Boom!
The Kirin, roaring ferociously, descended upon the earth. The instant its massive claws touched down, countless bolts of lightning exploded outward.
The reason this jutsu is classified as an S-Rank Forbidden Technique lies in its harnessing of natural forces. The countless bolts of lightning are not conjured from Sasuke's Chakra but are raw, unrelenting power from nature itself. This energy is condensed into the shape of the Kirin.
The ground, already charred black, transformed into a vast web of blue-purple electricity. The indiscriminate shockwaves radiated outward, destroying everything in their path with devastating force.
This is the true power of Lightning Release: Kirin!
"Susanoo!"
Itachi dared not underestimate the threat. No matter how powerful a Shinobi may be, contending with the overwhelming might of nature is no easy feat.
His only option now was to defend himself.
The Mangekyo Sharingan in his eyes spun wildly, activating the third Dojutsu granted by the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Boom!
A brilliant orange-red light burst forth from Itachi, rapidly expanding into a colossal figure that stood towering over the battlefield like a mountain. It was Itachi's fully realized Susanoo!
This Susanoo was uniquely his. Fully armored with dual wings extending from its back, it bore two longswords crossed at its back. Its left hand wielded the Yata Mirror, and its right hand held the Totsuka Blade… making this form Itachi's ultimate technique, capable of both offense and defense.
However, Itachi had no intention of using Susanoo's massive frame to brute-force his way through the lightning strike. The cost of maintaining Susanoo was too great, draining not only his Chakra and pupil power but also his very vitality. Only as a last resort would he rely on its full might.
Facing the incoming lightning beast, Itachi raised Susanoo's left hand, positioning the Yata Mirror to intercept the attack.
The Yata Mirror, a formless spiritual artifact, had the unique ability to adapt its properties based on the incoming attack. By altering its own nature, it could nullify any assault. Even the raw lightning of nature could be countered by transforming its properties to match.
"Roar!"
The Kirin let out a deafening roar as it lunged toward the crimson Susanoo. Its massive claws, each over ten meters long, swiped fiercely at its target.
Unyielding, the crimson Susanoo retaliated by swinging the Yata Mirror to meet the Kirin's strike.
Boom!
The clash between the Kirin's claws and the Yata Mirror sent a thunderous sound across the battlefield. Sparks of red and blue collided, erupting into a burst of purple lightning that seemed to distort the very heavens and earth.
But in the next moment, the crimson Susanoo was hurled backward from the impact, clearly overpowered.
There was no helping it. Though the Yata Mirror could adapt to nullify the properties of the lightning, the sheer magnitude of the Kirin's energy was overwhelming. The sheer volume of its power had crossed the threshold where quantity itself caused a qualitative shift.
It was not surprising that the Yata Mirror faltered under the strain.
Also, Itachi showed no trace of alarm.
In fact, this outcome was within his calculations.
From the moment he saw Sasuke ascend into the storm clouds and summon the power of thunder, Itachi had been formulating his countermeasure.
The Kirin, though deceptively cumbersome in appearance, was formed from lightning and moved at a speed far surpassing sound. Dodging its initial attack was impossible.
Using the Yata Mirror to withstand the brunt of the strike and utilizing the recoil to propel himself backward, Itachi's crimson Susanoo spread its wings and soared higher into the sky, escaping the electrical epicenter. This was Itachi's true strategy.
Just as Itachi had predicted, Sasuke lacked full control over the Kirin. The Ninjutsu could only be guided to strike once, with no further adjustments possible.
After its first devastating impact, the Kirin dissipated, breaking apart into countless arcs of raw lightning.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The residual energy, unleashed as indiscriminate electrical shockwaves, surged wildly in all directions… The nature's final, desperate outburst before the storm subsided.
On the other side of the battlefield, Naruto and the others had long since retreated to safety.
Naruto originally planned to play with Orochimaru for a bit, but when he saw Sasuke unleashing Lightning Release: Kirin, he quickly decided to retreat.
Given the power of Kirin, the surrounding ten kilometers would become a lightning field. So staying there any longer was just asking for trouble.
Using the Flying Thunder God Technique, Naruto swiftly transported himself, Kisame, Hidan, and Kakuzu to a marked location twenty kilometers away.
Orochimaru, on the other hand, leisurely followed behind them through his black gate, moving as if on a casual stroll.
By the time the group reached the safe distance, the Kirin descended from the sky.
Immediately afterward, they witnessed the colossal clash between the mountain-like crimson Susanoo and the blue Kirin.
"Holy crap, that's intense!"
Even from twenty kilometers away, Naruto could feel the shockwaves from the collision. The earth trembled, groaning in pain under the immense pressure.
In his previous life, when he watched it on TV, Naruto only thought it was cool, and nothing else. But now, experiencing it firsthand brought an overwhelming, visceral impact to his senses.
In a mythical context, this was akin to an apocalyptic battle between two ancient gods… an awe-inspiring spectacle that drove all living beings to flee in fear.
"I never thought Itachi was this strong!"
Hidan was visibly stunned, but when he saw the crimson Susanoo getting knocked back, he couldn't help but curse, "What the hell? Itachi's retreating? What a coward! Why not just fight back and crush it?"
"Fight? Fight what?"
Kisame snorted and said, "That Kirin is a manifestation of nature's lightning. Taking it head-on would result in severe injury. A tactical retreat is the smarter choice."
Kakuzu nodded slightly in agreement, "Kisame is right. Going against the forces of nature is suicidal. That Kirin is terrifying, but it's still just lightning and it'll dissipate soon enough. There's no need to go head-to-head with it."
As soon as he finished speaking, the group watched the Kirin's final fit of rage. With no target to strike, it could only scatter into an indiscriminate web of lightning, attacking everything in its vicinity.
Looking at the vast, lake-like expanse of blue lightning covering the area, the group fell silent.
Though it was Kirin's last outburst, the sheer force of nature left them feeling utterly powerless.
At this moment, Naruto gained a newfound understanding of why the Sages in the Naruto World were revered.
Their ability to harness Natural Energy and integrate it into their bodies gave them the edge of wielding the power of nature itself.
'It seems...'
Naruto pondered to himself, but before he could finish, he heard Orochimaru beside him humming, "I've found my future path. I must become a Sage!"
Hearing this, Naruto chuckled, "What a coincidence, that's exactly what I was thinking."
Orochimaru let out a soft laugh and said, "Naruto-kun, our ideas always seem to align, don't they?"
Naruto nodded slightly and said, "Let's discuss this in detail later. For now, it looks like things over there are wrapping up."
"Indeed!"
Orochimaru turned his gaze back to the lightning field.
Despite the lightning's terrifying power, it was ultimately no match for the earth itself.
The massive amount of lightning was gradually absorbed into the ground. Though faint electric arcs still flickered across the scorched surface, they were harmless.
The area within a ten-kilometer radius was charred black, and at the center of it all, Sasuke had fallen to the ground, drained of all his energy.
He had reverted from his Cursed Seal state, now lying limp and powerless on the scorched battlefield.
At this moment, he didn't have a single drop of energy left. Anyone who came near could kill him with ease.
The crimson Susanoo descend from the sky and gradually disappear, then Itachi, who is unharmed, stepped forward, his expression as composed as ever.
Seeing this, Sasuke's face turned ashen, his eyes dull and lifeless.
He couldn't accept his defeat, but the truth was undeniable… he was utterly powerless.
In his desperation to defeat Itachi, he had risked his life to summon the nature's lightning. Yet the outcome was clear: he hadn't even managed to scratch Itachi.
"Is this… as far as I can go?"