Chapter 281: Instant Release
"Dad, you're acting weird. Why do you have to take medicine every so often? Are you... losing it?"
Keigo had just turned a page in his new book when he saw his father popping another pill. He looked at him with genuine suspicion.
"What are you talking about? That's to maintain my body's nutrition. My body is still growing!" Tonbo Tobitake replied defensively.
Keigo shot him a look of utter disdain. "Impossible. You're a grown man; you're long past your developmental phase. Stop treating me like a three-year-old, okay?"
He didn't buy it for a second. If you're healthy, you're healthy; if you're not, you're not. What was this "maintaining nutrition" nonsense?
"Didn't you say you wanted to study the ultimate secrets of chakra? Since that's the case, I'll teach you the ultimate ninjutsu knowledge I've researched. Though... you might not actually be able to learn it."
Tonbo patted his son's head.
Poof!
He used a Summoning Jutsu to bring out his private collection. These were the documented research processes of everything from Forced Evolution to Forced Execution. The theoretical foundation alone consisted of ten volumes, each nearly ten centimeters thick. One volume was purely a table of contents for the required prerequisite knowledge.
One had to master those specific academic fields before even looking at the ninjutsu application to truly understand it. Originally, Tonbo hadn't planned on passing these down to his children because their talent simply wasn't high enough. But Keigo's brain was exceptional; he might actually have a chance. At the very least, it could serve as a reference for the boy to develop his own path, just as Tonbo had once used the Kurama clan's Genjutsu records.
"I can't even refine chakra yet. Don't try to tempt me with these; I won't fall for it," Keigo said dismissively. Ninjutsu required chakra to execute. If he read about the execution but couldn't practice it, the curiosity would kill him.
"Half of this knowledge doesn't require chakra at all. It's enough to keep you busy for years. I haven't even given these to your brother or sister because they're simply too difficult!" Tonbo had withheld his most complex teachings from his other children. Even with his "divine-tier" teaching methods, some of his miracles were nearly impossible to replicate.
"Fine." Keigo took the books, curious to see his father's "masterpieces."
Meanwhile, Tonbo's mind was already racing, beginning his research into the new Yin Release nature transformation.
The massive stone cavern collapsed under Sakura's punch. Sunlight poured in from above.
Bang!
"Little girl, your talent is excellent. You can become part of my art."
Sasori looked at Sakura's body with a gaze of genuine appreciation. Behind him, a puppet with a wild afro mimicked his gaze. It made Sakura's skin crawl.
"Sakura, be careful. That puppet is a Human Puppet made from the Third Kazekage's body. It possesses his Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai and can control Iron Sand," Lady Chiyo warned, sharing the intel. Sakura's strength had exceeded her expectations; she had assumed the girl lacked combat experience due to her age, but Sakura fought like a seasoned veteran and possessed a vast arsenal of techniques—not to mention inheriting Tsunade's Monster Strength.
"Understood." Sakura wore her gloves, her hands blurring through seals.
Genjutsu: Eight Fragrances of Fire.
"As I thought... his body is likely a puppet too. Genjutsu has no effect at all." Sakura had tested him several times and found him immune. It seemed she would have to cooperate with Lady Chiyo and use raw power to subdue him.
"Still a Genjutsu-type? Only puppets are art. Iron Sand Drizzle!"
Sasori saw that Sakura likely struggled with large-scale AOE attacks. Even if she could block some of it with her strength, a single scratch would decide the battle.
Shish-shish-shish!
"Sakura!" Lady Chiyo tried to maneuver the "Mother and Father" puppets to block, but the mechanisms jammed.
"Don't worry, I can handle it."
Sakura pulled her hands apart, and her chakra expanded like bubblegum, forming a parachute-like shield in front of her. The Iron Sand hit the barrier and was cushioned by the elastic chakra, stopping inches from her face. However, she quickly realized the attacks were becoming more frequent; this defense wouldn't last.
"Instant Release."
Taking advantage of the brief cover, she used the ultimate move Tonbo had taught her.
Phantom-Taijutsu.
BOOM!
A sonic boom echoed, and Sakura vanished. The Iron Sand shredded the ground where she had stood, leaving it riddled with holes. Sasori stared in disbelief.
"That Body Flicker..."
Bang!
Sakura suddenly appeared beside him, her fist connecting with his head and causing it to explode. She immediately pivoted in mid-air, her leg sweeping through the Third Kazekage puppet.
Crash!
The puppet shattered into pieces. Sakura stood there, her entire body covered in a pitch-black substance, looking more like a dark silhouette than a human.
"Beautifully done, Sakura."
Outside the battlefield, Tonbo Tobitake's clone applauded. This was the first time Instant Release—a subset of Phantom-Taijutsu—had been used in a life-or-death battle. He had only ever used it sparingly in spars with Guy or during demonstrations for his older children.
Originally, he had intended this move for enemies immune to standard ninjutsu—like a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki. But plans change; his own talent was so high that his older techniques couldn't keep up with his pace, so he had kept them tucked away. Seeing someone inherit it was satisfying. And Sakura, being a "monster-strength" girl, was the perfect fit to maximize the power when combined with Tsunade's techniques.
As for the black appearance, that was a side effect of the technique. It used the nature transformation of his Eye of the Creator to construct a "second tissue" layer over the human body—effectively a biological exoskeleton. Black was simply the most chakra-efficient color for the construct.
"However... Sasori isn't the type to stay dead like that, is he?"
Huff... huff...
Sakura deactivated Instant Release, breathing heavily but smiling. "I won."
The move was a massive strain on her body. She swallowed a secret pill and used Phantom-Taijutsu: Self-Healing to accelerate her recovery. She needed to go support Naruto and Kakashi soon. She walked toward Lady Chiyo to tend to her wounds.
Chiyo was stunned. "Sakura, just now..." What kind of ninjutsu was that? Even an old veteran like her couldn't identify it. The speed was simply too much.
"It's fine. That was my trump card. Let's go support Naruto and the—" Sakura smiled.
"Watch out!"
Suddenly, an earthen spike erupted, piercing Sakura's chest and Chiyo's leg. Chiyo stared in horror at the spike through Sakura, then looked toward the source of the sound.
"Truly an impressive girl," said a voice from a newly emerged puppet nearby. The Sasori whose head had been blown off earlier slowly stood back up. "But that ability... it makes you quite suitable to become part of my art."
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