Sparring (Part 1)

Yagura, who knew little about Shikotsumyaku, was immediately caught off guard and took a heavy kick to the abdomen from Seiji.

Yagura was sent flying by Seiji's kick, shooting backward like an arrow loosed from a bow for a full twenty to thirty meters.

He crashed heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust where he landed.

Watching Yagura get kicked away, Chino let out a rather unsympathetic laugh.

"Cough, cough, cough! Sister Chino, come help me!" Yagura's coughing voice came from within the dust cloud.

"Water Release: Water Transformation Healing Technique!" Hearing him, Chino, who had been watching from the sidelines, walked over to Yagura. She used the Water Transformation Technique to turn her arm into a pool of clear water and brought it into contact with the wound that Seiji's Dance of the Larch had just cut across. Under Chino's treatment, Yagura's wound rapidly healed.

"Sister Chino, why didn't you make a move?" Yagura asked resentfully as he climbed to his feet.

"Who knew you'd suddenly rush in to attack? You reckless fool." Chino shot Yagura an annoyed glare.

"Well, that isn't important. Get ready for another round. Brother Seiji isn't easy to deal with," Yagura said somewhat awkwardly, smoothly changing the subject.

"Shikotsumyaku: Ten Finger Drilling Bullets!"

While the two were still talking, Seiji launched the first attack from afar. Bone bullets rained down upon Yagura and Chino.

"Water Release: Water Mirror Technique!"

Yagura stepped forward and pushed out his right hand, gathering a large amount of Chakra into a water mirror. Once it appeared, the mirror rapidly expanded. At the same time, he swung his Coral Staff with his left hand, using the hook at its tip to catch the water mirror and place it on the ground. A figure identical to Seiji leaped out from the mirror, likewise using Ten Finger Drilling Bullets to exchange fire with Seiji.

At the same time, Chino swiftly retreated and began weaving hand seals at high speed.

"Water Release: Water Hail!"

A large number of water bullets emerged from Chino's hands before rapidly shooting toward Seiji.

Seiji had no intention of taking the attack head-on with his body, so he could only dart aside to evade it.

The interruption of the bone bullet assault gave Chino and Yagura the chance to continue casting ninjutsu.

Yagura and Chino exchanged a glance and began weaving hand seals in perfect sync. Once Seiji had dodged aside and steadied himself, their next wave of attacks arrived.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

Two identical, ferocious water dragons rose from the lake behind them, roaring as they charged Seiji simultaneously from both sides.

Caught in a pincer attack, Seiji had nowhere to evade and could only block them head-on.

"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Clematis! Flower!"

Bones rapidly grew from his arm and burst through his flesh, wrapping around his entire forearm to form a massive flower. Seiji shot into the air and met the ferocious water dragon attacking from the right in a direct clash.

The bone flower in Seiji's hand and the water dragon remained locked in midair for a moment. In the end, Seiji's strength proved superior. The water dragon was shattered, turning into sprays of water that rained down from the sky.

With Seiji taking the initiative to attack, the water dragon coming from the left struck nothing but air and crashed into the ground, forming a large pit filled with water.

Seiji landed lightly beside the newly formed pit. But before he could steady himself, a sharp cry suddenly rang out beside him.

"Water Release: Great Water Arm Technique!"

Caught before he could react, Seiji took a heavy blow to the stomach from Chino's fist and was sent flying.

Having landed a hit, Chino pressed her advantage without mercy.

She shaped her hand like a pistol, aimed at Seiji as he flew backward through the air, and fired a bullet-shaped stream of liquid from the tip of her index finger.

"Water Release: Water Gun Technique!"

The highly condensed water bullet shot rapidly toward Seiji.

It turned out that when the Water Dragon Bullet Technique had been released, the Chino left behind had merely been a Water Clone. Her real body had already fully transformed into water and charged toward Seiji alongside the water dragons. Using the intense Chakra fluctuations emitted by the Water Dragon Bullet Technique to deceive Seiji's senses, she hid in the water pit after landing, intending to catch Seiji off guard and attack him from both front and rear with Yagura. But after Seiji shattered Yagura's Water Dragon Bullet Technique, he happened to land right beside her. Chino thus seized the opportunity to strike. Using the Great Water Arm Technique, she concentrated a massive amount of water into her right arm to maximize her strength, then sent Seiji flying with a heavy punch.

Seiji desperately adjusted his posture in midair. Sensing Chino's Water Gun Technique and recalling the power of the technique he had seen before, he had no time to calm the churning blood and energy within him. He swiftly mobilized his Chakra, frantically forming layer upon layer of bone shields across his body.

Boom!

With a tremendous blast, Seiji was struck by the Water Gun Technique. Layer after layer of bone shields were instantly pierced through, and bone fragments flew everywhere. Only when two final layers of bone shields remained was the Chakra condensed within the Water Gun Technique finally exhausted, stopping it.

Seiji crashed heavily to the ground. Blood and energy surged through his body, and he could not help but spit out a mouthful of blood.

Still shaken, Seiji had ultimately relied on Shikotsumyaku's defensive strength to withstand that terrifying blow. Though the attack had not been aimed at a vital point, Seiji had no desire to experience the pain of having his body pierced through in an instant.

"Sister Chino, did you really have to hit that hard? It's only a spar," Seiji said with a helpless smile as he struggled to stand.

"That won't do. You're simply far too strong for us. If we don't go all out, we don't stand a chance at all!" Chino replied with a smile of her own.

"I was careless just now. I didn't dodge. But now, I'm getting serious!" Having learned a lesson from Chino, Seiji's expression turned serious.