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"What?!"
Kaze's expression changed in shock. He immediately used Earth Release to defend himself.
Boom...!
But the attack smashed straight through his defense and sent him flying.
Pfft!!
Blood sprayed from Kaze's mouth as he struggled to push himself back to his feet. His face turned deathly pale.
"H-how is that possible?"
That brief clash made him feel an overwhelming gap between them.
It wasn't just a difference in strength. The techniques themselves were strange and unpredictable.
He had never seen a sealing technique like that before, not even among the illusion specialists of Konoha.
"Who are you? Since when did Konoha have someone this powerful?"
Kaze clutched his chest, his voice trembling.
"Hmph."
Akira snorted coldly. "Why don't you guess?"
Then he quickly formed another hand seal.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Whoosh!
A massive water dragon roared into existence and slammed straight into Kaze.
Bang!
The violent impact hurled him backward, sending him crashing into a muddy water pit.
Splash!!
A towering wave burst outward.
"Cough… cough!"
Kaze struggled out of the pit, glaring at Akira with burning hatred.
"Bastard… one day…"
Tap.
Akira tossed aside the scroll in his hand and walked toward him slowly. He raised a finger beside his ear and shook it dismissively.
"Sorry. I don't like listening to pointless chatter. Especially from someone like you."
"What are you doing?"
Kaze's pupils shrank in fear as Akira approached.
Akira ignored him completely and grabbed him by the throat.
"Ghk—!"
The terrifying sensation of suffocation made Kaze's heart pound wildly.
"You'd better behave," Akira said coldly. "If you make me angry, I'll kill you myself."
"Ugh…"
Kaze opened his mouth, gasping desperately for air, but not a single word came out.
Akira loosened his grip, and Kaze collapsed weakly onto the ground.
"So you actually made it this far. Looks like we all underestimated you… you little Uchiha brat."
Another figure suddenly stepped forward, blocking Akira's path.
It was Kitan, one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja.
"Another one here to die," Akira said flatly.
"I'm nothing like those useless fools. If you underestimate me, the consequences will be very serious!"
Swish!!!
Kitan suddenly vanished.
In the next instant he appeared behind Akira, a cold-glinting kunai in hand.
"Die!!"
He roared and thrust the blade toward Akira's back.
But just then, Akira suddenly turned his head, a faint smile curling on his lips. His right leg lashed out and kicked directly at Kitan's weapon hand.
Bang!!!
A loud crash echoed.
Kitan felt a sharp pain explode through his right arm. His body staggered backward several steps.
The hand holding the kunai had been kicked broken, and the weapon flew from his grip, embedding itself in the distant floor.
"How is this possible?!"
Kitan's expression changed.
He had poured nearly all his strength into that strike, yet the boy blocked it with ease and even injured him in return.
With his strength, very few people of the same generation could stop his attacks, let alone counter them.
"Hmph."
Akira snorted again, eyes cold as ice.
Though he was young, his will in battle was unwavering. He would never tolerate anyone trampling on his dignity.
Besides, Akira had already fully recovered.
The chakra within his body was now three times stronger than before. And with his unusual physique, his recovery speed was astonishing.
"You damn brat… no wonder you're so arrogant," Kitan growled through clenched teeth. "But meeting me today is just bad luck for you!"
His eyes burned with murderous intent as he stared at Akira.
"Wind Release: Great Dragon Bullet!"
A terrifying pressure of wind gathered in his mouth, forming into the shape of a massive dragon. With a deafening roar, it surged toward Akira.
Rumble!!!
Stone pillars around them shattered instantly. The floor cracked apart piece by piece.
The destructive force was terrifying, like the world itself was collapsing.
"Earth Release: Rock Prison Wall!"
Akira's expression turned serious. His hands flew through a rapid series of seals.
In an instant, a thick earthen wall erupted from the ground in front of him, blocking the attack head-on.
BOOM!!!
The explosion was so loud that everyone nearby instinctively covered their ears.
When the smoke finally cleared, the sight that greeted them was shocking.
A four-meter-tall wall of packed earth stood there, but it was riddled with cracks so dense it looked like it would shatter with a single touch.
Crack… crack…
Under everyone's tense gaze, the wall finally gave out and collapsed into pieces.
"Haha! Kid, you've lost! Let's see where you run now!"
Seeing this, Kitan burst into arrogant laughter, his face full of triumph.
But the next second—
Tap.
Akira stepped out from the drifting smoke, walking across the broken stones completely unharmed.
His expression was as calm and indifferent as ever.
What?!
Kitan's face froze.
He even wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him.
Even though he hadn't used his full power with that Great Dragon Bullet, any ordinary jonin hit by it would probably be killed instantly.
Yet this brat in front of him was completely fine.
"You…"
Kitan hesitated briefly, but remembering the boast he had made earlier, anger quickly replaced his doubt.
"Damn brat! I don't care what tricks you're using. Today, you die here!"
He rushed forward again.
The kunai in his hand flashed with a brilliant silver light as it shot toward Akira like a falling meteor.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Akira narrowed his eyes. Flames suddenly burst from the kunai in his hand.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The blazing phoenix flames collided with Kitan's blade, sending sparks and fire bursting everywhere.
"Heh. Kid, is that all you've got? Pathetic."
Kitan sneered.
With a sudden burst of strength, the blade in his hand flared with a dazzling white light.
Slash!
The sharp edge cut straight through Akira's phoenix flames.
A spray of blood burst from Akira's left arm.
Kitan's strength was indeed terrifying.
Even a Kage-level fighter might struggle to withstand that strike.
"Argh!!"
Akira cried out in pain. Veins bulged on his forehead, fury flashing in his eyes.
At the same time, the phoenix flames he had released were blown out midway by a sudden gust of wind.
"Oh? Not bad,"Kitan said with a grin. "As expected of Konoha's top Anbu captain. But sadly, you're still not my opponent."
He raised his blade again and slashed toward Akira.
"Lightning Release: Chidori!"
Akira's pupils shrank. His body trembled slightly, but he didn't retreat.
Instead, he thrust his own kunai forward to meet the attack.
Rip!
The sound of metal tearing through flesh echoed.
Deep gashes appeared across Akira's wrist and arm.
Seeing his strike land, Kitan's grin turned savage. He continued hacking at Akira relentlessly.
Rip!!
Another burst of blood sprayed from Akira's chest, instantly soaking his clothes red.
His expression grew increasingly serious.
Even though his defense had improved greatly, the opponent's attacks were even stronger.
For a moment, he felt like he might not be able to hold out.
Boom!!
Suddenly, the kunai in Kitan's hand exploded, breaking apart into countless fine fragments that drifted through the air.
"Not good!"
Kitan's face changed dramatically. He spun around, preparing to escape.
"Eight Trigrams Palm: Iron Block."
Akira clasped his hands together.
A metallic barrier suddenly appeared behind Kitan.
Clang!!
Kitan's blade slammed into the iron-like barrier with a heavy thud.
A flash of joy crossed his face, but it quickly twisted into something sinister.
"Kid, you're still too naive. You think a single iron block can stop me? Don't make me laugh."
With a vicious grin, chakra surged through his body as he raised his weapon again, preparing to cut Akira down.
Clink…!!
Suddenly, a fist-sized stone ball dropped from above and smashed into Kitan's body with a metallic clang, making his arm go slightly numb.
"Who's there?!"
Kitan turned his head sharply, staring at the stone that had just landed on the ground.
Whoosh!
The stone suddenly moved again, shooting straight toward him at incredible speed.
"Earth Release: Earth Binding Coffin!"
Kitan frowned. He hadn't expected someone to interfere at a moment like this. Without hesitation, he quickly unleashed the ninjutsu he was famous for.
Buzz—
A ring of ripples spread outward, enveloping the flying stone. Under Kitan's expectant gaze, the rock suddenly slowed, as if its momentum had been neutralized.
"Hm? What's going on?"
Kitan froze for a split second, but his reaction was quick. With a sharp push of his hand, the stone shot back toward Akira.
"Hmph. Kid, let's see what you do now!"
A cold sneer curled across his lips. When he saw Akira close his eyes as if accepting his fate, a cruel gleam appeared in his expression.
"Just lie down and die already!"
Kitan roared excitedly. Lightning burst from the kunai in his hand, crackling with brilliant sparks.
Bang!
At that very moment, Akira suddenly opened his eyes. A sharp flash of light flickered across them.
In the next instant, he vanished.
"So… so fast!!!"
Shock spread across Kitan's face.
He had been planning to press the attack, but Akira's speed was beyond anything he could track.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Akira reappeared above him, legs tensed tight before slamming down with terrifying force. A thunderous explosion echoed through the entire street, powerful enough to make several houses in the distance collapse.
Pfft!
Kitan spat out a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground, his face pale as paper, his body twitching uncontrollably.
Struggling, he lifted his head.
Akira stood above him, looking down coldly. That handsome face showed not the slightest trace of mercy.
"Someone like you doesn't deserve to live…"
Akira's voice was icy, filled with naked disgust. His right hand tightened as a kunai appeared in his grip.
"W-Wait… don't… please, spare me…"
The moment Kitan saw the kunai, his pupils shrank in terror. He begged desperately.
He knew very well that if that blade pierced his chest, there would be no surviving it.
"Too late."
Akira shook his head without emotion. Black lightning wrapped around the kunai as he thrust it straight into Kitan's chest.
Pfft!!!
The blade tore through flesh.
Kitan died instantly.
…
Just then, one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, Nauma, appeared before Akira.
"Kill!"
Nauma barked sharply, gripping his kunai as he charged forward.
A chilling aura radiated from him, enough to make anyone shiver.
"Die, brat!"
With a furious shout, Nauma's kunai sliced through the air, thrusting toward Akira's heart from a vicious, precise angle.
Akira's eyes burned with determination.
"Ah—!"
Suddenly, he dropped to his knees.
His right hand clutched at his chest as he gasped for breath, his entire face flushed deep red.
It was a painful expression, like something he had suppressed for a very long time was about to burst free.
"Hmph. Trash like you has no right to become the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki."
Nauma sneered and lunged again, swinging his kunai to finish Akira off.
Akira's body was already drenched in sweat. His face was red, his lips dry and cracked, yet his gaze remained unwavering.
He raised his head and gritted his teeth.
"I won't… lose to you…"
Before he could finish speaking, a violent wave of dizziness hit him. His body swayed, nearly collapsing to the ground.
At that moment, Nauma's kunai was already inches from Akira's throat. A cruel smile spread across his lips as he prepared to end everything.
But then—
In that very instant.
Nauma's eyes widened in shock.
Because the Akira who should have died from that strike suddenly stood up.
His fists clenched tight. A terrifying surge of chakra erupted from his body and rapidly expanded outward.
The sky darkened. The winds roared.
Akira's bangs fluttered slightly. Within his black eyes flickered pale purple lightning. He stood between heaven and earth like a god of war.
"W-What is this?"
Nauma froze.
He had never encountered something so strange. How could a boy who had only just begun learning Lightning Release possess such overwhelming lightning chakra?
"Hahahaha!"
Suddenly, Akira threw his head back and laughed.
The black lightning raging around him grew even wilder, gathering into a massive sphere of crackling energy.
"Lightning Release: Chidori!"
Akira pushed off the ground.
His body transformed into a streak of blue-white light as he shot forward.
BOOOOM—!
Everywhere he passed, trees shattered and collapsed. Debris flew everywhere as a massive trench tore through the mountainsides.
This attack rivaled the full-force techniques of Kage-level fighters.
"What a terrifying monster… to produce power like this!"
Nauma's pupils shrank violently. A deep sense of dread rose in his heart.
Who exactly is this guy?!
His mind raced, yet he couldn't recall any information about Akira.
He knew Akira had to be a newly promoted elite jōnin. But across the entire ninja world, only a handful of people could match him.
And Akira was clearly just a newly promoted elite jōnin.
So how could he possess such horrifying strength?!
The more Nauma thought about it, the more confused he became. One thing was certain now.
The boy named Akira was anything but ordinary.
"In that case… I won't hold back anymore."
Nauma smiled coldly.
He slowly spread his arms, then brought his hands together. A faint green membrane of light instantly covered his body.
"Earth Release: Earth Clone Technique."
As he spoke in a low voice, the green glow quickly condensed, forming three or four identical earth clones beside him.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
In the next second, hundreds of thick, massive earth dragons burst through the ground and charged straight toward Akira.
"Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"
Akira slammed both palms against the ground. Scorching magma erupted upward, transforming into a storm of blazing fireballs that rushed to meet the incoming attacks.
When the two forces collided, flames and wooden spikes clashed violently, grinding against each other with a piercing screech. The air quickly filled with the heavy smell of burning.
"Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"
At that moment, two more blazing fireballs shot in from the side, racing straight toward Akira's face.
Akira's expression darkened. He hadn't expected them to launch a sneak attack right then.
Left with no choice, he raised his right hand and released a surge of flames from his fingertips.
"Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"
Instantly, a blazing fire mass formed before him and slammed into the incoming fireballs.
Boom!
The explosion scattered sparks in every direction.
Akira frowned slightly.
He hadn't expected his opponents to use this method to stop him from continuing his ninjutsu.
"..."
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