Chapter 29

The air crackled with tension as the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist faced off against the three Vice Admirals.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still, the only sound was the gentle patter of rain and the labored breathing of the terrified villagers.

Then, in an instant, the world exploded into chaos.

Yahiko turned into lightning, with him blasting both Kushimaru Kuriarare and Raiga Kurosuki with lariats and knocking them to a separate part of the Village, with both using the Substitution Technique to avoid major damage.

Yahiko's eyes flashed with electrical energy as he faced down Kushimaru and Raiga from the air. The two swordsmen, sensing the power emanating from the orange-haired youth and already seeing how he could blitz them with his speed, stood cautiously with their blades.

"Well, well." Kushimaru's voice was muffled by his mask, but the sadistic glee in it was unmistakable. "Looks like we've got ourselves a live wire here, Raiga."

Raiga cackled, electricity dancing between the twin blades of Kiba. "Perfect! I've been looking for a good conductor!"

Yahiko's expression remained impassive, but a small smirk played at the corner of his lips. "You call that little spark electricity? Let me show you what real lightning looks like."

In a flash, Yahiko disappeared as he became living lightning once again. Kushimaru and Raiga barely had time to raise their swords before Yahiko reappeared between them, his hands crackling with energy.

"Raito!!" Yahiko called out, twin bolts of lightning erupting from his palms.

Raiga, caught off guard by the speed and power of the attack, was sent flying backward, his body convulsing from the massive electrical discharge. Kushimaru, however, managed to use Nuibari to redirect the lightning into the ground, though the force of the attack still pushed him back several feet.

"Impressive." Kushimaru growled, his masked face turning towards his fallen comrade. "Raiga! Stop playing around and get up!"

Raiga stumbled to his feet, his body smoking and slightly charred, but a manic grin still plastered on his face. "Now that's what I call a jolt! Let's see how you handle this, brat!"

The Mist swordsman raised Kiba, channeling his chakra through the twin blades. "Lightning Ball!"

A sphere of crackling electricity shot toward Yahiko, who didn't even attempt to dodge. Instead, he raised his hand, seemingly catching the ball of lightning.

"Thanks for the snack." Yahiko grinned, the electricity seamlessly absorbed into his body. "But I prefer my own brand."

Kushimaru, seeing an opening, dashed forward, Nuibari poised to strike. "Don't get cocky, boy!"

But as the needle-like sword was about to make contact, Yahiko's body seemed to dissolve into pure electricity, the attack passing harmlessly through him.

"What the-" Kushimaru's exclamation was cut short as Yahiko reformed behind him, a hand on the swordsman's back.

"Vari." Yahiko said calmly, and a massive surge of lightning coursed through Kushimaru's body, sending him crashing into a nearby building.

Raiga, seeing his comrade fall, let out a roar of rage. "You'll pay for that!

Lightning Fang!"

He swung Kiba in a wide arc, sending a wave of lightning toward Yahiko. But the Marine was ready.

"Suiton: Suijinheki! (Water Style: Water Wall!)" Yahiko called out as he made a single-hand seal, a massive wall of water rising up before him, absorbing the lightning attack.

Raiga's eyes widened in shock. "Water style? But how-"

His question was cut short as Yahiko appeared before him, moving faster than the eye could follow. "Gian!"

A blast of concentrated lightning erupted from Yahiko's mouth, engulfing Raiga. The Mist swordsman screamed in agony as the attack overwhelmed him, his own lightning techniques useless against this level of power.

As Raiga collapsed, his body twitching from the electrical overload that nearly destroyed his nervous system, Kushimaru emerged from the rubble of the building, his mask cracked and his breathing labored.

"You... what are you?" Kushimaru gasped out, Nuibari trembling in his grasp.

Yahiko turned to face him, electricity still crackling around his form. "I am Justice. I am the Storm that washes away the corruption of this world. The Lightning that judges those that sin. And you," his eyes narrowed dangerously, "are filth!!"

With a burst of speed, Yahiko closed the distance between them. Kushimaru, in a desperate move, lashed out with Nuibari, the wire attached to the sword weaving a deadly web around them.

But Yahiko, his Observation Haki in full effect (And simply just to show that he could), moved through the wire maze with impossible grace. In a flash, he was inside Kushimaru's guard, his hand grasping the swordsman's face.

"Raito: Maximum Voltage!"

The resulting explosion of electrical energy lit up the entire village, the thunderclap that followed drowning out Kushimaru's final scream. When the light faded, the Mist swordsman lay motionless on the ground, his mask destroyed and his body burnt to a crisp.

Yahiko stood over his fallen opponents, his expression a mixture of determination and sadness. "Is this the best the feared Seven Swordsmen can offer?" he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

~

While Yahiko dealt with Kushimaru and Raiga, Konan found herself facing off against Jinin Akebino and Higun Satomara. The two swordsmen circled her warily, sensing that this blue-haired woman was far more dangerous than she appeared.

"Don't underestimate her." Higun warned, his hand on the hilt of the still-sealed Hiramekarei as his sensory skills displayed themselves. "There's something... unsettling about these so-called Marines. The same feeling I get from them is how I feel when near Lord Third."

Jinin scoffed, twirling the hammer part of Kabutowari. "Different or not, she'll fall like all the rest. Let's show her why we're feared throughout the ninja world!"

With that, Jinin charged forward, Kabutowari raised high. But as he swung the massive weapon down, Konan's body suddenly dispersed into a swarm of paper butterflies.

"What the-" Jinin's exclamation was cut short as the paper butterflies swarmed around him, their edges razor-sharp. He cried out in pain as hundreds of cuts appeared on his exposed skin.

Higun, seeing his comrade in trouble, finally drew Hiramekarei. "Hiramekarei Kaiho!" he called out, the bandages unwrapping as the sword transformed into a massive hammer of chakra.

He swung the chakra construct at the swarm of paper butterflies, dispersing them. But as the paper settled, Konan was nowhere to be seen.

"Above you!" Jinin called out, but it was too late.

Konan descended from above akin to an angel, her arms transforming into massive wooden branches that seemed like they came straight from the God Tree.

The wooden limbs shot towards the two swordsmen, who barely managed to dodge. Higun's eyes widened in shock. "Wood Release? But that's impossible!"

Konan landed gracefully, her expression calm but her eyes being cold as she stared at them. "There is too much you don't understand in this world to decide what is impossible.

Jinin, recovering from the initial shock, growled in frustration. "Enough of this! Kabutowari isn't called the 'Bluntsword' for nothing. Let's see your wood stand up to this!" (A?N Don't start)

He charged forward once more, the axe and hammer of Kabutowari working in tandem. But as he swung, Konan's body seemed to turn into wood as she splintered off multiple clones of herself that dodged and surrounded them.

Higun's eyes darted between the clones, trying to discern the real one. "Jinin, be careful! We don't know which-"

His warning was cut short as vines erupted from the ground beneath them, wrapping around their legs and arms.

"Nature's Bind." all five Konans spoke in unison.

As the swordsmen struggled against their wooden bonds, Konan raised her hands, paper swirling around her. "You, who prey on the innocent, who revel in cruelty and pain. Feel the wrath of going against Justice!!"

The paper coalesced into thousands of razor-sharp spears, hovering in the air around her. With a gesture, they shot forward, a deadly rain aimed at the immobilized swordsmen.

Jinin, in a desperate move, managed to bring Kabutowari to bear, the hammer striking the axe blade with tremendous force. The resulting shockwave shattered the wooden bindings and deflected many of the paper spears, but not all.

Both swordsmen cried out in pain as dozens of paper projectiles found their mark, piercing through armor and flesh alike.

Higun, blood streaming from multiple wounds, raised Hiramekarei once more. "Hiramekarei Kaihō: Twin Sword!" The chakra construct split into two massive blades, which he swung in a wide arc, creating a shockwave that forced Konan to leap backward.

But even as she retreated, Konan's hands were already forming seals. "Gaia's Palms."

Massive wooden hands erupted from the ground, catching both swordsmen in their grasp. Jinin and Higun struggled against the wooden fingers, but the grip was implacable.

"Impossible." Higun gasped out, Hiramekarei slipping from his grasp. "This level of Wood Release... no one has wielded the power of this level since the First Hokage!"

Konan approached the trapped swordsmen, her expression somber. "Your reign of terror ends here. May you find peace in the knowledge that your defeat will usher in a new era of justice."

With a gesture, the wooden hands began to contract, the pressure increasing exponentially. Jinin and Higun screamed in agony as their bones creaked and snapped under the immense force. 

Then, the screams stopped.

She stood over her fallen opponents, her eyes scanning the battlefield. In the distance, she could see flashes of lightning and hear the sound of thunder - Yahiko, still engaged in his own battle.

She then glanced over to Nagato's battle, only to see him floating in the air in his transformed state.

'Sigh. Do they have to take so long? Gramps should be back from fighting Chiyo soon.' She thought as she created a wooden stool to sit on.

[Author's Corner: 

Hey guys!! I'm back! Finally done with finals. Grades come out tomorrow, so depending on how it looks, you may get a bonus chapter.

I also chose the winner of my contest last week, I'll be doing my best to get in contact with them. If I'm unable to, I'll post them in the next chapter.

So folks, 

Did Aokiji lose do to being weaker or elemental disadvantage?]