Chapter 140: Your Ninjutsu is Pretty Good, Now It's Mine!
The rock and mud pellet attack formed by the Earth Dragon Bullet Technique gradually subsided. Ōnoki's shadow clone, sensing the last bit of chakra remaining in its body, stopped releasing the ninjutsu.
Nara Keisuke, controlling the [Shadow Creature], also hovered in mid-air, looking down at the Third Tsuchikage below.
Ōnoki's expression was calm. "Black Beast, we will meet again."
"If you use that title again, I'll spread your 'Old Turtle' nickname all over the battlefield," Nara Keisuke said, a smile on his face that was respectful of the old and loving to the young.
"..." Ōnoki shot a hateful glare at him.
Poof!
The old man wasted no more words, directly exploding into a puff of smoke and vanishing.
Seeing the last enemy disappear, the smile on Keisuke's face gradually faded as he began to review the details of today's sudden battle.
"It seems I completed an A-rank mission, nearly crippled Iwagakure's Four-Tails Jinchuriki, and forced the Third Tsuchikage to flee... But in reality, in a direct, head-on confrontation, I didn't manage to gain the upper hand."
Through the coordination of techniques like the [Spiraling Shadow Imitation Bullet] and the [Bringer-of-Darkness Technique], Keisuke had achieved considerable results in battle. If it weren't for the Four-Tails going berserk, he might have even nearly killed Ōnoki. But battles don't have "what ifs."
The [Spiraling Shadow Killing Cannon], as Keisuke's currently most powerful single-target attack, had failed to break through Ōnoki's "Earth Prison Dome" and later, the "Golem Technique" used by Kitsuchi. The powerful defense of Earth Release was one thing, but his own attack power being relatively weak was another.
Of course, this "weakness" was only relative. One had to know that even the legendary God of Shinobi could be killed by a single kunai (if anyone believed that). For an ordinary ninja, Keisuke's attack damage was definitely overkill. But against Ōnoki and Kitsuchi's Earth Release, his attack damage seemed weak and insufficient.
On the contrary, although Ōnoki's Dust Release had flaws like high energy consumption, a long wind-up, and difficulty aiming, its attack damage was arguably the number one in the ninja world. The attack power of "Dust Release," which could decompose all things into a molecular state, could almost be said to be a one-hit kill for anyone it touched! In terms of attack effect alone, the "Dust Release" of the two Tsuchikage generations was something that even the Six Paths-level gods could hardly compare with.
"A Kekkei Tōta..."
Keisuke knew very well that Dust Release was a Kekkei Tōta formed by the fusion of three nature transformations: wind, earth, and fire. It was only normal that the attack power of his current various means could not compare to it. But it was undeniable that this was still a "shortcoming."
His current normal strength was definitely enough to rank among the Kage-level. Paired with the flight ability brought by the [Shadow Transformation Technique] and various no-hand-sign, instant-cast black bullets, the vast majority of Kage-level powerhouses would not want to face an opponent like him. However, he still lacked a frontal, decisive finishing move, like Dust Release was to Ōnoki, or the Eight Inner Gates was to Might Guy.
"I don't want to become a 'Master Nara' like 'Master Men'..." Keisuke controlled the [Shadow Creature], slowly flying up, and moved in the direction of the Konoha main camp. "Can't even scratch their health bar. It's not just embarrassing, it's downright... embarrassing!"
Keisuke fell into deep thought. To increase the power and effect of a ninjutsu, the method was actually very simple: increase the quality and quantity of chakra. He didn't have a good way to solve the quantity problem for now, unless he chose to stop being human... But the problem was, even if he really did stop being human, it would still be quite difficult to obtain a chakra quantity comparable to a "mini-Hashirama" in a short period of time.
And the problem of chakra quality... Keisuke scanned his many abilities, his gaze finally resting on the four techniques: [Shadow Transformation Technique], [Scorch Release], [Explosion Release], and [Sage Clan Guidance Technique].
"Shadow Gundam, Kekkei Genkai, Senjutsu energy..."
"Being a ninja is about climbing, step by step, to the very top!"
Suppressing his somewhat agitated state of mind, Keisuke turned to look at the two [Shinobi Secret Scrolls] he had just obtained. The Four-Tails had gone berserk, Rōshi had gone offline, and he had directly obtained the other's A-rank scroll; Ōnoki was tenacious, and he hadn't been able to completely defeat him, only getting a B-rank scroll through a speed-run.
After some deliberation, he still chose to open Ōnoki's B-rank scroll first. "The esteemed Third Tsuchikage, you'd better not give me some ordinary Earth Release ninjutsu!" Keisuke took a deep breath. "Dust Release! Even a derivative of Dust Release would be good!"
[Opening...]
[Contents of this B-rank Shinobi Secret Scroll: Technique]
[B-rank Technique: Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique]
[Technique Description: Freed from the shackles of gravity, let the body dance in the sky!]
[Technique Effect: By using one's own Earth Release chakra, reduce the gravity on a target object. Besides making objects lighter, it can also reduce one's own gravity, increasing one's own movement speed. If the human body is made lighter than the atmosphere, one can directly fly into the air.]
[Technique Evaluation: Who can't fly?]
"Uh, hmm..." Looking at the [Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique] on the panel, Keisuke blinked. "Well, alright! This is indeed a B-rank ninjutsu of extremely high quality. In the future, it's not just my [Shadow Creature] that can fly, I myself can fly too!"
Earth Release ninjutsu, due to its convenience in casting and the wide availability of its medium, mostly involved "shape transformation." (In fact, most elemental ninjutsu are products of shape transformation). This was what Keisuke had frequently complained about before: clods of dirt and big clods of dirt.
Earth Release ninjutsu involving advanced nature transformation were very rare. As far as he knew, the "Light-Weight Rock Technique / Added-Weight Rock Technique" mastered by Ōnoki were very rare earth jutsu that involved profound nature transformation, because these two touched upon the special and powerful physical concept of "gravity."
Keisuke didn't know how the two Tsuchikage had managed to link "Earth Release" with "gravity," but this did not prevent him from feeling pleasantly surprised by obtaining the [Light-Weight Rock Technique].
"Light-Weight and Added-Weight are actually two opposite ninjutsu; one reduces gravity, one increases it." Keisuke rubbed his chin. "As for Super Light-Weight and Super Added-Weight, it's probably like the difference between a Vacuum Sphere and a Vacuum Great Sphere, that is, a difference in the amount of chakra invested... All in all, with this jutsu, another item, gravity, has been added to my research content. If this concept is used well, it will also be very powerful!"
Aided by the good luck from the [Light-Weight Rock Technique], Keisuke decisively opened the remaining A-rank scroll.
[Opening...]
[Contents of this A-rank Shinobi Secret Scroll: Technique]
[A-rank Kekkei Genkai Technique: Lava Release Chakra Mode]
[Technique Description: Kekkei Genkai nin-taijutsu! A body filled with scalding hot lava!]
[Technique Effect: By simultaneously using earth and fire-nature chakra, after a precise ratio, fuse them into a brand new "Lava" nature chakra. Use the "Lava" nature chakra flowing throughout the body to completely envelop the body, burning and melting all matter it touches.]
[Technique Evaluation: Absolute justice must be carried out!]
"Similar to the 'Lightning Release Chakra Mode,' a 'Lava Release Chakra Mode'?"
Keisuke glanced at the name of the technique and thought he had gotten another unusable Kekkei Genkai ninjutsu. However, after reading the full effect description, a feeling of delighted surprise suddenly arose in his heart.
"No—that's not right!"
"This isn't just a Lava Release ninjutsu. It actually includes the method for molding Lava Release chakra!"
After encountering so many ninja with Kekkei Genkai, Keisuke had finally gotten a "Kekkei Genkai" that he could use directly from a [Shinobi Secret Scroll]! He had long since mastered the two nature transformations of fire and earth, and had even mastered the [Explosion Release] Kekkei Genkai through it. But now, by obtaining this A-rank technique, [Lava Release Chakra Mode], Keisuke would soon be able to master his third Kekkei Genkai—[Lava Release]!
"In the few months I've been on the battlefield, the [Lava Release Chakra Mode] should be the best quality technique I've obtained!"
Keisuke's heart was filled with incomparable delight. After carefully reading through the key details of the technique, and seeing that there was still some distance to the Konoha main camp, he decisively summoned three masks from the summoning talisman on his wrist—an [Earth Release Mask], a [Fire Release Mask], and a blank mask. He then formed a cross-shaped hand seal and summoned two [Shadow Clones] on the back of the [Shadow Creature]. Each took a mask and began the new [Nature Mask] fusion.
Not long after, a brand new [Nature Mask] appeared between the two [Shadow Clones], its appearance without the slightest damage. Keisuke picked up the mask, and the panel popped up with information again.
[B-rank Ninja Tool Detected: [Nature Mask: Lava]!]
"It really is the [Lava Release] Kekkei Genkai!"
Keisuke looked at a [Shadow Clone]. The latter nodded slowly under the gaze of the main body. The next moment, this [Shadow Clone] began to simultaneously mold fire and earth-nature chakra within its body, gathering them all in its right fist. Scalding hot lava appeared on the clone's right forearm. It punched the air in front of it.
"Lava Release: Great Eruption!"
(End of Chapter)
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