Yōkō picked up a stone from the beach.
Dust Release chakra slowly manifested. It wasn't the three types of chakra—Earth, Wind, and Fire—appearing sequentially, but rather the three directly synthesizing into a wholly new form of chakra.
He deliberately slowed the process, allowing this synthesis to occur gradually.
First, the Fire Release chakra property heated the stone, making its internal molecules extremely active.
Next, the Earth Release chakra property caused the stone to begin crumbling.
Finally, the Wind Release chakra property caused the powdered stone, even down to the molecular level, to vanish.
Dust Release chakra simultaneously possessed the properties of all three elemental chakras. The stone lost an outer layer.
Yōkō tried applying the three chakras to the stone individually.
Fire Release could crack the stone by burning it.
Earth Release could shatter the stone.
Wind Release could blow away the dust.
Although Yōkō could use his powerful tri-elemental chakra to force elemental jutsu to achieve destructive effects similar to Dust Release, the casting speed was far too slow.
Dust Release chakra, using just one type of chakra, could disintegrate everything.
"So that's how it is..."
Perceiving Dust Release again, Yōkō discovered its secret.
The Second Tsuchikage, Mu, and the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki—they weren't father and son, but master and disciple—had researched a method for deep chakra fusion.
It didn't rely on bloodline inheritance, but on secret technique training.
It involved infinitely splitting Fire, Earth, and Wind Release chakra into particle-state chakra, then combining these three types of particles, allowing them to form a new chakra—Dust Release chakra—at an extremely minute scale.
The secret of Kekkei Tōta was achieving Chakra Particleization and then recombination.
For example, Earth attribute chakra particleization allowed the particleized chakra to permeate an object, thereby controlling its density.
Increase density to make a rock fist harder.
Decrease density to make an object lighter.
Thus, the secret to Ōnoki's flight was particleized Earth Release chakra acting upon his own body, decreasing his body's density, making him as light as air, allowing flight.
Yōkō obtained Dust Release through the system. Now he began reverse-engineering Dust Release chakra, sensing the particleization of Earth Release chakra.
He quickly grasped the trick.
Yōkō's body levitated. His feet left the ground, his soles dangling naturally.
He hovered in the air.
Ōnoki's flight technique—nothing special.
Was this Orochimaru's pleasure? Continuously researching jutsu, constantly unraveling secrets? This sense of accomplishment... Wouldn't it be even stronger if Ōnoki could see this?
A sea breeze blew, almost carrying him away. This flight technique required considerable skill. Ōnoki also constantly adjusted his position, bobbing up and down in the air.
Aside from Ōnoki's flight technique, Yōkō could also replicate Ōnoki's Heavy-Weight Rock Technique, Light-Weight Rock Technique, and others.
These techniques were all manifestations of Earth Release chakra particleization.
Yōkō continued attempting Wind attribute chakra particleization.
He possessed all five elemental chakras and Yin-Yang chakra. Among the five elemental chakras, his proficiency—or rather, chakra control—was highest with Earth.
He had casually achieved Earth attribute chakra particleization, but other attributes were more difficult.
After a long while, relying on the reverse assistance from Dust Release, he barely managed Wind attribute chakra particleization.
Applying particleized Wind attribute chakra to a stone produced a weathering effect.
Applying particleized Fire attribute chakra manifested as high heat without flame.
No fire, but like microwave heating, the stone rapidly became scalding hot.
Earth attribute chakra particleization had rich and diverse abilities because the Second Tsuchikage and Ōnoki had continuously developed it.
Wind and Fire dual-attribute chakra particleization should also be powerful; the Tsuchikage just hadn't developed them.
For the current Yōkō, Chakra Particleization was one of the few methods that could enhance his strength.
If he achieved particleization for all five elemental chakras and then incorporated Yin-Yang Release, perhaps he could replicate Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's Kekkei Mōra through mortal means.
Truly worthy of the Second Tsuchikage, Mu. He actually researched such a powerful pathway.
Several of the Second Kage in the shinobi world were remarkably strong.
The Second Hokage went without saying. Half of Konoha's Scroll of Seals was the work of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
The Second Kazekage was also decent. Sand Release and Puppetry were important foundations for Sunagakure.
The Second Tsuchikage had even figured out top-tier abilities like Chakra Particleization and Dust Release, not much inferior to the Second Hokage.
Yōkō planned to thoroughly master Chakra Particleization in the coming days, striving to manually synthesize a Kekkei Mōra.
"Let's go. We're heading to Ryousei Port."
White Ram asked, confused, "Lord Fox, aren't we going to the front-line command post?"
Yōkō then realized this was days earlier. White Ram and the others didn't know Yagura Karatachi would command the Kiri-nin to attack Ryousei Port.
"The command post works too. Ryousei Port has an altar anyway."
Several days later, when the Kiri-nin attacked Ryousei Port, Konoha ninja poured out from the temple, intercepting them.
Seeing Ao go to the rear ship to awaken the Six-Tails, Yōkō wasn't in a hurry. He said to Yagura Karatachi standing at the ship's bow:
"Poor Kiri-nin. Ōnoki sold you out. You dared to trust Ōnoki's words?"
Yagura snorted coldly. "Fox, with your immense strength, you still play petty word games to sow discord? You..."
The next instant, Yagura was speechless with shock.
He saw a white cylindrical barrier appear before Fox's palm!
That was...
That was Ōnoki's Dust Release barrier!
Was Fox telling the truth? Had Ōnoki really betrayed Kirigakure?
Was Ōnoki's attack on Konoha a ruse, and his real goal was to ally with Konoha to eliminate all other shinobi villages?
Dividing the shinobi world after the war? Ōnoki truly had the audacity to ally with Konoha.
That was the only possible explanation. Otherwise, it couldn't account for why Konoha's Fox had mastered Iwagakure's top-secret technique, the Kekkei Tōta Dust Release.
"Ōnoki! You!"
Before Yagura could finish, he saw the Dust Release barrier shoot forth.
Yagura hastily leapt from the ship's bow.
The entire ship turned to dust under the effect of Dust Release.
Yagura swiftly released the seal, unleashing the Three-Tails.
After the giant sea turtle appeared, its three tails immediately lashed toward Konoha's Fox.
However, the Three Worlds Wood Human appeared, grabbing one of the Three-Tails' tails.
A few dozen seconds later, the Three-Tails was firmly restrained by Wood Dragons and the Wood Human, unable to move.
A Dust Release barrier appeared again before Yōkō's palm.
"You know, Wood Release for capture and Dust Release for execution—these two techniques pair quite well."
The Dust Release barrier expanded, rapidly engulfing the Three-Tails.
Even the Three-Tails' thick shell couldn't resist Dust Release's power, turning into turtle dust.
Yōkō thought to himself, his chakra attributes, ranked by control proficiency, were Earth, Water, Wind, Fire, Lightning.
For three-attribute fusion, Earth-Wind-Fire was possible, but Earth-Water-Wind would be better.
He wondered when he could develop a three-attribute Kekkei Tōta of Earth, Water, and Wind. That would be the Kekkei Tōta most suited to him.
(End of Chapter)