Naruto: Eating Kaido's Azure Dragon Devil Fruit-Chapter 363: Gains

"Lightning Release Chakra Mode: Second Stage!"

Yotsuki Ryō let out a low growl, and his figure vanished once again.

This time, his speed was nearly double what it had been before!

Sora’s pupils contracted slightly, and he immediately activated his Wind Release perception.

But Yotsuki Ryō was too fast; even the wind perception could only capture vague afterimages.

Crackle!

A bolt of lightning flashed, and Sora dodged to the side, but he was still a beat too slow.

The robe on his left shoulder was slashed open, leaving a scorched black mark on his skin.

If he hadn’t used Wind Release to accelerate in time, this strike might have pierced straight through his shoulder.

"Pretty fast reactions."

Yotsuki Ryō’s voice came from the side. He had somehow already appeared to Sora’s left, his right index and middle fingers pressed together again.

"Two-Finger Hellstab: Barrage!"

Yotsuki Ryō transformed into a blue bolt of lightning, continuously darting back and forth across the valley. With each flash of appearance, he unleashed another Two-Finger Hellstab.

Sora could only dodge with all his might while simultaneously defending with iron sand.

But the iron sand couldn’t keep up with Yotsuki Ryō’s speed; often, just as the defense was formed, his opponent had already changed position.

In just over ten seconds, seven or eight wounds had already appeared on Sora’s body.

Although none were deep, if this kept up, he would eventually be overwhelmed.

’The synchronization rate still isn’t enough...’

While dodging, Sora focused on his body’s reactions. ’With a seventy percent synchronization rate, facing this kind of speed-type opponent is still a bit strenuous.’

If his original body were here, relying on the Azure Dragon Fruit’s power and stronger taijutsu, he could completely crush Yotsuki Ryō.

But the White Tiger clone couldn’t.

Although Wind Release and Magnet Release weren’t weak, they were still at a disadvantage against the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.

While Magnet Release could defend, Yotsuki Ryō simply didn’t give him a chance to establish a stable defense.

’Perfect, this is exactly the effect I need.’

Sora gritted his teeth and began forcibly adapting to the clone’s limits.

"Wind Release: Tornado!"

Sora waved his hands, and a small tornado formed in the valley, disrupting the airflow.

Yotsuki Ryō’s speed was slightly affected.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Serpents!"

Yotsuki Ryō immediately changed tactics. Instead of close-quarters thrusts, he switched to long-range Lightning Release ninjutsu.

Several giant serpents formed from lightning struck at Sora from different directions.

Sora’s gaze sharpened as his hands quickly formed hand signs.

"Magnet Release: Iron Sand World Method!"

A large amount of iron sand surged up from the ground, forming a dense defensive net around him.

The lightning serpents crashed into the iron sand net, erupting in dazzling electrical light.

But this time, the iron sand net wasn’t pierced.

Sora could feel his control over Magnet Release becoming more precise.

The pressure of battle was accelerating the integration between his soul and the clone.

’Almost there.’

Sora took a deep breath and actively dispelled the iron sand defense.

Seeing this, Yotsuki Ryō thought Sora’s chakra was running low and immediately seized the opportunity.

"Die!"

He transformed into a blue bolt of lightning, charging straight for Sora’s face!

The Two-Finger Hellstab thrust out once more, its target Sora’s heart.

But this time, Sora didn’t dodge. He simply raised his right hand, fingers spread wide.

"Wind Release: Spiraling Shuriken!"

*Whir!*

A high-speed rotating ball of Wind Release chakra condensed in his palm, emitting a piercing whine.

This was a technique Sora had developed based on Naruto’s move from the original story, combined with his own understanding, much like the Rasengan he had used before.

Although its power couldn’t compare to the Sage Art version, against Yotsuki Ryō, it was enough.

"What?!"

Yotsuki Ryō’s pupils abruptly contracted. He wanted to withdraw his attack, but it was already too late.

The Spiraling Shuriken and the Two-Finger Hellstab collided violently!

*BOOM—!*

A terrifying explosion resonated through the valley.

The energies of Wind and Lightning Release clashed fiercely, creating a blue-and-green energy storm that swept across the surroundings.

...

In the distance, Kisame crouched on a rock, watching the battlefield with keen interest.

"He’s finally getting serious..."

He grinned, showing his teeth. "That move of White Tiger-san’s packs quite a punch."

Kisame hadn’t made a move during the fight just now.

Not out of laziness, but because Sora had subtly hinted beforehand that he would take the lead in this battle to test his ninjutsu.

Kisame was happy to take it easy, and it gave him a chance to observe Sora’s strength.

’Wind Release, Magnet Release, and that last move...’

Kisame calculated in his mind. ’White Tiger-san’s strength should be close to the peak of Kage level, and his combat experience is rich. He’s definitely no ordinary missing-nin.’

His curiosity about Sora’s true identity grew even stronger.

But as he’d thought before, everyone in Akatsuki had secrets. As long as it didn’t interfere with the mission, there was no need to dig deeper.

"Almost done."

Kisame stood up, hefting his sword onto his shoulder. "Time to wrap this up."

He leaped forward, landing in the smoke-filled battlefield.

...

Center of the battlefield.

The smoke slowly cleared, revealing two figures.

"Cough, cough..."

Yotsuki Ryō coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, struggling to lift his head and look at Sora. "Who... are you..."

Sora stood up and said calmly, "Akatsuki, White Tiger."

"White Tiger... Ha..."

Yotsuki Ryō let out a bitter laugh. "Never thought I, Yotsuki Ryō, would end up dying... at the hands of a bounty hunter..."

His voice grew weaker and weaker, his gaze gradually losing focus.

A few seconds later, he completely lost consciousness.

Sora looked at the dead Yotsuki Ryō, inwardly sighing. For someone with this level of strength not to even have his name mentioned in the original story... it truly was a world of crouching tigers and hidden dragons, as they said.

Sora walked over to the body and checked it.

After confirming the death, he took out a sealing scroll and stored the body away.

"Mission complete."

Kisame finally walked over, looking at the wounds on Sora and grinning. "White Tiger-san, you really went all out there."

Sora said flatly, "A quick victory avoids complications."

As he spoke, he retrieved the secret technique scroll from the rocky cave where Yotsuki Ryō had been hiding earlier.

Sora quickly flipped through it, his brow furrowing slightly.

’Just as I thought, no Lightning Release Chakra Mode...’

He mused inwardly.

As a member of a branch family, it was indeed unlikely Yotsuki Ryō would be able to bring out such a core secret technique.

What was recorded in the scroll were mostly high-level Lightning Release ninjutsu, like Lightning Blast Lightning Blast and Lightning Beast Pursuit Fang, along with some of Kumogakure’s taijutsu and barrier techniques.

Its value wasn’t low, but it wasn’t what Akatsuki most wanted.

However, this was actually for the best; it would prevent Akatsuki’s power from inflating too much.

"Well, any finds?"

Kisame came over and asked.

Sora handed him the scroll. "See for yourself."

Kisame took it, flipped through it, and also showed a knowing expression. "Just as I thought, the core secret techniques wouldn’t leak out."

"But these Lightning Release ninjutsu are still worth a lot. The organization should be satisfied."

Sora nodded, took a blank scroll from his bosom, and began copying the Kumogakure secret techniques one by one.

Watching his actions, a glint flashed in Kisame’s eyes, and he also pulled out a blank scroll and started copying.

"What, you’re interested too?" Sora asked casually.

"Heh heh, you can never have too many skills."

Kisame grinned, showing his teeth. "Besides, selling these Lightning Release ninjutsu on the black market could fetch a good price."

Sora said nothing more and focused on copying.

About half an hour later, both had finished copying.

Sora re-sealed the original scroll, preparing to bring it back to Akatsuki to complete the mission. He carefully stored his own copy away, planning to find a chance to send it back to Ryūgakure.

"Mission complete, time to head back."

Kisame hoisted Yotsuki Ryō’s corpse and sealed it in a scroll.

Sora nodded, looking towards the direction of the Land of Rain. "Let’s go, report to Pein."

Their figures vanished, and they sped away from the bloody valley towards Amegakure.

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