Yondaime Raikage A stood panting heavily in the center of the genjutsu space, the light of his Lightning Release Armor flickering uncertainly.
Everywhere his gaze reached, there were figures of Uchiha Kaze.
Standing on trees, leaning against rocks, floating in mid-air...
Every Kaze was staring at him with those scarlet Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Damned genjutsu..."
The Yondaime Raikage clenched his teeth, forcibly suppressing the irritability in his heart.
As a battle-hardened Kage, he knew his current situation very well.
If this continued, before finding Uchiha Kaze, he would drain himself dry and die!
"Hu..."
The Yondaime Raikage slowly closed his eyes, no longer looking at those illusions.
Lightning Release Chakra circulated crazily in his body, perceiving the real world through the stimulation of Chakra on his body.
This was a unique way for Kumogakure to counter genjutsu: since eyes would deceive oneself, use the body to see.
Three seconds.
Five seconds.
Ten seconds.
Veins popped on the Yondaime Raikage's forehead, and muscles all over his body were trembling.
Forcibly impacting meridians and nerves with Lightning Release Chakra brought intense pain.
But this pain itself was a coordinate, telling him what was real.
"Crack... Bang!"
Under this almost desperate impact, the genjutsu space shattered.
The Yondaime Raikage's eyes also regained clarity.
Standing in the center of the shattered genjutsu space, the lightning all over the Yondaime Raikage's body flickered uncertainly like a dying candle flame.
His breathing was as heavy as old bellows; every inhalation pulled at broken ribs, and every exhalation brought out fine blood foam.
But he didn't fall.
He couldn't fall.
"Uchiha... Kaze..."
The Yondaime Raikage stared fixedly at the figure in front, his eyes densely covered with bloodshot lines.
The genjutsu space had shattered, and the two returned to the real battlefield.
Surrounding them were Kumogakure ninjas lying scattered on the ground. In the distance were the unconscious Yugito and the heavily injured Killer B. Further away... Konoha ninjas had begun to tighten the encirclement.
Defeat was certain.
These words slammed heavily onto the Yondaime Raikage's heart like a heavy hammer.
But he refused to accept it.
"I haven't lost yet..."
The Yondaime Raikage gritted his teeth, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
He slowly straightened his hunched back, broken bones rubbing inside his body, making teeth-achingly sour sounds.
Lightning Release Chakra began to circulate again.
This time, it was no longer the blazing white full-power mode—his body could no longer withstand that load.
Replacing it was a dark red lightning.
That was the color of blood mixed into Lightning Release Chakra, power obtained by burning life.
"Oh?"
"Still want to continue?"
"Even breaking through my illusion has made you so wretched, why persist?"
Uchiha Kaze raised his eyebrows, hands still in his pockets, not concealing the ridicule and mockery in his words.
The Yondaime Raikage didn't answer.
He just stared fixedly at Uchiha Kaze, the dark red lightning on his body gathering thicker and thicker.
"There are only Raikage who die in battle on the battlefield, no Raikage who kneel on the ground begging for life!"
"Uchiha Kaze, who do you think stands before you?!"
The Yondaime Raikage grinned, revealing bloodstained teeth.
As his voice fell, his body moved.
Not the Body Flicker from before, nor that speed exceeding the visual limit.
This time, his movements were even somewhat slow.
Like a heavily injured tiger, every step was heavy and difficult.
But he was still advancing.
Step by step, walking towards Uchiha Kaze.
Dark red lightning dragged a long trail behind him, every step leaving a scorched footprint on the ground.
"Interesting."
"Last dance of burning life?"
"Then let me take a good look."
Uchiha Kaze finally pulled his hands out of his pockets.
A serious expression appeared on his face for the first time.
Not seriousness facing a strong enemy, but... seriousness appreciating a work of art.
The Yondaime Raikage stopped ten meters away from Uchiha Kaze.
This distance, for him in his prime, would only take 0.1 seconds to cross.
But now, he needed three seconds.
Three seconds of charge time.
"This move..."
"The Sandaime Raikage's Strongest Spear—Jigokuzuki: Ippon Nukite (Hell Stab: One-Finger Nukite)."
"But I couldn't learn it."
"I'm too stupid, Chakra control isn't enough, physical strength isn't enough either."
"So... I improved it."
The Yondaime Raikage slowly raised his right hand, five fingers joined together to form a hand knife.
All dark red lightning gathered towards his right hand. The entire arm began to swell and deform, countless tiny wounds cracking on the skin surface, blood evaporated by the lightning before it could seep out.
His voice also became terrifyingly calm.
The Yondaime Raikage's right arm had completely turned into a dark red crystalline form, lightning circulating crazily inside, emitting devastating fluctuations.
A trace of determination flashed in his eyes.
"In my way."
"Raiton: Raibō Jigoku: Zerohon Nukite (Lightning Release: Thunderstorm Hell: Zero-Finger Nukite)!"
Not using fingers, not using palms.
The Yondaime Raikage's entire right arm turned into a pure spear of lightning compressed to the extreme!
This strike had no piercing power, no penetrating power.
What it had... was only the purest, most violent destruction!
"Die, Uchiha Kaze!"
The Yondaime Raikage let out the final roar of his life, his whole person turning into a dark red meteor, crashing towards Uchiha Kaze!
The speed of this strike wasn't fast.
But the might... earth-shattering!
The surrounding space was distorted by this tyrannical power.
If Uchiha Obito were here facing this strike, he might not even have the chance to escape into the Kamui dimension.
But... what the Yondaime Raikage had to face was not that Uchiha Obito who only knew how to flee.
But, the strongest Lord of Madness of the Uchiha—Uchiha Kaze!
Uchiha Kaze extended a finger.
He didn't even use the Sharingan, just calmly watched that incoming dark red meteor, and then... gently tapped out.
The tip of his index finger touched the tip of the lightning spear.
Time seemed to stand still at this moment.
Dark red lightning, violent energy, might that destroys everything... all solidified there.
"Very nice power, but... too pitiful."
"Your eyes still haven't let you see this world clearly..."
Uchiha Kaze said softly.
As Uchiha Kaze's voice fell, his body and the Yondaime Raikage's arm turned into powder and dissipated together.
The surrounding environment changed again.
"Just now... was still an illusion?"
The Yondaime Raikage knelt before him, his right arm gone.
Looking up at Uchiha Kaze, the last light in his eyes... extinguished.
Not death.
But... the collapse of faith.
He bet everything, burned his life, and used the strongest strike of his life.
The result was just shattering an illusion... no, he didn't even shatter a single illusion!
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