In the split second of lightning speed, Sora could no longer afford to hold back.
Under the cover of the green steam, his legs were instantly covered with a layer of cyan-gold dragon scales, and the outline of his muscles also underwent subtle changes, full of explosive power.
Whoosh.
Wind elements swirled around Sora's feet, his speed breaking through his original limit at this moment. His body left behind a trail of afterimages as he desperately retreated to the side and rear in an almost twisted posture.
Slice.
The Third Raikage's finger, capable of piercing mountains, almost grazed past Sora's chest. The sharp Lightning Release chakra tore a huge gash in his Anbu vest and even left a charred mark on the skin beneath.
A burning pain came, but Sora's heart relaxed.
He dodged it.
Although it was a close call, he had finally avoided that certain-kill strike.
The Third Raikage, missing his attack, showed a flicker of surprise in his eyes, but his killing intent grew even stronger.
At this moment, Namikaze Minato's figure also appeared beside the Third Raikage, pressing down with the Rasengan once again, forcing him to defend.
Boom.
The two clashed once more, shockwaves rolling.
The situation temporarily became Namikaze Minato and Sora joining forces against the enraged Third Raikage.
With Sora providing support from the side, although he could not pose a substantial threat to the Third Raikage, his speed and strength could interfere with the Raikage's movements to some extent. This slightly reduced the pressure on Namikaze Minato, allowing him to contain the enemy more easily.
The Third Raikage roared repeatedly, his attacks like a violent storm. But faced with the elusive Namikaze Minato and the slippery Sora, he found it difficult to achieve a breakthrough for the moment.
The surrounding Kumo jonin, seeing this, wanted to step forward to help. However, they were forced back by the Flying Thunder God kunai casually thrown by Namikaze Minato and Sora's swift taijutsu attacks, unable to form an effective encirclement.
Moreover, the other Konoha ninja on their side were not to be underestimated either.
The battle seemed to have fallen into a brief balance.
...
However, the balance did not last long. A Konoha communications ninja, using the Earth-Style Submergence Technique, struggled to break through to the edge of the battlefield and shouted anxiously at Namikaze Minato.
"Lord Minato. It's bad. The western Sector Three Highlands have been assaulted by elite Kumo forces. The leaders are Killer B and the Fourth A. The defensive line is about to collapse. Commander Akimichi Torifu orders you to go support immediately. Only you can get there quickly."
"What. Killer B and A." Namikaze Minato's face changed drastically.
He finally understood why he felt two key top-tier fighters were missing from the Kumo side here. They had been sent to raid another important stronghold.
If the western Sector Three Highlands fell, Kumo could drive straight in, directly threatening the flank of the Konoha camp, even completing a pincer movement. The consequences would be unthinkable.
But. If he left, what about here.
Namikaze Minato's gaze swept over Sora, who had been forced back again by a punch from the Third Raikage and whose breathing was slightly disordered, then looked at the Third Raikage, who stood proud and invincible like a demon god. An extremely troubled expression appeared on his face.
"Green Snake."
Taking advantage of a crossing opportunity, Namikaze Minato called out to Sora with rapid speech. "The western sector is in critical danger. I must go immediately. Can you hold here temporarily? Senior Torifu is already leading support forces here, but it will take time."
Hearing this, Sora's face beneath the mask nearly collapsed. In his heart, ten thousand alpacas instantly stampeded past.
"Hold? Hold your lung. You want me to face this enraged old monster alone? You think far too highly of me."
He desperately wanted to also use Flying Thunder God and slip away immediately.
But he knew he could not.
Not to mention that he did not know Flying Thunder God, even if he did, if he ran now, the entire main defensive line would collapse instantly. The resulting losses and impact would be even greater. Sarutobi Hiruzen would have absolutely no way to explain it, unless Sora defected immediately.
Damn it, he had been forced into a corner.
Sora took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to curse inwardly, knowing there was no retreat now.
He looked at Namikaze Minato's anxious yet trusting gaze and gritted his teeth.
"…I'll do my best. You go quickly."
Namikaze Minato looked deeply at Sora.
"Hang in there."
Before his words even faded, he hesitated no longer. His figure flashed, appearing beside a distant Flying Thunder God kunai. With another flash, he completely disappeared from the battlefield, rushing toward the western direction at high speed.
On the battlefield, only Sora was left alone, facing the enraged Third Raikage by himself.
The Third Raikage looked at the solitary Sora, cracked his neck with a popping sound, and the lightning all over his body roared once again, like a thunder beast awakening.
"Brat. Now, no one can save you. Are you ready to pay the price for what you've done."
The Third Raikage's killing intent filled roar echoed across the battlefield, like a proclamation of death.
Facing this peak Kage level powerhouse alone, Sora felt the surrounding air grow heavy, and his breathing became somewhat labored.
"Can't fight head on. Must buy time."
Before leaving, Namikaze Minato had said that Akimichi Torifu was on his way.
Also, if the ninja who went to request reinforcements was effective enough, he might actually be able to lure that sinister Orochimaru here.
Although Orochimaru coming might not necessarily be a good thing, that guy would likely take advantage of the situation. His target would either be Sora himself, this "precious experimental subject," or the Third Raikage, the leader of an enemy village.
But no matter what, the more chaotic the situation became, the more favorable it was for Sora.
Thinking of this, Sora made a decision.
He took a deep breath, and the green steam on the surface of his body, representing the Fifth Gate of the Eight Gates, slowly converged and dissipated.
It seemed like his chakra was insufficient, and he had deactivated the state.
"Hmph. Giving up the struggle." The Third Raikage's eyes were cold, the lightning around his body growing even brighter as he prepared to launch a thunderous strike.
However, the next second, a completely different, ancient and majestic aura violently erupted from within Sora's body.
"Azure Dragon Form. Partial Beast Transformation."
"Eight Gates Release. Sixth Gate of View, open."
A low dragon's roar seemed to sound from the depths of his bloodline. The figure within the green steam seemed to grow even taller, and a heart-palpitating oppressive feeling spread out.
"His chakra changed."
"Such strong pressure. What secret technique is this."
The distant Kumo and Konoha ninja all felt an inexplicable palpitation. But limited by vision and perception, they only knew this Konoha Anbu seemed to have used some powerful trump card. They couldn't clearly see the specific form.
But the Third Raikage, who was right in front, was different.
His keen Kage-level perception instantly pierced through that layer of energy steam, capturing the inhuman changes on Sora's body. The strange scales covering his entire body, the claws, and that tail, faintly visible and full of power within the steam.
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