"Little devil, your opponent is me."
There was no way Lei Xiao would let Simu leave so easily.
With the Lightning Style Chakra Mode enhancing his body, every cell was stimulated to an extreme level.
His arm swung out, leaving behind afterimages as he launched a flurry of attacks at Simu, his strikes nearly invisible.
Simu's expression darkened as golden light wrapped around his body.
Between him and Lei Xiao, countless afterimages flickered, moving so fast that Tayura and Shidoping couldn't even follow their movements.
Rocks shattered under their clash, and trees were effortlessly sliced apart by the ninja blades.
Lei Xiao finally stopped, panting heavily. His large, muscular frame radiated a murderous aura.
Yet, across from him, Simu stood unscathed, holding his golden lightsaber with a calm expression.
"What a monster..." Lei Xiao muttered.
This kind of opponent was enough to make even a veteran like him despair.
"Let's end this quickly," Simu said, unwilling to waste any more time.
In an instant, golden light pierced through the darkness.
"Heh, don't underestimate me!" Lei Xiao roared, unleashing every last ounce of his chakra.
He pushed his body beyond its limits.
Faster!
Move faster!
Faster than ever before!
This level of overexertion placed an unbearable strain on his body. Even if he survived this battle, he'd likely be crippled for life.
But he didn't care!
For the Land of Thunder's victory, he was willing to sacrifice everything—
Even his life!
Lightning crackled across his entire body as he charged toward Simu, his blade infused with thousands of bolts of electricity. The roaring thunder echoed like the cries of a thousand thunderbirds.
"Lightning Style: Thousand Thunderbirds!"
With the speed of a man who had abandoned his own survival, Lei Xiao's blade sliced through the air.
The sheer force of his attack made Simu's skin sting before the blade even reached him.
Lei Xiao's eyes were resolute, his body overflowing with killing intent.
He completely ignored Simu's lightsaber, focusing all his energy on landing a fatal strike.
Lightning tore through the night sky, illuminating the battlefield.
At the same moment, Simu's lightsaber effortlessly pierced Lei Xiao's chest, impaling him.
The heart that had once beat so powerfully was now shattered.
Yet, Lei Xiao did not feel fear.
Instead, an excited expression appeared on his face.
He was going to trade his life for Simu's!
With one hand, he grabbed Simu, while his other, still crackling with Chidori's deadly energy, slashed toward Simu's throat.
Beheading strike!
In Simu's astonished expression, the thunder blade sliced through his neck.
His head slowly fell—shock still frozen on his face.
Then… the corner of his mouth curled into a smirk.
"Can you catch the light?"
The astonishment shifted from Simu's face to Lei Xiao's.
He didn't understand.
He had clearly severed Simu's head.
So why was Simu still alive?!
Before he could react, Simu twisted his lightsaber mercilessly, completely destroying Lei Xiao's heart.
Lei Xiao's body collapsed.
Seeing his comrade fall, Shidoping rushed forward without hesitation.
As long as his sacrifice could buy even a few extra moments for Bosh to escape with Kushina—
Even a second would be enough.
Simu admired his determination.
But enemies were enemies.
The greatest respect he could give them was fighting at full strength.
"Earth Style: Earth Prison Wall!"
Shidoping's objective was clear.
He didn't need to kill Simu—
He didn't even need to injure him.
All he had to do was stall him!
The ground beneath Simu's feet rose rapidly, forming four towering walls, attempting to trap him inside like a cage.
"You think this can hold me?"
"How can mere earth restrain the speed of light!"
Simu stomped on the ground without hesitation.
His body transformed into a golden flash, rushing straight toward Shidoping.
Shidoping's expression tightened as he pressed his hands to the ground.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"
Thick earthen barriers surged up, blocking Simu's path.
But the golden light wasn't stopped.
It shattered the wall, splitting into countless beams before reforming on the other side.
In the blink of an eye, Simu landed in front of Shidoping.
"Have you ever been kicked by light?"
A dazzling golden glow filled Shidoping's vision.
BOOM!
An indescribable force crashed into him, sending him flying through the forest. Trees snapped like twigs as he finally smashed into the ground, leaving behind a massive crater.
Simu slowly lowered his leg.
Then—
He realized his body couldn't move.
Behind him, Tayura stood with his hands forming a seal.
Simu's shadow had elongated unnaturally and connected to Tayura's.
"The Nara Clan's Shadow Binding Technique…"
Tayura smirked.
"I never thought the jutsu I learned from the Nara Clan would be this useful."
He had never revealed that he could use the Shadow Binding Technique.
And he had been waiting for this exact moment.
"Next, one explosive tag will send you straight to hell."
With one hand, Tayura kept Simu restrained.
With the other, he pulled out a kunai wrapped in a detonating tag and hurled it straight at Simu.
"In this state, you can't use that strange ability of yours!"
While under the Shadow Binding Technique, any flow of chakra was completely sealed.
Even Simu's Light-Speed Ninjutsu wouldn't be able to break free.
Just as the kunai was about to strike—
A black blur flashed past Simu.
Hyuga Rei!
Her short black hair fluttered as she moved.
Cloud Shinobi had placed a chakra-restricting seal on both Kushina and Rei to keep them from struggling.
But at this moment—
To save Simu—
Rei forcibly broke through the seal with sheer willpower.
Bright red blood dripped from the corner of her mouth.
But she didn't care.
With her Byakugan, she precisely calculated the kunai's trajectory.
Then—
She threw herself forward.
Even if it meant sacrificing herself—
She had to protect Simu!
With a single Gentle Fist strike, Rei deflected the kunai.
But the detonating tag ignited instantly, engulfing both her and Simu in a massive explosion.
Flames erupted through the trees.
Tayura finally let out a breath of relief.
"Hah… Hah… You little brat… You were still far from beating me."
Wiping the sweat from his brow, he turned to leave.
But then—
From within the raging fire—
A voice echoed.
"Man… that was close. I almost died there."
Tayura's face turned pale.
No… It couldn't be…!
Simu walked out of the flames, carrying Rei in his arms.
"Mr. Simu…"
Rei's cheeks flushed slightly, embarrassed from being held.
But soon, a bright smile spread across her face.
"Simu-kun… I'm so glad you're okay."
Simu sighed.
Gently placing Rei on the ground, he wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth.
With a serious expression, he said, "Never do that again. Do you understand?"
Rei blinked her big, watery eyes.
Then she grinned mischievously and nodded.
…She didn't mean it at all.
Just as Simu was about to scold her, Rei suddenly pointed at Tayura.
"He's trying to escape."
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