Roshi arrived in an instant.
Regardless of how powerful the Four-Tails Jinchuriki's attack seemed, taking that punch was definitely not in Hagoromo's plans.
The enemy was as swift as a gale, but he was as fast as a lightning bolt.
In most situations, as long as Hagoromo's vision could keep up, his movements could keep up.
Lightning flickered!
The iron sand behind him dispersed, shifted, and then re-aggregated, transforming in an instant into an arc-shaped shield blocking Hagoromo's front!
Clang!
A sound that pierced the eardrums rang out!
It wasn't a sound a body of flesh and blood should make; it was as if a sledgehammer had been slammed violently onto an anvil!
The fierce impact sent Hagoromo retreating rapidly.
With just that momentary contact, the iron sand shield changed color. The intense heat instantly turned the iron sand into dark red molten liquid, dripping onto the snow with a sizzling hiss.
Though Hagoromo himself wasn't injured, his eyes blinked several times. A rough estimate put that temperature over 2000°C.
It was likely caused by a momentary burst of high-density chakra. If Roshi stayed that hot constantly, how was Hagoromo supposed to fight?
Failing with one strike, Roshi continued to press in.
But Hagoromo wasn't about to stay on the defensive. He had never been just a Lightning Style ninja; he was... an ambitious Lightning Style ninja.
After continuous training, he had finally achieved his goal of becoming a Water Style ninja as well.
Pushed back ten meters, Hagoromo completed his hand seals just as he skidded to a halt.
Ox - Monkey - Rabbit - Rat - Boar - Bird - Ox!
Simplifying the forty-four seals into seven, combined with his own hand speed, the B-rank Water Style jutsu was completed instantly.
A pillar-like water dragon leaped up beside Hagoromo. Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!
Roshi stopped to defend, but Hagoromo controlled the jutsu, not releasing it immediately.
The chakra in his body converted back into lightning. Hagoromo's right hand was dyed in blue light once more as the sound of chirping birds filled the air. Chidori!
His right hand, carrying the Chidori, plunged into the abstract head of the water dragon. Then, using his left leg as an axis and slamming his right foot into the ground, he spun his body rapidly.
Following his movement, the water dragon was pulled along, coiling around him in a spiral.
Then, utilizing the centrifugal force and the momentum of the jutsu itself, Hagoromo hurled the Water Dragon Bullet directly at Roshi!
Like throwing a hammer, like firing a lightning bolt!
And then... a direct hit!
A hybrid of high-level Water and Lightning Style. This wasn't a Water Dragon Bullet; it was a Lightning-Infused Water Dragon!
One couldn't say the combination was 1+1 > 2; in fact, the power of the Chidori was certainly weakened by the medium. However, the speed, impact, and sheer presence of the Water Dragon Bullet were on a completely different level.
A wet, sizzling sound echoed continuously. Centered on Roshi's body, steam erupted instantly, thick enough to defy the wind and snow!
This pillar of water was continuous. Roshi looked like a glowing ember that had been dunked into a bucket of water.
Killing a Jinchuriki in one move? He wished.
That scorching aura was still there; in the heart of the thick mist, a bright, fiery color continued to flicker.
Hagoromo didn't rush in blindly. He waited for the mist to clear... and then he saw that things were, as expected, not so simple.
A wall that looked like molten lava stood before Roshi.
It was his jutsu: Lava Style: Granite.
The Water Style had caused its glowing color to dim, and lightning still flickered across its surface.
That was Hagoromo's Lightning Style, but it clearly hadn't had much effect; it hadn't even achieved to break that shield.
Usually, if you throw a coal into water, it goes out. But Roshi had steamed the Water Dragon Bullet dry.
"This... is a bit weird, isn't it? Water beats Fire, Earth beats Water. Even if Lava is a mix of Earth and Fire, Water should technically have a suppressive effect on Lava, right?"
Hagoromo was surprised, but not as much as his tone suggested.
"I didn't know you could use Water Style.
"But if you want to defeat me, it will take more than a Water Style of this scale."
The barrier turned back into lava and fell to the ground. Roshi's figure was revealed once more, completely unharmed.
For a Water Style ninja with strong chakra control, the scale of the jutsu often varies with the amount of chakra used.
Even for the same jutsu, the more chakra spent, the more powerful it becomes.
For example, the Water Dragon Bullet Hagoromo just used could be doubled in power if he pumped in more chakra.
However, considering he needed to save energy for a long-term operation and the potential for lightning augmentation, he had intentionally limited the scale. He hadn't expected it to do zero damage.
Against a Jinchuriki, one really can't hold back.
"That defensive move earlier... was likely Magnet Style? It seems the intel that you are a Magnet Style Bloodline Limit user is true... As we judged, the White Yaksha is a ninja with great growth potential and threat level. You must be killed early—before your strength increases further."
Those words... made Hagoromo a bit depressed. Look at Minato's reputation among the Stone: if you encounter him, you can retreat and consider the mission a failure without punishment.
How come when it came to him, it was kill on sight?
Jinchuriki were men of their word. If he said he was going to kill him, he really meant it.
Stepping onto the scorching lava, Roshi acted as if it were nothing. He rushed toward Hagoromo, his seals already finished.
Lava Style: Scorching Stream Rock Jutsu!
Merging his hands before his chest, Roshi inhaled deeply and then spat violently toward Hagoromo!
Ninjas are a bullshit species. They can physically spit out all sorts of things, justified simply by the logic of chakra.
Lava fireballs, acting like a spread of buckshot, swarmed toward Hagoromo!
Since becoming a Water Style user, Hagoromo was also an expert at vomiting!
It was just a contest of who could spit better.
Concentric rings of water waves rose layer by layer to protect Hagoromo. A water wall with both toughness and strength blocked every single one of Roshi's scorching rocks.
Water Style: Water Encampment Wall!
Among the defensive jutsus Hagoromo mastered, this was second only to the Rashomon.
However, before the wall could dissipate, and while he was still hidden behind it, he could keep spitting!
Dragon - Goat - Rat - Ox - Monkey - Bird - Water - Rat - Tiger - Snake!
Water Style: Water Severing Wave!
The signature move of the Second Hokage, the God of Water. An S-rank jutsu, the pinnacle of offensive Water Style!
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