The flames that erupted in an instant surged outward, engulfing the Fourth Raikage and everyone nearby.
But in the very next heartbeat, Shigure suddenly accelerated, darting straight toward the sea of fire still spreading across the battlefield.
Just as the sweeping blast of flames reached him—
ROOM!
A spherical space expanded instantly, covering nearly a hundred meters.
Shigure's figure vanished within the distortion.
An instant later, a freezing surge erupted from the center of the inferno, snuffing out the surrounding flames with a violent hiss.
A piercing roar tore through the air.
The Fourth Raikage, wrapped in his Lightning Chakra Mode, smashed a heavy fist toward Shigure's raised elbow.
Their clash detonated a shockwave that burst outward in rippling pressure.
The ground trembled. Gravel skittered across the shattered terrain.
Despite the impact, Shigure wore an easy smile.
"Not bad. You actually blocked the first wave."
The Great Sage had calculated that attack precisely. The Fourth Raikage withstood it only thanks to the Lightning Chakra Armor cloaking his entire body.
But the same couldn't be said for the others.
A quick glance told the story—Tsuchikage Ōnoki, Gaara, and several others were already down on one knee or collapsed entirely, battered and coughing, their combat strength sharply reduced.
And that had only been the opening strike.
Kakashi's breath tightened.
Shigure… you've become even more terrifying.
He should've been proud—Shigure was a powerful ally.
But right now?
There was nothing to celebrate.
Before he could dwell on the thought, a warm pulse of chakra surged through him.
His wounds began knitting visibly.
He turned sharply—Tsunade had summoned Katsuyu, and healing chakra was already spreading through the battlefield.
"It's alright!" she called.
Kakashi nodded. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama!"
"It's nothing," she replied softly. "Healing is a medical ninja's purpose."
Around them, others also recovered quickly under Katsuyu's distributed healing.
Ōnoki wasted no time. He pushed himself into the air and barked,
"Everyone, spread out! Make it harder for large-scale attacks to hit all of us at once!"
Gaara reacted instantly, sand swirling at his command as he tried to bury Shigure.
"Sand Coffin!"
The sand clamped down with crushing force—
—but Shigure vanished again.
C's eyes sharpened.
"Thirty meters northwest!"
Everyone snapped their gaze that way—Shigure was already standing before the Tsuchikage.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
A brilliant white cube of light roared toward him.
But Shigure didn't evade.
He raised his hand—and grabbed the Dust Release.
[Great Sage: Commencing Analysis]
[Gluttony — Activate]
A black, formless substance rippled from his hand.
It latched onto the Dust Release and began devouring the technique itself.
The blinding cube dimmed rapidly, parts of it dissolving into nothingness.
Moments later—
[Great Sage: Analysis complete. The host has acquired Dust Release. Would you like to integrate it into the Ten-Tails?]
"Do it," Shigure answered without taking his eyes off Ōnoki.
But a bolt of lightning suddenly speared toward him from behind.
Shigure's eyes flashed brilliantly.
Don't-Be-a-God — Extreme!
His sight locked onto the lightning.
A moment later, he simply raised his hand—
—and caught the lightning bolt.
Darui froze mid-stance.
Before he could react, Shigure shaped the lightning into a sharp spear of crackling plasma and hurled it back with lethal intent.
If C hadn't yanked Darui aside at the last instant, the spear would have skewered him clean through.
The battlefield fell silent for a breath—every eye fixed on Shigure, their expressions pale.
And the fight was far from over.
"Water Release: Water Horn Technique!"
Kurotsuchi's shout echoed across the battlefield as a massive torrent of water surged forward, spiraling like a towering horn aimed straight at Shigure.
Shigure lifted his gaze—calm, analytical.
Don't-Be-a-God — Extreme.
Revise.
In an instant, the properties of the onrushing water changed.
The roaring torrent stiffened, its surface turning elastic—like a solid rubber ball.
Shigure leapt lightly and kicked the Water Release attack back.
For a moment, everyone's minds went blank.
The spiraling water mass—kicked like a ball—hurtled back toward its caster.
But the alteration only lasted a brief moment.
As soon as the modified properties reverted to normal water, the technique crashed directly into Kurotsuchi, sweeping her off her feet and blasting her backward in a violent splash.
Shigure landed effortlessly.
Around him, wide-eyed faces stared in disbelief.
He had caught an enemy's lightning bare-handed.
He had shaped that lightning into a spear.
And now—he had literally kicked back a Water Release technique and sent it flying.
What kind of ability is that?
A sharp metallic clang broke the shock.
Shigure drew his ninja blade—Slashing Moon, its pitch-black edge humming with killing intent—and swung it toward a distant hill.
The slash detonated with a thunderous roar.
The hill split cleanly in two.
Shigure raised his hand.
Baton.
The ROOM expanded violently—its radius swelling to four or five hundred meters.
The bisected hill, now caught within the spatial field, rose into the air and whipped forward, soaring above the battlefield before anyone could react.
The entire coalition looked up, dumbfounded.
Ōnoki—the Third Tsuchikage—stared in shock.
"This brat… even has techniques like this?"
"I'll stop it!" he declared. "You all keep him busy!"
Just as Shigure prepared to swing again at the incoming attacks, a sudden gust tore across the battlefield.
A whirlwind of kicks and punches forced him to slide back a step.
Shigure steadied himself and looked up.
"Might Guy-sensei!"
As expected of Konoha's Taijutsu master—every strike carried a crushing force.
Even Shigure could feel the difference in level.
He flicked his ninja blade and sent it flying at Guy—
—but a flash of lightning split the air.
A thousand shrieks echoed.
Kakashi, wielding Raikiri, intercepted the attack in an instant, his stance firm as steel.
Guy and Kakashi moved in perfect unison, pressuring Shigure from both sides.
The coordination caught even Shigure slightly off guard.
"Stop this, Shigure!" Kakashi shouted.
His voice was stern, pleading.
He wanted—needed—to reach him.
But Shigure only smiled faintly.
Kakashi's expression changed—
—and then the impossible happened.
His Raikiri… was cleaved in half.
Lightning scattered like broken shards.
Kakashi froze, staring at the bisected technique.
What… is this?
(End of Chapter)
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