Chapter 28: The Roar of Lightning
At the crack of dawn, the search unit from Kumogakure finally tracked down the battlefield where Killer Bee and Kisame had fought the night before.
One of the ANBU members crouched down, examining the deep gashes in the ground.
"There are numerous traces from a bladed weapon. Lord Bee's sword for sure... But these cuts—judging by their thickness and depth—were made by a large weapon. That edge… it's unmistakably the great sword of Kirigakure, Samehada."
Raikage's eyes narrowed, his voice thunderous.
"Hmph. Kisame Hoshigaki. Akatsuki... it had to be them!"
Another ANBU stepped forward.
"The battle was recent. Judging from the residual chakra and environmental damage, it must have taken place last night. Strangely, there's no evidence of a Tailed Beast Bomb. If Bee-sama had used one, this entire forest would've been reduced to ash."
Right. Before running into Kisame, Bee had been training with Master Sabu. If he used the Tailed Beast Bomb recklessly, it could've hurt innocents. Bee must've held back.
Raikage clenched his fists. "Can you track him?!"
"Yes. The ground is saturated, unnaturally so. There's still standing water, likely from a high-level Water Release. But if the user was dead, the water would've dispersed long ago. The persistence of it suggests the caster is still alive."
"Lord Bee isn't proficient in large-scale Water Release. Conclusion: he's been defeated."
Raikage's rage exploded.
"Damn Akatsuki!!!"
He drove his fist into a thick tree trunk—splinters flying, the bark exploding outward.
"The battle was last night! If he dragged Bee off, he can't be too far! Move out! He fought Bee—there's no way he escaped unscathed! Search every inch of this forest! When I find that bastard, I'll rip his damn head off myself!"
The full force of Kumogakure went into pursuit.
Noon. Ten miles from the rendezvous village.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Explosions echoed in the woods behind him.
Kisame came to a halt, glancing over his shoulder with a calm smile.
"Trap after trap… all triggered in quick succession. That's not the work of cautious ninja. That's someone who knows I'm here and doesn't care. Charging straight through."
He shifted his gaze to the unconscious Bee, strapped to his back with thick chakra-suppressing chains.
"It's your big brother, isn't it? Raikage himself, come to rescue you."
Kisame sighed. "Guess I can't avoid this fight."
He adjusted the chains holding Bee in place, slung Samehada into a ready position, and turned to face the oncoming storm.
Thunder rumbled.
Out from the trees, Raikage burst forth like a cannonball, followed by Darui, Cee, and a platoon of elite ANBU.
Kisame stood his ground.
"Raikage. Your little brother is right here. If you want him back, you'll have to pry him from my corpse."
Raikage's voice was thunder itself.
"I'll grant that wish! Darui, Cee—stay back. I'll handle this myself!"
Crack!
Lightning Armor surged across Raikage's body, amplifying his strength and speed. He slammed one knee into the ground and launched forward like a lightning bolt.
"—Heavy Thunder Slam!"
A technique so fierce it once knocked Jugo clean out of his cursed form.
Kisame raised Samehada just in time.
Boom!
The impact reverberated like an earthquake. Kisame grunted, skidding back, feet digging deep trenches into the ground.
Even with both hands bracing the blade, he was forced back by meters—trees splintering around him.
His arms numbed from the impact, Kisame shook them out with a grim grin.
"Damn. You really are a monster. Stronger than your brother... a human-tailed beast indeed."
Raikage cracked his neck with a snort.
"Afraid already?"
Kisame didn't answer. Instead, he yanked Samehada's hilt.
"—Samehada: Flying Chain Slash!"
The sword's handle extended like a whip, curving as it flew toward Raikage like a living snake.
But Raikage was faster.
Crack!
He vanished from his path and reappeared a few meters ahead. The chain whip missed entirely.
"Tch. Not just strength—he's faster too."
Kisame dropped the chain and formed a quick set of seals.
"—Water Style: Water Shark Bullet Jutsu!"
A massive shark-shaped mass of water surged forward.
"Hmph! Weak!"
Raikage didn't flinch. He charged straight through the technique, shattering the watery beast with brute force.
Even so, the collision slowed him slightly.
Kisame took the opening to reposition and reevaluate.
"Ordinary Water Style is useless against that body… Guess I'll have to go bigger."
His hands blurred through seals. His chest puffed like a balloon.
"—Water Style: Great Exploding Water Shockwave!"
A torrent of water burst from his mouth, flooding the forest. Within moments, an enormous spherical dome of water formed—flooding the entire terrain and drowning the surrounding woodland.
Darui and Cee stopped short, eyes wide at the sheer scale of the jutsu.
"This… is that the jutsu that left standing water at the last site?"
"He's creating an entire battlefield of water. This… this is a monster's technique."
Darui gripped his sword.
"Be ready. We may need to dive in if the boss gets overwhelmed."
Inside the massive water dome, Raikage floated midair, his body slowed by resistance, movement hampered. Worst of all—he couldn't breathe.
Lightning chakra sputtered against the water's interference. He couldn't hold his breath forever.
And Kisame?
He had fused with Samehada, becoming a monstrous, shark-like being.
Gills flared along his neck. Fins extended from his arms. His eyes glowed with chakra-sensing clarity.
Within this aquatic domain, he was king.
"No more speed advantage. Your lightning armor's chakra? Mine to consume."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
He collided into Raikage repeatedly, draining chakra with each strike.
The armor flickered. The bubbles from Raikage's mouth came slower.
"Losing chakra. Can't breathe. Painful, isn't it? Don't worry... freedom's coming soon."
Outside, Darui stared at the water bubble.
"Anything?"
Cee pressed his hand to the surface, his brows furrowed.
"No movement. The boss hasn't surfaced."
Darui was ready to dive in when Cee's hand twitched.
"Wait. His chakra—it's not dropping. It's climbing."
Darui paused, narrowing his eyes.
"He's about to go all out."
Crack! Crackle!
Inside the dome, Raikage's hair spiked, electricity dancing across his entire body like a storm unleashed.
"—Lightning Chakra Mode: Full Power!"
Kisame lunged again—missed.
"What?! He resisted the pressure… and dodged me?! His chakra's spiked to Tailed Beast levels!"
Bubbles exploded upward.
Raikage had stopped holding back.
Kisame retreated quickly, increasing distance to keep Raikage within the water dome's limits. The trap was still his—Raikage couldn't breathe long. No matter how strong, he would break down eventually.
But Raikage wasn't giving in.
He kept charging, faster than ever—his movements more beast than man.
Still… Kisame had the home field. He kept circling. Raikage couldn't sense his chakra. Couldn't land a blow.
"It's only a matter of time now."
But then—he heard a voice.
Low. Hoarse. But clear.
"The eighth blade…"
Kisame froze.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
"—You're awake?!"
Behind him, the man he'd thought unconscious—Killer Bee—lifted his head, chakra flaring with deadly intent.
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