Under the night sky, a brilliant blue dragon leaped into the heavens, its massive body coiling in mid-air to display terrifying power! This was the freedom born of the heart, the fury born of the soul—a final dance of hatred and liberation.
The gale-force winds swept through the temporary camp of the Konoha elites.
"Whimper!" A large yellow hound shivered, tail tucked between its legs. Agito Inuzuka hurried forward to rub his partner's head, soothing the beast while looking up at the commotion with a frown.
"Why is Old Man Chen teaching that impossible taijutsu again?" Agito complained to the team leader.
Shinnosuke Sarutobi watched the dragon soaring above and sighed. "We haven't left the Land of Fire yet; let him be. He has no family left. His only disciple was recently targeted and brutally murdered on a mission. At his age, he shouldn't even have to take on such a dangerous assignment..."
Shinnosuke's gaze was filled with melancholy. "This time, I fear Chen is heading to the battlefield seeking death. Perhaps he wants to prove something, or perhaps he wants to find a successor for his art before the end."
Silence fell over the group by the fire. Agito sighed, "I get it, but who could actually learn that? Only that foolish disciple of his, who couldn't use ninjutsu or genjutsu and relied solely on taijutsu, would be dumb enough to believe it. All that talk of 'heart-force' and 'centrifugal force'... it sounds like pure mysticism."
On the other side of the clearing, Chen landed slowly, exhaling a long breath. The use of the Leaf Dragon God seemed to stir painful memories; his thin frame looked lonely amidst the wreckage of the forest, which now resembled a parking lot hit by a tornado.
Chen tucked his hands behind his back, trying to muster a bit of spirit. He asked Ren with feigned indifference, "So, kid? Do you understand 'centrifugal force' now?"
"I..."
Chen coughed, fully expecting the "clueless brat" to fail. He'd watched Ren for two days, seeing him stare blankly at that Uchiha sword scroll. In Chen's eyes, Ren was as dull as his late disciple.
"It's fine if you don't," Chen began to comfort him. "After all, my taijutsu isn't for ordinary—"
"Teacher Chen, I get it!" Ren interrupted.
"Eh?" Chen's eyebrows jumped behind his shades. He stared at Ren in shock. "Wait, what did you just say? What do you get?"
"The technique!" Ren nodded excitedly, gesturing with his hands. "The logic of it! Using chakra bursts to rotate the body, creating centrifugal force... you need a body sturdy enough to handle the high pressure and a speed that transcends human limits!"
"It's the same principle as my sword style. The only difference is you use your legs, and I have to spin with my blade!"
The moment Ren had watched the breakdown of the Leaf Dragon God, a system notification flashed in his mind:
[Through observing Chen Baojun's Leaf Dragon God, you have gained insight.]
[You have mastered a High-Level Taijutsu Technique (A-Rank, Entry).]
Chen stood frozen. He understands? Impossible! Even veteran taijutsu users can only mimic the form, reaching the third stage, 'Leaf Gust,' at best. Is this kid bragging?
"Then... show me," Chen said hesitantly.
Ren nodded. This was the final piece of the puzzle for the Uchiha Style: Halo Dance. While the Fire Style: Chakra Mode was the engine (A-Rank), the full Halo Dance was an S-Rank secret sword art. Ren had used his "engine" to create projectile-based sword jutsu before, but he lacked a true close-quarters Nin-Taijutsu sword style.
Under Chen's skeptical gaze, in the quiet of the mountain forest, Ren slowly drew his Kusanagi Sword.
He closed his eyes, visualizing Chen's transition from the Leaf Gust to the Dragon God. He emptied his mind, and the "impossible" movements from the scroll began to link together. With the "centrifugal" bridge, the sword style transformed into an art of soaring through the heavens and the clouds.
Ren snapped his eyes open, his Two-Tomoe Sharingan burning crimson! A flicker of intense flame leaped across his blade!
But in that instant, the night wind turned cold and sorrowful.
Tap... tap...
The sound of steady footsteps echoed through the trees. The clouds parted slightly, revealing a tall man in a black cloak, wearing a Takigakure forehead protector with a horizontal scratch—the mark of a rogue. His green eyes were filled with ancient, chilling killing intent.
Suddenly, three lines of bold red text appeared before Ren's eyes:
[WARNING! The S-Rank rogue of Takigakure, Kakuzu, has arrived to claim your bounty!]
[WARNING! Cloud Elite Jonin, Ramie, who holds deep killing intent toward you, is arriving!]
[WARNING! The Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer Bee, who holds deep hatred toward you, is arriving!]
In the next heartbeat, a blinding, tragic white lightning erupted nearby!
BOOM!
Thunder, lightning, and a sharp cry of terror exploded simultaneously!
"ENEMY ATTACK!!"
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