Despite being gravely injured, the Third Raikage's posture remained upright and unyielding. His blood formed an armor, covering his body and adding a chilling air of murderous intent, there was no trace of weakness in his stance.
His right hand was completely crippled, and his left hand was pierced through by a long blade. What remained usable were his legs, his head, and his teeth… But he still possessed his ultimate technique, known as the "strongest spear." However, that technique required the use of his hands.
The Cloud ninja all wore heavy expressions. They understood the Third Raikage's determination, yet none of them mourned the fate that was about to unfold.
This was the choice made by the Third Raikage, the decision of a Kage-level warrior of the Cloud Village. Therefore, they could not afford to grieve over the consequences of that choice.
"A, do me a small favor." The Third Raikage coldly fixed his gaze on Ye Zi, who was entangled in battle with Killer Bee.
Hearing the Third Raikage's words, A moved closer.
The Third Raikage raised his injured left hand toward A. Compared to his right hand, his left was not entirely ruined, it was barely usable but required some treatment.
Seeing the bloody mess of his left hand, A fell silent. The Third Raikage had not explicitly stated what the favor was, but A already knew.
"Hurry up," the Third Raikage ordered in a deep voice.
A took a deep breath, then suddenly pulled off his belt. He extended his right hand, which was surging with lightning chakra, and pressed it against the penetrating wound on the Third Raikage's left hand. Using the high temperature generated by the lightning flow, he cauterized the wound. Then, he tightly secured the severed bones of the Raikage's fingers against his palm, leaving only his index finger free to move.
After finishing, A wrapped the belt around the Raikage's palm and continued binding it all the way up to his elbow until the belt was fully used.
Throughout the entire process, the Third Raikage's expression remained unshaken, as if the arm being treated did not belong to him.
Once done, the Third Raikage slightly moved his left arm, his brow furrowing in dissatisfaction, it was far from perfect, but this was the best possible solution.
"Go."
After standing still for a few moments, A turned without a word and joined the other Cloud ninja in evacuating their unconscious comrades. They needed to move them out of Cloud Thunder Gorge before Killer Bee unleashed that technique.
For efficiency, A instructed all Cloud ninja who knew the Lightning Clone Technique to create clones to speed up the evacuation. However, he himself did not use the technique, as it would split his chakra in half.
The battle was far from over, and as one of the main fighters, he had to conserve as much chakra as possible.
Perhaps it was part of the Cloud ninja's nature, but once a decision was made, their execution was swift and without hesitation.
By the time Ye Zi had severed six of Killer Bee's tentacles, the Cloud ninja had already begun carrying away their unconscious comrades. Meanwhile, the Third Raikage, whom Ye Zi had personally crippled was once again radiating a powerful lightning aura, stronger than before, as if he no longer cared whether his body could withstand it.
Noticing this, Ye Zi's gaze sharpened.
Even after being crippled to this extent, he still thinks he can fight? How naïve.
Sensing the killing intent emanating from the Third Raikage, Ye Zi sneered silently. Perfect, he had worried that taking him down would be troublesome, but now the Raikage was delivering himself to death. As one of the most qualified candidates for an Edo Tensei body, the Third Raikage was a prime target.
His primary objective on this mission was the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki. Beyond that, the only other opponent worth killing was the Third Raikage. As for the rest of the Cloud ninja, Ye Zi didn't consider them a threat. If they were evacuated, so be it.
He still had a fair amount of chakra left, enough to take down the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki.
White Zetsu was currently transporting the Two-Tails Jinchūriki to the Hidden Rain Village, so after capturing the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Ye Zi would need to transport him personally. That meant he had to conserve some stamina.
Inside the sealed space, Killer Bee was communicating with the Eight-Tails.
"This guy is way too troublesome."
"The Tailed Beast Bomb is restrained by Wood Release. If even the Tailed Beast Eight Twists can't kill him, then just like the Third Raikage said, no matter the cost, we must ensure he dies in the valley. This enemy is too dangerous." The Eight-Tails spoke gravely.
"I can't regenerate my tentacles fast enough!" Killer Bee nodded, then suddenly yelped as yet another tentacle was severed by Ye Zi.
Severed tentacles could regrow with chakra, but it took time, and Ye Zi's blade was far faster than their regeneration.
Just as Killer Bee was about to lose control of the fight, the Third Raikage finally made his move.
Killer Bee let out a breath of relief and immediately withdrew, creating space for the Third Raikage. If he was going to use the Tailed Beast Eight Twists, he needed to regrow his tentacles first.
Ye Zi's primary target was him. As long as he remained in the valley, his evacuated comrades would be safe. If their strongest techniques still couldn't kill Ye Zi, the only remaining option would be sacrificing lives to take him down.
"I won't let it come to that!" Killer Bee's expression grew serious. No matter what, he had to use the Tailed Beast Eight Twists to finish Ye Zi.
Sizzle!
Killer Bee withdrew as the Third Raikage transformed into a flash of lightning, darting past the massive form of the Eight-Tails and charging straight at Ye Zi.
In the brief moment their paths crossed, Killer Bee caught a glimpse of the Third Raikage's movements.
"The Third Raikage's strongest spear, One-Finger Nukite. But with his hand so damaged, can he even execute it? And with his left hand at that…" Killer Bee thought anxiously while keeping an eye on the evacuation progress.
A bolt of lightning streaked across the water's surface, only the sound could be heard, but the figure was unseen.
Killer Bee could barely keep up, but Ye Zi saw everything clearly. Yet the speed the Third Raikage had unleashed now surpassed even his peak. A desperate, self-sacrificing burst of power.
Lightning chakra burned through every inch of his body, pushing his physical limits beyond anything he had ever achieved before.
"One-Finger Nukite!"
The blood armor coating the Third Raikage's body evaporated into mist under the intensity of his lightning aura. The majority of his lightning chakra condensed into a single, extended index finger, like a lightning spear hurled at unimaginable speed, striking toward Ye Zi in an instant.
That strongest spear, "One-Finger Nukite," thrust straight toward Ye Zi's chest.
Ye Zi's eerie, demonic eyes gleamed brilliantly as the black blade in his hand suddenly lunged forward, aiming directly at the Third Raikage's piercing finger.
To be able to pinpoint the tip of the blade onto the advancing finger at such terrifying speed, his reaction time and dynamic vision were truly astonishing.
At the moment when finger and blade collided, a surge of unwillingness arose in the Third Raikage's heart. Regardless of what the outcome would be in the next few seconds, he knew that tonight, he would die in the valley.
He was not a man who cared much for reputation, but the thought that after tonight, the news of his defeat at Ye Zi's hands would spread throughout the entire ninja world left him with an inescapable sense of frustration.
However, in this world, the strong reign supreme, and the weak are powerless. What use was unwillingness?
Clang!
Even though it was a clash between a finger and a blade tip, the impact erupted with an ear-splitting metallic clash, sending out a shockwave that lifted a towering wave of water several meters high, momentarily obscuring the view of the watching Cloud ninja. However, it could not block Killer Bee's keen vision.
Most of the Cloud ninja did not know the outcome, as they were still focused on evacuating their unconscious comrades. At this moment, there was no time to spare for watching the fight, ensuring the safe retreat of their comrades was the priority.
A, along with many other Cloud ninja, stood atop a mountain peak on the outskirts of Cloud Thunder Gorge, silently watching the scene unfold before them. The veins on their temples and fists bulged with tension.
Those who could not see, saw nothing. Those who could, saw everything.
The "strongest spear," One-Finger Nukite, had been completely shattered by Ye Zi's black lightning blade.
Starting from the finger bones, the destruction spread through the entire arm, then up to the shoulder. A complete and utter defeat.
And yet, the towering figure of the Third Raikage did not fall.
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Currently on Chapter 567 - The Future of the Ninja World