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The technique that Hogo specialized in was Lava Release.
Although it bore a resemblance to Mei Terumi's Corrosion Release, the two were, in truth, completely different ninjutsu.
Corrosion Release discharged a highly caustic, viscous liquid, a substance so potent it could even melt through Susanoo. Lava Release, on the other hand, was a bloodline limit formed from the fusion of fire and earth nature chakra.
Ordinary water-style techniques were largely ineffective against this kind of power.
Fortunately, Kurotsuchi's specialty was Earth Release.
When Hogo launched a rapid volley of magma spheres, Kurotsuchi responded with the Earth Dragon Bullet, raising solid projectiles from the ground to intercept the molten attacks and block them mid-flight.
From there, the two combatants hurled ninjutsu back and forth, yet neither could completely shatter the other's defenses. The ground beneath their feet, however, was ravaged and torn beyond recognition, thoroughly demolished by the relentless exchange of Lava and Earth Release techniques.
"You're pretty strong, aren't you?" Hogo stood atop a boulder, his gaze fixed on Kurotsuchi before him.
"I'm not that strong," Kurotsuchi replied coolly. "Maybe you're just rather weak."
Her eyes flickered downward. In many places across the battlefield, wisps of smoke were still curling upward. Even if her Earth Release had successfully smothered the magma spheres, the intense heat they inherently carried continued to rise and billow into the air.
"Weak?" Hogo's eyes sharpened in an instant.
No one had ever called him that—not even among the members of the Akatsuki.
Besides, if he were truly so weak, why would the Akatsuki have accepted him in the first place?
"Compared to them," Kurotsuchi said, "you really are."
She could see that her opponent was furious now; her words had clearly provoked him.
The battlefield was unlike any other place.
If a person could not remain calm at all times, anger might easily cause them to miss a fleeting, critical opening. Even worse, a single mistake made in fury could cost them their life.
That was why Kurotsuchi was never afraid of angering an opponent. What she actually feared was a calm and collected adversary.
Since this one was clearly susceptible to taunting, she was more than happy to find ways to enrage him further.
"At first, I was just going to play around with all of you," Hogo said, his voice cold and cutting. "After all, nearly every other shinobi out there is at Kage level. If I killed you too quickly, I'd probably just end up having to go help someone else with their fight. But now that you've said that, I have no choice but to go all out."
As Hogo rapidly wove a sequence of hand signs, a deep crimson chakra suddenly flared and enveloped his entire body.
"Hey, watch yourself! If you're about to launch a large-scale ninjutsu, I'm withdrawing from the battlefield," Mui shouted. He was startled by the sudden transformation of Hogo's body and hastily put some distance between them.
Mui specialized in Fire Release, but the gap between ordinary Fire Release and Lava Release was far from small. In particular, when fire-natured chakra combined with earth-natured chakra, the resulting power far outstripped that of standard fire techniques.
Even during Hogo's earlier chain of attacks, Mui had been careful to avoid the Lava Release area.
If Hogo proceeded to unleash even larger-scale techniques, Mui would have no choice but to temporarily retreat and wait until the fight between Hogo and his opponent concluded before rejoining the battle.
"Useless," Hogo muttered under his breath, casting a look of utter disdain at Mui. Yet, since Mui had joined the Akatsuki before him, he felt obliged to maintain a minimal level of respect. Swallowing the dissatisfaction rising in his chest, he forced a thin smile and said, "Relax, I know what I'm doing. Still, you should work on improving your own strength, senior. There are so many of us in the Akatsuki, and my techniques are probably only a problem for you, right?"
Mui's expression stiffened, and a nameless anger flared inside him.
Wasn't life supposed to have been most comfortable back when he served as the warden of the Blood Prison?
After that, in his pursuit of power, he had ended up causing the death of his own son.
That was his mistake, and he acknowledged it.
But then he had inexplicably lost his position as warden, and afterward, in a confused haze, he had been pulled into joining the Akatsuki.
Right now, he didn't want any kind of unique or unparalleled power. The only thing he wanted was his son.
So when Hogo made those sarcastic, biting remarks, how could Mui not be angry?
He turned his head back and shot a glare at Hogo, only to find Hogo's body completely engulfed in Lava Release chakra. The sight struck him with shock.
Encasing one's body in chakra to simultaneously bolster both offensive and defensive capabilities—most ordinary shinobi had no way of breaking through such a mode.
This damn brat really is strong.
As Mui's thoughts wandered, a flash of lightning streaked before his eyes. Samui had appeared right in front of him, driving her elbow forcefully into his chest.
"Flowing Stream: Rising Dragon!" Samui shouted as her strike connected cleanly with Mui.
Mui's body hurtled sideways through the air.
Samui moved to follow up, but several kunai came flying at her, hurled by Mui to halt her further advance.
Meanwhile, Kurotsuchi was stunned when she saw Hogo enter his Lava Release Chakra Mode.
Cladding the body in ninjutsu-based chakra to enhance physical capabilities was not an especially common sight, since it demanded enormous reserves of chakra.
Those who utilized such modes were either exceptionally powerful, like the Kage-level shinobi of the various hidden villages, or the users themselves were jinchuriki, able to draw upon the amplified chakra of a tailed beast to manifest a Tailed Beast Chakra Mode.
Tailed beasts were kept under the strict guardianship of the great ninja villages, so the red-haired youth before her could only belong to the former category.
"This is bad... Looks like I've provoked someone truly dangerous," Kurotsuchi thought with a bitter inner laugh.
Hogo, however, wasted no time and charged straight at her.
Kurotsuchi fired off several ninjutsu in rapid succession, hoping the techniques would block his path and allow her to create some distance. But Hogo's movements were exceedingly agile; he repeatedly evaded her attacks. And the few that did manage to land were all deflected by the chakra coating his body.
Far from putting any space between them, she found him drawing ever closer.
After smashing through a freshly raised earthen wall, Hogo appeared right in front of her.
"Die!" he roared, gathering strength and driving a punch straight toward Kurotsuchi's stomach.
Seeing no way to dodge, Kurotsuchi hurriedly formed a seal. "Earth Spear!"
Her skin immediately darkened to a deep black, and she took Hogo's blow head-on.
In that instant, a scorching heat spread from her abdomen throughout her entire body, and she was sent flying backward by the force of his strike.
Hogo pressed relentlessly, closing the gap in the blink of an eye. Standing over Kurotsuchi before she could rise, a savage grin twisted his face. "Everyone who insults me dies!"
Kurotsuchi shut her eyes.
She had completely underestimated how ferocious Hogo's onslaught would become after activating his Lava Release Chakra Mode, leaving her utterly unable to defend herself.
It seemed she had fallen just one move short.
Just as despair washed over her, her ears caught a sudden thud, like the sound of someone dropping to their knees. The fist she had been so dreading, however, never fell.
"Open your eyes. You're not going to die just yet."
The voice was extremely familiar, and the confidence it carried gave her an indescribable sense of security.
Kurotsuchi opened her eyes. Standing in front of her was a young shinobi, his hands still locked in a seal. The man who had just been about to attack her, Hogo, was now on his knees, his complexion utterly wretched. He struggled repeatedly to rise to his feet, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't manage it.
"Who are you?!" Hogo snarled.
"I'm the Six-Tails jinchuriki you've all been looking for," Midorima replied with a smile. "Asachi Midorima."
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T/N: I forgot who Hogo is... fk