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[NTU] [ARC-13] Chapter : 166
🕑 Added 2024-09-02 21:01:48 +0000 UTCAlthough the Fourth Raikage's attack was straightforward, the sheer speed behind it was something few ninjas could match. Most would be unable to even raise a defense, let alone dodge or counter.
Bang!
Unfortunately for the Raikage, his opponent this time wasn’t just any ordinary Shinobi—he was up against Uchiha Toshiro.
Toshiro had spent the past decade honing his skills in senjutsu, constantly improving his body with sage chakra. This rigorous training had pushed his strength, speed, endurance, and reflexes to near-superhuman levels.
Even against the Raikage, who was known for his unparalleled speed, Toshiro was able to keep up. While there might have been a slight gap in speed, it wasn’t enough to overwhelm him.
"Impressive speed!" Toshiro remarked, acknowledging the Raikage’s swiftness.
Toshiro bent his arm and thrust backward, his elbow like a sharp spear colliding with the Raikage once more. Even as he engaged, he was assessing the Raikage's speed.
The Raikage was indeed slightly faster, perhaps by a margin of one or two points, but it wasn’t enough to secure a decisive advantage. With his Sharingan, coupled with his exceptional senses and speed, Toshiro found it relatively manageable to counter the Raikage's attacks.
While he might lag behind in sheer speed, Toshiro made up for it with his superior durability and endurance.
Swish!
A flash of blue lightning illuminated the battlefield as Toshiro countered the Raikage's strike with a swift kick. However, his foot met only air; the Raikage had already vanished from the spot.
"If the Raikage's attacks are this ineffective, it's going to be a letdown," Toshiro muttered, undeterred by the missed strike. He immediately launched himself at the Raikage, determined to press the attack.
The Raikage scoffed, his voice filled with both grudging respect and an ominous warning. "I'll give you credit, kid—you’ve got some skills. But everyone who underestimates me ends up dead. You won't be an exception."
As he spoke, the Raikage's Lightning Armor seemed to intensify, crackling with renewed energy. In response to Toshiro's incoming fist, the Raikage met him head-on, driving his elbow forward with lethal intent.
But this was just the beginning. After exchanging an elbow strike with Toshiro, the Raikage didn't vanish like before. Instead, he followed up with a powerful knee aimed directly at Toshiro's midsection.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Raikage unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks, using his superior speed to keep Toshiro on the defensive. Each strike was precise and forceful, though Toshiro managed to withstand the assault without taking significant damage.
However, the same couldn't be said for the surroundings. The sheer force of their clash tore through the camp, reducing buildings, fortifications, and anything else in their path to rubble, as the battlefield became a chaotic scene of destruction.
"Is this the strength of Uchiha Toshiro?"
From a distance, Nara Shikaku observed the two blurred figures locked in combat, feeling the gusts of wind pressure and witnessing the continuous destruction of buildings. It suddenly became clear to him why the Third Hokage always seemed so "accommodating" when dealing with Toshiro.
"Shikaku... what should we do? If they keep this up, the entire camp might be reduced to rubble!" Yamanaka Inoichi asked cautiously dodging the debris and the violent aftermath of the battle, approached Nara Shikaku with concern in his voice.
The sheer destructive power these two were unleashing was overwhelming.
"I don't know," Shikaku replied, shaking his head. He had no easy answers for the situation at hand, but then added, "Instead of worrying about the camp, we should focus on how to handle the approaching Cloud Ninja army."
"Cloud Ninja's army?"
"You didn't think the Raikage came alone, did you?"
No matter how reckless the Raikage of the Hidden Cloud Village might be, his subordinates would never just stand by and watch while their leader fought alone.
“...”
"Let's take this somewhere else!"
After a few rounds of intense combat, both Toshiro and the Raikage had gauged each other’s abilities. Toshiro surveyed the camp, now in shambles from their battle, and then glanced at the Raikage across from him. Without hesitation, he dashed out of the camp.
"Don't think you can run away!"
Run away? That was the furthest thing from his mind.
Finally, he had encountered an opponent who could match him blow for blow—there was no way Toshiro would retreat now. Despite his preference for the stealthy, shadowy tactics of the ninja creed, or launching ninjutsu from a distance, this kind of direct, physical confrontation was something he relished.
What man wouldn’t want an opponent with whom he could engage in a raw, fist-to-fist battle that gets the blood boiling? It wasn’t just him; he could see that the Raikage felt the same way. Opponents like this are rare, especially those who allow you to fight without holding back, free of any reservations.
This was one of the reasons why the Raikage had followed him out of the camp.
However, just as Toshiro led the Raikage away from the Konoha camp, another figure made his move.
Under the cover of night, a man with small sunglasses and two bull horns on his face entered the camp from the opposite direction, his steps confident and unrecognized by the guards. It was Killer Bee, who had been conspicuously absent until now.
Despite his burly, imposing appearance, the Raikage wasn’t above using cunning tactics. He had engaged Toshiro to lure him away, giving Killer Bee the chance to slip into the camp and rescue Yugito.
Even with Toshiro out of the way, rescuing Yugito was not without its challenges, but it was far from impossible for Killer Bee.
"Divert the Tiger from the Mountain... Genius... Idea!"
"Yugito... I’m coming for you!"
Rapping under his breath, Killer Bee stealthily approached a nearby tent.
The Iron Armor Seal placed on Yugito contained a tracking mechanism, embedded by the Cloud Ninjas. At such a close distance, finding Yugito was hardly a challenge for him.
Whoosh!
Before he could reach the tent, a volley of large shuriken kunai flew straight at Killer Bee.
The Konoha ninjas guarding Yugito had spotted his approach and launched an attack without hesitation.
"These... Little tricks... Mean nothing to me!"
Without even reaching for the ninja sword strapped to his back or resorting to any jutsu, Killer Bee simply twisted his muscular waist, swayed his hefty frame, and struck a series of bizarre poses, effortlessly dodging the wave of attacks.
But that pose... was quite an eyesore.
"Ninja Art: Shadow Imitation Technique!"
"Secret Technique: Mind Body Switch!"
Before Killer Bee could fully appreciate the elegance of his dance moves, a black shadow silently crept towards his feet.
In the next instant, he felt as though he was inhabiting someone else's body, observing his own masterpiece from a different perspective.
"Secret Technique: Partial Expansion Jutsu!"
Just as he was about to compliment himself on the fluidity of his stance, a fist the size of a carriage came crashing down towards the top of his head.
"NO!"
Just as Killer Bee braced himself for the impending impact, he screamed internally.
"Ahh!"
His body suddenly let out a terrified scream, and in the next moment, Killer Bee found himself back in control.
Before he could fully process what had happened, a flesh-colored tentacle covered in dense suckers sprouted from his back, blocking the incoming threat above his head.
"Ryoichi, what's going on with you?" The captain from the Nara clan, caught off guard by his companion's sudden outburst, didn't have time to focus on the bizarre tentacles now protruding from Killer Bee. Instead, his concern was for his teammate's sudden distress.
"Be careful!" Ryoichi warned urgently. "The enemy is Kumo's Eight-Tails Jinchuriki!"
