Infinite Anime [215-216] (Patreon)

Chapter 215: Negotiations Fail, the Might of a Calamity

Gusion's thinking was simple—if there were no benefits for him in Kumogakure, he'd just leave.

In this world, everything is ultimately determined by strength. No matter how noble your ideals are, you can't achieve them without power; but if you're strong enough, even the most naïve management strategies can be put into practice.

The Fourth Raikage, A, believed that Gusion's strength wasn't worth a higher offer. He just wanted to try recruiting him—if successful, Gusion would be sent as cannon fodder to Akatsuki. Any talk of a new identity or ANBU treatment was just a lie.

If Gusion wanted to claim those so-called benefits, he'd at least have to complete the Akatsuki infiltration mission and return alive, right?

In reality, the Raikage hadn't offered him anything at all—he wanted something for nothing, expecting Gusion to work for him with empty promises. That was impossible.

If the Fourth Raikage thought Gusion wasn't worth more, then Gusion would use his fists to show him just how laughable that idea was.

Boom—

As Gusion exerted his strength, the sealing bandages wrapped around him exploded apart. Under the confused stares of Raikage and Samui, the Mazuko blade appeared in his hand.

Samui tensed instantly, holding her shinobi blade in a ready stance. She knew not to underestimate this calamity of the Third Great Ninja War, even though he'd been imprisoned for eight years—he was still a formidable foe.

A glanced at Samui in confusion. If he didn't trust his subordinate so much, he might have suspected she'd secretly returned Gusion's sword.

But seeing Gusion break free, there was no time to dwell on doubts. A immediately entered Lightning Release Chakra Mode and charged at Gusion at top speed.

The so-called fastest in the world—that was what this looked like. Even Gusion's reflexes could only catch a blur of lightning as the Raikage accelerated to his limit and appeared before him.

With a heavy, armored arm, A swung down on Gusion, planning to eliminate this dangerous war criminal in one blow.

A moment later, with a thunderous roar, the entire Raikage Building exploded. Violent lightning blasted the structure apart, debris flying in all directions, shocking everyone in Kumogakure.

Everyone's eyes were drawn to the explosion. All the elite jonin in the village rushed to the Raikage Building, and the ANBU surrounded it in an instant.

No one worried for the Raikage's safety—he was one of the most powerful Raikage in Kumogakure's history, and among the Five Kage, ranked near the top in strength.

Who would be foolish enough to attempt an assassination here?

Falling debris rained from the sky. From the dust, a figure leapt out, looking battered.

Her once-neat clothing was full of holes, her fair skin covered in dust, and her chest was scorched—a clear sign of lightning damage.

If she wasn't a skilled Lightning Release user and hadn't been ignored by the initial attackers, she'd probably be buried under the rubble by now.

Boom—

Another blast erupted from the ruins, crimson lightning shooting into the sky, forcing the ANBU to keep their distance.

Standing atop the debris, Gusion looked at his opponent with a smile. "Raikage, is this really all you've got?"

A's face darkened. His Raikage cloak was destroyed, leaving him nearly bare-chested, and he stared grimly at Gusion standing above him. "After eight years in prison, how did you do it?"

He had personally captured Gusion back then, so he knew his strength best. Gusion was a dangerous kekkei genkai ninja, but back then, his power was only about the level of a typical Kage—about the same as A himself eight years ago.

To be honest, A had absolute confidence in beating Gusion one-on-one, and only teamed up with Killer Bee to ensure capturing him alive. But now, not only had Gusion not weakened after eight years in prison—he was even stronger than A had been back then.

"You did plenty of experiments on me, but I never stopped training my chakra," Gusion replied vaguely, leaving Kumogakure's people to fill in the blanks.

In their brief skirmish, it was clear the Raikage had suffered. He hadn't expected Gusion to unleash such powerful lightning so suddenly, destroying the entire Raikage Building in one blow.

If it weren't for his Lightning Armor—both offensive and defensive, forming a closed circuit—Gusion's attack could have stopped his heart.

And A's attack on Gusion hadn't succeeded either: Gusion blocked it with the Mazuko blade, both pushing each other back. Gusion even looked more relaxed after dissipating the force.

This exchange gave Gusion a sense of his standing in this world. The Fourth Raikage was definitely a strong Kage, not quite Super Kage level, but among the current Five Kage, he was one of the best.

At the very least, A was no glass cannon. The Raikage line was famous for being all-around powerhouses.

Gusion couldn't see A's stats directly, as his mental attributes were much higher, but from experience, A's physical stats were probably around 70 points.

With Lightning Release Chakra Mode, his stats would jump even higher, and combined with lightning speed, he was like a phantom in battle.

There were still eight or nine years until Shippuden, so A should be at or near his peak.

Remember, in Shippuden, when Sasuke fought the Raikage, A's lightning mode was so fast even Mangekyo Sharingan couldn't keep up—that shows how much it boosts speed.

In fact, Gusion hadn't really seen A's moves during that last instant—he'd blocked purely by prediction and battle instinct.

If he'd been even a little slower, with A's speed, he might not have survived, even with his Armament Haki.

"I should have executed you earlier," A said grimly, realizing how serious the situation was. Gusion had escaped, and with his kekkei genkai, he could slaughter the entire village from within!

Even if A could defeat Gusion, Kumogakure would suffer heavy casualties.

"Don't look so serious. This is war—I have no interest in killing civilians," Gusion grinned. "Now, let's see how much you've grown in eight years."

The ANBU and elite jonin surrounding Gusion looked furious—how dare a notorious criminal, once locked up in Kumogakure's dungeons, talk to the Raikage like that?!

Didn't he realize his situation? Even if he was challenging the Raikage, he shouldn't be acting as if he were the superior one.

"I'll make you understand—you're still my defeated opponent, just like eight years ago."

The Raikage took a stance, lightning crackling around him as he powered up to his maximum.

Eight years ago, his speed rivaled Konoha's Yellow Flash, despite the latter using space-time ninjutsu. That showed his mastery of Lightning Release.

Gusion's natural lightning kekkei genkai was powerful and mysterious to others, but to the Raikage, it wasn't a fatal threat.

If the Raikage feared lightning, that would be laughable—he himself was the strongest lightning shield.

Back then, their battle wasn't decided by lightning attacks, but by taijutsu, where A suppressed Gusion.

"Raikage-sama, we've completed the encirclement! Please give the order!" the ANBU captain called from outside, mask on, kunai and blades at the ready, various ninjutsu prepared.

"You're in the way."

Gusion's voice was flat. A wave of invisible pressure spread out—dark red Conqueror's Haki radiating, striking the ANBU and jonin.

This power swept out for hundreds of meters. Chunin on the outskirts collapsed like wheat, and even the ANBU in front broke into cold sweat, frozen in place.

Only the elite jonin fared slightly better, but even they felt Gusion's presence grow more terrifying, not daring to make a move.

After subduing the area with his Haki, Gusion launched the first attack. Mazuko's full power—entering shikai form, he looked like a demon god emerging from crimson fog.

A ground-splitting slash descended from above. The Raikage didn't dodge, but braced himself, using his heavy gauntlet to clash with Mazuko.

Boom—

A massive shockwave, mixed with lightning, swept out. An ANBU too close was sent flying, slamming into a wall with unknown fate.

"It's too dangerous here—everyone but us should fall back and help evacuate civilians!" Samui shouted, knowing the Raikage couldn't be distracted.

She thought, thankfully Mabui (the Raikage's secretary) had the day off—otherwise, she'd likely have died in the first clash.

"What the hell happened?" A white-haired man arrived late—it was Darui, the Raikage's right-hand man. He'd just finished a mission and rushed over, stunned to see the Raikage Building in ruins.

He gaped at the two fighting, "Raikage-sama?!"

He couldn't believe anyone could keep up with the Raikage's speed in close combat.

"It's the Calamity!" Samui explained. "Get ready—use that jutsu!"

"That criminal? Wasn't he locked up?" Darui was puzzled, but now wasn't the time for questions. He teamed up with Samui, ready to join the fight.

This was Kumogakure's stronghold—no one cared about fairness in a two-on-one. Every second the Raikage and Calamity fought, the village suffered more damage.

Darui quickly formed hand seals, "Lightning Release: Black Panther!"

A black, panther-shaped bolt of lightning pounced at Gusion's back.

This was a technique created by the Third Raikage, now only used by Darui.

Gusion sensed the black lightning at his back but didn't dodge; instead, he slashed at the Raikage's neck.

Bang—

Black lightning struck the shield behind Gusion, shattering without harming him.

"So you can't fight without ganging up?" Gusion laughed. He knew the Raikage didn't want to, but he was ready to leave—provoking them would make his escape easier.

Chapter 216: Breaking Out of Kumogakure

Gusion considered himself a standard Kage-level ninja. Killing the Raikage one-on-one was tough—after all, nothing beats speed in battle.

The Raikage's speed suppressed him completely. Outsiders might think they were equally fast, but that was only because neither's moves could be followed by the eye.

In reality, Gusion was usually on the defensive. Trying to catch up to the Raikage was nearly impossible.

Plus, Kumogakure's forces were strong—more elite ninja were arriving by the minute. If Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails jinchuriki, showed up, escape would become much harder.

With that in mind, Gusion sped up his attacks, his blade flashing cold as he shaved off the Raikage's chakra.

He activated the Soul Devourer ring's active skill, combined with Mazuko's passive, dealing true damage with each strike—cutting through the Raikage's Lightning Armor, absorbing soul energy.

For ninja, this meant absorbing some of their chakra.

Chakra and soul energy weren't identical, so the conversion wasn't perfect, and Gusion didn't gain much.

The Raikage felt Gusion draining his soul energy, but he wasn't shaken—he already knew about this strange ability.

Back in their earlier fight, this had been a problem, but with Killer Bee present, they could just let Gusion drain a bit; for the Eight-Tails' jinchuriki, a little chakra loss meant nothing.

But used against the Raikage alone, it was a problem—his chakra pool was large, but not on tailed beast level.

Sensing the Raikage struggling, Kumogakure's elite jonin launched lightning jutsu at Gusion.

"Idiots, stop!" the Raikage roared. He'd wanted to yell at Darui earlier, but the fight was too intense. Luckily, Gusion had been cautious about the unfamiliar black lightning and used a defense.

But the Raikage knew best—Gusion's terrifying kekkei genkai let him ignore lightning damage!

No, not just ignore—absorb it!

Boom—

Lightning hammered Gusion, shaking the village and shattering the ground. But Gusion walked out of the smoke unharmed.

Not only that, the soul energy he'd spent in the fight was now fully replenished by the lightning base jutsu.

"Don't use Lightning Release attacks on him! You young fools, don't you know why he's called the Calamity?!" the Raikage yelled, frustrated at the incompetence of Kumogakure's new generation. Gusion's story was in the history books!

"This is bad. Where's Lord Killer Bee?" Samui frowned. She realized standard Lightning Release ninja were useless here and only made things harder for the Raikage.

Against someone who could absorb Lightning Release, only overwhelming taijutsu could work.

That's why the Raikage, knowing full well about Gusion's abilities, still chose close combat—only with Lightning Chakra Mode and top-tier taijutsu could he possibly win.

Long-range lightning attacks would just recharge Gusion.

Gusion emerged from the smoke, rolled his neck, and cracked his joints, grinning with sharp white teeth as he stared around at the surrounding ninja. "Feels good. Keep going."

His earlier defense against Darui's attack hadn't been to confuse Kumogakure's ninja—he just didn't know what Darui was using and played it safe.

After all, Darui was a Storm Release user; if it had been Storm Release, it might have hurt him.

Well, maybe only a little—he was now maxed out on defense, so young Darui's jutsu probably couldn't break through.

Mostly, he just didn't want his new clothes dirtied.

Under the confused stares of the Raikage and others, Gusion not only pulled out Mazuko, but changed his prison uniform into a black cloak—making people suspect he had space-time ninjutsu.

"You bastard!" the Raikage roared, charging forward. At this point, it wasn't about winning or losing—Gusion's power was a direct threat to the village. The Raikage had to kill him, fast.

As Mazuko and the Raikage's steel arm clashed, lightning enveloped them both and their eyes met—Gusion's gaze held both battle lust and a hint of regret.

While A was confused, lightning surged around Gusion, and suddenly, lightning from above bombarded the elite ninja surrounding him.

"Stop!" the Raikage shouted—most Kumogakure ninja weren't that tough. Even a casual blast from Gusion could cripple or kill regular ninja.

Even elite Lightning Release users, if directly hit, might be maimed for life.

But Gusion wasn't about to listen. The gloves were off—if he wanted to break out, these people were now all potential enemies.

Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to oneself. Sensing a powerful presence approaching likely Killer Be, Gusion knew he couldn't drag this out.

The furious Raikage pushed his Lightning Armor to the limit, dashing around like a bolt of lightning.

Now, even Gusion's dynamic vision couldn't keep up. He could only rely on Haki to sense and predict attacks.

He fought while retreating, aiming for the weakest point in the encirclement. Once out of the village, he could choose to advance or retreat at will.

Of course, it wasn't just that he wanted to fight the Raikage—if he simply wanted to run, he could've pretended to agree and then left.

He fought the Raikage to plant a seed, hoping it would bring future benefits.

"Can't think of new rhymes, I'm troubled—rushing to the scene just as the message doubles—the Raikage's office has crumbled—now I mourn for the trouble—"

A figure approached, leaping from rooftop to rooftop—Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails jinchuriki and the Raikage's brother.

Unlike Konoha, Kumogakure didn't discriminate as much against jinchuriki. Killer Bee, as a perfect jinchuriki and war hero, was fully accepted by the village.

With the Raikage locked in battle, Killer Bee's arrival calmed the people.

"Bee! Use your tentacles to block his escape!" the Raikage shouted, not caring if it was two against one.

Gusion saw Bee's arrival and sighed—the fun was over.

He couldn't possibly take on both the Raikage and Killer Bee, especially with other potential threats hidden in the village.

His goal was achieved, so he prepared to retreat, using Shunpo to leap into the sky and break out.

The Raikage wasn't letting him go. As Gusion tried to escape, the Raikage pursued, aiming a Lightning Lariat at his neck—planning to decapitate him with speed.

Just as the Raikage's arm reached Gusion's neck, Gusion vanished from his sight.

At the same time, a huge sense of danger hit the Raikage. He instinctively jumped away at top speed.

His instincts were correct—Gusion had teleported behind him using Cloud Step, slashing at his neck.

If he got the chance to kill the Raikage, Gusion wouldn't hesitate—killing him would net at least 10% world exploration, maybe even an epic loot box.

The Raikage's quick thinking saved him—he dodged the fatal blow, but not completely.

The sharp blade cut through his right leg below the knee, severing it completely!

"Aniki!"

Killer Bee, seeing this, cried out in shock and anger. He half-transformed, using several tentacles to block Gusion's path, preventing a follow-up attack.

He also threw two swords at Gusion's face, charging up a Tailed Beast Bomb.

"Bee, don't use that move!" the Raikage shouted, cauterizing his wound with lightning to stop the bleeding.

This was Kumogakure—using a Tailed Beast Bomb would be disastrous.

Gusion faced Bee's tentacles, slashing them apart with a Mountain-Crushing blow, paralyzing Bee with electricity for a moment.

He dodged the thrown blades and leapt skyward, fleeing toward the village outskirts.

The ninja on the ground could only watch as Gusion ran through the air—they couldn't fly, and Lightning Release attacks would only recharge him.

Bee, worried for his brother, missed his chance to chase, watching helplessly as Gusion got away.

"You idiot, Bee! Why didn't you chase him?!" the Raikage pounded the ground in anger. "Do you realize what kind of person we just let go?!"

"Your leg…" Bee said quietly, staring at the severed stump. For the world-famous Raikage, losing a leg was a huge blow.

"It's fine. The cut is clean, and I stopped the bleeding. The medical team can reattach it," A replied, not wanting to blame Bee for his concern.

"Calamity… was he really this dangerous? Eight years ago, he wasn't this strong…" Bee muttered, looking at Gusion's escape route, heavy-hearted.

Though A said the leg could be reattached, Bee knew it would never be the same—there would always be aftereffects.

Maybe somewhere in the world there was a medic ninja who could fix his brother's leg perfectly, but Kumogakure didn't have such a person.