"That immense chakra vanished in an instant. It seems your technique, although terrifying in output, cannot be sustained for long..." The Third Kazekage's gaze locked onto Haseo as he spoke.
He paid no attention whatsoever to the battle unfolding among his three underlings behind him.
It was certainly shocking for Haseo to punch straight through the Kazekage's attack, but as soon as he released his kinjutsu afterward, the Third Kazekage detected a flaw—he wasn't dealing with someone like Haseo's girlfriend. Though stronger, this Haseo clearly lacked staying power.
"You're absolutely right. All of us Earth-born humans can freely manipulate energy, but the sudden surge in combat strength and output you're noticing... actually comes from alien technology. It's called the Kaio-ken." Haseo explained seriously.
As for information regarding his ninjutsu techniques, whether previously known to Sunagakure or newly deduced by this Kazekage himself, Haseo honestly didn't care.
"..."
The Third Kazekage had no idea what Haseo was talking about, feeling deeply mocked, yet remaining calm inside. Whether as a ninja or as a leader, he had what it took to be great. In other words, the Third Kazekage Kamakura truly deserved to be considered the Inheritor of the Wind's Legacy.
Especially compared with later kazekages who would sell off their village's strongest shinobi without hesitation, the Third Kazekage indeed seemed more commendable.
Further away, larger battles still raged, but the heavy rain and dense forest swallowed all sounds and sights of them.
The Third Kazekage felt no urgency. Although his original purpose in launching this offensive had been to eliminate Konoha's Samehada Large Squad, that goal had now changed—eliminating a ninja like Haseo carried far greater value than defeating those so-called Samehada units.
Iron sand, floating around the Third Kazekage like drifting clouds, trembled slightly before an endless wave of needles shot forth toward Haseo's position:
[Magnet Release Secret Arts: Iron Sand Drizzle!]
Fate does have a funny way of turning the tables—sooner or later, even attackers face an overwhelming counterstorm.
A surge of brilliant azure lightning coursed through Haseo as he danced past the storm of iron needles. While the densely packed attacks left practically no room for evasion, Haseo's high-speed Lightning Release Ninja Taijutsu allowed him to shift his body even before the attacks arrived.
Rooted in place, the Third Kazekage watched as Haseo darted forward while evading his assaults. The distance between them inevitably narrowed.
Clearly unafraid of such opponents getting close, the Kazekage maintained an "absolute defense"—a fortress-like barrier.
Haseo advanced once more, raising his hand as a stream of light hurtled directly at the Kage.
Yet facing the impact of [Lightning Release · Kurigara], the Third Kazekage remained composed. The iron sand before him instantly reshaped itself, forming a massive elliptical "iron shield" directly in front of him.
The base of the Iron Shield was pierced by three iron rods driven deep into the ground.
Hmm, these three iron rods, each about as thick as a finger, had some strange names—one was called the neutral line, another the live wire, and the last the ground wire… Well, technically, they were all just ground wires.
So Haseo's Lightning Release attack faced an unprecedented situation—it headed straight for the enemy, only to sharply angle downward at the last moment and strike the ground instead.
This…
According to natural laws, there should have been mutual influence and disturbance between Haseo's Lightning Release and the Third Kazekage's Magnet Release. Yet when this interaction surfaced now, it manifested as a relationship of restraint—restraining and being restrained.
Haseo himself belonged to the restrained side, and he clearly understood the reason… his power output was insufficient.
What to do? The weather today seemed quite suitable, how about trying out "Lightning Release: Heavenly Lightning"? It looked flashy as hell, but Haseo had never actually tried that move before—who knew if he'd end up zapping himself?
It was supposed to be a battle between ninja; trying to exploit atmospheric phenomena for an advantage was essentially cheating—wasn't that playing dirty? Since Haseo didn't know Heavenly Lightning, he refused to resort to it anyway.
"You're the fastest ninja I've seen since someone as mighty as the Second Hokage," said the Third Kazekage. "Fast ninjas naturally rely on their speed. You indeed favor using Lightning Release in battle. However… speed advantages are no advantages at all against me—they hold absolutely no meaning."
Huh, was this praising the Second Hokage? Tobirama Senju had a well-known reputation for being underhanded, so hearing praise like this from an enemy was rare indeed.
However, Haseo disagreed with the enemy's remarks.
"Wrong, actually, I'm a Water Release ninja."
Considering the Third Kazekage's age and the fact that he'd started fighting actively on battlefields at an extremely young age, it was possible that he'd encountered the Second Hokage before. So maybe this wouldn't be too hard—after all, the Third Kazekage might recognize the technique.
Haseo rudely spat toward the military commander of the opposing nation: [Water Dragon Blast]!
The high-pressure water blades, thin, elongated, and dazzling white, sliced horizontally like sawing ropes aimed at the chest of the Third Kazekage, while the Third Kazekage protected himself again with his versatile iron sand.
[Water Dragon Blast] VS [Iron Sand Wall]!
Immediately afterward, an abnormally piercing high-frequency buzzing sound spread along with the contact of the water blades and iron sand, then large amounts of steam arose due to heat friction and soared into the rainy air.
However, [Water Dragon Blast], which usually never failed, did not work this time.
If Haseo had been attempting to cut solid iron stones, even if they were forged steel, [Water Dragon Blast] could easily slice them into halves. But continuously moving iron sand was different—it could vibrate to counteract the high-pressure cutting force of the water blade, and any parts damaged beyond vibration resistance would get immediately replenished.
Such defense was indeed invincible; being turned into lifeless puppets was a real waste—it made all the difference whether he was controlled like a puppet or used his talent freely.
Therefore, after the Water Dragon Blast faded away, apart from leaving a reddish mark on the Third Kazekage's iron sand wall, Haseo obtained nothing else.
A thick white mist cloaked both figures. As Haseo's attack ended, he dropped low in an instant, pressing one hand into the muddy earth.
[Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall]
A dense earthen wall surged up from behind Haseo, completely shielding his body. Then came a continuous series of tapping sounds.
The iron sand needles that had been blasted away moments ago now swarmed back like fish darting upstream—this was the second stage of Magnet Release.
Haseo's timing couldn't have been better—if even a fraction of a second later, he'd have been riddled with holes.
The transition between offense and defense happened in an instant. Regardless of Haseo's reaction speed, at this moment, he once again proved his unmatched efficiency in performing Hand Seals throughout the entire Ninjutsu World.
Using Lightning Release together with Earth and Water Release all at once? That's playing dirty.
...
Elsewhere, Dan Kato controlled a Sunagakure ninja. In this unreasonable two-on-one battle, the controlled ninja fell—but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
It was the Sunagakure ninja who perished, while Dan Kato's soul had already drifted out moments before his puppeteer's demise—slipping free just like that, almost like a ghost slipping through the cracks.
(End of chapter)
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