Chapter 152: Clash—Who Is the Weakest Among the Five Kage?
Eight hundred meters.
Seven hundred meters.
Six hundred meters.
Five hundred meters.
"Genjutsu incoming!"
At the five hundred meter mark, Dan Katō gave a warning.
All Five Kage tensed at once. Li Yao's genjutsu was indeed something to be feared. Whether this siege would succeed depended heavily on whether they could resist his illusions.
The Five Kage immediately gathered high-quality chakra in preparation.
"Genjutsu..." Among Li Yao's seven shadow clones, five simultaneously cast the Genjutsu: Sensory Deprivation Technique on the Five Kage and their clones.
Inside the Third Hokage's body, Dan Katō's spirit form trembled, bouncing Li Yao's invading genjutsu chakra away. The Third remained unaffected and instantly summoned Enma, grasping the transformed Adamantine Staff and striking at Li Yao's shadow clone.
Inside the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki's body, the Dust Release chakra shook violently, erasing Li Yao's illusionary chakra immediately.
The same happened with the Third Raikage. In Lightning Chakra Mode, his body shimmered with black lightning that completely dispelled the illusion.
The Third Kazekage directly used his magnetic chakra to attract Li Yao's genjutsu chakra, preventing the sensory interference.
The Third Mizukage also had his own method of defense. At that moment, his body was enveloped in a mass of pitch-black water, and Li Yao's illusion couldn't even locate his head.
The Third Mizukage's body had become elemental, fully merged with the black water. Li Yao's genjutsu chakra lasted only moments before being shattered by the water.
"As expected, any man who could become a Kage would have no obvious weaknesses."
Though his Sensory Deprivation Technique failed, Li Yao's clone wasn't too disappointed—he was no longer the man he had been a year ago.
Zzzzt... All seven shadow clones activated their Black Iron Cloaks and Lightning Chakra Modes simultaneously. Their speed became lightning incarnate.
Boom!
The Third Hokage's shadow clone was instantly obliterated by a high-speed kick from Li Yao's clone. He didn't even have time to react.
Among the Five Kage, without Enma's support, Hiruzen Sarutobi was clearly the weakest.
No matter how strong one's basic techniques were, they couldn't compete with Kekkei Genkai.
While Hiruzen seemed to master all five basic nature transformations, and his genjutsu and taijutsu were above average, compared to ordinary shinobi he was the epitome of mastery—earning the name "Professor."
But to top-tier experts, this was mediocrity.
His attacks weren't as destructive as Ōnoki's Dust Release, his speed and reflexes couldn't rival the Third Raikage's, and his jutsu lacked the bloodline-based power of the Third Kazekage and Mizukage.
Without Enma, Hiruzen's clone couldn't withstand a single blow from a lightning-enhanced Li Yao.
In contrast to Sarutobi's pitiful defeat, the other Kage's clones responded much better.
The fastest was the Third Raikage. Though his clone didn't use Lightning Chakra Mode, its reflexes were lightning-fast.
When Li Yao's clone approached, the Raikage's lightning clone turned into a mass of crackling black electricity and enveloped Li Yao's clone.
But Li Yao's clone, who also wielded black lightning, was unharmed. He emitted his own dark lightning to cancel out the attack.
The Tsuchikage's earth clone turned to mud as soon as Li Yao's clone pierced it with a triple strike. Instantly, it split into massive chunks of rock, trying to engulf Li Yao's clone like a swamp.
However… Crackkk!
Lightning counters earth. In Lightning Chakra Mode, Li Yao's clone broke free with ease.
The Kazekage and Mizukage used similar tactics.
Unable to dodge, they either wrapped Li Yao's clone in iron sand or compressed him with black water.
Unlike the others, the Third Kazekage's iron sand completely restrained Li Yao's clone—who couldn't break free. He could even feel the iron sand drawing iron from his simulated body's chakra.
Boom!
That clone exploded.
The Kazekage's iron sand had killed a lightning-cloaked, black-iron-armored clone.
"Third Kazekage's iron sand is that powerful?!"
Back on the ink eagle, Li Yao was momentarily stunned.
He had always assumed that the Third Kazekage's title as "Strongest Kazekage in History" was just a joke—like Hiruzen's "Strongest Hokage."
But the terrifying precision of that iron sand—so refined it worked on a microscopic level to extract iron from within the body and destroy it—was no joke.
"I absolutely must not let that iron sand get close!"
Li Yao instantly came to a conclusion. His real body could likely resist it better than a clone…
But he wasn't going to test it. If he failed, that'd be the end.
"So much pressure!"
The Mizukage's water clone had turned into a black mass of water that engulfed one of Li Yao's clones. That clone felt immense pressure—like being 1000 meters deep underwater.
If not for the lightning armor and black iron cloak, that clone would've been crushed.
"Another jutsu I must not get caught in."
The Third Mizukage's threat level rose in Li Yao's mind—now just behind the Tsuchikage and Kazekage.
Compared to those three, the Raikage was far less dangerous.
And the Hokage… utterly harmless.
As the only shadow clone to be obliterated without landing a single blow, Sarutobi Hiruzen was undoubtedly the weakest among the Five Kage.
"No wonder this guy never left Konoha after becoming Hokage. Turns out he was just too weak—he couldn't even handle one other Kage. Naturally, he had to stay hidden and maintain the illusion of 'Strongest Hokage.'"
Li Yao scoffed internally, though his clones kept moving.
Aside from the one killed by iron sand and the one bound by black water, the remaining five immediately turned to chase the Five Kage, preventing them from getting close to the real Li Yao.
Meanwhile, Li Yao himself continued flying away on his ink eagle.
He had now realized the Four Red Yang Formation wouldn't last long. It was activated via sealing scrolls and had limited chakra.
He just needed to stall long enough. Then the tide of victory would tip in his favor.
Without the barrier, the Five Kage would struggle to coordinate as effectively.
"Lightning Chakra Mode!!"
"He actually… knows this too?!"
The Five Kage had been shocked when Li Yao's clones used Lightning Chakra Mode. But thinking back, it wasn't too surprising—he could already use the Third Raikage's black lightning.
Whoosh!
Ōnoki soared into the sky, refusing to engage with the clones. Li Yao's clone couldn't fly—after using lightning armor and the black iron cloak, he had no chakra left to summon the Black Iron Eagle. He fired a black lightning blast upward.
"Earth Style: Mud Wall!"
Ōnoki spat out a muddy wall to intercept. It couldn't block the blast entirely but slowed it down enough for him to ascend skyward—headed straight for Li Yao's real body.
The Kazekage used iron sand to intercept a black iron chain, then formed iron wings and took off using magnetic propulsion.
The Raikage was even more extreme—lightning chakra wings extended from his back. With one flap, he shot into the sky like a bolt of lightning, evading even the fastest attacks.
"Lightning Chakra can be used like that?!"
Li Yao was dumbfounded. He tried forming wings with his own lightning chakra—but nothing happened. He couldn't lift off at all.
"How did the Raikage manage that?"
Li Yao was puzzled. The other Kage were also baffled. Then they cursed inwardly—who would've thought the usually blunt Raikage had kept such a trump card hidden?
Ōnoki, who had fought the Raikage for years, was especially stunned. He had never seen this flying Lightning Chakra Mode before.
Clearly, the Raikage had been planning to ambush someone.
Fortunately, Li Yao had forced the technique out.
Otherwise, if he had carelessly allowed the Raikage to get close, even with Dust Release, he might've been fatally wounded before reacting.
"Li Yao, this time you're not escaping."
The Raikage's gaze was fierce. He regretted letting Li Yao escape the first time using flight.
To compensate for his inability to fly, he had personally led a raid on a small hidden village and taken a secret chakra technique called the Peacock Method.
Using that technique in combination with a special meteorite, he had not only gained flight but also further strengthened his maxed-out Lightning Chakra Mode.
The boost was minor numerically—but beyond the limits, even a slight increase meant a major power spike.
It was a massive upgrade.
Of course, the cost was equally steep.
The Raikage could feel his cells deteriorating. If he continued using the Peacock Method, he had five years to live at most.
But for the future of Kumogakure, he was willing to pay the price. As long as Li Yao died, it would be worth it.
Wind, Earth, and Lightning Kage had all escaped Li Yao's clones through flight.
The Mizukage had no flying technique, but turned into black water and vanished underground.
However, through chakra sensing, Li Yao could track that water—it flowed like spilled ink on paper, rapidly seeping toward him.
It was incredibly fast—almost as quick as a clone in Lightning Chakra Mode.
But underground, and without spare chakra, Li Yao's clone couldn't stop the Mizukage.
(END CHAPTER)
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