When even Susanoo began to crack under Netero's Hundred-Type Guanyin, when even Amaterasu could be easily neutralized by it, and when even Ame-no-Tokotachi could not restrain Netero for long, Ronin understood one thing.
If he wanted to break through Netero's style of using extreme-speed attacks as defense, there was only one way:
Break through from the front.
Just as Netero had shattered Susanoo, Ronin had to shatter the Hundred-Type Guanyin.
No.
He had to shatter it even more violently than Netero shattered Susanoo.
And what ability could accomplish that?
The only move Ronin could think of was Naruto's signature technique.
The moment the Super Giant Rasenshuriken appeared, Netero's movements finally changed.
He no longer simply pressed his palms together. After bringing them together in prayer, he suddenly extended one arm and pointed straight at Ronin.
The enormous Hundred-Type Guanyin appeared behind him. The divine statue radiated majesty without anger, and its raised hands suddenly clasped together in midair. In the very next instant, both palms appeared above Susanoo's head at the same time.
Boom!
As that strike came down, the already cracked Susanoo finally could no longer withstand the impact and shattered apart.
But in that same instant, Ronin twisted his body and flung his arm.
The Super Giant Rasenshuriken in his hand shot straight toward Netero.
He didn't even bother paying attention to the two palms that had smashed through Susanoo and were still hammering downward.
Because he knew perfectly well that Netero had only one choice now:
bring his palms together again and unleash a new technique.
Everything unfolded exactly as he expected. The hands of the Hundred-Type Guanyin above his head abruptly vanished, and the motionless Guanyin reappeared behind Netero. It then swung out with one palm, striking the Super Giant Rasenshuriken from the side.
But then an unbelievable scene occurred.
The palm of the Hundred-Type Guanyin that slapped the Rasenshuriken was sliced open in an instant, while the Super Giant Rasenshuriken continued forward without losing speed or changing direction, still roaring straight toward Netero.
At that moment, Netero's face finally turned solemn.
But the Hundred-Type Guanyin also unleashed more palms in that same instant. A dense storm of palm strikes directly swallowed the Super Giant Rasenshuriken.
And at this moment, arcs of electricity flickered across Ronin's body.
He had entered Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
In his view, relying on the Super Giant Rasenshuriken alone to defeat Netero was still not quite enough. So now, the sound of birdsong rang out from his hand.
It was Kakashi's technique—
Lightning Release: Chidori.
The instant Chidori appeared in his hand, Ronin vanished from where he stood.
A quick victory had become very difficult. The moment Ronin used Lightning Release Chakra Mode, he had already prepared himself for a battle of endurance.
The bombardment from the Hundred-Type Guanyin detonated the Super Giant Rasenshuriken when it was still less than twenty meters away from Netero.
And the reason it was still that far away was because while the Hundred-Type Guanyin attacked, Netero himself was also retreating.
He had sensed danger from the Super Giant Rasenshuriken.
The arms of the Hundred-Type Guanyin shattered together in the explosion. That was something that had never happened since Netero created the ability.
The feedback from the destruction of the Hundred-Type Guanyin manifested in his own body as a rapid, massive consumption of Nen.
But the more that happened, the more his fighting spirit burned.
Because this was exactly what he pursued.
What he wanted was not an opponent who would bow down after a single move.
What he wanted was to face an enemy who might truly defeat him, and then fight that enemy with everything he had.
The energy shockwave from the exploding Super Giant Rasenshuriken had only just scattered when a figure flashing with blue light appeared in Netero's eyes.
Fast.
Extremely fast.
So fast that he had to enter the state of Heart Drop Fist Listening to see every movement clearly.
Heart Drop Fist Listening was a state that magnified the senses to their absolute limit. Someone who entered that state would even feel as if time itself had been stretched out.
Transmutation-type Nen…?
Netero no longer bothered trying to determine Ronin's category.
Because it no longer seemed to matter.
His hands came together in front of him once more.
The Hundred-Type Guanyin struck out with its palm.
Ronin's body flew backward, crashed into the water, and then burst out again the next second, charging toward Netero at even greater speed.
The Hundred-Type Guanyin did not pause in the slightest.
Palm after palm struck out, continuously sending Ronin flying.
But throughout that process, the distance between them kept shrinking.
Twenty meters.
Nineteen meters.
Eighteen meters…
Every time Ronin was knocked away, he ended up closer to Netero than before.
And during this process, the Strength of a Hundred Seal on Ronin's forehead had long since entered its released state. His body was already covered in blood.
If not for the Strength of a Hundred Technique continuously repairing his body, he might have already been torn apart by the Hundred-Type Guanyin's attacks.
But even so, he showed no intention of stopping.
At this moment, only one thought remained in Ronin's mind.
Faster.
A little faster.
Even faster.
Fast.
Too fast.
That was what everyone was thinking at this moment.
Those who had escaped from the water release technique couldn't see the battle clearly at all. All they could see was a golden Guanyin statue behind Chairman Netero.
Ronin had become a flickering arc of blue lightning.
Shizuku and the other two wore extremely grave expressions, even though their eyes could no longer keep up with Ronin's movements.
Beans's mouth hung wide open. He never would have imagined that someone could actually fight the chairman evenly.
Inside Trick Tower, Lippo had long since fallen out of his chair in shock. But he had no time to climb back up. He simply stared upward at the strange scene captured by the cameras.
What kind of existence had he recruited this time?
Ten meters.
Ronin was even closer to Chairman Netero now.
But that seemed to be his limit.
The chakra inside the Strength of a Hundred Seal was almost completely exhausted.
Even the Strength of a Hundred Technique's repair speed was beginning to fall behind the rate at which he was getting injured.
But a sense of unwillingness surged up in Ronin's heart.
Could he really not go any faster?
Could he really not touch Netero?
Was there any other method?
After being sent flying again, Ronin released the hand gripping the arm that was using Chidori. A sealing scroll appeared in his hand.
As he shot out of the water, Ronin tore open the scroll.
A shadow clone was born from within it, then shattered directly in the next second.
A surge of pure chakra flowed back into Ronin's body and was quickly used by the Strength of a Hundred Technique to repair him.
Ronin burst forward at extreme speed again, closing the distance by another half meter.
He was now less than ten meters from Netero.
At that moment, a smile appeared at the corner of Ronin's mouth.
He had already seen the first glimmer of victory.
He still had more than a dozen sealing scrolls on his back. Even his companions watching the fight had sealing scrolls on them.
As long as his chakra could be replenished, then perhaps the winner of this match would be him.
But in the next second, Ronin's pupils shrank, and he inwardly cursed.
Because the body of water that had been repeatedly affected by the Hundred-Type Guanyin's attacks finally could no longer hold together.
It collapsed completely.