The Semi-Finished Water Release Chakra Mode

Hozuki Shingetsu, who was busy preparing for battle on the other side, could never have imagined that this fight would end up winning him a wife.

At this moment, he was engaged in a cordial and friendly round of pre-battle trash talk with Kaguya Hirotoshi across from him.

"You should feel honored to have the qualifications to fight me. When you are old and gray, I grant you permission to proudly tell your children that you did not regret your life for having wasted your years, nor were you ashamed for having accomplished nothing, because you once fought the 'God of Shinobi' of this generation, Hozuki Shingetsu."

The people around them felt their blood boil upon hearing this, itching to rush forward and beat him up—let alone Kaguya Hirotoshi, who was a battle maniac.

"Shikotsumyaku: Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!"

Kaguya Hirotoshi raised both hands, and accompanied by the sound of breaking air, several white phalanges tore through the atmosphere, shooting rapidly toward Hozuki Shingetsu. At the same time, Kaguya Hirotoshi lunged forward, attempting to drag Hozuki Shingetsu into his most proficient range—close-quarters combat—the moment he dodged.

Hozuki Shingetsu watched the incoming phalanges with a faint smile, making no move to dodge, simply waiting for them to reach him.

As the Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets struck, Hozuki Shingetsu's entire body seemed to turn into a pool of water; ripples suddenly spread across the areas where he was hit, and the bullets simply passed through his body, continuing onward.

The Kaguya Clan, being the Hozuki Clan's old rivals, naturally knew how to break the Hydrification Technique. Knowing that simple taijutsu attacks were useless against it, Kaguya Hirotoshi activated his Kekkei Genkai after closing the distance.

"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Camellia!"

Kaguya Hirotoshi drew a bone sword from his left shoulder with his right hand and swung it at Hozuki Shingetsu.

Simple taijutsu could naturally not break the Hydrification Technique, but as a bone extended from his own body using Shikotsumyaku, this bone sword was not only incredibly hard but also an excellent medium for channeling his own chakra, specifically designed to break through the Hydrification Technique.

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

Hozuki Shingetsu naturally dared not take this move head-on, but he wanted to test the power of a new ninjutsu he had conceived. Taking advantage of the massive spray of water created by the collision between the bone sword and his ninjutsu, he quietly activated a technique.

Soon, his face began to flush, all his exposed skin turned red, and steam even began to rise from the top of his head.

Under the enhancement of this technique, he felt his strength was boundless, and his physical capabilities underwent a qualitative leap.

He immediately surged forward, attempting to engage Kaguya Hirotoshi in a brawl.

"Are you looking for death?"

This fighting style played right into Kaguya Hirotoshi's hands, but before he could even feel happy, he sensed something was wrong the moment their fists and feet collided.

"This kind of power... could he be a taijutsu specialist?"

In this state, Hozuki Shingetsu's taijutsu attacks had reached a level that even he could not ignore. Kaguya Hirotoshi immediately cast aside his arrogance and began to face his opponent seriously, move by move.

For a time, only the two of them remained in close-quarters combat, the sound of their bodies colliding echoing continuously.

"This ninjutsu seems to be an imitation of the Yotsuki Clan's Lightning Release Chakra Mode?"

Many of the jonin watching from the sidelines had dealt with Kumogakure before, and after a brief observation, they recognized the origin of Hozuki Shingetsu's technique.

"However, it is clearly a semi-finished product. Although it looks powerful, the damage to the body is significant, and the duration must be very short; it is far from being comparable to the Lightning Release Chakra Mode."

"Even so, to be able to create such a ninjutsu at only twelve years old, this Hozuki Shingetsu is worthy of the title of genius in Kirigakure. Given time, it is not impossible for him to truly create a complete version of a Water Release Chakra Mode."

Like the jonin around him, the sharp-eyed Hozuki Zangetsu naturally saw the flaws in this move, but he was not worried; he believed his son had more than just this one trump card.

This Water Release Chakra Mode I envisioned is still quite far from its complete state! I haven't even kept it up for a few minutes, and I can already feel my body struggling to hold on.

Hozuki Shingetsu secretly gauged his physical state, feeling that he could maintain it for at most one more minute; any longer would cause irreparable damage to his body.

Indeed, what Hozuki Shingetsu was currently using was a Water Release Chakra Mode he had conceived, modeled after Kumogakure's Lightning Release Chakra Mode.

As a transmigrator, Hozuki Shingetsu naturally knew the principle of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode: it used tiny electrical currents to constantly stimulate the body's cells, significantly increasing cell activation while using electrons to accelerate the transmission speed of nerve signals within the body.

Hozuki Shingetsu himself possessed Wind, Water, and Lightning chakra natures, but he did not easily attempt the Lightning Release Chakra Mode just because he knew the principle.

Firstly, nerve signals were far too sensitive; if he failed to control the intensity while converting Lightning Release chakra, he could easily turn his own brain into mush. Secondly, as the secret technique of the Yotsuki Clan, it had undergone a long process of development from nothing, so Hozuki Shingetsu did not believe he could easily replicate it.

However, borrowing the principle to create a knock-off version of a Water Release Chakra Mode was something he could try.

The core of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode was to give the body faster reaction speeds, stronger physical capabilities, and more explosive power. Following the principle of "drawing the target before shooting the arrow," Hozuki Shingetsu built a Water Release Chakra Mode that achieved the same effect by accelerating blood circulation and increasing the metabolic rate.

Coincidentally, the Hozuki Clan, who mastered the Hydrification Technique, could exert 100% control over the liquids within their own bodies.

Thus, through trial and error, thanks to this body's decent talent for ninjutsu and a transmigrator's active mind, this Water Release Chakra Mode had finally reached a usable, semi-finished state.

Under the enhancement of this mode, Hozuki Shingetsu was even able to trade blows with Kaguya Hirotoshi in taijutsu... though it was merely trading blows.

Kaguya Hirotoshi, wanting to end this fight as quickly and cleanly as possible, could no longer stand this kind of combat and finally unleashed the second move of his Shikotsumyaku.

"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Larch!"

In an instant, like a forest sprouting from the ground, dense bone spurs erupted from every part of Kaguya Hirotoshi's body. The bones, radiating a ghastly white light under the sun, looked far too hard to be shattered by ordinary attacks.

"The strongest shield of the Shikotsumyaku, then..."

As an old rival, Hozuki Shingetsu was naturally well-versed in all the abilities of the Shikotsumyaku, knowing that this move not only significantly increased his defensive power, but the bone spurs it emitted were the bane of taijutsu specialists.

"Water Release: Water Gun Technique!"

Hozuki Shingetsu extended his palm in the shape of a handgun, the tip of his index finger turning into a droplet of water, which shot out violently toward Kaguya Hirotoshi.

Whoosh!

This strike, accompanied by the sound of breaking air, hit Kaguya Hirotoshi's exoskeleton without causing the slightest bit of damage.

"Water Release: Water Bubble Technique!"

A large, dense mass of foam-like bubbles, refracting the sunlight into colorful glows, flew toward Kaguya Hirotoshi.

As a ninjutsu developed by the Second Mizukage, while they were called bubbles, they actually contained a significant amount of oil, which had a miraculous effect on corroding hard objects.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The moment the water bubbles made contact with Kaguya Hirotoshi, they detonated with a roar, instantly filling the entire arena with smoke.

"Ineffective, then?"

Hozuki Shingetsu narrowed his eyes, watching the figure slowly emerge from the depths of the smoke as he pondered a countermeasure.

"Haha, your attacks can't even break my defense, so how do you expect to beat me?"

Aside from looking a bit disheveled from the explosion and having consumed some chakra, Kaguya Hirotoshi had sustained no real damage as he mocked him right to his face.

He didn't just want to win this fight; he wanted to win it in style!

"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Clematis: Vine!"

With a loud shout from Kaguya Hirotoshi and a rapid surge of chakra, the bones in his right arm began to proliferate wildly. Soon, the bones broke through the surface of his skin, firmly encasing his entire right arm and forming a spiral-shaped spear at his fingertips.

"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Clematis: Flower!"

Kaguya Hirotoshi raised his left arm and slowly pulled his own spine out from the back of his neck, transforming it into a long whip held in his hand.

Thus, Kaguya Hirotoshi now stood in a ferocious state, with bone spurs protruding from all over his body, a whip in one hand and a spear in the other.

If the Dance of the Larch was the strongest shield of the Shikotsumyaku, then the Dance of the Clematis: Vine could undoubtedly be called the strongest spear of the Shikotsumyaku.

On the battlefield, when a member of the Kaguya Clan activated the Dance of the Larch and unleashed the Dance of the Clematis: Vine and the Dance of the Clematis: Flower, it usually meant they were in the heat of battle and had essentially brought out their full strength.

This combat style, combining the Shikotsumyaku with exquisite taijutsu, was often the Kaguya Clan's ultimate trump card for defeating their enemies.

And the facts were exactly as such; with the Dance of the Larch paired with the Dance of the Clematis: Vine, even with his semi-finished Water Release Chakra Mode, Hozuki Shingetsu still appeared precarious under Kaguya Hirotoshi's onslaught, looking as if defeat could happen in an instant.