'Shhh.'
The Third Raikage, who had been sent flying, lost his balance. The Hell Stab he had condensed in his left hand pierced into the ground, instantly carving out a deep gash.
The Third Raikage quickly dispersed his attack, barely managing to twist his body while flying backward to regain his balance. His legs scraped against the ground to dissipate the force.
He only managed to stop after retreating several dozen meters.
He was not injured.
The defense of his Lightning Release Armor was still very strong, blocking that last strike!
But before the Third Raikage could recover, he sensed danger again.
A buzzing sound reached his ears first.
This made the Third Raikage's heart skip a beat. 'Have I been marked with the Flying Thunder God Technique Formula!?'
Under the Black Lightning Release Chakra Mode, the Third Raikage's reactions were extremely fast.
At close range, he could even keep up with the space-time teleportation of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
'Boom!'
He threw a punch toward the location where the buzzing came from, blocking the dark red Rasengan pressing down on him!
Airwaves rolled in all directions, and the shockwave spread.
The Third Raikage used the momentum to retreat, remaining vigilant of his surroundings and preparing to counter the opponent's next attack!
"Your reaction is truly fast."
Seiryū had not left a Flying Thunder God Seal on the Third Raikage. He hadn't broken through the defense of the Lightning Release Armor.
It was just that the spot where the Third Raikage had been blown back to happened to be where the Heilig Pfeil had struck earlier.
A Flying Thunder God Seal had been left there.
'Shhh, shhh, shhh! Boom, boom, boom!'
Seiryū tapped his fingertips repeatedly, mobilizing his Dragon Vein chakra, which transformed into faster, indiscriminate Cero attacks, causing small explosions wherever they landed!
However, the Third Raikage dodged them with extreme speed, preventing them from hitting his body.
'Crackle, crackle!'
Black Lightning leaped from the Third Raikage's body, rampaging wildly along the ground and surging toward Seiryū's location!
At the same time, the Third Raikage charged forward, aiming directly at Seiryū with speed too fast for the naked eye to discern!
"Hadō #57: Earth Dance!"
Seiryū performed a one-handed seal and then stomped on the ground.
'Boom, boom.'
The ground began to collapse under the tremors, undulating up and down, with protruding stones blocking the encroaching Black Lightning.
'Boom, boom, boom!'
Explosions erupted!
Afterward, Seiryū charged toward the Third Raikage, and the two collided violently!
'Boom!'
Even though it was just a collision of fists, a deafening roar resounded, and a shockwave spread out from the center of their bodies.
'Shhh, shhh, shhh!'
During the stalemate, the Golden Chains behind Seiryū danced wildly, thrusting and lashing down toward the Third Raikage, blasting the air apart!
Yet the Third Raikage did not dodge or evade, feeling extremely confident in his own defense.
Switching from defense to offense, he swung a whip kick coated in Black Lightning toward Seiryū's waist!
"Rikujōkōrō!"
The advantage of one-handed seals was demonstrated. A flash of light appeared at the tip of a Golden Chain, and a semi-transparent circular shield materialized out of thin air.
Bakudō #60: Rikujōkōrō was a lower-tier Kidō compared to Bakudō #81: Dankū.
Its defensive power was not as strong as Dankū, but it had the advantage of being smaller and more agile.
It could block close-range attacks.
'Boom, boom, boom! Boom!'
The Golden Chains struck the Third Raikage's body, only to be blocked by the Lightning Release Armor, causing resounding tremors.
The Third Raikage's whip kick connected, the Black Lightning unleashing boundless power and shattering the defense of the Rikujōkōrō.
Though the force was weakened, it still struck Seiryū.
Both attacks struck simultaneously, and both men were sent flying backward like cannonballs!
'Shhh, shhh, shhh.'
The Golden Chains pierced into the ground, and his hands and feet, transformed into claws, also dug into the earth.
By using the friction to dissipate the force, Seiryū stabilized his stance after retreating only ten meters.
'Whoosh!'
A Heilig Pfeil, prepared in advance and infused with Wind Release chakra to increase its speed, was fired.
It aimed straight at the Third Raikage, who was still flying backward!
This was not meant to attack the Third Raikage. An ordinary Heilig Pfeil could not break through his defense.
This was merely to prepare for the second stage of the Flying Thunder God Technique!
'Swish!'
Just as the Wind Release Heilig Pfeil was half a meter away from the Third Raikage, Seiryū used the Flying Thunder God Technique and appeared right in front of him.
"Let's see if your shell can block this strike of mine."
A ferocious smile curled on Seiryū's lips.
He raised his right arm as powerful Dragon Vein chakra flowed and erupted, transforming into a punch capable of penetrating defenses!
"Dragon Fist Burst!"
This was a powerful taijutsu that could originally only be unleashed by combining the Seventh Gate: Gate of Wonder with the Dragon Vein Chakra Mode.
However, in his current Hollowfied state, Seiryū's physique was not weak, and combined with even stronger Dragon Vein chakra, it was enough for him to throw this punch!
There was a specific way to exert force at close range.
This punch was more concentrated, and the penetrating force could tear through any defense!
"..."
The Third Raikage's pupils constricted violently.
The threat of death loomed over him, and he dared not wait for his demise.
He pushed his Lightning Release Armor to the limit, using his left arm to defend.
'Crackle!'
The sound of thunder exploding was ear-piercing!
Defense!
Full-power defense!
While flying backward, he could not make any other response, nor could he exert force to launch a counterattack.
He could only defend!
'Boom!'
Seiryū's punch landed squarely, slamming into the Third Raikage's defending arm.
Amid the explosive roar, the faint sound of 'crack,' the sound of bone breaking, could be heard.
Afterward, it pushed past the Third Raikage's arm and slammed into his chest.
This punch was heavy and powerful. Even the formidable Lightning Release Armor could not block such an attack.
Having suffered such an attack, the Third Raikage's body felt as if it had been struck by lightning, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Immediately afterward, the powerful force erupted, smashing the Third Raikage out of his backward flight and driving him into the ground!
'Rumble!'
The Third Raikage fell like a meteorite, blasting a bottomless, massive crater into the earth.
The impact force rippled outward as well.
The ground undulated like water, fracturing and collapsing!
The sound of 'boom, boom, boom' was endless. The earth shifted, an earthquake struck, and the landscape within a several-hundred-meter radius was altered.
"Cero Oscuras!"
Having landed the hit, Seiryū sensed that the opponent's chakra fluctuations were still present.
He hadn't died from that punch.
The Lightning Release Armor, combined with his long-tempered, formidable physique, gave the Third Raikage astonishing defensive power.
It was perhaps not weaker than a Perfect Susanoo.
In some aspects, it might even be stronger!
There was another reason.
Seiryū's Dragon Fist Burst this time had been barely executed. Its power was slightly inferior to his peak, so it couldn't kill in one blow!
But Seiryū's attack was not over yet.
A deep purple light ignited at his fingertips, and the chakra fluctuations caused the surrounding air to freeze.
Cero Oscuras could be said to be Seiryū's most powerful attack at present!
Once it landed, the battle would end!
"Hmm?"
But just as the Cero Oscuras finished charging and was about to end the Third Raikage's life, Seiryū's Vollständig: Heavenly Eye sensed intense malice, along with a powerful chakra fluctuation erupting from a certain location.
His perception swept over, capturing the situation there.
He "saw" a short, floating old man with his hands aimed forward at him.
In front of his palms, a glowing white cone was emitting a faint light.
It was the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, and the technique the opponent was using was the only known Kekkei Tōta in the Ninja World, Dust Release!
"Dust Release, is it? Then let's see whose technique is stronger!"
Seeing the conical light already rushing toward him, Seiryū's lips curled into a cold smile.
The destructive power of Dust Release was vividly demonstrated in the original story. It could even annihilate Madara's Susanoo.
In terms of lethality alone, perhaps only the Truth-Seeking Orb could compare to it?
But Seiryū really wanted to test it.
Between the Third Tsuchikage's Dust Release and his own Cero Oscuras, in a direct collision, whose power would be greater!
Thus, Seiryū shifted the direction of his right hand, which was pointing downward, and with a 'whoosh,' the Cero Oscuras shot out, colliding head-on with the incoming Dust Release light!
'Rumble!'
The collision of the two powerful ninjutsu was accompanied by a terrifying roar and a blinding light.
The deep purple and glowing white radiance instantly spread outward, making it impossible to look directly at them.
'Boom, boom, boom.'
Along with the blinding light came rolling shockwaves that spread in all directions.
The shockwaves swept across everything, stirring up dense, continuous roars!
The two techniques were still colliding, roaring incessantly, accompanied by the 'shhh' sounds of annihilation and corrosion.
This was the effect of Dust Release separating the Cero Oscuras into atoms!
"He actually reacted in time, and can even block my Dust Release?"
The Third Tsuchikage sensed that his Dust Release had been held back, and a look of astonishment appeared in his eyes.
Even the Tailed Beast Balls of the Four-Tails and Five-Tails had been annihilated by his Dust Release.
This was the power of the Kekkei Tōta. It could separate all things into atoms.
The reason their village's Four-Tails and Five-Tails were so "obedient" was also because the lethality of Dust Release was something even Tailed Beasts feared!
But now he discovered that his Dust Release had actually been blocked!
No, it should be said that the speed at which Dust Release separated atoms was not fast enough to instantly annihilate the opponent's shape-transformed Tailed Beast Ball.
That was why this stalemate was occurring.
"Why do I feel like I'm in the wrong story? What's with this Dragon Ball-style beam struggle?"
Seiryū grinned.
How did a Dragon Ball beam struggle happen?
"It's a pity you aren't Son Goku. If the Four-Tails were having a beam struggle with me, I might be a bit wary."
Seiryū licked his lips.
He then increased the flow of chakra, making the power of the Cero Oscuras even stronger.
Ordinary ninjutsu rarely allowed for the temporary supply of chakra to increase the power of the technique.
Generally speaking, ninjutsu were one-off. The power released would not change, and one could not temporarily supply chakra to enhance it.
But there were exceptions.
Techniques like the Rasengan, Susanoo, and Lightning Release Chakra Mode could have their power increased by boosting chakra.
The same applied to Cero.
It was just that such situations rarely occurred. After all, Cero was not stable, and it would 'boom' and explode upon encountering an obstacle.
There was usually no opportunity for Seiryū to supply chakra a second time.
But the situation now was different. Dust Release had not disrupted the stability of the Cero Oscuras.
Instead, it was continuously separating the chakra of the Cero Oscuras into atoms.
This gave Seiryū the time to supply chakra a second time!
The result was that the even more powerful Cero Oscuras overcame the separation and annihilation speed of the Dust Release, pushing against the Dust Release light and blasting toward the Third Tsuchikage with unstoppable speed!
"Not good!"
Facing this situation for the first time, the Third Tsuchikage's pupils widened, his soul nearly leaving his body.
If he were hit by such a terrifying technique, with his old arms and legs, he would definitely die.
Just as the Cero Oscuras pushed past the Dust Release and was about to hit him, he decisively dodged.
Being able to fly was an advantage, and with enough time to react, the Third Tsuchikage dodged the direct, straightforward attack of the Cero Oscuras with a flash.
"Quick! Attack and block it!"
But after dodging, the Third Tsuchikage was not happy. Instead, his face became even more terrified.
Because the trajectory of this shape-transformed Tailed Beast Ball was heading straight toward the position of the Iwagakure shinobi he had gathered!
In order to eliminate the two strong enemies and threats, he had mobilized the vast majority of Iwagakure's combat power.
There were thousands of shinobi!
If this terrifying technique landed in the middle of their crowd, the casualties would be absolutely devastating!
"A Tailed Beast Ball? But it's not quite the same."
"A shape-transformed Tailed Beast Ball can actually be this stable? He really is a monster. He's likely a Perfect Jinchuriki."
Iwagakure had two Tailed Beasts, and the two Jinchuriki were Rōshi and Han.
Although they were not Perfect Jinchuriki like the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B, who had completely opened their hearts to their Tailed Beast, they were still skilled in utilizing the power of the Tailed Beasts within them.
Watching the incoming shape-transformed Tailed Beast Ball, the two Jinchuriki of Iwagakure, Rōshi and Han, had very solemn expressions.
They couldn't help but feel surprised in their hearts.
A shape-transformed Tailed Beast Ball was extremely unstable and required free control over Tailed Beast chakra.
This level of control was something they could not achieve without being Perfect Jinchuriki.
Moreover, in their view, a shape-transformed Tailed Beast Ball was not as powerful as a spherical Tailed Beast Ball.
But the scene before them seemed different from what they understood.
"We have to block it. Otherwise, many people will likely die."
"It's no wonder that guy Ōnoki is the Tsuchikage. He considers things more comprehensively than we do."
Rōshi and Han took a deep breath.
With a 'boom,' the Tailed Beast chakra within their bodies was mobilized.
The vast chakra outlined the forms of the Four-Tails and Five-Tails, projecting outward like a Susanoo.
However, it was only half of their bodies.
This was a way of utilizing Tailed Beast chakra with skilled control.
Although it was not as powerful as a Full Tailed Beast Transformation, nor as flexible and versatile as a Semi-Tailed Beast Transformation, it allowed them to unleash a powerful Tailed Beast Ball in human form without fully transforming into the Tailed Beasts!
'Hum, hum, hum.'
The projected half-body Tailed Beasts opened their mouths simultaneously, red and blue chakra gathering at their mouths to form Tailed Beast Balls.
The heavy chakra caused the earth to fracture, and the surroundings were filled with evil, violent Tailed Beast chakra, making the air freeze!
'Whoosh! Whoosh!'
Afterward, as Rōshi and Han acted on their thoughts, the two Tailed Beast Balls shot out instantly.
Carrying a formidable momentum that shook the air, they collided with the incoming Cero Oscuras!
One second, two seconds.
Two seconds later, the two attacks collided in midair!
Then.
'Rumble!'
The Cero Oscuras was currently Seiryū's strongest attack, and the Tailed Beast Ball was also the Tailed Beast's strongest attack.
The two were like meteorites colliding, two perfectly matched forces meeting head-on.
The moment they impacted, they erupted into a terrifying roar that shook the heavens and earth!
'Boom, boom, boom.'
Afterward, boundless sound waves mixed with destructive shockwaves spread out from the center of the collision, crushing and sweeping across everything in the vicinity.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)