Chapter 68: Hidan Loses It
"Reinforcements?"
It was time to retreat. However, it was unfortunate that they couldn't save Yugito.
The Raikage thought grimly to himself.
"B! Fall back!" the Raikage roared.
"Trying to run?" Hidan charged forward with his scythe raised, but before he could land a single hit, the Raikage sent him flying back at a speed far surpassing his own.
Even though the Raikage's stamina had waned from prolonged combat, he was still far beyond Hidan's league.
"Hidan, your strength is nothing compared to a true powerhouse. You're completely outclassed," Kakuzu commented, glancing at Hidan sprawled at his feet.
"Shut up, Kakuzu!"
"If you're so tough, why don't you give it a shot? You'd get wrecked too!" Hidan shot back, picking himself up.
"Hmph! Fine!"
"Fire Release: Great Flame!"
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
The two unleashed a Fire-Wind combo jutsu, scorching a vast swath of the battlefield as flames surged towards the Raikage.
The Raikage, cloaked in his Lightning Armor, didn't even flinch. He barreled through the inferno, taking out one of Kakuzu's hearts with a single, devastating blow.
Fast! Too fast!
Kakuzu barely registered the attack before realizing the Raikage's hand had pierced his chest. Thankfully, thanks to his Earth Grudge Fear technique, he survived. Otherwise, it would've been over.
"Damn, Kakuzu!"
"You always brag about fighting the First Hokage back in the day, but you can't even handle the Fourth Raikage now! Were you just making stuff up? Or are you telling me this guy's stronger than the 'God of Shinobi' himself?" Hidan jeered, finally realizing that Kakuzu might have been exaggerating his exploits.
"Shut it, Hidan!" Kakuzu snapped, retreating to put some distance between himself and the Raikage. His pride was taking a beating.
Damn it!
Why does something like Edo Tensei even exist in this world?!
"Kakuzu, with your Earth Grudge Fear and five hearts, you can use all five chakra natures, but killing you is still a trivial task for me," the Raikage said, disdainfully eyeing his opponents.
"Hidan, with your strange immortality and blood rituals, you'd be deadly if you could pierce my defenses. But that's not happening."
"And you, Sasori of the Red Sand, renowned as the greatest puppet master in the ninja world, even with your human puppets and the Third Kazekage's Magnet Release, you can't keep up with my speed."
The Raikage evaluated the trio's abilities with a sneer.
If it weren't for the leader of the Akatsuki and his Rinnegan, these three would've been no match for him. Let alone the fact that Killer B was standing right beside him.
Speed was simply that overpowered.
It reminded him of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. Back then, the Four Great Nations couldn't do anything to counter him—not because they couldn't fight him, but because they couldn't catch him.
The Raikage wasn't quite as fast as the Flying Thunder God Technique, but his defense and attack power far exceeded Minato's.
"This will be your end," Sasori declared, stepping forward with Hiruko. Unlike Kakuzu and Hidan, he wasn't one to take insults lying down. After years of honing his craft, he had become much stronger.
"Wood Release: Cutting Technique!"
Hiruko had been enhanced with Hashirama's cells, and since it was a puppet, there was no risk of cellular backlash. If anything, the integration made it even more durable.
Whoosh!
The Raikage's immense speed made the massive wooden spikes miss completely. After a quick sidestep, he charged straight at Hiruko.
Sasori couldn't match the Raikage's speed, but he could predict his movements.
"Hmph!"
Thick clouds of poison gas billowed from Hiruko's mouth, followed by countless spikes sprouting from its surface. Sasori hoped this turtle-like defense would buy him time.
But unfortunately for him, his opponent was the Raikage—a headstrong brawler.
Holding his breath, the Raikage ignored the spikes entirely, throwing a massive punch directly at Hiruko.
Boom!
The ground beneath Hiruko cracked like a spiderweb from the force of the Raikage's blow. However, Hiruko's back was completely unscathed.
Its defenses had been heavily reinforced, and with the added power of Wood Release, it could even withstand a Tailed Beast Ball—except perhaps those from the Eight or Nine Tails.
Hiruko's right arm morphed into a cluster of claws, slashing at the Raikage. But in a flash of lightning, he had already retreated to his starting position.
"Damn it, big bro! You said retreat, but you're still here fighting! I'm gonna get killed! You idiot!" Killer B's rapping complaints echoed from above as he struggled against Tendo (Deva Path).
"Let's go!" the Raikage finally commanded. With the enemy's reinforcements, staying any longer would be suicidal.
"Banshō Ten'in!"
Tendo's gravitational pull snagged Killer B, attempting to drag the Eight Tails back.
"Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop!"
The Raikage's attack disrupted Tendo's jutsu, forcing Nagato to switch to Shinra Tensei.
"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"
A massive wooden dragon coiled around the Eight Tails, binding it tightly.
"Not good! B! Break free, or we're screwed!" Gyuki shouted anxiously.
"Eight-Tails Twisting Smash!"
Under Killer B's control, the Eight Tails curled into a tire-like form, rolling furiously until it managed to break free. Then, without hesitation, it bolted for the horizon.
"Is my Wood Release still not strong enough?" Sasori muttered irritably. Letting the enemy escape had completely ruined his dramatic entrance.
"Let's regroup at my body," Tendo instructed.
"So, Leader, you personally came out here and only managed to grab the Two-Tails? And you almost got killed in the process?" Hidan mocked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Tendo faltered slightly mid-flight.
This guy… Hidan!
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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