Sasuke wanted to say more, but the black-robed figure's voice was laced with resentment.
"It was like this before, and it's still like this now. I thought I could let go, but it's clear I never could."
A dark green radiance surged from her body, obliterating the lightning barrier in an instant.
"If it's a fight you want, then so be it! Even if I can't be with Sasuke, I'll kill you, Uzumaki Naruto!"
Naruto smirked coldly, "So it's come to this? Then don't blame me for being merciless."
He had suspected the black-robed figure for a while. The fact that she avoided revealing her true identity was suspicious enough, as if she had something to hide. Her words now only confirmed her deep-seated hatred for him. If there was already enmity between them, why bother pretending to be an ally?
Even if she remained hidden for now, she was an unstable bomb that could explode at any time. Keeping her around was a mistake Naruto had no intention of repeating.
Whoosh!
Orochimaru grabbed Sasuke and whisked him away from this location at lightning speed.
"Let me go!"
Sasuke struggled desperately.
Orochimaru smacked Sasuke on the head, and said in a low tone, "Stop being stubborn. Can't you see that the black-robed figure has harbored resentment toward Naruto all along? She probably approached you deliberately to get close to Naruto and kill him."
In Orochimaru's view, the black-robed figure's actions made perfect sense. Befriending Sasuke and infiltrating Naruto's inner circle was likely a ruse to assassinate Naruto when he least expected it.
This would also explain why she suddenly showed up and showed such unrequited concern for Sasuke.
"But…"
Sasuke wanted to refute Orochimaru, but his reasoning was compelling. From a logical standpoint, it all seemed to fit.
'Could everything I had cherished and been grateful for turn out to be nothing more than a beautiful illusion crafted by her?'
'Was it just like Obito being manipulated by Madara, or Madara being deceived by Black Zetsu?'
These thoughts plunged Sasuke into silence. His head drooped, and he looked utterly defeated, like a rooster beaten in a fight.
…
Fighting in Otogakure was never Naruto's intention, but now that it had come to this, he had no choice. He trusted Orochimaru to evacuate the residents quickly. In the meantime, this gave him a chance to feint and probe the black-robed figure's abilities.
'Close combat was out of the question… one misstep and I could be ambushed. For safety, long-range attacks were the way to go.'
With that in mind, Naruto slowly raised his right hand.
A crackling sound resonated as purple lightning shot forth, aimed straight at the black-robed figure.
However, the dark green radiance emanating from her body nullified the purple lightning effortlessly.
"Interesting."
Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly.
Now that he had become the Thunder God, Naruto had mastery over all the world's lightning laws, which is categorized by color into seven levels of power: blue, purple, black, white, green, red, and gold, from weakest to strongest.
Although purple lightning was relatively low on the scale, it was equivalent to heavenly thunder and carried the destructive power like Kirin.
The fact that the black-robed figure was able to neutralize it so effortlessly was a clear indication of her formidable strength.
"Then let's see how you handle this!"
Naruto lifted his right hand higher, summoning a swirl of black lightning. The once-clear skies darkened instantly, heavy with ominous storm clouds.
Black lightning, the Thunder of Judgment, crackled ominously in Naruto's hand.
However, Naruto didn't launch it. Instead, he raised his left hand, summoning a brilliant white lightning.
As the white lightning surged, the storm clouds above began to swirl, interspersed with streaks of white light. The currents formed a colossal yin-yang symbol in the sky.
White lightning, the Thunder of Purification, shone brilliantly.
The black-and-white lightning, a fusion of nature's strongest forces, represented the ultimate power of the elements.
In the natural world, lightning was a symbol of unparalleled majesty, and the dual forces of judgment and purification could dispel all evil from existence!
Clap!
As Naruto clasped his hands together, the black-and-white lightning merged rapidly, reflecting the yin-yang fish formation in the sky.
As the clouds above coalesced into a massive Taiji symbol, a lightning bolt as thick as a barrel descended with a thunderous roar!
Boom!
The destructive force of this fused lightning was no weaker than that of pure green lightning.
The colossal Taiji lightning smashed down toward the black-robed figure, carrying with it a force that seemed capable of shattering the earth itself.
The deafening rumble reverberated through the hearts of all in Otogakure. Even those not directly struck by the attack felt compelled to prostrate themselves, trembling in awe.
Orochimaru, struggling to maintain his composure, continued evacuating the villagers. However, his own body shook uncontrollably.
He couldn't help but smile bitterly and said, "So this is the power Naruto-kun attained after his seclusion. It seems the black-robed figure won't be leaving here alive..."
He couldn't shake the thought that if this lightning struck him, even for a fraction of a second, he would be utterly annihilated, mind, body, and soul.
Therefore, no matter how powerful the black-robed figure might be, Orochimaru believed that she couldn't withstand such an onslaught.
"No, I have to go back!"
Sasuke, unable to put his worries for the black-robed figure aside, turned and ran back toward the battleground.
Orochimaru couldn't help but look surprised. Even he, with an Otsutsuki body, struggled under the oppressive force of the lightning, yet Sasuke seemed to sprint effortlessly.
'Was this the power of emotion?'
The spatial turbulence caused by the lightning made using the black portal for teleportation too dangerous.
Orochimaru, unable to chase after Sasuke, could only focus on continuing the evacuation.
…
On the other side, Sasuke rushed back to the compound in a few strides, just in time to witness an incredible sight: the Taiji lightning being devoured.
That's right, devoured!
The black-robed figure raised her hands above her head. The green radiance surrounding her had darkened to a near-black hue, spinning into a vortex.
The massive Taiji lightning descending from the sky was drawn into the vortex, as though swallowed by a black hole.
In mere moments, the devastating lightning had been completely consumed.
Clap, clap, clap!
Naruto clapped his hands and said with a relaxed look, "As expected of a system owner, you are really impressive. If given more time, you might even surpass me. I was right not to let you slip away… it's truly my luck."
Naruto required only three seconds to unleash the Taiji lightning, but the Black-Robed Figure needed a full minute to neutralize it.
No, that wasn't right!
As the Thunder God, Naruto's mastery over lightning was absolute. From his perspective, it wasn't as simple as the black-robed figure swallowing the lightning.
In truth, she wasn't devouring it. Instead, she was using the spinning radiance to slow the Taiji lightning while gradually neutralizing it with her own energy.
Furthermore, because Naruto's lightning drew upon natural energy as the Child of Destiny in this world, it didn't consume his personal reserves.
By contrast, the black-robed figure was expending her own energy to counter the natural force of the lightning. How could she possibly outlast the infinite power of nature?
Naruto decided against using higher-level red or gold lightning. Red lightning, while powerful, consumed his faith energy. Gold lightning, which is even more devastating, had an impact on his soul. Green lightning was comparable in power to the Taiji lightning, making it unnecessary.
Naruto's plan was straightforward: wear down the black-robed figure through attrition.
This was the simplest and safest strategy.
The black-robed figure was in danger...