How could he capture the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki right in front of the Third Raikage and A?
Wood Release was undeniably powerful, but against opponents as fast as the Third Raikage and A, even a massive technique like Deep Forest Emergence would have a drastically reduced hit rate.
Using Inorganic Reincarnation to control the tree roots would make them faster, but even then, keeping up with the Third Raikage was another matter entirely.
Genjutsu could be a good way to restrict movement, but it required eye contact.
And lastly, the fastest way to deal with the Third Raikage was a head-on confrontation.
Fighters with extreme speed were like slippery eels, hard to catch and even harder to find an opening against. Only in a direct clash could there be a true chance to land a decisive strike.
The Third Raikage wasn't just fast, his close-combat power was monstrous. His entire fighting style revolved around overwhelming his opponents in direct combat, utilizing Lightning Release-enhanced taijutsu to deal devastating blows.
By priority, his main method of inflicting damage was not through ninjutsu but through lightning-infused taijutsu.
Ye Zi had techniques specifically designed to counter taijutsu specialists, but not against the likes of the Third Raikage and A.
Most of these counters relied on Lightning Release, a method that wouldn't be effective against opponents who were masters of Lightning Release themselves.
Ironically, Ye Zi's proficiency in Lightning Release came largely thanks to the Cloud Village.
It was his battle against Kyocho of the Cloud Village that first led him to discover new applications of Lightning Release. From that moment, he had chosen to specialize in it, despite also possessing Wind and Fire Release.
Cloud Village had, in some ways, shaped his fighting style.
But there was no time for nostalgia. The Third Raikage was already closing in.
With a sudden motion, Ye Zi unsheathed his long blade.
Dark lightning flared around his body, crackling fiercely as it surged across his sword, compressing into a densely concentrated black blade.
"Let's see... Is your body tougher, or is my blade sharper?"
He had made his decision.
A direct confrontation was the only way to settle this quickly.
And with genjutsu supporting him, he could gain the upper hand.
This was exactly what the Third Raikage wanted.
His fighting style was direct, overwhelming, and unrelenting.
With his indestructible body and unstoppable force, enemies feared him like an impending disaster.
The Raikage's form blurred into a streak of lightning, zigzagging across the forest of tree roots with rapid lateral movements.
Each step he took shattered the thick roots beneath him, sending cracks rippling through them.
Ye Zi had initially planned to use genjutsu to trap him, but he couldn't even track him properly.
His speed was too fast. Forget eye contact, Ye Zi couldn't even keep up visually.
"He's too fast." His brows furrowed.
Left with no choice, he focused entirely on intercepting the Raikage's attack.
He found it strange, though, why was the Third Raikage coming alone?
If A and Killer Bee had moved in together, Ye Zi would already be overwhelmed.
But what he didn't know was most of his abilities had already been leaked to the Cloud Village.
Konoha had shared intelligence on Ye Zi, detailing his capabilities and past battles.
That was why A had stayed behind, to brief Killer Bee on Ye Zi's abilities.
Intelligence changes everything.
The moment an ability was known, its effectiveness plummeted.
Enemies could prepare countermeasures in advance, neutralizing potential advantages.
The Third Raikage's zigzagging movement wasn't just random, it was a direct counter to Ye Zi's genjutsu.
If he moved in a straight line, Ye Zi could predict and trap him.
But by shifting unpredictably, he denied Ye Zi any clean opportunity to lock on.
Ten seconds.
That's all it took for the Third Raikage to cross the battlefield.
The distance between them vanished.
The Raikage's main attack method was taijutsu, he had to close the gap.
But he wasn't reckless.
Ye Zi was a master swordsman.
The black lightning coating his blade concealed a lethal edge.
Even with his legendary durability, the Raikage had no intention of testing how sharp Ye Zi's sword really was.
Instead, he would avoid it entirely.
"Lightning Release: Thunder Fist Technique!"
Upon closing in, the Third Raikage's fist crackled with overwhelming power, and he threw a punch straight for Ye Zi's face.
This wasn't a simple punch. It was designed to shatter skulls. And it was a trap.
Based on intelligence reports, Ye Zi's reaction speed was exceptional.
He could detect, track, and counterattack even against rapid, high-level movements.
From past battles, it was clear. Whenever an opponent threw a punch or kick, Ye Zi would anticipate the trajectory, then counter with his blade.
It wasn't just a technique, it was a trained habit.
Against any normal enemy, this worked flawlessly.
He could slice off an enemy's limb in an instant.
Against Tsunade, he had executed this exact maneuver to perfection.
That battle, and this strategy, had been logged as critical data.
Thus, the Third Raikage wasn't throwing this punch to land it.
He was forcing Ye Zi to react.
To predictably adjust his blade to intercept the strike.
And, as expected, Ye Zi moved his sword.
With precise timing, he aimed to slice the Raikage's incoming fist.
A normal enemy would have lost their hand immediately.
But the Third Raikage was already prepared to change course.
"As expected…"
The Third Raikage's eyes flashed coldly, this was the moment he had been waiting for.
He had intentionally held back power, keeping his movements flexible so that he could adapt his technique instantly.
At the precise moment Ye Zi swung his blade, the Raikage's feet slammed into the ground, channeling an immense surge of raw strength into his legs.
Then, in an instant, he switched from absolute motion to absolute stillness.
Next, just as quickly, he exploded into movement again!
Using the torque of his waist, he performed a rapid, forceful pivot, redirecting all of the accumulated momentum.
Like an expert basketball player executing a lightning-fast spin move, he withdrew his punch and twisted away, dodging Ye Zi's deadly black-bladed slash by a hair's breadth.
Ye Zi's pupils shrank.
The Third Raikage's maneuver had completely exceeded his expectations.
This battle was a contest of speed and power, and in this split-second exchange, Ye Zi had lost the tempo.
Now, the Third Raikage's full force had been redirected, and it all converged onto his left elbow.
His initial attack had been with his right fist, but by using his waist rotation, he transferred all of that energy into his left arm.
Nintaijutsu: Heavy Flow Violent Crash! (Jūryūbaku!)
The Raikage's left elbow slammed into Ye Zi's left shoulder, delivering an earth-shattering amount of force.
Boom!
A deafening shockwave erupted.
Ye Zi's body was blasted away like a cannonball.
His form tore through the battlefield, smashing through countless tree roots, yet his momentum did not slow.
He was launched clean off the platform, sent hurtling over the water. A massive twin wave of water, meters high, split apart in his wake as his body skidded across the surface, sliding hundreds of meters until he slammed into the rocky cliffside of a distant mountain.
Crash!
A violent impact.
Though the majority of the force had dissipated by the time he crashed, the sheer force still left a deep crater in the rock face.
Back on the battlefield, the Third Raikage held his elbow strike posture for a single second then, slowly lowered his arm.
His piercing gaze remained locked on the distant mountain where Ye Zi had crashed.
"If that didn't kill him, he won't be walking away from this."
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Currently on Chapter 558 - The Dreaded Truth