Like the fable of the spear and shield,
There was a similar irony with the Third Raikage.
Because of the defensive power of his strongest Lightning Release Chakra Mode, the Third Raikage died without a single external wound on his body.
No one could break through his defense.
But there was still a fearsome injury on his chest.
Publicly, he claimed it was from suppressing a rampaging Eight-Tails.
But the truth was simple, and also quite embarrassing, which is why he had always hidden the truth of this incident.
Actually,
It was caused by the Eight-Tails resisting once, causing him to accidentally strike himself with his own Strongest Spear.
Meaning, his spear was stronger than his shield.
And this was the moment Takumi aimed for.
He wanted to recreate it.
This time, Takumi didn't use his palm, but switched to a more powerful punch.
The tremendous force slammed into the Third Raikage's forearm, forcibly bending his arm.
With a boom,
The immensely powerful One-Finger Nukite directly shattered the left half of the Third Raikage's body, which turned to ash and dispersed.
The Third Raikage's eyes were filled with disbelief.
He never imagined this boy he was meeting for the first time would know his greatest weakness.
"Damn it, even the Third Raikage is no match?"
Orochimaru hadn't expected the Third Raikage, who had been suppressing Takumi moments ago, to have most of his body blown away.
He hadn't even seen what happened clearly.
Everything happened too fast, and the Raikage was turned away from him, so he missed the details.
"Orochimaru-sama, let's take cover first."
Kabuto said softly. "The Third Raikage is an Edo Tensei body; he won't die. But if Takumi comes looking for you..."
"Right."
Orochimaru jolted awake. He had been immersed in the pleasant vision of the Raikage suppressing Takumi and had completely forgotten to hide himself.
If Takumi caught and killed him, the Edo Tensei would be cancelled.
He quickly hid.
Takumi ignored them.
His attention was focused on the Third Raikage, whose body was reforming.
Now that he had a way to counter the Raikage's strongest technique, he could fight more freely.
Aside from the Raikage's thrusting technique, he wasn't afraid of his other abilities.
Whether Lightning Release or anything else,
He could handle it.
The Third Raikage's body reformed.
This time,
It was Takumi's turn to attack.
Without a word, he swung his fist, landing solid blows on the Third Raikage. The fierce force sent the caught-off-guard Raikage flying.
But the Third Raikage's strongest Lightning Release Chakra Mode was no mere reputation.
The force that could easily shatter boulders had little effect on him.
'Truly the Strongest Shield.'
Takumi's face lit up with eagerness.
This was the first time he had encountered an enemy who could withstand his punches.
He couldn't help but feel his blood boil.
"Let's have a real fight!"
Takumi laughed heartily and charged again.
His fists became blurs, appearing like hundreds of fist shadows.
The Third Raikage was not to be outdone and fought back.
Neither tried to block the other's attacks; they relied purely on physical toughness.
Their fists landed solidly, fighting in the most brutal way possible.
The dull thuds continued, but neither retreated an inch.
At this moment, their combat style was completely out of place with the shinobi world.
It didn't resemble shinobi fighting at all.
More like brawlers.
"..."
Orochimaru and the others watched in stunned silence.
That Takumi could go blow-for-blow with the Third Raikage was beyond his expectations.
But this only made him more delighted.
The stronger Takumi was, the more he wanted his body.
Anyway, the Third Raikage could continuously revive, with no limits on stamina or Chakra.
If the fight continued, Takumi, being alive, would eventually tire and fall, just like the Third Raikage himself when he fought ten thousand shinobi until exhaustion.
But he had no idea that Takumi had infinite stamina.
For him, exhausting his stamina was also a huge challenge.
Their battle grew even more fierce.
Getting hit was one thing, but occasionally, when their fists collided, the shockwave generated intense wind pressure.
Pinned down by Takumi's close combat, the Third Raikage couldn't use his strongest thrusting technique.
Hell Stab required some distance to build up momentum.
Even just a few meters, he needed a running start.
But Takumi was too close; he couldn't execute it.
He was forced to fight fist-to-fist with Takumi.
And the more he fought, the more alarmed he became.
He never imagined,
A twelve or thirteen-year-old boy could not only match his defensive prowess,
But also rival his strength,
And not fall behind in speed, even being faster, enabling him to deflect the One-Finger Nukite at the crucial moment.
When he was previously injured by the Eight-Tails, it was accidental.
But Takumi had clearly done it on purpose.
The Third Raikage knew the difference.
So he dared not use the One-Finger Nukite again, fearing Takumi would use it against him again.
But now this fist-to-fist combat made him very uncomfortable.
Just like Takumi,
Few enemies could oppose him in close combat for so long.
Their fists became countless blurs, swinging in front of them, making it impossible to see their true positions.
Only the sounds revealed whether they were landing on the enemy or colliding with each other.
The two sounds were different.
The frenzied battle lasted over ten minutes.
The onlookers, Orochimaru and his group, were numbed by the spectacle.
This level of combat far exceeded Orochimaru's expectations.
If any of them were to face either combatant, they would likely be on the ground, life unknown, by now.
Both were simply too strong.
Not only did they not weaken as the fight continued,
But they seemed to grow even more powerful.
Just the aftereffects of their battle were enough to make anyone's heart skip a beat.
The terrifying air pressure from their colliding fists was enough to make anyone tremble.
"Even just being nearby during a fight like this would make survival difficult."
Kimimaro's expression was grave.
Relying on his Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai, he had a huge advantage in close combat.
But after witnessing the battle between Takumi and the Third Raikage, he realized he was completely outclassed.
Either of them could easily crush him.
At that moment, he suddenly understood,
Takumi hadn't gone all out back then.
If he had, Kimimaro would have died the instant they met.
Because Takumi's speed and power were just too strong.
Especially his defensive power, which was also astonishing.
He could actually withstand the Third Raikage's incredible punches.
"Anyway, whatever happens, don't get close."
Kidomaru stated the obvious, cold sweat on his face.
He certainly wouldn't approach, even if Orochimaru ordered him to.
"Orochimaru-sama, someone's coming."
Kabuto was still the most reliable subordinate.
He was the first to detect the chakra approaching from a distance.
"Hmm?"
Orochimaru turned back, confirming what Kabuto said.
But they were well hidden, and the intense battle in the area provided good cover.
They wouldn't be exposed anytime soon.
Even if the newcomers had a sensor-type Shinobi, with the current chaotic conditions, their perception would likely be mostly impaired.