Chapter 302: Lightning Splits Rock, the Mountain Threatens to Collapse!
Chapter 302: Lightning Splits Rock, the Mountain Threatens to Collapse!
As if in response to the mystical radiance emerging from the skeletal palm, the sky suddenly darkened.
Then, with Uchiha Ci at its center, the clouds above began to spiral outward.
Bolts of lightning, hidden within the heavens, converged like a stampede of galloping warhorses toward the eye of the storm.
In this oppressive atmosphere, under the somewhat fearful gazes of Kitsuchi and Chiyo, the lightning, slowly drawn from the skeletal palm, began to take shape—forming a magnificent, awe-inspiring straight single-edged sword.
Eighteen meters long, composed entirely of brilliant blue lightning, even before it fully materialized, the terrifying phenomenon it induced was enough to strike fear into the hearts of those who beheld it.
As a weapon meant to be wielded by a human, Futsunomitama's long and slender shape was undoubtedly impractical and difficult to use.
But as a divine blade—one forged purely for destruction—it was one of the strongest offensive artifacts in existence!
It possessed the ability to manifest as a spiritual sword, summon heavenly lightning, and, upon absorbing the power of the world, unleash its ultimate technique—
Raijin's Sword: Izumo-Kyaku-Nation Slayer!
According to the Kojiki's legend of the Transfer of Izumo,
Takemikazuchi no Kami thrust this sword into the waves, sat upon it, and demanded that Ōkuninushi relinquish control of Ashihara no Nakatsukuni.
When Ōkuninushi attempted to push the decision onto his sons, Kotoshironushi and Takeminakata,
Takemikazuchi, enraged, rose to his feet and cleaved through the sea and land with a single swing—forcing both gods into submission.
At the moment he gripped the sword, a flood of knowledge about it surged through Uchiha Ci's mind.
He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in admiration, gazing at Futsunomitama within Susanoo's skeletal palm.
After a quick mental conversion into terms he could understand—
This thing had built-in lightning damage.
Every casual swing carried a strong paralysis effect.
Add in a fully-charged ultimate attack, and its destructive power was on par with a National Treasure-level Noble Phantasm!
But what surprised him the most—
This sword didn't even require chakra!
It could autonomously absorb the power of the heavens and earth, enter a fully unleashed state, and then fire off an ultimate attack stronger than a Tailed Beast Bomb.
The charge-up time was a bit long, but considering it was a god-tier weapon he just picked up off the ground—what more could he ask for?!
At this moment, as Futsunomitama continued to extend, the anomalies in the sky intensified.
The sword was now nearly as long as the Rock Giant itself, and it seemed like at any moment, those near-S-rank thunderbolts would come crashing down from above.
Kitsuchi felt his scalp tingle, and he almost wanted to punch Chiyo, who had been so confident just moments ago—
You said Uchiha Ci couldn't use Susanoo again?!
And wasn't this Uchiha brat supposed to be crippled?
Why the hell does he seem even more terrifying than in the reports?!
Before, with Chiyo's Three Treasures Suction Crush assisting him, he had managed to break through Susanoo by leveraging the power of nature.
But now, the Buddhist Monk Puppets capable of performing the technique had already been shattered by a single punch from Uchiha Ci.
Repeating the same tactic to break through Susanoo again?
Damn near impossible.
Kitsuchi glanced at Mifune, who was barely clinging to life in the distance, being force-fed antidotes and treated with Healing Palm by Chiyo.
And he was forced to confront a harsh reality—
Even if he somehow shattered Susanoo again, beneath that layer of skeletal armor was Uchiha Ci—a man whose taijutsu was like an unstoppable force, whose legend boasted of an unkillable body, and who now had an extra layer of iron plating!
How the hell was he supposed to fight this?!
In just a split second, realization dawned on Kitsuchi, and his face darkened like he had swallowed a mouthful of shit.
But there was no time for hesitation.
If he didn't act now, Uchiha Ci would strike first!
"I don't know what that thing is… but I absolutely cannot let him draw that sword!"
"I have to interrupt him—then…"
Kitsuchi swallowed hard, a powerful urge to abandon Chiyo and Mifune and run for his life rising in his heart.
That thought sent a twisted look across his face.
Then, without further hesitation, he clapped his hands together in the 'Snake' seal!
—Seamlessly,
The colossal twenty-meter Rock Giant under his control took a heavy step forward.
One step.
Two steps.
Until the massive construct began to charge,
Each footfall shaking the ruined battlefield, sending dust flying.
Then—
Under Kitsuchi's near-exploding eyeballs as he controlled it with all his might,
The Rock Giant bent its knees, trembling the earth—
And leaped!
No fancy moves.
Just the terrifying weight of its massive body,
Executing a "Mountain-Crushing Body Slam"—
Hurtling directly toward Uchiha Ci and Susanoo as he drew his blade!
However—
"Huh? That expression?"
From within Susanoo, having already seen through Kitsuchi's every move,
Uchiha Ci's face suddenly darkened.
Memories of countless enemies making the same exact face before fleeing surged violently in his mind.
With his wealth of experience, he immediately recognized what Kitsuchi was planning.
"He wants to run?!"
His expression turned ferocious, and he glared at Kitsuchi.
Damn it! I finally got a smooth battle going, and now everyone wants to bail?!
What happened to the 'Will of Stone' you inherited from the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki?!
With the Rock Giant crashing down toward him,
Uchiha Ci took a deep breath—
Then snapped his eyes open.
He was done playing.
Like a mecha pilot in the cockpit, he stomped down fiercely, clapped his palms together, and raised his gaze toward the incoming titan.
In his heart, he began to count.
Then—
His right fist clenched tightly, pulled back—
And with that motion, Susanoo followed suit.
At that instant, its skeletal hand gripped the radiant thunder sword's hilt tightly—
and tore it completely free!
BOOM!!
A tempest erupted!
The colossal lightning sword tore through the air, leaving behind an explosion of light—
A blinding thunderclap in the dead of night!
Compared to the speed of that blade,
The Rock Giant was moving at the pace of a crawling turtle.
SPLURT!
In an instant—the thunder sword, unleashed second, struck first!
Lightning overpowered earth.
The blade sliced through the Rock Giant's chest like a hot knife through butter!
Then, with a single upward cleave,
Susanoo split the giant in two!
ZING!!
The bisected titan revealed its scorched, molten core—before toppling apart.
Light erupted.
Debris fell.
The earth quaked.
And under this divine might beyond human comprehension—
A chilling sensation raced from the soles of Kitsuchi's feet to the top of his head.
His legs trembled involuntarily.
"This won't work—I have to run."
"I MUST run! I don't care about them anymore—I need to survive! I haven't become the Fourth Tsuchikage yet!"
"Facing a monster like this—"
"I will DIE!"
Kitsuchi stared in terror at Uchiha Ci, who stood within the giant's body. He swallowed instinctively, then, without hesitation, abandoned Chiyo and Mifune. Turning on his heel, he sprinted toward the city at the base of the mountain.
However—
Uchiha Ci, who had long since anticipated his thoughts, would never let him escape.
His expression darkened as he took a bold step forward, raising his palm high with a grim face!
Susanoo instantly swept its sword, scattering the dust before it and clearing its view. Then, gripping the hilt with both hands, it raised its long sword above its head!
"Run? Did I say you could run?!"
With a furious glare, Uchiha Ci swung his palm down sharply!
The 18-meter-long blade of lightning surged, expanding dramatically—its radiance intensified!
In an instant, it transformed into a colossal 40-meter-long lightning blade, gripped by Susanoo, and slashed downward!
Zzzt—!
Electricity crackled as the sword slashed through the air, its arc forming a crescent-shaped surge of lightning—a manifestation of the Uchiha Style: Solar Halo Dance!
The crescent sword energy streaked through the air, extending 80 meters in an instant, cleaving downward toward the fleeing Kitsuchi in a devastating Mountain-Cleaving Strike!
Catching sight of this, Kitsuchi's expression twisted in sheer horror, an icy chill creeping up his spine.
At that moment, he forcefully halted his steps, drenched in cold sweat, and with every ounce of his strength, flung himself to the side!
The lightning crescent whooshed past him, carving a path through the ground, obliterating everything in its wake, and pulverizing everything within its reach!
He wanted to escape, but Uchiha Ci wouldn't let him!
"If that's how it is..."
"You forced me into this!"
His face contorted with fury as he finally came to a realization—
If they didn't eliminate Uchiha Ci today, none of them would leave alive!
With this thought, he took a deep breath, planted his feet firmly, and swiftly formed hand seals before slamming his palms together!
"Clap!"
Fingers interlocked into the Serpent Seal, his face twisted with rage as he roared:
"Earth Release: Great Seismic Core!"
This jutsu, an advanced version of Earth Release: Seismic Core taught by the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki, had the power to shake the earth, dramatically raising the ground—a highly versatile Earth Release technique often used to create traps.
Of course, if it were merely a support-type jutsu, it wouldn't be enough to challenge Susanoo.
But jutsu adapted to their environments—just as Water Release grew stronger near water sources, or as seen with Kitsuchi's earlier use of Earth Release: Rock Lodging Destruction, where he severed the peak of a natural mountain to amplify its destructive power dozens of times over.
And now—
Kitsuchi was not in the vast plains of the Fourth Great Ninja War battlefield.
He was in the Land of Lightning.
A country where cities were built between towering mountains.
And the Great Seismic Core he cast wasn't simply manipulating the land beneath his feet—
Instead, by spreading chakra deep into the mountain, he manipulated its weakest structural points—
To make the entire mountain collapse into a jutsu!
This technique wasn't often used because its range was too vast, indiscriminately affecting everything—including innocents, making it difficult to justify.
More importantly, it borrowed the power of nature itself, making it uncontrollable—even the user would be affected.
And now—
BOOM—!
The earth trembled violently, like a magnitude-10 earthquake erupting beneath their feet!
Even Uchiha Ci staggered as the ground quaked, his body shifting involuntarily. He was forced to anchor himself by channeling chakra into his feet, barely managing to steady himself.
But before he could regain his footing and attack Kitsuchi again—
Suddenly, the sky darkened before his eyes!
A colossal shadow swallowed his entire vision!
The palace built atop the mountain was tilting—collapsing upward!
Bricks, beams, rubble, and fragments of shattered stone rained toward the heavens!
In that instant, it felt as if the world was flipping upside down—he could see the clouds gliding past his view from the "ground" beneath his feet.
Startled, Uchiha Ci snapped his head up—
And what he saw—
The sky above, where the heavens should be, was now a massive, inverted cityscape!
No—it wasn't that the city was upside down.
The mountain itself was falling!
Like a massive, uprooted landmass, it carried him and everything on it—hurtling downward toward the heart of Yunming City!
And Uchiha Ci, along with his Susanoo, stood atop this crumbling mountain like a nail at its peak—
When it struck the city, he would be crushed into dust beneath its unfathomable weight!
"Brat, die already!"
From above, Kitsuchi's face twisted in madness—
Even now, he was forming more hand seals!
"Earth Release: Mountain Earth Jutsu!"
BOOM!
The ground beneath Susanoo split open!
Even after all this, Kitsuchi cast another Earth Release jutsu—
Not to attack Susanoo—
But to shatter Uchiha Ci's foothold, sending him plummeting as a mere fragment of falling debris!
This ensured that Uchiha Ci could not use Earth Release: Underground Projection Fish to escape underground at the last moment!
Having done all this, Kitsuchi gasped for breath, his body drained.
Even for a ninja, toppling an entire mountain was almost impossible.
Only someone with his vast chakra reserves—second only to the strongest in Iwagakure—could achieve such a feat.
And now—
Gazing at Uchiha Ci, who was falling with the collapsing mountain—
Kitsuchi smiled in relief.
Then—
His feet lost contact with the ground—
And he plummeted straight down into the bustling city below.
At this point, his chakra was completely exhausted.
He could have used his last bit of chakra to cast Earth Release: Underground Fish Projection to burrow into the mountain and escape the impact—
But to ensure Uchiha Ci's certain death,
He chose instead—
To cut off Uchiha Ci's final hope of survival.
In his last moments, Kitsuchi sighed deeply and turned his gaze toward the direction of Iwagakure.
"Rōshi..."
"Maybe you were right. We never should have come here."
BOOM!!
The mountain collapsed—
And crashed into the city!