Ocean Planet, Navy Headquarters, eastern plaza.
Yahiko stood in the middle of the plaza, his short orange hair stirring slightly in the sea breeze, fine sand and dust clinging to his dark blue navy uniform. He held the Reincarnation Prison-Suppressing Staff, its pitch-black shaft inlaid at both ends with dark gold runes that gleamed cold and hard in the sunlight. His gaze stayed locked on the white figure opposite him-Ōtsutsuki Yashū. Cadet Family. Quasi-Six Paths level. His Byakugan could see through everything, his space-time abilities let him teleport, his chakra absorption could devour Ninjutsu, and his regeneration was strong enough to withstand sustained corrosion from strong acid. Yahiko had no Sharingan, no Susanoo, no Shadow Servants. He had only Corrosion Release, only Color of Armament, only Color of Observation, only this staff.
But he was not afraid. Not because he thought he could win, but because he knew he would not die. His teacher was watching. Nagato was there, too. He did not need to win. He only needed to fight. To fight hard enough to make Yashū understand that the Empire's disciples were not pushovers he could crush at will.
"Corrosion Release: Strong Acid Rain."
Yahiko formed hand seals with both hands, and chakra shot into the sky. The sky abruptly changed color-not clouds, but chakra. Dark green, viscous chakra giving off a pungent odor gathered overhead, forming an enormous dark cloud. The cloud grew thicker and heavier, its color shifting from dark green to inky green, then to greenish black. A corrosive smell filled the air, making even breathing burn. Then the rain fell.
Not water droplets. Acid. Every drop contained Yahiko's Corrosion Release chakra, acidic enough to eat through steel. The acid rain landed on the plaza's flagstones, which hissed as countless pits corroded their surfaces; it