The reversal came abruptly. The same attack that had gravely wounded Haseo before now vanished into nothingness when the Third Kazekage used it again.
At this very moment, Haseo's condition and chakra strength were completely different from just moments ago.
Of course, the Third Kazekage had no idea what had just happened—did Haseo get a shot of adrenaline or take some kind of steroid? All he knew for sure was that his enemy had been enhanced.
Before figuring out Haseo's condition and testing his strength, facing an unknown power like this, the Third Kazekage naturally needed to act more cautiously... Even if his decision moments ago had been to press the attack, that wouldn't stop him from retreating in the next instant.
This wasn't running away—it was a temporary withdrawal, the correct "strategy" to create distance and observe Haseo's state further... If anyone questioned the Third Kazekage's actions right now, he would definitely explain it this way.
Lightning surged wildly from Haseo, spreading along the endless rain like flowing threads across the sky, making half the heavens appear covered in chaotic webs of silver chains—he had launched his counterattack and started charging toward the Third Kazekage.
Haseo had no time now to think about mutual counters or weaknesses. All he knew was that the Lightning Release surging through him at this moment was the strongest he'd ever wielded, and since the Third Kazekage kept using Magnet Release, electromagnetic principles still applied.
Sage Art didn't give him more power so much as it boosted his physical limits... Among those enhancements, the most important to Haseo was "resistance improvement."
Just as he expected earlier, Sage Art had indeed resolved the persistent corrosive damage within his body.
Under the blessing of Sage Art, Haseo finally no longer needed to deliberately suppress the intensity of [Senken Zesshou]. Without worrying about strain on his body, the opposing Lightning Release surged wildly within him. Accelerating continuously without restraint, the forbidden jutsu ceased being held back—it had finally unleashed its full might.
Like a dying supergiant collapsing into itself, Haseo radiated unimaginable destructive power through his chakra.
The Iron Sand Thorns—[Senken] rose together, creating countless obstacles directly in front of him, filling the space ahead and separating him from the Third Kazekage.
Yet the moment Haseo took another step forward, the massive range of his Sage-art-enhanced Lightning Release matched the entire expanse of the metal jungle instantly devouring it.
High-intensity energy concentrated in Haseo's palm. At an incomprehensibly swift speed, straight and beyond sight tracking, he dashed into the Third Kazekage's defense network.
The seemingly indestructible iron-sand formation suffered permanent damage with just a swing of Haseo's hand. The sand webbing he passed through resembled steel plates pierced by high-energy heat rays, melting into dazzlingly bright red droplets.
Like molten iron in a blast furnace, those iron sands liquefied and began dripping down.
Rain poured from the sky, instantly vaporizing as it hit the searing metal surface, then quickly condensing back into mist just above it. In moments, dense mist engulfed the battlefield again.
This time, however, the advantage was no longer on the Third Kazekage's side.
So just how much did the defensive network set up by the Third Kazekage actually achieve? How much time had it truly bought? With rain pouring down, mist swirling violently, and blurred figures dashing at high speed, no one could offer precise data—but everyone could still use one phrase to describe its effect…next to nothing.
The Third Kazekage finished withdrawing his Iron Sand Defense Net, and immediately after, Haseo burst straight out from that tightly packed defensive formation. Thick white mist only began trailing behind him after he had passed through.
The Kage tried to lock his eyes onto Haseo, but before they could adjust fast enough, the figure blazing with white lightning shot forward—again—leaving him far behind. At this moment, the Kazekage's visual tracking ability clearly proved insufficient.
He now realized two mistakes: first, being too obsessed with chasing Haseo; second, not bringing along his Shani.
After breaking through the Third Kazekage's defenses, Haseo continued charging forward while forming hand seals with both hands. Then, several semi-transparent, nearly imperceptible 'air blades' flew toward a certain direction.
[Wind Release: Ame no Ohabari no Jutsu]
This technique originally wasn't meant for throwing, yet the highly concentrated Sage Chakra infused with Natural Energy granted it a special trait—it could retain its shape even when thrown away and no longer directly controlled by Haseo. This attack was merely an experiment by Haseo, and the results were exactly as expected.
Tenpen'usha pierced through the curtain of rain—the water droplets clinging onto the air blade gave it a crystal-like appearance—and in the next instant, it penetrated the bodies of several Iwa ninja.
But the blood gushing from their wounds shattered any illusion of grace.
Although Haseo displayed immense power, this was still just a test. Undoubtedly, he currently existed in a rather unstable state, so he worried about getting stuck here…Compared to the Third Kazekage, the true priority target to eliminate first should have been those Iwa ninja attempting to form an Enclosed Barrier.
Protecting an escape route was crucial—so he took them down without hesitation.
Haseo launched a straight-line dash to close in on the Third Kazekage, leaving the latter unable to turn and flee—under such a disadvantage in speed, such an action would essentially be choosing death.
Layer after layer of iron walls rose before the Third Kazekage—nearly a meter thick.
The Kage's decision was absolutely correct. When Haseo finally smashed through the barrier—that's when his perfect counterattack moment came!
He hadn't expected that despite the iron wall holding strong, Haseo had abruptly flanked him… Haseo might have seemed reckless, but he wasn't foolish. The Third Kazekage's defense wasn't 360 degrees—so when you could go around, why wouldn't you?
Why insist on smashing steel with flesh and bone? Sure, it looks cool—but wouldn't it hurt like hell?
Well, maybe it didn't hurt much—but it was damn pointless.
Facing Haseo who had circled around him, the Third Kazekage was shocked and hurriedly thrust out an arm and a leg in front to block the incoming strike!
The moment he made contact with Haseo—even before detecting any clear offensive movement—the Kazekage's limbs started crumbling under the surge of energy.
After all, flesh and blood could never rival steel.
In every big fight, losing arms was just part of the game—this was how things worked in this world. And yet, unexpectedly, this time the Third Kazekage had also lost a leg along with both arms… But the Third Kazekage was precisely this kind of ninja: invincible against those who couldn't break through his armor, yet for those whose attack power far exceeded his defenses, they would quickly discover just how shockingly simplistic the "Strongest Wind Shadow's" combat style truly was!
The Third Kazekage rolled backward. With a single outstretched hand, Haseo struck again. If he'd extended just a few more centimeters, he could've ended the "Strongest Wind Shadow's" life right then and there.
But at that very moment, the true nature of the battle surfaced once more—it wasn't a two-man duel, but a three-way skirmish.
Although the Third Tsuchikage's vision wasn't particularly sharp, he still managed to predict where Haseo would appear: wherever the Wind Shadow stood, that's where Haseo would strike.
So while Haseo focused completely on finishing off the Third Kazekage, the Third Tsuchikage aimed to wipe out both opponents in one fell swoop.
A massive cube glowing with blinding white light tilted downward, slamming toward where Haseo and the Kazekage stood.
[Dust Release: Split Detachment of the Primitive World Technique]… truly devastating. In terms of pure attack attributes alone, it still surpassed even Haseo's Lightning Release in Sage Mode.
Faced with this, Haseo could do nothing but leap back desperately, narrowly evading that space-erasing attack.
Thanks to Sage Art, however, Haseo's overall abilities had improved dramatically—for example, he could now easily evade the ambush-style strikes from the Third Tsuchikage.
As Haseo retreated, he glanced at where he'd just stood—a perfectly square pit had been carved out, and surrounding water was continuously flooding into it.
So what should we say? Buried him under water in a clean hole—was the Wind Shadow gone for good?
Haseo had no time to check the Kazekage's condition before the Third Tsuchikage came charging straight at him again.
Rocks coiled tightly around the Tsuchikage's arms as he threw a crushing punch at Haseo: [Earth Release: Ultra-Added-Weight Rock Technique]!
Using Earth Release to counter Lightning Release? The Tsuchikage's tactic was clever—and surprisingly effective.
Haseo sidestepped the blow, but the sheer force behind that earth-infused punch shattered his footing entirely, throwing him off balance.
Then the Tsuchikage launched another Dust Release attack.
Haseo barely dodged, but the Dust Release ultimately grazed past his arm, slicing away a huge chunk of flesh.
The sensation of being struck by the Dust Release was somewhat unique, and Haseo didn't feel any pain at first. Naturally, he wasn't about to just stand there and take it. He immediately countered with Blade of Lightning.
But the Third Tsuchikage seemed to have anticipated this move. As he dodged aside, a quiet voice reached his ears.
"I knew it. You'd definitely float upward."
Since he could fly, the sky felt like the safest spot, and without thinking, the Tsuchikage instinctively dodged upward.
And waiting for him there was an intense barrage of attacks:
[Sage Art: Water Release: Senbon Heavenly Weeping!]
A massive cluster of raindrops stretched into long, thin needles of water before raining down in full force upon the Third Tsuchikage.
The old man raised his rocky fists in front of himself to block, but countless water needles still pierced through his body.
Blood immediately splattered across his form.
Haseo was about to leap up and deliver another slash to finish off the Third Tsuchikage when suddenly, he staggered, a sharp pain once again shooting through his shoulder.
Haseo braced himself on the ground with one hand, stabilizing his stance. Only then did he realize what had happened—his shoulder had been pierced through by an iron spear.
He turned his head sharply, locking eyes with a familiar figure.
The Third Kazekage—who should've been dead—was not only alive, but had transformed into an iron-bodied form!
Admittedly, the wind shadow's current appearance was quite pitiful. He used iron sand to form a "cane" to prop himself up, his entire body covered in blood, one eye shut, heavily panting in deep, ragged breaths... And yet, he remained alive, still capable of launching attacks.
What's wrong with the Third Tsuchikage? Can't even land a finishing blow?
Originally a three-way battle, but now all three participants seemed to be severely wounded.
Just as Haseo was about to turn back again and finally eliminate the Third Kazekage, suddenly, the Lightning Release Chakra Cloak surrounding his body sharply contracted.
Then it reverted back to normal.
This was the very first time Haseo had ever used Sage Art—actually, he wasn't even sure whether his previous state truly qualified as "Sage Mode," because he clearly understood that it wasn't a stable condition.
Plus, his chakra was vanishing fast, and so did the natural energy inside him.
Most likely, the first attempt always ended like this—with barely enough time to sustain it for long before coming to an end.
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