" Dan Katō must die!"
Araki's eyes flashed with intense killing intent. He could clearly feel the gaze on his back, and he could also sense Dan Katō's killing intent.
That's how it is now; only one of them can survive.
The one who is alive knows all the secrets!
He couldn't allow Dan Katō to live, because Dan Katō knew he was Wood Release ninja, and that had a huge impact on him.
Dan Katō wouldn't let him leave alive; after all, if those things got out, Dan Katō would be unable to face anyone.
Today, we must fight to the death!
Araki's mind raced. The closer things got to this point, the more he realized his own shortcomings and lack of trump cards. Especially when facing such a soul-like body, he had no idea how to deal with it.
"I'll go around this whole thing and then personally kill Dan Katō!"
Araki felt extremely helpless, but he had no other choice. His Wood Clone had also inhaled the poison and would also lose its ability to move, so he couldn't make a move. He could only restrain it and wait for him to finish it off, but he just happened to encounter someone like Dan Katō who had special abilities.
Chapter 24 The Spirit Transformation Technique (Second Update)
In the time that followed, Araki and Dan Katō's soul engaged in a thrilling chase.
The two were moving at almost the same speed.
Araki couldn't pull ahead of Dan Katō, and Dan Katō couldn't catch up with Araki either.
At this very moment.
From Dan Katō's perspective.
He was in a spiritual state, and his perception of everything around him was constantly expanding, but also infinitely shrinking.
What he expanded was his spiritual perception; he could clearly sense Araki's soul and Araki's Chakra.
What's reduced is the physical sensation.
He can't feel the air, the temperature, or any objects. He can freely pass through trees and mountains to chase after Araki in the shortest distance.
That's why.
Only then could he barely keep up with Araki's figure.
"This kid can run incredibly fast!"
Dan Katō silently complained to himself. He had already flown at full speed, still in his soul form. At such a speed, there weren't many in the entire ninja world who could escape, yet Araki hadn't been caught yet.
There are two very important points here that were unexpected by Dan Katō.
Firstly, even he himself didn't know why, but he felt that Araki could sense him, so every time he was about to catch up with Araki, Araki could slightly adjust the distance and angle, and then charge at an even faster speed to maintain that distance again.
Secondly, he discovered that Araki's Chakra was constantly changing. He had noticed this when he was following Araki before. It was constantly being consumed and constantly increasing. Even after running for so long, there was no obvious decrease. This was one of the reasons why he stopped the pursuit. Now, it was even more difficult for him to catch up.
"No!"
"Anyway!"
" Araki must die today!"
Dan Katō's spirit gritted his teeth. Now that his secret had been revealed, if Araki were to leave, the impact on his plans would be too great, tantamount to losing his chance to become Hokage.
He cannot allow such a thing to happen.
Gradually.
This tug-of-war thus formed.
About half an hour later.
Dan Katō could clearly feel his soul power beginning to decline.
This indicates that he has been detached from his body for too long.
The Spirit Transformation Technique is an S-rank Ninjutsu, possessing powerful effects, but also bearing powerful side effects and significant limitations.
Once a spirit has become a spirit, it cannot stray too far from its body, nor can it remain detached from its body for too long; otherwise, its power will weaken.
Just like right now.
Although Araki was circling around Konoha, running away from Dan Katō's location, it was all within the range of Dan Katō's Spirit Transformation Technique and did not pose a distance obstacle for him. Even if he went outside Konoha, he could still chase after him.
In this respect, Dan Katō is quite skilled, able to extend his soul to a very long distance. Only after exceeding the maximum limit of his control will his strength gradually weaken.
only...
He focused all his spiritual practice on maintaining distance.
It doesn't focus so much on endurance.
After all, he never intended to fight a protracted war in his spiritualized state from the very beginning.
I can't even figure out this situation no matter how hard I try.
And then, of all times, we encountered it.
This left him with a feeling of both amusement and exasperation.
So much so that even now, he remains just one step away from Araki. Several times he felt he could touch Araki, but he never succeeded, and they are still locked in this tug-of-war.
This caused his soul power to begin to weaken, and it would continue to decrease over time, every moment.
"We can't let this drag on any longer!"
A look of panic crossed Dan Katō's face. At this moment, he finally realized that things were out of his control. All the problems had surfaced, and tension flickered in his eyes.
"If I let this kid drag this out any longer, my soul power won't be enough. Even if I manage to kill him, I might not be able to return to my body in time. Besides, my physical condition isn't good right now, and I don't have that much time to waste!"
Dan Katō was fully aware of his situation. He was taking a desperate gamble by using the Spirit Transformation Technique, since his physical body had already been poisoned. Even if he didn't separate his soul from his body, he would fall into a deep sleep where he would be at the mercy of others, and he might never have the chance to open his eyes again.
He had no choice but to use the Spirit Transformation Technique, and he had to get rid of Araki; otherwise, once his soul returned to his body, death would still await him.
This is really awkward!
Araki was unaware of Dan Katō's predicament. He only knew that he was in a bad situation and could only sense the faint gaze behind him. He had no idea how long Dan Katō could hold out or what state the latter was in.
"No!"
"This stalemate cannot continue!"
"That's too dangerous!"
"No one else can sense my spirit except me. If someone sees me, or if I'm bumped into by a wild animal, I'll be caught if I'm even slightly slower!"
Araki's mind raced as he tried to recall memories of Dan Katō from the Naruto he had watched, but in reality, they were few and far between, appearing only a handful of times. He only knew of the Spirit Transformation Technique.
"Calm!"
"The more critical the moment, the more we need to stay calm!"
"I need to sort this out carefully!"
Araki began to ponder. He wasn't sure if the spirit was tired. It probably would be, since Dan Katō looked quite tired back then. But judging from the feeling of this spirit, it gave him the impression of a Shadow Clone.
That means after the soul leaves the body, there may be no sensation, just keep going, since going won't ruin anything, go go however you want.
However, when the soul returns to the body, it brings back the feeling of fatigue. Only then will one feel tired, which is why Dan Katō looks so heavy-hearted.
"That's right!"
"Absolutely!"
"Spirits shouldn't get tired!"
" Dan Katō will be tired after returning!"
"This is very troublesome!"
Araki took a deep breath, running as fast as he could without daring to slack off. But at that moment, he noticed that Dan Katō was even faster, reaching a terrifying speed. He was just a hair's breadth away from merging with him.
The sudden sense of crisis that gripped Araki startled him, and he used almost all the strength he could muster. He even felt the muscles in his thighs and calves bursting, but thanks to the green Chakra, they were able to repair themselves quickly and didn't cause him too much trouble.
Having weathered the crisis, Araki used the brief moment to quickly begin thinking.
Battles between ninjas require strategic thinking.
Otherwise, it's just a matter of brute force.
"If spirits don't feel tired, then logically speaking, Dan Katō has no need to take his soul back. He could just stay with me. Why bring fatigue back into his body!"
Araki quickly pondered the matter.
There's only one reason he could do that!
That means spirits cannot exist alone outside for too long!
So what time was that?
How many laps did I run back then?
Araki began to calculate silently in his mind, and now he suddenly realized that he had misunderstood the unit of consumption from the very beginning.
This energy expenditure is not determined by how far he runs, but by the time he runs.
What determines Dan Katō's exhaustion is not how far his soul drifts away, but how long it drifts away; that is the most important point.
perhaps...
Dan Katō probably never imagined that he could keep running and training for so long.
"I can't remember the exact numbers, but it must have been dozens of laps. I just kept running like that, trying to wear him down until his soul couldn't take it anymore and had to return to his body, then I won!"
Araki's heart tightened, and he immediately abandoned his plan to take a gamble. There were too many unsolved mysteries surrounding the Spirit Transformation Technique, and he dared not risk his life.
Araki only knew that the Spirit Transformation Technique could kill people invisibly, but he wasn't quite sure how it actually worked. Was it about attaching a soul to an enemy and fighting with soul power, or was the life gone the instant the soul passed by?
No matter what the situation...
Araki dared not make an attempt lightly.
Any attempt would be irresponsible towards one's own life.
Now...
Araki just wanted to run away!
Keep running!