In the rain.
The pressure that had been steadily building finally became almost unbearable for Darui. Even his usually unflappable face was now covered in a thin sheen of sweat, which mixed with the rain as it streamed down his cheeks.
"I can't wait any longer!"
Darui clenched his teeth, making the first move.
In his eyes, the aura emanating from the Kirin of the Mist was still rising, and the Purple Lightning swirling around him had grown increasingly violent, to the point where it was already suppressing his own Black Lightning. He couldn't afford to wait—and he didn't dare to.
"Lightning Release: Black Panther!"
After completing the hand seals, Darui clenched his fists and thrust them forward from afar.
Roar—!
In an instant, the enormous black panther formed from Black Lightning seemed to come alive, releasing a deafening roar that shook the sky!
The black panther coiled its body and lunged forward with explosive speed, charging straight at Hyuga Kagami. Like a devouring abyss, it swallowed everything in its path—the rain, the air, even light and shadow!
Amid the thunderous roar, Hyuga Kagami, who had been completely immersed in comprehending Purple Lightning, snapped back to his senses.
"Huh…!"
Seeing the black panther already upon him, he had no time to dodge. He could only bring his palms together, fully activate the Purple Lightning covering his body, and meet the attack head-on!
In the next instant, beneath the raging storm, the long-accumulated Black Lightning and Purple Lightning collided!
Boom—!!!
A blinding flash erupted within the Forest of Death. The light was brighter than the scorching sun, instantly dispelling all darkness and gloom, making it impossible for anyone to keep their eyes open!
The intense brilliance lasted only a moment, followed by a world-shaking explosion!
Within the deafening roar, violent lightning chakra—along with surging air currents and sheets of rain—burst outward like a flood breaking through a dam!
"This—!?"
Kakashi, Guy, Asuma, and the other jōnin stationed at the edge of the battlefield were all sent flying backward like kites with snapped strings, overwhelmed by the ferocious shockwave!
Samui, C, and Suigetsu from Darui's squad, as well as Karin and Deidara who were fighting nearby, were also caught in the blast without exception.
They were tossed around like leaves in a storm—some smashed into trees, some slammed into the ground, and others were swept far away!
...
In the distance.
Shikamaru shielded his eyes with his hand, looking utterly bewildered.
"What the hell happened over there?"
The sudden flash of light had struck his eyes head-on, and even now his vision hadn't fully recovered.
"Woof, woof…"
Akamaru, perched atop Kiba's head, whimpered twice before shrinking back into Kiba's jacket in fear. The lingering lightning chakra in the air instinctively filled him with dread.
Kiba stroked Akamaru to calm him and said, "Whatever it was, it definitely wasn't anything good."
After observing with her Byakugan, Hinata said seriously, "The chakra over there is extremely chaotic. Lightning chakra is scattered throughout the air. We shouldn't go any closer."
...
Elsewhere.
Orochimaru flipped lightly onto the crown of the tallest nearby tree, gazing toward Hyuga Kagami's battlefield in the distance, a trace of wariness flashing through his eyes.
"Lightning ninjutsu of this level… even an ordinary jōnin couldn't pull this off. Is that Darui from the Cloud? And who could push him this far? Deidara?"
Questions surged through Orochimaru's mind.
But he quickly suppressed his curiosity and shifted his attention back to the battlefield where Sasuke and Kimimaro were fighting.
No matter how powerful ordinary ninjutsu might be, it no longer stirred his heart. The only things that still fascinated him were forbidden techniques, Sage Mode, and the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan.
...
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Kunai and bone blades collided again and again, releasing sharp, piercing metallic clashes amid flying sparks!
Sasuke, wielding a kunai, and Kimimaro, armed with his bone blade, moved like phantoms through the dark forest, exchanging blows at blinding speed.
Both possessed terrifying speed and exquisite taijutsu. Even a pure close-combat exchange was lethally dangerous—one mistake meant death!
In the midst of the fierce battle, both were completely focused.
The brief flash of blinding light and the continuous thunder echoing in the distance didn't distract them in the slightest. At that moment, it was as if only the other person existed in their world.
Not far from their battlefield.
Naruto and Sakura, trapped within the Demonic Mirror Ice Crystals, were examining the smooth, mirror-like ice panels surrounding them.
Sakura said uncertainly, "Is this what the textbooks call Ice Release?"
Naruto clenched his fist and shouted, "Whatever it is, we have to break it fast! We can't let Sasuke face that dangerous guy alone!"
Sakura nodded vigorously. "Right!"
At that moment, Haku's figure appeared in every ice mirror.
"Please don't worry," Haku said calmly. "I won't harm you. Once everything is over, I'll release you immediately."
Naruto asked, confused, "Why are you targeting Sasuke?"
Naruto had an unusually sharp instinct for malice. He could tell that the Sound ninja weren't after their Chunin Exam scrolls—they were specifically targeting Sasuke.
Haku fell silent for a moment, then replied, "I'm sorry. I can't tell you why. But you can rest assured—once Kimimaro kills Uchiha Sasuke, I'll release you right away. Please be patient."
"What kind of joke is that?! You think we'll just stand by and watch you kill Sasuke? He's our teammate!"
Without any hesitation, Naruto roared and began forming hand seals—
...
Back on Hyuga Kagami's battlefield.
Even under the torrential rain, the area where Black Lightning and Purple Lightning had collided was still filled with scorching smoke and steaming vapor.
Leaning against a half-shattered, charred tree trunk, Hyuga Kagami struggled to his feet, panting heavily. He looked toward Darui and said, "That was close!"
Darui, who had also just stood up, wore an extremely grim expression.
The clash between Black Lightning and Purple Lightning had ended in a draw, with neither side gaining the upper hand. Once again, it proved that the opponent's Purple Lightning was a single-nature chakra transformation no weaker than his own Black Lightning.
Darui said, "Let's stop here."
Although he was injured as well, Hyuga Kagami—having just grasped Purple Lightning through inspiration from Darui's Black Lightning—was in excellent spirits.
"Sure," he replied lightly. "If you surrender, we can stop here."
"So that's how it is…" Darui sighed, lifting his gaze toward the rumbling storm clouds above.
"Kirin, you'll regret this."
Hyuga Kagami also looked up at the clouds, a faint smile on his lips.
"Do you know why I'm called Kirin?"
...