Naruto: Eating Kaido's Azure Dragon Devil Fruit-Chapter 362: Yotsuki Ryō

Three days later, in a hidden valley on the eastern border of the Land of Earth.

Sora and Kisame stood at the entrance of the valley, gazing at the faint traces of lightning and chakra fluctuations visible within.

"It’s here."

Kisame licked his lips. "That guy Yotsuki Ryō sure knows how to hide deep."

Sora nodded, his gaze sweeping across the terrain surrounding the valley.

The topography here was treacherous, with towering rock walls on either side, leaving only a single narrow passage leading inward.

Charred black marks remained on the rock faces, clearly the result of Lightning Release ninjutsu.

"According to the intelligence, Yotsuki Ryō has been evading capture by Kumogakure’s Anbu since his defection," Sora said. "Choosing this place as a temporary stronghold makes it easy to defend and hard to attack."

As he spoke, his hands began forming hand signs.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

A violent gale erupted from his mouth, sweeping toward the interior of the valley.

This wasn’t an attack, but reconnaissance.

The wind carried back information about the airflow, temperature, and chakra fluctuations within the valley.

"Left side of the rock wall, fifty meters in, there’s a humanoid chakra source."

Sora ceased the technique and stated calmly, "The Lightning Release chakra is very active. It should be Yotsuki Ryō, no doubt."

Kisame hefted his massive sword onto his shoulder and grinned. "Then let’s just go straight in, right? With terrain like this, he can’t run anyway."

"Wait."

Sora raised a hand to stop him. "There are traps inside the valley. I can sense at least three Lightning Release barriers and five spots with explosive tag traps."

"Yotsuki Ryō is a missing-nin from Kumogakure, proficient in Lightning Release and taijutsu. As a member of the Yotsuki clan, his combat experience won’t be lacking. Rushing in carelessly could get us caught."

Kisame raised an eyebrow. "So, does Baihu have a plan?"

Yotsuki Ryō was a whetstone Sora had chosen long ago; he naturally wouldn’t let Kisame steal the kill.

Feigning thought for a moment, Sora said, "I’ll launch a frontal assault to draw his attention. You circle around from the side and cut off his escape route."

Unaware of Sora’s ulterior motives, Kisame inwardly remarked that Baihu was truly a good partner, and nodded earnestly. "Understood."

...

Inside the valley.

Within a cavern, Yotsuki Ryō sat cross-legged, his body enveloped in azure lightning chakra.

He appeared to be around thirty years old, with a burly physique and dark skin—the typical traits of the Yotsuki clan.

"It’s still not enough..."

Yotsuki Ryō opened his eyes, a flicker of irritation in them. "Without the complete training method for the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, relying only on fragmented memories, I can never reach the level of the Raikage-sama."

He pulled a scroll from his chest and carefully unrolled it.

This was a secret technique scroll he had taken from Kumogakure, recording some of the village’s hidden jutsu.

But the complete version of the core Lightning Release Chakra Mode wasn’t among them.

After the Third Raikage’s death, Kumogakure’s control over this secret technique became even stricter. As a branch family member, he was never qualified to access the full content in the first place.

"Damn it..."

Yotsuki Ryō gritted his teeth and rolled the scroll back up.

The reason for his defection was simple—resentment.

Weren’t they both members of the Yotsuki clan? Why should only the main family inherit the complete Lightning Release secret techniques?

Why could someone like him, a branch family member, only learn the superficial aspects?

After the Third Raikage died in battle, Kumogakure fell into brief chaos. Taking advantage of the confusion, he stole a portion of the secret technique scrolls and fled the village.

But soon, the Anbu pursuit began.

Over the past half month, he had repelled three waves of pursuers, but he had also sustained considerable injuries himself.

"I have to leave the Land of Earth as soon as possible..."

Yotsuki Ryō stood up, preparing to pack up and move.

Boom!

A loud explosion came from the valley entrance, as a large hole was blasted open in the rock wall.

Yotsuki Ryō’s expression changed, and he immediately entered a combat-ready state. Lightning Release chakra instantly covered his body, azure electrical discharges crackling sharply.

"Here again, are you...?"

A murderous intent flashed in his eyes. "This time, I won’t let any of you go back alive."

...

At the valley entrance.

Sora withdrew his hand from the rock wall. He had just used a Wind Release technique to directly blast apart the Lightning Release barrier Yotsuki Ryō had set up.

"Come out, Yotsuki Ryō."

"Hiding is useless."

Yotsuki Ryō burst out of the cavern and saw Sora, clad in black robes, at the entrance.

"A bounty hunter?"

"Looks like my head is worth a fair bit."

Yotsuki Ryō sneered, his Lightning Release chakra surging once more. "But if you want my life, you’d better have the skills to take it!"

Before he finished speaking, he transformed into a bolt of azure lightning, charging straight at Sora!

"Lightning Release: Lightning Body Flicker!"

His speed was so fast it was nearly impossible for the naked eye to track.

But Sora was prepared.

Pale green Wind Release chakra coiled around his feet, and his form moved like the wind as he rapidly retreated.

At the same time, his hands formed signs.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"

Several high-pressure wind bullets shot from his mouth, blocking Yotsuki Ryō’s advance path.

"Child’s play!"

Yotsuki Ryō didn’t dodge or evade. He brought the index and middle fingers of his right hand together, highly concentrating his Lightning Release chakra.

"Two-Finger Hellstab!"

Crackle!

Lightning flashed, and the Vacuum Great Spheres were pierced straight through!

Without slowing his momentum, Yotsuki Ryō continued his charge toward Sora.

Sora’s eyes narrowed.

Although Yotsuki Ryō couldn’t reach the level of the Third Raikage, he was at least mid-tier Kage level, slightly stronger than Danzo.

"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Wall!"

Sora clapped his hands together, and a vast amount of pitch-black iron sand surged from the ground, coalescing into a thick, solid wall before him.

Yotsuki Ryō’s Two-Finger Hellstab stabbed fiercely into the iron sand wall.

Zzzap—!

Lightning clashed with iron sand. The wall was pierced nearly halfway through, but ultimately, it blocked the attack.

"Magnet Release?"

Yotsuki Ryō’s expression shifted slightly. "Are you from Suna?" 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Sora didn’t answer, instead manipulating the iron sand to change form.

"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Binding!"

The iron sand wall suddenly softened, transforming into countless thin streams that snaked toward Yotsuki Ryō’s arm.

Yotsuki Ryō reacted instantly, pulling back, but the iron sand followed relentlessly, continuing its pursuit.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Burst!"

Yotsuki Ryō formed hand signs, and the Lightning Release chakra coating his body suddenly exploded outward, forming a ring of lightning shockwave that scattered all the approaching iron sand.

Seizing this opportunity, he created distance and eyed Sora warily.

"Wind Release and Magnet Release... You’re either a missing-nin from Suna, or you’ve had some other stroke of luck."

"But relying on just these won’t be enough to take me down."

Sora said nothing and simply continued his assault. He needed this battle to refine his clone.

Over the past half month, the battles with Retsudo and the Kagekari had increased the synchronization rate between his Byakko clone and his soul to about seventy percent.

But that still wasn’t enough.

An opponent of Yotsuki Ryō’s caliber was the perfect final whetstone.

"Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!"

Sora’s hands waved rapidly, conjuring dozens of sharp wind blades that shot through the air, slashing toward Yotsuki Ryō from multiple angles.

Yotsuki Ryō once again used Lightning Body Flicker, weaving through the gaps between the wind blades.

His speed was tremendous. Though his Lightning Release Chakra Mode was incomplete, it still greatly enhanced his physical capabilities.

"Lightning Release: Earth Walk!"

While evading, Yotsuki Ryō pressed a single hand to the ground. Lightning coursed along the earth’s surface, racing toward Sora.

Sora leaped into the air to avoid it, forming hand signs mid-flight.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!"

A continuous barrage of wind pressure slashes descended from above. Yotsuki Ryō crossed his arms before him, condensing his Lightning Release chakra into a shield.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The wind pressure slashes hammered against the lightning shield relentlessly, kicking up clouds of dust.

But within the dust, the azure electrical light suddenly surged violently.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Tiger Crushing Strike!"

A fierce tiger, composed entirely of lightning, charged out from the dust cloud, its claws bared as it pounced toward Sora in midair.

Sora’s eyes sharpened, and he brought his hands together.

"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Giant Needles!"

Several enormous spears of iron sand materialized out of thin air, meeting the lightning tiger head-on.

Bang!

The lightning tiger collided with the iron sand spears, unleashing a violent burst of energy.

Sora used the force to backflip through the air, landing on a protruding boulder.

Yotsuki Ryō also emerged from the dust cloud, the lightning around him blazing even more intensely.

"The warm-up is over."

He stated coldly, "Next, I’m getting serious."

As his words fell, Yotsuki Ryō’s chakra surged once more.

The Lightning Release chakra coating his body gradually shifted from pale azure to a deep blue. The electrical discharges grew denser, emitting sharp crackling and booming sounds.