Every attack from the fireballs swirling around her body was evaded by Kiyoshi.
"Damn it... the Sharingan is too troublesome."
Pakura frowned. Against anyone else, she would have opened several holes in their body by now. Only Kiyoshi possessed this level of insight, dodging every strike in advance so that Pakura's [Scorch Style: Incinerate Flare Murder] could not touch him.
"I told you, Pakura. No matter how strong your Scorch Style is, if it doesn't hit me, it's useless."
The Sharingan in Kiyoshi's eyes grew increasingly crimson. He could feel the level of his ocular power rising steadily, pushing toward the peak. When it reached the ceiling, it would be a whole new world.
"Pakura-sensei!"
Maki, who wanted to fight alongside Pakura, was the first to arrive. She saw over a dozen Sand ninjas already slain by Kiyoshi. Ahead, only Kiyoshi and Pakura continued their relentless battle. Kiyoshi was covered in blood, his black Uchiha robe stained a dark brown, exuding a thick scent of iron. Pakura also had numerous sword wounds, bleeding and looking quite disheveled.
"Your disciple... Maki, right?"
Kiyoshi exerted force in his hands. Within a few breaths, the two exchanged several more moves. Kiyoshi's high mobility made it increasingly difficult for Pakura to hold her ground.
"Don't come over!" Pakura shouted back.
This Kiyoshi fellow was too difficult to deal with. The two of them could still wear each other down, but if Maki joined, she would only become a liability. Pakura could not allow Maki to become another member of the pile of corpses beneath their feet. As long as she kept stalling, the main force of the village would eventually catch up, and then victory would be hers.
"Genjutsu: Sharingan."
Ocular power like an electromagnetic wave instantly struck Maki. Like the Sand ninjas Kiyoshi had pinned down earlier, she became a lamb to the slaughter. Maki's body stiffened, and she discovered with horror that she could not move.
"Maki, do you know what happens to the body after it endures an electric current?"
Kiyoshi's words left Maki bewildered. Besides paralysis and pain, what else could happen?
Warning bells rang in Pakura's heart. She quickly refined chakra to gather several more fireballs, hurling them frantically at Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi tilted his head to avoid the Scorch Style spheres, sparks brushing past his ear and singeing a few strands of black hair.
In the next second, Kiyoshi threw a shuriken at Maki. Pakura, caring for her disciple, immediately turned her head and accelerated the gathering of her fireballs. However, her movements became noticeably disorganized. It was clear that Maki held a very high position in Pakura's heart.
This was why, after Pakura was later resurrected, she wanted to take revenge on the entire ninja world upon learning that the village she gave her life for had betrayed her. Yet, after Maki spoke a few words of "Talk no Jutsu" to her, Pakura was able to let go of her obsession.
"Sometimes, the physical reactions of a human body do not change according to one's mental will," Kiyoshi said calmly, a somewhat sinister smile on his face.
The Sharingan cannot clearly see the body's pressure points or the meridian system. However, through the trajectory of moving chakra, one can deduce the general network. Since Kiyoshi was a medical ninja and had learned much medical ninjutsu and knowledge from Nonō Yakushi, the result was that Kiyoshi could rely on experience to identify certain chakra points.
Kiyoshi reached out, blue arcs of electricity dancing at his fingertips, and lightly tapped Pakura's chakra points.
"Ah!"
The electric current was far too painful to endure. Even Pakura, known as the "Hero of the Hidden Sand," could not withstand this level of Lightning Style current. She let out a cry of grief and indignation, her entire body trembling uncontrollably under the influence of the lightning.
*Splat!*
Water splashed everywhere! Pakura attempted to use a Water Style ninjutsu to defend against Kiyoshi's Lightning Style. But she ignored an objective fact: water conducts electricity! The released Water Style jutsu splashed onto the blood-soaked sand.
The desert had long been stained into a layer of shallow red earth by the blood flowing from the corpses of the Sand ninjas. That clear Water Style jutsu actually diluted the blood on this crimson soil. Perhaps it was because Pakura saw the desert being purified by "rain," or perhaps it was because her stamina failed under the lightning.
She fell backward. Her eyes lost their focus, unable to even see the world clearly. Kiyoshi watched Pakura's defeat quietly. The ocular power in his eyes surged significantly. This was the power of Lightning Style; a mortal body could not contend with it.
[Trait unlocked: Extinguishing Fire with Lightning (Green)]
[Requirement: Use Lightning Style to defeat Pakura's Scorch Style.]
[Progress: (Completed).]
[Effect: Your Lightning Style skill has reached a unique domain. Lightning Style adaptability is increased by 20% on top of the original base.]
[Note: Can be upgraded further.]
"Pakura-sensei!"
The shuriken had never been intended for Maki; it struck the sand near her. Maki's mind shook violently, and her surging chakra broke through the constraints of Kiyoshi's Genjutsu slightly. Yet, she still could not move. Large tears dripped from her eyes. She wasn't the one injured, but the pain was in her heart.
"You... you demon! I will avenge Pakura-sensei!"
Maki had never been this angry. From the moment she became a ninja, she knew this path was accompanied by blood and tears. But she never imagined it would result in this. This was pure... humiliation! Absolute humiliation! Had this Uchiha become so arrogant that he no longer viewed people as human beings!
"Heh, are you very angry?" Kiyoshi smiled slightly.
Sorry, but being fast truly allows one to do whatever they want. Combined with his Sharingan's ocular power, he could easily capture the gaps between an enemy's movements and react accordingly.
"Hand over the sealing jutsu you know." Kiyoshi looked at Maki.
Pakura's Scorch Style was her exclusive Bloodline and could not be taken, but Maki was different. She knew the unique sealing techniques of the Hidden Sand Village. [Cloth Binding Technique], [Cloth Hiding Technique], and [Water Cloth Technique]. These would enhance Kiyoshi's foundation in sealing arts.
"You... don't even think about it!" Maki refused Kiyoshi directly. How could she give her sealing techniques to this scoundrel?
"Oh? But your Pakura-sensei doesn't seem like she can hold on much longer."
Looking at Pakura, whose body occasionally twitched, Kiyoshi extinguished the flames on his katana and placed it against Pakura's neck. Kiyoshi, of course, would not kill Pakura; he was counting on her to continue providing further Traits in the future. But for now, scaring Maki did no harm.
Looking at Maki's hesitant and panicked expression, Kiyoshi felt as if he were looking at Rin Nohara. Using Maki as a substitute for Rin wasn't bad. No, or rather, there was a certain unique Hidden Sand flavor to it.
"Now then, what will your choice be? Maki, Pakura's most beloved disciple."
Kiyoshi held out his other hand. Under the sunlight, his smile was bright. In the daytime desert, the high temperature reached 40 degrees, hot enough to make anyone in short sleeves sweat. Yet Maki felt a chill running down her spine, and her feet felt weak.
***
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