water Release is no longer effective, is it?"
He has already seen through all of his opponent's cards and overcome them; now, he only needs to carefully avoid them to secure victory.
Aoki Tsuki was also extremely flustered at this moment.
He doesn't have any trump cards left. He's not Doraemon with an infinity box. What he just showed was the culmination of many years of hard work.
Regardless of whether the poison from the Ibuse is effective or not, the Raikage must recognize it, and he might just lead a raid on Amegakure in a few days.
The duration of Sage Mode is almost over.
"I have to run away" was his true thought.