The smoke and dust were forcibly blown away by a violent surge of Chakra.
There was no bloody scene of a head flying off as one might have expected.
Aokawa still stood in place, his feet sunken more than half a foot into the ground, with that Spirit Blade emitting a faint blue light hanging casually at his side.
The Fourth Raikage's hand-blade, powerful enough to split mountain rocks, had only managed to shatter the fabric of Aokawa's collar.
On that fair skin, deep blue vascular patterns throbbed at a high frequency like living tree roots, emitting a metallic luster harder than steel.
Blut Vene.
As long as the spirit particles concentration is sufficient, this is not mere flesh, but the strongest shield.
"He... blocked it?"
In the distance, the Kunai in Hyuga Yamato's hand dropped to the ground with a crisp clang.
He stared fixedly at the eerie blue patterns on Aokawa's neck.
This is the body of the Hyuga Clan?
This is a completely different thing from the Gentle Fist he had practiced for twenty years!
Gentle Fist emphasizes overcoming hardness with softness, evasion, and the Pressure Point Technique.
No one had ever told him that a member of the Hyuga Clan could stand still and use their neck to take a finishing move from those Lightning Release barbarians of Kumogakure!
"No... this isn't a simple hardening technique," Hyuga Yamato discovered something.
In the vision of his Byakugan, the energy within Aokawa was being compressed at high density on the surface of his skin in an incredible way.
"This is integrating Chakra into blood and bones; this is an atavism of the Bloodline Limit... or an evolution!"
The doubt in his eyes vanished, replaced by a near-fanatical worship.
To hell with the Return to Heaven.
This kind of head-on absolute defense is what a man should practice!
In the center of the Battlefield.
Fourth Raikage A maintained his chopping posture, the veins on his temples throbbing.
The counter-shock force from his palm just now made his knuckles ache slightly.
The sensation was wrong.
It didn't feel like cutting a person, but more like slashing a piece of deep-sea sunken iron infused with Chakra.
"Is this where your confidence comes from, kid?" A low, beast-like growl came from A's throat.
He refused to believe it.
There is no flesh in the Ninja World that cannot be cut; if there is, it's because the strength and speed are insufficient!
Zzt!
A more dazzling lightning burst instantly, A's head of spiky blond hair stood on end, and he vanished from the spot like he had teleported.
In the next second, countless golden afterimages surrounded Aokawa.
"Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop!"
This was no longer a single heavy blow, but ultra-high-frequency continuous hand-blades generated by extreme speed.
The air was filled with the screeching sound of tearing silk.
Clang clang clang clang clang—!
The dense impact sounds were like heavy rain hitting banana leaves, or the most frantic hammering in a blacksmith shop.
Sparks flew in all directions!
Aokawa stood in the center of the storm, his expression still cold.
His movements were not fast, appearing somewhat "sluggish" in the face of the Raikage's super speed.
But every time he swung the Spirit Blade in his right hand or raised his left arm to parry, he precisely intercepted the Raikage's attack path.
When defending, Blut Vene tanked the damage.
When counterattacking, Blut Vene provided powerful output.
Slash!
The long Spirit Blade in Aokawa's hand sliced through the air, carving a gash in the Raikage's chest, which was covered in Lightning Release Armor, at an extremely tricky angle.
A grunted and retreated violently.
But he had no time to catch his breath.
The Spirit Blade in Aokawa's hand immediately transformed into a Spirit Bow, with red flames instantly crawling over the bow's body.
"Piano Random Key!"
In an instant, the bow body emitted an intense red light, and countless arrows shot toward Fourth Raikage A in an overwhelming deluge.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Before Fourth Raikage A could stabilize his body, the shockwaves of the explosions had already erupted in front of him.
A was sent flying by this immense force, only managing to stop after his feet plowed two deep furrows into the ground.
The next moment!
Those red arrows followed him like shadows, shooting toward him again.
He gritted his teeth, his Lightning Release Chakra glowing brightly as he left his spot, constantly changing positions to dodge those damn red arrows.
While fleeing, he quickly glanced down at his chest.
There was a shallow bloody gash there, seeping blood.
This was the second person, besides that "Yellow Flash," who could wound him.
Not to mention being pushed back in a direct confrontation of strength.
"Big Brother!"
Seeing this, Killer Bee on the other side finally let his face, which always wore a playful grin because of his rapping, sink completely.
The seven Ninja Blades behind him were unsheathed simultaneously as he prepared to rush over to support.
That Hyuga kid is too weird.
That blue defense layer is practically harder than a turtle shell.
However, at the very moment Killer Bee took a step forward.
Swish!
A specially-made three-pronged Kunai soundlessly embedded itself in his path.
A flash of golden light.
Minato Namikaze's figure appeared out of thin air, pressing one hand against the ground as he looked up at Killer Bee, his deep blue eyes devoid of any hint of a smile.
"Eight-Tails Jinchuriki!"
The Rasengan in Minato's hand buzzed loudly, the turbulent airflow blowing his golden hair.
"Your opponent is me!"
The Battlefield was forcibly split into two.
On one side was the Yellow Flash against Killer Bee.
On the other was Aokawa taking on the Fourth Raikage alone.
The Konoha Ninjas were dumbfounded.
They had originally thought Aokawa was just a powerful long-range attacker, who would be harvested like a squishy mage once approached.
But now... was that tough guy who just went toe-to-toe with Fourth Raikage A in the lightning storm, and was now even suppressing him in return, really the usually gentle and refined Aokawa?
"This is way too strong..."
Uchiha Yashiro's hand holding his blade was sweating.
He asked himself if he could withstand the Raikage's offensive; maybe for a short time, but he could never do what Aokawa did, going head-on with his bare flesh.
On the high ground.
A reached out to wipe the blood from his chest and licked it.
The smell of blood stimulated his nerves, making his already irritable eyes completely bloodshot.
Simple physical attacks and Lightning Release Nintaijutsu couldn't break that kid's defense.
The hardness of that blue skin even exceeded that of a Tailed Beast's hide.
And this kid's arrows are truly disgusting.
Damn it, if I get close, I can't pry open his shell; if I move away, I get bombarded by him.
To kill him, I must use even greater power—a one-hit kill to shatter him along with that turtle shell!
A straightened up and looked at Killer Bee nearby, his voice low and raspy:
"Bee!"
"That kid's physical hardness is comparable to a full Tailed Beast; conventional methods are useless!"
"Use that move!"
Hearing his brother's command, Killer Bee's gaze behind his sunglasses sharpened.
He felt it too; if they didn't get serious, the two Kumogakure brothers might actually fail in this unexpected place today.
Gurgle.
A heart-palpitating sound of rolling bubbles came from within Killer Bee.
Dark red Chakra, like boiling lava, began to overflow frantically from the pores of his skin.
That was Tailed Beast Chakra filled with hatred and brutality.
Even a sliver of the overflowing aura made the surrounding air heavy and viscous, making it hard to breathe.
"Yeah... looks like I've got to show these fools what's what."
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