Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at Shiraishi, who was surrounded by crackling electromagnetic currents. Bathed in a pale blue light, Shiraishi's presence was truly staggering.
With a flick of his Adamantine Staff, the Third Hokage spat out a bolt of silver electricity that mirrored Shiraishi's own.
However, Shiraishi simply jabbed his finger forward, causing his blade to accelerate instantly. It nimbly evaded the incoming attack, leaving the Hokage's effort to strike nothing but air.
Surrounded by lightning, the Sage's Blade lunged toward Hiruzen at high velocity. Realizing he couldn't dodge in time, Hiruzen slammed his arms together, catching the tip of the blade between his palms.
Layers of violent Sage Wind-Fire converged in Hiruzen's hands, forming a barrier to block the frantic assault of the electrical currents.
However, at that moment, Hiruzen felt a sudden surge of premonition. He felt as though he had forgotten or overlooked something crucial!
Thirty meters away, Shiraishi calmly relinquished direct control over the Sage's Blade. He pressed his palms together, and as they struck, a massive amount of Lightning Release energy condensed above the countless drifts of silver sand.
A thunderclap erupted out of thin air, echoing in Hiruzen's heart and making his entire body tremble. Amidst the ringing in his ears and blurred vision, he saw the power of Shiraishi's Electromagnetic Domain growing stronger by the second.
"This Magnet Release... it has already surpassed the Magnet Release of the three Sand Style lineages."
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, was a fellow Magnet Release user, but seeing Shiraishi manipulate the element with such versatility and flair left him feeling both shocked and discouraged. This boy was truly a monster.
Ryoko Yamaji watched the scene with a similarly complex expression. Her hair was disheveled, and she was heavily wounded from her previous battle with Uchiha Zhan.
Although she wanted to step in and assist Shiraishi, she realized she had no way of helping.
Shiraishi's current state and level were far beyond those of an ordinary Sand ninja. Inspired by "Black Mist" Shiraishi, the Sand ninjas' counterattack grew fierce, and for a moment, the Konoha army showed signs of retreat.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, gasped for air. Gripping his staff, he quickly steadied his mind and instinctively dove to the side.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Shiraishi pulled his palms apart, drawing out a wafer-thin ripple of silver electricity—a stunning sight. As the Sage's Blade returned to his hand via a Dimensional Hole, it resonated perfectly with the silver current, erupting in a dazzling light.
In this special Space-Time Ninjutsu, not only can the user switch coordinates, but even ninja tools can be swapped?
It had to be said that Shiraishi had entered a wondrous state. The combination of the Dimensional Hole Space-Time Ninjutsu, Magnet Release, and the Taijutsu of the Sage's Blade created a combat style that even the Third Hokage found incredibly difficult to handle.
Perhaps only Minato Namikaze, with his Flying Raijin, could suppress Shiraishi in terms of speed. Otherwise, Shiraishi was like a hedgehog—impossible to approach.
Lightning Release was the last of the five basic chakra natures Shiraishi had developed, but because of its perfect compatibility with Magnet Release, the two years of painstaking cultivation had resulted in immense combat power.
With a Body Flicker slash, the Sage's Blade turned into a bolt of lightning, instantly crossing the distance between them.
It slashed across Hiruzen's back, leaving a bone-deep, charred, and crackling wound that extended from below his shoulder all the way down!
Had Hiruzen not sensed it early and evaded just in time, the blade likely would have struck him head-on, damaging his vital organs or even cutting him in half.
What terrifying attack speed!
"Lord Third!"
Shikaku Nara's voice was laced with terror. He hadn't expected Shiraishi's attack speed to be so high that the Third Hokage could be dealt such a massive wound in the blink of an eye.
"Have faith in him! That is our Hokage!"
Jiraiya remained deeply trustful of his teacher. Since Shiraishi's first strike missed the vital points, he was certain his teacher would have a counter-strategy.
In a flash, Hiruzen didn't dare use medical ninjutsu to clear the electrical paralysis on his back. Instead, he whipped up a massive Wind Release gale to break through the air currents, narrowly avoiding a horizontal sweep from the electromagnetic blade that had broken out of his control.
The Third Hokage's combat experience was undeniably vast. Having fought against several Nintaijutsu experts from the Cloud Village whose styles were similar to Shiraishi's current approach, he naturally had a counter-law.
Use Wind Release!
As countless air vortexes swirled around him, the Third Hokage moved like a swaying pendulum, weaving and changing direction within the electromagnetic field.
He matched his agility against Shiraishi's controlled blade and soon gained the upper hand, beginning to close in on Shiraishi.
"Great! The distance to Black Mist Shiraishi is closing!"
"No, it's not that simple!"
As the gap narrowed, the switching speed of Shiraishi's blade only increased. Hiruzen began to feel the direct pressure of the blade slashes, losing the relative ease he had just moments ago.
He had to find a way to break Shiraishi's chain of attacks.
Controlling the Sage's Blade with electromagnetism, combined with his powerful Sand Gathering technique, gave Shiraishi incredible stamina.
The Third Hokage confirmed his suspicion: as long as they were in a desert environment, Shiraishi's chakra recovery speed was exceptionally fast.
Currently, Shiraishi was a blur of rampaging currents, his entire body covered in silver light as the Sage's Blade danced in a magnificent flow of strikes.
Hiruzen took a step forward, only to see the blade slash down at high speed. The flickering lightning almost grazed his back. At that moment, he pivoted sharply, his hands having already formed seals.
The moment the seals were complete, Hiruzen spoke with majesty: "Wind Release: Peacock Thousand Intense Gusts!"
The air currents instantly contracted and solidified into layers of invisible, slicing vortexes, successfully suppressing the flickering electrical speed of Shiraishi's blade.
It worked!
"The old man may be aging, but his experience is still rich. That Wind Release timing was incredible—it directly severed the chain of Black Mist Shiraishi's weapon attacks."
The Peacock Thousand Intense Gusts was only a common B-rank Wind Release jutsu, but it excelled in scale. While not overwhelmingly powerful, it was the perfect technique to trap the Sage's Blade in this specific scenario.
The Third Hokage's goal was simple: first, neutralize the opponent's best weapon, then commit fully to close-quarters combat. Trying to win through attrition would not work for long!
Although he had successfully used Wind Release to suppress the blade's mobility, Hiruzen felt that nagging sensation again—as if he had forgotten something.
Not far away, Shiraishi flipped his palm. Countless metallic sand grains instantly generated a powerful suction force. Suddenly, every hair on Hiruzen's body stood on end.
Without a moment's hesitation, he abandoned his confrontation with the blade and retreated rapidly.
Under a sky of gathering dark clouds, a massive pillar of electrical current crashed down onto the spot where he had just been standing, leaving behind a deep, smoking crater.
Shiraishi slowly ascended into the sky. Countless silver sand grains converged around him, molding into a monster similar to the one Ryoko Yamaji had created earlier.
However, this one was saturated with terrifying electrical currents, and its shape bore a striking resemblance to the ginger cat Shiraishi kept at home.
"Crap! Everyone, retreat!"
Sensing Shiraishi's intent, the Third Hokage stepped forward with his staff. However, Jiraiya of the Sannin suddenly lunged out, summoning a giant toad with a smoking pipe to stand in front of Shiraishi's Electromagnetic Ginger Cat.
"Jiraiya..."
"Teacher, fall back. Without a large-scale summoning, it will be hard for you to deal with an enemy like this."
The moment Jiraiya took over the fight from the Third Hokage, the Electromagnetic Ginger Cat let out an angry roar. The sky seemed to split open as a violent surge of electricity erupted.
A domineering beam of lightning blasted from the cat's mouth, striking directly toward the direction of the Konoha main camp in the distance...
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