Chapter 36: The Power of Raikiri—Cutting Through Lightning

"Phew..."

Reiji let out a long breath.

For now, he pushed everything else out of his mind and focused entirely on the battle in front of him.

Looking at Raiga, he couldn’t help grinning.

"Since you know my information in such detail, I assume you also know that I’ve mastered the Eight Gates?"

"I wonder if your intelligence report mentioned one other detail."

"My jonin instructor back when I was a genin happened to be the son of the man who turned your Seven Ninja Swordsmen into the Three Lucky Survivors."

The veins on Raiga’s forehead throbbed violently.

Three Lucky Survivors?!

Was that supposed to be referring to the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?

Raiga snorted coldly.

He assumed he had seen through Reiji’s intentions.

"You think saying things like that will scare me away?"

"That green-skinned freak may have been powerful, but at your age, how much could you possibly have mastered of the Eight Gates?"

Reiji shook his head.

"I’m only telling you because I want you to understand something."

"You’re essentially one of Guy-sensei’s father’s murderers."

"And since I’ve encountered you today, there’s no way I’m letting you leave alive."

Hearing that, Raiga was practically laughing from anger.

Instead of thinking about how to escape, or buying time until reinforcements arrived, this kid actually wanted to kill him?

He genuinely wanted to know where this brat got such confidence.

He was just about to mock him again when several spear-like bolts of lightning suddenly shot toward him.

The terrifying momentum made Raiga’s heart jolt.

He immediately swung his twin blades and slammed them into the ground.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Feast!"

In an instant, lightning crackled across the two blades.

Countless branching bolts of electricity shot forward like tree limbs, intercepting the incoming lightning.

However—

The interception lasted barely an instant.

The lightning released by the Thunder Swords was completely overwhelmed by Reiji’s Lightning Release.

Raiga immediately leaped high into the air and simultaneously used:

"Lightning Release: Lightning Strike!"

Two bolts of lightning descended from the sky, colliding with Reiji’s attack and finally stopping it.

Not far away.

Half of Zetsu’s body emerged from the ground as he secretly observed the battle.

"What powerful Lightning Release!"

"If I remember correctly, what Uchiha Reiji just used should be Kakuzu’s signature Lightning Release: False Darkness."

Uchiha Obito’s voice was low.

It was a long-range Lightning Release technique with tremendous speed and piercing power.

Raiga had needed to use two Lightning Release techniques consecutively just to block False Darkness.

"According to the intelligence White Zetsu gathered earlier, Uchiha Reiji seems to have mastered Hatake Kakashi’s Chidori as well."

Black Zetsu spoke as he looked toward Uchiha Obito.

The masked man remained motionless.

His expression was impossible to read beneath the mask.

"What do you think?"

White Zetsu tilted his head curiously.

"Who will win this battle?"

"It’s difficult to say."

"It depends on how much Reiji has improved his mastery of the Eight Gates."

"He could already briefly open the Third Gate more than two years ago."

"If he can open the Fourth Gate now, he should be able to hold out long enough for Konoha’s reinforcements to arrive."

"So you’re saying Raiga will probably fail this time?"

White Zetsu sounded slightly surprised.

If Raiga wasn’t strong enough, why hadn’t Obito simply controlled the Mizukage and sent someone stronger?

Someone like Fuguki Suikazan, for example?

"Idiot!"

Obito snapped irritably.

"Our objective isn’t to kill Uchiha Reiji."

"Our goal is to expose Konoha’s darkness to him, stimulate his power, make him lose faith in the village, and ultimately bring him over to our side."

"That will strengthen the forces supporting the Eye of the Moon Plan!"

Seeing White Zetsu suddenly look enlightened, Obito became even more irritated.

Why did I even bother explaining this to someone as brainless as White Zetsu?

"Lightning Release: Lightning Strike!"

Raiga raised his twin blades before suddenly swinging them downward.

Two bolts of lightning descended directly from the dark clouds overhead, striking toward Reiji.

Reiji had already used his Sharingan to perceive the movement of the thunderclouds.

He was prepared in advance and effortlessly jumped aside.

The flash of lightning illuminated his face.

His expression was solemn.

Raiga was probably the strongest opponent he had ever encountered.

He might even be stronger than the seriously injured Orochimaru had appeared to be back then.

Of course, Orochimaru hadn’t used all his abilities during their battle.

Two more bolts of lightning descended.

Reiji dodged again.

"How long can you keep dodging?"

"And how much stamina do you have left?"

"In weather like this, with the Thunder Sword Fang, I barely need to spend any chakra to manipulate the natural lightning around me."

"Meanwhile, every Lightning Release technique you use consumes a large amount of chakra."

"Of course, you can always activate the Eight Gates and see whether you can reach me."

Raiga spoke leisurely.

Although he had repeatedly looked down on Reiji earlier, he had secretly been wary of his Eight Gates.

Now that the weather had conveniently turned into a thunderstorm, Raiga had decided to bombard Reiji from a distance until the boy died.

Reiji was barely over ten years old.

Even if he was a genius and possessed more chakra than an ordinary person, there was no way his reserves could compare with those of a veteran Elite Jonin.

Reiji frowned.

His mind raced.

I’m still suffering from the disadvantage of my age.

If his chakra reserves were sufficient, he could simply trade Lightning Release techniques with Raiga and see who ran out of chakra first.

But that wasn’t an option.

Reiji quickly made up his mind.

He began frantically gathering Lightning Release chakra in his hand.

"I don’t need the Eight Gates to deal with you!"

Perfect.

This would be a good opportunity to test his newly improved Raikiri.

Zzzzzzt—

The crackling sound of electricity grew increasingly intense.

Lightning Release chakra was compressed to its absolute limit.

Reiji shot into the air, Raikiri blazing in his hand.

Hatake Kakashi’s technique...?

Raiga immediately recognized it.

He swung the Thunder Swords again.

Two more bolts of lightning descended from the sky.

But Reiji didn’t dodge.

He directly thrust Raikiri into the incoming lightning.

CRACK!

The lightning was forcibly split apart!

Reiji’s body continued surging forward.

"What?!"

Raiga’s expression changed dramatically.

The boy was coming straight for him!

Raiga immediately attempted to manipulate the surrounding lightning into armor to protect his body.

But it was too late.

The hastily formed Lightning Release defense was effortlessly pierced.

With the momentum of his high-speed charge, Reiji’s lightning-covered hand drove straight through Raiga’s chest.