Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Unbreakable Defense
The sound of battle cries echoed over the ruins.
Qin Yu stood at the center, surrounded by bodies—hundreds of them, cut down in a single stroke. Watching him, Yueyue Cangwu and the others felt a surge of hope.
Yet, as they turned their attention to Ai, the Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure, and his infamous AB Combo, their nerves tightened again. The name of the Raikage and Killer Bee had long been feared in the shinobi world.
"Senpai, should we help?" Shizune asked anxiously.
Yueyue Cangwu hesitated, glancing at Qin Yu before stepping forward. "Qin Yu, let us assist you!"
"No need," Qin Yu replied with a smirk, exchanging a glance with Ai. "I want to see the extent of my power for myself."
"Haha, you brat, you're really arrogant," Ai barked out a laugh, though his expression darkened. "I don't know where you got your confidence, but talking big won't save you."
His muscles tensed. "I'll kill you where you stand!"
BOOM!
Ai stomped forward, and an eruption of Raiton chakra engulfed his body. His skin darkened, crackling with raw electricity as the famed Lightning Release Chakra Mode activated.
If Namikaze Minato was golden lightning, then Ai was blue lightning incarnate.
With a single step, the ground beneath him shattered, and in the blink of an eye, he had crossed a hundred meters, appearing right in front of Qin Yu.
The sheer speed of his movement caused Yueyue Cangwu and the others to stiffen in shock.
To them, Qin Yu hadn't moved. He still stood in the same place, seemingly frozen as Ai bore down on him.
"Brat, you can't even keep up with my speed, yet you dared to act tough?" Ai sneered, clenching his fist as thunder surged around it.
There was no hesitation—no wasted movement.
RAIKAGE FIST!
BOOM!
The force of the punch ripped through the air, aiming straight for Qin Yu's face.
From the sidelines, Kumogakure's shinobi smirked, already imagining the scene of their Raikage crushing Qin Yu in one devastating blow.
And then—
A dull THUD rang out.
The expected explosion of flesh and blood never came.
Ai's Raikage Fist stopped dead against an invisible force, unable to advance even an inch.
A shockwave burst outward, splitting the ground beneath them as red chakra surged into existence.
Ai's expression contorted in disbelief. "What—?"
He staggered back, his gaze snapping to Qin Yu's eyes.
They were no longer their usual shade.
Instead, they had turned a deep, menacing crimson, and within them spun not the typical Sharingan tomoe—but nine hooked markings.
"K-Kami…" one of the Kumogakure shinobi stammered.
"Those… those aren't normal Sharingan!" another shouted in disbelief.
"Single tomoe, double tomoe, triple tomoe—but what the hell is this?"
A heavy pressure filled the air as Qin Yu's chakra skyrocketed. The aura radiating from him was oppressive—almost apocalyptic.
It was—
The Nine-Tomoe Mangekyō Sharingan!
Though Qin Yu's chakra reserves weren't vast, the sheer potency of his ocular prowess made up for it.
Against Ai's Lightning Release Chakra Mode, there was only one logical counter—
Susanoo.
"This is me at my strongest," Qin Yu muttered.
The instant his Mangekyō spun, the crimson energy surrounding him condensed.
FWOOOOOSH!
A skeletal arm burst forth from the chakra ribs forming around his body. Jagged and ethereal, it looked as though it had been plucked from the depths of a nightmare.
There was no wasted movement.
The arm lashed forward, swiping toward Ai at blinding speed.
"RAIKAGE-SAMA, LOOK OUT!" Killer Bee roared.
Ai reacted instantly. His chakra flared as he pushed his Lightning Release Armor to its absolute limit.
With a burst of speed, he leaped backward—just in time.
BOOM!
The skeletal arm slammed into the ground where Ai had stood just moments ago, sending debris flying in all directions.
The battlefield fell into a stunned silence.
As the dust cleared, Qin Yu's form became fully visible—towering above them all was a crimson Susanoo, still in its early developmental stage but already massive.
Its burning chakra aura made it look almost like an infernal deity, and its sheer presence filled onlookers with dread.
BOOM! BOOM!
The skeletal arms of Susanoo struck the ground in quick succession, sending shockwaves in every direction.
Ai dodged nimbly, but his movements were far less composed than before. He was fighting defensively now.
"Oh? Is dodging all you can do?" Qin Yu taunted, his voice carrying through the battlefield.
It had to be said—very few shinobi could wield chakra to this extent.
The Lightning Release Chakra Mode was already one of the strongest enhancements in the shinobi world. It required not only precise control over elemental nature transformation but also an unbreakable body that could endure the intense strain of channeling Raiton chakra through every muscle.
Only a handful of warriors in Kumogakure's history had mastered it.
But that only made Qin Yu more eager.
To outsiders, the Lightning Release Chakra Mode was an untouchable technique.
But for Qin Yu—who possessed a One-Click Full Mastery System—nothing was beyond his reach.
The challenge wasn't learning the technique. The challenge was taking it from Ai.
"You're arrogant, brat," Ai growled, wiping dust from his face. "But don't think you're invincible just because you're hiding in that shell!"
Blue lightning flared around him as he vanished from sight.
HEAVY STORM DROP!
Ai reappeared above Qin Yu, his right arm raised high. Electricity crackled violently as he brought it down in a devastating axe kick, aiming directly for Susanoo's head.
The Mangekyō spun rapidly.
Qin Yu's gaze sharpened as he tracked Ai's movements.
The Raikage was incredibly fast—but he wasn't faster than the Sharingan's predictive ability.
If Qin Yu relied on physical speed alone, he wouldn't be able to react.
But with Susanoo—
A massive hand surged upward to intercept the attack.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion ripped through the battlefield as Ai's lightning-coated foot slammed against Susanoo's skull.
Sparks and chakra flared on impact, lighting up the sky.
A single figure was sent flying backward.
It wasn't Qin Yu.
"It's Raikage-sama!"
"He used Heavy Storm Drop—and still got blown back!"
"Oh my god… that thing isn't even cracked!"
Ai tumbled through the air before landing hard, sending a deep fissure through the ground. He clenched his right hand, feeling a sharp pain in his wrist.
Staring at Qin Yu's fully-formed Susanoo, Ai's expression darkened.
He gritted his teeth. "Damn it… that defense is a problem."
Qin Yu chuckled. "I told you—if you don't use the AB Combo together, you don't stand a chance."
In the original timeline, even the combined efforts of the Five Kage struggled against Uchiha Madara's Perfect Susanoo.
Qin Yu wasn't Madara.
But with a fully-formed Mangekyō Sharingan, even his Susanoo was no trivial defense.
"Hmph!" Ai scoffed. "Your defense is impressive, but your speed can't match mine. Let's see how long you can hold out!"
With another burst of lightning, Ai disappeared—charging forward once again.