Before Tsunade could answer.
Boom!
Seiryū opened the Seventh Gate of the Eight Inner Gates, the Gate of Wonder. Blue and purple Chakra cloaks intertwined around his body.
Facing the charging Third Raikage, he threw a heavy punch.
"Monstrous Strength: Ikkotsu!"
The force of the punch shook the air and compressed it into a pillar that blasted forward!
Swish!
Facing the incoming attack, the Third Raikage did not retreat. Instead, he extended his index finger and thrust it forward.
It was like a spear capable of piercing through everything, tearing apart the air and sending broken currents sweeping outward.
"Hell Stab: One-Finger Nukite!"
The Third Raikage continued his charge, ripping through the air as he aimed straight at Seiryū.
Although it was only a single finger thrust, it felt like an indestructible blade capable of piercing steel!
Clatter!
Golden Chains extended and wrapped around the charging Third Raikage.
However, they could not stop him. Even the Golden Chains were pierced and torn apart!
"Compressed Rasengan!"
A sharp light flashed in Seiryū's eyes.
The purple Rasengan in his hand compressed further and further.
The outer shell maintained its shape while the power within continued to intensify!
He thrust it forward and collided head-on with the Third Raikage's attack!
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!
The two attacks collided, but instead of an explosion, only a series of harsh screeching sounds rang out.
One was the strongest spear, capable of piercing steel.
The other was a highly compressed Rasengan rotating at extreme speed.
Both attacks possessed enough power to tear through steel.
When they collided, vast shockwaves erupted as the two forces clashed and wore each other down.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!
The two powerful techniques continued to grind against one another, gradually canceling each other out.
Then, at the final moment.
Boom!
Their remaining power erupted all at once!
Violent waves of air exploded outward, sweeping over the two fighters at the center.
Such a shockwave would have forced an ordinary Kage-level shinobi to retreat.
But one of them had overloaded the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, while the other had layered two enhanced states together.
Their strength had already surpassed that of ordinary Kage-level shinobi!
Enduring the shockwaves that swept across the battlefield, the two launched another attack almost simultaneously.
"Hahaha! Not bad! Keep going!"
"Hmph!"
They stared at each other.
One had eyes filled with killing intent.
The other was brimming with excitement and fighting spirit.
Then they moved at the same time!
Their fists slammed forward!
Boom! Boom!
This time, their fists did not collide.
Instead, they struck each other's bodies.
Two thunderous impacts rang out, and both were sent flying in opposite directions.
Sizzle!
Their feet scraped across the ground as they dispersed the force.
The distance they retreated was nearly the same.
The exchange had ended in a draw!
"Kaidō!"
Seiryū felt as though his left shoulder blade had nearly been crushed, so he immediately cast a healing technique on himself.
After opening the Seventh Gate, the Gate of Wonder, his body entered a highly stimulated state.
He could no longer feel pain.
He used Kaidō to make sure the injury would not leave any lasting damage.
"Even his Medical Ninjutsu is this powerful."
The Third Raikage was protected by Lightning Release Armor.
Although Seiryū's punch possessed penetrating force, the Third Raikage's body was naturally powerful.
After taking the blow head-on, he had suffered only minor injuries.
However, seeing Seiryū immediately heal himself made the vigilance in the Third Raikage's eyes deepen.
His opponent possessed exceptional regenerative ability.
Meanwhile, the Third Raikage could not maintain his overloaded Lightning Release Chakra Mode for long.
He needed to end the battle quickly!
Realizing this, the Third Raikage stomped his right foot into the ground and shot forward like a bolt of lightning!
"Isn't that normal? I'm a Medical-nin. What kind of Medical-nin would I be if I couldn't use Medical Ninjutsu?"
Seiryū laughed loudly, the fighting spirit in his eyes growing even stronger.
"Creation Rebirth: Strength of a Hundred Technique!"
He used Dragon Vein Chakra to activate the technique Tsunade had developed, while continuing to maintain Kaidō at the same time.
As long as his Chakra did not run out, Seiryū was practically an immortal, tireless monster!
At that moment, he was also close to using his full strength.
The Third Raikage's overloaded state made even Seiryū wary.
No wonder he had fought ten thousand Iwa shinobi in the original story until he died from exhaustion.
He had not been killed directly.
That alone showed how terrifying the Third Raikage truly was!
Boom!
They collided head-on once again, and this exchange was even more violent than the last.
With their bodies at the center, the earth cracked and shattered while waves of air rolled through the surroundings!
Boom! Boom, boom, boom!
The two entered a furious Taijutsu exchange.
They attacked and countered without pause, trading fierce blows one after another.
Every collision shook the earth and sent the ground rolling.
It was like two ancient beasts tearing into each other.
"Damn brat!"
Watching the battle, which was so fast that even she struggled to follow it, Tsunade could not help cursing inwardly.
Even this kid was treating her like that now.
Did he really think that just because he was stronger than her, he could order her around?
He was becoming more and more presumptuous!
However, the two fighters were simply too fast.
If she interfered, she might only distract Seiryū.
There were still other enemies here.
Running into the Third Raikage had been unexpected.
Their original goal was to wipe out Kumo's forces on this front line.
Tsunade locked her Sage Mode perception onto the remaining Kumo shinobi and flashed toward them.
She formed hand seals.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
A sea of trees surged from the ground and spread toward the enemy forces, beginning a massacre.
Yes.
A massacre.
Wood Release enhanced with Senjutsu Chakra was overwhelming.
Even a Jonin could resist it for only a short time.
None of the opponents Tsunade faced had reached Kage level.
Against them, her power was completely overwhelming.
Boom, boom, boom!
The battle between Seiryū and the Third Raikage continued.
The surrounding area had become a forbidden zone.
It was no longer only a clash of Taijutsu.
Ninjutsu attacks erupted one after another as well.
Black Lightning raged across the battlefield.
Seiryū answered with various Ninjutsu and Sealing Jutsu.
The battle had reached its peak.
The area within several hundred meters had already been reduced to craters and ruins!
Boom!
Black Lightning transformed into a panther and lunged forward, colliding head-on with a thick pillar of lightning.
The collision exploded with a roar.
Lightning scattered, and waves of air surged in every direction!
The Third Raikage took a step back.
Several wounds covered his body, and blood flowed down from them.
However, the longer the battle continued, the more shocked he became.
The unease and vigilance in his heart deepened.
Even his Taijutsu is this powerful. It is not inferior to mine. How did he train to this level?
The Third Raikage would not claim that his Taijutsu was unrivaled.
But he had fought countless battles and feared no opponent.
Yet Seiryū matched him completely.
An eleven or twelve-year-old boy.
How could someone that young possess such refined Taijutsu?
He countered every move and responded with an even fiercer attack.
There were no openings in his defense.
This was not the level of skill a child should possess!
"What? Are you running out of strength?"
Seiryū fought with increasing momentum, light flickering in his eyes.
His clothes had been torn in several places, but there were no injuries visible on his body.
With two powerful healing techniques layered together, his recovery ability was comparable to High-Speed Regeneration.
It was similar to the regeneration possessed by Six Paths Madara in the original story.
Of course, the Chakra consumption was also considerable.
Without slowing down, Seiryū charged toward the Third Raikage again.
He swung his arm and threw a straight punch, shaking the air with astonishing force!
The Third Raikage reacted quickly and tilted his head to avoid the punch aimed at his face.
Then he whipped his right leg outward.
The kick exploded through the air and smashed toward Seiryū's waist.
The force behind it was enough to break a person in half!
"Dankū!"
However, the kick struck a translucent barrier formed by Seiryū.
A thunderous impact rang out, followed by the sound of the Dankū barrier cracking!
"Hehehe."
After blocking the attack with an instant Dankū, Seiryū revealed a fierce smile, looking like a battle-crazed madman.
He drove the purple Compressed Rasengan in his hand forward!
The Golden Chains behind him also formed Rasengan and pressed down toward the Third Raikage!
Boom, boom, boom!
The Lightning Release Armor around the Third Raikage danced violently and possessed tremendous defensive power.
He endured the rain of Rasengan head-on, but the explosions still blasted him backward!
Swish!
Seiryū seized that brief opening.
A Heilig Pfeil formed at the tip of another Golden Chain and shot down.
This one was several meters long and infused with explosive Fire Release Chakra.
Boom, boom, boom!
The Heilig Pfeil struck the Third Raikage.
Although it failed to pierce the Lightning Release Armor, it forced him out of the air and smashed him into the ground.
A series of explosions followed.
Its power might not have matched Cero, but it still could not be underestimated!
"Cough, cough."
The explosive shockwaves surged through the Third Raikage's body.
His Lightning Release Armor blocked most of the impact.
Even so, the violent explosion worsened his injuries, and he coughed up blood repeatedly.
Suppressing the severe pain and damage to his body, the Third Raikage's eyes gleamed fiercely.
The lightning around him began flashing even more violently, producing even greater speed.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
A spinning Wind Release: Rasenshuriken cut through the air and descended directly toward him!
Swish!
The Third Raikage moved with astonishing speed.
He bent backward and avoided the spinning blades of the Rasenshuriken.
Without stopping, he closed in on Seiryū while forming hand seals.
"Lightning Release: Black Lightning Web!"
Black Lightning spread into a vast net and covered Seiryū.
However, Seiryū instantly avoided it with the Flying Thunder God Technique and appeared behind the Third Raikage.
"Cero!"
Boom! Boom! Boom, boom!
Each Golden Chain became a cannon barrel.
One after another, Bala shot out, lighter and faster than ordinary Cero.
Dense explosions erupted across the battlefield.
Seiryū fully displayed what it meant to be a human artillery platform.
He could only fight this way because of the Dragon Vein's enormous Chakra reserves.
Even so, this single barrage consumed an amount of Chakra equal to roughly one and a half Kakashis.
Crackle!
At that moment, electricity suddenly erupted beneath Seiryū's feet.
Black Lightning broke through the ground and surged into his body, making him stiffen for an instant.
Boom!
Then the Third Raikage burst out from the explosion caused by the Bala, his eyes overflowing with murderous intent!
"You have some skill. Attacking from underground? I really didn't expect that."
Seiryū had kept his perception focused on the Third Raikage.
However, Sensor-type Ninjutsu could be interfered with.
The same applied to Vollständig: Heavenly Eye.
The Byakugan could not function properly in an area filled with dense Chakra, while even the Sharingan struggled to follow movement at extreme speed.
The special perception of Vollständig: Heavenly Eye also required Seiryū to adjust his focus.
He had failed to notice the attack traveling underground.
The battlefield was also saturated with both fighters' Chakra, further disrupting perception.
That was why he had not detected the Black Lightning beneath him in time.
But Seiryū recovered too quickly.
He regained control of his body before the Third Raikage's Hell Stab could reach him.
He had no intention of dodging.
By this point, the battle had completely ignited Seiryū's blood and fighting spirit.
He had never experienced such an exhilarating fight!
He would meet the attack head-on!
"Monstrous Strength: Ikkotsu!"
Seiryū grinned fiercely.
He threw a punch carrying terrifying force, causing the air to tremble as it smashed toward the Third Raikage!
Boom!
To Seiryū's surprise, the Third Raikage did not dodge.
Instead, he took the punch directly with his body.
Only the Lightning Release Armor around him thickened at the moment of impact.
The penetrating force of the punch struck the Third Raikage's chest, making him grunt as blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
But he did not care.
Instead, he revealed a fierce smile.
"Got you."
Snap!
The Third Raikage's left hand locked around Seiryū's right wrist.
He would not allow Seiryū to use the Flying Thunder God Technique to escape.
Then terrifying Lightning Release Chakra gathered around his right arm.
It transformed into a hand blade and slashed down, intending to split Seiryū in two!
Boom!
Sensing the danger, Seiryū erupted with Chakra and used Monstrous Strength to break free.
But the Third Raikage's grip did not loosen.
Just as the hand blade was about to cleave him in half.
Boom!
Seiryū calmly controlled the nearest Golden Chain and lashed it outward.
The chain carried powerful Monstrous Strength.
It struck the Third Raikage's descending hand blade and shifted its trajectory slightly.
Swish!
The redirected hand blade did not split Seiryū in two.
Instead, it severed the right hand trapped in the Third Raikage's grasp.
Blood immediately poured from the wound.
Seiryū used the momentum to retreat.
He felt no pain, but he watched blood spray from the stump of his forearm and stain the ground red.
"This might be the first time someone has cut off my arm."
Seiryū looked at the severed limb in the Third Raikage's hand and grinned with admiration.
Crackle!
Black Lightning surged.
The Third Raikage burned the severed arm until it was charred.
Then he crushed it in his grip and let the fragments fall to the ground.
The Third Raikage's chest rose and fell, but his eyes remained cold and filled with killing intent.
"With your right arm gone, you no longer have any chance of defeating me."
"That isn't necessarily true."
Seiryū licked his lips.
He formed a seal with his left hand while a Golden Chain extended toward the wound.
"Kaidō!"
As Kaidō took effect, flesh wriggled across the severed surface.
Then bone, meridians, muscle, and skin began regenerating at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"This."
The Third Raikage froze.
Could Medical Ninjutsu really regenerate a severed limb?
The sight was so shocking that he failed to react.
By the time he regained his focus.
Seiryū's arm had already grown back completely.
Only the color of the new skin looked slightly different.
What kind of Medical Ninjutsu was this?
How could it possess such an outrageous effect?
"Didn't I tell you? I'm a Medical-nin."
Seiryū flexed his restored right hand.
It was no different from before.
He grinned and revealed a teasing smile.
"Isn't it normal for a Medical-nin to regenerate a severed limb?"
"Some people can recover after losing half their body. I'm only regrowing an arm. There's no need to look so shocked."
"You really are a monster."
The Third Raikage clenched his fists.
The wariness and gravity in his eyes had reached their peak.
He had already consumed an enormous amount of Chakra by overloading the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
His injuries were also becoming serious.
Although he still had the strength to continue fighting.
If the battle went on, he would die here!
Kumo no longer had anyone capable of carrying the village forward.
If he died, Kumo would become the first great shinobi village to fall in this war.
The other powers would tear it apart.
At that moment, the Third Raikage began considering retreat.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)