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[NTU] [ARC-13] Chapter : 178
🕑 Added 2024-09-23 20:15:20 +0000 UTCAs Toshiro approached the lake, his expression remained calm. One hand absentmindedly rubbed the stubble on his chin while the other casually held his long sword. His posture was relaxed, his demeanor unfazed.
Despite the intensity of the situation, he felt no particular malice toward B. After all, the rapper-loving jokester wasn't all that annoying in his eyes.
Suddenly, before Toshiro could make a decision, Raikage—who had been absent since the Eight-Tails had switched in—appeared behind him with a burst of speed.
"Elbow!" Raikage roared, launching a surprise attack.
"I will never let you kill Bee!" he shouted with determination.
From Raikage's perspective, Toshiro wasn’t contemplating whether to spare B. To him, it looked like Toshiro was just deciding where to strike with his blade. Raikage, who had been hiding nearby, couldn’t stay hidden any longer. Ignoring his injuries, he launched a sneak attack on Toshiro with the fastest speed he could muster.
"Tch, brotherly love, huh? Too bad your strength doesn’t quite match the sentiment," Toshiro muttered with a smirk. The speed of the attack was impressive, but compared to Raikage's father, the power just wasn’t the same.
"You bastard! Don’t underestimate me!" shouted the enraged A. Already known for his hot temper, seeing Toshiro's dismissive expression only fueled his anger.
In his fury, Raikage’s speed and strength increased, but at a cost. His hair, now standing on end from the intense exertion, gave him an electrified look. Worse still, his reopened wounds began gushing blood again, as if the effort was tearing him apart from the inside.
"If you're so determined to save your brother, then be prepared to sacrifice your own life!"
Unlike the more lighthearted and likable B, Toshiro found A far less agreeable. After all, this entire confrontation was triggered by Raikage himself. If he died, he would have no one to blame but himself.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
With a few swift movements, Toshiro easily dodged Raikage’s desperate strikes. Spotting a critical opening in Raikage’s defense caused by his urgency, Toshiro swung his long sword in one fluid motion, aiming straight for Raikage’s chest. His target: A's heart.
"Dammit!"
Realizing he couldn’t evade the attack, Raikage wasn’t afraid of death. Instead, he felt only regret—regret that he couldn’t save his brother in time.
As soon as the Raikage dies, no one will be left to prevent his brother's demise. Unfortunately for him, the speed of their battle left little room for evasion, and it seemed inevitable that the fatal blow would land.
“Lava Release: Protective wall!”
Just as Toshiro’s long sword was about to pierce Raikage’s chest, a pale yellow, oil-like substance suddenly formed a barrier in front of him.
"Do you really think that will stop me?" Toshiro muttered, his confidence unwavering. He trusted the chakra-infused blade in his hand completely. Even though this lava-style defense had blocked the Third Raikage’s formidable spear in the past, Toshiro was certain his sword would pierce through it.
Thud!
The sound of contact echoed softly as the sword met the barrier.
As expected, the opponent's Bloodline Limit couldn't fully block his attack.
The timely intervention of Dodai, the most reliable support in the village, was commendable. Spotting his leader in danger, he swiftly acted, showcasing his mastery. First, he used the protective wall to buy precious time, then formed a protective sphere around Raikage, encasing him in a secure barrier.
"If it were anyone else, your quick reaction might have truly saved Raikage," Toshiro admitted, acknowledging Dodai's efforts. However, his hands never ceased their motion.
"But... this time, you've encountered me!"
With a thrust of his long sword, Toshiro channeled his chakra, causing the blade to extend dramatically in length, surging forward with renewed intensity.
Slash!
The sound of a blade slicing through flesh echoed ominously. With just a simple horizontal pull of Toshiro's sword, Raikage would be disemboweled.
"Lord Raikage!"
Dodai, who had just reached out to grab Raikage’s body, intending to pull him out of harm's way, was both shocked and enraged. He watched helplessly as the transparent, blue-green chakra blade pierced through Raikage's body.
He had witnessed this chakra sword technique from afar and knew of its devastating sharpness. However, now facing it up close, the true difficulty of countering such an attack became apparent. The impending move left Dodai cold with dread.
"*Storm Release: Laser Circus!""
Just when Dodai was certain that Raikage’s fate was sealed, Darui's voice rang out, cutting through the tension like a lifeline from the heavens.
"Ah, so he didn't charge in recklessly. He brought backup."
Whoosh!
A sharp sound of energy discharge echoed as a blinding white light burst forth, momentarily blurring Toshiro's vision. At the same time, a single white light illuminated his body, guiding more than a dozen beams of Storm Release energy like curved streams of light, all homing in on him.
But it didn’t stop there. Following the arcs of light, a barrage of shuriken whistled through the air, cutting toward him with deadly precision.
Darui—who had faced him before—was leading the charge alongside another elite Cloud ninja.
"This kid's got skills!" Toshiro acknowledged, grinning.
'No wonder Raikage entrusted him, and later he becomes the Fifth Raikage!'
Toshiro was mildly surprised. He hadn’t expected Darui, who had retreated during their previous encounter, to display such advanced ninjutsu. It became clear that Darui’s retreat had been strategic—an assessment of the situation rather than a sign of weakness. He had likely prioritized delivering critical information to the Raikage.
'Perfect timing!' Toshiro thought, recognizing the threat Darui’s jutsu posed. His attention momentarily shifted, exactly as Dodai had hoped.
Seizing the opportunity, Dodai knew that if he didn’t act now to save the Raikage, he wouldn't be worthy of his position as a senior Cloud Ninja.
Poof!
With a surge of strength, Dodai pulled the Raikage from Toshiro's chakra-infused sword. Then, stepping in front of his injured leader, he positioned himself defensively.
Blood spurted from the wound in the Raikage’s chest where the blade had pierced, staining the battlefield. Dodai’s frown deepened as he assessed the injury, realizing the gravity of the situation.
"How can it be that easy!"
Toshiro wasn’t about to let his prey slip away so easily. As soon as he saw Dodai pull the Raikage to safety, he acted swiftly.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Without even forming a hand seal, Toshiro unleashed a massive orange-red fireball, hurling it directly at Dodai. At the same time, he effortlessly turned to fend off the shuriken and light jutsu attacks from Darui and the other unknown Cloud Ninja.
"Not good... It's over!"
Dodai's heart sank. He hadn’t anticipated Toshiro would cast such a powerful ninjutsu without hand seals. He had done everything he could to save the Raikage, but now, standing directly in front of him, he realized dodging would only leave the Raikage exposed to the fiery onslaught.
