Breaking the Situation

Water Style: Super Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave.

Releasing a massive volume of water, it envelops the enemy in a colossal sphere of water that follows their every movement, regardless of the direction they flee.

It is the natural nemesis of an enemy like Lin Qing, who excels in close-quarters combat.

This is a tactic Biwa Juzo learned while drinking with a kid named Kisame Hoshigaki.

Of course, such a large-scale ninjutsu consumes an immense amount of chakra; for Biwa Juzo, maintaining it for ten minutes is his absolute limit.

Trying to suffocate a Lin Qing who has mastered Breathing Techniques within ten minutes is nothing short of a fantasy.

But there is still Raiga Kurosuki.

Bolts of lightning flicker and strike into the giant water sphere.

Trapped in the center, Lin Qing feels a searing, burning sensation across his skin.

If not for a layer of Ripple energy coating his skin, insulating his internal organs from the electricity, he would likely have already suffered cardiac spasms and total body paralysis.

What should I do?

Lin Qing clenches his fists, the final breath he inhaled before entering the water held tight in his chest as he adjusts the frequency of his Ripple.

A cyan-green Ripple capable of manipulating water flows is released from his hands.

The steady current begins to churn with abnormal turbulence.

"Damn it! What kind of ability is this?!"

Outside, Biwa Juzo, who is manipulating the water sphere, coughs up blood and roars at Raiga Kurosuki: "Stop holding back! Kill him quickly! He's fighting me for control over the Water Style!"

Fighting for... control?

Raiga Kurosuki doesn't immediately understand what his old teammate is talking about, but he catches the first half of the sentence. He raises his twin blades high once more, his entire body's chakra shifting to the lightning attribute.

"Lightning Blade Technique: Falling Thunder!"

Lightning strikes the water sphere incessantly. From a distance, the sphere glows brilliantly, looking like a crystal-clear gemstone.

Standing on the perimeter, County Magistrate Senmura stares blankly at the massive sphere and the constant barrage of lightning, muttering to himself:

"This is the power of a ninja... it's too powerful!"

Compared to these two, the Dire Wolf Squad were nothing but pathetic weaklings.

County Magistrate Senmura, who had originally felt regret over the death of the Dire Wolf, finds his thoughts clearing and his heart racing at the prospect of potentially recruiting Biwa Juzo into his service in the near future.

Actually, it isn't just a feeling.

Because the electric current is constantly bombarding the water sphere, it is electrolyzing the water into hydrogen and oxygen. The entire county is now breathing in this oxygen, naturally making their breathing smooth and their minds refreshed.

In stark contrast to the outside, a sense of suffocation is slowly closing in on Lin Qing.

He retracts his projected Ripple, covering his entire body with it to resist the electricity being conducted through the water.

This is the greatest predicament Lin Qing has faced since arriving in the Naruto world.

It is not like the arrogance and information gap he faced with Itachi Uchiha.

It is not like the holding back he experienced with Kakashi.

And it is certainly not like the battle with Suikazan Fuguki, which was a one-on-one duel where Lin Qing could seize the initiative and use the absolute melee dominance of Star Platinum to pummel his opponent to death.

His current opponents are ninjas who coordinate perfectly, support one another, are proficient in various combat techniques, and possess a deep understanding of Lin Qing's intelligence.

This is a battle where no luck exists; it is a head-on collision between both sides.

The more "impossible" the problem, the more I must remain calm.

Lin Qing does not let the sensation of suffocation strip away his reason or cause him to thrash about blindly. Once the oxygen is fully depleted and the Ripple fades, he will truly fall into the death they have planned for him.

In battle, plans never keep pace with change.

This applies to Lin Qing, and it applies just as much to his opponents.

Lin Qing closes his eyes. In the darkness, his thoughts gradually sharpen:

Sort through the clues I have.

Ripple?

No. This water is saturated with Biwa Juzo's chakra. I cannot breathe, and the meager amount of Ripple I have left isn't enough to seize control of the water and escape.

Star Platinum?

No. It cannot throw me out; the water acts as resistance and adjusts rapidly.

Aero Smith, Hermit Purple, Blade of Ruin... none of them possess the ability to help Lin Qing escape this predicament.

Under the gnawing of the electric current, his Ripple is whittling away, and the oxygen in his chest is growing thin.

If he cannot think of a way out.

Lin Qing will truly die.

He opens the system interface.

Slayed Elite Jonin: Dire Wolf, obtained 240 Soul Fragments.

Current Soul Shards: 820.

"Shall you draw?"

Eighty-two draws; perhaps he could pull a five-star Stand to help Lin Qing break this deadlock.

Just as his finger was about to tap the draw button, Lin Qing slowly withdrew his hand.

He could not draw.

At least... not right now.

The gacha was Lin Qing's final hope.

If he failed to pull a Stand, or if the Stand that appeared lacked the ability to escape the water sphere...

Lin Qing was human, not a machine; having his hope shattered in a desperate situation would deal a severe blow to his mental state.

He pondered for a full five seconds.

"There is no other way, or rather, there are no 'shortcuts.' To walk out of this predicament, I must use the most blunt method and take the longest path."

He snapped his eyes open.

"Star Platinum!"

Star Platinum manifested behind him once more.

Seeing him open his eyes, Biwa Juzo and Raiga Kurosuki instinctively tightened their grips on their blades.

They did not know what other tricks Lin Qing might have; logically, they had already forced him into a dead end, yet Lin Qing's calm gaze still made them feel uneasy.

Lin Qing handed the Blade of Ruin to Star Platinum.

Star Platinum gripped the blade with both hands, raised it high above its head, and then...

It spun!

The Blade of Ruin was nearly two meters long and half a meter wide, with a straight edge that looked like a giant tombstone from afar. As it spun at high speed in Star Platinum's hands, it immediately churned the water into a frenzy.

"What is the use of this? You want to pretend to be a ship's propeller and carry yourself out of the water sphere? Daydreaming!"

Biwa Juzo shouted.

But his eyes flickered.

This remark was less for Lin Qing and more to reassure himself. Just as Biwa Juzo was about to say something more, he suddenly saw—

Lin Qing extended a finger, pointing it from afar at Biwa Juzo.

His mouth opened and closed. Through the water, no sound could be transmitted, but for a ninja, reading lips was a basic discipline. Every ninja present saw clearly that Lin Qing was saying:

"Don't be impatient, just watch closely."

A surge of rage ignited, and Biwa Juzo roared, "Raiga!"

"I know!"

Raiga Kurosuki unleashed lightning without regard for the cost. The summoned electricity far exceeded his control, and bolts of lightning struck his own body from time to time.

He gritted his teeth, not uttering a sound.

At this moment, the two Seven Ninja Swordsmen forgot the Mizukage's orders, forgot their interests, and even forgot themselves; only one thought remained.

"Kill Lin Qing!"

"Kill him!"

"Kill!"

Under Star Platinum's wielding, a vortex appeared within the water sphere. Lin Qing stood at the center of the vortex, and the water flow above his head was rapidly thinning.

He had never intended to escape.

Since the enemy had used this technique, they must have calculated the speed of both Lin Qing and Star Platinum.

To flee was to seek his own death.

The true path to survival lay at the very heart of the water sphere.

"Ahhh!!!"

Biwa Juzo pushed his ninjutsu to the limit, trying to forcibly pull the churning water sphere back together. His veins bulged, and blood began to seep from his vessels.

The vortex met invisible resistance and slowed down.

Lin Qing's path to survival was blocked.

The sensation of suffocation engulfed Lin Qing. His vision went black, his consciousness drifted, and because the Stand user's own mental focus was wavering, the figure of Star Platinum began to blur.

"It worked!"

Biwa Juzo clenched his fists, his expression one of wild joy.

Just then, despite being oxygen-deprived to the limit, Lin Qing's chest began to heave slightly.

A faint wisp of golden lightning appeared.

Sunlight Yellow Ripple!

Isolated from the outside world by water and lightning, Lin Qing felt the Ripple ripple into the deepest recesses of his body amidst the endless suffocation, where a wisp of "qi" sprouted from the void.

It was not the qi obtained from the outside world through "breathing."

It was the qi born from within his meridians, radiating outward.

Or rather...

"Origin Qi"!

This was the moment Lin Qing had been waiting for.

Previously, while training in the lake on the outskirts of Snowfall Village, he had always lacked that final spark of opportunity.

Now, he had found it.

Lin Qing slowly released his finger from the "Draw Card" interface.

It seemed it would not be needed after all.

Surrounded by the power of the Sunlight Yellow Ripple, Lin Qing did not summon Star Platinum again; instead, he gripped the Blade of Ruin with one hand and swung it with force.

Biwa Juzo spat out blood and collapsed to his knees.

He had lost control over the water flow.

The sky-filling water spread outward in the form of a vortex, submerging the legs of both Biwa Juzo and Raiga Kurosuki.

"Run!"

Raiga Kurosuki warned.

Biwa Juzo nodded heavily and retreated.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

Two water dragons appeared out of thin air, blocking the path of their escape.

Under normal circumstances, they could have easily shredded water dragons of this caliber with a single strike of their blades.

But now, Biwa Juzo was severely wounded and Raiga Kurosuki was exhausted; for a moment, they were actually entangled by the water dragons.

"Who is it!"

Biwa Juzo turned his head and caught sight of a stunningly beautiful woman's face.

"Mei Terumi! You dare to betray the village?!"

Mei Terumi shook her head slightly.

"The ones who betrayed the village are you."

Biwa Juzo had no time to curse, as the swirling water surged toward them.

Damn it!

The two were swept into the vortex, like two uncontrollable small boats, circling closer and closer to Lin Qing at the center.

For the first time, Lin Qing gripped his blade with both hands, injecting the Sunlight Yellow Ripple into the edge.

Hum—

The blade rang out, vibrating intensely as the back of the Blade of Ruin erupted with an incomparably surging golden radiance.

Biwa Juzo and Raiga Kurosuki exchanged a glance.

Escape was no longer an option.

The only way out now was to use the momentum of the vortex to kill Lin Qing together.

Each gripping their own ninja blade, the two leaped high out of the water, pouncing on Lin Qing from the left and right.

A flash of golden blade light streaked across.

The vortex dissipated, turning into a downpour of rain.

Falling along with it were two corpses and two broken ninja blades.

Lin Qing stood at the center of the downpour.

Unscathed.

"Killed Biwa Juzo, obtained Soul Shards: 480."

"Killed Raiga Kurosuki, obtained Soul Shards: 460."