"Lava Release: Rubber Wall!"
There was still an expert on the Kumo-nin frontlines; it was actually the Raikage's assistant, Dodai, who wielded Lava Release.
A long, yellow rubber wall surged between Konoha and the Kumo-nin, providing an escape opportunity for the Kumo-nin.
Seeing Darui about to flee, Yōkō felt a sense of unease rise within him.
He couldn't die twice at the hands of the same person. If Darui were to ambush him on the battlefield later, wouldn't he be able to truly kill him for good?
He absolutely could not let him escape.
Yōkō used Water Cutting Wave.
The high-speed water line struck the Lava Release rubber. To Yōkō's surprise, his Water Release actually couldn't cut through the rubber.
The rubber was extremely elastic. The Water Cutting Wave caused the rubber to squirm and distort continuously, but it couldn't be severed.
Faced with one of the ninja world's top-tier defensive abilities, pure Water Release seemed somewhat inadequate; he would have to find a way to strengthen his Water Cutting Wave later.
Even if the Water Cutting Wave was ineffective, Yōkō was determined to kill Darui.
He leaped over the rubber wall and pursued Darui.
Seeing Fox so anxious, Hatake Sakumo cast aside all caution and led his team to follow.
Among all the Konoha ninja, the one with the most resolute fighting spirit had become Yōkō.
The distance was a bit far. Yōkō used Water Cutting Wave repeatedly, forcing Dodai to stop again and again to block with his Lava Release rubber.
Seizing a certain moment, Yōkō suddenly changed his jutsu.
Before the rubber wall could fully descend, Yōkō used Earth Release: Earth-Style Rising Spears.
After a single hand seal, dense earth spears thrust up from the ground.
The rubber wall was propped up by the earth spears, unable to reach the ground.
Yōkō switched back to Water Cutting Wave, the high-speed water line heading straight for Dodai.
Dodai inwardly thought, 'This is bad.'
He quickly formed hand seals, wanting to create a second rubber wall in front of himself. However, the Konoha ANBU's Water Release was too fast! He was about to be pierced by the water jet!
At that moment, Darui's Storm Release laser arrived.
Storm Release: Laser Circus. Dodai had previously thought this name was coined by some foolish ancestor of the Storm Release clan – too hard to remember and meaningless.
However, at this moment, Dodai only wanted to sincerely thank the various predecessors of the Storm Release clan.
This technique was too useful.
The laser formed from the combination of Water and Lightning Release was extremely fast, colliding with the Water Cutting Wave.
Yōkō felt a slight numbness at the corner of his mouth.
The lightning traveled back along the Water Cutting Wave towards Yōkō, forcing him to中止 the technique.
At that very moment, a brilliant white blade aura came slashing down towards Dodai's head.
Yōkō had bought enough time; Hatake Sakumo had arrived.
White Fang's several-meter-long curved blade aura shot straight towards Dodai.
Dodai used Rubber Ball, a hollow rubber sphere appearing around him.
Yōkō watched with anticipation. The Rubber Ball was a top-tier defensive jutsu capable of withstanding the Third Raikage's attacks. He wondered whether White Fang's spear was sharper, or the Rubber Ball's shield was sturdier.
Struck by White Fang's blade aura, a crack instantly appeared on the Rubber Ball.
Through the crack, Dodai's eyes were filled with terror!
His Lava Release was no match for Konoha's White Fang?
However, White Fang failed to completely cut through the Rubber Ball.
The Rubber Ball's second function manifested. Upon encountering a powerful attack, the rubber sphere would compress and then shoot backwards.
Dodai pressed tightly against the rear wall of the rubber sphere. White Fang's blade aura had cut through nearly three-quarters of the rubber ball, but its energy was ultimately exhausted by the rubber ball.
The nearly split rubber sphere shot backwards, disengaging from the battle.
Darui breathed a sigh of relief; Dodai wasn't dead.
However, he soon witnessed the tacit understanding between Hatake Sakumo and Copper Fox.
Copper Fox used a Body Flicker to appear in front of him, once again employing Water Release: Water Cutting Wave.
White Fang's blade momentum didn't diminish. He forcibly turned and took a large step forward, the blade aura that had just sent the Rubber Ball flying continued its slash towards Darui.
Darui's first instinct was to use Lightning Body Flicker to evade.
He was horrified to discover that the Water Cutting Wave was slicing towards his intended escape route.
Why did Copper Fox understand the Lightning Body Flicker so well?
His next move had been predicted, forcing him to abruptly change direction, which disrupted his form.
The Water Cutting Wave swept horizontally through the air, severing both of Darui's lower legs!
No matter how strong Darui was, he was no match for the combined efforts of White Fang and Copper Fox.
Darui's lower legs vanished from the knees down, leaving two spurting trails of blood on the ground.
Seeing his misery, Darui used his hands to push off the ground, propelling himself backward.
Yōkō, seeing Darui's misery, did not press the attack, fearing Darui might be hiding some last-resort move.
He couldn't take the risk; if he died again, it would be for real.
Witnessing this, Hatake Sakumo assumed Fox was allowing him to claim the glory and build his reputation.
The battlefield situation changed in an instant.
Hatake Sakumo swiftly charged forward, unleashing a ten-meter-long White Fang blade aura at close range.
Yōkō thought to himself, 'I've raised this soldier for a thousand days to be used for this one moment, Hatake Zhaoda! I've treated you well, now it's time to clear the mines for me!'
At such close range, with such a long blade aura, no one could dodge it.
Darui simply didn't bother dodging. After forming a hand seal, his body became enveloped in lightning.
Using his blood as water, he unleashed the full power of Storm Release's lightning-water fusion!
The Storm Release actually took on a somewhat bloody red hue.
Darui self-destructed!
Yōkō felt a lingering fear; luckily he hadn't gone in himself.
Hatake Sakumo landed slowly. Darui was dead after all.
"Darui!"
In the distance, Dodai let out a grief-stricken cry, then turned and fled without looking back.
Shinma and the others hurriedly gave chase.
Hatake Sakumo thought to himself, Fox was truly a pure-hearted shinobi, unmoved even in the face of great merit.
Slaying the Kumo-nin commander was an immense feat.
Fox possessed the unique temperament of the ANBU from the Second Hokage's era.
Not greedy for credit, solely focused on achieving the objective, suppressing all personal thoughts, all for the sake of Konoha.
If he were to become Hokage, Hatake Sakumo could confidently entrust the ANBU to Fox.
Whether in terms of ability or shinobi disposition, Fox was an excellent candidate to lead the ANBU.
"Sakumo-sama, let's go expand our gains," Yōkō said.
Hatake Sakumo nodded, and the two quickly pursued.
Ahead, Dodai and his men jumped into the cloud-shrouded canyon.
Shinma jumped down after them.
The sound of exploding tags came from within the clouds.
A kunai shot towards the rock wall, followed by Shinma climbing up a wire.
Shinma said with lingering fear, "There are many traps down there!"
He created shadow clones and sent them down to probe.
Various sounds of explosions and flying kunai came from within the mist.
Hatake Sakumo formed hand seals: "Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
Dozens of shadow clones jumped down the cliff.
The sounds of explosions in the canyon continued one after another.
To protect their command post, the Kumo-nin had spared no expense.
The Multiple Shadow Clone Technique could be called the most overrated S-Rank forbidden jutsu. Anyone who knew the Shadow Clone Technique could use Multiple Shadow Clones.
The problem was that most people's chakras couldn't sustain it, and their nervous systems would be destroyed by the simultaneous feedback of pain when the multiple shadow clones were dispelled.
By the time the traps were cleared and everyone descended into the canyon, they found the Kumo-nin camp in complete disarray: empty tents, discarded shoes.
The Konoha forces continued the pursuit, but found the canyon forked into many paths.
Six canyons intersect, forming this canyon maze. False clues were everywhere, making tracking impossible.
"Back to camp!" Hatake Sakumo said. "While the Kumo-nin are reeling from Darui's death, let's organize an offensive! End this conflict for good!"
***
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(Chapter End)