Seizing the opportunity, Hibari unleashed the incredibly destructive Liger Bomb! Kinkaku was now completely embedded in the ground, which had shattered into a pile of rubble. His legs dangled limply.
The Liger Bomb itself is a highly lethal taijutsu-ninjutsu hybrid. In the hands of the Fourth Raikage, it reached its peak, and it's said that no one who took that attack ever survived. If not for Sasuke Uchiha blocking it with his Mangekyo Sharingan's Susanoo at the time, it would have been a guaranteed death. Even then, the Susanoo was directly shattered, which goes to show just how immense the power of the Liger Bomb truly is.
Currently, the Liger Bomb Hibari unleashed truly couldn't compare in power to the future Fourth Raikage's, as Hibari hadn't trained these techniques to such a deep level yet.
But the problem was, Kinkaku didn't have Susanoo as an absolute defense. He only had a Tailed Beast Cloak, so he naturally suffered considerable damage.
Fortunately, as one of Kumogakure's top experts, his shinobi qualities were still very high. Although he was slammed into the ground by Hibari, enduring excruciating pain in his chest and back, and spitting out a large mouthful of blood, he still suppressed the intense pain and launched a counterattack immediately.
He was, after all, a high-level expert in Kumogakure. Even if he wasn't qualified to learn the secret techniques exclusive to the Raikage's lineage, he had at least witnessed them in battle. Therefore, he knew very well that if he didn't counterattack immediately, he would be 'dead and gone' after a combo attack.
So, just as Hibari raised his hand to unleash 'Lateral Bolt of Pain: Chop' to give that bastard Kinkaku a 'Hell Burial Hand Blade,' Kinkaku's seemingly lifeless Tailed Beast Cloak suddenly moved. It formed a chakra fist and punched directly at Hibari's chest, pushing Hibari back several steps.
Kinkaku then didn't miss this opportunity. He propped himself up with his hands on the ground, and with a reverse uprooting motion, pulled himself out of the earth. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked at Hibari, who was glowing with the Lightning Release Armor, with an extremely ferocious gaze.
"Who are you? Why do you use that jutsu?" Kinkaku asked fiercely, glaring at Hibari.
At this moment, he strongly suspected that his Raikage-sama had made some unsavory deals with Konohagakure. Otherwise, why would their plan to raid Konohagakure have been discovered? And why was there a masked bastard here, concealing his face, but using a secret technique passed down by the Raikage?
If he hadn't reacted quickly and unleashed his Tailed Beast Cloak to block it, coupled with his inherently strong physique from inheriting some of the Sage of Six Paths' bloodline, allowing him to even eat the Nine-Tails' flesh and survive, that previous 'Liger Bomb' would have been enough to send him to the afterlife.
Hibari, seeing Kinkaku able to counterattack so quickly after taking a 'Liger Bomb,' was also somewhat surprised. This physique was quite impressive. Could it be that he truly lived up to his reputation as a ferocious individual who dared to eat a Tailed Beast alive?
However, he had no intention of wasting words with this guy. He stomped his foot fiercely, directly pulverizing the already shattered ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
At the same time, his figure once again charged towards Kinkaku at an extremely high speed.
Watching this, Kinkaku roared, "Don't underestimate me, you bastard!!!"
Then, his Tailed Beast Cloak erupted again, becoming much denser. He showed no fear or hesitation, charging madly towards Hibari.
"Lightning Release: Lariat!" Hibari roared, bending his arm again, aiming to hook Kinkaku's neck.
Kinkaku showed no signs of apprehension either. The moment Hibari raised his hand, he also raised his.
"Lightning Release: Lariat!" Kinkaku roared back, slamming his arm towards Hibari's.
The Lightning Release: Lariat, while a derivative of taijutsu, actually exists independently. Unlike other techniques, it isn't a true secret technique. Anyone qualified to be part of the Raikage's 'A-B' tag team can learn it and even attempt to combine it with the Raikage to perform the deadly 'Lightning Release: Double Lariat.'
With the mindset of 'nothing to lose by learning,' the Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers also mastered this technique, and they were extremely adept at combined attacks. When they teamed up, they could easily coordinate to use 'Lightning Release: Double Lariat'!
The next moment, Hibari and Kinkaku's arms collided, and a powerful shockwave directly erupted between them.
Hibari felt an intense pain shoot through his arm, as if it were about to break. However, seeing the monstrous expression on Kinkaku's face, whose mask had been knocked off earlier, he knew that he wasn't the only one feeling the pain!
"Lateral Bolt of Pain!" Hibari, seeing this, didn't back down at all. He raised his other hand and chopped it down towards Kinkaku's head.
Kinkaku's reaction speed was also very fast. He instantly opened his mouth, then used his free hand to pull out a strangely shaped blade from his mouth, precisely blocking it above his head.
The next second, Hibari's Lateral Bolt of Pain hand blade struck Kinkaku's blade. Normally, a blade would instantly break when struck by Hibari's attack, but this particular blade remained undamaged.
"Shichiseiken!" Hibari recognized the weapon at a glance.
However, without the Kōkinjō to assist it, the Shichiseiken didn't have much effect, so Hibari remained calm.
Just as Hibari and Kinkaku were in a stalemate, Kagami seized the opportunity. His short blade, carrying a sharp aura, appeared behind Kinkaku with a Body Flicker Technique. He thrust the blade into Kinkaku's back, aiming to kill him without any intention of holding back.
Although the Tailed Beast Cloak could withstand some damage and rapidly heal injuries, it wasn't an absolute defense. Otherwise, Kinkaku would have already been invincible.
Kagami's strength was already very high, and no matter what, his strike wasn't something the Tailed Beast Cloak could entirely block.
Kinkaku was well aware of this. Therefore, at this critical moment, he gritted his teeth and decided to gamble with an injury.
He sharply angled the Shichiseiken that was parrying Hibari's 'Lateral Bolt of Pain hand blade,' deflecting most of the force from Hibari's hand and altering the trajectory of Hibari's downward chop. He then allowed the fierce hand blade to strike his shoulder. Immediately after, he used the Shichiseiken without hesitation to block Kagami's short blade, and then, no longer wanting to be entangled with Hibari here, he stomped his foot and retreated several meters.
Although the Lateral Bolt of Pain hand blade had some of its force deflected and its trajectory changed, its power was still considerable. At this moment, Kinkaku felt his shoulder blade crack slightly, and his left arm was somewhat sluggish.
"Kagami, don't worry about my side for now. Lead the Anbu to take care of those other small fry, then team up to deal with this bastard. We'll kill this bastard Kinkaku right here today!" Hibari said fiercely, his tone filled with savage intent.
Kagami quickly nodded upon hearing Hibari's words, without any hesitation. However, he was still very confused. Hibari hadn't had much contact with Kumogakure people before. The only time he went on an infiltration mission to Kumogakure, Kagami went with him, and the two completed the mission very quickly, escaping in a day. So, they shouldn't have had any contact with the Gold and Silver Brothers.
But why did Hibari sound as if he harbored immense hatred for Kinkaku today, cursing him as a 'bastard' and threatening to 'kill him'? What was going on? Hibari wasn't usually such a hot-headed person.
However, this was not the time for him to ponder such chaotic thoughts, so he quickly followed Hibari's instructions and led his squad to deal with the other four 'small fry.'
It wasn't just Kagami who was confused; Kinkaku was also somewhat puzzled at this moment. Judging by the masked bastard's posture and tone, he clearly had a conflict or even hatred towards him, wanting to kill him.
Coupled with the Lightning Release Armor on his body and the subsequent use of techniques like 'Liger Bomb' and 'Lateral Bolt of Pain,' Kinkaku became even more suspicious that this bastard must have come from Kumogakure. Perhaps he was a trusted subordinate secretly trained by the Second Raikage, or even... the old man's disciple?
However, it was clear that Hibari wouldn't waste words with him, nor would he explain his identity. At this moment, Hibari also sensed that Kinkaku was already severely doubting his identity. This might even create internal conflict within Kumogakure. Therefore, Hibari even extinguished the thought of using Wood Release. Unless absolutely necessary, it was best for him not to reveal his identity.
As for why Hibari disliked him so much, did he even need to think about it? Because these Gold and Silver Brothers would later launch a coup at the Kage Summit between the Hokage and the Raikage.
If it were just a coup, killing ten or eight Raikage wouldn't have much to do with Hibari. But these two bastards even ambushed Tobirama and later killed the Second Hokage, who was trying to preserve the flames of Konoha.
This was Hibari's grandfather! Thinking of this, he naturally became furious.
If he could kill that bastard Kinkaku here, it would be extremely satisfying, and it would also indirectly avert Tobirama's 'death'!
Therefore, Hibari naturally wished to tear this Kinkaku to shreds right now!
So, without giving this guy any extra time to think, Hibari once again activated his Lightning Release power in his feet, transforming into a lightning bolt and charging towards Kinkaku.
Kinkaku also roared, his Tailed Beast Cloak becoming denser once more. At the same time, his hands also gained some Lightning Release power, and the Shichiseiken was directly covered in this lightning.
Then, he also unhesitatingly swung the Shichiseiken in his hand towards Hibari's figure.
Hibari's movements were also swift. As Kinkaku swung the Shichiseiken, he also drew his own katana, imbued with Lightning Release power, and met the attack.
However, with just one contact, the katana in Hibari's hand vibrated and then showed some cracks. After all, it was just a common blade. Even if it was meticulously crafted by the Senju clan's artisans, there was still a huge gap compared to a Six Paths Ninja Tool. This became apparent with just that one contact.
But this was also within Hibari's expectations. He just wanted to use this blade to block for a moment; he didn't necessarily need it to withstand the blow.
Seizing this momentary pause, Hibari's body once again accelerated, dodging the Shichiseiken's strike, and slammed into Kinkaku's chest.
"Elbow Bolt!!!" Hibari roared.
Then, he slammed an elbow into Kinkaku's chest. The Tailed Beast Cloak dispersed slightly, and then Kinkaku's eyes bulged slightly. He involuntarily spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and then a powerful shockwave passed through his chest, exiting his body.
The next moment, his entire being was sent flying with this shockwave.
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