The battle between Darui and Kabuto began. Darui immediately activated his peak fighting state. "Lightning Release Chakra Mode"
Unlike the Fourth Raikage's blue lightning, Darui's was black.
In terms of chakra nature, his black lightning wasn't as effective at boosting strength, speed, and defense as the Fourth Raikage's blue lightning.
However, this black lightning possessed significantly greater destructive power, inflicting far more severe damage upon impact with an opponent.
Although Kabuto's combat prowess wasn't highly regarded by the outside world, Darui, a naturally cautious individual, never underestimated his opponent. As a disciple of that man, Kabuto couldn't be so easily dismissed.
Kabuto, likewise, held nothing back, instantly activating the dual Sage Mode of Mount Myōboku and Shikkotsu Forest, two distinct facial markings appearing on his face.
He had yet to fully integrate the Senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave, hence his reliance on the Senjutsu of Mount Myōboku and Shikkotsu Forest for this battle.
A flash of black lightning, and Darui, drawing his sword from its sheath, lunged at Kabuto.
Despite Darui's exceptional speed, Kabuto, possessing the heightened sensory perception afforded by the power of natural energy, was able to react swiftly.
While skillfully evading Darui's attacks, Kabuto simultaneously employed the Frog Kata to counterattack.
Although the strikes of the Frog Kata appeared outwardly indistinguishable from ordinary taijutsu techniques, Darui could acutely perceive that Kabuto's fists were absolutely not to be trifled with.
Even under the protection of Lightning Release Chakra Mode, a direct impact would inflict considerable damage.
With a resounding clang, Darui's blade was struck by Kabuto's fist, as he had anticipated. A powerful shockwave rippled through the weapon, sending Darui flying backward a considerable distance.
The black lightning coursing through his sword failed to inflict any damage upon his opponent's fist.
"There's an invisible force behind his punches," Darui mused, "and it seems to be the same source of energy that allows that strange little girl to levitate in mid-air.
I'm fortunate to be wielding the Cleaver Sword; had I been using a conventional weapon, it would undoubtedly have been shattered by that single blow."
As Darui was lost in thought, a sudden jolt of alarm coursed through him. The little girl who had been standing beside Kabuto moments before had vanished without a trace, her presence completely imperceptible throughout the entire arena.
During the exchange of blows between Darui and Kabuto, Ichikishimahime had employed a Senjutsu technique to conceal her form.
This enigmatic concealment technique, seamlessly blending with the natural environment, was only detectable by Yusuke and Yakumo Kurama through their spiritual energy perception.
Even Itachi and Izumi's Mangekyō Sharingan and the Byakugan of the Hyūga clan were unable to detect Ichikishimahime's presence.
Despite refraining from launching any attacks, Ichikishimahime's presence, concealed as she was, exerted considerable psychological pressure upon Darui, forcing him to divert his attention to the defense against her potential ambush.
Upon witnessing Darui being sent flying after attempting to parry his attack with his sword, Kabuto did not hesitate to launch another assault.
He immediately formed the necessary hand seals and unleashed his most frequently employed Wind Release Senjutsu.
"Sage Art: Wind Release: Rasengan!"
A slender, almost imperceptible column of wind erupted from Kabuto's mouth. Darui, upon perceiving this attack, immediately executed an evasive maneuver, simultaneously unleashing his signature Lightning Release ninjutsu.
"Lightning Release: Black Panther!"
Raising his left hand, a jet-black bolt of lightning, shaped like a panther, swiftly surged towards Kabuto. Kabuto, in response, subtly shifted his head, redirecting the wind pillar still emanating from his mouth towards Darui's position.
The black panther-shaped lightning bolt was instantly shattered by the exceedingly slender wind pillar, which, without pausing, continued its trajectory towards Darui, who was positioned directly behind the dissipated lightning.
"Impossible!"
Although Darui was aware of Wind Release's capacity to counter Lightning Release, his Black Panther technique possessed the power to withstand the force of Wind Release.
He had not anticipated that his formidable technique would be so utterly ineffective, disintegrating in a mere instant.
Darui immediately executed another evasive maneuver to the right, but this time, Kabuto's wind pillar grazed his left arm.
The defensive capabilities afforded by the Lightning Release Chakra Mode failed to provide even the slightest protection.
The muscles in Darui's left arm that were struck by the wind pillar were instantly reduced to pulverized fragments by the high-velocity, rotating chakra contained within the wind pillar.
Disregarding the profusely bleeding wound on his left arm, Darui resolved to engage Kabuto in close-quarters combat.
The destructive power of Kabuto's ninjutsu was simply too overwhelming, rendering any attempt at ranged combat utterly futile.
Observing Darui's approach, Kabuto promptly created four shadow clones, simultaneously unleashing the "Rasengan" technique with each clone, effectively encircling Darui in a formidable network of wind pillars.
Confronted with Kabuto's devastating Senjutsu, Darui was compelled to navigate the labyrinthine network of wind pillars, seeking any available openings.
As Darui continued his relentless efforts to evade the wind pillars, Kabuto skillfully manipulated their positions, gradually forcing Darui towards the confines of the arena.
Darui, having become acutely aware of this tactical maneuver, suddenly perceived a momentary gap in the formation of wind pillars, presenting a viable opportunity for a breakthrough. Without hesitation, he seized this chance and charged forward.
However, unbeknownst to Darui, this apparent opening was a deliberate feint orchestrated by Kabuto.
The instant Darui burst through the encirclement of five wind pillars, a small girl's voice echoed in his ears.
"You've fallen for it!"
The speaker was Ichikishimahime, who had suddenly materialized before him.
Her legs had transformed into serpentine tails, which swiftly wrapped around Darui's body. Simultaneously, she opened her mouth wide, revealing two pairs of razor-sharp fangs.
"No!"
Darui's face registered a look of profound alarm, and in that very instant, Ichikishimahime lunged forward, aiming her bite at Darui's dark neck.
Should Ichikishimahime's fangs make contact with Darui's flesh, her venom would instantly petrify him, a condition that could only be reversed by the specialized techniques of Ryūchi Cave.
"Wait a moment… a dark neck? Could it be that I, myself, would be the one to suffer the effects of the poison should she bite me?"
At that very moment, Ichikishimahime hesitated, unable to bring herself to bite Darui.
Darui, a seasoned veteran of countless battles, perceived the anomaly in Ichikishimahime's behavior. While uncertain of the underlying cause, this fleeting moment proved sufficient for him to effect his escape.
Exploiting the enhanced power afforded by his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Darui broke free from the constricting coils of Ichikishimahime's serpentine tails and instantaneously activated Raijin, creating a significant distance between himself and his opponent.
Kabuto, observing this turn of events from the sidelines, shook his head in resignation. Possessing a relatively intimate understanding of Ichikishimahime's nature, he had a fair idea of the reason behind her failure to execute the planned attack.
"Very well, then," Kabuto mused to himself, "I had initially intended to conserve some of my chakra, but it seems that I shall have to resort to my ultimate technique to bring this battle to a swift and decisive conclusion."
In truth, from Kabuto's perspective, Darui was not a formidable opponent. Even without recourse to Senjutsu, Kabuto's exceptional physical constitution and remarkable vitality would have enabled him to wear Darui down and ultimately defeat him through sheer attrition in a prolonged close-quarters combat.
However, Kabuto had little desire to engage in a protracted tactical maneuver, and other tactics he had considered would have involved an excessive amount of lethal force.
Consequently, Kabuto had opted for the strategy of employing Ichikishimahime to restrain his opponent.
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