Even the fiercest warrior cannot endure endless attrition. When his comrades fall, an Iwa ninja always feels that his turn is inevitable.
After a brief skirmish, the Iwa ninja adjusted his tactics, retreating from close combat with the Konoha ninja. Both sides transitioned into a ninjutsu exchange, except for the Iwa fighters skilled in taijutsu, who continued battling in close quarters.
Kawakaze advanced steadily, showing no eagerness to attack. Yet, wherever he went, the Iwa ninja retreated. None dared confront him directly, his fierce reputation serving as an unspoken deterrent.
As Kawakaze closed in on Ōnoki, his pace quickened. Lightning flickered across his body—he had entered full combat mode. Tsunade, now back to her usual self, followed closely behind him. Their objective was clear: Ōnoki and Rōshi.
"I'll go first," Rōshi said to Ōnoki before dashing toward Kawakaze.
"Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rock Technique!"
Forming a hand seal, Rōshi spat out several large magma balls toward Kawakaze and Tsunade. As he ran, a red tail appeared behind him—a sign of his transformation beginning.
Ōnoki floated into the air, watching Kawakaze intently. His sharp gaze sought the slightest mistake, ready to exploit it at once.
The magma balls, each larger than a person, radiated an intense heat. Flas danced across their surfaces, and the molten rock flowed ominously. Before the balls reached him, Kawakaze could already feel the scorching heat.
"Thunderclap and Flash: One Flash of Lightning, Sixfold," he muttered with a faint smirk.
With a slight bend of his knees, Kawakaze launched forward, leaving a streak of lightning in his wake. The magma ball was split cleanly in two by the lightning strike, its halves crashing into the ground. Even then, the fire atop them burned fiercely, igniting the surrounding terrain as molten rock seeped into the earth.
"What speed," Rōshi muttered, unable to track Kawakaze's movent. Instinctively, he swung his right fist, aiming for where he thought Kawakaze would appear.
Clang!
A sharp, ringing sound echoed as Kawakaze's sword collided with Rōshi's lava-encased fist. The blade, already worn, shattered from the force. Rōshi's fiery fist pressed forward, its intense heat surging toward Kawakaze's face.
"This broken sword."
Kawakaze showed no fear, even taking a mont to complain about the weapon's quality. He casually discarded the shattered blade and perford a seamless maneuver, dodging Rōshi's fist as it whistled past his face. Balancing on one leg, he lifted his right foot and struck Rōshi's chin with a sharp kick.
To Tsunade, the entire sequence appeared effortless, as if choreographed in advance.
"Umm..."
Rōshi grunted, flying backward from the impact.
"Heavenly Spear Foot," Tsunade declared, seizing the opportunity. Her wings flapped powerfully as she accelerated toward Rōshi, delivering a devastating kick midair. The crimson chakra enveloping her foot radiated imnse energy.
Ōnoki's expression darkened. He recognized that technique.
"Don't even think about it."
"Earth Release: Rock Arm Technique!"
Rumble~
A massive rock arm erupted from the ground, interposing itself between Tsunade and Rōshi. Tsunade's foot connected with one of the giant fingers, causing fragnts of rock to scatter in all directions. Unable to complete her attack, she swiftly retreated.
Rōshi narrowly avoided further injury, crashing heavily to the ground.
"Thank you," he muttered, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth and spitting out two large teeth. His speech was slurred, and he shook his head to dispel the dizziness.
Rising to his feet, Rōshi peered through the gaps in the rocky arm, locking eyes on Kawakaze and Tsunade. These two opponents were proving to be formidable, and he had abandoned any trace of his earlier arrogance.
"Co back, don't fight head-on," Ōnoki commanded, lowering his altitude. Rōshi's recklessness had nearly led to disaster after only a few exchanges. If Tsunade's kick had landed, Rōshi would not have fared any better than Han. By then, Ōnoki would have been left to face them alone, and retreat would be inevitable.
"You're pretty quick on the uptake," Kawakaze remarked with a slightly mocking tone, his gaze fixed on Ōnoki hovering in mid-air.
"There's nothing to be proud of," Ōnoki replied curtly, descending to Rōshi's side. Placing a hand lightly on Rōshi's shoulder, he used the Added-Weight Rock Technique. Rōshi imdiately felt his punches and kicks grow heavier, a clear boost to his power.
"Ōnoki, if you withdraw your troops now, I can forgive your past transgressions," Kawakaze said with a faint smile, his attitude dismissive as he paid no real attention to the two in front of him.
"You're dreaming," Ōnoki retorted without hesitation, rejecting the offer outright.
Rōshi opened his mouth, ready to speak, but decided against it, holding his thoughts back.
"Then don't bla for being rude," Kawakaze said, his tone sharp. "Oh, and I forgot to ntion—soone has learned your secret technique."
Ōnoki's face darkened further at the revelation. The secret technique passed down to him by the Second Tsuchikage was not sothing he had expected anyone in Konoha to master so easily.
How long has it been? he thought grimly.
"Just fight, why so much nonsense?" Rōshi snapped. Though he didn't get along with Ōnoki, he fully understood the gravity of the situation.
As he spoke, his body erupted with powerful chakra, and a vast field of lava spread across the ground. High-temperature lava began to envelop his body, signaling the activation of Lava Release Chakra Mode—Rōshi's strongest state short of the complete Tailed Beast Transformation, which he could not yet control.
In this mode, everything Rōshi touched would lt, while his Lava Release Armor significantly enhanced both his offense and defense. Coupled with Ōnoki's Added-Weight Rock Technique, Rōshi's combat capabilities surged to an entirely new level.
Kawakaze narrowed his focus, sensing the powerful aura radiating from Rōshi. "Not bad," he comnted, unfazed.
Sage Mode activated silently, and Tsunade fortified herself with three layers of enhancents. "You're arrogant," she remarked coolly.
"Scorching Armoured Fist," Rōshi shot back, leaping into the air. His right fist, fully encased in molten magma, surged forward with explosive force, generating a powerful wind as it hurtled toward Kawakaze.
"Sorry, you're too slow," Kawakaze said, his voice echoing eerily as his figure blurred and vanished, evading the attack.
Rōshi's missed punch struck the ground with devastating impact, instantly vaporizing its moisture. The ground cracked violently, erupting in an explosion that left a massive crater with Rōshi at its center.
"Be careful!" Ōnoki warned, preparing to intervene. But he was quickly entangled in a skirmish with Tsunade.
Ōnoki relied on his ability to fly, but Tsunade's aerial maneuverability made escape difficult. With his diminutive fra, he didn't dare face her directly in taijutsu, opting instead to maintain distance. He launched two consecutive Dust Releases, both of which narrowly missed. Fortunately, he managed to evade Tsunade's attacks, retreating beyond her reach.
"Heavenly Foot of Pain," Tsunade murmured as she closed in, her ultimate move prid. Kawakaze recognized the technique instantly, understanding its devastating power.
Rōshi, too slow to react, could only brace himself. As Tsunade's descending foot lood larger in his vision, the intense, oppressive aura of lightning filled the air, forcing him to hold his breath.
"Lava Release: Granite!" Rōshi roared. Magma surged around him, forming towering layers of molten defense. A massive magma wall rose at his feet, emitting thick white mist as the lava hissed and stead.
Bang! Tsunade's foot smashed into the magma wall, shattering it into fragnts with a deafening crash. Her montum carried through, and her foot slamd onto Rōshi's head with unrelenting force.
"Rōshi!" Ōnoki shouted in alarm, panic flashing across his face. Another injured Jinchūriki would spell disaster for Iwagakure, and he knew he'd bear the bla.
"Do you still have ti to worry about others?" Tsunade's voice cut through the chaos. Taking advantage of the opening, her crimson figure streaked forward in the air.
Reviews
All reviews (0)