Yamanaka Iun, fleeing for his life, could feel the terrifying killing intent emanating from behind him. Even Sarutobi Hiruzen was startled by this killing intent, causing him to unconsciously frown slightly.
His so-called lapse into unconsciousness was naturally an act. After all, he was a renowned veteran Kage-level powerhouse in the ninja world. Even if his spirit was severely damaged, it wouldn't lead to a state of unconsciousness.
Moreover, he had cast the Darkness Genjutsu on himself before facing Ryun. Although the effect wasn't particularly strong and couldn't completely immunize him against Ryun's genjutsu attacks, it still reduced the power of this ocular technique by fifty to sixty percent.
In fact, he had planned this step long ago. Taking Ryun's Mangekyō technique head-on and then withdrawing was the best method he could think of.
This way, he would neither give the other four Kages an excuse to jointly pressure Konoha, nor would he truly end up as Ryun had accused, "joining outsiders to kill his own disciple's disciple," thus bearing the eternal infamy of being heartless, ungrateful, and despised by all.
Unfortunately, while his unconsciousness was fake, Ryun's desire to kill him seemed genuine!
Faced with the lethal technique closing in instantly, he felt he could hardly keep up the act. But before he could make any move, Iun tightened his grip around him first.
This was Iun's signal. As a sensor-type ninja, he had already detected two other figures approaching.
Just as Ryun was about to catch up to his target, two figures charged at him with lightning speed, as fast as thunder.
The Third Tsuchikage, "riding" the Fourth Raikage, had arrived to rescue them!
Ōnoki's Light-Weight Rock Technique drastically reduced A's weight, granting him a monstrous speed that surpassed his usual limits.
The Fourth Raikage's fist, as large as a sandbag, slammed forward. Although Ryun was shocked by the terrifying speed the opponent displayed, he was not too slow to react. However, this meant that the old fox Sarutobi Hiruzen would successfully escape danger...
Ryun was holding the lightning in his right hand. The Fourth Raikage and the other charged from the right side. Due to the angle, he couldn't thrust his Chidori toward them. In that hurried moment, he could only raise his arm and use his elbow to block the opponent's Lightning Release iron fist head-on!
Just as his elbow and the fist were about to collide, the force Ōnoki had applied on A suddenly changed.
"Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique!"
A could clearly feel his fist becoming much heavier.
Boom...
Crack...
The moment they made contact, the small exposed black bone spur on Ryun's elbow (a change from activating Sage Mode) shattered instantly. As the force of the collision erupted violently, Ryun was sent flying far away by the raging punching force, then crashed hard into a mountain wall.
"Water Release: Water Arrow!"
The Third Mizukage seized the opportunity to press the attack. A large number of sharp arrows formed from water shot into the mountain wall, precisely where Ryun was located.
"Magnet Release: Giant Iron Sand Cone!"
The Third Kazekage also seized the chance to strike. A massive and heavy iron sand cone smashed into the mountain wall, its terrifying force causing the entire small mountain to rumble loudly.
"I hope you're lucky enough not to die here..."
After glancing at the fierce battle ahead, Sakumo Hatake sighed quietly to himself before decisively turning and striding quickly in the direction where Yamanaka Iun had gone.
The Third Hokage had feigned unconsciousness to withdraw from the battlefield, so he could no longer stay here either.
Konoha no longer intended to participate in this great battle!
"I underestimated you all..."
Looking at his dislocated and bleeding right hand, Ryun wore a gloomy expression and let out a sigh. In front of him, a layer of Susanoo skeleton had blocked the combined attacks from the Mizukage and Kazekage.
Enduring the pain, he reset the bones in his right arm back into place, then punched the iron sand cone blocking his way, sending it flying.
Watching the exceptionally heavy iron sand cone get smashed back out, the expressions on the four Kages' faces turned ugly. But when Ryun fully emerged from the mountain wall, the bloody right arm made them confident that "he's not so tough after all."
However, what they didn't know was that while the blood was indeed real, the external injuries on Ryun's arm had already quietly healed by the time he walked out of the mountain wall...
"Surrender now... Uchiha Ryun. You can't even maintain Sage Mode anymore. What else can you use to fight us?" the Third Kazekage shouted triumphantly.
"Heh... After all, you are the Five Kages. It really isn't easy to take you down with just Sage Mode alone. But... I still have plenty of tricks up my sleeve. I hope all of you can last until the end..."
As Ryun spoke, pieces of white Susanoo bones quietly covered his body.
Seeing the skeletal form of white bones and black flames, everyone present showed expressions of shock.
"Susanoo, huh... This bastard can still use this technique even with one eye blinded..."
Compared to the other three Kages who had never seen this before, the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki knew full well how terrifying this ability was.
When he was young, he and the Second Tsuchikage went to Konoha to sign a peace treaty with the First Hokage of that time. On the way, they encountered Uchiha Madara. Not only did their Iwagakure suffer a brutal beating and humiliation, but Ōnoki also developed a huge psychological shadow from that day onward.
The so-called Susanoo skeleton was merely the initial form of this ability, but this form alone was enough to block most physical damage.
"Putting on a mysterious act! Today, you will definitely die!"
The Fourth Raikage charged forward at extreme speed, his sandbag-sized Lightning Release iron fist smashing hard against the Susanoo skeleton.
Crack... crack...
The Susanoo ribs cracked under the punch, but the Fourth Raikage's fist could only stop firmly in front of Ryun.
"Your tone is quite big, but your strength is truly lacking... I suppose you haven't even mastered 'Hell Stab,' have you? You are far inferior to your father, the Third Raikage, and you can't even compare to the other four Kages... The title of 'Weakest Kage' among the Five Great Nations undoubtedly belongs to you!"
The number one trash-talker of the ninja world struck again. The Fourth Raikage's face visibly turned red with anger, his entire expression gradually twisting.
Lies don't hurt, the truth is the sharpest blade... This A was not the A from the Fourth Great Ninja War. This Fourth Raikage was still too young, and his strength was indeed the weakest among the current Five Kages.
This was the second time today that Ryun had called him weak... Faced with such humiliation, the Fourth Raikage was so angry he felt his lungs were about to explode, his fierce eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
"Raikage, calm down. Don't forget how the Hokage fell..." the Third Tsuchikage hurriedly reminded.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Coffin!"
The Third Kazekage compressed a large amount of iron sand into a heavy giant coffin. Under his control, the iron sand coffin smashed hard onto the Susanoo skeleton.
With a loud "clang," Ryun was forced to stagger back a step by the heavy giant coffin.
"Such hard bones!"
The Third Kazekage couldn't help but suck in a cold breath. His full-power attack had only managed to break a few Susanoo ribs.
Ryun controlled the skeletal arm and swatted hard at the iron sand coffin. The heavy solid coffin was instantly sent flying over a hundred meters away.
This casual strike from the half-bodied skeleton truly shocked everyone. If that slap had landed on a person... even they, the Four Kages, probably couldn't withstand it...
But despite their fear, this battle still had to continue.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
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