Pfft!
A torrent of corrosive slime erupted from Mei Terumi's mouth.
It shot straight toward the center of the Hidden Cloud formation. The Cloud shinobi scrambled to evade, and globs of the viscous liquid splattered across the sand.
Two of them weren't fast enough. The Lava Release grazed them, and they let out blood-curdling screams.
"Ah... my leg!"
"It hurts... my hand!"
The limbs struck by the liquid were rapidly eaten away, down to the bone.
Omoi and Karui, positioned in the rear, acted instantly. With swift slashes of their blades, one severed a hand and the other a leg, amputating the corroding flesh to save their comrades' lives.
But the sight of the gushing wounds and mangled stumps dealt a heavy blow to the Hidden Cloud's morale.
Mei took another breath, and a second volley of acid spewed from her lips. The Cloud shinobi scattered in panic, their ranks thrown into disarray.
Juzo Biwa and Zabuza Momochi had already charged into the fray, engaging the Cloud ninja in a brutal melee. Both Mist and Cloud shinobi were masters of taijutsu. The moment they clashed in close-quarters combat, the air filled with the coppery scent of blood. Blades met flesh, and crimson sprayed in every direction. Soon, the entire beach was stained red.
Meanwhile, Ao and Kisame held back from the general melee. Kisame, in particular, remained cautiously by the Mizukage's side. Though her Kekkei Genkai was powerful, Mei was a quintessential ninjutsu specialist. Her true potential was unleashed when she had someone to protect her.
As for Chojuro, despite being one of the Mizukage's guards, Mei had ordered him to stay in the rear. She believed that with his current level of skill, he wasn't ready for a battle of this intensity. Ao's Byakugan was the perfect defense against surprise attacks. Mei, having just unleashed a large-scale Water Style jutsu followed by two Kekkei Genkai techniques upon her arrival, needed a moment to recover.
As the others charged forward, Ao worried that the Mizukage's personal defense was too thin. He was surprised to see that Kisame hadn't rushed into battle but was instead standing guard with extreme caution.
A sharp whoosh cut through the air. Yugito Nii burst through the crowd, making a beeline for Mei. She understood that Mei was the key to this battle. If she could eliminate or even just stall the Mizukage, the Hidden Cloud would have a chance to turn the tables.
Unfortunately, her partial Tailed Beast transformation wasn't fast enough—at least, not faster than Kisame's reflexes.
Kisame's arm shot out, muscles bulging as he swung Samehada like a massive club.
Yugito leaped into the air to dodge. Unexpectedly, the barbs on Samehada shot out.
The fabric on her arm was torn to shreds, leaving a bloody gash. She curled up in mid-air like a cat, narrowly avoiding the rest of the spikes.
Yugito retreated hastily. Kisame didn't pursue; after knocking her back, he immediately returned to Mei's side.
Mei's breathing steadied. Her cheeks puffed out once more, and she fired another cannonball of corrosive fluid. Any Cloud ninja caught in the blast screamed and collapsed.
In the rear, Killer B, lying on a stretcher awaiting transport, tried to fight through the intense pain and rise to his feet. But forcing himself to use a Tailed Beast Bomb in the last encounter had left him grievously wounded.
He grunted and fell back, fresh blood seeping through his bandages.
C, who was busy tending to the wounded, saw Killer B bleeding and rushed to his side. "Lord Killer B, please calm down! You'll only make your injuries worse."
Killer B gasped for air, the pain so intense he couldn't speak.
Up front, the wooden puppets were unable to break through Kisame Hoshigaki's defense and get to Mizukage Mei Terumi. Mei continued her assault, and with just a few more blasts of acid, the Hidden Cloud lost another twenty shinobi.
The situation for the Hidden Cloud had become dire.
Just at this critical moment, a deep rumbling sound echoed from the surface of the sea. Everyone turned toward the sound, their attention captivated by the ocean.
A figure could be seen hurtling toward them across the water's surface, moving with the force of a bulldozer at full throttle. The newcomer had dark skin, pale yellow hair, and thick armor covering his powerful arms. Green shuriken tattoos adorned his shoulders. His body was cloaked in a blue aura of crackling electricity, his hair standing on end as he charged forward like a bolt of lightning.
As he neared the battlefield, the Hidden Cloud shinobi erupted in a massive cheer. Their morale soared instantly.
Their strongest warrior had arrived.
The Fourth Raikage, A, had entered the battle!
The Raikage reached the coastline and immediately assessed the Hidden Cloud's grim situation. He stomped hard on the water, which compressed beneath his foot like a sponge. Then, with a thunderous boom, the surface exploded upward. Propelled forward, the Raikage's tank-like body closed the distance to Mei in an instant, moving with blinding speed.
Focusing Lightning Style chakra into his elbow, he brought it down on Mei with devastating force.
Kisame Hoshigaki, who had been stationed by Mei's side, thrust Samehada upward, intercepting the blow.
Bang!
The impact was like a cannonball strike. Samehada was thrown back, slamming into Kisame's chest. The force sent him flying into Mei, and the two of them were knocked through the air.
Water Style: Water Prison Wall!
Nearby, Ao had just completed his hand signs. A wall of water erupted from the ground. It was too late to block the Raikage's initial strike, but it successfully thwarted his follow-up attack.
Juzo Biwa disengaged from his opponent and rushed to support Mei.
Zabuza spotted a large fan in the distance. He pivoted, twisting his waist and shoulders to build momentum, and then flung his massive blade with a powerful swing. The greatsword whirled through the air with a roar and struck the fan directly. With a series of cracks and clangs, its blades were all sheared off. Zabuza's imitation Executioner's Blade shattered on impact. Seeing the fan destroyed, Zabuza began weaving hand signs as he ran back.
Elsewhere, Mei and Kisame got back to their feet. Mei was mostly unharmed, just shaken from the fall.
Kisame, however, was in bad shape. When Samehada had been knocked back, it had caved in his chest. As he staggered up, he coughed up a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of his internal organs. An injury that severe would have killed an ordinary person. Fortunately, Kisame had Samehada. The chakra it had absorbed from the wooden puppets now flowed into his body, rapidly healing his wounds.
Just then, the Raikage came charging in again like a bulldozer. He had already bypassed Ao's Water Prison Wall.
The Raikage roared, "Stay right where you are!"
Lightning-Style Chop!
Amidst the crackle of electricity, his hand, glowing with blue light, sliced downward.
Kisame, not yet fully healed, could only raise Samehada in a weak defense. Luckily, Juzo arrived just in time, placing his Executioner's Blade in front of Samehada.
Clang!
With a sharp crack, the Executioner's Blade snapped in two. The top half of the blade went spinning through the air. The Raikage's chop then slammed into Samehada. Though Juzo's blade had absorbed some of the impact, the force still sent Kisame skidding back several meters.
At that same moment, Mei unleashed a massive stream of corrosive acid. Her target: the Hidden Cloud forces! The acid shot high into the air before exploding, raining down on the Cloud shinobi below.
Meanwhile, Zabuza completed his hand signs.
Hidden Mist Jutsu!
A thick fog began to spread across the battlefield.
The Raikage could no longer pursue Mei. Instead, he flashed back to his shinobi's position and stomped his foot into the ground. Sand from the beach flew up into the air.
Sssss...
The acid sizzled as it hit the rising sand, giving the Cloud ninja a crucial moment to dodge.
Kisame, still coughing up blood, turned to Mei. "Lady Mizukage, we have to retreat! None of us are a match for the Raikage!"
Zabuza's mist was now rolling in. Mei shot one last glare at the Hidden Cloud forces, knowing the battle was over.
Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu!
She expelled a thick fog from her own mouth, and the other Mist shinobi followed suit, concealing their retreat.