Boom!
A sudden whistling sound tore through the air. Saitama's expression instantly shifted, yet his movements remained perfectly composed.
He glanced up and caught sight of a shadowy figure suspended in the sky—a translucent barrier-like jutsu, laced with white light, hurtling straight toward him.
There was no need to overthink; he already knew who it was. An alarm bell rang in his mind, warning him not to continue his final strike against the Raikage.
Swoosh!
With a flick of his arm, the [Chidori Light Sword] in his hand shot toward the kneeling Raikage.
However, Dust Release moved at incredible speed. Before Saitama's technique could reach its target, it was intercepted and completely erased by the impact of the Dust Release.
Tap tap tap.
Immediately after releasing his jutsu, Saitama used the recoil to rapidly create distance, choosing not to confront Onoki's Dust Release head-on.
Zzzzt! Zzzzt! Zzzzt!
But clearly, Onoki had no intention of letting Saitama off so easily. The Dust Release first struck several meters in front of the Raikage at an angle, then relentlessly chased after the retreating Saitama.
Rumble...
The power of the Dust Release truly lived up to its Kekkei Tota reputation—it met no resistance whatsoever. A long trench was blasted open, stretching all the way to Saitama's feet.
"Raikage!"
Onoki didn't land on the ground. Instead, he hovered a few meters above where the Raikage lay. Saitama's speed and that eerie Space-Time Ninjutsu gave him absolutely no sense of security standing on solid ground, so he chose the most advantageous terrain for himself—the sky.
Looking down slightly at the Raikage, who weakly lifted his head toward him, Onoki's face turned deeply grim.
The Raikage's injuries were already fatal, especially the piercing wound across his chest, exposing his internal organs to the air.
Earlier, from above, he hadn't noticed much, but now, as he drew closer, the Raikage's weakening breath was painfully obvious.
"Heheh..."
Needless to say, the Raikage was truly a warrior at heart. Despite such severe injuries, he still hadn't drawn his last breath.
Saitama even considered that if an S-class medic ninja like Tsunade arrived immediately and administered emergency care, there might still be a chance to save the Raikage.
Of course, this was just a fleeting thought. Such injuries couldn't simply be healed with ordinary medical treatment.
And naturally, he wouldn't allow something like that to happen.
Now that he'd set his sights on the Raikage once more, he had to give it his all—to make absolutely sure the Raikage wouldn't get back up.
Previously, before launching his attack, Saitama hadn't expected to achieve this level of success. But now that he'd come this far, he must continue improving the situation until there was no room for regret.
Even if the old Tsuchikage arrived, things wouldn't change in the slightest!
A deeper realization struck him instantly. Fixing his eyes on Onoki, Saitama's right foot, half a step behind, gently rose onto its tip, barely touching the ground. Under the influence of his chakra, the foot slowly sank into the soil.
"It's... the Tsuchikage. Didn't expect you to show up!"
Raikage forced himself to steady his breath. The wounds on his body had stopped bleeding heavily, and his face was extremely pale.
The entire area around him was soaked in blood, slowly soaking into the earth and darkening it into a deep purple shade.
"Sorry I'm late!"
Onoki looked at Raikage, his longtime rival from another Hidden Village, kneeling weakly before him. Yet instead of feeling any satisfaction, he felt cold all over, shrouded by an indescribable chill.
Today was Raikage; tomorrow it would be him—the Tsuchikage—or another Kage. The threat posed by the Akatsuki Organization was far greater than anyone had imagined!
"Watch out!"
Raikage adjusted his breathing and raised his head to speak, when suddenly he saw Saitama leave his spot and shoot straight toward them.
He quickly shouted a warning, eyes wide with alarm, afraid that Onoki might get seriously hurt due to a moment of carelessness.
Whoosh!
Even without Raikage's warning, Onoki had already risen into the air a second earlier, increasing the distance and giving Saitama no opportunity.
Although he was speaking to Raikage, he had merely been watching him with his peripheral vision, while most of his attention remained fixed on Saitama across from him.
BOOM...
Raikage barely dodged Saitama's attack—only realizing at the last second that he had been the target all along!
"Ugh..."
Raikage let out a cry of pain.
A single hand clamped tightly around his throat, yanking him away from his original position in an instant and slamming him forcefully against a rocky wall more than ten meters behind.
His tall frame was deeply embedded into the rock, and countless cracks spread outward from the center like spiderwebs.
"What... He wasn't aiming for me... Damn it!"
It was only after ascending that Onoki realized Saitama hadn't targeted him but had deliberately gone for Raikage—who was now helpless to resist.
Changing direction mid-air, Onoki glared at Saitama, who had Raikage pinned against the rocks, still undecided about whether to strike again now.
If he used Dust Release again from this angle, there was no doubt it would hit Raikage. A direct hit from Dust Release would mean certain death for the Raikage—not just death, but complete erasure.
This made it difficult for Onoki to strike.
And Saitama, who appeared to be in excellent condition, wouldn't be hit so easily anyway.
"Heh... heh..."
Raikage stared at Saitama's face, letting out ragged gurgles, but could not form a single coherent word. His arms tried to lift repeatedly, yet his weakness prevented even such a simple movement.
"Take one last look at this world!"
Saitama increased the pressure on his grip, and the white Chidori Current began flowing from his body onto his arms, spreading across Raikage's body.
Crackle-pop!
At that moment, Raikage's body twitched involuntarily. His gaze shifted past Saitama's figure toward the distant horizon.
Kumogakure lay in that direction—but he could never return now.
'What a disgrace! The honored Raikage, dying like this.'
This thought briefly flashed through his mind, followed by the smell of burning coming from his own throat.
His breathing had already been labored, and now his airway was directly damaged. In the end, even the chance to breathe disappeared entirely. The heavy sensation caused by oxygen deprivation in his brain intertwined with the intense pain throughout his body, gradually consuming him completely.
The world in his eyes slowly faded into darkness...
Boom!
Saitama grabbed the Raikage, first pulling him outward a short distance before slamming him straight toward a rocky outcrop.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The rocks shattered into countless fragments, scattering in all directions, while the Raikage's body continued flying backward until sliding across the ground and crashing into a stone pillar that finally stopped his momentum.
He let his head loll to one side, blood slowly dripping from his eyes and nose.
"Haaa!"
After finishing that, Saitama didn't pause. Instead, he immediately launched himself off the ground, bouncing rapidly across the terrain several times before landing atop a nearby stone pillar.
And the moment he left, a short figure swiftly rushed forward into the spot where he once stood. A fist wrapped in rock smashed heavily onto the ground, shattering nearly ten meters of surrounding earth before collapsing a few meters deep into the underground.
Whoosh!
Failing to hit his target, Onoki quickly withdrew again, rising higher into the air to glare at the dodging Saitama, his expression extremely grim.
While Saitama delivered that final attack on the Raikage, Onoki had dived down from the sky attempting an ambush, but even such a surprise attack had no effect, easily evaded by Saitama and ending up missing completely.
"That was too close. One more inch and I'd have been toast..."
Saitama looked toward Onoki, his tone somewhat regretful-sounding, yet clearly mocking.
Onoki said nothing, remaining silent with that same expression. He understood full well that Saitama was trying to provoke him. But tricks like that were far too shallow for someone like him—someone who had spent his entire life as a ninja, serving as the Tsuchikage, the leader of Iwagakure.
Meanwhile, the Raikage—who had crashed into that stone pillar—made no further movements. His body slowly slumped to the ground under its own weight.
His eyes remained open, staring off into the distance, yet they held absolutely no vitality within them. His pupils had become extremely unfocused.
And the wound on his chest, directly over his heart, had nearly stopped bleeding. Around it formed a layer of dark, coagulated blood crust, appearing just like a fresh scar.
Clearly, the Raikage was dead—a fact beyond dispute.
"How frustrating!"
Onoki felt tremendous anger over Saitama's ruthless act that had taken away the Raikage's last hope, though there was nothing he could do about it.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Finally arriving from the distance, Deidara appeared. The Clay Bird circled alongside Onoki.
"Hmph!"
As soon as he arrived, Deidara noticed the two completely lifeless bodies lying nearby—one belonging to the Raikage, the other to his guard.
Has this rogue ninja, Saitama Uchiha, truly become this overwhelmingly powerful?
Even the Raikage couldn't win against him and now lay motionless here?
After making sure he wasn't trapped in any Genjutsu, Deidara cautiously edged closer to Onoki, seeking comfort through proximity.
"Hey old man," he whispered in a lowered voice, asking his mentor, "What should we do now?"
It's already too late. We arrived one step too slow!
Onoki heaved a sigh, fixing his gaze on Saitama while stealing glances at Raikage from the corner of his eye.
Even now, he still felt somewhat unreal—could the mighty Raikage really have fallen just like that?
The two had battled fiercely both openly and behind the scenes for years without ever claiming true victory over each other. Yet here he was, lying motionless beside them, reduced to nothing more than a corpse.
This naturally made Onoki even more cautious of Saitama without realizing it.
"Get ready to pull back! He's out of our league. Without someone to keep up with him, even I can't guarantee victory!"
Onoki glanced briefly at his student before speaking. His Dust Release was like an anti-air cannon, and Saitama was as small and fast as a mosquito in the sky. In such a matchup, if there wasn't someone to restrain the latter, he stood no chance of winning.
So right now, he was deeply wary of Saitama and no longer wanted to stay and continue fighting.
Hmph!
Saitama looked up at the two figures floating midair and slowly bent his legs, tightly gripping his shoes with all ten toes.
Arcs of electricity sparked along his thighs, producing a zapping sound that sent tingles through his muscles.
Pah! Whoosh!
Saitama glanced at Onoki and the others, suddenly leaping upward, instantly leaving behind the pillar of stone he stood upon and shooting straight into the air.
The dozen-meter-high rock pillar served as the perfect springboard, allowing him to close the distance between himself and his opponents.
"Hm?"
Onoki appeared puzzled. Both he and Deidara were currently positioned high in the sky—at least far beyond reach for ordinary ninjas. Though Saitama's jump surpassed those of regular ninja, he still fell short by about ten meters. What then was the point of this action?
Furthermore, once airborne, Saitama would become an easy target for someone like himself with Dust Release. It would be much easier to hit him than when he was grounded!
Therefore, this seemingly reckless act of putting himself in danger without gaining any tangible benefit truly baffled Onoki.
But that didn't stop him from unleashing his ninjutsu at Saitama!
"Watch yourself! And better back off a bit!"
After giving instructions to his student, Onoki gently moved his feet and, under the effect of his technique, floated forward slightly. This new angle made his attack much more comfortable to execute.
[Dust Release - Original Severing Technique!]
With hands clasped together, a transparent cubic barrier formed between his palms. Then, moving his hands deftly, he aimed his Dust Release down at Saitama below.
Boom...
The transparent barrier immediately unleashed immense power, firing a beam of white light downward toward Saitama.
"Here we go!"
Saitama glared with his Sharingan, the tomoe within slowly spinning and faintly glowing.
Facing Onoki's Dust Release attack, he did not panic. He stretched both arms straight outward from his sides, and powerful Chidori Current erupted forth from his fingertips, churning violently through the air.
Swish!
Suddenly twisting his body, Saitama completed a sharp turn midair, veering away from his previous trajectory.
Zip! Zip!
The Dust Release barely grazed past Saitama's body, missing him by only a hair's breadth and failing to inflict the slightest injury.
Ducking Onoki's Dust Release attack, Saitama smoothly drew the weapon at his waist with his left hand and hurled it straight toward Deidara behind Onoki.
At the same time, he formed the Chidori Sharp Spear in his other hand and threw that as well—this one aimed directly at Onoki.
Since his Ninja Sword was wrapped heavily in Chidori Current, it looked nearly identical to the Chidori Sharp Spear, so Onoki didn't pay it special attention. Besides, he had full confidence in his student, believing firmly that Deidara could easily handle a simple technique fired from below into the sky.
Swoosh!
Onoki skillfully dodged Saitama's thrown technique midair. Then, forming hand seals once again, he prepared to unleash another Dust Release.
Even though it missed before, that wouldn't stop him from continuing to attack.
"Hehe."
Watching his weapon fly toward Deidara, Saitama noticed that although its speed had slowed significantly under various forces, it had already reached within just a few meters beneath Deidara.
"Huh?"
Seeing the direction of Saitama's gaze, Onoki suddenly sensed something wrong, immediately alarmed and quickly turned his head toward Deidara's position.
Sure enough, after continuous depletion, the Chidori Current was no longer sufficient to fully conceal the blade inside. At a single glance, he spotted the hidden sword.
In an instant, multiple thoughts flashed through Onoki's mind. He realized he had figured out Saitama's plan.
Shock appeared on his face.
Whoosh!
Deidara had always been on high alert around Saitama. Although this technique didn't seem strong enough to cause serious harm, he still chose the safest move—gaining altitude.
"Still just a bit short!"
Focusing intently on his weapon, Saitama saw it losing all momentum and starting to fall. Without hesitation, he acted.
[Flying Thunder God Technique!]
He had placed his mark the moment he touched the weapon. So now, the very instant he activated the technique, he appeared just a few meters directly beneath Deidara.
That distance was no longer safe!
It was close enough for him to launch a series of attacks on Deidara—even potentially eliminate him! Facing both Onoki and Deidara, naturally his priority was to take down the weaker opponent first, build some momentum, then decide whether to stay or retreat based on the situation.
Shoo!
Saitama, whose jumping figure had already started descending, suddenly vanished from Onoki's sight.
When he reappeared, he was right beneath Deidara's mount.
"Deidara!"
Shouting loudly, Onoki swiftly clasped his hands together and pointed them in that direction, the blinding white glow of Dust Release beginning to flicker.
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