Chapter 150: A Flash of Crimson
Two colossal Rashomon gates stood as grim sentinels before Kagenori. Summoning a single one demanded a significant chunk of chakra; like Orochimaru, he was capable of summoning three. But he had to be frugal. The battle was far from over.
The first Rashomon was obliterated by the Third Raikage's Three-Finger Nukite almost instantly, though his speed was visibly checked. By the time he shattered the second gate, a flicker of frustration was evident on his face.
It was the opening Kagenori needed. He dropped into a low stance, veins bulging across his body as lightning chakra surged to its peak.
"Thunder Breathing, Seventh Form: Honoikazuchi!"
He became a streak of light so fast it was imperceptible, a blue thunder dragon materializing in the wake of his movement. His ninjato swung in a perfect, devastating arc aimed at the Raikage's torso.
Facing this new level of assault, the Raikage's eyes widened. For the first time, he did not rely solely on his armor. He crossed his arms in a defensive block.
SHIIING!
The blade met its mark. This time, it did not bounce off. The edge of Kagenori's sword bit deep into the skin and muscle of the Raikage's forearms.
It was only a shallow wound, but it was a wound.
The two combatants pushed off each other, creating distance once more.
The Third Raikage looked down at the thin line of blood welling on his arm, his expression unreadable. But Kagenori could feel the shift in the air, the change in the man's presence. The casual dismissal was gone.
"What is your name, boy?" the Raikage asked, his voice a low rumble.
Kagenori was momentarily taken aback. Hadn't Kitsuchi shouted it? "Kagenori," he replied, his tone solemn.
The Raikage gave a slow, acknowledging nod. "So it's you. The 'Blood-Eyed Shura' who put A and Killer B in the hospital. I acknowledge you. To have drawn my blood..."
"Hurting you is just the beginning," Kagenori retorted, a faint, cold smile touching his lips. "I intend to take your head."
A fierce grin spread across the Raikage's face. "Then let's see you try!"
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode: Maximum Output!"
The aura around him exploded in intensity, his hair standing on end as the crackling energy field around him thickened, becoming a near-solid shell of blue-white light. The air itself hummed with power.
Kagenori's expression turned deadly serious. Before, the Raikage had been fighting to stall. Now, he was fighting to win.
Not waiting to be attacked, Kagenori took the initiative.
"Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!"
He gathered chakra in his throat and exhaled a wide-cone of intensely hot ash and embers. The technique instantly set the surrounding area ablaze, using the explosive heatwave to roll the scorching dust outwards in a suffocating cloud. Kagenori used the cover to vanish within the miasma.
The technique's range was vast. Dozens of Rock-nin were caught in the inferno, screaming as they were burned alive or suffocated by the superheated air.
The Third Raikage retreated from the edge of the cloud, his senses on high alert. He knew Kagenori would strike from within the concealment. He just had to find him, or wait for him to reveal himself.
His sharp eyes caught a flicker of movement—Kagenori had slipped out of the dust and was now blending into the panicked ranks of the Iwa army.
In that instant, the Raikage moved. His speed now was transcendent, a blur that even Kagenori's Mangekyō Sharingan could barely track. He plowed through the Iwa ninja in his path, their bodies tossed aside like straw dolls.
He slammed into Kagenori's form, a powerful hand clamping down on his shoulder. "Got you, you little—!"
"Lightning Release: Bomb!"
He lifted the figure and slammed it into the ground with earth-shattering force, creating a deep crater. The body twisted unnaturally. Without a moment's pause, the Raikage unleashed a point-blank explosion of lightning chakra, vaporizing the form in the pit.
"He had skill," the Raikage muttered, turning away. "But arrogance was his downfall. A pity he wasn't from Kumo."
A hand shot out from the earth and clamped around his ankle.
The Raikage looked down in shock to see Kagenori, half-embedded in the ground, looking up at him.
Then who was that...?
He glanced back at the crater and saw the charred remains of an Iwa-nin, a simple Transformation Jutsu dispelled by death.
"The Sharingan... an illusion..." the Raikage growled.
Kagenori, with a surge of strength, yanked the Raikage's leg, pulling him partially into the ground. At that moment, a coordinated Iwa ninjutsu struck the area, aiming to bury both of them alive.
Before Kagenori could extract himself, the earth around him constricted violently, crushing him and pinning the Raikage.
"Kyozetsu!"
His left Mangekyō Sharingan wept tears of blood. The moment its power activated, the chakra-infused earth squeezing him lost its potency, its cohesive force rejected.
Kagenori smirked in the darkness. These damned Rock-nin. They ruined my setup.
He formed a single hand seal and used a Substitution Jutsu to swap with a pre-marked log deeper in the soil, escaping the earthen tomb.
He emerged above ground just in time to see a fist sheathed in lightning heading for his face.
"Just as I predicted."
The fist passed through him as his body dissolved into another substitution log. The real Kagenori was already moving.
Kitsuchi watched from a distance, a cold dread seeping into him. He had thought Kagenori was another elite Jounin like Namikaze Minato—a speedster to be avoided. But this was different. Minato was a phantom who struck with precision. Kagenori was a force of nature, a brawler whose every clash with the Raikage sent shockwaves through his army. His Iwa-nin had become mere stage props in this duel of titans, dying by the dozen as collateral damage.
The Third Raikage, still partially trapped in the genjutru, scowled at the multiple illusory copies of 'Kagenori' surrounding him. With no ally to disrupt the chakra flow, he was stuck.
"Fine then..." he grunted.
He chose the most direct solution. He charged the largest group of phantoms. It didn't matter which was real; he would attack them all.
As the Raikage tore through the illusory copies and the very real Iwa-nin caught in the crossfire, Kagenori was already preparing his true assault. His body lowered, coiling like a spring.
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash... GODSPEED!"
He became a bolt of pure, blue lightning, crossing the battlefield in an instant, aimed directly at the Raikage's back.
At the precise moment of impact, the power of Kyozetsu activated. The Raikage's impenetrable Lightning Chakra Mode flickered and died, its foreign chakra utterly rejected.
Sensing the void where his ultimate defense had been, the Raikage's instincts screamed. He jerked his head to the side in a desperate, last-moment dodge.
SHUNK.
Kagenori's ninjato, aimed for the neck, instead sank deep into the meat of the Raikage's shoulder, piercing through muscle and grating against bone. A spray of crimson blood arced through the air.
💫 Liked the chapter?You can read 100+ extra chapters on Patreon, including the current
Patreon Chapter 250:A Phantom Victory
👉 Patreon.com/KudosNey
Your support helps me write more and update faster 💖And don't forget to drop a Power Stone ⭐ — it really motivates me!
Special thanks to All our patreon members : DCor,Joe Mamma,C99mnt,RobbieRay,BuddySchlym,aroachinmyroomsslut 😎
Thank you for reading and supporting! 🙌✨