"Then, let's start with you!"
Raiden murmured softly, and powerful lightning quickly enveloped him.
In the next second, Raiden's figure vanished. When he reappeared in front of Hidan, the blade of Sakegari no Tachi was already pointed at Hidan's neck.
Almost no one could have predicted that Raiden would take the lead despite being surrounded by so many enemies. Hidan, who had never encountered Raiden before, was still complaining to Sasori and Deidara when the slash was about to land.
However, while Hidan was unfamiliar with Raiden, others were not. The moment Raiden disappeared, Sasori was already on high alert. As Raiden reached Hidan, Sasori immediately extended several chakra threads, connecting them to Hidan and yanking him aside.
"Banshō Ten'in!"
Not only did Sasori react, but so did Tendo, who was Kakuzu's incarnation. He stretched out his hand, and a powerful suction force erupted from his palm, pulling Hidan away from his original position.
Raiden's blade sliced through the air, releasing a stream of energy tens of meters long that crashed into the ground. A deafening explosion followed, leaving behind a massive fissure. The rainwater poured into the crack, yet no echo came from its depths.
The impact jolted Hidan into realizing he was in the middle of a battle. He turned to look at the terrifying chasm beside him and swallowed hard.
"Hey, hey, hey! Are you serious? A single slash created such a bottomless rift?!"
"If I get hit by that..."
Even though Hidan was immortal, cold sweat trickled down his face. If he took a direct hit, his regenerative abilities would be meaningless—he didn't want to experience being dismembered.
"Raiden... is he really this strong?" Zetsu muttered darkly. This wasn't the first time he had encountered Raiden, but each meeting showed a drastic increase in Raiden's strength. Compared to before, the current Raiden was on an entirely different level.
In the past, Raiden would never have been able to unleash such a devastating attack.
"Lucky… I barely dodged it."
"But next time, you won't be so lucky!"
Raiden lowered his blade and stood calmly, his expression indifferent. Despite facing multiple formidable Akatsuki members, he showed no sign of anxiety. His unwavering composure gave Kisame Hoshigaki and Uchiha Fugaku great confidence.
"Lord Raiden's strength is becoming more terrifying by the day. Mr. Fugaku, should we assist?" Kisame gripped Samehada, watching Raiden's battle-ready stance. He wasn't sure if he should intervene—perhaps simply staying back and holding the line was the best course of action.
"It's enough to stand guard. I need to keep an eye on that Uchiha over there."
Fugaku shook his head slightly, his gaze fixed on Uchiha Madara, who stood in the distance wearing a mask. Raiden had brought him to the Land of Rain for a reason, and Fugaku knew his role—he had to counter the Mangekyō Sharingan and prevent its interference.
"You all better not disappoint me!"
The lightning around Raiden intensified, turning a deep shade of violet before darkening to black.
Boom! The ground beneath him exploded as he vanished.
The Six Paths, wielding the Rinnegan, tracked Raiden's movement instantly. Tendo anticipated his approach and attacked without hesitation.
"Shinra Tensei!"
As Raiden charged toward Hidan, a powerful repulsion force surged toward him. His eyes flickered with surprise before he quickly flickered away, avoiding the attack and closing in on Hidan once more.
Hidan attempted to raise his scythe, but before he could react, agony coursed through his body. Blood gushed out as his torso and lower body separated. His vision blurred as he saw Raiden's face up close—but as his upper body began to fall, his perspective shifted from looking forward to looking upward.
"H-How is this possible?!"
Since his debut, Hidan had faced countless powerful enemies, but never had he been so powerless.
"Taking care of the most troublesome one first!"
Raiden twirled his blade, then plunged its tip into Hidan's heart, embedding a curse mark into his body. The earth beneath them wriggled as soil and rock encased Hidan's remains, sealing him completely.
"He's insanely strong!" Deidara hadn't attacked at all—not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't. His reaction speed couldn't keep up with Raiden's movements, and without the Rinnegan, he couldn't even track Raiden's figure, let alone protect Hidan.
In just two engagements, Raiden sealed Hidan in front of everyone. All that remained was a small mound of earth, barely distinguishable from a tombstone.
"Who's next?!"
Raiden's gaze swept across the Akatsuki, before finally settling on Sasori.
"The Red Sand Scorpion..."
"I'll send you back to Sunagakure—I'm sure Granny Chiyo will be grateful!"
Raiden chuckled, pulling his long blade from the mound before launching an attack on Sasori.
"Hey, if you don't act, I'll send those two away!" Uchiha Madara silently appeared beside Tendo, lowering his voice as he spoke.
"Hmph!" Tendo snorted coldly, his eyes filled with darkness. Without hesitation, he descended rapidly, stretching out his hand toward Raiden.
This time, the repulsive force from Tendo was far stronger than before, and a terrifying pressure blasted toward Raiden, sending him flying.
Not only Raiden but also Sasori, whom Tendo was trying to protect, was affected by the overwhelming force, causing him to be flung backward. However, since Sasori was further away, the impact on him wasn't as severe. Meanwhile, Raiden, who had been accelerating toward Sasori, was launched away with even greater force.
As Raiden's body crashed into the ground, a massive crater, several meters deep, formed at the impact site, as if a meteor had struck.
"Lord Raiden?" Kisame called out in surprise before turning his gaze toward Tendo, astonished.
Uchiha Fugaku, maintaining a serious expression, analyzed the situation:
"This guy's ability… is it attraction and repulsion?"
"The force is overwhelming—it managed to knock Raiden away."
"Those eyes… the Rinnegan that Raiden spoke of. With their insight, they accurately tracked Raiden's movements."
"It's a troublesome ability!"
Fugaku silently moved behind Kisame, keeping only his head exposed as he carefully observed the battlefield.
"The power of Shinra Tensei is nothing special!"
From within the massive crater, a flicker of black lightning flashed. A moment later, Raiden casually leaped out, cracking his neck as if nothing had happened. Although Tendo's Shinra Tensei had knocked him back, Raiden's Lightning Armor had absorbed most of the force, leaving him completely unscathed.
Just as Raiden stepped out of the crater, countless white clay beetles erupted from the ground, swarming toward him. At the same time, dozens of white four-winged clay birds soared through the air, rushing at him from above.
"This is true art!"
"Take this!"
Deidara, captivated by Raiden's overwhelming strength, finally grinned in excitement, forming hand seals as he detonated the clay creatures.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!
A series of deafening explosions shook the battlefield, and flames illuminated the gloomy surroundings. The rain evaporated instantly, and dense white mist engulfed the lingering dust, obscuring the battlefield.
"As expected, I had to handle it myself!"
"Hahahaha!"
Deidara burst into laughter, but Sasori, standing beside him, remained silent, his expression unreadable.
In the distance, Uchiha Madara narrowed his eyes, keeping a close watch on the smoke-covered battlefield.
Meanwhile, Tendo's face showed a trace of excitement.
A sudden gust of cold wind swept through the battlefield, dispersing the lingering smoke and dust from the explosions. The sky darkened further, and distant thunder rumbled ominously.
"Explosion Release... Your technique reminds me of someone."
"Boy, is your father still in Iwagakure?"
As the smoke and dust settled, Raiden slowly emerged, still wreathed in black lightning. He looked at Deidara and spoke calmly.
"Impossible?!"
Deidara froze in shock as he watched Raiden walk out of the explosion completely unharmed. Panic surged through him as he instinctively reached for more clay.
Before he could react, Raiden was already in front of him.
Deidara felt an overwhelming sense of dread as a crushing killing intent bore down on him.
"Hey, kid, let me ask you again!"
Raiden's long blade slowly rose and came to rest against Deidara's throat.
"My father... died during the Third Great Ninja War," Deidara murmured blankly, staring at Raiden in disbelief.
He had never realized that death could feel this close.
"This guy… he's even scarier than the old man!"
"Why are we even enemies with someone like this?!"
For the longest time, Deidara had believed that among the shinobi he had encountered, Tsuchikage Ōnoki was the strongest. Not even Akatsuki's leader seemed to compare. In his mind, nothing could withstand the power of Dust Release.
But after witnessing Raiden's terrifying strength, Deidara's entire worldview shattered.
"Did he really die? That's a shame—I wanted to kill him myself."
"You're impressive. Attacking me took courage."
"As a reward… I'll send you to meet your father. I'm sure he'll thank me."
Raiden's eyes glowed with murderous intent. Just as he was about to strike, he sensed a fluctuation in space behind him.
Without turning, he instantly slashed backward, while his left hand crackled with intensified lightning and thrust toward Deidara's chest.
CLANG!!!
Raiden's slash was abruptly halted by a strangely shaped fan. At the same time, his lightning-infused strike failed to pierce Deidara's body, meeting unexpected resistance. The sensation felt as if his hand had struck iron sand.
A soft clinking sound echoed in the air.
The Third Kazekage's puppet swiftly closed in, its mouth extending a sharp spike, glowing ominously with a dark purple hue that sent shivers down the spine.
Raiden's sword had been blocked by Uchiha Madara, who had suddenly appeared, while his lightning attack was neutralized, allowing Deidara to escape certain death.
With both his hands occupied, Raiden turned his gaze toward the puppet's attack, his expression unfazed.
"This is disappointing. Is this really the best you can do?"
As his words fell, thunder suddenly roared in the sky. A massive lightning bolt crashed down, striking the puppet head-on. In an instant, the puppet shattered into pieces, its fragments scattering across the battlefield.
"Hmph, you'll pay the price for your arrogance!"
A sudden and overwhelming suction force erupted from Uchiha Madara's body, attempting to pull Raiden into a separate dimension.
Raiden's eyes flickered in surprise. Reacting instantly, he flicked his left hand, releasing a kunai from his sleeve. As he grasped it midair, his body vanished.
A second later, Raiden reappeared at the kunai's location, safely escaping Madara's space-time jutsu.
Still airborne, Raiden retrieved the kunai and swiftly threw it toward Madara's dimensional rift.
The kunai, wrapped in black lightning, disappeared into the void.
"This is... the Flying Thunder God Technique?!"
Uchiha Madara immediately closed the dimensional tear, his expression shifting in surprise. He had never known that Raiden could use Flying Thunder God.
"To master this, I had to train extensively with shuriken!"
Raiden smirked as he casually summoned another kunai with a puff of smoke.
Unlike a standard kunai, this one resembled a throwing knife.
It was engraved with eight distinct characters:
"Little Li's Flying Daggers, Never Miss."
The language was unfamiliar to Madara, but Raiden admired his own inscription.
"I'm quite satisfied with my Flying Thunder God Mark—it's much better than Minato's 'Sword of Endurance'!"
Facing an opponent skilled in space-time ninjutsu, how could I not be prepared?"
"Now then, let's see how your space-time jutsu measures up!"
Raiden smirked and threw the throwing knife. The moment it left his hand, it transformed into a streak of black lightning, shooting toward Uchiha Madara at incredible speed.
At the same time, Raiden's figure vanished.
Pfft!
The throwing knife, crackling with black lightning, moved so fast that Uchiha Madara failed to react. The blade pierced directly into his right chest.
In the next instant, Raiden appeared before him, his long blade raised high, ready to strike.
But just as he was about to deliver a decisive blow—
A black shadow suddenly emerged behind him.
A dark clawtore through his lightning armor, piercing straight through Raiden's back and out from his chest.
His slashing motion came to an abrupt halt.
"You… Black Zetsu!"
Raiden turned his head stiffly, his eyes widening as he whispered in disbelief.
Black Zetsu let out a low chuckle upon seeing Raiden's expression.
"That's right… right here!"
For a moment, Black Zetsu thought Raiden would slowly die in despair.
But then—
The stiff expression on Raiden's face suddenly shifted into a mocking smirk.
"You really think I'd let my guard down against you?"
As Raiden's words fell, his entire figure dissolved into smoke, vanishing completely.
Behind Black Zetsu, a powerful voice suddenly echoed—
"Earth Release: Planetary Devastation!"
(End of this chapter)