"Is this... Dragon Slash!?" Yusuke's eyes widened in shock as he watched Akira block the Fourth Raikage's punch with his sword.
As the creator of Dragon Slash, Yusuke could clearly see that Akira had grasped the essence of this technique.
Though he hadn't fully mastered it, Akira had managed to understand it after only seeing Yusuke demonstrate it a few times.
This must be the power of the Sharingan.
Dragon Slash wasn't just a simple sword technique. Its essence lay in the aura and presence infused into the technique.
Yusuke was stunned, but so was the Fourth Raikage. He watched, wide-eyed, as Akira's sword blocked his powerful punch. The Raikage's pupils shrank, and he couldn't help but be amazed by Akira's strength.
Suddenly, the lightning around the Raikage's body grew even more intense, making him look like he had fully transformed into a thunder god.
His strength surged, his arms bulging until they looked like the size of an ordinary man's waist.
His veins pulsed, thick as ropes, bulging across his arms like tiny, writhing serpents.
The Cloud Village's secret technique, Lightning Release Armor, allowed the user to merge lightning chakra with taijutsu, drastically increasing attack power, speed, and defense.
The Fourth Raikage had clearly mastered this technique to its utmost potential.
But Akira also unleashed his chakra. His colossal reserves infused into his Kusanagi sword as he blocked the Raikage's punch without even retreating an inch.
"Raikage-sama, your Lightning Release Armor may be strong, but I'm sorry to say that my chakra is even greater," Akira said with a smile. With almost 300,000 units of chakra, the raw power he emitted surpassed even that of the Fourth Raikage.
"So, this is Akira, the strongest man in the shinobi world? His power is terrifying!"
Despite unleashing all his strength, the Fourth Raikage was unable to force Akira back even a step.
It made sense, though. Without such power, he wouldn't be known as the strongest shinobi in the world.
Neither side could gain an advantage, despite their efforts.
Realizing that pure strength alone wouldn't defeat Akira, the Raikage decided to switch tactics. He stepped back slightly before dashing around in a blur of lightning, appearing behind Akira and throwing another devastating punch.
Lightning Release Armor not only amplified Raikage's attack power but also his speed.
Even twenty years ago, as a young man, the Fourth Raikage prided himself on his speed, claiming it rivaled the Yellow Flash of the Leaf.
The Mangekyou Sharingan in Akira's eyes began spinning, tracking the Raikage's rapid movement effortlessly.
Speed? The Raikage's speed was impressive, but there was no one who could move faster than Akira's eyes could see.
As the Mangekyou activated, Akira's left eye began to use its extraction power.
Bang!
The Raikage's punch crashed down again, powerful and swift, but Akira blocked it with the Kusanagi sword.
The Raikage didn't waste a moment. He kept circling Akira, throwing punch after punch in a relentless barrage.
But Akira moved his sword with such precision that each of the Raikage's attacks was intercepted.
Though the Fourth Raikage was one of the elite Kage-level shinobi, he didn't have abilities like Magnet Release, Lava Release, or Dust Release.
Nor did he possess unusual techniques like Kamui or Earth Grudge Fear.
His abilities were simple: attack, defense, and speed—maxed out to the extreme.
Sheer strength, incredible speed, and immense durability—these traits alone made the Fourth Raikage one of the strongest shinobi in the world.
Watching the ongoing battle, Yusuke's eyes grew even wider, absorbing the scene.
Yusuke's swordsmanship had two styles: Dragon Slash for raw power and Dragonfly Cutter for agility.
Akira had once told him that if he could blend the two styles perfectly—combining power and speed—he could become the top swordsman in the shinobi world.
The Raikage's fighting style seemed to embody this concept, blending both speed and power.
Yusuke couldn't track all of the Raikage's movements, not having the power of the Sharingan, but what he could see was enough to inspire him.
As Akira and the Fourth Raikage clashed, they exchanged hundreds of blows.
But no matter how hard the Raikage tried, he couldn't deal any significant damage to Akira.
"Amazing... The strongest man in the shinobi world indeed!" Cloud shinobi watched in awe as Akira defended against every attack from the Raikage.
To the shinobi of the Cloud Village, the Fourth Raikage was invincible. His strength was unmatched, and they had absolute confidence in him.
This confidence was why many Cloud shinobi aspired to challenge the Leaf, the strongest of the Five Great Nations.
But today, Akira had shattered their expectations.
He was just a fifteen-year-old boy, yet his strength matched that of the Raikage.
Bang!
The Kusanagi sword and the Raikage's lightning-clad fist collided once again. Both fighters took a step back.
"You're truly the strongest in the shinobi world. Your power is incredible, but I've only used seventy percent of my strength. How much have you used?" the Raikage asked, admiration in his voice.
"Me? I'd say about forty percent," Akira replied casually after a brief thought.
He wasn't even at full strength yet—he hadn't used Sage Mode or transformed into his dragon form. He hadn't even come close to his full potential.
"I'll kill you!"
Just moments before, the Raikage had felt a sense of respect for Akira, but upon hearing those words, any trace of admiration vanished.
He roared in fury, the lightning around him intensifying as he pushed his Lightning Release Armor to its absolute limits.
The Raikage extended a single finger.
This was his ultimate technique—the Lightning Straight Lariat in its final form.
By channeling chakra into a single finger, the Raikage could deliver an unstoppable piercing attack, the so-called "strongest spear."
The technique began with four fingers, then three, two, and finally, with one finger, it reached its most potent state.
This single finger's destructive power was so great that it would make any shinobi tremble.
Only those with unparalleled control over chakra and a body tempered to an extraordinary degree could use such a move.
The Raikage had truly decided to fight with everything he had.
"The ultimate form of Lightning Release Armor, huh? Very well, how about you try it for yourself?" Akira said, nodding as he watched the Raikage's form.
The Raikage's brow furrowed in confusion.
What did he mean by "try it for yourself?"
But before he could question it, Akira took a deep breath, and the lightning around him began to surge.
His black hair stood up on end, giving him the appearance of a Super Saiyan.
Lightning chakra crackled around his body, making him look like the incarnation of a thunder god.
"What... this can't be!" Cloud shinobi were dumbfounded as they saw Akira and the Fourth Raikage in identical lightning-clad forms.
The Lightning Release Armor was supposed to be a secret technique of the Cloud Village, yet Akira was using it too?
The two of them looked almost identical in their lightning-infused forms.
"How... how do you know this technique?" Raikage asked, struggling to believe what he was seeing.
"Heh, why don't you feel my Lightning Straight Lariat for yourself?"
Without answering directly, Akira chuckled softly and extended his own finger.
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POWER STONE!!!
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