Sent flying through the air, Suijin could already hear the approaching sonic boom of Shinno's pursuit. Clutching his injured right shoulder, he rapidly formed another set of hand seals even before landing.
As the seals completed, Suijin's body was instantly shrouded in white steam, and the wound on his shoulder began to visibly mend at an astonishing rate.
Shinno, who had been kicking off the air itself to chase him down, froze mid-stride, utter disbelief flashing in his eyes as he witnessed the healing.
Body Activation Technique!
As the creator of the forbidden jutsu, Shinno recognized it instantly.
"How do you know this forbidden technique?!" Shinno demanded, his body hovering in the air as he glared fiercely at Suijin. He had invented this jutsu and guarded its secrets closely, never truly revealing it to anyone. How could this member of the Divine Court possibly have learned it? Furthermore, judging by the sheer proficiency Suijin displayed, he was clearly no novice in its use!
Who could have taught him?
Suddenly, the image of a particular youth surfaced in Shinno's mind.
"Is Konoha's Akimichi Tatsuya also a member of your Divine Court?!" The realization struck him, and he couldn't help but shout the question aloud. Besides that detestable brat, he couldn't fathom who else could possibly possess this knowledge!
Under the effects of the Flesh Activation, the injury to Suijin's shoulder healed completely within moments. Landing softly on the ground, Suijin casually wiped the residual blood from his shoulder and looked up at Shinno, who remained suspended in the air. "I didn't expect you to be capable of opening the Eight Gates up to the seventh gate," Suijin remarked calmly. "It seems I won't be able to defeat you without revealing my true power."
Shinno ignored Suijin's words, his gaze still fixed intently upon him. "Did that brat, Akimichi Tatsuya, teach you the Body Activation Technique?!" Shinno had long suspected that Tatsuya had stolen his research back then, but he'd never had concrete proof. Now, seeing it used so expertly before him, his suspicions were finally confirmed.
Tap, tap, tap...
Footsteps echoed from behind Suijin.
"I'm surprised you still remember our leader," Kagutsuchi's cool voice drifted across the plaza. He walked forward slowly, his Sharingan gaze assessing Shinno as the latter gradually descended.
Behind Kagutsuchi, the central plaza remained engulfed in roaring flames, the agonized screams of the remaining Sky Ninja occasionally piercing the inferno. In the distance, the last twenty or so survivors had abandoned all hope, scattering in panicked flight towards the fortress exit. Facing Kagutsuchi's relentless and terrifying slaughter, their minds had finally broken, leaving only the instinct to escape.
"Your leader?" Shinno repeated, his pupils contracting sharply at the implication.
"That's correct," Kagutsuchi confirmed, standing casually with his sword held loosely in one hand. "Akimichi Tatsuya of Konoha is the leader of our Divine Court."
"He's the leader of the Divine Court? That's impossible!" Disbelief warred with shock on Shinno's face. He shook his head repeatedly, unable to process the information. It had only been a few short years! How could the boy he remembered possibly be the leader of this mysterious and overwhelmingly powerful organization?
Just as Shinno's mind reeled from the revelation, the sound of displaced air hissed behind him.
Shinno's expression changed instantly. He twisted sideways to dodge, simultaneously lashing out with a powerful fist.
BOOM!
Two fists collided with devastating force, the impact echoing like a thunderclap throughout the plaza. Suijin had seized the momentary lapse in Shinno's concentration to launch a surprise attack.
The powerful recoil sent both combatants staggering backward. Suijin, however, halted his retreat after only a few meters by slamming his right foot down. The tip of his boot, reinforced with chakra, dug into the hard flagstones of the plaza like a sharp blade, anchoring him instantly. With that momentary pause, he launched himself forward again, accelerating towards the still-recoiling Shinno even faster than before.
Seeing Suijin rushing towards him with renewed speed, Shinno's eyes widened in alarm, and he hastily threw up his fists to block.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The plaza once again reverberated with the thunderous sound of impacts. This time, the collisions were even more violent than before. The sheer force of their blows created shockwaves that swept across the battlefield like hurricanes.
Nearby, Kagutsuchi stood observing, his three-tomoe Sharingan still active, tracking the high-speed exchange without missing a detail. He noted the faint, purple markings that had now appeared around the corners of Suijin's eyes – distinctive eyeshadow pigmentation.
It turned out that Suijin had used the brief window created by Kagutsuchi's revelation to Shinno to enter Sage Mode.
Against Shinno in his Seventh Gate state, augmented by the Body Activation Technique, Suijin knew his Ice Release and most conventional ninjutsu would be ineffective. Only Sage Mode possessed the raw power necessary to clash with him head-on.
Months prior, after Tatsuya had perfected the 2.0 version of the Yin Seal, he had immediately applied it to several of his permanent clones, simultaneously performing the necessary Blood Silkworm transplant procedures. This meant that, as long as they weren't concerned about revealing their true nature, all three of Tatsuya's permanent clones were capable of utilizing senjutsu.
The two figures continued their blindingly fast exchange, their forms flickering and colliding across the plaza. Shinno's expression grew increasingly grim. He couldn't comprehend how Suijin's power had surged so dramatically. How could he possibly match him blow for blow now, even while Shinno himself utilized both the Flesh Activation and the Seventh Gate of Shock?
Furthermore, Suijin's superior combat experience began to tell. Once again, Shinno found himself forced into a disadvantageous, purely defensive struggle.
Their battle took them high into the air once more. As they clashed, Shinno managed to strike first this time, his fist rocketing towards Suijin. Suijin's counter-punch lagged slightly behind, still a meter or two away from Shinno's body.
BOOM!
Suddenly, Shinno felt a staggering blow land squarely on his left chest, seemingly out of nowhere. The violent impact sent him hurtling backward like a cannonball, the sound of the hit echoing moments after he felt it. Still airborne, he coughed up a large mouthful of blood. Glancing down in agony, he saw that the force of the blow had nearly blasted clean through his right chest.
Confusion and disbelief filled Shinno's eyes. He hadn't been physically struck by Suijin's fist – how could he have sustained such a devastating injury?
He flew backward for dozens of meters before finally crashing violently into a large stone statue at the edge of the plaza, obliterating it on impact.
Amidst the settling dust and debris, Shinno struggled to his feet. His heavily damaged body was already working to recover thanks to the Flesh Activation, but the strain was evident. The black hair at his temples was already showing streaks of white again, and his frame looked noticeably more gaunt than moments before.
"Impossible! How can you possibly surpass me in taijutsu?!" Shinno roared, unwilling to accept the reality of the situation. All his years of meticulous planning, his carefully laid schemes – in this moment, it all seemed to be turning to dust.
"Ahhh!!" Screaming in frustration and desperation, Shinno made a final, reckless decision. He began to forcibly channel his chakra, attempting to open the eighth and final gate of the Eight Inner Gates.
The Gate of Death!
Countless streams of black chakra erupted from his body, mingling with the intense waves of blue steam still pouring off him from the Seventh Gate. The sheer energy release generated fierce winds that blasted the shattered fragments of the stone statue away from him.
We can't let him succeed!
The thought flashed through both Suijin's and Kagutsuchi's minds simultaneously.
"Ice Release: Ice Dragon Strike!" "Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"
Their hands flew through seals in perfect sync. From opposite sides, a colossal dragon formed of ice and another of roaring fire surged towards the desperately struggling Shinno. The two elemental dragons converged on him, colliding in a spectacular explosion of energy. The resulting blast evaporated a massive amount of steam, instantly blanketing half the plaza in a thick, white fog.
When the mist finally cleared, Shinno was revealed, standing hunched amidst the devastation. He was frighteningly gaunt now, almost completely emaciated. The chaotic black chakra swirling around him slowly dissipated, his attempt thwarted.
Under the combined assault of Suijin and Kagutsuchi, Shinno's desperate gamble to open the Gate of Death had failed. Although the Body Activation Technique theoretically granted the user an 'ultimate body' capable of surviving the Eighth Gate, achieving that level required immense time dedicated to training and conditioning, as well as a sufficient supply of Zero-Tails' dark chakra.
The current Shinno simply lacked the capacity to safely unleash – let alone control – the power of the Gate of Death.
He slowly raised his head, his eyes, now filled with nothing but pure, unadulterated hatred, fixed upon Suijin and Kagutsuchi.