Chapter 213: Clash of Ninjutsu
Chapter 213: Clash of Ninjutsu
Brilliant blue lightning crackled around the Fourth Raikage as he activated his chakra, enhancing his physical strength and speed while boosting his nervous system for heightened reflexes. With a whoosh, he transformed into a bolt of blue lightning, darting towards Mu Yue.
"Lightning Speed!"
As he approached Mu Yue, the Fourth Raikage raised his right hand, causing a burst of chakra that concentrated lightning in his palm, which he slashed towards Mu Yue.
Even his companion, the Kumo-nin, was taken aback by the Fourth Raikage's speed. He only saw the Raikage appear instantly before Mu Yue, slashing with his hand.
Mu Yue, with the Byakugan, had an even clearer perception of the Raikage's astounding speed. It was so extraordinary that even the Byakugan struggled to capture his movements. During the Fourth Great Shinobi World War, the Fourth Raikage's full power had been such that even Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan couldn't keep up.
However, in addition to the Byakugan, Mu Yue also possessed the Insightful Eye, and so the Raikage's actions were anticipated.
"Lightning Breath, Spots, Activate!"
Mu Yue immediately entered the spotted state of Lightning Breath, absorbing large amounts of surrounding air to enhance his physical abilities while converting his nature-transformed chakra into a large amount of lightning-based chakra. Brilliant blue lightning enveloped his body, forming a lightning armor.
Facing such a formidable opponent as the Fourth Raikage for the first time, Mu Yue was cautious and chose to counter the Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode with his own Lightning Breath's spotted state.
"Lightning Release: Finger Gun!"
A massive amount of lightning burst from Mu Yue's palm and quickly wrapped around his fingers. He then channeled all his strength into his fingers and shot out a powerful finger gun.
Crackle! Crack!
Boom!
The lightning-clad palm and the lightning-infused fingers collided, creating a powerful electrical discharge. The arcing electricity charred the surrounding ground, and the shockwave from the clash caused the earth to explode, sending gusts of wind that ruffled the Kumo-nin's hair.
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode? How is that possible?" Mothem exclaimed in shock as he witnessed Mu Yue also being enveloped in lightning and engaging in ninjutsu combat with the Fourth Raikage.
From his perspective, the scene had unfolded astonishingly. The Raikage's figure had vanished, and in the same instant, Mu Yue had entered the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, their techniques clashing soon after.
"What the heck? You know Big Brother's techniques, ya baka..." Killer B was equally stunned by Mu Yue's sudden display of ability.
Boom!
Another deafening blast shook the ground, which could no longer withstand the force and cracked apart. Mu Yue and the Fourth Raikage each leaped back, creating a distance of over two meters between them.
Drip.
A drop of crimson blood fell to the ground, and the Fourth Raikage raised his hand to examine it. There was a smear of blood on his right palm, and his expression turned solemn.
He was injured. Injured in a lightning-style taijutsu clash with a Sunagakure ninja.
"Hell Stab? Not quite there yet," the Fourth Raikage thought of his father's strongest spear technique but quickly shook his head. If it had been his father's One-Handed Shockwave, it wouldn't have just been a drop of blood.
"Who are you? How have you cultivated the Lightning Release Chakra Mode to this level?" The Fourth Raikage fixed his gaze on Mu Yue and asked intently.
"I've already told you," Mu Yue replied nonchalantly.
It was undeniable that the Fourth Raikage's strength was formidable. In their previous exchange, Mu Yue had utilized his Insightful Eye to maximize his physical strength, and he had barely managed a slight advantage.
Mu Yue had refrained from using his breathing technique alongside Busoshoku Haki, as doing so would have granted him a significant edge and allowed him to injure the Fourth Raikage more severely, but it would have been too chakra-consuming.
If he depleted too much chakra without finishing off the Raikage, Mu Yue would be in a precarious situation, especially with the formidable Killer B still in the fight.
Moreover, Mu Yue needed to conserve chakra in case his students ran into trouble. He kept a constant watch on them with his Byakugan, ready to rush to their aid with full power if needed.
His primary objective was not to fight for Konoha's glory but to train his students.
To conserve chakra, Mu Yue didn't even use the Lightning Breath's fastest speed to initiate an attack. Instead, he waited on the spot for the Fourth Raikage to make the next move.
With the Lightning Release Chakra Mode activating his cells, the small wound on his palm quickly scabbed over and stopped bleeding. The Fourth Raikage's expression remained stern as he prepared for the next offensive.
Despite being on the back foot in their consecutive exchanges, the Fourth Raikage still believed in his ability to win. He had yet to unleash his more powerful lightning-style taijutsu.
"Lightning Bomb!"
The Fourth Raikage burst into action once more, speeding towards Mu Yue while infusing his entire body with lightning. His light yellow hair stood on end from the intense stimulation.
The Fourth Raikage intended to lift Mu Yue and slam him down, but just as he reached Mu Yue, a flash of blue light caught his eye, and Mu Yue vanished from his sight.
Whoosh!
As Mu Yue prepared to strike the Fourth Raikage, a lightning-clad short blade flew towards him. Mu Yue swiftly kicked the Raikage and dodged to the side, evading the lightning blade.
"Faster than Big Brother, you idiot, moron..." Killer B, who had thrown the blade, was surprised by Mu Yue's lightning-fast reaction, allowing him to evade even in such close quarters.
As Mu Yue had to evade Killer B's sneak attack, the kick he landed on the Fourth Raikage wasn't delivered with full force. The Raikage quickly climbed to his feet, his expression grim.
Mu Yue's lack of initiative in attacking led the Fourth Raikage to believe that his speed was inferior, but what truly astonished him was that Mu Yue's speed was even more extraordinary than his strength.
The Fourth Raikage furrowed his brows. If Mu Yue had dark skin and a muscular build like himself, he would have suspected that the Third Raikage had an illegitimate child.
"Lightning Heatwave!"
The Fourth Raikage calmed himself. The matter of an illegitimate child could wait until they returned; his priority now was to defeat this formidable enemy.
The consecutive setbacks had led the Fourth Raikage to view Mu Yue as the strongest opponent he had ever faced. To turn the tide, he unleashed his most powerful ninjutsu!
Lightning Heatwave was a secret taijutsu of Kumogakure, renowned for its incredible speed and immense power. It was considered the pinnacle of Kumo's lightning-style ninjutsu, and when performed by two people in perfect unison, the Double Lightning Heatwave boasted a terrifying might that guaranteed death.
The Fourth Raikage and Killer B had used the Double Lightning Heatwave to slay many Sunagakure ninjas, but against Mu Yue, he chose not to collaborate with Killer B.
The Double Lightning Heatwave required both users to maintain the same level of strength, and when the Fourth Raikage used it with Killer B, he had to significantly reduce his power to match his partner's.
The current opponent was not some weak and feeble ordinary ninja but a formidable adversary who was equally adept at the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
An awe-inspiring aura surrounded the Fourth Raikage as he pushed his Lightning Release Chakra Mode to its limits. Crackling lightning danced around him, and at that moment, his strength and defense peaked.
With his Lightning Release: Heat Knife, the Fourth Raikage was like a heavily armored tank moving at supersonic speed, the gust of wind he generated snapping the large trees behind Mu Yue
Facing the aggressive charge of the Fourth Raikage, Mu Yue's expression remained unchanged, and he didn't evade.
He could only say that the Fourth Raikage was unlucky to have encountered him, as most ninja in the ninja world wouldn't be able to withstand such a collision and could only dodge.
The power of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode was already formidable, and when combined with the additional speed and force of a rapid charge, it could turn an ordinary ninja into fragments.
However, Mu Yue was not like most ninja. With the Lightning Breath Spots state, he could activate his body to significantly enhance his strength, and with the Insightful World, he could bring out 100% of his power, along with his expertly controlled Perfected Armed Haki. With sufficient chakra, Mu Yue was most confident in direct confrontations.
Mu Yue performed extreme focused breathing, gathering large amounts of lightning on his arms to enhance their strength, then channeling all his power into his right arm. The immense force caused the muscles and veins on his arm to bulge prominently.
Then, pitch-black Busoshoku Haki covered Mu Yue's fist, along with colorless Busoshoku energy that coiled around it.
Since the Fourth Raikage had given him an opportunity, Mu Yue wouldn't hold back.
"Lightning Breath, Serious Punch!"
Mu Yue surged forward, raising his black fist, enveloped in lightning, and slammed it towards the Fourth Raikage.
The combination of the Lightning Breath Spots' bodily activation, the enhancement of the Armed Haki, and the Insightful World from the Breathing Ultimate, resulted in a tremendous shockwave from Mu Yue's punch.
Large amounts of sand and soil were blown away, and the fierce wind ravaged the surroundings.
Aside from Killer B, who wore sunglasses, the other two Kumo-nin had to cover their eyes with their hands to prevent the sand and wind from entering.
"How can he possess such terrifying power!" Mothem exclaimed in shock, sensing the formidable aura emanating from Mu Yue.
"Could it be..." A frightening thought entered Mothem's mind.
He quickly shook his head, repeatedly telling himself, "Impossible. How could our Cloud Hidden Village's candidate for the next Raikage lose to an unknown, minor character?"
"He's the son of the Third Raikage, praised by the Third Raikage himself as someone who could soon become the next Raikage."
But no matter how Mothem tried to deny it, he couldn't change the reality before him.
Even without any perception jutsu, the Cloud Hidden Village ninja could sense that Mu Yue's punch was extraordinary. At that moment, he had to use his chakra just to stand firm and not be blown away by the powerful storm.
"Big Brother!" Even Killer B, who usually had a playful attitude, was serious now. He had confidence in the Fourth Raikage, but the power Mu Yue displayed was just too exaggerated.
BOOM!!!
Mu Yue's black fist, enveloped in lightning, collided with the Fourth Raikage's high-speed charge.
A massive explosion rang out, and terrifying lightning charred the surrounding earth.
The next second, a 20-meter-wide crater appeared around the two of them as the ground caved in.
And in the next instant, with a loud bang, the sturdy body of the Fourth Raikage was sent flying.
Killer B rushed forward to help the Fourth Raikage withstand the force, but he overestimated his own strength and was also blown away for a short distance, though he did succeed in mitigating some of the impact.
"He really is stronger!" Mothem had his suspicions, but seeing it with his own eyes still made cold sweat pour down his forehead.
In his eyes, the Fourth Raikage was already an inhuman monster. In his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, his speed was so fast that even Mothem, a perception jonin, couldn't keep track. And now, this monster had lost, and his opponent wasn't even one of the Five Kage or a famous strong ninja in the ninja world.
"Cough, cough." The Fourth Raikage coughed up blood, standing up with Killer B's support, his eyes filled with disbelief as he stared at Mu Yue.
He had thought that Mu Yue might burst out with speed and launch a surprise attack, but he never expected Mu Yue to be able to take a direct hit and injure him.
After all, the Lightning Heat Knife was Cloud Hidden Village's top-tier ninjutsu, a powerful technique the Fourth Raikage had been cultivating since he was young.
Before Mu Yue made his move, the Fourth Raikage believed that aside from his father, all other ninja would only have two choices: dodge or be severely injured by the collision.
But the power Mu Yue unleashed surpassed his imagination. Not only did Mu Yue withstand his charge, but he also punched back with such force that the Fourth Raikage couldn't maintain his Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
Aside from his shock, Mothem also realized the danger Mu Yue posed and quickly formed hand seals with another Cloud Hidden Village ninja, releasing lightning ninjutsu at Mu Yue.
But how could their ninjutsu hit Mu Yue when he was in his Lightning Breath state? Mu Yue easily dodged their attacks by sidestepping, then formed hand seals and created two lightning spears that he threw at the Cloud Hidden Village ninja, piercing them and electrocuting them to death.
Mothem's speed wasn't enough to dodge the lightning spears, but the Fourth Raikage intervened, entering the Lightning Release Chakra Mode again and saving Mothem.
Though saved, Mothem's eyes still held a frightened look.
"He can cast such high-level lightning ninjutsu without hand seals!" Mu Yue became even more terrifying in Mothem's eyes.
Seeing that the Fourth Raikage was injured yet still prioritized saving Mothem and Killer B, Mu Yue thought to himself that special talents were indeed treated differently. In the Fourth Raikage's heart, as long as Killer B and Mothem were alive, it probably didn't matter if the others died.
The Fourth Raikage took a deep breath, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, then moved away from Mu Yue with Mothem and Killer B, creating some distance.
Seeing this, Mu Yue quickly deactivated his Lightning Breath Spots mode and used the Insightful World to hide his aura, maintaining an air of profound mystery on the surface while quickly recovering his chakra.
Although his chakra recovery speed didn't match his strength, every little bit helped.
His skills were indeed powerful, but they also consumed a lot of chakra.
"Release all the potential within your bodies," Mu Yue said, keeping an eye on the Fourth Raikage and his companions while also using his Byakugan to observe Obito's battle.
Things were going well on his side. Although he had consumed a lot of chakra, he had successfully injured the Fourth Raikage, and now he could choose to leave whenever he wanted.
However, his students were in a bit of a pinch. They were being pursued by a Cloud Hidden Village special jonin with 7,100 chakra points and proficiency in Lightning Release Nature Transformation, as well as a skilled special Chunin with 4,000 chakra points. This pair posed a significant challenge to Obito and the others.
Thinking that he should at least finish one side of the battle first, Mu Yue wrote 4,000 words for this chapter, so it was a little late, but there's more to come...
(End of Chapter)
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