Teizawa laughed aloud.
At the same time, a warm current surged out from his mind.
Countless pieces of information about the Lightning Release Armor unfolded in his consciousness.
The way chakra should flow. The method of compressing Lightning Release. The technique for covering the entire body with it.
Clear and distinct.
And there were even some basic Lightning Release ninjutsu designed to be used alongside the Lightning Release Armor.
Absolutely perfect.
Teizawa was in no hurry to study it.
His gaze fell on the collapsing stretch of land.
Then on the two figures still falling, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
It was time for him to act.
But...
He lowered his head and glanced at the Kumo outfit he was wearing.
His smile deepened.
Since he was wearing Kumogakure clothing, he might as well use Kumogakure techniques.
The Lightning Release Armor just so happened to be Kumo's signature.
That way, no one would suspect him.
If Iwagakure wanted trouble, they would look for Kumogakure.
If Konoha wanted to pursue responsibility, they would also pursue Kumogakure.
What did any of that have to do with Sunagakure?
Teizawa stood up from the tree trunk.
He rolled his wrist.
The collapsed area had already expanded to nearly a hundred meters.
Smoke and dust blotted out the sky, making it impossible to see anything.
But his perception could clearly lock onto those two faint presences.
Samui and Karui.
Still falling. Still struggling.
Still alive.
That was enough.
He took a deep breath.
His figure shot toward the center of the collapse like a bolt of lightning.
Kitsuchi stood at the edge of the collapsed ground.
His hands were still held in a hand seal.
His breathing was somewhat hurried, and fine beads of sweat had appeared at his temples.
Core Collapse had consumed more than half his chakra.
But it had been worth it.
Those Kumogakure robbers, those criminals trying to seize the Four-Tails, had all been buried underground.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
That smile carried cruelty, satisfaction, and the release of emotions suppressed for far too long.
Ever since that Kazekage had sent him flying with one punch, he had been holding back a fire in his chest.
Now, that fire had finally found an outlet.
"Sigh..."
Just then, he heard a sigh.
Very soft. So soft it was like wind brushing past treetops, like a fallen leaf drifting onto the surface of water.
But on the dead-silent battlefield, that sigh was as clear as thunder.
Kitsuchi's pupils contracted sharply.
He whipped his head around and looked in the direction of the sound.
Within the dust, a blurry figure was moving toward him.
No, not moving.
Gliding.
That figure skimmed close to the ground, fast as lightning.
The smoke and dust were torn open behind him, leaving a long rift in his wake.
Kitsuchi could not see his face clearly.
He could only see the dark outfit, and those eyes...
Those eyes flickering with lightning.
Lightning?
Kitsuchi's heart sank.
Someone from Kumogakure?
How was that possible?
His Core Collapse had clearly swallowed that entire area.
How could anyone still be alive?
His hands instinctively formed seals.
But there was not much chakra left in him, and his fingers were trembling.
That figure drew closer and closer.
Kitsuchi finally saw his outfit clearly.
A Kumogakure jonin uniform. A covered face, revealing only a pair of eyes.
There was no killing intent in those eyes. No anger.
Only an indifferent, lofty gaze from above.
As if he were looking at an ant.
"You..."
Kitsuchi's voice was slightly dry. "Who are you?"
The man did not answer.
He merely raised his hand and flicked his finger.
A bolt of lightning shot from his fingertip.
It was so fast the naked eye could not capture it.
Kitsuchi dodged sideways on instinct. The lightning brushed past his cheek.
The scorching wave of heat burned his skin painfully.
A loud boom came from behind him.
He turned back and looked.
That lightning had struck a nearby rock wall and blasted out a pit several meters across.
Cold sweat instantly soaked Kitsuchi's back.
This was Lightning Release: Lightning Bullet.
A technique only Kumogakure jonin could use.
This person was an elite from Kumogakure.
But when had Kumogakure sent a powerhouse of this level?
The intelligence had clearly never mentioned him.
"You... are from Kumogakure?"
He forced the words out.
The man did not answer. He only walked toward him.
Kitsuchi subconsciously took a step back.
He was Iwagakure's strongest shield. He had faced countless powerful enemies and had never once retreated.
But at this moment, he had retreated.
Because those eyes...
Those eyes made him think of someone.
The man who had sent him flying with one punch.
The man who still left lingering fear in his heart.
No. Impossible.
That man was Sunagakure's Kazekage, not a Kumogakure ninja.
Kitsuchi denied it desperately in his heart.
But the chill had already spread through all his limbs.
The man walked past him without stopping.
Kitsuchi stiffened in place, motionless.
He watched that figure walk toward the center of the collapse.
Watched those lightning-flickering eyes pass through his field of vision.
Watched that Kumogakure uniform disappear into the dust.
The collapse was still continuing, but it had already begun to slow.
That figure stood at the edge of the collapsed area.
He raised both hands, palms facing downward.
Lightning surged from his palms and silently spread into the ground.
Rumble...
The earth trembled.
It was not the trembling of collapse, but a deeper, more violent vibration.
The sinking stones, soil, and trees seemed to be held up by some force, stopping their fall.
Then they began to rise.
Kitsuchi's eyes went round.
What was he seeing?
That man was using Lightning Release to lift an entire stretch of collapsed land?
No.
Lightning Release could not do something like that.
Was it...
Magnet Release?
His mind was a mess.
A Kumogakure ninja using Magnet Release?
Impossible.
That figure gave him no time to think.
The lightning grew brighter and stronger.
The entire collapsed area was shrouded in silver light.
The shattered stones, soil, and trees slowly rose within the lightning, revealing the scene below.
Samui was holding Karui, and Karui was gripping the hem of Omoi's clothes.
The three of them were curled together on a protruding rock.
Covered in dirt, but still alive.
That figure turned and glanced at Kitsuchi.
It was a brief and faint glance.
But Kitsuchi's heart stopped.
Those eyes always made him think of that Kazekage.
He had already lost to the Kazekage before.
Now another powerhouse had appeared in Kumogakure.
Kitsuchi even began to doubt himself.
Could it be...
Was he no longer someone who mattered in the ninja world?
By then, Teizawa had already walked out of the dust.
He carried Samui in one hand and Karui in the other.
Omoi followed behind him.
His legs were still weak, and his face was as pale as paper.
The three of them were filthy. Their hair was full of stone dust, and their clothes had been torn open in several places.
But they were all still alive.
Teizawa set the two women down on the ground.
Samui staggered and had to support herself on Karui before she steadied her footing.
She raised her head and looked at Teizawa.
Her lips moved slightly.
She wanted to say something, but swallowed it back.
It was not only her.
Karui and Omoi were equally dazed.
Even a little afraid.
They knew Teizawa's identity.
Since when was the Kazekage this strong?
Wasn't Sunagakure supposed to be known as the weakest village?
Then shouldn't the Kazekage be the weakest Kage too?
Samui's eyes trembled.
She had not seen wrong.
The lightning on his body was absolutely Lightning Release Armor.
The same Lightning Release Armor as Lord Raikage's.
But...
Lightning Release Armor was Lord Raikage's signature technique. Others simply did not know it.
How could he, a sand-wielding Kazekage, know it?
But those questions were destined to remain unanswered.
(End of Chapter)
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