When the Raikage's Hell Stab – Three-Finger Thrust struck, it left visible cracks across the skeletal frame of Haruto's Susanoo.
Now, with the Two-Finger Thrust unleashed at full force, his overwhelming power slammed into those fractures, shattering the skeletal armor in an instant and leaving Senju Haruto completely exposed to his assault.
A broad grin spread across the Fourth Raikage's face.
In his eyes, Haruto was now nothing more than a warrior stripped of his armor — bare flesh laid open to the air.
"If you'd switched into your Lightning God Armor just now, you might've had a chance to defend yourself. But you're too arrogant, Haruto — and that arrogance will be your downfall."
"The era of the Leaf is over. From today onward, the Hidden Cloud will reign supreme!"
The Raikage knew the Lightning God Armor was powerful — but it was a technique that took time to ramp up.
To activate it, the rhythm of his Lightning Release had to climb to the ninth beat.
And if there was one thing the Raikage was confident in, it was speed.
He would never give Haruto the time he needed to activate that armor.
"It's over, Haruto!"
His Two-Finger Thrust didn't immediately follow through — breaking Haruto's Susanoo had already drained most of his chakra. With what remained, even if he hit Haruto directly, killing him outright would be difficult.
And Haruto wasn't helpless without Susanoo or Lightning Armor — he still had Wood Release.
If he gave Haruto even the slightest chance to retreat and gain breathing room, the tide could turn.
And the Raikage was no soft-hearted fool.
He was the Fourth Raikage of the Hidden Cloud Village.
This was a battle that would decide the fate of two great nations.
He had to kill Haruto without a shred of doubt.
With that thought, the Raikage poured every last drop of chakra into a single, decisive strike.
The unstoppable Two-Finger Thrust paused for the briefest instant in midair — then two fingers narrowed into one.
Haruto's Mangekyō Sharingan caught the motion instantly. His eyes narrowed.
He knew — the moment that followed would decide victory or defeat.
"So it's the One-Finger Thrust after all…" Haruto murmured.
He had thought his Susanoo could withstand the Two-Finger Thrust.
But the Raikage had smashed it apart.
Of course, what had been destroyed was only the basic skeletal form.
If it had been a half-body or full-body Susanoo, even the One-Finger Thrust wouldn't have pierced it.
But that was irrelevant now — the Raikage was clearly ready to unleash his strongest technique.
"Hell Stab — One-Finger Thrust!"
With a roar that shook the air, the Raikage's body blurred forward, plunging into the shattered remains of Susanoo. His single finger — the spear said to be the sharpest in the shinobi world — drove ahead at a speed unlike anything before.
There was no way Haruto could dodge.
"It's finished," the Raikage thought, his throat tightening.
Every fiber of his being, every last shred of Lightning Release chakra, was concentrated into that single point.
Though his speed was blistering, it felt almost… slow.
As if space itself… and time… had frozen still.
The needle-sharp fingertip was almost at Haruto's heart — so close it could pierce in the next instant, yet somehow still felt impossibly far away.
The Raikage's throat worked, his mind vividly aware of the sweat beading on his brow, the rhythm of his breathing, the pounding of his heartbeat.
This was the attack he had staked everything on.
He had to win.
And he wasn't the only one holding their breath.
Kakashi, Yamato, Hyūga Hizashi, and Aburame Torune all stood frozen, eyes locked on the scene.
For Kakashi and Hizashi especially — one with the Sharingan, the other with the Byakugan — even their peerless dōjutsu couldn't track the One-Finger Thrust's true speed.
Fear for Haruto's life made them want to rush forward without hesitation… but in that frozen instant, they could only take a single step.
Too slow.
"Damn it…" Kakashi clenched his teeth, fury and frustration gnawing at him.
Why was it always like this? Why was he never strong enough to protect his comrades?
Why did he have to keep watching them die before his eyes?
"Haruto!" Hizashi barked his name, fully aware he couldn't reach him in time — couldn't take the strike in his place.
All he could do was pray Haruto would evade.
At the very least… not let that spear pierce a vital point.
Torune and Yamato were equally tense. If Haruto died here, they wouldn't last long — and the Leaf would lose everything.
But Torune couldn't mold any chakra at all, and Yamato's secret techniques were useless in this moment.
The air was thick with tension.
Of course, time hadn't actually stopped.
The Raikage's One-Finger Thrust was still rocketing toward Haruto's heart at unprecedented speed.
Even Haruto knew this blow could kill any opponent.
At this time in history, the man before him could rightfully be called the strongest in the shinobi world.
"In speed and power alike, you truly have reached the peak of this era…" Haruto said evenly.
"But it's your misfortune that you met me here."
He stared directly at the Raikage, making no move to dodge — even as the deadly thrust bore down on his chest.
Susanoo might have been broken, but Haruto possessed something greater.
In that instant, he seized the natural energy around him, fusing it into Sage Chakra.
Sage Mode.
Dark markings spread across Haruto's forehead and the corners of his eyes.
He extended a single finger toward the Raikage's attack.
And because of the unique nature of Sage Arts, the buildup time vanished entirely.
Purple lightning exploded from Haruto's fingertip.
The Raikage's eyes went wide.
If he wasn't mistaken… Haruto was using Hell Stab.
Impossible.
The technique was a secret of the Hidden Cloud — one he had taken years to master.
Haruto couldn't have even heard of it before today.
"You copied it… after seeing it once?!"
The Raikage's mouth twitched, breath catching. Unbelievable — but his attack was already in motion.
He had no choice but to see it through.
"The Sharingan can copy ninjutsu, Raikage," Haruto said casually, then drove his own strike forward.
"Sage Art — Hell Stab — One-Finger Thrust!"
Their two One-Finger Thrusts met with a cataclysmic impact.
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