Yubi was excited because he felt this battle was full of challenges!
It was a test from this world to see whether he was qualified to exist.
As for his frenzy... that came from his survival instincts. Under the influence of wildly surging adrenaline, he had no choice but to confront and enjoy the pressure and exhilaration this battle brought.
No matter what, he could not fall here.
He had reasons he could not die, too...
His plan had not succeeded yet!
If he survived, Yubi even had a premonition... his soul would undergo a grand baptism!
Yes... he had been taken down in an instant.
But he had not died on the spot.
Instead, he was slowly approaching death...
As long as he had not become a corpse, he still had time to change everything.
Although his positive experience points were exhausted, he had yet to use the negative experience points he had been saving up...
As his consciousness lingered on the brink, Yubi used the system to redeem a second ability besides the character Belphegor.
And this time, the experience cost was a full 1,200 points.
It was his entire month's worth of "income" from killing Amegakure shinobi along the Land of Rain's border.
After the system assimilated this ability into the Shinobi World's power system, it became fundamentally different from the former... because it was not a ninja art.
It was a Kekkei Genkai!
It was related to medicine... it involved blood.
This power was meant for killing, not saving lives.
It was Blood Manipulation, the Kamo clan's technique from Jujutsu Kaisen.
It could be understood as a means of "controlling" blood to produce changes and power, using blood to command objects.
Blade Intent Manipulation was only an A-rank Ninjutsu... costing 200 points. Blood Manipulation cost six times as much.
Although the system charged a premium for this category, making it less cost-effective than categories related to saving lives, for Yubi, it had already taken everything he had.
Blood Manipulation... had become a Kekkei Genkai ability.
It could be wielded... without hand seals.
Thus, while lying on the ground, Yubi immediately controlled the flow of blood both inside and outside his body. Using the effects of the system's assimilation, he kept the blood throughout his body circulating normally and maintained his vital functions at the bare minimum... then treated himself with Medical Ninjutsu.
The Blood Manipulation Kekkei Genkai... could convert chakra into blood for use.
As long as his chakra did not run out, this Kekkei Genkai could remain active.
But since his ability did not come from Choso in Jujutsu Kaisen, his blood contained no deadly poison.
If he wanted that effect, he could purchase it as an add-on later.
However, Yubi thought... this was already enough.
The same swiftness...
The same terrifying speed...
In an instant, the Konoha Jonin, who had been nearly a hundred feet away, appeared before him.
The kunai in his hand was wrapped in chakra... with his outstretched arm and chilling momentum, he thrust it straight at Yubi's face.
Judging by the boy's expression, he still could not track his movements.
But... the moment he approached, Otani noticed something wrong.
A dragging force suddenly came from his legs.
Looking down, he discovered that the pool of blood that had flowed from the boy had actually formed two large hands, wrapping around his feet.
The two masses of writhing blood were like gelatin, their binding strength astonishing.
Clang!
During that pause, the Konoha Jonin sensed danger and swung his chakra-coated kunai, shattering a small knife flying toward him.
It was the boy's strange ninja art that used threads to control flying knives.
But with his perception, he could dodge or block them.
However, in the blink of an eye... the blood on his legs began spreading toward his upper body as though alive.
Startled, Otani immediately unleashed his powerful physical strength with the aid of chakra, broke free of the two masses of blood, and leaped backward.
"What Ninjutsu is this?"
"No... there were no hand seals. It's different from that ninja art controlling the flying knives, too."
"Is this... some kind of Kekkei Genkai?!"
As Otani put a safe distance between them, his mind raced as he observed.
He had never heard of this kind of Kekkei Genkai.
Just what power was this?
Did Sunagakure have combat resources like this in reserve, too?
While he pondered, he saw the boy several meters away... open his palm.
Several drops of blood rose into the air.
They gave off an eerie sheen.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Immediately afterward, just as he landed, the blood drops shot toward him at an extraordinarily exaggerated speed.
They traced several red lines through the air.
"This speed and power!"
Otani's expression changed drastically. From the sharp sound of the blood drops piercing the air alone, he could gauge the destructive force of this move.
Reality matched his judgment.
He strained to dodge the first two drops, but the third cut a bloody line across his forehead as he turned his head aside.
It was directly below his forehead protector.
In an instant, blood ran down his forehead and into his eye.
It seems that, just like other Kekkei Genkai, even though I possess this power, I'll still need to keep developing it and introducing variations... right now, it's only in its first stage. Its level isn't all that high yet, Yubi thought at the sight.
No wonder... the price had not been so outrageous.
As for how far this Kekkei Genkai could be taken, and what power it could unleash in the future... that would depend on his ability.
At that moment, two dark figures seized the opportunity to fly down beside the Konoha Jonin, flanking him on either side.
The two puppets Sasori controlled, Father and Mother, raised their arms simultaneously, revealing two sharp long blades that slashed at him from different angles.
Between parries, Otani noticed... blood drops slowly rising once again... from the hand of the smiling boy in the distance.
Whatever this power is... I'll probably have trouble getting close again for now. This boy is standing right in a pool of blood. As long as I step into that area, that blood power will interfere with me. It's very much like a defensive ninja art.
Although it's a little frightening... judging by his fighting style and how I broke free of those two masses of blood just now, I can still handle it.
The problem is... with the speed, power, and accuracy of his ranged attacks, he won't let me easily go after the other red-haired boy, the puppeteer.
Even if I force an attack, I probably won't be able to take either of them down anytime soon.
These two brats are deliberately stalling...
This is trouble!
As Otani fought the two puppets entangling him, his gaze instinctively flicked toward the direction he and his companion had pursued from. Have Shikaku and the other two... still not arrived?
Boom!
Suddenly, a disturbance came from the other battlefield in the distance.
A mass of wind scythes erupted and scattered in all directions. It was Arai's Wind Release Ninjutsu.
All three of them here heard someone grunt in pain.
Clearly, the Konoha Jonin fighting Arai had been injured.
This changed Otani's expression as he continued fighting.
Even among Jonin, there were differences.
After all, Arai was an Elite Jōnin serving as a Kage's guard. In a one-on-one fight, Ryosuke would struggle to hold out for very long.
Moreover, the enemy knew the two boys' circumstances as well and would certainly spare no effort in going for the kill, seeking a swift resolution.
Otani could not help changing his mind.
He had to retreat with his companion. He could not fight to the death.
And he certainly could not let Ryosuke die...
With that thought, he tightened his grip on his chakra-coated kunai and used a special Taijutsu move.
As his arm swung, three spots of light inexplicably lit up on Father's body.
Its shell, far sturdier than those of other puppets, seemed to have been struck by a hurled boulder. Wherever the spots lit up, the outer shell immediately cracked, becoming covered in fine fractures.
It was pushed back by the sudden burst of force.
Otani took advantage of the space opened up by the retreating puppet and leaped away.
He intended to shake off Yubi and Sasori and support his companion... against Arai.
Then he would find a way to escape.
But just as he moved, a fist descended from above.
The one throwing the punch was Arai, who had swiftly moved over here.
Otani had not anticipated Arai's appearance. Struck hard, he staggered and spat blood.
This bastard didn't kill Ryosuke... instead, once he was certain the battle was under control, he came to protect these two brats first! Otani realized, his eyes stretched wide with fury.
And in that very instant.
He heard a familiar sound slicing through the air beside his ear.
It was those blood drops, fired at high speed with terrifying power!
Whoosh!
The next second, blood pierced through the Konoha Jonin's temple like a bullet.
With Arai's assistance...
Yubi delivered the finishing blow, pulling off a beautiful kill and claiming the prize.
It was him...
Otani's body fell toward the ground.
In his daze, he seemed to see the boy standing in the distance, the one who had struck him down.
His final thought was neither resentment nor anger.
As a shinobi, he had long been prepared to die on the battlefield for his village.
It was just that... after personally experiencing these two brats' stunning performance, he began to worry about Konoha's... next generation.
Especially... this brat who could control blood. He was too dangerous!