Full Power

Crystal Release Chakra Mode!

At this moment, Sato Hideaka bore a striking resemblance to the White Queen from the X-Men, though they differed in color, crystalline structure, and degree of perfection.

The White Queen's full-body diamond transformation occurred from the inside out, whereas Sato Hideaka merely covered his exterior in a layer of red crystal. Furthermore, key areas like his eyes, knees, and ears were not yet perfect, making a truly flawless defense impossible.

There was no helping it; after all, it was impossible to fully perfect a technique in such a short time. Yet, even in its imperfect state, it was more than enough to face Uchiha Kaoru's Shurikenjutsu.

Shuriken rained down like a chaotic storm, striking Sato Hideaka from all directions. They clattered against the crystal armor with a rhythmic "ding-ding-dang-dang" before bouncing off, failing to leave even a single mark upon his crystalline shell.

With scorching lava flowing from his right arm and thick black smoke billowing out, Sato Hideaka charged headlong into the barrage of shuriken. With a fierce roar, he threw a punch, and the molten rock transformed into a charging lava hound. It bared its ferocious, razor-sharp fangs and lunged toward Uchiha Kaoru with a deafening growl.

Lava Release: Dog Bite Crimson Lotus!

Faced with the incoming wave of searing magma, the two tomoe in Uchiha Kaoru's eyes spun rapidly. She slammed her feet into the ground, her chakra exploded, and her body zipped backward with a swift, fluid motion.

Countless streams of lava blanketed the area, the intense heat seemingly igniting the air and causing it to warp violently. The ground began to scorch, turning pitch black, while the molten craters continued to bubble with searing, hissing heat.

Had Uchiha Kaoru not escaped in time, she surely would have been melted away within that sea of magma. However, thanks to the superior dynamic vision of her Sharingan, the speed of the attack proved ineffective, and she easily dodged the lethal strike with her superior agility.

Nevertheless, in order to evade the assault, Uchiha Kaoru had been forced into mid-air.

A strange glint flashed in Sato Hideaka's eyes. He channeled his lightning-attribute chakra, and under the influence of chakra nature transformation, his entire body underwent intense activation. Blue, branch-like lightning began to crackle across the red crystals covering his skin!

This was the Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Judging by their previous battles, Sato Hideaka's speed was inferior to Uchiha Kenichi's, let alone the far more formidable Uchiha Kaoru. Thus, only by using the full-body activation of lightning-attribute chakra could he hope to keep pace with this woman.

Cloaked in blue lightning, Sato Hideaka moved like a Body Flicker Technique and appeared instantly beside the airborne Uchiha Kaoru. He swung the Crystal Longsword he had just condensed in his right hand, slashing downward toward her!

So fast, this brat's speed is incredible—

A look of surprise crossed Uchiha Kaoru's face. Sato Hideaka had actually suppressed her in terms of speed. Within her scarlet eyes, the two tomoe rotated slowly; even though he was faster, she could still react.

She drew a short sword from her ninja pouch to block above her head, colliding with Sato Hideaka's sharp Crystal Longsword and sending a dazzling shower of sparks flying!

Taking advantage of the speed boost from the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Sato Hideaka unleashed a relentless flurry of strikes with his crystal blade against the airborne Uchiha Kaoru. An average Chunin would have been left in a state of panic, if not severely wounded, under such a fierce assault.

But the Uchiha were a clan of the Sage of Six Paths, descendants of the Sage of Six Paths. With her two-tomoe Sharingan, Uchiha Kaoru perfectly tracked every move of Sato Hideaka's right hand. Coordinating with her nimble hands, the two engaged in a dazzling exchange of over twenty strikes in mid-air, sparks flying everywhere...

They continued to clash until Uchiha Kaoru's feet touched the ground again, successfully parrying one of Sato Hideaka's heavy, mountain-splitting strikes!

"Brat, your speed is decent, but your power is lacking. As for your technique, it's a complete mess. Wait, this... what is this? One-handed seals?"

Uchiha Kaoru easily blocked all of Sato Hideaka's attacks and couldn't help but mock him. Although the brat had surpassed her in speed due to the lightning-attribute chakra nature transformation, his attacks lacked the force and precision to be truly effective.

Yet, the moment she landed, Uchiha Kaoru suddenly noticed that six sharp, trident-like crystal spears had appeared around the boy. They hovered in an orderly fashion on either side of his body, refracting a cold, blood-red light in the dim glow.

While her attention had been fixed on his relentless right-handed assault, she had completely overlooked his left hand... his left hand had just finished the final seal!

Uchiha Kaoru's pupils constricted. She had never expected this brat to possess the ability to perform one-handed seals. Now, she was not only facing the Crystal Longsword in his right hand but also the six sharp Crystal Release: Two-Thorn Spear surrounding him.

This situation forced her to finally take him seriously!

"Crystal Release: Two-Thorn Spear!"

As soon as Sato Hideaka's cold voice faded, the six sharp spears hovering around him shot toward Uchiha Kaoru from all directions, piercing the air with a shrill whistle!

The two tomoe spun rapidly within her scarlet eyes. Uchiha Kaoru's Sharingan locked onto the six vibrant, crystalline spears as they flew toward her. With precise control over her footwork, she shifted her body's momentum, narrowly dodging each of the six spears.

The spears embedded themselves into the ground beneath Uchiha Kaoru, emitting a "hissing" sound like freezing ice. As her eyes swept across the ground, she realized that from the points where the spears had struck, vibrant crystal structures were rapidly forming and spreading outward...

Seeing this, Uchiha Kaoru leaned back, desperate to escape the rapidly crystallizing ground. But it was then she realized another spear was right by her feet. The Kekkei Genkai chakra released by this spear had already locked her soles to the ground, the crystallization extending all the way up to her knees before stopping.

The Crystal Release: Two-Thorn Spear crystallized whatever it touched. Uchiha Kaoru realized she had miscalculated again. Lightning-attribute chakra nature transformation for full-body activation, one-handed seals, Lava Release Kekkei Genkai, Crystal Release Kekkei Genkai...

Where on earth did this monster of a brat come from? How could one person possess so many abilities?

"You've lost... Uchiha Kaoru!"

Sato Hideaka held the Crystal Longsword, condensed from Crystal Release chakra, against Uchiha Kaoru's fair neck. He ceased the flow of lightning chakra, exiting the Lightning Release Chakra Mode. The red crystals on his body began to flake off and fall to the ground...

The Lightning Release Chakra Mode overtaxed the body, causing significant damage to fragile cells and neurons. While the Crystal Release Chakra Mode's surface crystallization was less harmful, the sensation of being unable to breathe through the skin was far more agonizing than mere fatigue or pain. Prolonged isolation from the air in this mode could even lead to skin necrosis...