Is He Using Cheats?

"Such a fast blade—it was practically like light. There was no time to react!"

"Even Darui can't gain the upper hand? This guy is seriously strong!"

The surrounding Cloud Ninja could not help but be shocked at the sight.

It was their first time seeing Darui's Crescent Moon Slash being broken head-on.

"Compared to White Cold Light, it probably doesn't fall short at all!" one Cloud Ninja murmured.

He had only mentioned it casually, without any particular intent.

But the Fourth Raikage heard those words, and they struck a chord.

He narrowed his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them.

White Cold Light? Now that he mentioned it, they really do look alike, he murmured inwardly.

Back to Darui!

"Clang!"

Having been sent flying, he had no time to react before Ye Liangnai closed in again like a ferocious tiger, swinging his blade.

"Hmph!"

Darui's hurried defense was no match for him, and he was forced back once more.

Ye Liangnai pressed forward again. Darui's scalp went numb at the sight, and he used the Body Flicker Technique to evade.

But Ye Liangnai was simply too fast!

The instant Darui dodged away, a cut was left across his body.

"Your blade is really fast!"

Darui appeared on the other side, touching the cut on his chest as he praised him.

"You're not bad either. So far, you're the first person to escape my killing strike!"

Ye Liangnai was modest as well. Then, he charged at Darui again with fierce momentum!

"Lightning Release: Black Spot..."

Seeing that he could not match Ye Liangnai in swordsmanship, black lightning immediately surged from Darui's body, radiating an extremely sharp and violent aura.

Even Ye Liangnai sensed the danger. I have to stop him, or dealing with this will definitely be troublesome!

"Genjutsu: Mind Numb Technique!"

He shouted and glared at Darui.

But Darui was no ordinary man. Seeing this, he quickly shut his eyes and erupted with Chakra, completely resisting the genjutsu's control.

Then, he immediately dispersed the lightning he had just gathered and sent it enveloping Ye Liangnai, leaving him no chance to attack.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Pillar Wall!"

Faced with the surging lightning, Ye Liangnai sensed immense danger and quickly released a defensive ninjutsu before him.

"His reaction really is fast. Too bad, though—he's still going to lose!"

"Yeah. Darui's Black Lightning can't be defended against by ordinary Lightning Release!"

Watching Ye Liangnai get engulfed by Black Lightning, the surrounding Cloud Ninja sighed.

Will he really lose? Would that guy be defeated so easily? Tenshin thought beside the Fourth Raikage.

"Boom!"

The instant the Lightning Pillar Wall collided with Darui's Black Lightning—

A dazzling flash of lightning suddenly erupted from it, stopping the Black Lightning completely and preventing it from advancing even an inch.

One white and one black bolt of lightning tangled together.

Then they vanished in an even draw, neither able to do anything to the other.

"Gasp!"

The watching Cloud Ninja could not help but suck in cold breaths at the sight.

"Gasp, he can even defend against Darui's Black Lightning!!"

"No way, is there something strange about this guy's Lightning Release too?"

"That's a powerful Lightning Release even the Third Raikage acknowledged. Its power is far beyond ordinary Lightning Release, yet he blocked it completely."

"Incredible. This guy is a monster too!"

The people voicing such amazement were not limited to the watching Cloud Ninja. Darui was equally astonished.

"I didn't expect even my Black Lightning would be unable to do anything to you. Your strength has truly exceeded my expectations!"

In his usual battles, most of his opponents would already have lost before he even needed to use Black Lightning.

And even if they lasted until he used it, they could not possibly withstand it.

"As expected of a man acknowledged by the Third Raikage. Your Black Lightning technique is truly formidable!"

Ye Liangnai shook his slightly numb arm and said, "In that case, it's my turn now!"

"Lightning Release..." Ye Liangnai began forming Hand Seals.

But Darui smiled. Then he charged over like a cheetah, laughing. "Who would obediently stand there and let you attack? I won't give you a chance to form Hand Seals!"

"Is that so?"

Ye Liangnai smiled as well at the charging Darui. "You may know nothing about my speed!"

"Lightning Release: Gratitude Wave!"

Before Darui had even reached halfway—

He saw Ye Liangnai's hands moving as if he were using cheats. After a blur of afterimages, astonishing lightning burst from his body and wrapped toward him.

The white lightning was sharp and condensed!

And it was so fast that it gave no one a chance to catch their breath.

"How can he be this fast!!!"

Darui shuddered. With no time to think, he hurriedly used a Lightning Clone to evade.

The Cloud Ninja around them were also stunned by Ye Liangnai's Hand Seal speed.

"Is... is he even... human?!"

"With hand speed like that, how many years would he have to stay single to train it?"

"Can we ninja really form Hand Seals that fast?"

They had their doubts!

"Whoosh!"

Darui had just appeared at the edge of the battlefield.

When he saw Ye Liangnai's smiling face rapidly growing larger in his vision.

"Gasp!"

Every hair on his body stood on end, and his pupils shrank. Without thinking, he raised both hands to shield his head.

"Bang!"

He was blasted away like a kite with its string cut, vomiting a mouthful of blood.

"We're not done yet, Darui. Don't let your guard down!"

At that moment, Ye Liangnai gave another very "friendly" reminder.

"Lightning Release: Thunder Array!"

After another flurry of Hand Seals, he pointed toward the sky and said, "Fall!"

"Boom!"

The sky above the battlefield suddenly lit up. A wild bolt of lightning as thick as an arm descended toward Darui with deafening thunder and overwhelming force.

Hey, hey, hey, no way—is he trying to kill me?! Darui cursed inwardly, his body tensing to the extreme.

Black Lightning appeared again, transforming into a mottled cheetah that roared as it charged at the bolt.

"Boom!"

The earth shook violently. Blinding light and terrifying lightning spread out at once, forcing the surrounding Cloud Ninja to retreat.

The black and white lightning carried terrifying tearing force, crazily bombarding the ground around them with astonishing power.

The commotion did not fade until a full ten seconds had passed.

What appeared before everyone was a ruin spanning dozens of meters.

On one end stood Darui, bedraggled from head to toe, with lightning still coursing over his body.

On the other stood Ye Liangnai, unharmed inside a red barrier.

Who was stronger was already obvious!

"Even Darui lost? And the gap was this obvious?" one Cloud Ninja said in disbelief.

"Though I don't want to admit it, that really is the reality. This guy is so strong!"

Another Cloud Ninja reluctantly accepted the fact.

As the barrier faded, Ye Liangnai looked at Darui and asked, "Do you still want to continue?"