At the critical moment, Neji endured the searing pain and suddenly brought his hands together. "Crystal Release: Mirror Reversal!"
A smooth, mirror-like crystal shield appeared out of thin air, perfectly blocking the path of the fist. To everyone's surprise, the instant Danzo's fist struck the mirror, it was actually rebounded by some unseen force! Though the mirror shattered as well, the force of the blow was perfectly redirected, allowing Neji to widen the distance again.
"Damn brat!" Danzo roared furiously as the blood-red vapor around him began to grow unstable. Just as Neji had expected, his Gate of Death state could not last long. Every attack accelerated his exhaustion, while those bizarre Crystal Release techniques left him struggling to cope.
In the distance, the Third Hokage stood supported by Tsunade, watching the duel without blinking. Complex emotions flickered in his clouded eyes—shock, relief, and deep concern.
"Teacher Hiruzen, can Neji win...?" Jiraiya could not help asking.
"Neji," the Third Hokage said softly, "is a true genius. He can do it..."
At the center of the battlefield, Neji keenly sensed Danzo's aura beginning to decline. The blood-red vapor was no longer as dense as before, and the rhythm of Danzo's attacks had visibly slowed. Seizing the opportunity, he suddenly changed tactics.
"Crystal Release: Dark Crystal Greatsword!"
A massive black crystal sword thirty meters long condensed out of thin air and slashed toward Danzo with a howling gale. Danzo gave a disdainful snort and actually caught the descending greatsword barehanded! The moment his palm touched the crystal, blinding light erupted amid a shower of sparks.
"Tricks!"
Danzo squeezed hard, and cracks instantly spread across the Dark Crystal Greatsword. But at the moment the enormous blade shattered, countless tiny crystal fragments suddenly changed direction and shot toward Danzo's vital points like a torrential