May Rain

Soji had never intended to take on the Meat Tank head-on, but thanks to what he had seen in his previous life, he wasn't surprised that someone could withstand this kind of Nintaijutsu directly.

In the ninja world, where techniques came in every imaginable form, "unstoppable" was basically a jinx. You never knew which heavenly powerhouse you might run into and get humbled by on the spot!

The problem facing Soji now was...

What kind of cheat was this Sand Ninja using?

As a native-born ninja of the Land of Fire, Soji had some idea of the many secret techniques passed down in Konoha.

But when he suddenly ran into a powerful Sand Ninja, it was hard to make full use of his foreknowledge and accurately judge the enemy's methods.

...Whether it was Sand Armor, Puppet Technique, or some other bizarre secret technique, the boy's knowledge of these methods amounted to little more than "knowing they existed."

The barrier between the two-dimensional and three-dimensional worlds limited Soji's understanding. And the restrictions imposed by his identity after transmigrating meant he had no chance to verify his suspicions firsthand.

So even as Todo was about to collide head-on with Muscle Man, Yamada-kun didn't use any technique to support the attack.

...As the saying went, sharpening your axe wouldn't delay the work of chopping wood.

The boy, who devoted most of his attention to gathering intelligence, readied Accio to pull someone out of danger while focusing on every movement the enemy made from head to toe!

—Muscle Man didn't seem to have any intention of forming Hand Seals, nor did he waste time pulling the ninja tool stuck in his opponent's body free.

As the incoming ball of flesh bore down on him, he stepped sideways, bent his knees, and lowered into a forward-leaning stance. At the same time, he clasped his fingers into tiger claws, then met the Akimichi Clan's secret technique head-on with nothing but his physical strength!

Because of the Multi-Size Jutsu, the clash looked a bit like a mayfly trying to shake a tree, or a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

But with a resounding crash, what happened went completely against common sense!

...Todo rolled forward like a surging tide crashing against a cliff. The entire ball ground against the sand and stones in place, letting out a teeth-grinding screech as it tried to brake!

Muscle Man sank about twenty centimeters into the riverbank, but his feet remained rooted to the spot. He didn't move a single step—in fact, he had really countered the Akimichi secret technique with nothing but physical strength, without relying on any tricks!

The boy's eye twitched at the incredibly shocking sight...

Fortunately, even in his shock, Soji didn't forget to keep gathering intelligence.

Without the aid of a dōjutsu, Yamada-kun couldn't distinguish the changes in the Muscle Man's chakra, but the bulging muscles in his upper arms, forearms, and chest were impossible to miss.

Especially at the instant they made contact!

Having studied anatomy at Konoha Hospital, Soji could just barely make out the diagonal striations of the flexor carpi radialis before the dust rose...

The medical knowledge he had accumulated over the years told him that this degree of muscle definition couldn't be achieved through normal exercise.

You could even say that a human body remaining in this condition for a long time would itself be a sign of illness!

Putting all of this information together, Soji had already formed a preliminary judgment about the Sand Ninja's methods:

First, the enemy's technique was different from every secret technique Soji knew, including Sand Armor and Puppet Technique.

It couldn't even be compared to a Nintaijutsu like the Eight Inner Gates.

Rather than force it into the category of ninjutsu, Soji thought it might be more like the Cursed Seal Orochimaru would later develop based on Jugo's unique constitution...

After all, both techniques used some method to remodel bodily tissue, thereby allowing the body to exceed the limits imposed by its structure and function!

Second, Muscle Man's secret technique most likely let him replenish his strength by taking the chakra of his combat targets!

Otherwise, Soji couldn't understand why he had wasted time fighting a weakened Konoha ninja before Todo attacked, only to kill his original opponent without hesitation when he needed to turn and face the Meat Tank!

And after reaching these two conclusions, Soji had even less desire to engage the enemy up close...

Playing to your strengths and avoiding your weaknesses had always been the surest way to defeat an enemy.

With Taijutsu so poor he'd struggle to use it even to travel, there was no way the boy could come out ahead if he rashly got in the face of an enemy who had mastered both the "Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art" and the "Star-Sucking Great Art"...

In fact, if Todo hadn't chosen to engage the enemy so recklessly, Soji would probably have already turned and run, cutting off Muscle Man's means of sustaining his secret technique at the source!

Unfortunately, reality didn't leave room for what-ifs...

Only bitter consequences and worse ones!

With the little fatty having handed Muscle Man a "blood bag," Soji probably wouldn't be able to escape even if he tried now.

After all, considering the difference in their agility, Yamada-kun thought his odds of making it out alive were basically zero...

So that left only one choice: defeat the enemy head-on!

"Man... I really am unlucky."

Soji sighed inwardly... and quickly steeled himself as he formed the "Ram" hand seal once more.

In the blink of an eye, Accio worked as reliably as ever, lifting the exhausted Akimichi Todo diagonally upward!

The rapidly spinning ball of flesh no longer stubbornly tried to crush the enemy head-on. Instead, it bounced into the air, briefly escaping those iron-hard hands.

But the Konoha ninja who had fought Muscle Man earlier was already dead. And with the Sand Ninja needing to sustain his secret technique, how could he possibly let them go?

"Hmph. Trying to run?"

Though his tiger-claw hands had missed their target for the moment, he quickly swung his arms sideways, chasing after the little fatty as he tried to get away!

Todo hadn't gained the upper hand even with a full-force charge. Without the momentum of that charge, how could he possibly match Muscle Man?

What's more, the Meat Tank's unique form meant that its user's awareness of their surroundings was bound to diminish while spinning.

Faced with Muscle Man's lightning-fast pursuit, Todo had no room to react. The enemy caught him in midair and squeezed him right in the palm of his hand!

...With his mobility impaired, the huge body granted by the Multi-Size Jutsu had become a burden instead.

Muscle Man bent his left arm and forced the little fatty toward the ground. At the same time, he raised his right hand high, about to unleash a flurry of blows right in his face.

Fortunately, Soji had finally finished preparing his technique!

Taking advantage of the opening in the enemy's back as he turned to attack Todo, the boy stretched out his right hand and fired the Glass Fiber he had prepared in his sleeve!

Boosted by the "Torrential Rain" technique, the "projectiles," far thinner than strands of hair, shot forward in a rushing torrent. In an instant, they all pierced Muscle Man's waist!

Under normal circumstances, Soji would only need to guide these little things through the enemy's body or burrow them inside to finish the fight.

But today's situation was different...

Muscle Man's absurdly developed muscles granted him a tremendous boost to both offense and defense. No matter how hard Soji tried, Accio simply wasn't strong enough to pierce the enemy's rock-hard skin!

Yet even as his killing blow failed, Yamada-kun remained calm.

At this critical moment, he changed the "Ram" hand seal to "Rooster," and the technique's effect shifted with it.

"Rain Woman's Heart: May Rain."