After obtaining the Sage Body, Xu Ming gained the unique ability of Sage Perception.
He could now detect the life force of all living creatures within a 300-meter radius and vaguely sense their attitudes toward him.
"Two seniors of the Senju clan, please show yourselves."
Xu Ming sighed as he spoke.
Through his Sage Perception, he had already detected the presence of two individuals, their chakra brimming with the signature resilience and vitality of the Senju clan.
Moreover, their aura felt somewhat familiar—most likely, they were people he had met before when visiting the Senju clan.
Whoosh!
As soon as his words fell, two masked figures appeared, standing twenty meters in front of him.
"Meeting me in the dead of night… you two aren't here just for a chat. If you have something to say, just say it." Xu Ming's voice remained calm as he gazed at them.
"Go back, Xu Ming."
One of the masked figures spoke in a hoarse voice, making it difficult to distinguish his identity.
"Stop your involvement in the research on Wood Style. It goes against the village's philosophy. Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo have already stepped into darkness with one foot."
"You are still young; you should walk the right path, the path of light."
So, it's about this after all.
Xu Ming sighed inwardly.
His teacher, the Third Hokage, had once mentioned that not everyone in the Senju clan supported Wood Style research. Many believed that tampering with such power was unnatural and should be strictly prohibited.
The Senju clan was divided into two factions—one that supported the research and one that opposed it. Though tensions had always existed, both sides had remained relatively restrained.
However, once Orochimaru made progress in his research, the situation exploded into an outright conflict.
The long-standing disagreement had turned into an open struggle.
"Everyone has their own stance and beliefs. There's no point in arguing any further." Xu Ming waved his hand dismissively, his expression indifferent.
"Let's settle this with our fists."
"How bold!"
One of the Senju shinobi suddenly drew his blade and lunged at Xu Ming.
His speed was incredible—like a flash of lightning, he covered the twenty-meter gap in an instant.
Zing!
The blade hummed as it cut through the air with an almost imperceptible speed. Only a gleam of cold steel could be seen streaking toward Xu Ming.
Crackle…
Electricity suddenly surged from Xu Ming's body, emitting a sharp, piercing sound.
"Lightning Style: Chidori Current!"
At the moment of impact, the current in Xu Ming's body expanded violently, spreading outward at a terrifying speed.
In an instant, an electrified barrier formed around him.
The charging Senju swordsman crashed directly into the lightning barrier.
"Ugh!"
The masked shinobi let out a muffled groan but did not stop his assault. Despite the intense paralysis from the lightning, he continued swinging his sword with all his might.
"As expected of the Senju clan…"
Xu Ming extended his hand casually. His body, reinforced with Yang Release chakra, was as tough as steel.
With a single motion, he caught the descending blade between his fingers.
"The Senju bloodline is famed for its resilience and strength. To think you can still move under the effects of an A-rank Lightning Style jutsu… but what if I increase the output?"
!!!
As he spoke, the electric currents intensified, growing several times stronger in an instant!
Violent streaks of blue-white lightning burst from Xu Ming's body, lashing out wildly.
The lightning traveled through the blade, sending a powerful surge directly into the Senju shinobi.
"Tch…!"
Realizing the danger, the swordsman immediately let go of his weapon and retreated.
But it was too late.
Even the legendary endurance of the Senju clan couldn't fully resist this level of Lightning Style.
Whoosh!
He retreated dozens of meters, but part of the electric current had already surged through his right arm, damaging his muscles and nerves.
"Argh…!"
His right hand fell limp, twitching uncontrollably.
For the time being, that arm was useless.
"Be careful—he's not an ordinary kid," the second Senju shinobi warned in a low voice before swiftly forming hand seals.
"Wind Style: Thousand Blade Storm!"
He took a deep breath, infusing his chakra into the wind.
A fierce gust erupted, carrying countless invisible wind blades that tore through the air toward Xu Ming.
"Wind Style, huh?"
Seeing this, Xu Ming retracted his lightning, raised his hand, and gathered chakra in his palm.
Fwoosh!
A swirling sphere of pure chakra formed—bright and concentrated.
Then, it began expanding at an alarming rate.
In just a moment, it grew to the size of a house.
"Super Giant Rasengan!"
Xu Ming hurled the enormous Rasengan forward.
BOOM!
Wind blades slashed against the Rasengan, but they barely made a dent.
"This is… Rasengan?!"
"Why is it so massive?!"
The two Senju shinobi were utterly stunned.
Their intel only mentioned the basic Rasengan, not its advanced variations like the Big Ball Rasengan, Rasenrengan, or Rasenshuriken.
So when they saw this colossal Rasengan, they were left speechless.
BOOM!
The massive Rasengan crashed into the ground, sending dust flying.
A crater over ten meters wide and thirty meters deep formed instantly.
The ground around the pit bore spiral-shaped marks from the Rasengan's cutting force.
The two Senju shinobi had already moved far away.
Dozens of meters from the impact site, they stood frozen in shock.
"This kind of power… it surpasses most high-level destructive jutsu!"
"He's only twelve, yet we're struggling against him?!"
They found it hard to believe.
Initially, they thought sending two Jōnin to deal with a twelve-year-old Genin was overkill.
No matter how talented Xu Ming was, he shouldn't have had the time to develop his potential into actual combat strength.
Yet, here they were, unable to defeat him.
"We can't afford to underestimate him. We need to take this seriously," said the Senju shinobi with the injured arm.
"Agreed. His power rivals ours. If we don't go all out, we might lose."
Their auras shifted—their restrained presence suddenly turned fierce and overwhelming.
Meanwhile, tens of meters away, Xu Ming slowly walked toward them.
With a calm smile, he spoke:
"Two seasoned Jōnin, both highly experienced warriors, were sent to deal with a mere Genin like me? I'm honored."
"You sure are taking me seriously, huh?"
The two Senju Jōnin scoffed in unison.
If it had been just one of them—or someone weaker—Xu Ming would have already won by now.
"You've earned this attention," one of them admitted.
"Your strength surprised us, but this is where we stop holding back."
Their eyes grew sharp as their battle stance changed.
"From now on, we're getting serious!"