Konoha, fourth training ground.
This area, which was originally a relatively open edge of woodland, is now a scene of devastation.
Trees as thick as bowls were leaning precariously, their broken sections revealing fresh wood stumps; the solid ground was riddled with potholes and crisscrossing gullies, as if it had been repeatedly trampled and ravaged by a giant beast.
"Boom!"
"Bang!"
"Thud!"
A series of deep, resounding booms, like the beating of drums or the cracking of rocks, echoed continuously, each one accompanied by a slight tremor of the ground and the flying of earth and stones.
Two figures crisscrossed, collided, and separated at a speed too fast for the naked eye to fully capture within the limited space, before crashing together again with even greater ferocity.
One of the figures was agile and swift, but was always forced back by an even greater force after each head-on collision; the other was as majestic as a mountain, each movement carrying a crushing weight, as if he were not made of flesh and blood, but cast from refined steel.
Another unpretentious boxing match!
"Bang!"
The shockwave exploded, and the smaller figure, who was Shinichi Higashino, was shot out at an astonishing speed, crashing heavily into a tree that would take two people to encircle. The tree trunk groaned under the weight and snapped in two!
Amidst the flying sawdust, Shinichi groaned and staggered to the ground, using the cushioning effect of the falling trees. He barely managed to stand, leaving two tracks several meters long under his feet. His chest was churning with blood, and his arms were tingling with pain and numbness.
His training clothes were soaked with sweat and dust, torn in many places, and his exposed skin was flushed and bruised.
But his eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, fixed on the massive silhouette that was gradually becoming clearer in the dust ahead. His breathing was heavy, but it carried an almost excited focus.
As the smoke and dust cleared, an unusually tall figure became clearly visible.
It is about 2.5 meters tall and wears a Konoha headband on its forehead, but it is not human.
Its entire body was covered with thick, hard, silvery-white fur, which gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen in the sunlight filtering through the trees.
Its muscles bulged, with bold and explosive lines, as if sculpted from the hardest granite, containing a primal power that made one's heart tremble.
Its wide-open eyes were pure gold, wild and sharp, and the fangs hidden in its slightly parted mouth gleamed with a cold light.
It simply stood there, exuding an oppressive aura like that of an ancient, ferocious beast.
It is the summoning beast of the third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Monkey King Enma, who is known throughout the Shinobi World for his immense strength and indestructible body.
When Shinichi Higashino expressed his desire to learn from someone who possessed an exceptionally strong physique and unparalleled physical resilience, the third Hokage immediately thought of his old friend.
Enma is born with unparalleled physical strength; his bones and muscles are far stronger than human imagination, and he can split rocks and shatter monuments with a mere gesture without the need for chakra enhancement.
His muscle density and bone strength are beyond comprehension, giving him extremely high natural resistance and deflection to blunt force strikes.
Ordinary swords and knives cannot harm him in the slightest, making him a veritable walking steel fortress.
Thus, Enma became Shinichi's mentor during this special training.
Upon their first meeting, Enma was frank: He had no complicated or profound training methods to teach, and the way their clan, Adamantine Monkey, tempered their bodies was simple and brutal.
(Note: Enma's clan will be called Adamantine Monkey.)
That is, in constant battles, using the body to feel the impact, to endure the damage, to adapt to the pain, to push the potential out of the extreme confrontation, and to temper every inch of muscle and every bone.
After the battle, they are given special medicinal baths and ointments passed down through their Adamantine Monkey Clan to help them recover, repair hidden injuries, consolidate their gains, and make their bodies stronger through a cycle of destruction and reconstruction.
Simply put, it means getting beaten up and then taking medicine.
At this moment, there was a brief silence in the center of the training ground.
Shinichi tried to regulate his breathing, feeling the soreness and numbness in his arm muscles and the burning sensation like a branding iron.
Enma adheres to the most basic tenet of his Adamantine Monkey Clan: only under the pressure of approaching or even exceeding the limit can the flesh and blood body burst forth with the possibility of transformation.
Therefore, its guidance is almost ruthless: train until you drop dead, just like that.
This sparring has been going on for quite some time. Every day after training, Shinichi's body is covered with bruises of all sizes, his skin is almost completely unscathed, and his bones feel like they are about to fall apart.
Fortunately, the secret medicine provided by Enma afterward was indeed miraculous.
In addition, Shinichi's physique was far superior to that of ordinary people.
The Big Eater talent gave him the special ability to efficiently absorb nutrients and convert energy, which is why he was able to persevere in such high-intensity training.
"Hey, kid! Watch out!"
Enma's voice was as loud as a bell, with a metallic touch. As soon as he finished speaking, his huge body squatted down slightly, and the incredibly strong muscles in his legs suddenly tensed up.
"Boom!"
The ground beneath his feet instantly collapsed, creating a large crater, while Enma used the force to soar into the sky, his massive body displaying astonishing speed and explosive power that belied his size!
Like a meteorite falling to earth, he perfectly combined his terrifying weight with the potential energy of his fall, transforming it into the most primal and violent attack, smashing down on Shinichi, who had just regained his footing!
Shadows loomed overhead, a strong wind pressed down, and the air itself seemed to whistle as if it were being squeezed out!
'I can't take it head-on!'
Almost the instant the Enma jumped, Shinichi reacted. He didn't dodge backward or to the side in the usual way because the area covered by the incoming attack was too large.
He chose to rush forward, towards the blind spot beneath Enma, while simultaneously lowering his body to its limit, almost touching the ground, like a black lightning bolt moving close to the ground.
Whoosh!
At the critical moment, Shinichi narrowly missed the edge directly below where Enma was about to land. The fierce wind pressure almost tore him down, and his exposed skin was stinging from the strong wind.
"Boom!!!"
Enma crashed heavily to the ground, like a meteorite.
A violent shockwave spread out from the point of impact, and the hard ground rippled, bulged, and then exploded like water!
Countless pieces of gravel and soil were thrown into the air, forming a terrifying crater with a diameter of more than ten meters.
Without pausing for a moment, the thought of counterattacking arose the instant he dodged the fatal blow.
Under the cover of flying sand and gravel, he spun around, twisted his waist, and exerted his strength, channeling all his power and chakra into his right leg.
A fierce and unparalleled side kick swept across Enma's ankle joint, which was relatively difficult to exert force on, just as he landed!
"Bang!"
The leg bone collided with Enma's ankle, producing a dull thud like kicking a solid steel pillar.
Enma's body just swayed slightly, and he didn't move even half a step.
"Your strength is alright, but it's still lacking!"
Enma's deep voice rang out, and with a casual swing of his huge arm, it swept across like a giant tree, bringing with it the force of destruction.
Shinichi quickly pulled his leg back and crossed his arms to protect himself.
"Thump!"
When his arm collided with Enma's forearm, Shinichi felt as if he had been hit head-on by a giant tank charging at full speed. His blocking arms went numb instantly, and he slid backward uncontrollably, his feet carving deep furrows in the ground. He retreated more than ten meters before dissipating most of the impact.