Shikigami Technique

"Stay sharp."

Yin-Yang Shenfeng bit the tip of his tongue, a sensation of fragmentation tearing through his mind; he understood that it would not be long before he became a fool once again.

Two kunai affixed with explosive tags flew from behind the creature. The Black Toad instinctively sensed danger and halted, followed by the sound of explosions ahead as two figures leaped out from behind it.

"Must you insist on this? I can pay to buy my own life."

Yin-Yang Shenfeng glanced at the two youths on his left and right, his voice low and heavy.

Hiugo cast a sidelong glance at Yin-Yang Shenfeng and remarked:

"Do you take me for a fool? You're just pretending to chat while actually hoarding chakra to weave hand seals."

"You little brat..."

Yin-Yang Shenfeng's eyes turned cold, surprised that his inner thoughts had been laid bare.

Almost simultaneously, attacks of lightning and water surged from both sides. The moment Yin-Yang Shenfeng was struck, he transformed into a wooden log.

The utility of the Substitution Technique went without saying. For a moment, neither Hiugo nor Tobirama knew where their opponent had gone, but the toad in front of them could be dealt with first.

The Black Toad shrieked repeatedly under the barrage of ninjutsu, yet it showed no intention of fighting back.

"So, you were hiding in its mouth..."

Hiugo wove hand seals and spat out a bolt of lightning, blasting the Black Toad's maw.

The target simply dissolved into smoke, causing the attack to miss and the lightning to scatter across the ground.

Yin-Yang Shenfeng appeared beneath the dissipating smoke, but his skin had turned black and was covered in numerous dark brown bumps.

Wind Style: Gale Palm

Yin-Yang Shenfeng swiped his palm toward Hiugo, his skin secreting a toxin that coated the wind blast, turning it pitch black.

"This appearance... have you acquired a portion of your summon's abilities?"

A flicker of contemplation crossed Hiugo's eyes. He wove hand seals, and a stream of water erupted from his mouth, taking the shape of a dragon.

Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet

The Water Dragon Bullet recorded by the Senju Clan required only six seals, not the forty-four-seal version seen in later eras; on the battlefield, if one stood there weaving seals, they would have been blasted to death by enemy ninjutsu long ago.

The Water Dragon Bullet tore through the black palm wind. Yin-Yang Shenfeng leaped instantly, clearing the attack's range while closing the distance to Hiugo.

Ninja Art: Dog Fang

Ninja Art: Dog Claw

Yin-Yang Shenfeng underwent another transformation. White fur sprouted on his hands, turning them into bestial claws, and as his mouth parted, his teeth sharpened until he resembled a monster.

Yin-Yang Shenfeng was merely a Chunin; both his chakra reserves and ninjutsu level were inferior to the Senju duo, but he was now utilizing a forbidden technique.

The forbidden technique of the Yin-Yang Clan was known as the Shikigami Technique. It allowed the user to harness the abilities of their contracted summons, layering them onto their own body without conflict—a technique that had allowed them to establish a foothold during the Warring States period.

Moreover, relying on this technique prevented Yin-Yang Shenfeng from losing his sanity easily.

However, this technique did not consume mere chakra; it drained his own life force. It was a resource that diminished with every use, and the more powerful the summon, the faster the depletion.

"What kind of monster..."

Seeing Yin-Yang Shenfeng closing in, Hiugo ended the Water Dragon Bullet and drew a scroll to summon his katana.

The katana clashed against the beast claws, emitting a metallic ring. A rapid-fire series of clangs followed as the claws slashed relentlessly. Hiugo retreated repeatedly, the webbing between his thumb and forefinger beginning to bleed.

Tobirama observed silently. Yin-Yang Shenfeng's hair was turning white at a visible rate, and Hiugo, who had been forced back, began to hold his ground.

"You brat, how did you train your taijutsu..."

Yin-Yang Shenfeng was baffled. When using the Shikigami Technique, his strength was clearly superior, yet he was being held off by sheer force.

Hiugo did not answer; a single moment of distraction now would mean he couldn't keep up.

While Yin-Yang Shenfeng's enhanced strength and speed were impressive, Hiugo had been whipped into shape by Senju Genma since childhood. Whether intentional or not, he had learned techniques to deflect and disperse force.

Furthermore, his perception had been honed; had he not been able to keep up, he would have been beaten into a pulp long ago.

After observing for a while, Tobirama spat out a stream of water to knock Yin-Yang Shenfeng back, then arrived at Hiugo's side.

"How is it?"

Hiugo panted slightly. "Nothing major. The guy is a 'ten-second man'; his strength drops every ten seconds. If you don't help, I could have pushed him back in a few minutes anyway."

Tobirama stared ahead. "This technique of his must be overdrawing his life force. It won't last long. We just need to wear him down. Leave the rest to me."

Hiugo did not refuse. There was no benefit in taking the kill, and since Tobirama had been observing from the sidelines for so long, they needed to balance the effort.

"Heh, switching out, are we?"

Yin-Yang Shenfeng spat out a mouthful of blood and chuckled.

He could feel his physical strength plummeting, and the sense of fragmentation in his mind—which had vanished due to the Shikigami Technique—began to return.

The white markings on his hands faded, his beast claws and fangs began to revert to their original state, and his chakra levels dropped sharply.

"Is this what they call fate?"

Hiugo's mouth twitched; when he fought himself, he was fierce as a tiger, but once Tobirama took over, side effects started appearing immediately.

Tobirama didn't care if his opponent had any issues; he opened with an Exploding Water Colliding Wave to alter the terrain.

Yin-Yang Shenfeng gritted his teeth and summoned the Black Toad once more to leap into the air.

"Water Style: Double Water Dragon Bullet!"

Two water dragons condensed on either side of Tobirama and flew toward Yin-Yang Shenfeng.

This was the difference between Tobirama and Hiugo; Tobirama's affinity was exclusively water, and he cultivated mostly Water Style ninjutsu, so in the same amount of time, his mastery of Water Style was higher than Hiugo's.

Take the Water Dragon Bullet Technique, for instance; Tobirama could now release a Triple Water Dragon Bullet in one breath, and the Double Water Dragon Bullet was already at a level he could perform effortlessly.

Hiugo, on the other hand, could only manage two at most, and that was only when he was in peak condition.

The water dragons collided from left and right, sandwiching the Black Toad and Yin-Yang Shenfeng in the middle, where the rapidly swirling currents began to tear at their skin.

Yin-Yang Shenfeng tried his best to press his hands together, but it was impossible; his fingers gradually deformed, and blood flowed out incessantly.

As his chakra was continuously depleted, the Shikigami Technique began to fade.

"No!" Yin-Yang Shenfeng struggled desperately until he saw the last trace of black on his hands vanish.

The Black Toad had already been carrying Yin-Yang Shenfeng for a long time, sustaining significant injuries along the way, and had subsequently bought time for Yin-Yang Shenfeng to cast the Shikigami Technique.

Even a summoned beast could not hold on forever after suffering such frequent injuries; as the Black Toad's life force flickered out, Yin-Yang Shenfeng's final layer of protection was gone, and he lost all signs of life.

"Are you going to finish him off?"

Tobirama asked.

To be honest, Hiugo was very interested in Yin-Yang Shenfeng's ninjutsu, but he had no appetite for his bloodline.

During missions, most ninjas would choose to decapitate their targets and bring the head back to prove the mission was complete, thereby saving time on the bounty settlement process.

Hiugo thought about how he still needed to maintain his "finisher" persona, so he prepared to use his katana.

"Tobirama, spit out some water to wash away the blood."

"Don't you know Water Style?"

"Why don't you do it and pack him into the scroll?"

"..."