The subsequent battle was exceptionally fierce, with flashes and roars of energy collisions constantly erupting in the sky.
The Anbu members stationed at Satomi Hill had long been alerted. Everyone looked up nervously at the two figures in the sky, which were constantly crossing and colliding like meteors.
The commotion of the battle was simply too great. Every shockwave from their clashes was like a physical impact, smashing into the forests below and leaving behind trail after trail.
However, both sides seemed to have a tacit understanding. All attacks skillfully avoided the quiet Satomi Villa, as if an invisible boundary existed there.
Mamoru's figure flickered continuously in the air, using teleportation to narrowly avoid the whistling Red attacks time and time again.
All of the phantom's attacks missed.
Boom... Boom...
The crimson energy balls that Mamoru dodged fell into the dense forest below like meteors, exploding instantly.
Amidst the thunderous roars, circular shockwaves spread out. Earth was overturned, and trees were shattered, leaving behind shocking craters and filling the air with dust.
However, the two in the sky were indifferent to the mess beneath them, they only had eyes for each other.
While flying at high speed, Mamoru's hands moved rapidly to form seals. With a flicker of his body, he created a solid Shadow Clone. The two figures, one in front and one behind, trailed long red flame tails like two brilliant fireworks, constantly closing in on the phantom high in the sky.
The Mamoru in front approached rapidly. Chakra gathered in his hand, forming a violently rotating scorching sphere. The sphere was surrounded by roaring flames, burning the surrounding air until it whistled and distorted.
The phantom frowned, instantly judging that the power of this strike was extraordinary. Without hesitation, he opened his palm, and a Red emitting an ominous red light instantly formed, meeting the attack head-on.
Boom!
At the moment the two massive energies collided, a deafening roar erupted. The shockwave burst first, instantly dispersing the flames that hadn't yet fully erupted, and crimson energy turbulence shot out in all directions.
The 'Mamoru' at the center of the explosion stiffened and dissipated—it was only a Shadow Clone used as a decoy.
In the blink of an eye, Mamoru's original body appeared silently behind the phantom. Red light condensed at his fingertip, but it was an illusion.
'Got you!' He snorted in his heart, and the red light at his fingertip suddenly turned blue.
The phantom's pupils suddenly constricted, but it was already too late.
Blue struck the Infinity maintained by Red around him, and the two forces collided, exploding violently.
The violent energy turbulence battered the phantom's body.
How could Mamoru miss such a perfect opportunity?
Chirp—
The deafening sound of a thousand birds chirping tore through the air, drowning out the lingering echoes of the explosion.
He teleported again, appearing precisely in the path of the phantom's fall. His right arm lunged out, with crimson lightning violently entwined around it, stabbing straight for the phantom's vitals.
However, this certain-kill strike only grazed the arm that the phantom had hurriedly raised in block.
An instant before the Chidori grazed him, the phantom endured the intense pain, his facial muscles contorting, and teleported again, vanishing from the spot.
Ten-odd meters away, the phantom's figure appeared in a sorry state.
His right arm hung limply, with only a bit of flesh still connecting it to his shoulder, swaying precariously. Not just the arm, the right side of his body and face showed horrific burn marks. The flesh was knotted, a mix of charred black and crimson, looking hideous and terrifying, forming a sharp contrast with the intact left side of his body.
"That flame state... it can actually boost your attack, defense, and speed to this extent..."
The phantom looked down at his nearly ruined right side, his voice carrying a hint of unbelievable raspiness. Every breath tugged at his wounds.
"This is a Cursed Technique I just came up with. Eight Inner Gates: Scarlet Flame Edition."
As Mamoru spoke the name of the technique, the Chakra flames around him surged violently, pulsing as if they were alive.
"Do you understand now? A fake is just a fake, it's impossible to surpass the original."
"You only gained a small advantage, don't get so full of yourself!" The phantom suddenly raised his head, pulling a crazed smile identical to Mamoru's, as if he couldn't feel the pain at all.
He grabbed the severed arm that was only connected by flesh with his left hand and tore it off violently. Then, as if throwing away trash, he hurled the severed arm toward Mamoru.
Simultaneously, the Chakra within him circulated rapidly. Although the severed arm couldn't be regenerated immediately, the horrific charred burns on his body healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. His skin instantly became smooth again—the Reverse Cursed Technique had finished repairing those severe injuries.
Mamoru casually caught the flying arm. The flame clothing on his hand rippled slightly, and the high temperature instantly swallowed the severed arm, burning it into a handful of ashes that drifted away with the wind.
"Don't throw trash around." He shook his hand, his tone slightly cold.
"How cruel, calling my arm trash."
The phantom moved his right hand, which had been fully repaired and was now as good as new, clenching and unclenching his fist.
"After all, I am you, and you are me." His tone carried a strange sort of intimacy.
"Shut up!" Mamoru shouted sharply, his eyes full of disgust. "A fake is a fake! No matter how realistic you are, you're just a clone created by Yakumo's ability. Have some self-awareness."
The phantom sneered, his eyes becoming dangerous. "By killing you, I can replace you and become the one and only 'Mamoru'."
"Trying to usurp the host? Stop dreaming." Mamoru sneered. "Your power is also incomplete. Do you think I would tell Yakumo all of my abilities without reservation?"
"Incomplete? I... secret?" The smile on the phantom's face instantly froze.
His expression became somewhat dull, his eyes vacant, as if he had fallen into some kind of logical confusion and self-doubt.
His body swayed slightly, his state was very abnormal.
The next second, that trance was replaced by an expression of clear anger. He stared fixedly at Mamoru, his gaze becoming sharp and familiar, and his voice also changed, carrying the indignation belonging to Yakumo herself.
"Mamoru!"
Mamoru instantly realized that the one controlling the phantom's body now was Yakumo's own consciousness.
The phantom (Yakumo) curled his finger and pointed it at Mamoru. Without any warning, terrifying purple energy began to converge in front of his fingertip, forming a purple energy sphere with what looked like lightning running through it.
With a light flick of his finger, that purple sphere shot out instantly, expanding rapidly during its flight. Everywhere it passed, the space seemed to be distorted and torn, emitting an unbearable hum. Carrying an aura of total annihilation, it shot straight toward Mamoru.
Alarm bells rang in Mamoru's heart. A strong sense of crisis made him instantly teleport, vanishing from the spot.
Almost at the same moment he vanished, the Purple, having lost its target, carried an unstoppable momentum like an unbridled torrent of destruction and slammed violently into the distant Konoha.
Boom!!!
The earth-shaking roar, even from so far away, was as clear as a thunderclap. The ground beneath his feet trembled slightly.
In the direction of the Hokage Rock in the distance, a dazzling purple light suddenly appeared, forming an ever-expanding massive energy sphere that completely annihilated and decomposed everything it touched into basic particles.
When the light finally subsided, the originally majestic giant head carvings of Hiruzen and Minato had completely vanished from the cliffside, leaving only a huge, smooth spherical pit, as if nothing had ever been there.
Mamoru looked at the shocking scene on the Hokage Rock in the distance and took a sharp breath, then couldn't help but shout toward the phantom, "Yakumo, are you crazy!?"