Chapter 213: Clash of Ninjutsu
Brilliant blue lightning erupted from A's body as immense Chakra surged through his system, activating every cell, amplifying his strength and speed, and heightening his reflexes to superhuman levels.
Whoosh!
A transformed into a streak of blue lightning and charged straight at Mugetsu.
"Lightning Style: Spear!"
As he closed the distance, A thrust his right hand forward, lightning condensing around his palm before striking down with blinding speed.
His movement was so fast that even the Cloud ninja watching could only blink in shock, realizing A had already appeared before Mugetsu, his hand chopping downward like a blade of thunder.
Mugetsu, however, could track him. Though A speed was astonishing—so fast that even the Byakugan struggled to follow—Mugetsu's Transparent World allowed him to see every motion with absolute clarity.
During the Fourth Shinobi World War, even Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan couldn't keep up with this speed… Mugetsu thought, focusing intently.
"Lightning Breathing—Mark, activate!"
In an instant, Mugetsu entered the Mark state of Lightning Breathing. The air around him surged violently as he absorbed it into his body, enhancing every fiber of his being. Lightning chakra burst forth, wrapping around him like armor as dazzling arcs danced across his skin.
For the first time facing an opponent of A's level, Mugetsu showed no carelessness. He activated his full Lightning Breathing Mark to directly counter the Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
"Lightning Release: Finger Gun!"
Lightning burst from Mugetsu's palm, coating his fingers in crackling energy. Channeling his power into a single point, he thrust forward.
Crackle! Crackle!
Rumble!
The lightning-coated palm met the lightning-charged fingers in a flash of blinding blue. Sparks and heat scorched the ground, and the shockwave from their clash tore through the earth. The sheer force lifted dust and debris in a roaring gust that made the surrounding Cloud ninja's hair whip upward.
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode?! How?!" Motomu shouted, eyes wide in disbelief as he saw Mugetsu wreathed in lightning, trading blows evenly with A.
To him, the scene had been a blur—A vanished, Mugetsu transformed, and then the two collided in a storm of light.
"Nani?! He actually knows Big Brother's technique…" Killer Bee muttered, stunned at the mirror-like technique.
Boom!
Another deafening blast shook the ground. The terrain beneath them split open, sending shards of rock flying as both fighters were forced back several meters.
Drip.
A crimson droplet hit the sand. A glanced down at his palm—blood. A faint line cut through his skin. His expression darkened immediately.
He had been injured—in a Lightning Release Body Technique clash.
"Hell Stab? No… not quite." A frowned. "If it were my father's One-Finger Nukite, it would've pierced me clean through."
He raised his gaze, eyes narrowing. "Who are you? How did you cultivate Lightning Release Chakra Mode to this level?"
"I already told you," Mugetsu replied coolly.
He admitted inwardly that A's strength was terrifying. Even after using Transparent World to push his body to its absolute limit, Mugetsu had only managed to slightly overpower him.
He hadn't combined his Breathing Technique with Armament Haki yet. Doing so would have ensured a solid victory—but it would also drain far too much Chakra. If he exhausted himself and failed to kill A, he'd be left vulnerable, especially with Killer Bee still standing by.
Moreover, Mugetsu needed to conserve Chakra to watch over his disciples. His Byakugan constantly monitored their distant battle; the moment they faced danger, he was ready to intervene.
This fight wasn't about glory—it was a test, both for his students and himself.
To conserve energy, he refrained from attacking first, letting A come to him instead.
Meanwhile, the small wound on A's palm sealed shut as his lightning-charged cells accelerated healing. His expression hardened once more as he began to gather power for the next strike.
He had lost the first two exchanges, but he was far from beaten. There was one technique left—one that always turned the tide.
"Lightning Bomb!"
A's body exploded with power. Lightning surged violently, his entire frame glowing white-blue as he propelled himself forward at impossible speed. His hair stood on end, sparking with static.
He aimed to grab Mugetsu and slam him into the ground with overwhelming might. But just as he reached him—
Flash!
A brilliant blue flare blinded his vision. Mugetsu vanished.
Whoosh!
Before A could react, a flash of movement streaked behind him—a blade wrapped in lightning aimed straight at Mugetsu's flank. He twisted his body, kicking A aside and narrowly dodging the sneak attack.
"His speed's even faster than Big Brother's, bastard…" Killer Bee gritted his teeth, surprised that Mugetsu had evaded his strike so easily.
Because he had to avoid Bee's sudden attack, Mugetsu hadn't put much power into his kick. A quickly recovered, though his face was twisted in irritation.
He had assumed Mugetsu's speed couldn't surpass his own. He was wrong.
A frowned deeply. If Mugetsu had dark skin and a muscular frame, he might've genuinely wondered whether the man was a secret son of the Third Raikage.
"Lariat!"
A's aura surged once more, his mind focused solely on victory. The thought of family resemblance could wait—now was the time to finish it.
A terrifying wave of lightning erupted around him as he unleashed his strongest technique. The ground beneath him cracked and sizzled, unable to withstand the energy radiating from his body.
The Lariat—Hidden Cloud's ultimate taijutsu—was both blindingly fast and devastatingly powerful. Its twin form, the Double Lariat, was a legendary move that guaranteed instant death on impact.
A and Bee had used that technique to annihilate countless Sunagakure ninja. But against Mugetsu, A wasn't planning to hold back or synchronize—he would unleash his full strength alone.
The Double Lariat required balance between two users. Normally, A had to restrain his strength to match Bee's.
But not this time.
His opponent wasn't a helpless shinobi—it was a monster cloaked in lightning.
A terrifying aura surged from his body, lightning snapping violently in every direction. The sound of crackling thunder filled the air as his power and defense reached their peak.
When A began his charge, even Mugetsu's Byakugan could only perceive a massive surge of Chakra rushing forward—it was impossible to see A's physical form.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Using the Lariat, A tore through the air like a heavily armored tank moving at the speed of a fighter jet. The violent wind pressure from his sudden acceleration snapped the large trees behind Mugetsu in half.
Despite the overwhelming approach, Mugetsu's expression remained calm. He didn't even consider dodging.
He could only say A was unlucky to face him. Most shinobi in the world couldn't endure such a charge; they would only have one option—evade.
The Lightning Release Chakra Mode already granted monstrous power, and combined with A's explosive speed, it could easily reduce an ordinary shinobi to pulp.
But Mugetsu was not ordinary.
In the Mark state of Lightning Breathing, he had pushed his body to the limit. Transparent World allowed him to channel one hundred percent of his physical strength. With his mastery of Armament Haki and abundant Chakra reserves, he feared nothing in a direct confrontation.
Mugetsu's breathing deepened, rhythmic and controlled. Lightning surged violently around him, focusing along his arm as he concentrated every ounce of power into his right fist. His muscles and veins bulged, humming with raw strength.
Pitch-black Armament Haki coated his fist, and faint ripples of invisible energy wrapped around it.
Since A was charging straight at him, Mugetsu had no reason to hold back.
"Lightning Breathing: Serious Punch!"
He stepped forward and swung his lightning-wrapped black fist, meeting A's incoming attack head-on.
The combination of the Lightning Breathing Mark's activated flesh, the strength amplification of Armament Haki, and the perfect clarity of Transparent World—three forces converging in one strike—created a shockwave before their fists even met.
Sand and dirt exploded into the air. Winds roared outward, scattering dust in every direction.
Aside from Killer Bee, who wore sunglasses, the other Cloud ninja had to cover their eyes, squinting against the storm of debris.
"How can there be such terrifying power?!" Motomu shouted, his voice trembling. Even from afar, he could feel Mugetsu's overwhelming aura.
Could it be…? The thought chilled him.
He quickly shook his head. Impossible! How could our future Raikage lose to some unknown shinobi?
That's the son of the Third Raikage himself—the man the Third Hokage once said would soon surpass him!
But no matter how he tried to convince himself, reality didn't change.
Even without sensory jutsu, the surrounding Cloud ninja could feel the power behind Mugetsu's punch. The pressure alone forced them to channel Chakra just to remain standing.
"Big Brother!" Killer Bee shouted, his voice breaking. He had never seen anyone strike his brother with such force.
Rumble!!!
Mugetsu's lightning-clad black fist met A's lightning-coated charge. The explosion that followed was deafening—an eruption of blinding light and searing heat.
The ground within twenty meters shattered completely, forming a deep crater.
Then, with a thunderous impact, A's massive body was sent hurtling backward.
Killer Bee dashed forward, trying to catch and absorb the force, but he overestimated his own strength. The collision sent him tumbling back as well, though he managed to lessen A's impact.
"He's… stronger!" Motomu's voice cracked. Sweat poured down his face.
To him, A was already a monster—a living weapon whose Lightning Release Chakra Mode was too fast for even sensory ninja to follow. And yet, that same monster had just been defeated in a direct clash.
"Cough… cough…" A spat blood, struggling to his feet with Killer Bee's help, disbelief written across his face.
He had expected Mugetsu to dodge with speed beyond comprehension. Instead, Mugetsu had faced his full-force Lariat head-on—and won.
This was the Lariat, Kumogakure's strongest taijutsu, a technique A had mastered since childhood.
Before the clash, he believed that aside from his father, no one could survive it. At best, others could only dodge or suffer crippling injuries.
But Mugetsu's power had shattered that belief. Not only had he stopped A's charge, he'd overpowered it—forcing him out of Lightning Release Chakra Mode entirely.
Motomu, still trembling from shock, realized just how dangerous their opponent truly was. Quickly forming hand seals, he and another Chunin launched a coordinated Lightning Release attack.
But Mugetsu, in his Lightning Breathing state, moved like pure instinct. He weaved through the lightning bolts with effortless precision, sidestepping both attacks before summoning lightning spears into each hand.
Crackle!
"Pierce!"
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Both lightning spears flew like blinding arrows. The first Chunin was impaled instantly, his body blackened by electric burns before he hit the ground.
Motomu barely survived thanks to A, who forced his battered body into motion, reigniting his Lightning Release Chakra Mode to intercept the attack.
Even then, the terror in Motomu's eyes was unmistakable.
"He can even use Lightning Release Ninjutsu of that level… without hand signs!" he whispered, voice shaking.
Seeing A stand again, blood dripping from his lip yet still shielding his comrades, Mugetsu's eyes narrowed. So this is the weight of responsibility—the value of a 'Raikage candidate'.
In A's heart, as long as Killer Bee and Motomu lived, nothing else mattered.
A exhaled slowly, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. Positioning himself before Bee and Motomu, he pulled back several meters, keeping his guard up.
Mugetsu, in turn, deactivated his Lightning Breathing Mark and used Transparent World to conceal his presence. Outwardly, he maintained a calm and unreadable demeanor, while internally he began refining Chakra as quickly as possible.
His recovery wasn't fast enough for his level of power, but every bit of Chakra mattered. His abilities were devastating—but their consumption was enormous.
"Unleash every ounce of your potential," he muttered quietly, still watching A's group while simultaneously tracking Obito and the others through his Byakugan.
His own situation was under control. He had injured A and could withdraw at any moment.
But his students were in danger. The enemies chasing them—a Jonin with 7,100 Chakra and mastery over Lightning Release Nature Transformation, and a Chunin with 4,000—posed a serious threat.
Mugetsu clenched his fists, lightning flickering faintly across his arms.
He had no time to waste.
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