Chapter 147 – Deathly Black Lightning, A Flamboyant Funeral!

A was hurled through the air by Killer B. In the next instant, B's tails rapidly grew out behind him, his body spinning like a top.

Twin blades. The Eight-Tails.

Every weapon he could possibly wield was now in play, carving a brutal, blood-drenched path through the chaos. Before A even hit the ground, B had already fought his way to him. It was Dodai who caught A mid-fall and pulled him to safety.

Killer B really is in sync with the Eight-Tails…

Once the seal was released, the Eight-Tails actually stepped in willingly? That's insane…

Kyoichi silently marveled at the sight.

Still—

It worked out just fine.

He never intended to kill the Fourth Raikage anyway.

The Third, yes—he had to die. But if the Fourth died too, Kumogakure would have no successor, and there'd be no one left to counterbalance Onoki or Kirigakure.

"Onoki!"

The Third Raikage roared in fury, both hands formed into blades as he tore through the crowd in search of his target.

There wasn't a single Iwagakure shinobi who could take even one hit—

Not even the jōnin.

Onoki now saw firsthand what happened when the Third Raikage was enraged.

He was utterly berserk. Against Kyoichi and Minato, he no longer bothered blocking—only dodging. His signature one-handed thrusts now crackled with jet-black lightning.

His wounds were multiplying.

So were the Iwa casualties.

Onoki wanted to tear him apart then and there—but he knew if he jumped into the fray himself, he'd be outmatched in close combat. Dust Release was his only option...

And that would mean taking his own men down with the target.

If sacrificing a few of his own could guarantee the death of the Third Raikage, maybe it'd be worth it.

But if his people died and the Raikage lived…

He couldn't afford that gamble.

So he could only pray Kyoichi and Minato would step it up. But—

They already were.

Wind-style sword techniques, Flying Thunder God, Rasengan—all unleashed in succession. By any measure, that level of effort should've been worth their price.

But the Third Raikage was prepared now.

They couldn't get close like before.

…Of course, that was because he hadn't used the Seven-Day Roar yet.

That move shaved off his lifespan—no point wasting it on something as trivial as money.

Five million ryo wasn't worth dying for.

Meanwhile, the effects of Onoki's Light–Heavy Rock Technique were wearing off. Kyoichi's speed started to decline.

Onoki flashed down beside him and slapped a hand to his back.

Kyoichi suddenly felt light as air. Faster—far faster than before.

"Get moving!"

"Tsuchikage-sama, you wound me! That technique I mentioned—it's a forbidden one! I really shouldn't—"

"I'll pay more!"

Onoki gritted his teeth.

He knew it full well: Kyoichi was giving "effort," but not "everything." No Ice Release. No sudden burst-speed moves. Not even those flying explosive tags he'd used before.

Clearly…

Kyoichi hadn't gone all out yet.

"For the unbreakable friendship between Konoha and Iwagakure… even a forbidden technique must be used."

The words had barely left his mouth when Kyoichi vanished with a sharp whoosh.

The very next instant, the Third Raikage saw a blur flash before his eyes.

Is that… Kanda Kyoichi?!

He twisted to evade—but this time, the man's speed had doubled. No sword. No flashy jutsu.

Just—

A single kick!

Boom—!

So… fast!

The moment Kyoichi's foot collided with the Third Raikage, a deafening shockwave erupted.

A single thought flashed through the Raikage's mind—

And in the next instant, he was sent flying.

Heaven Spear Foot!

Not just that—his foot had been coated with a layer of ice, neutralizing the Lightning Release Armor. The Raikage's signature One-Handed Thrust didn't even land, rendering it useless.

The kick itself didn't do much damage—

But…

The sheer force of it sent the Third Raikage hurtling through the air, unable to regain control. And there was something else in that kick… something that completely threw off his coordination. His limbs flailed wildly.

At the same time, flying straight toward the direction he'd been kicked—

A glowing orb of light.

Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!

In a desperate moment, the Raikage hurled an explosive tag.

Boom!

The blast detonated, blasting him down toward the ground.

Minato froze for a heartbeat—then immediately teleported to intercept, trying to knock the Raikage into the Dust Release zone.

But—

The Raikage had already regained partial control over his body under the effects of Chaotic Body Rush.

Body Flicker!

In the blink of an eye, he was behind Minato.

So fast!

Minato's heart skipped—he vanished with the Flying Thunder God.

The Raikage struck empty air. But he'd bought himself precious time. His body was beginning to adapt to the rhythm of Chaotic Body Rush.

And then—Kyoichi was on him again.

Twin blades unfolded like the wings of a hawk.

Screee—!

A high-pitched wind whistled as he closed in.

The Raikage tried to dodge, but Kyoichi was enhanced by Ultra Light–Heavy Rock Technique, combined with his own Body Flicker speed. The Raikage simply couldn't keep up.

The twin blades slashed—

The first sliced through the Lightning Armor.

The second struck the same spot, tearing open a bloody wound.

And then—

A third strike!

Kyoichi spat out a blade of ice infused with intense Wind Chakra.

The Raikage shifted just in time to block it—

But—

A kick!

Infused with Chakra Enhanced Strength and Chaotic Body Rush.

He was sent flying once more. Frantically, he gathered chakra to use Lightning Release to stabilize himself, but—his body coordination was scrambled again.

No…

More precisely—it was that damn kid who helped his body recover—

So when he tried to operate it like before…

It threw him off again.

The Raikage panicked. If this continued, it would be over soon.

But glancing into the distance, he saw it—

The majority of the Kumo-nin had already broken through the defense lines. The rest were retreating under Killer B's cover.

Even though Iwagakure still had a third line of defense, there were already Kumo reinforcements behind it.

They were safe now.

The Raikage grinned—

And then—

BOOM!

Black lightning exploded beneath his feet, using the surge to counter Kyoichi's momentum. The dark lightning burst outward, forcing both Kyoichi and Minato back.

But just then—

Onoki's Dust Release came from a cunning angle.

The Raikage had used a lightning boost to accelerate, but he wasn't as skilled in aerial combat. Onoki, a master of the skies, had calculated his trajectory perfectly.

Despite the unpredictability, the Dust Release still landed a partial hit.

One of the Raikage's arms was disintegrated.

And yet—

He grew more frenzied, surrounding himself with a sphere of black lightning, a deadly domain neither Kyoichi nor Minato dared to approach.

Then he charged—

Straight into the ranks of the Iwa shinobi.

A moving storm of black lightning—

A death tempest—

Devouring all enemies in its path.

And worse—

He was carving a path straight back toward the main Kumo forces.

"Stop him!"

Onoki was panicked.

They'd already lost too many. If the Third Raikage escaped, it wouldn't just be a tactical loss—when the Kumo retaliated later, how would he defend?

The Iwa shinobi launched jutsu in waves.

Earth Pillars. Earth Prison. Tectonic Fissures—

Anything to slow the Raikage for even a moment. Onoki and the others were desperate, willing to pay any price to kill the Third Raikage.

Kyoichi didn't pursue.

He knew—the Third Raikage wasn't going to survive.

This wasn't the Edo Tensei version. His chakra had limits.

And Lightning Release Armor, the One-Handed Thrust, and Black Lightning were all massive chakra drains.

Even a Kage-level shinobi didn't have infinite reserves.

He was burning through his life.

"A worthy opponent," Kyoichi murmured.

"Waging war comes with a price. Konoha isn't afraid of conflict, but neither can we blindly forgive invaders. And honestly, we've already given enough face. If we'd used sealing techniques…"

He trailed off and shook his head slightly.

They hadn't used any sealing jutsu.

Because if they had—

No matter how powerful the Raikage was, a combination of Samehada, Wind-Style Sword Techniques, and Ice Release could've cracked the Lightning Armor. Then Minato could've sealed him.

Four Symbols Sealing was complex and time-consuming, maybe too long for the battle. But simpler ones—Evil Sealing Method, Five Elements Seal—could activate almost instantly.

Even the slightest interference in a Kage-level battle could be fatal. The Third Raikage would've lost much sooner.

So yes—Kyoichi had held back.

---

"Raikage-sama!"

Killer B saw the Raikage cutting a swath through Iwa shinobi and rushed forward to support him—only to see the Raikage turn back and charge back into the Iwa ranks.

The shinobi who'd been surrounding B now scattered to stop the Raikage.

"Fool. His chakra now comes from his life. Even if you save him, he'll be on the verge of death…"

A deep voice echoed in Killer B's mind.

"The power I gave you isn't invincible. Be rational. What matters now… is survival."

The Eight-Tails respected the Third Raikage—he was one of the few who had ever bested him in direct combat. And now, his actions were worthy of that respect.

But—

There was no saving him now.

If B ran in, he'd just die too.

As much as the Eight-Tails hated being sealed inside a human, it had to admit—this Jinchūriki was one of the few it could actually talk to.

It didn't want to die just yet.

Even if it could revive later…

It would take time. And who knew if it wouldn't get captured again?

Times had changed.

The shinobi world was full of powerful enemies now. The Sage of Six Paths was gone—

Why gamble on an uncertain future when it might be worth trying to live in peace with this idiot?

Killer B had no idea what the Eight-Tails was thinking.

He hesitated—

But when he saw the Raikage doubling back, clearly trying to give him an escape window, he understood.

The Raikage didn't want him to stay and die.

"If you can't make a decision… then let me decide for you."

The Eight-Tails chuckled coldly.

Then its power surged.

Killer B, now fully transformed, bolted toward the Land of Lightning. He didn't look back.

The black lightning still raged.

But—

The Third Raikage's chakra had weakened. His speed had dropped noticeably. Still, none of the nearby Iwa shinobi could stand against him.

Eventually—

Even the Earth-Style Stone Walls proved too tough. He could no longer break through. Layer after layer of earth and stone entombed him.

From within, only the dull thuds of crumbling rock could be heard.

No one relaxed.

Not until the sound finally stopped. Only then did Onoki give the order to dispel the jutsu.

Inside—

The Third Raikage had collapsed.

The black lightning could no longer flicker.

"Even a warrior as mighty as the Third Raikage… could not escape death."

Orochimaru murmured quietly.

He and the others had followed, prepared to intervene. But now—it was clear they wouldn't be needed.

"If not for Kyoichi and Minato, the Third Raikage might still be alive."

Jiraiya paused, then added,

"The Kumo have always been aggressive. If the Third Raikage had survived, within five years we'd be at war with them again. By then, his son would be even stronger."

"You think I care how he was killed?"

"Of course not," Jiraiya replied. "I'm just convincing myself. When you start a war… you can't complain about dying."

He rose silently—

And walked away.

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