Seeing the Third Raikage strike that pose, Shinnosuke Sarutobi's heart skipped a beat. A chill shot from his soles to his skull, and his heart nearly leaped out of his throat.
"That move... it's the Third Raikage's signature technique!"
"The lightning finger-spear capable of piercing everything into hell and skewering heaven and earth!"
The shinobi present were far from ignorant. Hearing Shinnosuke identify the technique, they immediately recognized it.
Gulp.
Cold sweat broke out on every forehead. They watched A's movements with bated breath. The Third Raikage's fame was built on two pillars: his "Strongest Shield," the Lightning Release Armor, and his "Strongest Spear," this very technique.
With both, he could ignore any attack, charge straight into enemy lines, and perform a one-man decimation. Furthermore, as the number of fingers used decreased, the power of the technique increased exponentially.
The whole world knew his intel, yet almost no one could touch him. That was the true horror of the Third Raikage.
"Hyuga Hizashi mentioned earlier that the Raikage only used the Two-Finger Nukite to shatter Ren's giant flame sword."
"And now... he's using a single finger!"
How are we even supposed to fight this?
If two fingers could puncture a sixty-meter giant blade, a single finger would likely turn everyone present into a human kebab. Who among them could stop such a move?
The Konoha shinobi paled instantly. The weaker members, like Inuzuka Ago and Hinata Kenji, looked like startled birds, jumping at every twitch of the old man's muscles.
At this point, only those with significant experience—Shinnosuke Sarutobi, Hyuga Hizashi, Aburame Ryoma, and Setsuna Uchiha—remained somewhat calm.
(Notably, since Mizunazuki Yuki had died in the previous Kumo ambush, the remaining members of Aburame Shiguro's team had been folded into the other squads.)
"Use every trump card you have..."
"Otherwise, we're all going to die here. This isn't a joke!"
Aburame Ryoma watched the situation grimly, turning to his clan brother, Aburame Shiguro.
"Shiguro, I'll handle the defense. You try to use the nano-insects. The only way I can see is..."
His plan was to use a Secret Art: Insect Bog to cover their movements, allowing Shiguro to use the Aburame clan's most lethal nano-sized venomous insects with the Secret Art: Poison Dust. Once inhaled, the target was practically certain to die.
However, Aburame Shiguro shook his head, his face pale as he interrupted.
"I've already tried. The nano-insects are electrocuted by that Lightning Armor before they can even get close."
"Our only chance was to pour them into the opening cut by Ren's wind style, but my insects can't survive on a battlefield like that."
As one of the sensors, he, Ryoma, and the two Hyuga members saw far more than the others. Shiguro was simply stating the cold facts.
Not only would the Raikage's armor kill the insects, but Ren Uchiha's own techniques were too chaotic. Between the heat of the flame fists, the sonic vibrations of the lightning, and the high-speed wind blades flying everywhere, the insects couldn't even approach.
Besides, Ren—the only one capable of cutting that armor—had already been beaten into "Ren-sauce." Even if Shiguro wanted to coordinate, the opportunity was gone.
Shinnosuke Sarutobi gritted his teeth. As the strongest Wind Style user in the group, he gripped his chakra-metal blades, Flying Swallow, and asked Hyuga Hizashi:
"Hizashi, if I use the Wind Style: True Straight Line with these blades, can I break that armor? Create an opening?"
Hizashi turned his head with a strange, pained look in his eyes, eventually shaking his head.
Don't you have a sense of your own limits?
Was his Wind Style or Taijutsu stronger than Ren's? Was his meager chakra-metal blade sharper than the legendary Kusanagi Sword?
Strong Wind Style could indeed affect the armor, but only if the Raikage stood still. Even Ren had to restrict the man's movement first. The Third Raikage was unstoppable because... well, he moved.
And he moved faster than anyone. He could dodge almost any threat. Shinnosuke's technique required him to get close, but he'd likely be poked to death before he could even raise his blades.
One by one, these elite Jonin realized just how powerless they were. Reality was heavy. A group of Konoha elites could capture an S-rank rogue like Kakuzu, yet they felt like chicks before the Third Raikage.
There were levels to being a "Kage-tier" shinobi.
The atmosphere grew suffocating. Every eye was fixed on the old man as he began to walk. One step, two steps... faster and faster!
In an instant, he became an invincible bolt of lightning, crashing toward them. His heavy footsteps felt like they were stomping on their hearts.
Fortunately, at that moment—
"Fire Style: Great Fire Arrow!" x5!
Under Setsuna Uchiha's command, five Uchiha stepped forward, their hands already blurred in seals.
Rat-Ox-Dog-Horse-Monkey-Boar-Tiger!
They took deep breaths, gathering chakra in their throats and leaning back. Then, with hooked index fingers, they spat out five flaming arrows that looked like heavy ballista bolts. They cut through the air, roaring toward the Third Raikage!
Unlike the version used by Uchiha Madara, which spat fire like falling meteors, these arrows were focused on piercing power and speed. They were aimed directly at the lightning-clad finger-spear charging toward them.
Setsuna Uchiha's expression was grave. His Sharingan was locked onto the Raikage.
While the others used high-AOE techniques, Setsuna—whose ocular power had ascended due to awakening the Mangekyo—could see every twitch of the Raikage's muscles.
He was waiting for the perfect moment.
Setsuna glanced at the mangled "Ren-sauce" flying back toward them and thought:
If it's you, you won't be defeated this easily.
After all, you've been creating miracles since the day we left the village...
A trace of nostalgia flickered in his eyes, looking past the current crisis to a few months ago. He remembered the boy he hadn't expected much from—the boy who had performed impossible reversals and changed the tides of war.
Setsuna took a deep breath, his fingers weaving seals. His face was a mask of prayer, his wrinkles tightening like strained ropes. He widened his eye, the three black tomoe spinning frantically.
"If you're not dead, show me one more time..."
"Ren Uchiha!"
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