No one had ever told Yagura that his opponent was essentially a high-capacity battery, locking away far more energy than any normal shinobi.
The sheer volume of electricity being released had already transcended the boundaries of "Lightning Style." This was... Lightning Style beyond Lightning Style.
If an ordinary person were caught in this range, they'd be charred to a crisp instantly. Even a typical elite shinobi would likely fail to survive such an onslaught.
But Yagura was a powerhouse in his own right. Given his massive chakra reserves and inherent durability, expecting him to be fried instantly was perhaps overly optimistic.
Still, to resist such potent lightning, Yagura's chakra was being depleted at a staggering rate—far faster than the consumption of his highest-level ninjutsu.
Was he numb? He was beyond numb. In fact, he had completely lost the ability to control his own body.
Hagoromo's hand remained clamped firmly onto the metal hooked staff. The current surged through this perfect conductor, flowing directly into and through Yagura's frame, pinning him in place.
Whatever expression was on Yagura's face—shock, bewilderment, or simple agony—Hagoromo's face beneath the mask remained unchanged. It was cold, detached, and utterly indifferent.
Despite what some might think, Hagoromo's personal creed contained no clause about "not killing shota."
The target survived the initial shock? No matter. Hagoromo's next move was already prepared. He decided to end this battle with a more "physical" impact.
The distance between them was negligible, separated only by the length of the staff. In Yagura's eyes, Hagoromo's outstretched arm seemed to be pointing directly at his chest.
Thick arcs of lightning coiled around Hagoromo's forearm like serpents, their heads converging at the tip of his thumb.
Not good!
Yagura's instincts screamed in warning. A severe sense of impending doom crawled up his spine, but paralyzed by the current, he could neither resist nor dodge. Even his internal chakra was too disrupted to weave a jutsu.
In the next moment, an orange beam of light should have ended everything.
Why use such a massive ultimate move when Yagura was already immobilized? Logically, any mid-tier jutsu could have done the job.
But Hagoromo had his own limitations. First, he was not a Kekkei Genkai user; he couldn't mix chakra natures or use two different styles—like Lightning and Fire—simultaneously. Second, while utilizing his "electromaster" abilities to their full extent, he couldn't use standard chakra. The complex, high-precision calculations required by his brain left no room for other powers.
For now, these powers were incompatible. Perhaps with years of training, he could bridge the gap, but at this moment, he chose to go all-in with one decisive shot.
The blood blooming from this "child" would surely be a vivid sight.
Charging complete. Railgun: Ready.
At this instant, time seemed to stand still.
And then, the unexpected happened.
In this ten-thousandth of a second, theoretically, only a shinobi of impossible speed could interfere with Hagoromo. And that person didn't necessarily have to be an enemy; it could be an ally.
In this world, there is a legendary technique involving space-time manipulation: Flying Raijin.
Just as Hagoromo was about to delete the future leader of the Mist from existence, Minato Namikaze appeared directly in front of him via Flying Raijin.
And his positioning was... unfortunately perfect.
What are you doing? Calling fire on your own position?!
Hagoromo finally understood why Flying Raijin was considered high-risk. Suddenly appearing in front of a live cannon—was the man that eager to take a hit?
Hagoromo no longer cared about making Yagura "the late" Mizukage; avoiding friendly fire was now the absolute priority. His move was already halfway launched—canceling it was impossible!
He threw his weight into a forced pivot, desperately trying to warp the electromagnetic rails!
Minato wasn't a fool either. The moment he appeared, he realized he had materialzed right in Hagoromo's line of fire. He had to move.
But Hagoromo's electric field didn't distinguish between friend and foe. Even the "Yellow Flash" would be electrocuted if he touched it. Under extreme pressure, the god-speed Minato could only manage to violently contort his body mid-air.
By some miracle, and through the combined efforts of both men, the attack missed.
Finally, with the hum of electromagnetism and a sharp friction sound, the orange beam of light streaked past Minato's side!
Even though the trajectory was a meter above the sea, the resulting shockwave carved a massive trench into the water. The heat from the friction caused a localized explosion of steam as seawater was instantly vaporized.
Hagoromo immediately shut down all his abilities. This "ouch" moment left him speechless. He just looked up at the sky in silence.
I have to control myself... so nobody sees me cry.
At least he didn't hit Minato.
Hagoromo was shaken, but Minato was even more so. Imagine the headline: Konoha's Yellow Flash Killed by a Shinobi's Hobby-Powered Cannon. What a tragic way to go.
Yagura had vanished the moment Hagoromo released his hold.
Hagoromo and Minato stood in a mutual, awkward silence for about two minutes. Finally, Hagoromo spoke:
"Lord Minato... before you pop in like that, can you not predict the situation at the destination?"
What he really wanted to say was: Do you realize you were almost sent to the afterlife just now?
If Minato had been killed, Hagoromo's life would be over too—Kushina would have strangled him.
Remarkably, Minato had already regained his composure. "Well... in some cases, I can make a rough prediction. In others, I can't. I have to rely on my reactions the moment I arrive."
Because of his divine reactions and Hagoromo's forced correction, a tragic—or rather, pathetic—outcome was avoided. The two of them really should have shaken hands.
Great teamwork.
"Wait a second," Hagoromo realized. "How did you get to me? Flying Raijin requires a formula, doesn't it?"
"Because you have a formula on you."
"..." Hagoromo's eyes narrowed. He hadn't known about this. Was Minato trying to peep... no, was Konoha monitoring him?
Minato? Monitoring? Wiretapping? Was this the legendary "Watergate" Scandal?
Fortunately, Minato elaborated: "The Flying Raijin formula is permanent. The one I left on you last time is still there."
"Huh?"
Once he mentioned it, Hagoromo did remember. He did have a formula on him from a previous encounter.