Huh!?
A Shadow Clone!?
Everyone who saw this scene, whether from Konoha or the Village Hidden in the Cloud, froze, their minds unable to process this sudden development.
In the next moment, within the impenetrable dense fog, another change occurred!
"One Hundred Eight Forms: Orochinagi!"
A crisp, cold, youthful voice rang out.
The moment the words sounded, the center of that area suddenly lit up. A blazing, dazzling cone-shaped crimson sword light that was impossible to look at directly appeared abruptly!
This crimson sword light appeared without any warning, so fast it surpassed visual capture, as if it had always existed there and was merely ignited at this instant!
The crimson sword light appeared briefly and then vanished in a flash!
In the next moment, the third Raikage, who had charged into the smoke like a thunder god, was blasted backward at a speed even faster than when he had entered.
And his posture as he was sent flying caused everyone who saw it clearly to shrink their pupils and gasp in shock!
They saw that the Lightning Style Armour he was so proud of, said to be indestructible, had already shattered completely.
At his right chest, there was a fist-sized, charred-edged, fully penetrating bloody hole!
Blood was gushing out continuously from that hideous wound!
...
Time rewinds slightly!
Within the dense fog that no one could see through, facing the ferocious incoming third Raikage, a strange, bronze metallic sheen instantly swept across Isshin's entire body.
It turned out that from the very beginning, the Shinichi Higashino who had charged forward, wielding the Adamantine Nyoi, had always been the clone, Isshin.
As for Shinichi's real body, he had quietly transformed into another Shadow Clone holding the Flowing Cloud Sword while waiting for the right moment.
Clang!
The third Raikage's Thrust of Hell: Two Fingers stabbed straight into Isshin's body, instantly producing a deafening metallic collision!
Isshin's body shook violently. The bronze sheen on his surface flickered intensely, then shattered with a bang, and his entire body was blasted away as if struck head-on by a high-speed train.
This was the first time since obtaining the ability, Bronze Head and Iron Arms, that he had failed to completely defend against an attack and was even directly broken through.
However, the third Raikage did not come out unscathed. A fierce and domineering rebound force exploded from his fingertips, traveling up through his arm bones, causing half of his body to instantly go numb with pain.
The Lightning Style Armour, which had originally been solid and shining brightly, suddenly spread with countless fine cracks like a spiderweb, the lightning flickering chaotically.
His forward momentum, like a thunderbolt, also stalled, creating an extremely brief yet fatal opening.
However, in that split-second moment of rigidity, a resolute will that would advance without hesitation, even against thousands! A killing intent that treated armies as nothing and would not regret once the sword was drawn, instantly locked onto him!
"One Hundred Eight Forms: Orochinagi!"
A flash of sword-like light passed through Shinichi's eyes as he brought his index and middle fingers together like a blade, then the fire nature chakra within his body resonated and fused with the battle intent in his heart that had surged to its peak.
In an instant, Shinichi's entire body emitted a crystalline red glow, and a cone-shaped crimson sword light formed in his fingers.
The sword light was brilliant and dazzling, its crimson glow fierce and deadly!
He charged forward toward the third Raikage, whose body had fallen into momentary stagnation. His entire being merged with the crimson sword light, transforming into a peerless divine sword that cut across the battlefield.
With a resolute momentum, he thrust straight toward the third Raikage's vital left chest, which had momentarily stiffened from the recoil and whose Lightning Style Armour had developed cracks!
Before the crimson sword light even arrived, the extreme sharpness and scorching aura had already caused the third Raikage's skin to sting.
The already cracked Lightning Style Armour let out a wail of unbearable strain under this fire-condensed sword technique, instantly being penetrated and shattered by the sword energy!
Danger!
At the critical moment, the third Raikage's battle instincts saved him.
Enduring the numbness, lightning surged on his left fist as he forcefully struck toward Shinichi's incoming right arm with a hair's breadth of difference.
Crack!
A crisp sound of bone breaking rang out. Shinichi's right arm snapped in response.
However, the crimson sword light that had gathered all his strength and will was only slightly deflected, still fiercely piercing into the third Raikage's right chest!
Puchi!
The sound of flesh being pierced rang out.
However, the crimson sword light, which contained all the power and will, was only slightly deflected and still pierced the third Raikage's right chest!
The third Raikage's massive, mountain-like body was blasted away by this strike containing ultimate penetration force, flying out of the dense fog like a broken sack and crashing heavily to the ground, with a horrifying, bloody hole with the view in back visible on his right.
"Raikage-sama!"
"Raikage-sama!"
The Kumogakure forces were horrified and rushed forward to check his condition.
Among them, the strongest, Toroi, arrived the fastest. He stepped in front of the third Raikage, both hands filled with numerous white laser beams while vigilantly scanning the surroundings.
Meanwhile, on Konoha's side, seeing the third Raikage blasted away, everyone immediately reacted and rushed toward Shinichi.
Minato Namikaze appeared beside Shinichi in an instant. Seeing his twisted and broken right arm and his pale complexion, a grave look flashed in his eyes.
"Shinichi, you…"
"Senior Minato, I'm fine!" Shinichi shook his head, refusing his support.
He stepped forward, his gaze passing over the smoke and wreckage on the battlefield, landing directly on the Kumogakure forces in the distance.
The first thing that caught his eye was the dense cluster of white lasers in Toroi's hands.
Storm Style!
So this guy really is the same as Pakura!
Shinichi narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking to himself.
Toroi, like Pakura, was a guy whose past life was a mix of unofficial and official canons. In the side story, he mastered Storm Style, while in the official canon, he mastered Magnet Style.
At this point, he also demonstrated the same multifaceted abilities as Pakura.
Therefore, the remaining two people from the Village Hidden in the Stones and the Village Hidden in the Mist are probably in the same situation.
The thought flashed through his mind, and Shinichi refocused his gaze on the third Raikage.
"Cough… cough…"
The third Raikage pressed his hand against the hideous, bloody hole in his chest. Blood continued to seep through his fingers, yet he still stood upright, as if the penetrating wound that would instantly kill an ordinary person was nothing more than a scratch.
At the same time, lightning flickered faintly around the wound, seemingly using his powerful physical vitality and lightning-nature chakra to forcibly suppress the injury and seal the blood vessels.
The third Raikage, the man known as the strongest shield, the man who had fought countless battles in his life without ever being injured.
But today, Shinichi had broken his strongest shield and made him bleed.
Seeing this, Shinichi felt a trace of regret that he had failed to hit the heart.
He knew how powerful the third Raikage's body was, even without the Lightning Style Armour. In the original timeline, even in a reanimated state without the Lightning Style Armour, he had withstood Temari's Wind Style attack, enhanced by a three-star fan and assisted by two Jonin, suffering only superficial damage.