Chapter 167: A Choice for the Raikage
Li Yao led Fanma Renza's sisters and mother to the door. With a thought, he created a massive white clay bird and placed the six women on its back. The clay submerged their bodies, leaving only their heads exposed for breathing, making flight easier.
Li Yao, still controlling Fanma Renza's body, leapt onto the bird.
Boom boom boom… The clay bird flapped its wings and soared into the sky.
The loud wingbeats drew attention from a nearby household. Coincidentally, the man of that house was a jōnin with keen senses.
No such sound should be heard at night.
Out of caution, he looked out the window—and just happened to see the white clay bird flying past the rooftop.
"No good, it's someone from Iwagakure's demolition unit!"
As a jōnin, the man had seen a lot. He immediately recognized the white clay bird as a signature jutsu of Iwagakure's Explosion Release users.
"There's an enemy! You all, get to the basement immediately!"
He quickly ordered his family to take shelter, then rushed to the door, threw on his jōnin vest, grabbed his ninja blade and gear pouch, and ran outside.
As he flew toward the clay bird, he blew a whistle to alert other night patrols, signaling them to warn the villagers to evacuate.
"Hurry, notify Lord Raikage!"
"Genin, go evacuate civilians into the underground bunkers. Chūnin and above, follow me!"
Soon, the entire Kumogakure erupted into organized chaos. Thanks to frequent drills and the ongoing war, everyone knew what to do.
Some evacuated, others hunted the enemy.
Naturally, they assumed it wasn't just Li Yao who had invaded.
"We've been discovered."
Li Yao smiled slightly. He wasn't surprised. Trying to fly out of the village with people made stealth difficult—and he hadn't even intended to be discreet.
Though he couldn't make a big scene or reveal his identity yet, he could still blow off a little steam and teach Kumogakure a lesson.
"There he is!"
"The enemy is up there!"
As the clay bird rose higher, giant searchlights lit up from several mountaintops around the village. Li Yao was quickly spotted, and seven or eight beams locked onto the white clay bird.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh… Arrows crackling with Lightning Release chakra shot from atop the mountains, all aimed directly at the clay bird beneath Li Yao.
The enemy clearly knew Explosion Release's weakness—
And had effective anti-air tactics in place.
Li Yao sensed that the launchers atop the mountains weren't traditional weapons—they resembled chakra-powered cannons, using electricity and chakra as fuel.
The arrows not only carried Lightning Release chakra but also flew faster and struck harder than normal bolts.
As expected, Kumogakure was the first to tread the path of tech-ninjutsu. They had already developed tech-based arrow launchers, and their power was no joke.
But… only "no joke."
"Wind Release: Wind Barrier!"
With a thought, Li Yao formed a half-meter-thick barrier of rapidly circulating wind around the clay bird.
Wind beats lightning!
The lightning-infused bolts struck the wind barrier like nails against a high-speed drill—bounced off instantly. The Lightning chakra was scattered by the swirling wind, unable to reach the clay bird.
Li Yao kept ascending. Clang clang clang… Kumogakure ninja didn't give up and kept firing relentlessly.
"Lord Raikage, Iwagakure's demolition unit is attacking!"
At the Third Raikage's residence, the ANBU scout had just arrived when the Raikage walked out, already geared up for battle.
"How many enemies?"
The Raikage asked as he walked.
"Only one has been detected so far," the ANBU replied.
Because it was nighttime, the Kumogakure shinobi didn't yet realize that the man on the bird was actually Fanma Renza under Li Yao's spiritual control. They simply assumed, based on the clay bird, that the attacker was from Iwagakure's demolition squad.
"One person?"
The Raikage frowned. He didn't believe someone would infiltrate Kumogakure's main base just to send one operative.
"Alert the Dharma clan. Expand the search."
"Yes!" The ANBU vanished to carry out the order.
"You all go too. I'll take care of the one in the sky," the Raikage said to those behind him. He then activated his winged Lightning Chakra Mode and flew skyward, straight toward the clay bird.
As he ascended, a flash of confusion crossed the Raikage's eyes.
Didn't Ōnoki know he could fly now—and faster than him at that?
For someone like him to send an airborne unit to attack, even knowing the Raikage was present?
Did they really think losing one arm meant he was no longer a threat?
"No matter who you are, I'll rip your head off for daring to attack this village."
The Raikage was furious. The village had been assaulted directly—this was a blatant insult.
It was the first time an enemy from another Hidden Village had invaded their home.
The first time any of the Five Great Villages had suffered such a breach.
It was shameful.
Whoever did this… wouldn't live to tell the tale.
"It's Lord Raikage!"
"It's the boss!"
"The boss is here!"
"That cocky bastard's finished!"
Like a bolt of lightning, the Third Raikage soared through the mountains. The Kumogakure ninja who saw him felt renewed confidence.
This was the man who once beat the Eight-Tails into exhaustion—an invincible symbol of Kumogakure.
As long as he fought, no enemy could prevail.
The ninja believed in him.
Li Yao had already sensed the Third Raikage's arrival, and the terrifying Lightning Chakra Mode he was using.
He had to admit—without revealing his identity and only using standard jutsu, it would be tough to drive off the Third Raikage, let alone defeat him.
But this was Kumogakure, and killing the Raikage wasn't his goal.
When it came to revenge, Li Yao always believed in something worse than death.
So, he wouldn't kill the Raikage today.
With a thought, he created a massive ten-meter-wide clay sphere above his head.
"That's huge!"
The Third Raikage's heart trembled when he saw it. Such a massive explosive clay ball—its blast would be enormous.
Fortunately, the enemy was airborne. He wouldn't have the chance to drop it on the village.
Black lightning crackled around the Raikage. He was ready to strike.
But did Li Yao seem like the type to make obvious mistakes?
Of course not.
Before the Raikage entered range for his black lightning strikes, the giant clay ball burst apart—releasing countless white clay birds with two pairs of wings, raining down like a storm across the village.
A large portion flew toward the residence of the Raikage's own clan.
Now came the choice—
Should the Raikage keep chasing Li Yao, or turn back to protect the villagers?
He had to decide.
The birds were fast. With over 100,000 of them, spread across the entire village, there was no way to stop them all.
Only the Raikage, with his unmatched speed, could intercept most of them—at least those heading toward densely populated areas.
"Damn it!"
The Raikage glared at the clay bird in the sky, then turned and raced back. Lightning streaked across the village as he used black lightning to destroy the incoming explosive birds.
He had no choice.
His son wasn't in the village. The only one who could protect the people… was him.
There was no way he would abandon them to chase the enemy.
(END CHAPTER)
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