Rōshi closed the distance in an instant.
No matter how terrifying the Four-Tails Jinchūriki's offensive power was, taking that punch head-on had never been part of Hagoromo's calculations.
The enemy advanced like a raging gale—
and Hagoromo responded like a bolt of lightning.
In most situations, as long as his eyes could track the movement, his body could keep up.
Lightning flared!
Behind him, iron sand scattered, shifted, and instantly recombined, forming a curved shield in front of his body!
Clang—!
A deafening impact rang out!
It was nothing like the sound flesh and bone could make—more like a heavy hammer smashing down on an anvil!
The violent collision sent Hagoromo skidding backward at high speed.
Though the contact lasted only an instant, the iron sand shield visibly changed color. The extreme heat caused it to melt almost immediately, turning into dark-red liquid iron that dripped onto the snow with sizzling sounds.
Hagoromo himself remained unharmed, but he blinked several times in reflex.
That temperature… over 2,000 degrees Celsius?
It must have been caused by extremely dense chakra released in a moment.
If Rōshi could maintain that level of heat constantly…
would this fight even still be winnable?
The first strike failed, and Rōshi pressed forward again.
But Hagoromo had no intention of simply retreating.
And he had never been just a Lightning Release shinobi.
He was—
A motivated Lightning Release shinobi.
After relentless training, he had finally achieved what he wanted.
He had become a Water Release user.
Knocked back nearly ten meters, Hagoromo dug in his heels—and at the same time, completed his hand seals.
Ox → Monkey → Rabbit → Rat → Boar → Rooster → Ox!
Forty-four hand seals condensed into seven.
Combined with Hagoromo's sheer speed, a B-rank Water Release jutsu was completed instantly.
A towering column of water surged upward beside him—
Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!
Rōshi halted to defend.
But Hagoromo didn't release the jutsu immediately.
Instead, his chakra transformed once more.
Lightning surged through his body.
Blue arcs wrapped around his right hand.
The cry of a thousand birds echoed—
Chidori!
His lightning-wreathed hand plunged directly into the abstract "head" of the Water Dragon.
Using his left leg as a pivot, Hagoromo slammed his right foot into the ground and spun violently.
Pulled by the rotation, the water dragon twisted, spiraling around his body.
Then—
using the centrifugal force of the spin and the jutsu's own momentum—
Hagoromo hurled the Water Dragon straight toward Rōshi!
Like throwing a hammer.
Like firing a lightning spear.
Straight.
Fast.
Violent.
And then—
Impact!
This was no longer an ordinary Water Dragon Bullet.
It was a Lightning-infused Water Dragon.
While this combination didn't result in a simple "one plus one greater than two," and Chidori's raw piercing power was undoubtedly reduced, the Water Dragon's speed, mass, and destructive momentum skyrocketed.
A violent hiss erupted.
Centered on Rōshi's body, steam exploded outward, overwhelming even the raging blizzard.
The pillar of water continued relentlessly, as if a blazing coal had been thrown into a barrel of water.
One hit to take down a Jinchūriki?
Of course not.
The searing heat was still there.
Within the thick steam, a vivid glow continued to flicker.
Hagoromo didn't rush forward.
He waited for the steam to clear.
And then he saw—
Just as expected, it wasn't that simple.
A wall resembling molten stone stood firmly in front of Rōshi.
Lava Release: Granite Barrier.
The water had dulled its glow, and arcs of lightning still crackled across its surface.
That lightning was Hagoromo's.
But it clearly hadn't broken through—not even close.
Throwing burning charcoal into water should extinguish it.
But instead, Rōshi had evaporated the Water Dragon itself.
"…This isn't very scientific, is it?" Hagoromo muttered.
"Water suppresses Fire. Earth suppresses Water. Lava Release is Earth and Fire combined—so Water should still have some restraining effect, right?"
Despite his words, he wasn't truly shaken.
"I didn't expect you to use Water Release," Rōshi said evenly.
"That information wasn't part of our intelligence."
"But if you want to suppress my Lava Release, this scale of Water Release won't be enough."
The barrier collapsed into molten lava and flowed back into the ground.
Rōshi emerged unscathed.
For Water Release users with strong control, the scale of a jutsu depended heavily on chakra input.
Even the same technique could double—or more—its power if supplied with enough chakra.
Hagoromo's Water Dragon Bullet could have been far stronger.
But considering the need for a prolonged battle, Lightning Release enhancement, and chakra conservation, he had deliberately limited its scale.
Against a Jinchūriki—
That had been a mistake.
There was no such thing as holding back against one.
"That defensive technique earlier…" Rōshi continued.
"Magnet Release, wasn't it? So the intel about you being a Kekkei Genkai user was accurate after all."
"Our judgment was correct."
"The White Yaksha is a shinobi with terrifying growth potential—and must be eliminated early, before your strength increases further."
That irritated Hagoromo.
Look at Namikaze Minato's reputation in Iwagakure—
Encounter him and retreat immediately; the mission is considered failed, no punishment applied.
Yet when it came to Hagoromo, the order was outright execution.
And Rōshi meant it.
Standing atop molten ground as if it were solid earth, Rōshi charged forward once more, his hand seals already complete.
Lava Release: Scorching River of Flowing Rock!
His hands clapped together at his chest.
He inhaled sharply—
Then spewed forward with explosive force!
Shinobi were truly fascinating creatures.
With chakra as an explanation, they could vomit just about anything and still call it reasonable.
Blazing magma projectiles blasted outward like shotgun fire, covering a wide area!
Ever since mastering Water Release, Hagoromo had become quite good at vomiting as well.
If it was a spitting contest—
No one was backing down.
Layer upon layer of circular water waves rose up around him, forming a resilient and dense barrier that intercepted every molten projectile.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
Among Hagoromo's purely defensive techniques, only Rashōmon surpassed it.
But before the water wall had even dispersed—
While still concealed behind it—
Hagoromo continued forming seals.
Dragon → Goat → Rat → Ox → Monkey → Rooster → Water → Rat → Tiger → Snake!
Water Release: Severing Wave!
The signature technique of the Second Hokage,
an S-rank Water Release,
the absolute pinnacle of offensive water ninjutsu.
Compressed to needle-like fineness—
Sharp enough to cleave steel and stone alike.
PS: I've been releasing chapters daily . Honestly, it hurts seeing almost no support on Patreon after all that work.If you're enjoying the fic, even a little, supporting me would mean a lot. It helps a student stay independent .
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