Chakra's Return-to-Origin Nature

The sudden turn of events plunged the entire battlefield into dead silence, countless stunned gazes fixed on Sora.

Behind the enormous boulders along the distant cliffside, the Konoha group stood frozen, their faces filled with disbelief.

In that instant just now, they had all believed Yotsuki Sora was doomed.

No matter how monstrous Yotsuki Sora's body was, there was no way he could withstand a bombardment of ninjutsu at that level. After all, amidst that overwhelming offensive was a Bloodline Selection attack capable of disintegrating everything with a single strike!

Yet Yotsuki Sora had not only blocked it, but had launched a counterattack of that magnitude.

"This guy..."

No wonder he had dared to appear here alone.

No wonder he had dared to openly take away the Third Raikage with thousands of Hidden Stone ninja present—and even the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki—then stay behind alone to cover their retreat!

"Hidden Cloud has produced a monster."

Jiraiya spoke softly, his expression grave.

The ninja world was vast. The emergence of one or two supreme geniuses was nothing unusual.

But if such a supreme genius, such a terrifying monster, emerged within a hostile force, it was truly frightening.

But how exactly had he done it?

Setting the other ninjutsu aside, Dust Release was a Bloodline Selection. Its offensive power stood at the very pinnacle of the current ninja world. Even with the help of the two sages to enter that state, Jiraiya could only evade and flee from it.

Even monsters like the tailed beasts did not dare clash head-on with Dust Release.

Its tyrannical power to break down all matter into atoms had essentially secured Dust Release's absolute dominance!

Yet Yotsuki Sora had taken a blast of Dust Release head-on without suffering the slightest injury...

"It was chakra!"

As Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze puzzled over it, Hizashi Hyuga, his White Eye active, spoke with a shocked expression. "Lord Jiraiya, that guy's chakra... it can change!"

"It can change?"

Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze both frowned.

What did that mean?

"At the exact moment those Hidden Stone attacks landed, Yotsuki Sora's chakra underwent an incomparably violent fluctuation."

Hizashi Hyuga swallowed, recalling what he had seen in that instant.

"Though it only lasted a moment, during that moment, the intensity of his chakra—and everything else about it—rose to an utterly outrageous degree."

"I've never seen chakra like that... Even tailed beast chakra wasn't as terrifying as the chakra that emerged within Yotsuki Sora in that instant!"

Scorching!

Blazing!

Violent!

It was like an irresistible, tyrannical will, even more absolute than the shackles and prison of the Caged Bird!

That fleeting chakra had given Hizashi an unprecedented sense of suffocation. It was precisely because of that chakra that Yotsuki Sora had been able to withstand so many ninjutsu bombardments and even confront Dust Release head-on.

"Chakra with an intensity even greater than a Bloodline Selection?!"

Upon hearing Hizashi's words, the gravity in Jiraiya's eyes deepened.

As everyone knew, chakra, as a form of energy, possessed nearly limitless malleability. Ninjutsu, bloodlines... it could even be considered the foundation of all power in the ninja world.

But this energy possessed a fundamental trait.

The return-to-origin nature!

—That is, among chakra of the same category, the dominant chakra of the same type could easily overwhelm other derivative chakra, forcibly seize it, and assimilate it. (Book of Characters)

For example, if a jonin and a genin simultaneously used Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique against each other, the jonin's Great Fireball would undoubtedly win.

Because the jonin's chakra was more abundant and more refined.

But after the collision, the jonin's Great Fireball would not merely win—it would grow stronger rather than weaken!

The reason for that

was chakra's return-to-origin nature!

The Kekkei Tōta ranked above the standard Kekkei Genkai, representing a "high-level chakra form" that required the convergence of three distinct chakra natures.

Thus, Onoki possessed an innate suppressive advantage when facing ordinary ninja.

Combined with his immense Kage-level chakra, that was what had forged the unrivaled reputation of Onoki's Dust Release.

And now, Hizashi was saying that the chakra of Onoki's Dust Release had actually been suppressed by Sora's chakra—and even annihilated!

Could it be that this guy also mastered the Kekkei Tōta, or perhaps even a power that transcended it?!

The Konoha ninja were filled with uncertainty.

The Hidden Stone ninja below were even more terrified, no longer daring to step forward.

"Monster, monster!"

"This guy isn't human at all!"

Blood seeped from the cracks beneath Sora's feet. Crimson lightning, paired with the horns on his forehead, made him look like a devilish ghost from hell—a fiendish god of purgatory.

The fear in their hearts overwhelmed their fighting spirit. As Sora took a step forward, the Hidden Stone ninja around him all retreated.

"Yotsuki! Sora!"

Onoki steadied himself in midair. Watching his subordinates below being slaughtered like grass, his small body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Surges of extreme fury rose continuously in his heart, but the agonizing pain in his arms forcibly kept him rational.

He could not face him head-on.

Hidden Cloud ninja inherently held an advantage over Hidden Stone ninja, a result of their chakra attributes and specialized combat techniques.

This was especially obvious in mid- to high-level battles.

If an ordinary Kage-level fighter had been surrounded and attacked like this, with the Third Tsuchikage personally overseeing the battle, they would have died countless times over by now.

Yet the Third A had forcibly endured for days with his almost monstrous combat strength, inflicting tremendous losses upon Hidden Stone.

"This guy possesses a body and combat ability that are in no way inferior to A's. He even has some special power capable of withstanding my Dust Release."

"Is it a bloodline limit?"

Onoki's gaze fell upon the pair of horns on Sora's forehead.

This clansman of Gold Horn and Silver Horn, this one who had inherited the Sage of Six Paths' bloodline, had likely awakened something extraordinary.

That made sense.

If he had not truly awakened some incredible power, Hidden Cloud would have had no reason to hide such a rising star for so many years.

Once someone like him returned to Hidden Cloud, he would absolutely become a fatal threat to Hidden Stone—perhaps even more terrifying than the Third Raikage, known as the strongest Raikage!

But my body...

Onoki's expression darkened.

Dust Release consumed an enormous amount of chakra. He had first fought the Third Raikage, and now he was fighting Yotsuki Sora. Every shot of Dust Release had been fired at full power, leaving his chakra severely depleted.

Moreover, Yotsuki Sora's attack just now had been truly terrifying. Though he had barely blocked it, both of his hands had suffered grave injuries.

In that case...

"Earth Release ninja, restrict his movement! Wind Release and Fire Release ninja, focus your attacks and break through his Lightning Release chakra!"

Onoki issued the order sharply. At the same time, his cheeks swelled as he spat out several rock figures.

"Rock Clone Technique!"

The rock figures condensed into solid forms, transforming into Onoki's likeness and scattering in all directions. Meanwhile, Onoki's true body swiftly flew to the side of a Hidden Stone jonin.

"I'll have to trouble you. Treat me as quickly as possible."

"Yes, Third Tsuchikage!"