Fire Baby's abilities

Ling Tian looked utterly sincere.

To be honest, he desperately needed Dai's support right now, but he also knew the man was more than he appeared to be.

Dai had come, but would he still support them once he learned they were planning a coup?

Perhaps simply not reporting them would already be more kindness than they could ask of him.

The Might father and son were certainly comical, whether in their clothing, their words and actions, or their training, but they were anything but stupid.

So he first had to make Dai understand that their side was in the right.

If they did not rise against the Hokage's faction now, disaster would befall the village.

Setting things right was the responsibility of every capable Shinobi in the village.

Most importantly, they had to flex their muscles and show him that, with planning and the ability to follow through, success was inevitable.

That was why Ling Tian proposed a fight.

Dai, however, said solemnly, "I've trained for over twenty years, and in all that time, I've practiced only one technique."

"I want to see how strong a legendary Taijutsu Shinobi really is, and help you gain more confidence in us."

Ling Tian spoke candidly. If he had not been harboring so many schemes, he might actually have been a gentleman!

Dai nodded at his words.

White Fang's younger brother, the village's great benefactor, seemed rather different from the man he had always imagined!

"Dai, after you!"

With that, chakra flowed through Ling Tian's body, and he took the lead, racing into the distance.

He had not used chakra since finishing his tree-climbing and Water Walking practice long ago.

Even now, though, he did not feel particularly rusty.

Seeing this, Dai quickly followed.

The Hatake Clan's grounds were on the outskirts of the Leaf Village, where hardly any Shinobi lived. In other words, aside from Shinobi clans, powerful individual Shinobi generally did not settle here.

There were no other ninja clans near the Hatake Clan either; they were all quite far away. Thus, the two had no need to hide and simply leaped onward.

The two sped through the dense forest.

The unit used to measure Ling Tian's 0.8 Kakashi's worth of chakra was his famous nephew Kakashi, who could hold his own even against a Kage.

So at full speed, he was only a hair slower than Kakashi would be in later years.

Yet Dai, despite his meager chakra, kept up with him through physical strength alone.

Along the way, Dai grew a little puzzled. Why did they have to run so far? Was all this really necessary for a spar?

But since Ling Tian said nothing, he did not ask.

The two continued traveling like that.

A while later.

"Let's do it here."

Only after they had left the Leaf Village's territory far behind did Ling Tian stop and speak.

They were still within the Land of Fire, but this place was deserted. With no war underway, Shinobi generally would not come here.

Most importantly, it was far enough from the village.

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi himself would take quite some time to get here.

"You can test me, but you won't be able to withstand the technique I've spent over twenty years practicing without fail," Dai said gravely.

There was something else he left unsaid: even he could not withstand that technique himself.

"There's no need to open the Seventh Gate or the eighth. With your physical strength, opening six gates shouldn't cause you any harm."

"You know about the Eight Gates?"

Dai asked, his brows knitting.

Those words sent a storm surging through his heart, making him forget that he had been about to say Ling Tian could not withstand even six gates.

The Second had developed this technique, but it had only been a concept.

Before Dai, no one had ever successfully opened the Seventh Gate.

He had never told anyone about it. Even Might Guy did not know!

How on earth had Ling Tian found out?

"There are people in the village who know about this technique. My older brother knew and told me. Isn't that perfectly normal?"

Weren't the Eight Inner Gates a technique any random Jonin at the Chunin Ninja Exams knew about?

Wasn't it perfectly normal for someone of White Fang's standing to know?

What was there to be so shocked about?

Ling Tian had no idea what Dai was thinking. As he spoke, he waved a hand and smiled lightly. "Then let's begin!"

With that, he opened his personal stats and switched to the Diamond Calabash Brothers Template.

In an instant, fire-nature chakra and waves of heat surged from the dense forest into his body.

Ling Tian felt no discomfort at all. In fact, it felt so good that he let out a moan.

"So strong." Dai's mouth fell slightly open in astonishment.

In his eyes, the man before him had changed.

If Ling Tian had been a gentle gentleman who warmed people's hearts a moment ago, now he was a powder keg on the verge of exploding.

This fellow really had hidden himself well!

"The Hatake benefactor is only fifteen, yet he's already this strong. I can't let myself fall behind you!"

Dai murmured, then raised both hands and shouted, "Gate of Opening, Gate of Healing, Gate of Life, Gate of Pain, Gate of Limit, Gate of View-open!"

As Dai's hair stood on end and chakra surged all around him, his entire body radiating danger, Ling Tian's eyes narrowed. "Don't hold back. If you lose, don't blame me."

With that, he pushed hard off the ground and immediately put distance between them.

Fighting someone using the Eight Inner Gates at close range was a very foolish thing to do.

Dai charged straight after him, calling as he ran, "If that's all the strength you have, you'll be recovering for a long time after today."

Watching Dai streak toward him like a meteor, Ling Tian formed no seals. He simply opened his mouth and spat out a terrifying sea of fire that swept toward Dai.

Fire Baby's Fire Spirit Body naturally attracted all energy related to flames.

He could breathe fire simply by opening his mouth.

This was true mastery of fire: fierce flames of pure yang!

At that moment, seeing the outrageous Fire Style attack, Dai marveled inwardly, He forms Hand Seals so fast.

He immediately veered away.

Ling Tian did not let his guard down. He kept his eyes fixed firmly on Dai, and when Dai ran to the right, his wide-open mouth followed.

Wherever you go, that's where I'll breathe fire.

There's no way I'm letting you get close unless you charge through Fire Baby's flames, which are far stronger than ordinary Fire Style.

But then, unless you open the remaining two gates, I'll take you down.

By the time Dai had run a full circle, Ling Tian's flames had traced a circle as well.

Unlike other Fire Style flames, which dissipated without a continued supply of chakra, this ring of fire still burned fiercely, even on bare ground.

Heat steamed off Dai's body. Looking at the wall of fire blocking his way and his benefactor within it, he frowned. "Are you trying to use this to wear down my Eight Gates? It seems you know this technique very well."

"Hahaha!"

Ling Tian laughed. "You've misunderstood. I'm not trying to run out your time with this. I'm just buying time."

As he spoke, he pressed his hands together and shouted with theatrical fervor, "Divine art: Fire Dragon Descends!"

Well, he actually did not have to do anything. A single thought was enough. But this looked cool, didn't it?

Being cool was simple, but it was a lifelong pursuit!

And as his voice rang out, Dai saw the towering, circular wall of fire change.

It seemed to have come alive.

Sure enough, in mere moments, the wall of fire transformed into an immense fire dragon. Its body still protected Ling Tian, while its head let out a draconic roar and lunged straight at Dai.