"Shigure, be careful!"
Kakashi's warning rang out as he witnessed Rōga Nadare's technique. That massive ice construct—shaped like a white whale—was barreling forward with crushing force.
If it hit, even Shigure might not come out of it unscathed.
But it was already too late for Kakashi to intervene. All he could do was watch and hope Shigure could avoid the blow.
Yet instead of dodging, Shigure held his ninja blade, Zangetsu, in both hands, and stood his ground.
"He's not going to evade?" Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "Is he seriously planning to take that thing head-on?"
Then he saw it—Shigure raised his left hand and formed a quick seal. In the same motion, he slid his palm across the spine of his blade.
"Boil Release: Blade of Heat."
Fsssshhh—!
A fierce hiss erupted as white steam poured from Zangetsu. The metal glowed faintly with heat.
Kakashi's expression shifted. From his distance, he couldn't see the technique clearly, but the sudden steam and intense energy gave it away—this was no ordinary ninjutsu.
Shigure took his stance, facing the monstrous whale of ice that loomed like a falling glacier. Its jagged horns gleamed with deadly sharpness.
Across the battlefield, Rōga Nadare sneered.
"Die, Konoha brat!"
Shigure exhaled calmly.
Breathe.
Twelve Forms – Seventh Modified Form.
Heat Flow: Shizuku Ripple Strike!
He stepped forward.
With a swift thrust, Zangetsu unleashed a stream of heated chakra, not just emitting steam, but channeling it like a spear of boiling power.
Rōga Nadare burst into mocking laughter. "What kind of idiot tries to counter Ice Release with ninjutsu? You're digging your own grave!"
Under normal circumstances, any basic elemental ninjutsu would indeed be overpowered by Ice Release.
But this was no ordinary jutsu.
Shigure's Boil Release was a fusion of Fire and Water chakra natures—producing not flames, but steam and pressure—capable of searing, melting, and even corroding.
More than that, he had layered it with his breathing-style sword technique.
The result: an explosive, focused stream of high-pressure boiling chakra, launched with perfect precision.
The attack struck the white whale jutsu mid-charge.
Boom!
The spear of steam drove straight through its icy core. The massive creature ruptured, then exploded in a cloud of mist.
Rōga Nadare was dumbfounded.
His signature Ice Release jutsu—shattered?
He stared, wide-eyed, as the last of the ice turned to vapor.
"This… This is impossible!"
"Boil Release… overpowering my Ice Release?!"
He staggered back, watching helplessly as the mist engulfed Shigure's figure.
The impact of the clash caught everyone's attention.
Naruto and Sasuke paused their fight for a brief moment.
"That whale technique… It got broken?" Naruto muttered.
Fubuki, engaged in battle with Sasuke, narrowed her eyes.
Not just the one fighting Nadare… Even the Uchiha boy was frightening.
Sasuke's Fire Style could counter Ice Release directly, but what made him more dangerous was the way he integrated taijutsu and shurikenjutsu—his movements were polished beyond a typical Genin's level.
These Genin from Konoha… they're monsters.
On the other side of the battlefield, Naruto was still brawling with Dong Xiong. The boy's raw strength was keeping pace with a fully armored opponent bolstered by chakra amplification.
We have to end this quickly, Fubuki thought, glancing toward Kakashi. Hatake Kakashi hasn't even moved yet.
Suddenly—
A voice echoed through the dissipating mist.
Shigure stepped forward.
His blade still radiated residual heat.
"So this is what you call Ice Release?" he said coolly.
Rōga Nadare's expression twisted. He clenched his fists.
The truth stung—his "Ice Release" wasn't a true Kekkei Genkai.
It was merely artificial ice manipulation, powered by chakra armor and devices—not born from natural elemental fusion like Haku's.
A genuine Ice Release jutsu wouldn't have melted so easily.
Even Sasuke's Fire Style couldn't break true Hyōton with such speed.
But this... this steam…
The boiling pressure coming from Shigure was on another level—almost like lava.
Rōga Nadare clenched his teeth. So that's how he broke through… But how did he raise the temperature of his chakra that much?
Was it some kind of secret technique?
Meanwhile, Shigure turned his back and slid Zangetsu cleanly into its sheath.
"Great Sage, switch to the Combat Skills page."
[Great Sage: Switch successful. Enable accelerated thinking?]
"No need for that—this kind of fight doesn't require it!"
Rōga Nadare furrowed his brows as he saw Shigure sheathe his blade. Why put away his weapon now? Was he… surrendering? Or was he just giving up?
Kakashi observed the change in Shigure's posture and gave a faint, amused smile.
"He's been holding it back all this time. Maybe he's finally snapped."
Shigure stood still, facing the enemy, eyes calm.
"Your so-called Ice Release is pathetic," he said quietly.
Raising both hands, Shigure began to form hand seals—slowly, deliberately.
Although he had long mastered one-handed seals, using both hands still boosted the power of a technique by roughly one-third. And against this opponent, he wasn't holding back.
Rōga Nadare frowned. Only one seal?
He was caught off guard. What kind of jutsu is this?
He scoffed inwardly.
What powerful ninjutsu could a Genin possibly know?
With all his time spent honing that blade of his, how much effort could he have put into jutsu training?
That boiling technique from before was already impressive, but surely that was his limit.
But at that very moment, Shigure's eyes snapped open.
"Ice Release: Freeze the Moment."
Vrrrmmm…!
A pulse of white-blue frost erupted from beneath his feet.
In an instant, the cold aura spread outward in a perfect circle—and within seconds, Rōga Nadare, standing twenty meters away, was completely encased in ice.
Kakashi's eyes widened, taken aback by the sudden turn.
Is this… Shigure's Ice Release?
Instant freeze…! What terrifying power!
Then his expression shifted.
No… That can't be the whole story. It must be the environment.
This snow-covered battlefield… it's amplifying the technique's effects!
Crack! Crack!
The frost didn't stop at Nadare.
Fifty meters away, a massive Snow Honeysuckle Bear—previously battling Naruto—was frozen solid in mid-roar.
Seventy meters beyond that, even Fubuki, who had been skirmishing with Sasuke, was halted mid-movement, her entire form flash-frozen.
Three enemies. One jutsu. Instant results.
Naruto and Sasuke both turned toward Shigure, eyes wide in disbelief.
A cold wind howled across the battlefield.
The ice and snow around Shigure's feet surged unnaturally—as though responding to his chakra. The very terrain itself had come alive.
This wasn't the same "Freeze the Moment" technique from before.
During his recent upgrades to his passive skills, the range of the jutsu had tripled. Here, in this frozen land, the attack radius had expanded to nearly 100 meters.
And in this moment—Shigure's Ice Release covered nearly 300 meters in all directions.
Even Kakashi, standing over 100 meters away, looked down in alarm as a wave of ice crept toward him across the snow, fast and relentless.
A flicker of true fear crossed the seasoned jonin's eyes.
...
TN:
🔟 Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin