Absolute Defense

He turned back in shock, unable to understand what had happened. Ryuuzaki Eiji's upper body emerged from the flames.

Yet there was a gap between Eiji and the fire. The flames could not touch him at all!

Eiji gave Shimura Shio a confident smile.

"That's impossible! How can any defense have no blind spots?"

Shio's expression darkened.

"According to our intel, your eyes should let you control objects! Why can you repel Ninjutsu!?"

"Control objects? Looks like joining Root didn't just brainwash you. It scrubbed your brains clean, too."

Eiji raised an arm and gave it a casual sweep. The flames around him vanished instantly, leaving only a few sparks drifting into the sky.

"Not only did you choose the wrong master, your intelligence analysis is garbage. How stupid do you have to be to think my ability controls objects?"

Shio was one of Danzo's Ninja, after all. Eiji had expected him to have a clearer head. Apparently the Cursed Tongue Root Seal damaged brain cells, too.

Eiji raised his arm and activated Azure again. Its powerful pull sent Shimura Shio hurtling toward him.

Then Eiji clenched his right fist, ready to throw a punch.

Shimura Shio's mind raced. A thought sent the corners of his mouth soaring!

No Ninjutsu is invincible.

If nothing can touch him while that Ninjutsu is active, he'll have to release it when he attacks. Otherwise, his attack can't land!

Since he's about to punch me, there must be an instant when he drops it. I can counterattack then!

Stupid brat. You think your newly awakened Kekkei Genkai is enough to beat someone with my combat experience? How naive!

You'll pay for your arrogance!

Leave your eyes behind!

The distance between them closed rapidly. Eiji drove his fist toward the side of Shimura Shio's face!

A glint flashed in Shio's eyes.

"You've left yourself open! Die!"

He drew the Kunai he had prepared and stabbed hard at Eiji's abdomen!

But the Kunai did not sink into Eiji's stomach as he had imagined. Just as before, it stopped a short distance from Eiji and could go no farther.

At the same time—

Bam!

Eiji's fist landed right on cue!

The force of the blow, combined with its angle against his cheek, distorted Shio's face. He flew into the air, spinning wildly like a top!

He kept spinning until he crashed face-first into the ground.

Eiji could have killed him outright. A Ninja from the Yamanaka Clan could search a dead person's brain for memories and expose Danzo's dirty work.

But keeping him alive would be more convenient. Eiji planned to spare him for now, just to make Danzo squirm.

"Th-this can't be..."

Eiji stood with his arms folded, waiting for Tsunade or the Anbu to arrive. The Root Ninja's resentful voice rose again.

What is he, the hero of some hot-blooded manga? If Eiji didn't have a system himself, he might have suspected this guy was the protagonist.

Watching Shio slowly climb to his feet, Eiji thought of a cockroach.

Apparently he wasn't completely useless. He could certainly take a beating. Even that blow hadn't given him a concussion.

Shimura Shio staggered upright and shouted at Eiji, his composure shattered.

"Why!? Why can you hit me when I can't hit you!? How can any Ninjutsu be this ridiculous!?"

In a sense, his approach had merit, but it was far too crude. He would never land a counterattack that way.

When Eiji threw his punch, he had dropped Limitless only around his fist. Attacking his abdomen was pointless.

Would attacking his fist work instead?

No.

Minato could use the second stage of Flying Thunder God to hit Obito, but he would never land a blow on Ryuuzaki Eiji. Exploiting a split-second opening was pointless!

With the Six Eyes' precise control, Eiji could compress the time between dropping and restoring Limitless to less than 0.0001 seconds.

Landing a hit on his fist under those conditions would be about as hard as pulling off a Black Flash.

Besides, the Six Eyes let Eiji read an enemy's intentions. If there were any real danger, he could simply cancel his attack or change his stance.

"So what will you do now? If you run, I'll drag you back. Attacking is pointless. Your only choice is to kill yourself. Otherwise, Danzo won't let you off easy."

"Damn it!"

Shimura Shio knew he had no way out. He charged at Eiji like a madman.

He drew the Ninja Blade at his waist and slashed furiously, but not a single strike could land!

This Ninjutsu has to have a weakness! Either there's a gap when it drops or it costs a fortune to maintain. Otherwise, it's absurdly overpowered!

Eiji's expression did not change. Before he mastered Reverse Cursed Technique, maintaining Limitless truly did cost him a great deal.

It was still a technique he had to control manually, not one he could keep running forever. At most, he could maintain it for two or three days before shutting it off and getting a good night's rest. Then he could activate Limitless for another two or three days.

But Eiji doubted he would need two or three days to deal with this clown. He was only dragging things out so Tsunade or the Anbu could witness it and leave him solid evidence.

Just as Shio was about to swing again, heavy, hurried footsteps approached. A figure rushed toward him at incredible speed!

"Stop right there! You dare attack a fellow village Ninja? What do you think the Shinobi Code is for!?"

It was Tsunade. The fury on her face was impossible to contain.

Kushina's anxious words when she returned home had made even Mito Uzumaki frown, let alone the hot-blooded young Tsunade.

At the sight of Tsunade, Shimura Shio went pale and scrambled to flee.

He sprang high into the air, but Tsunade was faster. She leaped in front of him and drove her fist straight into him, smashing him into the ground with a boom!

The road split open instantly, sending sand and stone flying!

Every piece of debris that flew toward Eiji was stopped by Limitless. It hung in midair for a moment, then fell to the ground.

Eiji looked at the web of cracks spreading across the road and raised an eyebrow.

That's some terrifying power. If he gets up from that, it'll defy all reason.

"Tch. I don't even need to look to know that old dog Danzo is behind this."

Tsunade finally noticed how relaxed Eiji looked. Then she spotted the cracks in the wall, and a smile tugged at her lips.

"Not bad. I didn't think even a Root Ninja would be no threat to you. From the look of you, you barely used thirty percent of your strength, did you?"

"You arrived just in time to save me, Lady Tsunade. I might not have held out otherwise."

"You really are an interesting kid. No wonder Kushina cares so much about you. You hid your abilities well at the Ninja Academy. Why stop hiding now?"

"I'm still a long way from matching Lady Tsunade's monstrous strength."