43. Fierce Fight

Sora faced a Jōnin alone—a special Jōnin, no less.

For Sora, this was his first time fighting a ninja of this calibre.

The shinobi he had decapitated earlier in a sneak attack had been formidable, yet Oyuluo's performance made it clear he was on a different level. From the way Oyuluo evaded the second strike of Sora's Rice Soul Technique earlier, it was obvious that while Oyuluo wasn't as fast, his combat experience far surpassed Sora's.

Using that experience, Oyuluo managed to avoid three consecutive sword strikes. However, the fourth proved far more challenging. Unable to evade completely, he stepped back as much as possible, the blade grazing his chest but narrowly avoiding a deeper wound.

Oyuluo glanced toward his companion, Atsui. With years of teamwork behind them, Atsui immediately understood the signal.

"Yunliu Flash Slash!" Atsui shouted.

After quickly forming hand seals, lightning chakra surged around Oyuluo, crackling with power.

Sora had been using Lightning Release chakra to enhance his body throughout the fight. The lightning Oyuluo had conjured was drawn toward the chakra already active in Sora's body, aiming to strike him directly.

At the same time, Oyuluo gripped his ninja sword tightly with both hands and charged forward, slashing at Sora.

Sora expertly guided the incoming lightning away, redirecting it harmlessly. Simultaneously, he raised his blade across his chest, parrying Oyuluo's attack.

Oyuluo unleashed three powerful slashes in rapid succession, each one forcing Sora to retreat step by step. The sheer strength of the strikes made it difficult for Sora to maintain his footing.

As Sora was driven back, Atsui used the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind him, launching a sneak attack with his blade.

When Atsui's strike landed, Sora's body crumbled into a pile of mud, revealing the truth—an Earth-Style Substitution Jutsu!

Atsui's pupils contracted sharply in shock.

'When did he have time to form the seals?!'

Before he could recover, Oyuluo's voice rang out sharply: "Atsui, get out of the way!"

"Latent Shadow Snake Technique!"

Sora emerged from the shadows on Atsui's right, snakes surging from his sleeves in an unexpected attack. The serpents coiled tightly around Atsui's body, their fangs bared as they prepared to strike.

At the same time, Sora swung his tachi, aiming directly for Atsui's neck.

"Damn it! Shadow Lightning Spear!"

Lightning erupted from Oyuluo's body, surging through him as he propelled himself forward to save his comrade.

Just as Sora's blade was about to reach Atsui's neck, Oyuluo struck. He severed the snakes binding Atsui and tackled him to the ground, the two of them rolling away.

Even so, Atsui's shoulder was grazed by the tip of Sora's blade, leaving a shallow but painful wound.

Sora's eyes narrowed as he observed the two.

'As expected, Jōnin from Kumogakure is adept at using Lightning Release chakra to stimulate their bodies, enhancing their speed and strength. However, Oyuluo's speed hasn't increased significantly—his technique must focus more on amplifying strength.'

Oyuluo helped Atsui to his feet, his gaze never leaving Sora. "Atsui, don't underestimate this kid! He's far stronger than we thought."

His tone was heavy, and his eyes betrayed a newfound wariness.

Oyuluo had recognized Sora's earlier move—it was a secret technique of Orochimaru, one of Konoha's Sannin.

Sora swiftly formed hand seals and took a deep breath.

"Fire Style: Flame Destruction!"

Gathering chakra in his throat, he exhaled a massive wave of fire that spread out like an ocean, engulfing the area in its blazing heat.

"Dodge!" Oyuluo barked, his voice low and commanding.

He immediately evaded the incoming flames, skillfully weaving around the fire's destructive path as he closed in on Sora.

"Lightning Style: Three-Point Thunder Slash!"

Oyuluo channeled his Lightning Release chakra into his ninja sword, sparks of electricity crackling violently along the blade. As the lightning condensed to its peak, Oyuluo unleashed it in a powerful surge toward Sora.

"Oh?" Sora remarked with a smirk. "Our techniques are similar. Let's see whose lightning is stronger!"

Pointing the tip of his tachi directly at Oyuluo, Sora called out:

"Thunder Breath: Fifth Form—Scorching World Thunder!"

A high-temperature, lightning-infused slash erupted from Sora's sword, surging toward Oyuluo with blistering intensity.

The two techniques collided, and the resulting burst of lightning illuminated the entire dark forest. Sparks and light danced wildly in the air as both attacks clashed in a heated stalemate.

Oyuluo's eyes widened in shock.

'How does this kid have so much chakra? His mastery over Lightning Release—both in nature transformation and form manipulation—is far superior to mine.'

A thought crossed Oyuluo's mind as he gritted his teeth. 'A genius…'

As someone who fought in the Second Shinobi World War, Oyuluo had seen his fair share of prodigies. He knew what such talent meant. Many children younger than Sora had rivalled or even surpassed experienced Jōnin.

By comparison, Oyuluo felt painfully average. At 27 years old, he had only recently been promoted to Jōnin.

But his sense of inferiority quickly transformed into a murderous resolve.

'I can't let this kid with the Sharingan live. If he grows stronger, he'll be a great threat to Kumogakure. He must die here.'

Determined, Oyuluo disengaged from the stalemate, rolling to the side to avoid Sora's Scorching World Thunder. Using the Body Flicker Technique, he appeared right in front of Sora.

"Yunliu: Flying Blade!"

Oyuluo's ninja sword, crackling with lightning, slashed toward Sora in a fierce arc.

Rather than defend, Sora chose to meet the attack head-on. His own lightning-coated tachi clashed against Oyuluo's blade, the sharp sound of metal colliding echoing through the forest.

Though Oyuluo had enhanced his strength with Lightning Release chakra, he was still overpowered and forced back by Sora's blow.

'As I thought,' Sora noted, 'Oyuluo's technique focuses primarily on strength rather than speed.'

However, Sora's instincts screamed a warning—there was more to Oyuluo's move.

As Oyuluo was knocked back, a lightning blade formed along his ninja sword, shooting toward Sora. The lightning struck Sora's blade and spread across his body, shocking him.

"Now, Atui!" Oyuluo shouted.

In Oyuluo's mind, Sora had been paralyzed by the lightning, leaving an opening for Atsui to deliver the finishing blow. But as seconds passed, Atui didn't appear.

Confused, Oyuluo turned his head and froze in horror.

Atui lay on the ground, half of his body charred from flames, his muscles twitching uncontrollably.

"What happened?!" Oyuluo's voice cracked in disbelief.

He couldn't understand. Atsui's speed should have been enough to avoid the Fire Style: Flame Destruction technique Sora had used earlier. So why was he in this state?

"Heh," Sora sneered, his Sharingan glowing ominously in the dark. "It seems like your friend is having… a little issue."

Using the Body Flicker Technique, Sora appeared beside Atsui, grabbing him by the hair and lifting him off the ground.

Sora's cold Sharingan locked onto Oyuluo as he taunted, "Why would you think your lightning could paralyze me? Did you think the lightning chakra running through my body was just for show?"

Only then did Oyuluo notice the blackened veins visible on Atsui's skin. His expression darkened as realization struck.

"The snake… from earlier?"

Sora's smirk widened. "That's right. My snake, Lion Majesty, injected venom into him when it restrained him. The poison slowed him down, making it impossible to escape my flames completely."

Because of the venom, Atsui had failed to dodge Sora's earlier attack and was now incapacitated.

Sora raised his tachi, pointing its tip at Atsui's neck. "Don't worry," he said, his voice icy. "You're next."

With no hesitation, Sora plunged his sword through Atsui's neck.

Atsui twitched and convulsed in his grasp, but within moments, his body went limp.

Sora dropped the corpse unceremoniously, his gaze shifting back to Oyuluo.

Oyuluo's eyes burned with fury, his expression twisted with rage.

"Why the glare?" Sora mocked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "When you kidnapped Kushina, weren't we already in a fight to the death?"

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