475. Success?

A dazzling white blade light extended continuously from the long sword in Danzo's hand, shimmering with a chilling, lifelike gleam.

The light expanded until it formed a towering curtain of radiance, exuding an aura of terror as it slashed mercilessly toward the capital city before the Susanoo.

Wherever it passed, space itself seemed to tear apart under its overwhelming force, emitting sharp, grating sounds.

Standing in the path of the blade was the Third Raikage, the legendary shinobi hailed as the "Strongest Shield," now bracing himself with utmost seriousness.

His body was enveloped in dense Lightning Release chakra, forming his world-renowned "Strongest Lightning Release Armor," its surface crackling with violent electricity.

Yet, even he couldn't help but tense at the sight of Danzo's earth-shattering slash.

The white blade light surged forward with unstoppable force, instantly engulfing the Third Raikage and vanishing into the blinding radiance.

"Father!!"

The Fourth Raikage's eyes widened in horror, his pupils trembling violently.

His voice was filled with shock and disbelief, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

He stared fixedly at the enormous fissure that now split the capital city, his heart overwhelmed with disbelief.

How could his invincible father have fallen to a single strike from Danzo?

Was the gap between them and Danzo truly this vast?

Fortunately, the Third Raikage was currently in an immortal state due to the Edo Tensei.

Though his proud "Strongest Lightning Release Armor" had been shattered by Danzo's blade and his body severely damaged, his soul had not yet returned to the Pure Land.

Countless paper fragments slowly reassembled within the fissure at an agonizingly slow pace, as though time itself had slowed.

Gradually, the fragments pieced together the Third Raikage's face—now covered in cracks and utterly disfigured.

"I never expected you to have grown to this extent, old man."

The Third Raikage's voice was dark and heavy, laced with resignation and astonishment.

During their last battle, Danzo's slashes hadn't possessed such terrifying power.

At the very least, his "Strongest Lightning Release Armor" had been able to hold out for a while.

But this time was different.

The moment the blade light touched him, his so-called "strongest defense" melted away like snow under scorching sunlight, offering no resistance whatsoever.

Completely outmatched!

This was the Third Raikage's assessment of the gap in their strength after their brief exchange.

And this assessment didn't just apply to him and Danzo—it was equally fitting for the battle between Konoha and Kumogakure as a whole.

By now, the shinobi of Kumogakure had already been routed under the bombardment of Konoha's aircraft carrier and its numerous flying shinobi.

Konoha's aircraft carrier loomed in the sky like a colossal steel beast, its massive shadow casting an oppressive weight over the battlefield below.

The flying shinobi darted around it like agile birds, weaving through the air with effortless grace.

The tools of war in their hands gleamed coldly as they hurled them downward with precision, each projectile whistling through the air before finding its mark among the Kumo shinobi.

Against these fast-moving, airborne foes, the shinobi of Kumogakure were utterly helpless.

Their ninjutsu was useless against targets moving at such high speeds, leaving them no choice but to defend passively, enduring the relentless bombardment from Konoha's aerial forces.

This had caused morale among the Kumo shinobi to plummet, with many even considering surrender.

To make matters worse, the battles involving Kumogakure's two jinchūriki had also taken a dire turn.

"Amaterasu!!"

With a furious roar, blood trickled from Shisui's eyes.

The ominous black flames of hell bloomed across the battlefield, as though intent on reducing everything to ashes.

The terrifying black fire materialized on the Eight-Tails' body, clinging to it like a parasite, inflicting continuous damage.

The unbearable pain forced the Eight-Tails to let out a deafening howl, its massive body writhing violently on the ground in a desperate attempt to shake off the cursed flames.

"Did I get it?"

Shisui murmured softly, covering his eyes.

But before his words could fully fade, Killer Bee's voice suddenly rang out.

"You think I'd fall for the same trick twice? Fool!"

Cloaked in surging tailed beast chakra, Killer Bee lunged at Shisui from behind like a bolt of lightning, a sharp ninja sword in hand.

His speed was so great that only an afterimage remained in the air, his eyes burning with determination and fury as he sought to teach Shisui a harsh lesson.

"Got you!"

A hint of triumph flashed behind Killer Bee's sunglasses as his blade pierced through his opponent's body.

Yet, before his smile could fully form, it froze in place.

"Got me?"

Uchiha Shisui suddenly turned his head, his body splitting apart into countless crows that took flight with raucous caws.

Then, his voice echoed from above.

"After our last fight, it wasn’t just you who learned a thing or two."

The next instant, Shisui descended from the sky atop his green giant, the colossal spear in its hands driving into the ground with the force of a meteor.

Meanwhile, on another front, Aburame Ryoma and Yugito Nii's battle had also reached a fever pitch.

The sky was filled with shimmering scales and golden mist—a masterpiece of cooperation between the Seven-Tails, Chōmei, and Ryoma.

Within the mist, Chōmei spread all seven of its tails, each brimming with immense power.

Violent currents of wind swept the mist aside as vast amounts of Yin-Yang Release chakra rapidly gathered before it, forming a massive Tailed Beast Bomb.

The orb radiated a cold, destructive aura, expanding rapidly as it loomed overhead.

Seeing this, the battered Two-Tails, Matatabi, let out a low growl, its fur standing on end.

Similarly, it gathered an enormous amount of chakra, forming its own Tailed Beast Bomb in response.

Then, to the horror of all onlookers, the two orbs collided midair.

A tremendous shockwave erupted, spreading outward like a tidal wave.

Though the surrounding shinobi dodged as quickly as they could, the sheer force of the blast sent them tumbling.

The terrifying energy compressed violently in the air before finally erupting into a colossal mushroom cloud that soared into the sky.

The ground split apart as though torn by an invisible giant hand, the fissures spreading rapidly and reducing nearby structures to rubble, sending plumes of dust into the air.