"Monster Strength?"
Utakata's brow twitched. Rumor had it that Lady Tsunade of the Sannin possessed immense strength and utilized a technique known as "Monster Strength." Was this unusual power Kiyoshi displayed that very same technique?
*Poof! Poof! Poof!*
Tiny holes tore open in the dark red membrane covering Utakata, spraying milky-white acid. Kiyoshi's right hand, encased in flowing [Lightning Style] chakra, blocked the white liquid.
*Sizzle...*
The acid rapidly began to corrode Kiyoshi's chakra. With a sharp flick toward the ground, Kiyoshi discarded that segment of chakra.
"!" Utakata frowned. "Using chakra as armor?"
To think he could neutralize the Six-Tails' acid so easily. Such mastery of [Chakra Flow] was indeed a direct counter to his abilities. In the blink of an eye, the holes on Utakata's body increased. Just as the acid was about to erupt again, Kiyoshi moved.
"[Sage Art: Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique]!"
At point-blank range, Kiyoshi formed a seal with one hand and spat out a scorching orb of flame.
*Boom!*
Every ninjutsu enhanced by [Senjutsu Chakra] was several times stronger than its conventional state. Coupled with the effects of Kiyoshi's Traits, a mere C-rank ninjutsu expanded into a blazing fireball dozens of meters wide.
Utakata tried to dodge, but his six tails were firmly bitten by phantom spirit snakes extending from Kiyoshi's back. These were products of [Senjutsu Chakra]; much like Naruto could manifest the Nine-Tails' tails as hands, chakra was essentially formless dough that could be molded at will.
Utakata was forced to take the hit head-on. His entire body was engulfed by the fireball, sent whistling into the distance! A mushroom-shaped explosion rose, blowing away the surrounding mist.
"Lord Utakata!"
"Prepare to support Utakata!"
The Mist Jonin were stunned. Since when were fireballs this big? A standard [Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique] averaged five meters; a poor one might only be two or three meters. Kiyoshi's jutsu, clearly released with hastily refined chakra, dealt such massive damage.
If he were allowed to refine his chakra to full capacity before releasing a technique, what would happen then?
"Is this high temperature the so-called 'Senjutsu'?"
Inside the deep crater, the dark red Tailed Beast chakra had been partially blasted away from Utakata's body, revealing his original shinobi outfit. The charred skin slowly recovered as the dark red chakra surged over him once more like a liquid film, and the severed chakra tails regrew.
This was the true advantage of a Jinchuriki—incredibly fast recovery and a vast sea of chakra to grind down the enemy! Utakata's body swelled, growing into a small giant as the Tailed Beast's chakra continued to increase.
"The Six-Tails has a good relationship with its Jinchuriki," Kiyoshi noted, watching the transformation.
The relationship between a Tailed Beast and a Jinchuriki was like that of a tenant and a landlord, but the Tailed Beast held the power to decide whether or not to pay rent. The better the relationship, the more chakra was available.
Otherwise, a Tailed Beast could simply watch its Jinchuriki die, knowing it would eventually be reborn. Death was never an end for them, only an endless cycle.
In the original story, "Perfect Jinchuriki" like Killer Bee, Naruto, and Yagura were rare. However, that didn't mean others had poor relationships with their beasts; Saiken and Utakata's compatibility seemed quite high. Even when the Akatsuki came for him, Utakata entered [Version 2] without losing control, showing mastery far beyond early Gaara.
You have unlocked a new Trait: [Battle against the Six-Tails (Blue)] Trait.
[Battle against the Six-Tails (Blue)] Trait
[Requirement: Battle the Six-Tails Jinchuriki without being instantly killed.]
[Progress: (Completed)]
[Effect: Increases physical cellular vitality; resistance to 'acidic' corrosion increased by 40% on top of existing resistance.]
[Note: Can be upgraded later.]
The Trait System prompts chimed in his mind.
"It seems that to get Tailed Beast-related Traits, I need to deepen my contact with them," Kiyoshi realized. Back when he first graduated and made contact with Kushina, he had obtained the [The Legendary Nine-Tails (White)] Trait, which increased his healing speed by 5%.
As for why Yugito Nii hadn't triggered a Trait earlier, perhaps it was because the contact wasn't deep enough, as he had simply used genjutsu against her.
"Each Tailed Beast has its specialty: the One-Tail in Sand, the Two-Tails in Fire, the Three-Tails in Water..." Kiyoshi calculated. These beasts had a profound understanding of specific chakra natures. Being sealed was a rare occurrence in their thousand-year history.
Every capture attempt carried risk. Cloud Village had failed to capture the wild Nine-Tails even with the [Amber Purifying Pot]. The Gold and Silver Brothers, descendants of the Sage, had even been swallowed by the Nine-Tails, only to survive by eating its flesh and gaining some of its chakra.
Under such circumstances, Tailed Beasts didn't focus on training their own strength, but if the power was used correctly, it was devastating. For example, Sage Naruto's [Sage Art: Super Tailed Beast Rasenshuriken] utilized the ultimate chakra natures of all nine beasts to cause havoc inside Kaguya.
"If I kill a Tailed Beast, what Trait will I get? Initial contact is White, fighting it jumped from Green to Blue... If I kill it, will it be Purple, or something beyond Purple?" Kiyoshi mused.
Meanwhile, the battle raged on.
"Ginka, take a squad and infiltrate the rear to find Nobuhiko," Hiashi Hyuga ordered hurriedly, striking down a Mist ninja blocking his path as he moved toward Kiyoshi's position.
Upon hearing this, Hyuga Ginka looked at Kiyoshi confronting Utakata and knew this was the best opportunity. Most of the attention was fixed on that fight. If they missed this chance, there might not be another.
Soon, Ginka and a portion of the Hyuga clan began to slip toward the back. The mist could not hide anything from their Byakugan.
"Kiyoshi, I'm here to help!" Hiashi shouted, arriving with his brother Hizashi. The mission goal was to ensure the Hyuga bloodline didn't leak; as the Clan Head, he had to contribute the most.
"I have to... keep it suppressed," Fugaku thought from a distance, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan taking in the scene. If he used that new power within him, he could certainly take down Juzo Biwa. But this was not the time to reveal that level of strength.
If he did, it would confirm he had been hiding his power, and he—already at the center of controversy—would face even more slander. Hampered by these thoughts, Fugaku couldn't even display his full pre-Mangekyo strength.
"Ringo Ameyuri, you deal with the Uchiha Clan Head. Once he's finished, have Juzo come help me," Utakata commanded. With Jonin numbers roughly equal on both sides, the battle came down to the highest level of combatants.
He could sense a hidden power within Fugaku; the cold chakra gave him a bad feeling, as the Six-Tails within him loathed it.
No... if it was about loathing, it was Kiyoshi's chakra. Utakata shifted his gaze back to Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi's cold, dark, and ominous chakra made even the Six-Tails restless. Utakata was puzzled—why would the usually calm Saiken act like this?
"Don't worry, Utakata." Ringo Ameyuri patted her chest and lifted her [Thunder Swords: Kiba] to go assist Juzo. The battlefield, momentarily stalled by the clash of titans, surged once more.
"Listen well, the Hyuga clan is the strongest!" The Hyuga warriors stared at Utakata without fear, hands ready to strike with [Gentle Fist]. Attempting to undermine the Hyuga foundation was the ultimate provocation.
"Good. The village can always use more Byakugan." Utakata remained calm as more Konoha ninjas arrived to surround him. "Lend me more power," he whispered.
The next moment, a surge of colossal chakra erupted, gradually condensing into the form of the Six-Tails, Saiken. It was pale purple, like a massive, slimy slug, with white fluid dripping from its body. Compared to regular slugs, Saiken possessed six massive tails that hit the ground with a heavy thud.
Full Tailed Beast Transformation! In this state, a Jinchuriki possessed the power to move mountains and seas.
"Hiruma!" Utakata shouted.
Vast amounts of highly corrosive liquid secreted from his body—so much that it nearly covered the sparse forest in the area.
"How... how do we dodge this?" One Leaf ninja looked up in despair at the white smoke rising from the liquid. It was like a giant net closing in. They didn't have Kiyoshi's [Chakra Flow] or the Hyuga's [Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven]. Against such an all-encompassing attack, there was no escape!
"It's over, it's all over," Uchiha Tekka sweated profusely. In a battle of monsters, what were ninjas like them supposed to do? Most shinobi were masters of offense, not defense.
"Don't just sit there waiting to die!" Uchiha Inabi slapped Tekka's head and spat a fireball at the descending acid. Other ninjas followed suit, releasing Fire, Wind, and Water Style jutsu.
The best solution would have been Earth Style to raise blocks of soil for protection, but while there were Earth Style users present, they lacked the chakra to sustain such a large-scale defense.
"Get back, Kurenai!" Asuma Sarutobi spat out a whirlwind. It only dispersed a fraction of the acid; the liquid, infused with Tailed Beast chakra, was too heavy to be blown away. Only high-temperature Fire Style could hinder it slightly, but fire could only cover small areas and wouldn't change the overall situation.
"Phew... let's clear the field first." Utakata took a breath, his chakra rapidly replenishing.
"It seems you don't know much about physics," Kiyoshi spoke up.
Acids, like sulfuric or hydrochloric acid, are carriers of hydrogen ions. The "acid" Utakata created via Saiken followed these laws. If the current from a Lightning Style jutsu was strong enough, it could perform electrolysis, decomposing the acid into harmless components.
Furthermore, charged particles in the acid could be deflected by electromagnetic fields and repelled by the static fields generated by Lightning Style. Not to mention, lightning arcs generate high-temperature plasma that can break acid down into an atomic state.
There were many ways to solve this. Of course, doing so required a massive amount of chakra. And a human could not compete with a Tailed Beast in chakra volume—at least, that was the case for Kiyoshi right now.
However, in the shinobi world, products created by chakra were always lesser than the forces of nature. Whether it was the Preta Path's [Blocking Technique Absorption Seal] or other absorption jutsu, they could not absorb natural matter.
They absorbed the chakra itself. This was true even for the Otsutsuki; Isshiki could not absorb the flames summoned by Koshin Koji because they were natural.
Kiyoshi spat six fire dragons into the sky. The rising heat from the flames caused rain clouds to form instantly.
"[Sage Art: Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique]!"
"Evaporating the acid? A shame you can only protect yourself," Utakata said. Under his control, Saiken spat more acid, layering it over the previous wave. This all happened in a split second. Other ninjas were still desperately trying to figure out how to dodge. The acid didn't deal as much damage as a [Tailed Beast Bomb], but its range was superior.
Elite Jonin had ways to evade, but the weaker ninjas were at the mercy of fate. Utakata's move had struck Leaf's jugular. With every nation short on manpower, even the loss of Genin was significant.
"Did you know? Lightning in the sky can be guided." Kiyoshi lowered his hand from the seal. "[Sage Art... Electric Net]!"
Kiyoshi spread his hands. The [Senjutsu Chakra] in his body was consumed rapidly, and being of the same origin as natural energy, it allowed him to leverage the nature around him.
*Rumble!*
A blinding white light illuminated the mist, reflecting off the pale faces of countless ninjas. The thunder in the sky surged, and a bolt of natural lightning crashed down. Guided by Kiyoshi's Lightning Style, it formed an electric net that instantly encased the acid, evaporating the massive web Utakata had spent so much chakra to create!
"!!!" Utakata was truly shocked. This guy had found a solution in such a short time? And the influence of [Senjutsu] on nature was this profound?
"Alright, next is you." Kiyoshi's sage markings faded as the [Senjutsu Chakra] in his body dissipated. He returned to his normal state.
*Poof!*
Kiyoshi created a puppet clone and ordered it to stay in place to meditate and gather natural energy. Then, he and the other Leaf ninjas who had recovered their wits charged forward.
"A Jinchuriki needs to accumulate chakra to use large-scale jutsu. Now!" Kiyoshi shouted.
"Understood!" Hiashi nodded. The battle intensified once again!
...
On the other side, Ginka and several clan members successfully infiltrated the Mist supply base. Most Mist ninjas were occupied with the Leaf forces; the few remaining were avoided thanks to the Byakugan.
"Nobuhiko!" Ginka's face went pale as she saw Nobuhiko covered in sealing bandages.
"Gin... Ginka?" Nobuhiko's hollow eyes looked toward them. The dark, bottomless sockets made Ginka's heart ache.
"Your Byakugan..."
"Torn out by the enemy," Nobuhiko said in pain.
"Are you okay?"Hyuga Homura noticed Nobuhiko was only wearing a shirt on top, with a thin cloth covering his lower half. It seemed designed for easy access to something. "Did they... extract from you?" Homura asked hurriedly.
Even if the enemy stole the Byakugan, it would eventually age and become unusable after decades. But if the bloodline itself leaked out, a "New Hyuga Clan" appearing wouldn't be surprising. Hearing Homura's words, Nobuhiko began to shake violently, a look of pure terror on his face.
"It's okay, Nobuhiko. It's over now." Ginka comforted him, removing the sealing bandages from his limbs.
"I'll carry him." Homura's heart was heavy. To be efficient, the Mist must have subjected Nobuhiko to inhuman extraction. Usually, a man enters a cooling period after release; to be forced beyond that would be agonizing. Regardless, now was not the time to check.
With Nobuhiko on his back, Homura, Ginka, and the others retreated quickly.
"There aren't many sealing scrolls here, just common ones. The target must be on one of the ninjas in the field," Hyuga Keisuke noted. His Byakugan's "X-ray" vision had swept the base; ordinary scrolls couldn't preserve the "seeds'" vitality. Given the value of the Hyuga bloodline, the Mist would only trust the strongest among them to carry it.
"Understood." Ginka and the others nodded and headed out. Without the distraction Kiyoshi caused, such an infiltration would have been an impossible dream. When they emerged, the mist covering the area was almost gone. They could see greenish light and electric arcs erupting from Kiyoshi once more.
"How does Uchiha Kiyoshi have so much chakra?" Juzo Biwa wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. During his fight with Fugaku, he had kept an eye on Kiyoshi, noticing he was spamming jutsu as if they cost nothing.
*Bang!* Juzo and Fugaku both retreated several meters.
"It's the Food Pills. He's been eating them constantly," Ao said to Juzo in disbelief. His transplanted Byakugan allowed him to see more clearly. Every so often, Kiyoshi would swallow several pills. Even the Akimichi wouldn't eat them so recklessly; doing so usually resulted in bodily overload and sudden death.
"Lord Hiashi! We found it! It's on Juzo Biwa!" During the fight, other Hyuga members had been searching for the special sealing scroll. It was the Mist's best way to transport the bloodline.
"Good!" Hiashi moved toward Juzo. Through his Byakugan, he saw that Ginka and the others had rescued Nobuhiko. Now, as long as he destroyed that scroll, the mission would be a total success. He wouldn't have to keep fighting the terrifying Six-Tails.
"The rest of you, keep him occupied!" Hiashi looked back at Kiyoshi and the twenty or so ninjas. Leaf was well-prepared, with far more manpower than this Mist base. Thus, besides those fighting the Mist Genin and Chunin, they could spare a large number of Jonin.
Utakata swung Saiken's tails, striking at the leaf ninjas. Seeing Hiashi rush toward Juzo, he opened his mouth wide. Blue Yang chakra and purple-black Yin chakra began to form a high-density black sphere. When the 2:8 ratio was achieved, it flew out with a roar.
It tore through everything in its path. *Boom!* The resulting explosion pulverized the ground near Hiashi, blowing him away.
"Brother!" Hizashi shouted. He had grievances with Hiashi, but Hiashi was still the Clan Head. If something happened to him, Hizashi would face the wrath of the Head House. He ran toward him.
*Roar!* Utakata began to condense a smaller [Tailed Beast Bomb] again. Seeing this, Kiyoshi summoned his ninja blade. He hadn't used it until now, relying solely on his chakra-formed Fire-Thunder Sword.
Through the battle, he had learned his limits. With his heightened sensory abilities, even the Six-Tails struggled to hit him.
"It's about time to end this." Kiyoshi exhaled. [Sage Mode] had boosted his strength significantly; he needed to collect the remaining types of [Sage Mode] soon. By then, he would train his body and spirit internally and Sage Arts externally, leaving no weaknesses.
[Senjutsu Chakra] was a 1:1:1 ratio of natural energy, physical energy, and spiritual energy. The stronger the body and spirit, the more chakra one had, and the more [Senjutsu Chakra] one could refine. Combined with his improving Sage Arts and Trait bonuses, he might be able to make [Sage Mode] his permanent state.
After all, a "Sage" can activate it instantly! The databooks stated Hashirama could enter [Sage Mode] in an instant; there was no reason Kiyoshi couldn't reach that level. If his body was exposed to natural energy long-term, could it trigger an unknown evolution? Urashiki Otsutsuki had said himself that [Senjutsu] was a technique even the Otsutsuki didn't possess.
"Alright. Let's try the power of demon slaying." Kiyoshi poured chakra into his blade, and the Priestess's chakra surged forth. The Six-Tails immediately sensed a dangerous aura.