Hyūga Shigeo's hands moved in a blur — Jiton (Magnet Release) burst to life.
Several iron rods formed and stabbed into the shattered floor. He spun, one hand flashing through seals.
"Suiton: Funsen (Water Release: Fountain)!"
Water gushed up like a spring, arcing through the air — and connected directly with the Raikage's Raiton (Lightning Release).
But instead of weakening the thunder, the water amplified it.
All around, the Kumogakure shinobi watching gasped.
They thought he'd lost his mind.
"Is he tired of living!?" one shouted.
"He's insane — this will fry him alive! Prepare to capture the body!"
They'd already tasted his power when he broke their lightning net with Jiton. But now that the Fourth Raikage himself was using Rairyū no Shigai (Thunder Beast), they believed no one could survive it.
The lightning beast swelled larger and larger, its form blindingly bright under the flow of Shigeo's water.
The entire hall trembled as the storm creature roared and charged.
"Raaaagh!"
The blast of light consumed everything.
Shinobi threw their arms over their faces as the explosion thundered through the concert hall.
Walls collapsed outward in a shockwave; debris and chairs went flying, hurling everyone clear of the stage.
Killer B reacted fastest — grabbing his three students, he leapt aside and shielded them with his massive frame as the floor beneath exploded.
The once-bustling entertainment district of Kumogakure was now an inferno of collapsed buildings and screaming civilians.
Those still standing regrouped, staring at the smoldering ruins.
In the center of the crater, the Jiton rods still pulsed with static light.
But the monstrous Rairyū no Shigai had vanished.
Only then did the Raikage understand what Shigeo had done.
The fool hadn't miscalculated — he'd set a trap.
Those iron rods were control points — nodes to manipulate the Thunder Beast's movement, while the Suiton's moisture amplified conductivity, creating a self-contained electric cage.
When the Thunder Beast was forced inward, the overload turned it into a bomb.
And Hyūga Shigeo had detonated it deliberately.
Amid the smoking crater, he stood unharmed, robes fluttering in the heat.
He turned toward Killer B.
"Old man," Shigeo said with a faint smile, "your rap's not bad. Shame the concert ended early."
B's sunglasses hung cracked on his face. He exhaled slowly and said, "You'd better leave. I'll hold them off. My bad for dragging you into this, little bro. Now go — while I still can."
"B!" the Raikage roared, staggering from the debris, his arm scorched.
"You plan to become a traitor!?"
B glared back. "Big bro — can you honestly say you can beat him? This isn't betrayal. I'm protecting our village!"
He slammed his swords together, blocking his brother's path as Shigeo's body rose into the air.
Lightning cracked between the brothers.
The Raikage hesitated. For the first time, doubt entered his eyes.
This boy had shown Raiton, Ranton (Storm Release), Suiton, and Jiton, and his chakra was monstrous — his tactics flawless.
Could even the Raikage defeat him?
"Hyūga Shigeo!" B shouted. "We've got no real grudge with you! Let's call it even for today, yeah? We'll meet again someday!
This concert didn't end like I wanted… but it's still the happiest one I've ever had. Thanks, my man — for listening to that trashy three-man local rap group with me, yo!"
He grinned wide — that goofy, toothy grin that somehow made everything lighter.
In the air, Shigeo chuckled softly.
Perhaps this detour hadn't been a waste after all.
Thanks to his time beside Killer B, he had already finished cloning the Eight-Tails.
And, as he confirmed with a glance at the glowing interface of his inner system, the small Gyūki within was growing — already the size of an arm.
"Thanks, old man," Shigeo said quietly. "Take care."
"Get him!" the Raikage bellowed, furious again.
From every direction, Kumogakure shinobi surged forward, lightning chains whirling in their hands — chains laced with sealing tags, glowing with Raiton sparks.
Shigeo's eyes turned cold.
He didn't move.
The first chain struck him square in the chest — then another, another, a dozen in total.
They pierced through his form.
"Got him! Seal!" the Raikage commanded.
But the moment the seals activated, realization dawned.
The chains had passed through him — like he was made of mist.
Shigeo's image shimmered — a projection.
Before they could react, he reappeared above, high in the air.
"Ranton: Reizā Sākasu (Storm Release: Laser Circus)!"
Blinding beams of light and lightning rained down.
They struck the rooftops and courtyards, leaving the village in ruin.
Explosions echoed across the mountain — the council hall collapsed, domes shattered, and panic spread through the streets as civilians fled screaming.
The destructive power was breathtaking.
On the ground, Killer B stared upward, stunned.
He clenched his fists. "He was ready to leave… they pushed him too far."
"Damn you! Die!" the Raikage roared, leaping up, his body wrapped in Raiton no Yoroi (Lightning Armor). "Raigeki Bakuhatsu (Lightning Strike Explosion)!"
A bolt of lightning speared toward Shigeo, but he flickered aside — and answered with another Ranton blast.
The beam struck the Raikage head-on.
A blinding flash split the air.
When it faded, A lay on the ground, eyes wide in disbelief, body smoking, his armor shattered.
"Big bro!" B's scream shook the air.
Medics rushed forward.
Shigeo, hovering above, gazed down silently.
Then — with a single step — he vanished into the clouds.
By the time the sun rose, Kumogakure lay in chaos.
The "concert" had become a battlefield, and the once-proud Lightning Village suffered its first humiliation in decades.
Far away, on the southern coast of the Land of Rivers, Shigeo reappeared.
He created a Rinnegan clone and examined his own body.
As expected, the tiny octopus-shaped tracker Killer B had placed on his back — the suction cup — was gone.
No chakra trace remained.
He exhaled softly.
From the shadows behind him, a familiar voice spoke.
"Shigeo, we need to talk."
He didn't even turn.
"I was wondering when you'd show yourself, Kōrin."
(End of Chapter)
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