Chapter 107: Reading Moves, The Third Raikage's Caution
"Down."
Confirming that the Third Raikage was coming his way, Li Yao's shadow clone's eyes lit up. He immediately dove downward on the Black Iron Giant Eagle.
"Trying to escape through the sea?"
"Hmph! Naive!"
Seeing Li Yao's shadow clone dive toward the ocean, Damaokelisi and the others sneered. To fall into the sea in front of a Lightning Release user—did Li Yao not understand that lightning-type ninja are most dangerous on the water?
The sea's conductivity would amplify the reach of Lightning Release attacks.
If Li Yao touched the ocean surface, he'd never make it back into the air.
Only the Third Raikage didn't think that way. He frowned slightly.
In just a few clashes, Li Yao had countered his attacks differently every time, never using the same tactic twice.
It was clear Li Yao didn't lack combat intuition—on the contrary, he had excellent battle instincts. If he was diving into the sea now, he must have considered how to deal with Lightning Release, or had some other method to escape.
Still… even knowing that, the Third Raikage didn't believe Li Yao could shake them off by diving into the water.
But disbelief didn't mean he'd sit by and let him go.
And now that Li Yao was diving, their distance was shortened.
They were roughly 550 meters apart—well within his attack range, especially if he used the momentum of the dive.
However, before the Third Raikage could act, Li Yao's clone moved first.
Mid-descent, he recalled most of the Black Iron Eagle, reshaping a small portion into a shark and sending it diving down.
At the same time, he retracted his Black Iron Feather Cloak.
Suspended in midair, his hands extended as black lightning surged forth.
"Lightning Release: Black Spotted Thunder Serpent!"
Li Yao's clone shouted silently, firing two serpents of black lightning—copies of the Raikage's technique—from his palms.
Zzzap... zzzap zzzap!
The serpents followed an erratic, "broken" path Li Yao had preset, aiming directly for the summoned eagle beneath the Raikage and his team.
"Storm Release: Photon Stream!"
Behind the Third Raikage, Kafu quickly formed seals. Radiant white chakra gathered in his hands.
Zzzap zzzap... Eight white lightning lines, snakelike and flowing like water, shot forth, bending and weaving toward Li Yao's serpents.
Boom... Near the summoned eagle's right wing, black and white lightning collided and exploded.
One black serpent was intercepted.
But the other, following an irregular, jagged trajectory, slipped beneath and struck at the eagle's underbelly.
Given the devastating power of the Black Spotted Thunder Serpent, a hit would likely disable the eagle's flight, even if it didn't kill it.
And without the eagle's aerial advantage, the Raikage's team would no longer be as threatening.
But just as Li Yao's clone was about to show a hint of triumph—
Zzzzzzap... The summoned eagle's body was suddenly enveloped in black lightning, completely neutralizing the incoming serpent.
Two jutsu of the same lightning nature canceled each other out.
The eagle was unharmed.
Li Yao's clone was a bit disappointed, but still satisfied—the goal of disrupting the Raikage's strike had succeeded.
Thanks to the diversion, the Black Iron Shark had successfully entered the sea.
"Damn it… you won't get away!"
The Raikage cursed, realizing he had been fooled. In a flash, he turned into a bolt of lightning and shot toward Li Yao.
"Hell Stab: Two-Fingered Spear!"
Boom!
Before the attack landed, Li Yao's clone dispersed himself, returning the remaining chakra to the original body.
Splash!
As the Raikage passed through the dispersing clone, the Black Iron Shark dove into the sea. Under Li Yao's control, it quickly swam deeper.
But at a depth of 30 meters, the increasing water pressure forced Li Yao to change direction. The shark swam forward instead of deeper.
Step—BOOM!
The Third Raikage landed on the sea, sending up a massive wave. Before the water could crash down, black lightning surged from his body into the ocean.
In an instant, the surface for two kilometers around became a sea of black lightning.
The submerged Black Iron Shark was struck.
"Aaaah…"
The Raikage vaguely sensed a scream from within the shark.
"It's the real Li Yao!"
He sprinted across the surface, chasing the shark's path while releasing more black lightning beneath his feet.
The lightning conducted through the sea, attacking Li Yao inside the shark.
From this, the Raikage confirmed there was someone inside—either Li Yao or a clone.
Wait…
At first, he had sensed two people inside the Black Iron Eagle, not just one.
"Is it the real Li Yao… or a clone?"
His expression darkened. Regardless, the Black Iron Shark had to be eliminated immediately.
Step step step… The Raikage ran swiftly over the sea, following the shark beneath.
Behind him, the summoned eagle swooped in low, flying 20 meters above the water.
"Druid! Fifty meters ahead, thirty meters deep!" the Raikage shouted.
"Got it, boss!"
A man leapt from the eagle, forming seals midair. As he landed on the surface, he slammed his hands down.
"Water Release: Ascending Sea Dragon!"
The waters 30 meters deep around the shark began spinning rapidly, forming a massive whirlpool like an underwater tornado.
Li Yao's shark couldn't escape—soon it was caught and pulled upward.
BOOM!
The sea surface caved in, then a spiraling water dragon erupted upward. With a splash, a black shadow was ejected—
The Black Iron Shark.
Zzzzzap...
A bolt of lightning instantly appeared beside it—
The Raikage, cloaked in Lightning Chakra Armor.
"Hell Stab…"
CRACK CRACK...
Before Li Yao could react, the shark was shattered by the Raikage's Two-Fingered Spear.
From within, a scorched, curvaceous female corpse was revealed.
"Not Li Yao."
No need for a second glance. The Raikage knew she wasn't Li Yao. Who was she? Didn't matter. Her flesh was burned black by lightning, her face unrecognizable, her heartbeat gone. She was almost certainly dead.
Whoever she was, she clearly hadn't meant anything to Li Yao—he had sacrificed her without hesitation.
With that, the Raikage didn't spare another glance as her body fell back into the sea.
He landed beside his water-style guard, Druid, and both leapt back onto the summoned eagle.
"Pursue," the Raikage said simply. He would capture Li Yao no matter what.
Everything Li Yao had displayed so far made him deeply uneasy. He couldn't allow Li Yao time to grow stronger.
If left unchecked, Li Yao would become a terrifying threat in the shadows.
Just that genjutsu—strong enough to trigger his Black Lightning's defense—could wipe out over 80… no, over 90 percent of Kumogakure's ninja.
Remembering the humiliation he once suffered at Uchiha Madara's hands, the Raikage became even more wary of Li Yao's illusions. He knew—besides himself, few in Kumogakure could withstand them.
So this time, he had to capture Li Yao.
(END CHAPTER)
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