Might Duy vs. Uesugi Shinji

With a roar from Might Duy, a grey-white chakra surged into the sky, the intense air pressure causing the ground beneath his feet to collapse inward.

This grey-white chakra condensed at his fist into the shape of a massive tiger's head, its overwhelming pressure causing Kisame, who stood directly in its path, to turn deathly pale.

Not far away, Uesugi Shinji's heart sank to the bottom of his chest; if Kisame took this powerful attack head-on, he might very well lose his life right here.

ROAR!!!

The white tiger formed of chakra let out a roar that echoed across the battlefield before lunging straight at Kisame. This white tiger was, in reality, an air pressure cannon composed of high-density chakra; the ice crystal shield Kisame had raised crumbled at the slightest touch, shattered and decomposed into steam by the blast.

Accompanied by a dull, thunderous thud, Kisame's tall frame was sent flying dozens of meters away, carving a trench over ten meters long into the ground where he landed.

Lying on the ground, Kisame spat out a mouthful of blood. His chest had caved in, and both arms, which he had used to block the attack, were broken.

"Cough, cough... this really might be the end of me!"

Kisame tried to move his body, only to find that most of his bones were shattered. He was only clinging to life now thanks to the astonishing reserves of chakra within him.

Seeing this, Shiranui Genma and Ebisu stood dumbfounded, staring in disbelief at the incredibly valiant Might Duy.

"Is that really Uncle Duy?" Shiranui Genma's mouth hung wide open, and the senbon he always kept between his lips clattered to the ground.

Ebisu shook his head blankly: "I don't know."

After two seconds of silence, Shiranui Genma asked again: "So, do we still need to run?"

"I don't know." Ebisu's tone remained vacant.

On the other side, Uesugi Shinji quickly rushed to Kisame's side, pressing a hand directly against his chest while channeling a stream of chakra into his body.

"Eighty percent of the bones in his body are fractured, fifty percent of the muscle tissue is damaged, and there is severe trauma to the blood vessels and internal organs."

As the chakra controlled by Uesugi Shinji entered Kisame, he was able to perform a comprehensive scan of Kisame's body through the circulation of chakra combined with his Light Brain.

At the same time, he used Inner Ice Release chakra to seal key wounds within Kisame, preventing continuous internal bleeding and doing his best to stabilize his condition.

"Don't you dare die."

Uesugi Shinji looked at Might Duy, who had locked onto him with his killing intent, and spoke coldly to the man lying on the ground.

Kisame chuckled at this: "Cough, cough... that's a line I should be saying to you!"

Just then, Might Duy moved again. With a powerful stomp, a large crater appeared in the ground, and Might Duy instantly closed the distance to Uesugi Shinji.

Although Might Duy had yet to throw a punch, the chakra erupting from his body acted like a violent gale, whipping Uesugi Shinji's hair back behind him.

Uesugi Shinji brought his hands together, his jet-black hair turning snow-white in an instant, a diamond-shaped ice crystal pattern appearing on his forehead, and his black pupils shifting to a translucent hue.

This state was Uesugi Shinji's "Inner Ice Release" state, infused with natural energy—what is known as Sage Mode.

In this state, not only was the power of Uesugi Shinji's ninjutsu greatly enhanced, but his taijutsu capabilities also saw a massive boost. He had previously struggled to keep up with Might Duy's speed, but in this form, he could handle it with ease.

Might Duy did not pause in the slightest due to Uesugi Shinji's transformation; he let out a roar and smashed his fist forward, the wind pressure already stinging Uesugi Shinji's cheeks.

Uesugi Shinji's expression remained unchanged. He clapped his hands together, and a smooth, mirror-like diamond ice crystal appeared before him, barely blocking Might Duy's fist.

A sound like shattering glass rang out as the diamond mirror cracked under the impact of Might Duy's fist, the fissures spreading rapidly until the entire surface exploded into fragments.

Though the diamond ice mirror failed to fully defend against the attack, it had successfully bought Uesugi Shinji a breath of time, and he immediately lunged toward the direction of Ebisu and Shiranui Genma.

Uesugi Shinji did not intend to kill the two of them; rather, he was using the tactic of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" to divert Might Duy's attention and prevent him from delivering a finishing blow to the incapacitated Kisame.

Sure enough, seeing this, Might Duy could not afford to finish off Kisame, who lay nearby, and immediately turned to pursue Uesugi Shinji.

Seeing that he had successfully lured Might Duy away, Uesugi Shinji did not continue toward the two Konoha newcomers. Instead, he turned to face Might Duy and quickly pulled a scroll from his robes, tossing it into the air.

With his right hand forming a seal before his chest, Uesugi Shinji shouted: "Open!"

The scroll in the air unfurled, revealing a circular sealing formula in the center with the character for "Water" inscribed within it.

The sealing formula on the scroll glowed with blue light, and a thick pillar of water erupted from the center, shooting toward Might Duy like a high-pressure water cannon of massive caliber.

Uesugi Shinji was well aware of his weakness in chakra reserves, so he always kept scrolls sealed with Water Release ninjutsu on his person. These scrolls provided the foundation for his Ice Release, saving him a significant amount of chakra.

Facing the incoming water pillar, Might Duy remained unfazed. This torrent was enough to crush an ordinary person to pieces, but to him, it was nothing.

"Aha!"

Might Duy let out a strange cry, his speed not slowing in the slightest as he charged toward Uesugi Shinji. He threw a punch forward, the immense pressure of the strike splitting the incoming water pillar in two.

Watching Might Duy close in, a flash of killing intent crossed Uesugi Shinji's narrowed eyes, and his hands began to weave seals with blinding speed. He completed eight hand seals in the span of a single breath.

"Inner Ice Release: Instantaneous Cold Extremity!"

A ring of pale, luminous light spread out from his feet in all directions, vanishing in the blink of an eye. If one were not paying close attention, they would have missed the halo entirely, dismissing it as a trick of the light.

Yet, the moment the halo passed, the thick water pillar that had been surging toward Might Duy froze into a crystal-clear pillar of ice, shimmering with a crystalline luster under the sunlight.

As for the unstoppable Might Duy, he had been sealed firmly within that pillar of ice. He remained in the posture of throwing a punch, but it seemed he could no longer break free from the shackles of the ice!