The moment Temari's fingers touched the surface of the contract paper, a shower of golden light exploded across the panel in Chiba's mind.
[Ding! The Beauty Record System has detected that the host and beauty Temari have completed their initial contract binding!] [Distributing rewards...] [Reward One: Top-tier Wind Release affinity physique (perfect replication). The host's Wind-nature chakra affinity has increased to SS-rank!] [Reward Two: S-rank forbidden Wind Release technique, Vacuum Great Storm, has been added to the host's technique library!] [Reward Three: Wind-Wood fusion compatibility has been activated. The host's Wood Release system is undergoing attribute grafting... Grafting completion: 100%!]
Chiba closed his eyes.
The chakra network within his body was undergoing intense changes. A razor-sharp Wind-nature power, sharp enough to slice apart air molecules, was wildly seeping into and merging with the originally earthlike, abundant life chakra of his Wood Release. Two utterly different natures collided and intertwined within his meridians, like two differently colored rivers stirring up towering waves where they converged.
Did it hurt? Not at all.
It felt great.
The corners of Chiba's lips rose uncontrollably. The exhilaration surging from the depths of his marrow as those powers fused made every pore on his body open up.
Temari was still leaning against the inner wall of the tree hollow, not yet recovered from the golden light of the contract, when she sensed that something was wrong.
The air inside the tree hollow was moving.
It was not a natural breeze. Something was stirring the air molecules in the space around them. She knew that fine sensation of rotation and cutting all too well—it was the unique fluctuation caused by overflowing Wind Release chakra.
But the problem was that the purity and density of this Wind Release