Chapter 118: The Defeat of the Strongest Spear
"What powerful Wood Release!"
The Third Raikage burst out from the distance. Feeling the injuries on his body, his expression turned grave.
After being struck by the Wood Dragon Jutsu, he had not suffered heavy injuries, but his Lightning Release Armor had been severely damaged, with several cracks already spreading across it.
That was a very dangerous sign.
The defensive power of the Lightning Release Armor was indeed formidable, but it still had its limits. Once it was struck by power beyond that threshold, it would still collapse.
Clearly, Kei's power had already crossed that line.
"Still not surrendering?"
Kei stood atop the wood dragon's head, quietly looking at the Third Raikage in the distance.
"If this continues, I'm afraid it will be hard to predict how this ends for you."
"Stop talking big!"
Anger flashed across the Third Raikage's face. "We have five thousand men here. No matter how strong you are, Third Hokage, you are still only one man!"
"What you said is true."
Kei's expression remained calm. "That's why I already made preparations."
"Lady Mito, I'll leave the rest to you."
He looked into the distance.
There, Mito stood quietly. Meeting Kei's gaze, she nodded to show that she understood.
She took out a scroll and summoned an object from it.
It was an exquisitely crafted fan.
It was none other than the Bashōsen that Kei had seized from the Kinkaku Brothers before.
Now, it had fallen into Mito's hands.
"Could it be..."
Watching this scene, an ominous feeling rose in the Third Raikage's heart.
In the next moment, that bad feeling became reality.
Mito raised the Bashōsen high and swung it down fiercely.
Bang!
Five Elements Blast!
Terrifying power gathered around the Bashōsen as the force of five nature transformations erupted at once, fusing together before roaring forward.
A destructive force on par with a Tailed Beast Ball crashed straight into the enemy ranks, instantly causing heavy casualties among the Kumogakure shinobi.
"Damn it!"
The Third Raikage's eyes were nearly splitting with rage as he watched the scene unfold.
"You're actually using the Bashōsen against us!"
The Bashōsen had originally been one of the ninja tools wielded by the Kinkaku Brothers. In other words, it had once belonged to Kumogakure.
Yet during the previous campaign against the Kinkaku Brothers, it had been forcibly seized by Kei. Now it was being turned against Kumogakure itself.
In a way, the irony was almost laughable.
"The Bashōsen's power is quite impressive."
Standing nearby, Kei could not help nodding as he watched its destructive force.
Strictly speaking, the Bashōsen was not a ninja tool just anyone could use.
Without enough chakra to support it, trying to wield this Six Paths tool would drain a person dry in moments. It would not be strange for someone to collapse on the spot.
However, while it was unsuitable for ordinary people, it was perfectly suited to Mito, the Nine Tails' Jinchūriki.
After all, as the Nine Tails' Jinchūriki, the one thing she did not lack was chakra.
Even setting the Nine Tails aside, she was still a princess of the Uzumaki Clan. The sheer amount of chakra within her far surpassed that of normal people.
The Bashōsen was practically made for her.
Rumble!
Before the Raikage's side could react, more deafening explosions sounded across the battlefield.
Several powerful ninjutsu surged forward one after another, all of them on course to crash into the enemy ranks.
"Stop!"
The Third Raikage roared. Black lightning exploded from his body as he prepared to rush straight toward Mito.
Unfortunately, Kei had no intention of standing idle in front of him.
"Your opponent is me."
His voice was calm. He barely moved, yet he remained firmly in the Third Raikage's path.
"Damn it, does Konoha want to start a war with Kumogakure?"
The Third Raikage bellowed.
"The ones trying to start a war are you."
Danzo spoke coldly. "You clearly signed a ceasefire agreement, yet you secretly came to the Land of Whirlpools to launch a surprise attack. Is this how Kumogakure honors a treaty?"
"This outcome is no more than what you deserve. If you know what's good for you, surrender now. You might still receive a measure of mercy."
"If you have the guts, fight me fairly!"
The Third Raikage shouted. "A true clash between the strong!"
"If that's what you want, then come."
Kei took a step forward, his face calm. "Fight me. If you win, I can pretend none of this ever happened and allow you and your men to withdraw."
"But if you lose..."
"Then I will be at your disposal!"
The Third Raikage roared and punched straight toward him.
"Good."
A trace of satisfaction appeared on Kei's face.
That was exactly what he had been waiting to hear from the Raikage.
In the next moment, he clasped his hands together and began forming hand seals.
"That is..."
On the ground, Mito looked up. Watching Kei's movements, realization dawned in her eyes.
"Could it be that technique..."
In the very next instant, her guess was confirmed.
Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!
Rumble!
The ground began to bulge and split apart as the earth trembled violently, and forests started to rise from the battlefield.
In the blink of an eye, the once open plain had transformed into a vast, dense forest brimming with overwhelming life force.
An immense chakra pressure crashed down. Even the Third Raikage could not withstand it.
Crack!
The Lightning Release Armor on his body began to shatter, finally broken through by sheer force.
"Ah!"
Amid the sea of trees, the Third Raikage struggled desperately, trying to break free from the massive forest.
Unfortunately, although his strength was monstrous, he could not completely escape from this technique.
Even if his power was great enough to smash steel with ease, the ancient trees around him continued growing without end. Sooner or later, his strength would be worn down.
Moreover, in terms of chakra, he was clearly inferior to Kei.
If this dragged on, he would only be exhausted to death by Kei's Wood Release.
At last, when he could endure no longer, the Lightning Release Armor on his body completely dispersed. All his chakra was absorbed by the Wood Release, and he was forcibly suppressed on the spot.
The Third Raikage had been defeated!
Watching the Third Raikage get crushed beneath the forest, every Kumogakure shinobi wore a stunned expression.
They were filled with disbelief, almost unable to accept what they were seeing.
"How could the Raikage lose?"
"That's impossible!"
They shouted in panic, unwilling to believe the truth before their eyes.
But no matter how unwilling they were, reality stood plainly in front of them.
"Truly fierce."
Kei stepped forward and arrived beside the fallen Third Raikage.
He looked down at him. Though his face remained calm, he was inwardly surprised.
The Third Raikage was even stronger than he had expected. His strength had undoubtedly reached the absolute top tier of the ninja world.
In terms of pure combat ability, among all the Kei had encountered so far, perhaps only Minato Namikaze was qualified to stand on the same level.
Of course, compared to the current Kei, he was still ultimately lacking just a little.
.....
https://discord.gg/KvMN2CFsMR
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]