Although Houtu and Ōnoki's sudden attack had caught Uzumaki Kuming off guard, he hadn't been unprepared. The moment he saw Ōnoki preparing to use Dust Release, his first thought was to dodge.
But just as Kuming was about to move, two enormous stone hands suddenly emerged beside his feet and clamped around his ankles.
"When?!"
Kuming was startled. Lightning surrounded him, and he easily shattered the stone before vanishing from the spot. A moment later, a faint circle of white light enveloped the area where he had been standing.
Dust Release didn't cause a violent explosion. On the contrary, Ōnoki's technique was silent, as though it had no great power at all.
But after escaping, Kuming looked back and saw a deep pit where he had been standing. The strangest thing was that the technique that had blasted out the pit had made no sound at all. It hadn't even kicked up any dust.
"So this is Dust Release?"
"Forget trying to block it head-on—even getting grazed by it would leave you seriously injured. Its power is almost like Space-Time Ninjutsu."
One glance was enough to make Kuming's pupils contract. He had gained some understanding of the power of Ōnoki's Dust Release. Kekkei Tōta was about as powerful as he had expected, and Ōnoki didn't form it especially quickly. With the boost from his Lightning Armor, Kuming could avoid it as long as he predicted where Ōnoki would strike.
That was easier said than done, though. Dust Release took a relatively long time to form, but it traveled incredibly fast and had terrifying power. Once Ōnoki had aimed and fired, it would be difficult for Kuming to dodge. His best option was to predict the target and move before the attack came.
In a one-on-one fight, Kuming believed he could