Dee knelt on the ground, arms supporting his body, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
His entire body trembled uncontrollably…
The Lightning Release Chakra Mode was, in essence, an evolution of chakra manipulation.
Its advantage lay in its ability to instantly activate cells.
Strength, defense, and speed—everything could be enhanced exponentially…
But once the Lightning Release Chakra Mode was forcibly disrupted, the backlash would cause nearly irreversible damage.
Dee's gaze fixed on Naruto in the distance, and deep within his eyes flickered an undeniable terror.
Tightening his lips and clenching his teeth, he shouted resolutely, "Even if you're a god, I'll drag you to hell with me for the sake of the Hidden Cloud Village!"
Then, he pulled a reddish-brown pill from his ninja pouch and swallowed it whole.
His trembling ceased abruptly.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
White smoke erupted, and two duplicates of Dee emerged. Their hands moved in synchronized seals, and in unison, they shouted:
"Lightning Release: Triple Black Panther Strike!"
Three panther-like streaks of black lightning shot forth with devastating force, as if carrying the wrath of the heavens, and charged toward Naruto's rear.
Naruto walked forward unhurriedly, his figure surrounded by a chilling frost, as if emerging from the depths of hell's coldest prison.
The frost gathered and spread into the air…
"Sage Art: Ice Release – Absolute Zero."
With Naruto's murmured words, the borders of the Land of Fire seemed to plunge prematurely into winter.
A terrifying, overwhelming aura swept across the battlefield!
---
Ding!
"Congratulations to the host for killing a Kage-level opponent. Dark Points +10,000."
The system's voice rang in Naruto's ears.
In Sage Mode, the chakra signatures of Mikoto and Kushina glimmered like guiding flames in the night, showing him the way.
---
At the border where the Land of Fire met the Land of Lightning...
Darui finally exhaled in relief after leading the Hidden Cloud team to rendezvous with another unit.
But his heart grew uneasy when Lord Dee failed to catch up with them. He worried that the Leaf Army might have already fought him.
As for the idea of a mere rookie defeating Dee, Darui dismissed it outright.
Lord Dee was one of the Raikage's personal guards, a genuine Kage-level powerhouse. How could he possibly fall to a freshly graduated Genin?
Boom!
Suddenly, a crimson bolt of lightning slashed through the blackened sky, striking right in front of them.
The Hidden Cloud shinobi froze in their tracks.
Darui halted, his dark eyes narrowing at the sight of the red lightning.
"It's that blond brat…"
Naruto raised his head, his crimson eyes coldly locking onto the Hidden Cloud group.
Darui instinctively took a step back, his body reacting to the palpable danger. This sensation…he had only ever felt from the Eight-Tails or the Raikage.
A mere glance from the boy made his skin crawl with a faint ache.
Emotionless.
Detached.
Devoid of the slightest trace of humanity.
The blond boy looked at them as though he were gazing at corpses.
Kushina's jet-black eyes met Naruto's crimson gaze. She froze, momentarily dazed.
This is Naruto? She couldn't believe it…
She had never seen him like this before. The chakra emanating from him—it was so malevolent.
Those scarlet, slit-pupil eyes—they were just like a fox's.
Even the chakra he released seemed capable of destroying everything in existence!
Suddenly, Kushina felt a scorching sensation in her abdomen.
"Damn… Is the seal breaking?" she thought to herself, alarmed.
On her deathbed, Mito had warned her about the monster sealed within her.
What exactly this monster was, she didn't know.
But for the seal to fail at this moment was the worst possible timing.
"Naruto-kun…"
Mikoto's expression turned grave. Naruto, in this state, didn't seem normal at all.
Darui wiped the cold sweat from his smooth forehead. What had happened in the brief five minutes since they last saw the boy?
"You! Where is Lord Dee?" Darui asked coldly, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade, ready for battle at any moment.
The Hidden Cloud team behind him silently braced themselves.
Naruto shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Who knows? Why don't you go ask him yourself?"
"Damn you!"
Darui unsheathed his blade and activated Body Flicker Technique, disappearing from his spot.
In an instant, he appeared behind Naruto, his blade slicing toward the boy's neck.
"Ha…"
Darui suddenly heard a faint, mocking chuckle.
Naruto moved ever so slightly, extending a hand to grasp Darui's neck.
The strength was overwhelming—Darui couldn't breathe, and his blade slipped from his grasp.
"Let go of Captain Darui!"
The Hidden Cloud shinobi shouted angrily.
Crack!
The crisp sound echoed through the group.
Naruto had snapped Darui's neck with a simple motion.
"Nine-Tails, are you ready yet?" Naruto murmured, addressing the inner beast within his mental world.
"All set," the Nine-Tails replied lazily.
As the words fell, a long blade, seemingly unaffected by time and space, rose from the ground before Naruto.
Shing!
Naruto drew the sword, his voice hoarse:
"Bankai."
*(TL/N - 🥶)
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