Fierce Battle! (Seeking Follow-up and Monthly Votes)

Shita Genichi did not expect to encounter a ninja with the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai.

He realized he had to give it his all.

A Kekkei Genkai user is never simple.

And... the person before him was the perfect experimental subject!

Snake-Ram-Tiger!

After three hand seals, a water dragon surged from the river into the sky before diving toward the blue-clad, black-haired man.

"This brat..."

The blue-clad, black-haired man's expression shifted once more.

The previous Water Colliding Wave was one thing—a C-rank ninjutsu—but to execute the Water Dragon Bullet Technique so quickly was something else entirely.

He was even faster than him!

"A brat who truly cannot be underestimated!"

The blue-clad, black-haired man completely abandoned his relaxed demeanor, crouching down and pressing his hands onto the water's surface.

Boom!

A surge of water rose to form a curtain, which then transformed into an ice wall.

Rumble!

The water dragon slammed into the ice wall, instantly shattering and scattering in all directions.

The next moment, a shuriken struck the ice wall, the Explosive Tag attached to it igniting and detonating with a roar.

The blue-clad, black-haired man leaped backward, an Ice Blade forming in his right hand, parrying the incoming strike with a metallic clang.

Clap, clap!

Both landed on the river surface simultaneously.

The blue-clad, black-haired man held Shita Genichi's short blade at bay with his Ice Blade while forming hand seals with his left hand.

Shita Genichi's pupils constricted, and he immediately withdrew his blade and leaped backward.

From the river surface, countless Water Needle projectiles flew up with a whistling sound.

Shita Genichi swung his blade, intercepting all of the Water Needle projectiles.

But just as he landed, four streams of water surged toward him from every direction.

The blue-clad, black-haired man had predicted his landing spot.

Boom!

Shita Genichi took the hit head-on, his body instantly turning into a splash of water and falling into the river.

"What, a Water Clone!"

The blue-clad, black-haired man's pupils shrank.

He possessed sensory abilities and had been certain before the fight that Shita Genichi had no traps set.

That meant he had used the Water Clone during his very first ninjutsu.

Cunning brat!

The blue-clad, black-haired man cursed under his breath, quickly turning around and crossing his arms.

Shita Genichi struck, his blade flashing like a streak of light as he slashed from the lower left to the upper right.

The blade cut into the man's crossed arms, sending shards of ice flying everywhere.

He actually formed an Ice Armor on his body... just like Gaara's Sand Armor.

Shita Genichi was secretly startled. After the Draw-Sword Strike, he immediately delivered a flying kick, sending the blue-clad, black-haired man tumbling across the river surface.

Sheathing his blade, Shita Genichi formed hand seals.

Water Release, Water Dragon Bullet Technique!

This time, the water dragon was even more massive.

The blue-clad, black-haired man had only just steadied himself when the water dragon descended from the sky.

Rumble!

Water surged everywhere, spray flying in all directions.

The Water Dragon Bullet Technique hit its mark precisely, yet Shita Genichi frowned slightly.

As the water dissipated, a hemispherical Ice Dome was revealed, shielding the blue-clad, black-haired man.

Crack~~

The cracked Ice Dome collapsed, and the blue-clad, black-haired man stood up, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth: "I was truly careless!"

"However, that won't happen again."

The blue-clad, black-haired man raised his right arm and formed hand seals with one hand.

Although his left arm had not been severed thanks to his Ice Release Armor, the immense force behind Shita Genichi's strike had fractured the bone, rendering it temporarily immobile and unable to weave hand signs.

The blood at the corner of his mouth was the result of that kick from Shita Genichi.

Seeing his enemy weaving signs with a single hand again, Shita Genichi immediately formed the Tiger seal: Genjutsu, Bringer-of-Darkness Technique!

The blue-clad, black-haired man's vision was instantly stripped away.

"This is... Genjutsu!"

"Damnable brat!"

The blue-clad, black-haired man nearly bit his own tongue; he abruptly changed his hand signs, then opened his mouth to exhale, sending a whistling mist that rapidly dispersed.

Having utilized the Hidden Mist Technique, the blue-clad, black-haired man immediately leaped away from his original position.

Yet, despite his lightning-fast reaction, he could not avoid being grazed by Shita Genichi's shuriken, leaving a bloody gash on his left arm.

Although he could condense Ice Armor to cover his body, the blue-clad, black-haired man could not maintain a layer of armor on his skin indefinitely like Gaara.

Thus, whether it was Shita Genichi's earlier kick or the current shuriken, both had managed to wound him.

Fortunately, his reflexes were sharp enough to obscure the opponent's vision with the Hidden Mist Technique.

After catching his breath, the blue-clad, black-haired man used Ice Release to freeze the wound on his left arm, then attempted to dispel the Genjutsu with one-handed signs.

On the other side, amidst the mist, Shita Genichi felt a secret sense of frustration.

Guys with Kekkei Genkai were truly troublesome.

Setting aside the Ice Release, his ability to weave signs with one hand and his rapid reflexes were superior to any enemy he had encountered thus far.

Could he be a Jonin?

Regardless, he decided he would learn some Wind Release when he returned.

Scanning his surroundings, Shita Genichi formed hand signs, partially releasing his Yin Seal.

The chakra within the seal surged forth, rapidly replenishing his depleted reserves.

Shita Genichi continued to weave signs, creating a Shadow Clone and leaving his ninja tool pouch behind, before his main body retreated in silence.

He could not afford to waste time here.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke was facing seven enemies, and if this Ice Release ninja was already this formidable, the other seven...

Time ticked away.

Suddenly, the mist began to dissipate.

Shita Genichi's gaze sharpened as he saw ice mirrors suspended all around him, with the blue-clad, black-haired man reflected in every single one.

Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!

Shita Genichi immediately wove signs: Boar-Snake!

Water Release, Water Formation Wall!

River water surged upward, swirling around Shita Genichi.

It even sealed off the space above his head.

The entire Water Formation Wall resembled a massive, inverted, rotating bell.

This caused the blue-clad, black-haired man, who had just begun to smile, to freeze: "How is this bastard's Water Release even better than mine?!"

"He's clearly a guy from Konoha, damn it..."

The blue-clad, black-haired man gritted his teeth: "I refuse to believe your chakra can keep this up!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A dense barrage of Ice Senbon shot toward Shita Genichi from every direction, yet they were all blocked by the rotating Water Formation Wall.

The two continued to drain each other's stamina.

A moment later, the suspended ice mirrors suddenly cracked with a series of sharp sounds, then shattered and tumbled into the river with a splash.

The blue-clad, black-haired man plummeted from the air, slamming into the river surface with a heavy thud.

"How... is this possible?"

The blue-clad, black-haired man lifted his head with great difficulty.

Shita Genichi dispersed the Water Formation Wall, raised his hand to drive a shuriken into the blue-clad, black-haired man's shoulder, and smiled faintly: "Sorry, I'm also a medical ninja!"

The blue-clad, black-haired man's eyes widened as he suddenly realized: "Your shuriken is poisoned!"

Shita Genichi's gaze fell upon the frozen wound on the man's arm.

Had it not been frozen, the poison would have taken effect much faster.

Still, the potent toxins concocted by Tsunade were truly effective!

If not for the lethal poison coated on the shuriken, he truly wouldn't have been able to take down this opponent today.

"How laughable... that I would die at the hands of a mere brat..."

The blue-clad, black-haired man's head slowly drooped, and he lost consciousness, unable to hold on any longer.

Only then did Shita Genichi step forward, pulling a vial of anesthetic from his ninja tool pouch to inject into the man before feeding him an antidote pill.

This guy couldn't die yet!