Fire Thunder God
With a resounding cry of "Fifth Form: Heat Lightning!", Chihiro infused his Water Dragon Jutsu with the properties of lightning release, a rare and volatile combination.
The dragon surged forward—serpentine, crackling—clashing mid-air with the Takigakure leader's own water dragon. The two colossal beasts of chakra exploded on impact, canceling each other out in a chaotic deluge.
From the sky, water droplets charged with static chakra rained down like sparks from a stormcloud.
The Takigakure leader's hands blurred through hand seals, reacting instinctively.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A fierce whirlwind surged from his lungs, scattering the electrified rain away from his body.
But not fast enough.
Some droplets made contact. His skin twitched and burned where they touched—lightning chakra sizzling like oil on iron.
Though most of the water had been blown away, the residual shock left his body stinging and his nerves raw.
By the time he regained his footing, Chihiro had already repositioned.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
A massive flame dragon tore from Chihiro's mouth, roaring as it raced through the air.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!" the Takigakure leader countered, spitting forth a massive torrent of water. The two jutsu collided violently, generating a hot vapor cloud that swallowed the battlefield in mist.
Under cover of steam, Chihiro formed hand seals and created a shadow clone.
The original and clone moved in sync, drawing their blades in unison. They crouched low, their eyes locked on their target.
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash—Double Flash!"
They vanished in a boom, cutting through fog like lightning through storm clouds—twin arcs of speed and steel aimed straight for the Takigakure leader's throat.
His instincts screamed.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets!"
He spat out a salvo of wind projectiles, but he was too slow.
The twin flashes closed in. The shadow clone took the hit, dispersing in a puff of smoke.
The real Chihiro's blade grazed the leader's neck—a whisper-thin cut, but blood began to trickle through his fingers.
He staggered back, gaze sharp, body tense.
His artery was intact. Barely.
Chihiro frowned. "Tch. That reaction time… ridiculous."
The Takigakure leader clutched his neck, eyes narrowing.
He analyzed the tactic: fire to create steam, then Thunder Breathing through the obscured field. The clone—a distraction to draw fire. The slash—a calculated strike aimed to end it in one blow.
Even now, he couldn't shake the tension in his muscles. If he'd hesitated even slightly… he might have lost his head.
He grudgingly admitted it: Chihiro's combat intelligence was terrifying.
Chihiro popped a soldier pill and swallowed dry.
His chakra was running dangerously low. That shadow clone had drained what little he had left. He'd already used a pill earlier, so the boost this time was minimal—barely enough to keep him upright.
He could spend Witness Points to restore his chakra.
But he didn't.
The system might have given him a path—but power handed to you isn't real strength. Not unless it's earned.
And this? This wasn't even close to a desperate situation.
He stood tall, meeting his enemy's gaze with quiet defiance.
"An elite jonin... a village leader. You'll make a fine stepping stone."
The Takigakure leader lowered his blood-slicked hand. He could feel it—Chihiro's intent. The next move would be the climax.
They both knew it.
Around them, the battle had drawn attention.
From the cliffs above, Minato Namikaze watched silently, eyes wide. The more he saw, the more his confidence wavered.
He'd been trained by Jiraiya of the Sannin. He'd come to the battlefield early, honed his skills day after day.
And yet... Chihiro's growth was monstrous.
Was he... a prodigy? Or something more?
The Takigakure leader moved first this time.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets!"
Compressed air bullets shot out like shrapnel. Chihiro zigzagged between them, body bleeding from shallow grazes.
But he didn't care.
He focused on one thing: his breathing.
Total Concentration.
His mind quieted. The wind bullets that once scratched him could no longer touch him. His body flowed like lightning incarnate.
Chihiro sheathed his blade and closed his eyes.
Then snapped them open.
Crimson Sharingan tomoe spun in his eyes, and electricity erupted across his body like a living aura.
He crouched.
The Takigakure leader's spine went cold.
"Thunder Breathing, Seventh Form: Honoikazuchi no Kami!"
Chihiro vanished.
No—he advanced. But not in a line. His path was chaotic, dragon-like—zigzagging, unpredictable. A lightning dragon danced across the ground, tearing trenches through stone.
The Takigakure leader couldn't see it—only feel the devastation in its wake.
He'd prepped his jutsu earlier. It was now or never.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"
He spat out massive spheres of compressed air, trying to intercept the lightning storm barreling toward him.
But Chihiro slipped through.
Honoikazuchi no Kami wasn't bound to a straight trajectory like Thunderclap and Flash. It danced, weaved, and slithered past every attack.
The Takigakure leader made a final gamble—one last wind sphere launched with everything he had.
Chihiro's blade slashed as the attack landed.
The impact exploded in a shockwave. Smoke and dust swallowed the field.
No one could see what happened.
Not yet.
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