Monsters vs. Monsters

Whoosh!!

Accompanied by a shrieking rush of wind, two figures collided violently in midair, and the air within the courtyard suddenly exploded at the instant of impact.

Amid the surging shockwave, the two completed their first exchange of punches in midair.

"Good! This is great!"

Feeling the immense force coming through his fist, Sora was overjoyed.

This guy who had come was not some sissy ninjutsu-type ninja, but a taijutsu-type fighter.

This level of fist, this power that seemed capable of crushing everything before it.

Most importantly, the other party had not even used the power of a Tailed Beast transformation!

It was simply... the best!!

Facing Sora, whose fighting spirit was soaring as violent chakra erupted alongside crimson lightning, Han's eyes beneath his dark mask grew profound.

"Bzzzz!!"

"Boil Release: Unrivaled Strength!"

With those low words, the steam boiler on his back began to hum, spraying out scorching steam. At the same time, Sora could clearly feel an utterly outrageous force transmitting through his fist.

It was a sudden surge in strength, like flooring the accelerator the moment the light turned green—his entire body's power erupted in that instant!

Sora's fist was knocked aside by the sudden burst, and in that moment, another heavy punch rose from below and struck Sora beneath the jaw.

"Bang!"

The dull boom made Samui inside the house instinctively close her eyes.

In that instant, she recalled those who had previously been struck by Sora's heavy fists.

Their entire bodies had exploded into bloody fragments.

If that punch landed on Sora's head, then wouldn't he...

Fortunately, the expected sight of a watermelon bursting apart did not appear.

Sora had not even shifted his footing in the slightest. Only his chin tilted up slightly.

"What?"

A look of astonishment appeared in Han's eyes.

He knew perfectly well how much power that punch contained. Even if he exchanged blows with the Tsuchikage's Rock Golem Technique, he would absolutely not be at a disadvantage.

Yet such a punch had been completely blocked, even when it struck a weak point?

"Very good."

Sora's jaw pressed against Han's fist as he looked at the man before him, who was roughly his own size.

"This is... truly wonderful!"

Boom!!

Incomparably brilliant Blood Lightning burst from Yotsuki Sora's body. Han rapidly retreated, his gaze grave.

Dense Blood Lightning coiled around Sora like serpents, each strand of black hair standing upright as though he were a Super Saiyan.

The strongest Lightning Release Armor!

This was the state achieved by driving Lightning Release Chakra Mode to maximum output.

In this state, speed, defense, muscle activity, and reaction speed would all be stimulated to their peaks, granting astonishing movement speed and powerful damage resistance!

Wrapped in Blood Lightning, Sora's figure became a streak of crimson light and instantly appeared before Han.

A frenzied sense of exhilaration drove Sora's fist, causing the force with which he clenched it to rise once more.

Though Han raised both arms before him at once to block, when faced with Sora's iron fist, he only felt both arms go numb as the force sent his entire body flying!

Just what was this guy?!

Han steadied himself, and all the contempt in his heart vanished completely.

Although Lightning Release Chakra Mode was merely a B-rank ninjutsu, it was extraordinarily difficult to cultivate, much like Konoha's Eight Gates Formation.

Both required exceptional physical constitution and day-after-day training. Ordinary people simply could not master them, much less activate the strongest Lightning Release Armor.

According to the intelligence gathered by the intelligence division, in all of Hidden Cloud, aside from the Third Raikage, only his son—the future Fourth Raikage—had completely mastered this technique.

Yet Yotsuki Sora before him could use it as well.

As expected of someone who had dared to infiltrate the heart of enemy territory alone, and had even defeated and captured Kitsuchi.

If Han did not take him seriously, then he too would probably...

Han bent like a drawn bow, his fists clenched tightly. Steam wrapped around his arms, forming spiraling gusts like a giant beast baring its fangs and growling.

The boiler on his back roared, its copper pipes glowing red!

Steam hissed from the gaps in his armor, while the ground beneath his feet cracked from the heat. This was absolute chakra condensation and release!

Facing Yotsuki Sora, clad in the strongest Lightning Release Armor, Han's feet suddenly erupted with high-pressure steam. His figure became an afterimage, charging forward with a thunderous roar like an out-of-control steam train.

The air warped in his wake, while shockwaves plowed blackened trenches through the ground. His momentum was unmatched.

"Muda muda muda muda!"

Sora laughed loudly and charged straight at Han without dodging.

A blast of air swept out as the two monsters collided fiercely in midair.

"Muda muda muda muda!"

"Ora ora ora ora!"

In that brief instant, the two monsters had exchanged an untold number of punches.

The surging force gathered around them before turning into a shockwave after another clash, blasting the entire large tent apart.

Hidden Stone ninja densely filled the surrounding area, making Samui's scalp prickle. She only dared to pull Kitsuchi beside her a little closer.

He was her protective charm!

But she had clearly overthought it.

The Hidden Stone ninja might originally have intended to attack her, but once the two monsters began trading blows, everyone present had their attention drawn to the fight.

All five of their senses were captivated by the clash of those two men's fists and kicks. At that moment, it seemed as though the entire world contained nothing but the interwoven sounds of their blows colliding.

"Is that guy a monster?!"

"He can actually trade blows with Lord Han like that—this..."

"So terrifying. Is this the world of the strong?"

The Hidden Stone ninja all hurriedly put some distance between themselves. No wonder the higher-ups had said they absolutely could not act rashly before Han arrived.

So the target they had to deal with was a monster of this caliber!

Rock Town Village was continuously ravaged by the aftermath of their battle. Houses collapsed, and buildings crumbled.

After exchanging more than a hundred punches, Han suddenly clasped both hands together. Strange dark-red chakra began to emerge around him as he leaped high into the air, then crashed down toward Yotsuki Sora below!

"Boil Release! Twin Bone Monster Strength!"

His heavy punch slammed down, steam wrapping around the fist wind to form a blazing white impact cone. The instant it touched Sora, it triggered a chain of explosions.

The earth shook as rubble and heat waves flew in all directions, with explosive power running rampant.

Sora felt as though he were caught in a storm, countless wind blades tearing across his flesh as intense pain assaulted his nerves.

Yet his body did not tremble from the pain.

Nor did his will falter because of his injuries!

Within the boiling steam storm, crimson lightning spread around his body. Along with the emergence of that Blood Lightning, a blood-gold aura suddenly rose from Sora's body.

As that aura appeared, Sora's gaze grew ever more impassioned and excited, like a starving beast seeing fresh flesh within reach.

The blood-gold aura surged forth endlessly, even overwhelming the Blood Lightning around him.

It was a power completely different from Lightning Release Chakra Mode!

It was...

Fighting Spirit!