The Raikage shot toward Isobu like a black bolt of lightning.
That's right, his target wasn't the seemingly more ferocious Kyokotsu, but Isobu.
With a loud shout, he drove the point of his elbow straight into Isobu.
BOOM!
A dull yet deafening impact exploded across the battlefield as the blow landed squarely on Isobu's shell.
That shell, which had always seemed incomparably tough, suddenly looked fragile before such overwhelming lightning-powered force.
Fine cracks instantly spread across its surface like a giant spiderweb.
After taking the heavy blow, Isobu let out a sorrowful, miserable howl.
Its massive body was sent flying, tracing a long arc through the air before crashing heavily onto the ground and throwing up a cloud of dust.
Seeing Isobu badly injured by the Raikage, Kyokotsu pushed off the ground with force, leaving several deep footprints as he charged at the Raikage again like an arrow released from a bow.
The Raikage roared as Kyokotsu came at him. Chakra surged through his body once more, and his muscles swelled even further.
Without the slightest hesitation, he charged forward and met Kyokotsu's fist with one of his own.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A series of thunderous explosions echoed across the battlefield.
Every punch landed solidly. Each collision seemed capable of shaking the air itself.
The tremendous impact sent cracks spreading across the surrounding ground.
With every heavy blow, the two fought head-on, neither willing to give an inch.
The Raikage was shocked.
As the pinnacle of high-speed taijutsu, he had dominated the ninja world for years.
With his unmatched taijutsu, he had defeated countless powerful opponents.
He couldn't even remember how many years it had been since he'd encountered someone who could match him so evenly in hand-to-hand combat.
Those who could keep up with his speed couldn't withstand his punches.
Those who could withstand his punches couldn't keep up with his speed.
His physical defense had reached an almost monstrous level.
Even the famed Rengoku from five years ago had only managed to force him onto the defensive by relying on Susanoo's massive, sturdy body as a shield and the black flames of Amaterasu that could burn anything.
Yet now, the Hidden Mist had suddenly produced a mysterious taijutsu master.
Not only could he easily keep up with the Raikage's lightning-fast speed, but his defense was just as extraordinary.
Every time the Raikage swung one of his devastating punches at Kyokotsu, it felt as though he were striking an invisible steel wall.
Kyokotsu's body seemed wrapped in an impenetrable suit of armor, capable of taking the full force of every collision with the Raikage's fists.
The Raikage's punches were incredibly powerful, yet when they landed on Kyokotsu, they seemed to vanish without accomplishing anything.
By now, the Raikage could already feel a dull ache in both hands from the repeated clashes.
He couldn't help but marvel that the Hidden Mist had been hiding someone this formidable.
Kyokotsu's attacks were just as fierce. He knew exactly what kind of opponent he was facing.
After both jinchuriki had taken a hit from the other side, they had both reverted from complete Tailed Beast Transformation.
The center of the battlefield had been completely taken over by Kyokotsu and the Raikage.
The violent force of their battle made it impossible for anyone else to approach.
The Raikage's fists were as fast as meteors streaking across the night sky, too quick for the eye to follow.
Although Kyokotsu didn't have the chance to draw out his bones to fight the Raikage, he was still able to match him evenly.
He still wasn't familiar with the various dance techniques Kimimaro possessed.
But the layers of bone membrane constantly regenerating throughout his body formed an almost indestructible armor, making his body unbelievably tough.
With the Fifth Gate of the Eight Gates providing its tremendous boost, Kyokotsu fought the Raikage in a relentless exchange of blows like an enraged beast.
Their fighting styles were exceptionally wild, as though the entire world were shaken by their momentum.
The surrounding air howled under the violent waves of energy.
Trees that had once stood tall snapped in half like fragile toothpicks under the aftershocks of their battle.
Even solid boulders shattered into countless fragments as though struck by the strength of giants.
In the middle of the fierce fight, the Raikage suddenly flipped into the air, frantically concentrating Lightning Release chakra into his leg.
His leg shone with dazzling lightning, as though an enraged thunder dragon were coiling around it.
Then, like a fierce eagle, the Raikage brought his leg crashing down toward Kyokotsu.
Kyokotsu naturally wasn't going to sit there and take it.
He immediately sensed the Raikage's intention.
Before the attack had fully committed, he spun and threw a side kick.
His leg carved a sharp, graceful arc through the air, carrying unstoppable momentum as it slammed toward the Raikage's leg.
BOOM!
A heavy, earth-shaking blast exploded through the air.
Their legs collided head-on, and a powerful gale erupted from the point of impact, sweeping outward in every direction.
Neither the Raikage nor Kyokotsu could completely withstand the force.
Like kites with their strings cut, both were hurled backward.
While still in the air, they struggled to regain their balance.
In the end, they crashed heavily onto the ground, sending up great clouds of dust.
By this point in the battle, both the Raikage and Kyokotsu were thoroughly exhausted.
Large beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads.
Kyokotsu could feel his stamina draining rapidly.
He couldn't even maintain the bone spears created by the Dance of the Clematis anymore.
The razor-sharp bone spears crumbled and disappeared one after another as his chakra supply became insufficient.
"Hah..."
"Hah..."
Heavy breathing echoed through the damp, moisture-filled air.
The Raikage's chest rose and fell violently. Large drops of sweat slid down his face and splashed onto the ground. It was obvious that the fierce battle had pushed him to his limits.
Kyokotsu was breathing just as heavily, but his exhaustion wasn't caused by overexerting his stamina.
Using the forbidden technique, the Eight Gates, required an enormous amount of vitality and blood essence.
His own body simply couldn't provide that much, so he had to rely on Rengoku's original body, which transmitted vitality and blood essence to him through an eye technique.
However, the rate at which Rengoku could transfer vitality was ultimately limited, only enough to support Kyokotsu opening the Fifth Gate.
During his taijutsu battle with the Raikage, every clash of fists and feet and every movement consumed that supply at an incredible rate.
Now he was starting to reach his limit, and no matter how hard he breathed, he couldn't recover fast enough.
[🙇🏻 You Can Support the Story Through P@tr3on—AmbitiousTranslator. It also has 40+ Chapters of all the novels and fanfics. Thanks for reading~]