What did the Wood Release kekkei genkai represent in this era? It represented 'the strongest.' Fortunately, for so many years, only Hashirama Senju possessed this kekkei genkai, and it seemed to have no successors, which allowed the experts from other villages to breathe a slight sigh of relief.
Originally, if things had progressed as planned, after the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi took office, Konohagakure collectively wanted to restore the glory of Hashirama Senju's era. Thus, they poured all of Konoha's resources into researching the Wood Release kekkei genkai.
Without going into the various events that followed, suffice it to say that, in Konoha's view at the time, if they could re-master Wood Release, it would be a deterrent force against all other major hidden villages.
One can imagine how formidable Wood Release's reputation was in the shinobi world.
This was also why Reigetsu's expression turned to one of terror when he saw Hibari use Wood Release, because he never expected that Hibari Senju could actually use Wood Release!
But this was only for a brief moment. As an expert with considerable experience and strength, his reaction speed was also very quick. Although he was startled by Hibari's Wood Release, he instantly understood: this was Hibari Senju, not Hashirama Senju. Even Wood Release should have varying degrees of strength. Perhaps he was worrying too early?
On the contrary, if he could take down or capture Hibari here, Kirigakure would gain immensely, as they could take him back to research Wood Release.
This was something unimaginable before. Why, you ask? Who had the audacity to try and capture Hashirama Senju? Even now, when various countries believed Hashirama's strength might not be what it once was, no one dared to attempt such a feat.
No sooner said than done, this was merely a fleeting thought in Reigetsu's mind, a mere instant. The moment Hibari's Wood Release entangled Samehada, he decisively let go of the sword hilt. That wasn't all; as he fell from the air, he even tried to kick Samehada, using the force to create some distance from Hibari.
But as soon as his foot pushed off Samehada's hilt, a flash of lightning appeared in his eyes. What he saw was Hibari's body shimmering with electricity.
"Lightning Release Armor??? How is this possible?" Reigetsu's face, which had just recovered from the shock of Wood Release, once again showed a look of utter disbelief.
Regarding Wood Release, Hibari was Hashirama's grandson, both flowing with the Senju clan's bloodline. If this genius truly researched and mastered it, while shocking, it was still theoretically acceptable.
But what was the situation with the famous Lightning Release Armor? Everyone in the shinobi world knew that it was a Kumogakure Hiden, taught only to the Raikage and their designated successors. This was well-established knowledge.
The problem was that Hibari was actually using the Lightning Release Armor Jutsu. Wasn't this outrageous? What in the world was Kumogakure doing? Could such a high-level secret technique really leak out? Carelessness should have its limits, right?
At the same time, due to old events from the Warring States period, the Hozuki clan was extremely wary of this jutsu. Hibari's use of the Lightning Release Armor Jutsu at this moment instinctively filled Reigetsu with dread.
Just as he pushed off Samehada's hilt, preparing to retreat, the vines on Hibari's chest detached in an instant, giving Hibari 'freedom.'
A flash of lightning passed. Using the Lightning Release Armor Jutsu, Hibari's physical prowess erupted completely, making him significantly faster than before. He caught up to Reigetsu, who was trying to create distance, with blinding speed.
At this point, both were in mid-air, with no solid ground to maneuver. Thus, neither could avoid the other. But Reigetsu's face was filled with terror, while Hibari's bore a triumphant grin...
"Didn't expect this, did you? To deal with your bastard Hydrification Jutsu, I went through countless hardships to specifically train under a master in Kumogakure..." Hibari said, and the lightning around him flared up again.
"Impossible..." Reigetsu said in disbelief.
But this time, Hibari had no intention of wasting any more words. He swiftly grabbed Reigetsu's waist with both arms. A massive surge of Lightning Release instantly paralyzed Reigetsu's movements. Due to the side effects of the Hydrification Jutsu, he was utterly unable to resist this sensation, unable to even speak, his face filled with terror.
"Feel the fear etched into your ancestors' memories, you bastard!!!" Hibari roared, and at the same time, he exerted force with both arms, forcefully lifting Reigetsu off his feet.
The next second, Hibari bellowed, "Liger Bomb!!!"
As this roar echoed, a powerful flash of lightning, carrying both him and Reigetsu, plunged directly towards the ground. Then, a violent lightning explosion erupted, shattering the ground beneath them. The entire hundred-meter arena floor became cracked, with massive amounts of lightning continuously coursing through the fissures.
At the center of the explosion, a cloud of dust rose, obscuring vision.
Within the dust cloud, Hibari stood unscathed. This battle seemed like he had utterly crushed Reigetsu, but in reality, the power difference between them wasn't significant. The changes were just too sudden.
First, Wood Release appeared in Hibari's hands, then the Lightning Release Armor Jutsu, which the Hozuki clan greatly feared. A series of bizarre transformations completely caught Reigetsu off guard, allowing Hibari to seize the opportunity and land a Liger Bomb, likely leaving him unable to resist.
Simply put, Hibari's calculations were precise. From the moment he revealed his identity and surprised Reigetsu, he was already planning this tactic, directly catching Reigetsu off guard.
Indeed, it lived up to the reputation of the Lightning Release Armor Jutsu, which made the Hozuki clan cry for their mothers during the Warring States period.
Now, after one Liger Bomb, Reigetsu's entire body had turned into a puddle of water, with his limbs and head appearing haphazardly from the water, as if all his bones were broken. However, upon closer inspection, a struggling expression remained on his face, and his hands and feet continuously twitched, trying to reform.
If it weren't for the lightning constantly flickering in the water, he might actually have succeeded in reforming.
Although the Hydrification Jutsu allowed him to be restrained by this power, preventing him from reforming his body, from another perspective, considering his physique, which was far inferior to Kinkaku's, the fact that he was still alive after taking a direct hit from Hibari's Liger Bomb was thanks to his Hozuki clan's Hydrification Jutsu, wasn't it?
Seeing Reigetsu's continued struggle, Hibari's mouth curved into a sinister grin. "It's useless. Do you think you can still turn this around?"
As his words fell, lightning once again flashed in Hibari's hand. The lightning wrapped around his arm, transforming into a lightning dragon. Then, Hibari raised his fist towards the 'puddle of water' on the ground and roared, "Raging Lightning Bomb!"
As Hibari's words ended, he punched Reigetsu's 'hydrification body' again. The powerful electrical force instantly scattered Reigetsu's arms, legs, and other parts, turning them into shimmering, electrified water droplets. Only his head remained visible above the water.
After all this was done, Hibari felt excellent watching the scene. His mental exhaustion seemed to vanish. He laughed loudly, "Reigetsu, you made your bed, now lie in it! If you hadn't sent that bastard Kakuzu to ambush me three years ago, I wouldn't hold much of a grudge against you. But since you started it, don't blame me for finishing it. Get ready for a miserable future!"
"Kill... kill... kill... me..." Reigetsu still spoke to Hibari with great defiance, though his voice was broken and stuttering.
However, Hibari smiled wickedly, then said, "Killing you is impossible. Don't worry, barring any accidents, you'll live a long time, of course... in my laboratory."
To be honest, Hibari couldn't really say how much he truly hated Reigetsu. Although Reigetsu had tried to kill him, from another perspective, if it were Hibari, he would probably have done the same. It was simply a shinobi's choice. However, from other angles, especially from this recent encounter, Hibari actually quite admired Reigetsu, feeling that the guy wasn't as despicable as he had thought.
But alas, one's hero is another's enemy. The more excellent Reigetsu was, the worse it was for Hibari and his comrades. Coupled with their past grievances and various other interests, even if Hibari admired him somewhat, he had to harden his heart and deal with him thoroughly.
The idea of getting revenge on Reigetsu... or rather, finding an opportunity to capture him for research, was something Hibari had been pondering for a long time, so he had prepared some things.
He formed a summoning jutsu hand sign, then summoned a large scroll. Soon after, he pulled out a huge pot... or rather, a 'barrel,' from the large scroll.
Hibari didn't waste any more words with Reigetsu. He swiftly scooped the guy from the ground into the pot. Looking at Reigetsu, who was imprisoned in the iron barrel, Hibari smiled and said, "Ready for a trip to the Land of Fire?"
"Bas... bas... tard..." Reigetsu still stammered, his speech slurred by the electrocution.
Hibari chuckled at that, not bothering to argue. He was the victor, and he had that much composure. He didn't continue to tease the unlucky Reigetsu. He placed the 'lid' on top, latched the catches, and patted the large pot with a chuckle. "It wasn't for nothing that I specially prepared this thing. It finally came in handy..."
As his words fell, Hibari twisted a button on the outside of the 'large pot.' Then, the inside of the pot began continuously releasing electricity.
Reigetsu wanted to get out of there? Dream on. Unless the pot ran out of electricity, he wouldn't be able to crawl out on his own.
"With this much electricity, it's definitely enough to get back to the Land of Fire... Hahaha, this trip was worth it!" Hibari said, laughing loudly.
After 'settling' Reigetsu, Hibari turned his attention to the distance. The great sword Samehada, still entangled in vines, lay on the ground.
"First the Bashōsen, now Samehada. You shinobi are truly wealthy... constantly dropping loot," Hibari chuckled, muttering to himself.
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