Uzumaki Sōnagi and Naruto Uzumaki versus Kimimaro Kaguya and Sasuke Uchiha—a fierce battle erupted between the two sides.
However, both Naruto and Sasuke found themselves at a disadvantage.
[Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Needle Crimson!]
Sasuke used the surroundings to put some distance between himself and Kimimaro, then spat fire from his mouth that engulfed the shuriken before scattering them in all directions.
Kimimaro swiftly drew another bone blade and parried every incoming shuriken with flawless precision.
Sasuke just wasn't built for speed. Kimimaro excelled at close-range taijutsu combat using his Shikotsumyaku. Activating the Cursed Seal of Heaven and Earth gave him options for mid-range combat. But clearly, there was no need to activate the cursed seal at this moment.
Sasuke's strength was simply too weak. Plus, this fight mainly revolved around Uzumaki Sōnagi and Naruto. As long as Sasuke didn't interfere with their fight, Kimimaro had no intention of dealing with him. To Kimimaro, these attacks couldn't even scratch his defenses.
Yet Kimimaro's dismissive attitude felt like extreme contempt to Sasuke.
Sasuke drew a kunai, performed a few quick hand seals, and sent a surge of Lightning Release chakra into it. Though he hadn't yet mastered Kakashi's Chidori, Sasuke could channel Lightning Release chakra into kunai to increase penetration power. However, this was merely raw chakra nature transformation—not true Chidori lightning—so its power couldn't compare with Kakashi's enhanced kunai infused with Chidori.
Sasuke hurled the lightning-infused kunai straight toward Kimimaro, aiming directly for his eyes. In Sasuke's mind, surely those eyes wouldn't have bones protecting them? Maybe this would work.
Unfortunately, ideals are plump while reality is harshly lean.
Kimimaro opened his palm and caught the lightning-charged kunai bare-handed. The Lightning Release kunai pierced through Kimimaro's skin, revealing the bones beneath—but completely failed to penetrate deeper.
With a crushing grip, Kimimaro snapped the weapon in two and tossed the broken pieces aside.
Sasuke's scalp prickled with fear. His attacks couldn't break Kimimaro's defense nor allow close combat. And Kimimaro's reactions proved fast enough—despite increased penetration and speed from the Lightning Release chakra infusion, he still blocked everything.
Initially uninterested in dealing with Sasuke, Kimimaro realized the Uchiha wouldn't back down easily. Worse, if Sasuke turned his attention toward Uzumaki Sōnagi, disrupting the duel between Sōnagi and Naruto would be problematic.
Kimimaro exploded forward with a thunderous stomp, charging straight at Sasuke.
Using thin wires strung between trees, Sasuke constantly shifted positions, denying Kimimaro any chance to close in, counterattacking while on the move.
However, for Kimimaro Kaguya, whether or not he could capture Sasuke Uchiha was irrelevant. As long as Sasuke had no time to focus elsewhere, that was enough.
While on the other side, Naruto Uzumaki was darting around frantically after being blasted by Sōnagi Uzumaki's Water Sphere.
Just as Sōnagi Uzumaki's Water Release: Water Shard ceased, Naruto leaped into the air.
[Wind Breathing Fifth Stage – Kan'akyū no Kaze!]
Naruto swung downward from above Sōnagi, unleashing a massive rotating wind blade surrounding himself, slashing toward Sōnagi.
"Not quite good enough!"
[Wind Release: Thousand-Face Wind!]
After forming a brief hand seal, Sōnagi clapped both hands together. The Thousand-Face Wind, composed of over a thousand tiny wind slices, collided with Naruto's massive wind blade.
The small wind slices severed the wind itself, and within an instant, the thousands of these small blades completely neutralized Naruto's large wind blade.
At the exact moment the giant wind blade disappeared, Naruto midair revealed a major vulnerability.
Sōnagi grinned widely at the descending Naruto.
Sōnagi formed a quick seal, his right arm crackling with lightning aura.
"I'll finish this with one punch."
Electricity surged through Sōnagi's right arm, stimulating his muscles and activating it. His nerve conduction speed increased, boosting both his power and speed to a new level.
Meanwhile, Naruto in midair also formed a hand seal.
As Sōnagi threw his punch, thick smoke erupted around Naruto, and once it cleared, multiple copies of Naruto appeared—his Shadow Clones.
The clones grabbed Naruto's arms and flung him outward, dodging Sōnagi's punch.
Sōnagi's fist struck several of Naruto's Shadow Clones, sending a chain reaction as they burst into smoke one after another.
Naruto's clones surrounded Sōnagi and rushed him in unison.
Haruno Sakura, hiding aside, watched the battle with wide eyes, deeply shaken by both Sōnagi and Kimimaro.
Are they even human?
Kimimaro Kaguya alone, fighting with bones, already gave Sakura chills.
And this Rokumei—he actually mastered five chakra natures: Fire, Earth, Water, Wind, and Lightning.
Most people struggled with just one or two, yet Rokumei, around their own age, had mastered all five? That was simply unbelievable.
Naruto's clones surrounded Sōnagi, continuously launching attacks.
Though they posed little actual threat, constantly vanishing into smoke under Sōnagi's counterattacks, they still managed to keep him restrained.
Naruto took his stance, exhaling a breath like a gust of wind.
[Wind Breathing, Sixth Stage – Black Smoke Tornado!]
Naruto swung a massive wind blade, which carried swirling smaller blades along its edge, slicing toward Sōnagi.
This attack didn't discriminate—not even Naruto's own clones were spared.
Numerous clones turned into smoke and vanished under the sweeping wind blade.
"Quite decisive indeed, cutting down your own clones without hesitation. Does it hurt?"
Sōnagi Uzumaki's hands swiftly performed a Hand Seal.
[Thunder Dragon's Tornado!]
Lightning surged across Sōnagi's body, and in an instant, a rapidly swirling thunder tornado formed around him.
The giant wind blade collided violently with the thunder tornado.
Multiple smaller wind blades continuously slashed at the thunder vortex, while the thunder tornado directly engulfed the massive wind blade.
The two techniques clashed violently, neither gaining the upper hand.
As Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno watched in disbelief, Naruto's Wind Blade and Sōnagi's Thunder Dragon's Tornado simultaneously disintegrated midair.
It was Wind against Lightning — and they annihilated each other in a head-on clash.
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