Chapter 344: Battle at the Valley of Clouds and Lightning
Hidden Cloud Village, Valley of Clouds and Lightning (Unraikyou).
Killer B, the Acting Raikage who had dumped all his administrative duties onto his assistants, had snuck back to his usual training grounds, ready for a day of relaxation.
"Oh yeah! Messy business is a headache, yo! I'd rather be training here, bro!"
Pondering where to hold his next concert, Killer B danced his way out of his tent. But the figure that appeared before him made him freeze instantly.
"When did this guy get here? Neither Eight-o nor I sensed him at all..." B stuffed his lyric notebook back into his pocket, instantly shifting into a combat stance.
It was obvious that this mysterious, dark-skinned giant of a man standing before him was not from the Cloud Village. If he were, there was no way Killer B wouldn't recognize him.
If he wasn't a friend, he was a foe. Killer B, a Jinchuriki who had experienced the darkness of the world since childhood, knew very well that many people in the village wanted him dead. It wouldn't be surprising if someone who knew his schedule had sent an assassin to the Valley of Clouds and Lightning.
"Trying to kill Lord Killer B? You can't do it, you see? Wheeee!"
Looking at Killer B, whose aura was flaring, the giant man curled his lip in disdain. "For a Raikage, your strength is lacking, but your temper is quite large."
"The previous Raikage was killed, and the designated successor has been captured by the enemy. You have completely disgraced the name of 'A', the founder of the Raikage line."
Hearing the dark-skinned giant's unbridled mockery, even the good-natured Killer B couldn't suppress the anger rising in his heart.
B viewed Buraza (A) as his own brother; how could he not want to save him? Unfortunately, Konoha refused to release him. The Cloud Village, knowing they were currently outmatched, had to swallow this humiliation. But that didn't mean they weren't angry.
Killer B tensed his body, uncharacteristically silent. He channeled chakra throughout his body and charged at the giant with tremendous momentum. He had decided to make this arrogant enemy feel the rage of the Cloud.
"Lightning Release: Lariat!"
However, facing B's rage-filled attack, the giant didn't flinch. Instead, he adopted the exact same posture and slammed his body forward to meet him.
Clearly, he intended to crush Killer B's attack head-on.
The two massive figures collided. Under the unreserved blast of their chakra, the surrounding ground cracked and shattered over a wide area.
Sparks flew wildly. In the end, it was the confident Killer B who was sent flying. Although he quickly adjusted his stance and landed, losing in a contest of pure strength left him feeling a wave of disappointment.
"Damn it! Who exactly are you, fool, ya fool?!" Killer B, his mood sour, had lost the will to rap. He desperately wanted to know the true identity of the man before him.
After that brief exchange, although B didn't want to admit it, he knew he was likely no match for this giant. And not just him—even his big brother might be slightly inferior in strength.
B had already discarded the idea that this man was a mere assassin. No one in the Cloud could command a shinobi of this caliber. B was certain of that.
Facing B's question, the giant smiled coldly. "If you want to know who I am, defeat me first."
Seeing that the enemy had no intention of revealing his identity, Killer B had no choice but to continue testing him. As the man bearing the title of Raikage, he could not retreat before anyone.
Schwing!
The sound of blades being drawn rang out. B, preparing to use his Acrobat style (Seven Swords Dance), unleashed his full speed and charged at the giant.
If he couldn't match him in strength, he would fight with speed and technique. B didn't believe he would lose in those areas as well. Even if he couldn't defeat him, he had to at least wound him.
Watching B's erratic, high-speed movements, the giant nodded in satisfaction. "That's more like it. But..."
"To defeat me, that is far from enough!"
"Strong Body: War God Dance!!!"
Rushing up to B in an instant, the giant turned every part of his body—fists, feet, knees, elbows—into a weapon. After a flurry of close-quarters combat too fast for the naked eye to follow, there was barely a spot left on B's body that wasn't bruised or battered.
BOOM!
Watching B crash headfirst into the tent, the giant thumped his chest with his right fist and threw his head back in a roar.
"Is that all?! You bear the name of Raikage, yet your strength is only this much?!"
"Stand up!!!"
Wrapped in blinding lightning, the giant looked like a human beast as he smashed into the ruined tent. But quickly, he was swatted back out by a massive octopus tentacle that appeared out of nowhere.
Inside the mental world, the massive Eight-Tails looked at the silent Killer B sitting on his nose. He thought for a moment and said, "The enemy's strength is indeed unexpected. But I noticed that while his attacks were ferocious, he specifically avoided your vital points. He's holding back. Otherwise, that barrage just now would have beaten you to death."
"Yeah, I noticed that too, yo." B nodded silently, agreeing with Gyuki. But that only made him more confused. If the enemy had no intention of killing him, was this whole charade just to humiliate him?
Recalling the giant's behavior and words since he appeared, a strange thought suddenly rose in B's heart.
"Could he be..."
Outside, the giant who had been swatted away by the Eight-Tails' tentacle quickly stood up. He looked at the massive creature rising before him and slammed his fists together. A bloodthirsty smile appeared on his face. "The power of a Tailed Beast? Rarely seen. Fine. Possessing this power, you are barely worthy of the name Raikage."
Hearing the giant's words, B thought the man was preparing to give up the fight. But what happened next left the experienced B stunned in place.
Lightning. Blinding lightning suddenly surfaced on the giant's body. Simultaneously, his already powerful aura surged upward significantly.
This method of using Lightning Release chakra was none other than the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, passed down through the Raikage lineage for generations.
If it were just that, B might not have been so shocked. Although users of the Lightning Release Armor were rare, there were people in the ninja world who could imitate similar jutsu.
What truly made it incredible was that the fully formed Lightning Armor didn't stop there. It underwent another morphological change.
The electricity that was arcing off his body suddenly contracted inward frantically. After being highly compressed, the blue lightning formed a solid, armor-like shell covering the giant's body.
"Lightning Release Armor: Thunder God Mode."