Chapter 37 — Lava Release vs. Explosion Release
Obuya froze for the briefest instant, his thoughts drifting elsewhere—until a sudden, razor-sharp sensation stabbed at his instincts.
Danger.
His head snapped upward.
Whoosh—!!
A colossal shape descended from the sky.
A massive water dragon, fangs bared and claws extended, plunged downward like a living torrent. Its enormous body twisted through the air with terrifying momentum, the pressure of its descent forcing the surrounding branches to bow and tremble.
"It's the Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Obuya recognized the jutsu immediately. It wasn't an especially rare technique among high-level shinobi. Many Jonin were capable of using it.
But this was something else entirely.
Compared to the slender, serpent-like water dragons he had encountered before, this one was a true leviathan. Its immense body cast a shadow over him as it descended, its roaring current filling his ears like crashing waves.
For a split second, a chill ran down his spine.
It was the unmistakable sensation of brushing against death. Without hesitation, he clenched his fist. Blue lightning erupted around his arm, crackling violently as it condensed into a blinding mass of energy.
He punched upward, his lightning-cloaked fist collided head-on with the descending water dragon.
Boom!!!
The sky seemed to shatter.
The impact triggered a thunderous explosion that echoed through the forest. The enormous water dragon burst apart instantly, its body disintegrating into a violent storm of droplets that rained down in all directions.
Shattered water sprayed across the canopy like a sudden downpour.
"Which Jonin from Kirigakure is this?" Obuya demanded, his voice sharp as the last fragments of water fell around him.
The mist of droplets had barely begun to clear when a figure appeared above.
But before he could make out the details, another attack came crashing down.
"Melting Fist!!"
A young woman's voice rang out, sharp and commanding.
Her right arm transformed mid-air, swelling into a massive fist composed entirely of molten lava. The glowing mass radiated intense heat, distorting the air around it as it plummeted toward Obuya.
The temperature spiked instantly.
"This is…"
Obuya's mind raced as he analyzed the technique. A guess formed almost immediately.
But there was no time to speak.
The lava fist loomed directly above him, its molten surface bubbling and dripping with searing heat capable of melting nearly anything it touched.
He couldn't afford to underestimate it.
Lightning surged wildly around him as he poured all his strength into Explosion Release. Ultra-high-voltage electricity intertwined with explosive chakra, rapidly shaping itself around his arm.
His fist transformed into the head of a ferocious lightning hound, its jaws open wide as if ready to devour the attack whole.
He struck upward again.
Boom!!!
Another deafening explosion erupted mid-air.
The massive lava fist followed the same fate as the water dragon before it. The explosive force obliterated it instantly, tearing it apart into a rain of molten fragments that scattered across the battlefield.
Globs of lava splashed across tree trunks and branches, hissing violently as they burned through bark and wood alike.
Despite successfully neutralizing the attack, the sheer force behind the strike drove Obuya backward. His feet dug deep into the soil as he slid across the ground, carving a long trench in his wake before finally coming to a halt.
His opponent, by contrast, twisted gracefully in mid-air. She executed several elegant flips before landing lightly atop a thick horizontal branch, not a single motion was wasted.
"Impressive… the famed Konoha Thunder Flash. Truly formidable."
Her voice carried a smooth, almost musical quality.
She straightened slowly, and her figure came fully into view—graceful and poised, her silhouette framed by drifting steam and falling embers of cooling lava.
Only now did Obuya take the time to observe her carefully.
She had striking emerald eyes and long chestnut curls that cascaded over her shoulders. A portion of her hair veiled one eye, lending her an air of mystery that was both elegant and dangerous.
Even standing on a battlefield, she carried an undeniable charm.
"Terumi Mei…" Obuya muttered under his breath.
Truthfully, he had guessed her identity the moment he saw Lava Release.
At this point in time, Mei was still a Jonin of Kirigakure. Like Minato Namikaze of Konohagakure, she had yet to inherit the title of Kage.
But her strength was already unmistakable.
"You're quite capable," Mei said softly, her lips curving into a faint smile. "If our nations weren't at war… perhaps we might have had a more romantic meeting."
Her tone carried a teasing warmth—an odd contrast to the fact that she had tried to kill him only moments before.
Her gaze shifted past him to the group of terrified Chunin nearby.
"Why aren't you running?" she asked calmly. "Planning to stay and watch us fight?"
The six newly promoted Chunin snapped out of their frozen terror.
"Th-Thank you, Lady Terumi! Let's go!"
One of them spoke hurriedly, and the group immediately fled, leaping from tree to tree until they vanished into the dense forest.
Obuya watched them go—but made no move to pursue. Partly because they were insignificant to the greater battlefield.
And partly because—even for a seasoned shinobi—killing utterly helpless opponents was never entirely without hesitation.
Still, half a year of war had hardened him.
If Mei hadn't appeared, he would have acted despite any reluctance. War left no room for mercy.
Her sudden arrival had simply given him a convenient excuse not to.
Mei, who had been prepared for combat, remained cautious at first. But when she realized Obuya wasn't stopping the fleeing Chunin, a flicker of surprise crossed her face before fading into a faint smile.
"Kirigakure lacks men of both talent and principle like you," she said thoughtfully. "From what I understand, you're an outsider who only recently joined Konoha…"
"So what?" Obuya replied with a playful smirk.
Since he had already chosen not to pursue the Chunin, he saw no harm in hearing her out.
Mei studied him carefully, her emerald eyes gleaming with both admiration and calculation.
"To be frank," she said, "remaining in Konoha offers you little future. If you're willing, I could recommend you to join Kirigakure."
"Oh?" Obuya smiled faintly.
"And what exactly would Kirigakure offer me?"
Seeing an opening, Mei's expression brightened slightly.
"Anything you desire," she said confidently. "I can guarantee you'll receive ten times—no, a hundred times—more than what Konoha could offer."
Obuya chuckled.
"If we're talking about benefits," he said, "I think you yourself are already quite appealing."
His gaze traveled over her figure without the slightest attempt at concealment, as if openly appraising her.
Mei's smile froze for a fraction of a second.
Her eyes darkened.
"Heh… you mean… you want me?" she asked.
Obuya nodded without hesitation.
"Exactly. Think of it as a friendly warning—miss your chance now, and you might end up single for life."
Mei's smile remained, but the warmth in her eyes had turned cold and sharp as a blade.
"That's possible," she said quietly.
"But first… you'll have to survive my hands."
Her tone dropped like falling ice.
Obuya had long since realized her attempt at recruitment was nothing more than a feint. There had never been any real possibility of defection.
And now— The conversation was over.
"Lava release!"
Molten lava surged from Mei's hands in a thick, viscous wave. The substance glowed with intense heat, its sticky, corrosive nature capable of both melting and hardening matter at will.
The lava rolled forward like a burning tide, devouring everything in its path.
"This woman isn't someone to underestimate…" Obuya thought grimly. "No wonder she eventually became Mizukage after the war. She's already near Kage-level."
As the molten wave surged toward him, he activated lightning flash, his body flashing backward at blinding speed.
At the same time, he counterattacked.
Explosion Release surged outward, interwoven with ultra-high-voltage lightning. From his hand burst a lightning hound once more, streaking forward in a blazing arc.
It collided head-on with the molten torrent.
Boom!!!
The resulting explosion dwarfed the previous ones.
Explosion Release amplified by high-intensity lightning was far more than a simple combination—the energies multiplied each other, producing a devastating force.
The lava wave was blasted skyward like a shattered tide, scattering molten fragments across the forest.
Where the droplets landed, trees instantly blackened and charred. Within seconds, their burned trunks crumbled into brittle husks.
A faint breeze passed through.
The remains disintegrated into ash.