Chapter 193: Blood Release and the Wolf Transformation Secret Technique
Land of Hot Springs, Small Town.
"Mmm, this is actually pretty good."
Tonbo Tobitake was sampling the local snacks of the Land of Hot Springs, occasionally buying portions of other delicacies he hadn't seen before. At the same time, he didn't forget to periodically release ninjutsu to scout for information.
As for Itachi Uchiha, there was no rush. He'd find him after he'd had enough fun.
The Land of Hot Springs was a wonderful place; its entertainment industry was far more developed than Konoha's. Meanwhile, he was tinkering with the puppetry technique he had just acquired—analyzing its principles and dissecting its structure.
Generally speaking, it followed the standard puppet master framework, but it incorporated very advanced prototypes of Scientific Ninja Tools. At least, that's how Tonbo felt. The tall puppet used the concept of scientific weaponry, though the development was likely still in its infancy. Many elements were only surface-level.
He had to admit, that "Sahara Club" was quite progressive. Konoha was currently researching this field as well, but they hadn't developed it as well as this group in the Land of Hot Springs. Konoha's investment was limited; most people still placed their absolute faith in the power of chakra dwelling within the body.
The Hundred Puppets Soul-Binding Jutsu was a sophisticated piece of work. If the Hidden Sand Village got their hands on it, a ninja as strong as the Third Kazekage might be blindsided if they lacked intelligence on the technique.
"I heard the Jashin Cult is active again over by Mt. Keisenzan. Everyone should be careful around there."
"That cursed cult... they're kidnapping our children for experiments again. Why hasn't the Daimyo sent someone to wipe them out?"
"Shh! I heard the Jashin Cult has ears everywhere. Don't say such things, or you'll be the next one dragged off for experiments."
Walking down the street, Tonbo's ears twitched. The Jashin Cult had quite a reputation in the Land of Hot Springs—though it was a purely villainous one. In the underworld, the cult functioned as a ninja force, accepting contracts from certain nobles and merchants. The money they earned was used to fund their experiments.
It was a cycle that sustained them. Judging by the residents' whispers, the Land of Hot Springs seemed to be somewhat permissive toward the cult's existence, despite having the Hidden Hot Springs Village nearby.
"Mt. Keisenzan, huh?"
Whoosh!
Having had his fill of food and drink, Tonbo headed toward the mountain.
Hmm?
While flying over a town en route, he suddenly sensed a familiar chakra signature.
"Orochimaru? What is that guy doing here? And the concentration of chakra in this place is immense... the attributes seem different from the norm."
Intrigued, he stopped his flight and descended toward the town. After careful sensing, he realized the signatures were clustered in an underground facility. He arrived before an entrance disguised as a restroom and used his Invisibility to walk in openly.
Aside from him, there were individuals with fanatical glints in their eyes. After receiving approval from the guards in the tunnel, they entered with feverish excitement.
"Seems like quite the famous spot!"
He was curious. What kind of place would gather so many chakra reactions, and why was Orochimaru here? As he moved through the tunnel, light began to appear at the end.
Tonbo stepped through the exit, and before him lay a massive arena resembling a colosseum. The air was filled with thunderous, deafening cheers from the audience. They looked down at the arena floor with madness in their eyes.
"I'll win this time! I'll win back everything I've lost!"
"Wild Wolf, you better win! I sold my wife to scrape together the money for this bet!"
"Nonsense! The Duke will definitely be the victor this time!"
The crowd was manic. It seemed that winning here brought unimaginable rewards. Tonbo finally saw what they were looking at—the source of the chakra he had sensed earlier.
Two powerful combatants were clashing. One was a ninja who looked like a werewolf, agilely evading the enemy's shuriken and attacks.
Awoooo!
He let out a sudden howl. A barrier rose around the arena to contain the sonic waves. His opponent was a red-haired man dressed in a formal suit, holding a transparent crystal goblet filled with red liquid. The goblet shattered from the vibration of the howl.
Crash!
Glass shards flew in all directions. As they neared the "Duke," a mist of blood-red vapor blocked the projectiles and the sonic attack.
The Duke smiled elegantly. "Wild Wolf, water conducts sound, and so does blood. You should surrender; you cannot defeat me." He snapped his fingers, and countless bats materialized out of thin air, swarming the werewolf.
Screech! Screech!
The bats emitted piercing sonic waves of their own.
"Hmph! I will have a seat in Lord En Oyashiro's guard! Die!"
Facing the bats, Wild Wolf rapidly wove hand signs.
"Here it comes! It's Wild Wolf's ultimate jutsu!"
"Super Wolf Transformation! I wonder if the Duke can take him down!"
In the arena, Wild Wolf's body began to mutate rapidly. His hands became forepaws, his legs became hind paws, and he expanded until he was a massive beast three stories tall. Without giving the Duke a chance to surrender, he flickered in front of him, claws gleaming as he swiped down.
"Hmph. Brute. Blood Release: Bloody Piercing Branch."
The Duke snorted coldly. The red liquid that had scattered when his goblet broke suddenly converged from all directions.
Squelch!
The red streaks interlaced.
Thump!
The giant wolf was impaled by the blood spikes. As the blood was drained from its body, it instantly shriveled up.
"No brains. Being a guard for Lord En Oyashiro would only make you a liability. I'll be the one taking this high-paying job."
The Duke retracted all the blood and walked toward the winner's exit. The shriveled giant wolf collapsed with a poof, returning to a desiccated human form.
A Bloodline Limit. A Bloodline Limit I've never seen or even heard of, Tonbo observed, full of wonder. And that guy Wild Wolf used a secret technique similar to the Akimichi clan's body transformation. Is the Duke using a Ninjutsu that manipulates blood? I see now why Orochimaru is here!
Through the chatter of the crowd, Tonbo realized the nature of this place. This was an underground arena where wealthy merchants and nobles pitted their trained ninjas against each other in high-stakes gambling matches.
The match just now was part of a recruitment drive by En Oyashiro, one of the underground bosses of the Land of Hot Springs. Candidates had to demonstrate enough power to earn a spot in his personal guard. The pay was lucrative—three million Ryo a year. For context, an S-rank mission paid ten to fifteen million, but a Jonin's base salary was only about 500,000 Ryo a month. En Oyashiro wasn't just hiring one person, but an entire squad.
To see a Bloodline Limit user risk their life for a few million Ryo as a guard... a bit of a waste of talent, Tonbo thought. Though he knew this was common in the shinobi world. Guard duty was generally safer than the life-and-death struggles of a Hidden Village. It also proved that the world was full of hidden experts.
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