Sora's ninja sword pierced the junction of the Third Raikage's neck and shoulder, but failed to reach any vital points. The wound, while deep, wasn't fatal.
Just as Sora attempted to twist his blade, he discovered that his ninja sword wouldn't budge at all. It was stuck, completely immobile in the Raikage's flesh.
The Third Raikage regarded Sora with curiosity before realization dawned on his face. "So this is what Aihebi mentioned—your strange ability that somehow disrupts jutsu when you get close. It's a technique of the Mangekyō Sharingan, isn't it?"
Sora tried desperately to pull his ninja sword free, but it remained firmly lodged in the Raikage's body. He stared in shock at the display of physical might before him.
Even without activating his Lightning Style Chakra Mode, the Third Raikage's muscle control made his body extraordinarily powerful. Years of intense training had tempered his body to the ultimate level of durability.
Without warning, the Third Raikage struck Sora with a powerful punch.
Sora had no choice but to abandon his ninja sword and leap backward to safety.
The Third Raikage calmly pulled the blade from the junction of his neck and shoulder, snapped it between his fingers as if it were a twig, and tossed the broken pieces to the ground. Through precise muscle control, he stopped the wound from bleeding further.
Suddenly, a ninjutsu attack from a Rock Shinobi struck the Third Raikage from behind.
The Raikage neither dodged nor evaded—he simply withstood the attack with his incredible body. After absorbing the Rock Shinobi's ninjutsu, the Third Raikage shifted his gaze downward, carefully avoiding Sora's eyes to prevent falling prey to any genjutsu.
Sora spent 100 witness points in the exchange shop to acquire another ninja sword and regarded the Third Raikage with grave intensity. He had heard that the chakra from the Rock Shinobi's ninjutsu had disrupted the chakra flow in the Raikage's body, dispelling any illusions that might have affected him.
"Boy," the Third Raikage said seriously, "I acknowledge that you pose a significant danger and a major threat to our village. That's why you must die here today!"
The Third Raikage reactivated his strongest Lightning Style Armor and extended two fingers.
"Hell Thrust—Two-Finger Strike!"
The Third Raikage rushed toward Sora at his maximum speed.
"Thunder Breathing—First Form—Thunderclap and Flash—Godspeed!"
Rising to the challenge, Sora chose not to evade but to confront the attack head-on.
Both fighters transformed into lightning bolts as they rapidly closed the distance between them.
The speed of the Third Raikage's Two-Finger Strike was slightly slower than Sora's Thunderclap and Flash Godspeed technique.
Sora arrived first, and immediately the Third Raikage's Lightning Style Armor dissipated unexpectedly.
Sora swung his ninja sword toward the Third Raikage once more.
Although the Third Raikage's Lightning Style Armor had vanished due to Sora's "Wanji" ability, the momentum carrying the Raikage forward did not disappear.
The Third Raikage raised his arm to protect his neck while simultaneously thrusting the two fingers of his right hand toward Sora's chest.
Seeing this, Sora also raised his left arm defensively, positioning it in front of his chest.
Neither fighter showed any intention of retreating.
Sora's ninja sword struck the Third Raikage's arm, the blade cutting deep into flesh.
At the same time, the Third Raikage's two fingers pierced straight through Sora's arm, causing it to twist unnaturally on impact.
Strangely, Sora felt exhilarated rather than pained. Despite his mangled arm, he couldn't feel any pain—only growing excitement. His eyes were fixed solely on the Third Raikage, burning with intensity.
The Third Raikage twisted Sora's arm further and bent his fourth finger.
The Raikage was planning to use his One-Finger Strike to eliminate Sora completely.
"Hey! I wonder if you can handle my technique now that you don't have your Lightning Style Armor or Chakra Mode," Sora taunted, his eyes gleaming with a wild madness.
The Third Raikage's instincts screamed danger, and he attempted to create distance between himself and Sora. But Sora discarded his ninja sword and grabbed the Raikage tightly, preventing his escape.
"Mizuki no Yue! Return!"
With Sora as the epicenter, violent chakra erupted from his body in a massive explosion.
The force of the blast hit the Third Raikage directly, while a powerful shockwave swept outward in all directions.
Huang Tu watched the scene in shock and disbelief.
"What kind of ninjutsu is that? So powerful!"
Seeing his Rock Shinobi being killed by the shockwave, Huang Tu shouted urgently, "Scatter! Get away immediately!"
After the explosion subsided, Sora knelt on one knee, clutching his twisted left arm. His right eye was tightly shut as he wheezed and coughed continuously, spitting blood.
Before activating Mizuki no Yue, the Third Raikage's Two-Finger Strike had already pierced Sora's arm and partially penetrated his chest, leaving a finger-sized hole in his torso.
If Sora hadn't immediately used "Mizuki no Yue—Return," his chest might have been completely impaled.
Sora raised his head, searching for the Third Raikage, when his pupils suddenly contracted in shock.
The power and shockwave of "Mizuki no Yue—Return" had created a cleared area where Rock Shinobi within range had been blown away.
But there, still standing in this open space, was a figure crackling with thunder and lightning.
It was the Third Raikage, who had taken the full brunt of "Mizuki no Yue—Return" head-on.
Sora exhaled heavily. It was truly difficult to kill the Third Raikage, even with such a powerful technique.
The Third Raikage now looked almost as battered as Sora.
Half of his body was covered in blood, his flesh sliced open by Sora's ninja sword. Only a small amount of skin and tissue remained attached, hanging precariously.
When Sora had unleashed "Mizuki no Yue—Return," the Third Raikage had immediately reactivated his Lightning Style Armor to minimize further damage.
The Third Raikage's appearance was terrifying. He tore off the dangling arm that was barely attached by a thread of muscle, then used the high temperature of his lightning chakra to cauterize the wound, stopping the bleeding instantly.
Despite his gruesome condition, the Third Raikage had suffered no life-threatening injuries.
The Third Raikage approached Sora step by step with unwavering determination.
The surrounding Rock Shinobi looked at the Third Raikage with fear in their eyes, not daring to intervene.
Sora struggled to his feet and flashed a bloody smile. "Oh, he really is powerful. He's not your ordinary opponent, but..."
The Third Raikage charged toward Sora, seeing him seriously injured. He simply activated his strongest Lightning Style Chakra and prepared to deliver a final punch.
"But... I haven't reached my limit yet!" Sora declared.
"Susanoo!"
A giant blue hand with partial ribcage appeared, seemingly cradling Sora protectively.
This was Susanoo's initial form—capable of manifesting only as arms and ribs that could be used for various purposes: attacking, defending, protecting, and controlling. The body wasn't completely encased by Susanoo, leaving significant gaps, but the defense was strong enough to withstand most attacks.
The Third Raikage's fist collided with Susanoo, but neither Susanoo nor the protected Sora budged an inch.
The Third Raikage and the surrounding Rock Shinobi stared in bewilderment. They had never encountered Susanoo before and were completely unfamiliar with this mysterious technique.
Sora controlled Susanoo to swat the Third Raikage away forcefully.
Immediately after, Sora coughed violently, expelling a large mouthful of blood.
Currently, Sora could only maintain Susanoo's initial form. Had he attempted to use it earlier in the battle, it would have been shattered by the Third Raikage's attacks, which was why Sora had withheld this technique until now.
However, with his serious injuries, Sora now had no choice but to rely on Susanoo to withstand the Third Raikage's relentless assault.
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