"Damn it, how could this monster's technique have so much destructive power?"
Number 1 landed on the ground, a chill rising in his heart. If Number 167 hadn't warned him and he hadn't dodged that attack just now, he would probably have become part of that magma. Where had this monster gotten such powerful ninjutsu?
That level of destructive power was enough to rival an A-rank ninjutsu!
Sato Hideaka was breathing slightly hard, too. The weight of the magma, combined with his own slow speed, had made his charge fall far behind the ninja before him. Although the attack had enough destructive power, even if he launched another one, it still wouldn't work. ww w COM
"Hellhound"—a technique used by the Navy's current Fleet Admiral, Akainu (Sakazuki). It had once blown away half the face of Whitebeard, the world's strongest man (changed to a hole through his abdomen in the anime), and was the finishing move that punched through the chest of Fire Fist Ace, son of the former Pirate King Roger.
Speed was its biggest weakness!
How could the highly lethal and destructive [Lava Release: Hell Hound] display its former glory if it couldn't hit its target? Was he supposed to rely on his enemy's carelessness and mercy?
Absolutely not. There was no such thing as a perfect technique!
Akainu could face Whitebeard, who was hailed as the strongest man, not only because of his "Magma-Magma Fruit" and his finishing move, "Hellhound," but also because of his monstrous physical strength and hand-to-hand combat skills!
Ultimately, a technique could only unleash its full power when built upon one's own speed, strength, and reaction time. If [Lava Release: Hell Hound] had a weakness, it was that Sato Hideaka hadn't trained for long enough, and his body hadn't developed enough to keep up in speed!
The reason he couldn't land a hit was that he was too slow!
Sato Hideaka's expression suddenly cleared, as if he had thought of something. Earth and Fire chakra gathered, and scorching magma once again welled from his right arm. Dark red bubbles rose from the lava, while a faint black smoke drifted from it. Even from a distance, one could feel its terrifying heat.
"You're going to use the same technique again? Is that what you call talent?"
A mocking smile appeared at the corner of Number 1's mouth. The difference in their physiques determined the gap in their hand-to-hand combat abilities. The deadliest flaw in a move like this was its speed. A powerful technique was useless if it couldn't hit its opponent. He could try a hundred more times, and the result would be exactly the same.
"Take... this!"
Sato Hideaka roared, watching Number 1's every move. Dragging his magma-coated, scorching right arm, he charged again—
Number 1 circulated the chakra in his body, focusing it in the meridians in his feet before releasing it in an instant. His entire body leapt into the air, and he shouted wildly as he hung there: "Monster, do you think trying again will make a miracle happen? There's no way you can hit me!"
Now! While that guy was still in the air!
Sato Hideaka's expression turned cold. Lightning Release Chakra surged through his body, and branching blue lightning suddenly coursed over him. The lightning stimulated the cells throughout his body, making him feel as if he had come alive. His nerve reflexes accelerated dramatically, and Number 1 seemed to be moving at less than half his usual speed.
Even his naturally smooth, blue hair stood on end like a hedgehog's quills!
"Chakra Nature Transformation, cellular activation throughout the body? H-how is that possible?!"
Number 1 screamed in terror from midair. Sato Hideaka's appearance was the unmistakable sign of full-body cellular activation. Lightning Style Nature Transformation triggered cellular activation throughout the body, speeding up the body's nerve reflexes and making the cells tougher and more active. Put simply, it increased one's speed and reaction time—which meant it could make up for the very flaw in his earlier finishing move!
Wrapped in a wild current like "Gohan" in his second form, Sato Hideaka stomped hard against the ground. In an instant, he appeared half a meter in front of Number 1, his magma-churning right fist striking out with a savage force.
[Lava Release: Hell Hound]
Number 1 didn't even have time to react. The scorching magma of the Red Dog punched through his chest. As he moaned in agony, it incinerated all his internal organs, scorching his body black around the wound. A charred stench, like something roasting over a fire, filled the air.
After killing Number 1, Sato Hideaka kicked the back of his knee with his right foot, using the momentum to flip backward and pull his right hand from the man's body. He landed on the ground as Number 1 crashed down. He stopped his Lightning Style Nature Transformation and full-body cellular activation. The blue lightning around him faded, his erect hair softened, and he dropped to one knee, panting heavily.
The two A-rank ninjutsu techniques, [Lava Release: Hell Hound], had consumed a great deal of his chakra. This was his first time using full-body cellular activation through Lightning Style Nature Transformation. When he injected even a small amount of Lightning Release Chakra into his cells, he had been unable to control it properly, damaging his body. The stinging pain from his cells warned him that he wouldn't be able to use this move again anytime soon—and his speed would be reduced by thirty percent.
Still kneeling and panting, Sato Hideaka considered his situation once more. Although he didn't know what Nonō was planning, he had to—had to hold out until she returned!
"So that was Chakra Nature Transformation! Monster, how many more tricks do you have?"
Fear rose in Number 167's heart. An A-rank Lava Release Nintaijutsu, full-body cellular activation... These were all like secret techniques in the Shinobi World, usually confined to the great noble clans and rarely passed on. Was this really a technique that monster had created himself?
Or was the monster a spy from another village?
He didn't care that Number 1 had died. Death rates were extremely high in Root, and he had already gone through several batches of teammates. What concerned him most was the mission. If they failed again, their leader might well treat him as a useless failure and dispose of him.
"What do you think? I reckon killing you would be enough."
Sato Hideaka endured the soreness caused by pushing his cells beyond their limits and slowly rose to his feet. His icy gaze fixed on Number 1, sending a chill through Number 167. His body involuntarily took half a step back.
Number 167 struggled to suppress his fear. From Sato Hideaka's stiff, sluggish movements, he could tell that Sato Hideaka was already at the end of his rope. But did the monster still have another trick up his sleeve?
Remembering Number 1's death, Number 167 still didn't dare take a step forward.
"Hmph, useless!"
Number 4 couldn't help snorting. How could Number 167, an elite Chunin, be so frightened by a five-year-old monster? No wonder he was still alive despite being so weak—he was a complete coward.
They had already wasted enough time. He decided to complete the mission himself. With his strength as a Jonin, he reached Sato Hideaka in an instant and grabbed him by the neck before Sato Hideaka could react, lifting him into the air.
Hanging there, Sato Hideaka felt himself choking. A scorching heat surged through his right hand again, and magma poured out, turning Number 4's white monster mask bright red—
"Monster, you'd better understand the chasm between us!"
A cold voice came from beneath the mask. Number 4's left fist slammed into Sato Hideaka's abdomen. The intense pain halted the magma forming in Sato Hideaka's right hand. Number 4 then swung his right hand hard and hurled him toward a large tree in the courtyard!
With a crash, Sato Hideaka hit the tree and bounced to the ground. His right hand's scorching magma slowly dripped onto the earth after losing its chakra supply, burning the ground black!
"That monster can't move anymore. Number 167, take him away."
Without checking on Sato Hideaka, Number 4 turned and leapt out of the courtyard after saying this. He was proud of that punch and confident in its power!
Number 167 walked over to the tree. Sato Hideaka was lying facedown on the ground, unconscious after being instantly knocked out by that punch. That was probably the strength of a Jonin who led Number 4 Squad in Root!
He carried the unconscious Sato Hideaka on his back, then leapt out of the orphanage with Number 4 and into the forest, speeding toward Root's base...
The forest was dense, and the light was dim. Two figures raced through the trees, vanishing in the blink of an eye like ghosts, their speed astonishing.
The trees streamed past them. After they had crossed more than half the forest, Number 4 suddenly stopped, landing on an eight-meter-tall tree. Number 167 stopped as well, carrying the unconscious Sato Hideaka as he landed on another tree beside Number 4.
A person stood on a tree ahead of them. It was this person who had made Jonin Number 4 stop.
A Konoha Forehead Protector, white hair, a Jonin's flak jacket, an Anbu animal mask, a short sword on his back, and the sleeve of a Hokage robe. This person was...
It was him!