"Pffft—!"
Lock hit the ground hard, blood spraying from his mouth. His chest throbbed, his arm hung uselessly, and his mind reeled. Only now did he realize—when they clashed before, the Fourth Raikage hadn't even been serious. This full-force strike nearly crushed his chest and shattered his arm outright.
So that's the true power of molding lightning into the body's cells… terrifying. One more hit like that and I'm finished.
This was the closest he had come to death. If Ai landed one or two more clean strikes, there would be nothing left of him.
But the impact had at least given him a sliver of space. Even as the Raikage and Killer B charged again, Lock forced his battered body upright. His left arm was useless, bones shattered, but ninjutsu didn't always need both hands.
"Release—!"
Smoke burst out. Three Locks split in three different directions, bodies flickering through the night.
"Hmph. Pointless tricks."
The Raikage's snarl cut through the dark. His form blurred, catching one clone within a second—obliterating it in a clap of thunder. B's blades cut down another in a spray of sparks. That left one figure racing westward—the real Lock.
"That's the one!"
The sensory-nin shouted quickly. He knew Lock had the power of invisibility, but also knew it couldn't be used instantly while in the heat of combat. Fearing Ai and B might hesitate, he raised his voice again to guide them—cleverly shifting his own position to keep Lock guessing.
But that movement was all Lock needed.
"Got you."
He slammed a seal into the dirt. Chakra flared, and the darkness lit with the faint glow of his scouting mark. For the briefest moment, the sensor's outline became visible in the haze.
Lock vanished.
The sensory-nin's face drained pale. He tried to back away, hands rising desperately—but he wasn't the Raikage, nor Killer B. He couldn't match the speed.
Steel pierced flesh.
Blood sprayed across Lock's cheek as his kunai drove cleanly through the man's throat, severing flesh and windpipe in one ruthless stroke. The body went limp in his grip.
"Sarui!"
The Raikage's roar split the forest. His killing intent surged, thunder bursting as his speed spiked even higher. B was behind him, slower but relentless.
Lock stared at Ai, charging straight at him like a thunder beast. Even with the scouting seal's vision brightening the night, he could barely track that speed. It was inhuman—faster than any car he'd ever seen in his past life.
But Ai wasn't teleporting. And that meant there was still a way.
Lock steadied his breath. The dead weight of Sarui's body was dragged in his hand. Two more seconds. I just need two more seconds.
He hurled the body forward, straight into the Raikage's path.
Ai's speed came from explosive straight-line bursts. Diverting in mid-sprint would slow him—even if only slightly. If he stopped to catch his comrade, Lock would have bought the time he needed. If he smashed through… then Lock was out of luck.
Kirabi wasn't fast enough to arrive yet. Everything depended on Ai's choice.
Lock braced. His remaining hand twitched, ready to weave a seal if it came to that.
Then his eyes widened.
The Raikage didn't slow. He didn't change course. He snatched Sarui's body with one hand mid-sprint, flung it back behind him without breaking stride, and surged forward like a thunderbolt.
In less than a heartbeat, he was on top of Lock.
Damn it!
Lock cursed, forcing his trembling hand into seals. He couldn't run. Turning his back would mean instant death. He had only one option left—
—to gamble everything on the jutsu he could still form with one hand.
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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