Under the brilliant golden radiance, Shiraishi swept his hand forward. The Light Giant responded instantly, delivering a punch that shook the very foundation of the training ground.
Giant Guardian: Alola!
By absorbing sufficient Natural Energy, the user directly activates the earth, obtaining the true power of a land-spirit medium in the form of a guardian giant.
This technique specializes in breaking through defenses and dealing significant fixed damage. This was one of the three advanced follow-up series to Shiraishi's original Circular Eye skills, and its power was nothing short of extraordinary.
As the turbulent Natural Energy settled, the Light Giant behind Shiraishi gradually dissipated.
The utility of the Giant Guardian extended beyond mere offense. Due to its nature as a land-spirit medium, it possessed inherent Earth Release properties, doubling as a formidable defensive tool.
Shiraishi began to brainstorm potential combinations: integrating it with Magnet Release, utilizing partial giant transformation, or infusing it with his Cyan Flames.
The possibilities for varied attack and defense patterns were endless.
The true strength of the technique lies in its flexibility on the battlefield.
Most importantly, the "Light Fists" of the Giant Guardian possessed a specialized shield-breaking property, pushing Shiraishi even further down the path of an explosive, high-output combatant.
After dismissing the giant, Shiraishi took a deep breath as he looked at the massive crater left in the ground. If the Nature's Madness branch could generate a Red-grade card like the Giant Guardian, he was eager to see what the other two skill branches would yield.
Home and Shadows
"Staying up all night for administrative work and then coming straight here to train... dear Lord Kazekage, do you care about your health at all?"
Upon returning home, Shiraishi was immediately met with a lecture from his wife, Maki. He apologized sheepishly as they walked inside together.
"You are already practically without equal in the shinobi world," Maki said softly, her heart aching for him. "Why do you feel the need to keep pushing yourself like this?"
"Without equal? The crises hidden in the shadows of this world are deeper than you can imagine."
Having witnessed the world-shattering power of the ancient Sage, Ashura, Shiraishi knew his current strength was far from sufficient.
Furthermore, over the last two years, Yamato had managed to send a brief intelligence report from an alternate timeline.
The scroll contained memory fragments of the "Akatsuki" and their overwhelming power in future history.
Because of the turbulent nature of time and space, the information was brief, but it gave Shiraishi a general understanding of the future geopolitical landscape.
While minor details like Orochimaru's "Konoha Crush" plan were omitted due to space constraints, the threat of the Akatsuki was highlighted as a primary danger to the Five Great Villages.
Gaara... was the Kazekage in that timeline? Shiraishi mused.
He decided to halt his puppet clone's mission to the Land of Rain for the time being. If the Akatsuki were truly such a threat, should he snuff them out now? He quickly discarded the idea.
In a way, the Akatsuki's existence was more of a threat to the villages holding the most Tailed Beasts.
The Mist had the Three and Six-Tails; the Stone had the Four and Five-Tails; the Cloud had the Two and Eight-Tails; and the Leaf had the Nine-Tails.
These Jinchuriki were obstacles to the Sand's eventual unification of the world. Why not let the Akatsuki clear these hurdles for him?
When Shiraishi fell into deep thought, his eyes would often go blank. Maki, seeing him like this, left him to his musings.
"Little Orange, don't you dare!" Maki scolded.
The fat ginger cat was at its most mischievous when Shiraishi was daydreaming. Last time, it had used a marker to draw a "flower cat" pattern on Shiraishi's face.
This time, as the cat reached for a pen, Maki's glare forced it to drop the marker and roll over to act cute.
"We really should neuter him," Shiraishi said, standing up and walking toward the cat. He hadn't forgotten the marker incident. "Blood Wolf, get him!"
At his master's command, the Desert Blood Wolf howled and pounced. A chaotic chase between wolf and cat ensued throughout the house.
Duel in the Land of Valleys
In the Land of Valleys, Shiraishi's student, Ryoji Morimoto, faced off against the prodigy Souji. The moment Ryoji unsheathed his black sword, a sharp wave of energy erupted.
Water sprayed in every direction as Ryoji lunged with incredible speed. Souji's blade flashed, blocking the strike, but the resulting chakra shockwave sent massive plumes of water exploding from the lake's surface.
Souji was surprised; he hadn't expected a "common" Sand Jonin to possess such refined Taijutsu.
The Daoshou clan specialized in sword-based Taijutsu secrets, and Soji held the fastest blade in the family. Yet, it had been countered instantly.
Ryoji's resolve was simpler and firmer. A violent gale erupted from his black sword, transforming into sharp blade-auras.
Souji countered by manipulating a massive wall of water to slice through the air. As an expert in Water Release and Kenjutsu, Souji's "Water Wave Cut" carried the destructive power of an elite Jonin.
Sand appeared out of thin air, forming an Absolute Defense to shield Ryoji. Though he didn't possess Magnet Release, he had mastered a lightweight sand-control technique under Shiraishi's tutelage to serve as his primary defense.
I must win him over to the school, Ryoji thought. He gritted his teeth and initiated his trump card. Following Shiraishi's instructions, he began a rapid series of hand seals.
The lake surface began to vibrate with an ominous, unsettling energy.
Earth Release: Earth Splitter!
While Shiraishi had unlocked a staggering number of skills, he couldn't develop them all himself. Instead, he taught these unique techniques to his students.
The Earth Splitter was a lethal move designed to trap the opponent in a massive fissure.
In a flash, the lake seemed to be cleaved in two by an invisible force. Just as Souji was about to be engulfed by the collapsing weight of the lake bed and earth, he sighed.
"Enough. I lose."
Souji didn't want to see the beautiful landscape destroyed by their battle. He chose to surrender. The price of that surrender? Joining the Ninja School as an instructor.
"I did it..." Ryoji murmured before losing consciousness from the massive chakra drain of the secret technique.
A shadow blurred across the water. Souji, who had used a Body Flicker to escape the fissure just in time, appeared behind Ryoji and caught him before he fell. "What a stubborn guy..."
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