"It's starting!"
All the surrounding shinobi immediately became tense.
The ninja behind Shūichi couldn't help but exclaim:
"So fast!"
"As expected of the Fourth Raikage!"
At this moment, Konan's body had already transformed into paper, prepared for battle.
Shūichi smiled. "You can just watch."
With that, he stepped forward. His body became cloaked in a layer of Susanoo-like armor, "Takemikazuchi's Thunder Armor," and with speed surpassing the Fourth Raikage, he shot through the air like lightning.
The Fourth Kazekage was stunned. "So fast, I can't even keep up!"
In the air, Ōnoki, who had experienced Shūichi's speed before, wasn't surprised. He simply prepared to act. If the Fourth Raikage and Kazekage could create an opening, he was confident in finishing Shūichi with one decisive strike.
However, considering Shūichi's Flying Thunder God Technique and his spatial mobility, even forcing him to retreat would count as a victory.
To completely defeat him, they would need to find a way to force him into a corner or nullify his teleportation ability.
After his last battle with Shūichi, Ōnoki had thought deeply about this problem but had never found a solution. Even with sealing techniques, they needed to complete them before Shūichi could react, which was almost impossible.
With the support of the other two Kage, however, they might just have a chance.
Ōnoki fixed his gaze on the two blurs of electricity. Suddenly, a massive explosion erupted, sending shockwaves in all directions.
"Just as I thought, his strength surpasses that brute's!"
Ōnoki watched as the Fourth Raikage's figure was sent flying backward.
At that moment, a massive wave of gold sand surged up from the ground, forming a giant hand that reached for Shūichi.
"Good timing!"
Ōnoki's eyes lit up, and he clasped his hands together to prepare his technique.
But before he could act, the golden sand hand shattered, crumbling into grains. Shūichi hadn't even moved.
"What?!"
Ōnoki barely had time to react when he looked up and saw a massive lid descending from the sky.
"Earth Release: Dropping Lid!"
Ōnoki dodged the descending lid with ease, his figure darting out of its path.
Meanwhile, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, was engulfed in flames so intense he had to use Wind Style to blow them away.
With the two Kage temporarily occupied, Shūichi reached the Fourth Raikage without any hindrance. He pressed a Wind Style Rasengan straight into the Raikage's face.
Boom!
The Fourth Raikage was slammed into the ground, but his body exploded into a burst of lightning—just a Lightning Style Clone.
Suddenly, the real Raikage appeared behind Shūichi, his long leg slashing down.
Crash!
Without turning around, Shūichi countered the Raikage's strike with a backward kick, his speed surpassing the Raikage's own. The blow sent the Raikage flying once again.
The shinobi watching from the sidelines were utterly dumbfounded.
"This… this is the power of the new God of Shinobi? It's incredible!"
"His speed… and how does he manage to attack the Raikage while simultaneously using ninjutsu against Ōnoki and the Kazekage?"
"He's suppressing three Kage by himself! This kind of power is terrifying!"
Even the Konoha shinobi, few of whom had seen Shūichi's true strength, were stunned. They swallowed nervously, unable to hide their shock.
"The Raikage's clone was completely seen through!"
The Fourth Raikage got up from the ground, his expression grim.
Ōnoki descended from the air, hovering beside the Raikage. The Fourth Kazekage joined them, standing on the Raikage's other side.
Shūichi's earlier attacks on them had been executed with clones, not his real body.
Ōnoki spoke gravely. "Raikage, Kazekage, we'll have to work together closely if we want to handle him!"
Both the Raikage and Kazekage nodded firmly.
Ōnoki continued, "Kazekage, gather your gold sand."
The Fourth Kazekage summoned an enormous amount of gold sand from underground, forming it into a massive sphere in midair.
Ōnoki flew up to the sphere and pressed his hands against it.
"Ultra Lightweight Rock Technique!"
The previously heavy gold sand became incredibly light, the individual grains floating freely.
Ōnoki grinned. "This will make it much faster."
The Kazekage's eyes widened in surprise. "It's much easier to control now!"
Ōnoki returned to the Raikage's back. "Raikage, charge!"
The Raikage nodded, his eyes locked on Shūichi, who stood across the battlefield with a calm smile. "Understood!"
Shūichi watched as the three coordinated their strategy. The scene felt familiar, almost nostalgic.
But that gold sand…
It's all money!
From a distant hill, White Zetsu observed with amazement. "To push the Three Kage to this extent… he truly deserves the title of the new God of Shinobi!"
Beside him, Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with interest as he licked his lips. "I'm looking forward to the show. I want to see just how powerful this so-called God of Shinobi really is."
---
Whoosh!
The Fourth Raikage moved again, now faster than before, with Ōnoki riding on his back.
The Kazekage followed closely behind, ready to provide support.
Shūichi's eyes glinted as he raised a hand, summoning a series of earthen walls to rise from the ground.
Although these obstacles couldn't stop the Raikage, they successfully slowed him down.
As the Raikage smashed through the walls, he suddenly shifted direction, flanking Shūichi from the side.
"So, he saw through my traps?"
Behind the walls, the ground had been turned into a deep quagmire—a trap for the Raikage.
Ōnoki's expertise shines again.
Meanwhile, the Kazekage flew above the battlefield, standing on a platform of gold sand.
Shūichi raised his hand. Electricity crackled as his Electromagnetic Release activated.
In an instant, the Kazekage's platform disintegrated, scattering into fragments.
"What?!"
The Kazekage was shocked.
If it had been Magnet Style, he could have understood. But this ability to disintegrate his gold sand from a distance—this was far beyond that.
"What is this technique?"
The Kazekage began to fall but quickly stabilized himself, using Wind Style to keep himself aloft and avoid the quagmire below.
Ōnoki noticed the disruption, but the Raikage had already closed the distance to Shūichi once more.
As the Raikage swung his electrified arm, enhanced by Ōnoki's Ultra Added Weight Rock Technique, Shūichi met the attack with a perfectly timed counter.
Boom!
The ground trembled, sending debris flying and creating a massive crater.
This clash was evenly matched.
Shūichi suddenly opened his mouth, unleashing a piercing gust of wind.
Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!
The vacuum blades sliced through the Fourth Raikage's prized Lightning Release Armor. Just as blood was about to splatter, a layer of rock suddenly covered the Raikage's chest.
Fragments of stone scattered everywhere as the Fourth Raikage swiftly retreated, realizing the danger.
Out of the billowing smoke, pillars of purple light burst forth.
Takemikazuchi's Beam!
The Fourth Raikage, enhanced by the Ultra Light-Weight Rock Technique, moved faster than ever, dodging three beams in succession. Yet his momentum faltered for just a split second, allowing a light pillar to strike him head-on.
Boom!
The terrifying current of electricity surged outward as the Fourth Raikage was sent flying.
"Too strong!"
The Cloud Shinobi held their breath, sweat dripping down their faces in fear.
At the same moment, golden sand surged up from the ground, entangling Shūichi's legs and climbing rapidly upward.
"Got him!"
Many Sand Shinobi couldn't help but grin. But their smiles quickly froze.
With a deafening crack, the golden sand shattered once again.
From beneath Shūichi, the earth rose, forming layers of stone to encase his body.
From nearby, Ōnoki emerged from underground. "Your magnetic abilities surpass those of the Kazekage. While the sand may fail, stone should be able to contain you!"
Rock Seal!
The rocks surrounding Shūichi began forming into a stone effigy, locking his body in place.
This was a sealing technique, one Shūichi had never seen before.
However, he had already detected Ōnoki's clone hidden underground through his sensory abilities. He smiled calmly.
"The sealing power is weak, and it's a little too slow."
Boom!
The stone effigy exploded, and Shūichi emerged, now cloaked in golden chakra as he activated his Celestial God Mode.
"If this is all you've got, today's loss will look very bad for you."
Ōnoki snorted coldly. "Don't underestimate the Kage!"
He slammed his hand to the ground, causing sharp stone pillars to erupt toward Shūichi.
At the same time, golden sand surged upward once more, while the Fourth Raikage leaped from above, his leg crashing down.
However, the stone pillars exploded, the golden sand scattered and reformed in an upward torrent, and the Fourth Raikage's attack slammed into a shield made of sand.
"What?!"
The Fourth Kazekage's expression twisted. The control of his gold sand had been stripped away.
Panicking, he quickly formed hand seals and unleashed a gale of wind.
Shūichi disappeared from his original spot, and the ground beneath Ōnoki's clone detonated. The Fourth Raikage, carrying Ōnoki, plummeted from the sky only to be bound tightly by golden sand.
"He's even faster than before!"
The Fourth Kazekage broke out in a cold sweat, preparing to rescue Ōnoki and the Fourth Raikage. But before he could act, he froze in place.
"Lord Kazekage, it's over."
Shūichi appeared behind the Fourth Kazekage, his Fire Nether Chains coiling around him like serpents.
The Fourth Kazekage lost all ability to resist.
The shinobi watching the battle were stunned.
"Is… is it over already?"
The spectators were baffled.
Why had the Fourth Kazekage's sand turned against his allies? And how had the Kage lost so quickly—and so decisively?
The Raikage, trapped in the sand, roared in frustration. "Damn it… I can't even use my Lightning Release!"
Ōnoki's expression was grim. "This isn't ordinary magnetic release… could it be a Kekkei Tōta? Even I can't use chakra anymore."
Both of them were now like lambs awaiting slaughter.
From a distant vantage point, Orochimaru watched with an intrigued smile. "What an incredible display of power—completely overwhelming the 3 Kage. It seems my turn has come to perform."
He formed hand seals.
Summoning Jutsu: Impure World Reincarnation!
Two coffins rose from the ground, their lids sliding open to reveal two figures.
The towering Third Raikage!
And the bandaged Second Tsuchikage!
Their wills erased, the Second Tsuchikage immediately turned invisible, while the Third Raikage charged into the battlefield at astonishing speed.
Sensing their arrival, Shūichi grinned. "Finally, they've come!"
Boom!
The golden sand binding the Fourth Raikage and Ōnoki exploded as the Third Raikage appeared on the scene.
"What?!"
"That's… the Third Raikage!"
"How is this possible? The Third Raikage died long ago!"
The Cloud Shinobi were shocked, their eyes wide with disbelief.
The newly freed Ōnoki and Fourth Raikage were equally stunned.
"The Akatsuki's handiwork… could this be the Rinnegan's resurrection ability?"
Ōnoki speculated, but quickly noticed something amiss. "No… this seems different…"
The Fourth Raikage, both shocked and overjoyed, called out, "Father!"
But the Third Raikage ignored him, raising his hand to attack Shūichi.
At the same time, the Second Tsuchikage materialized in midair, a translucent white barrier forming in his hands.
Ōnoki gasped as he looked up. "That's… Lord Mu?! Even he's been resurrected?!"
From the sidelines, a Konoha shinobi shouted, "Lord Shūichi, watch out for the airborne enemy!"
Konan, her body transforming into paper, launched herself toward the Second Tsuchikage.
But Shūichi's response was faster. The Fire Nether Chain erupted from the ground, surging upward toward the airborne enemy.
A single chain shot up from directly beneath the Second Tsuchikage, piercing through him and interrupting his technique.
Simultaneously, two more chains erupted from the ground, binding and then impaling the Third Raikage.
Ōnoki's heart sank. "Even Lord Mu's invisibility had no effect?"
Such precise and swift attacks clearly indicated that Shūichi had already anticipated the Second Tsuchikage's angled, airborne assault from behind.
"No wonder you're so formidable, Shūichi-kun," Orochimaru murmured with a faint smile, which soon turned into a grim expression.
To his shock, the Fire Nether Chains began pulling, forcibly extracting the souls of the Second Tsuchikage and Third Raikage from their reanimated bodies.
"What?!" Orochimaru gasped.
The Impure World Reincarnation was undone.
Even White Zetsu was stunned. "This ability is similar to the Rinnegan—it can pull out souls!"
Without their souls, the reanimation disintegrated, revealing the White Zetsu clones used as sacrifices.
"What just happened?"
Ōnoki, the Fourth Raikage, and the Fourth Kazekage were frozen in disbelief, along with the other onlookers.
High above, Konan reformed her body from scattered paper, heaving a sigh of relief as the White Zetsu sacrifices fell lifelessly from the sky.
Meanwhile, Shūichi retracted his chains, sealing the souls of the Second Tsuchikage and Third Raikage into his Memory Palace.
This marked his first attempt to seal souls into his Memory Palace—a bold experiment he had long envisioned.
It felt... promising.
"If I can take it a step further, perhaps I could erase the will of the souls entirely, just like Impure World Reincarnation does."
A thought sparked in Shūichi's mind.
"This could evolve into an incredibly powerful composite jutsu… and it doesn't seem too difficult to achieve."
Ōnoki's stern voice interrupted his thoughts. "Shūichi Hoshita! What's the meaning of this?"
Shūichi's smile faded. "You're truly disappointing."
"To think you would ally with the Akatsuki."
"Without understanding the situation, you've acted in ways unbecoming of Kage."
"That jutsu just now is called Impure World Reincarnation, developed by the Second Hokage. It's a technique that summons the souls of the dead from the Pure Land, binding them to living sacrifices and granting them the power they had in life."
"As the caster, one can even erase the reanimated soul's free will, turning them into mere puppets."
Ōnoki and the other Kage turned pale.
"I see," Ōnoki muttered grimly. "So, this technique isn't a true resurrection but a perverse manipulation of the souls of the dead."
"And it's not Rinnegan-based but another of Orochimaru's grotesque experiments," he concluded bitterly.
The Fourth Raikage roared in fury. "Damn it! Orochimaru, you bastard!"
At that moment, a figure emerged from the ground. "Fourth Raikage, I'm helping you here."
The Fourth Kazekage's eyes widened. "The Third Kazekage?!"
Ōnoki's gaze darkened. "So, even the Third Kazekage has…"
Shūichi observed the figure calmly. "Just one Third Kazekage?"
"Orochimaru-senpai, this isn't enough."
"I came here with high expectations. If this is all you've got, you won't be able to keep me here. And if you can't stop me, extracting tailed beasts will be a pipe dream for the Akatsuki."
Orochimaru wasn't surprised. "As expected, my little ploy was seen through."
Ōnoki and the others turned pale at the mention of the Akatsuki. The Fourth Kazekage snapped, "The Akatsuki are already after the tailed beasts?!"
Controlling the Third Kazekage, Orochimaru smiled. "At this moment, the capture of Shukaku is probably complete."
"After all, with the Kazekage absent, there's no real opposition in Sunagakure."
"And of course, the same goes for Iwagakure and Kumogakure."
The Fourth Raikage erupted in anger. "Damn it! I'll kill you!"
In a flash, the Fourth Raikage appeared before the Third Kazekage and struck with a powerful chop, shattering the reanimated puppet.
But the Third Kazekage's body quickly reformed from dust, leaving Ōnoki and the others stunned.
Shūichi chuckled. "Another feature of the Impure World Reincarnation—unless you use Yin-Yang Release or sealing techniques, the body will keep regenerating, no matter how much you destroy it."
Ōnoki's heart sank further. They were completely unprepared for such a situation.
He barked, "Shūichi, leave this to us! You're the fastest here—you can stop the Akatsuki from capturing the tailed beasts!"
The Third Kazekage, fully regenerated, spoke coldly. "Aren't we on the same side?"
Orochimaru smirked from a distance, raising a single hand seal. "Shūichi-kun, your depth is truly immeasurable. Even your ability to break the Impure World Reincarnation doesn't surprise me."
Turning to White Zetsu, he added, "Shūichi-kun's power exceeds all expectations. We may need to use our trump card earlier than planned."
White Zetsu nodded. "I thought so, too."
"Then buy me some time!" Orochimaru ordered as White Zetsu vanished into the ground.
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with anticipation. "The stakes keep rising... how thrilling!"
...
Faced with Ōnoki's plea, Shūichi remained unmoved.
"Lord Tsuchikage, I'm not your ally."
"You've always known the Akatsuki were after the tailed beasts. Since you chose to cooperate with them, you must accept the consequences."
The Fourth Raikage, growing agitated, shouted, "Damn it, Shūichi! If the Akatsuki capture the tailed beasts, Konoha will also be at risk!"
"That Ten-Tails… even you couldn't stand against it, could you?"
Shūichi replied coolly, "They won't get the Nine-Tails or the Six-Tails."
(End of Chapter)
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