Chapter 294: The Terrifying Decay Lightning
"Sakumo-kun, this is no time to joke around!"
Orochimaru turned back, his expression grave as he looked at the Lightning Release clone—Sakumo , warning again, "The density of that kid's Iron Sand Thunder Realm this time will make evasion impossible. No matter how fast you are, it won't be enough."
"Don't worry." Sakumo smiled confidently, then added seriously, "I would never gamble with my life, Orochimaru-kun."
Orochimaru stared hard at Sakumo but couldn't figure out where this confidence was coming from.
Still, since Sakumo insisted, Orochimaru chose to trust him—for now.
His Wood Clone remained nearby, silent but vigilant, prepared to intervene if things went south.
RUMBLE…
Up above, the dense Iron Sand cloud was fully formed, covering an area of three kilometers. Thick bolts of lightning, as wide as bowls, slithered through the clouds like dragons and serpents.
To ensure a one-hit kill and prevent any chance of escape, Sasori drained the entire chakra reserve from the massive Puppet Core—even pulling from his own main puppet's core.
The heavy Iron Sand cloud roiled with thunder, rumbling so fiercely that the sound could be heard from kilometers away.
"He shouldn't be called Sasori of the Red Sand anymore—more like Sasori of the Thunderstorm!"
"With that kind of attack, no one could survive. Let's hope Lord Orochimaru and Lord Sakumo can handle it…"
The Konoha shinobi who had spread out from the base watched the lightning-drenched Iron Sand cloud in the distance, silently praying.
"Where is Sakumo ?"
High above the battlefield, standing atop a massive sphere of black iron sand, Sasori asked his chakra-sensing comrade.
"He hasn't fled. Instead, he's releasing strong chakra—looks like he's preparing to take your attack head-on."
"He didn't run?" Sasori was surprised, then smirked. "Well, I suppose a ninja as famous as him wouldn't flee from me."
Still, if you're not going to run, let's see how you handle the ultimate art released by my Magnetic Puppet Core.
"Ninja Art: Ten Thousand Thunderfall!"
BOOOOM!
A deafening thunderclap shook the earth within a seven-kilometer radius. Blinding blue-white lightning lit up the entire sky and land.
All Sakumo could see was blue and white—nothing else.
CRACK!
Countless Iron Sand thunderbolts fell like blades. Over ten thousand bolts rained directly onto Sakumo from above. There was nowhere to hide.
This was a saturation strike. The only options were to retreat underground—or take it head-on.
Sakumo did neither.
Instead, silently, a flash of gray lightning emerged above him and Orochimaru's Wood Clone, forming a barrier.
At the exact moment the Iron Sand Lightning struck, the Decay Lightning made contact.
And what happened next stunned Orochimaru.
The pale gray Decay Lightning did not explode with blinding light or booming sound—it looked gentle, almost unimpressive.
But the instant it touched Sasori's attack, the fusion of iron sand and lightning crumbled into gray powder.
And that wasn't all—the Decay Lightning spread like ink in water, following the current of the Iron Sand lightning back upward at lightning speed.
In a flash, it consumed the entire three-kilometer Iron Sand Thundercloud in the sky.
"No—!!"
A terrifying sense of death surged through Sasori. His puppet body bristled instinctively as he launched himself further into the sky, desperately fleeing the cloud below—which was no longer iron sand.
**"What's happening?!"
"What is this?!"**
Panic filled Sasori's puppet eyes.
The once-black, lightning-filled cloud had disintegrated into drifting gray powder, falling gently like ash.
The Iron Sand Thunder Realm, spanning three kilometers, had turned into floating dust in an instant.
A thick stench of decay filled the air—like an ancient ruin buried for tens of thousands of years, where even the stone had turned to dust.
Sasori, hovering above, had no idea what had happened.
Why had his massive, powerful Iron Sand Thunder Realm disintegrated in an instant?
"What kind of jutsu is that?!"
The three Suna-nin beside him stared in horror and awe, their hearts pounding with gratitude.
Thankfully, Sasori had kept their Iron Sand platform separated from the lower cloud—otherwise, they would have been obliterated by that ghostly technique.
They knew they wouldn't have survived.
"…"
Orochimaru stared upward, mouth agape, speechless.
His wide eyes reflected the falling gray dust with complete disbelief.
That was the Iron Sand Thunder Realm!
The same technique that even his Deep Forest Emergence couldn't block.
The same technique that forced him—the so-called strongest of the Sannin—to hide underground just to survive.
He had been helpless against it.
And yet… what did Sakumo just do?
One flash of gray lightning, and the Iron Sand Thunder Realm—so powerful it could cripple even a Tailed Beast—was reduced to gray ash.
"What… is that jutsu?"
Orochimaru spun around and stared at Sakumo , eyes burning with obsession.
To someone desperate to master every jutsu in the world, Sakumo 's gray lightning was like seeing the most beautiful woman on earth—he needed it.
He even felt the urge to drag Sakumo off to his lab and dissect him on the spot.
But when he saw that gray lightning still dancing faintly around Sakumo 's body, Orochimaru forced his obsession deep down.
Even the massive Iron Sand Thunder Realm had no defense against that lightning. If he tried anything now… he'd suffer the same fate.
"This is a Lightning Release secret technique I've developed over the past few years: Decay Lightning."
Sakumo withdrew his gaze, then turned and smiled at Orochimaru. "What do you think, Orochimaru-kun? Not bad, right?"
Not bad?
It was terrifying.
Orochimaru felt a cold sweat forming. He nodded slowly, his voice dazed. "Very strong…"
Strong enough that even the legendary Wood Release seemed… less impressive in comparison.
He rubbed a bit of the gray dust from his shoulder and examined it—his expression darkening.
This wasn't Iron Sand anymore.
It was stone powder.
Not only had the material transformed—but even the lightning and chakra that once surged through it had become part of this powder.
Terrifying.
Decay Lightning.
What kind of Kekkei Genkai was this?
Did the Hatake Clan really have a lightning-based Kekkei Genkai like this?
Orochimaru burned with curiosity—he wanted to slice off a piece of Sakumo's flesh and study it.
But he was wrong.
He assumed Decay Lightning was a bloodline limit passed down through Sakumo's clan.
He didn't know—it was Li Yao's creation.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Kira1997