Chapter 157: Ayase's Killing Blow
"Ōnoki… what is that guy waiting for?"
Li Yao frowned. Until now, Ōnoki had only used Dust Release once. After failing to kill his shadow clone, he hadn't used it again and had been conserving chakra ever since.
It seemed like… he wasn't in a rush to reach Li Yao's true body. Was he waiting for something?
"What is he waiting for…"
Li Yao pondered with a furrowed brow. With Ōnoki's power, if he used a large-scale—hmm, wait.
Li Yao suddenly looked up. Even though his vision was blocked by the Wood Release forest, he looked toward Ōnoki with a drastic change in expression: "That guy is conserving chakra to launch a big one."
He remembered the anime—Ōnoki's ultra-wide-range Dust Release that wiped out twenty-five incomplete Susanoo users in a single strike.
Facing a Dust Release of that magnitude, especially with his real body locked onto by that Konoha sensor ninja, he'd have nowhere to run.
"But… why hasn't Ōnoki used it already?"
A trace of doubt flashed through Li Yao's eyes, but he soon resolved it himself.
"Chakra!"
"If he fires it now, his chakra will be nearly depleted."
"In that case, being stuck inside the barrier, if any of the other Kage turn on him, he'll be in real danger."
"So… Ōnoki is waiting for the barrier to disappear."
That had to be it. Only when the barrier was gone and he was no longer trapped could he launch a massive attack and then retreat via flight, or if necessary, escape under the protection of his guards outside the barrier.
The more Li Yao thought about it, the more convinced he became: Ōnoki was waiting.
"My time is running out."
Li Yao knew he had no idea exactly when the barrier would drop, but it wouldn't be long. A high-grade barrier like this, even if sealed by Uzumaki Mito, couldn't last forever.
Escape was impossible.
His only option now was to reinforce himself.
Li Yao's eyes flickered as his mind raced.
He had already copied the Raikage's new Lightning Chakra Armor.
It was a new form of chakra transformation, allowing for the materialization of chakra. The Third Raikage's armor had only gained its flight and enhanced speed and defense once this transformation was added.
Now, Li Yao could use the materialized Lightning Chakra Mode too.
But the defense still wasn't enough.
His body needed to be tougher as well.
With that in mind, Li Yao turned his attention to the Third Mizukage. If he could copy that liquid-element transformation technique, he might be able to survive Dust Release.
"But… how do I lure the Mizukage over?"
Li Yao frowned. The Third Raikage had already noticed his ability to copy jutsu and would definitely warn the Mizukage if his intentions became obvious.
As Li Yao considered how to lure the Mizukage in—
Dan Katō's expression suddenly changed as he urgently warned Ayase, "Ayase-senpai, Getsuishi can't hold on much longer!"
Sarutobi Getsuishi was growing anxious. Time was running out. If he didn't attack Li Yao soon, his body would collapse.
But right now, he was surrounded by an endless forest of massive trees. Unless he used Evening Elephant again, he couldn't break through.
However, if he used Evening Elephant, even if he reached Li Yao, he'd have no strength left to kill him.
But without using it, he couldn't reach Li Yao and kill him either.
That was his dilemma.
"Luckily, it seems he doesn't know Night Guy!"
Li Yao sensed Getsuishi's rising panic through chakra perception. Seeing his diminishing chakra and helpless expression, he knew Getsuishi didn't know the ultimate move capable of deciding an ending with a single kick—Night Guy.
That was a huge relief for Li Yao.
Ayase, after hearing Dan's report, narrowed her eyes. "And the other Kage?"
Dan hesitated. "They're all being held off by Li Yao's shadow clones."
He could see clearly that Ōnoki was slacking off, but he didn't dare say it. If that conflict broke into the open, there'd be no going back.
The others weren't slacking—but they couldn't break through Li Yao's defense either.
"As expected, those guys aren't reliable."
Ayase shook her head and asked, "Can you restrain Li Yao for one second?"
She hadn't come here just to throw away her life. She had a sealing technique that could trap Li Yao—but it required at least one full second of immobilization.
"I…" Dan hesitated. But given the circumstances, he gritted his teeth. "I'll hold him down for one second—no matter what!"
Even if it cost him his life, he would stop Li Yao for that moment.
Dan made up his mind.
"Alright," Ayase said. "Let's go to Getsuishi."
Whoosh!
With their plan set, they stopped engaging Li Yao's clone and flew at full speed toward Getsuishi.
The clone didn't know what Ayase could do against the main body—after all, her jutsu couldn't break his defenses—but he still flew after her at full power to stop her.
But since Ayase's route was already heading toward the main body, the clone couldn't stop her in time.
Soon—
Ayase reached the sky above Getsuishi. Dan's spirit spoke to him below, entangled in countless trees: "Getsuishi-senpai, clear a path to Li Yao's main body. Leave the rest to us."
"Alright, I understand," Getsuishi replied.
He knew he was at his limit. Creating a path for Ayase was all he could do now.
So long as Li Yao could be killed, that was enough.
"Follow me!"
Getsuishi yelled, then punched out—another white shockwave tore through the trees.
He finally had a breakthrough.
He followed the tunnel path created by the attack at top speed. Ayase dropped from the sky, closely tailing him.
"Second Gear!"
"Third Gear!"
"Fourth Gear!"
"Fifth Gear!"
After five punches, Getsuishi looked ahead—just 100 meters from Li Yao—and smiled before collapsing.
Pfft!
Li Yao coughed up blood. Facing Getsuishi's sudden outburst, he couldn't dodge and had to take it head-on.
His Black Iron Cloak was in tatters, and his Lightning Armor was gone.
The Eight Gates Formation's power was indeed terrifying.
But he'd survived.
Moreover—Boom boom boom!
Taking advantage of his body's injury, Li Yao recalled his clones fighting the Mizukage and Raikage.
Without those clones, the Mizukage had no reason not to try killing him—just as he'd hoped. With him injured, it would seem like the perfect chance to strike.
Li Yao waited for the Mizukage.
But instead of the Mizukage, a spiritual chakra form entered his body.
"What the—?!"
Li Yao was shocked. His body couldn't move. A chakra—no, a spirit—was fighting him for control of his body, even trying to attack his soul.
"How is this possible?!"
Dan was just as stunned. Li Yao's soul had merged completely with his chakra—Dan couldn't touch it. Or rather, his spirit attack couldn't pierce Li Yao's chakra to reach his soul.
Dan had no choice but to focus all his power on holding Li Yao's body still.
"Li Yao! Die!"
In that moment of paralysis, Ayase rushed in. Her face was twisted with hatred as black sealing marks covered her body and ink began pouring from her like liquid darkness.
This was a sealing technique upgraded by Lady Uzumaki Mito herself—an enhanced version of the Super Beast Imitating Drawing Seal, fused with the Four Symbols Reverse Seal.
Its range had been expanded from a dozen meters to fifty.
At that distance, as long as Dan could hold Li Yao for one second, he would have no escape.
"No—it's the Reverse Four Symbols Seal!"
Ink from Ayase splattered onto Li Yao's face. He immediately recognized it as the same fearsome technique Danzo had used in the original anime to try sealing the bridge before his death.
Clang clang... Li Yao instinctively unleashed the Vajra Sealing Chains and Black Iron Chains to suppress and devour the spirit inside him.
"Of course!"
Feeling the chains begin to bind and consume his spirit, Dan's ethereal form understood completely. All hope of luck vanished from his mind.
He ignited his soul, unleashing terrifying spiritual chakra to freeze Li Yao's body in place with all his might.
(END CHAPTER)
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