Chapter 148: The Unbreakable Fortress and a Thirst for Battle
The Third Raikage stood alone, a bastion of lightning against a sea of earth. To buy his men the precious seconds they needed to escape and carry his final orders, he had chosen to face the Iwagakure army by himself.
Kitsuchi wasted no time. "Don't let a single one of those Cloud-nin escape! Intercept them!" he roared.
Hundreds of Rock-nin surged forward, a tidal wave of brown and grey intent on cutting down the fleeing guards.
"Lightning Release: Lariat!"
In a flash of blue-white light, the Raikage vanished from his position and reappeared directly within the advancing Iwa ranks. He concentrated a devastating amount of lightning chakra around his leg and slammed it into the ground. The earth erupted, carving out a deep crater and instantly vaporizing over twenty Rock-nin, the concussive blast hurling dozens more through the air like discarded ragdolls. With a single technique, he had single-handedly halted the pursuit.
A storm of kunai and shuriken rained down upon him, clattering harmlessly against the brilliant, crackling shroud of his Lightning Release Chakra Mode. He didn't even flinch. The Raikage had become an unstoppable force, a wolf unleashed among sheep, and he began to carve a path of devastation through their ranks.
Seeing his forces being slaughtered, Kitsuchi acted. "Earth Release: Mountain Sandwich Technique!"
Two massive hemispheres of solid rock erupted from the ground, slamming together with the Raikage trapped between them. The Third Raikage grunted, bracing his hands against the crushing stone, his muscles bulging as he halted their inward momentum.
Seizing the opening, a swarm of Rock-nin rushed in, kunai raised for the kill.
"Hell Stab: Four-Finger Nukite!"
With a deafening crack, the Raikage's free hand, four fingers extended and sheathed in a blinding, concentrated spear of lightning, punched straight through the hemispherical prison. He burst free, a bolt of divine wrath, and began his deadly sprint. Wherever he passed, Rock-nin fell, their bodies unable to withstand the piercing power of his thrusts. They were utterly outclassed.
From his vantage point, Kagenori watched, a faint, involuntary tremor running through his hands. It was an adrenaline response. This raw, one-against-many combat was what stirred his blood most deeply.
The Raikage's guards had escaped. The man could theoretically disengage now. But Kagenori understood the calculus. If the Raikage left, this Iwa army would march unimpeded on a vulnerable Kumogakure. His sacrifice here was to buy time for the Cloud forces in the Land of Hot Springs to withdraw and reinforce the village's defenses.
The Raikage shifted his stance. "Hell Stab: Three-Finger Nukite!" The reduction in fingers concentrated the power further, increasing its piercing capability as he continued his relentless assault.
Kitsuchi, watching his army being systematically dismantled, bellowed a new order. "Combined Jutsu! Thousand-Mile Earth Flow Wall!"
Dozens of Rock-nin formed hand seals in unison, slamming their palms to the ground. "Earth Release: Thousand-Mile Earth Flow Wall!"
A colossal rampart of earth, resembling a section of a great wall, erupted from the soil, blocking the Raikage's path.
The Third Raikage didn't even break stride. His expression remained a mask of grim determination as he charged forward, the Three-Finger Nukite aimed at the center of the immense barrier.
The Rock-nin waited, poised to attack the moment the wall stopped him.
They were not prepared for what happened next. The Raikage's Hell Stab pierced the multi-layered earth wall as if it were rice paper, exploding through the other side in a shower of rock and dust. He continued his slaughter, a force of nature that could not be contained.
"The ultimate spear and the ultimate shield…" Kagenori murmured, genuinely impressed. The speed of the Three-Finger Nukite was nearly on par with his own Thunder Breathing, Godspeed. The Two-Finger version would undoubtedly surpass it. He had activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, not just to witness the legend, but to dissect it.
He was deeply interested in the Lightning Chakra Mode. His Thunder Breathing stimulated his muscles and nerves for speed, but it offered no defensive boost. The Raikage's technique was a complete package: enhanced speed, monstrous defense, and heightened neural conduction, all scaling with the intensity of the chakra. It was a versatility Kagenori currently lacked. All his mastered skills, with the exception of 'Fumetsuzan', were purely offensive. He needed this.
Kitsuchi realized the grim truth: his army of thousands was being stalemated by one man. His initial plan—to leave a rearguard to occupy the Raikage while the main force struck Kumo—was in tatters. The Raikage was the rearguard, and he was pinning down the entire army. If they pushed on to Kumo, the Raikage would butcher them from behind. If they stayed, the Cloud-nin from the Hot Springs front would reinforce the village, nullifying the surprise attack.
Inheriting his father Ōnoki's pragmatism, Kitsuchi was unwilling to take such a gamble. The plan had shifted. The primary objective was now to kill the Third Raikage.
But letting his men be slaughtered wasn't a strategy.
"All units!" Kitsuchi commanded, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Alter the terrain! Hinder his movements! Form defensive teams! We will wear him down!"
Kagenori's lip curled in disdain upon hearing the order. So, the mighty Iwa army resorts to a war of attrition against a single man. How… typical of them.
Yet, he felt no sympathy for the Raikage or Kumo. The memory of their attempt to kidnap Kushina was still fresh. His blood was up, the spectacle of combat igniting a familiar, cold fire within him.
He stood up, hefting his ninjato onto his shoulder, and began to walk calmly towards the chaotic battlefield.
Kitsuchi spotted his approach, his eyes narrowing in alarm. "The Blood-Eyed Shura, Kagenori?! Is Konoha here?!"
Kagenori tapped the flat of his blade against his shoulder. "I'm alone. But watching this… it leaves a bad taste in my mouth." He gestured with his chin towards the Iwa forces. "To resort to defensive turtling against one man… the Hidden Rock's shame knows no bounds."
Kitsuchi's gaze turned sharp and suspicious. "So, you've come to aid the Raikage?"
A cold, predatory smile spread across Kagenori's face. "Aid him? The Cloud are my enemies. I'm simply… thirsty for a real fight."
He lowered his ninjato, pointing the tip directly at Kitsuchi.
"So, let's fight."
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