The instant his palms slammed together-
"Boom!!"
A blast of air erupted around Hayashi!
The massive sword Zabuza brought down at his head was forcibly knocked aside by the shock wave. Zabuza himself slid half a step backward, his feet plowing two shallow furrows through the dirt!
The mist churned and scattered, while rings of violent ripples swept through the pooled water beside the stream.
Every gaze on the battlefield snapped toward that one figure.
His long red hair stirred without a breeze, whipping wildly around him.
The split skin between his thumb and forefinger, the blood at the corner of his mouth, the bruises shaken into his arms-all the damage to his body was repairing itself, healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
And the chakra bursting from him came in wave after wave, carrying scorching gusts that effortlessly heaved up the surrounding soil. Pebbles rose into the air with a rustle and slowly revolved around him.
Could this even be called chakra anymore?
Chakra by the ton was more like it.
"Th-this, this..." Naruto's mouth hung open, even his pointing finger trembling. "Is Hayashi— is she about to transform?!"
Sakura clamped both hands over her mouth, unable to utter a word.
Sasuke stood rooted to the spot, that red-haired figure reflected in his Sharingan, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints.
Tazuna dropped onto a rock, muttering, "This kid... just who on earth is he...?"
No one could look away.
At that moment, no one could ignore the person before them anymore.
"What... is this...?"
Kakashi knelt on one knee, his lone eye fixed on that figure, his voice so low it was barely audible.
"Sage Mode...?"
The legendary secret guarded by the Three Great Sage Lands.
As far as he knew, the humans in the Shinobi