Chapter 112: All for Nothing
Clearing his scattered thoughts, Baishi fixed his gaze on the Fourth Raikage and spoke, enunciating each word: "What a temper you have, Raikage-sama. Attacking without a word—is your aim to kill me?"
Hearing this, the Raikage let out a cold snort and retorted, "Kid, after killing so many of our people, did you think you could just walk away from it?"
Startled, Baishi paused briefly before realizing what A was referring to.
Unbeknownst to him, nearly two years had passed since the Cloud Ninja's invasion of Moon Island. With no activity from the Cloud Village since then, Baishi had almost forgotten that he had such an enemy.
Still, the Raikage's reasoning seemed like a stretch.
Staring at A, Baishi smirked. "Is that really the reason? Or is it because of the Nine-Tails?"
As he spoke, Baishi deliberately deactivated his Absorption Skin, allowing a small amount of the Nine-Tails' chakra to leak out.
Sure enough, as the dark red chakra emerged around Baishi, the Raikage's gaze sharpened, and he appeared ready to strike again.
But before he could act, the Nine-Tails' chakra vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.
Seeing this, A froze, halting his forward step as his face darkened. "You've already mastered the Nine-Tails' power completely?"
"What do you think?" Baishi replied with a faint smile.
"Impossible!"
The Raikage flatly rejected the possibility, his sharp eyes locking onto Baishi as if trying to discern any hidden truths in his expression.
But then, A noticed something odd—despite Baishi's hunched posture, some of his gruesome injuries seemed to have healed slightly.
"You're stalling for time, aren't you?"
In an instant, A realized the situation. Without hesitation, he pushed his speed to the limit, the ground beneath him shattering as he launched himself forward.
As A closed in, Baishi muttered under his breath, "So he figured it out. Oh well, it's about time anyway."
Straightening his posture, Baishi made no effort to evade or counter the incoming attack.
Boom!
A's fist landed squarely on Baishi's body, producing a loud, resounding noise.
Yet the sound wasn't that of flesh and bone—it was more like air being struck.
In truth, A's fist had passed straight through Baishi, whose form dissolved like a mirage.
"Hmph, another Flying Thunder God Technique."
A's brow furrowed, and as if sensing something, he abruptly pivoted and dashed toward a specific direction, smashing through the dense forest.
In the clearing, his fist collided with a massive wooden mask—a shield formed by Baishi's Wood Release: Ranking Barrier Technique.
The Raikage's punch only managed to splinter some wood chips, leaving the structure otherwise unharmed.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Suddenly, several vines shot up from the ground, attempting to ensnare the Raikage.
Unwilling to engage further, A quickly retreated, but Baishi wasn't about to let him off so easily. He directed the vines to pursue the Raikage relentlessly.
However, A's speed was simply too overwhelming. The vines couldn't catch him no matter how hard they tried.
"It seems I'll have to use that technique," Baishi murmured.
He dispelled the barrier and swiftly formed hand seals, preparing a grander jutsu: Wood Release: Flowering Tree World Descent.
Originally intended for use against the Leaf Village during the Nine-Tails incident, Baishi hadn't expected the battle to go so smoothly that this technique remained unused.
Now was the perfect opportunity.
Countless vines erupted from the ground, tearing through soil and rock to engulf the entire forest trapped within the stomach.
As the vines thickened and grew, they transformed into massive trees, each adorned with vibrant crimson blossoms.
Baishi channeled an enormous amount of chakra through the vines, infusing it into the blooming flowers.
Eventually, the flowers burst open with a loud pop, releasing a deluge of pollen that quickly filled the enclosed space like a dense mist.
The Raikage inhaled just a small amount and immediately felt dizzy, his powerful body struggling to remain upright.
"Poisonous... pollen..."
Kneeling and supporting himself with one hand on the ground, A watched Baishi approach him. His body was covered with diminishing arcs of lightning, evidence of his weakening state.
However, Baishi refrained from closing the distance.
Though the pollen was highly toxic, Baishi doubted it was potent enough to completely incapacitate the Raikage in such a short amount of time.
Stopping several meters away, Baishi maintained the jutsu, releasing even more pollen into the Raikage's system. He showed no intention of getting closer.
This cautious approach infuriated the Raikage.
He still had some strength left to launch a counterattack, but as his mind grew foggier with each passing second, the likelihood of an effective strike diminished.
At this point, even if he retaliated, it would be meaningless if he couldn't finish Baishi off in one blow.
Though he loathed to admit it, the Raikage recognized Baishi's impressive capabilities. His raw strength, speed, reaction time, and self-healing were far beyond that of an ordinary shinobi.
The more he analyzed the situation, the less confident he became about his chances.
Lost in thought, the Raikage didn't notice Baishi hurling a kunai until it was nearly upon him. The sudden threat jolted him back to reality.
Even in his weakened state, his instincts remained sharp. He shifted his body just enough to avoid the kunai piercing his heart.
But as he exhaled in relief, he heard a familiar sound—the sizzle of an explosive tag activating.
"Not good," he muttered, his instincts screaming at him. He instinctively activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, reigniting the lightning that had nearly faded away.
Boom!
The explosion blasted the Raikage backward.
Baishi didn't waste a moment. Activating his Flying Thunder God Technique, he teleported to the kunai's location. However, the blast had flung the weapon away from the Raikage.
As he watched A tumble through the air, Baishi refrained from throwing another kunai. The Raikage's lightning armor was now fully active, making it virtually impossible for a kunai to penetrate his defenses.
Instead, Baishi summoned several vines to ensnare A, hoping to subdue him with sheer restraint.
But just as the vines reached the Raikage, Baishi's vision blurred, and he suddenly found himself standing in a massive crater.
"What's this... I'm outside?"
Surveying his surroundings, Baishi quickly sensed the familiar markers of his Flying Thunder God Technique nearby. However, the Raikage's presence was nowhere to be found.
"Looks like that giant turtle saved him," Baishi muttered before cursing under his breath. "Damn old turtle... I'll stew you one day."
(End of Chapter)
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