"Dilu, you look much better today," Sōgen remarked, observing the young monk who entered the tearoom. A quick glance showed him that Dilu's complexion had improved since they last met the previous evening. Though some signs of fatigue lingered around his eyes, overall, he looked ready.
"I arranged a spar with the Fire Shadow Advisor, so I couldn't be careless. I started resting as soon as I returned last night," Dilu replied honestly.
He certainly wasn't foolish enough to face the "Flame Demon" while exhausted.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what talents the Sage Clan of the Fire Temple holds," Sōgen said, shifting his gaze from Dilu to the two men accompanying him. "Shozubou, didn't that old man Genpachirou come today? And who is this with you?"
Shozubou was one of the inner circle around the feudal lord and head of the elite agents, Oniwaban. Whenever Sōgen sparred with someone, Shozubou was often there, sometimes with Genpachirou. Sōgen didn't mind; he wasn't concerned about others witnessing his methods. His main reason for staying at the feudal lord's estate was to show the ambitious ones that Konoha wasn't to be trifled with.
And Shozubou and Genpachirou weren't the only observers. To Sōgen, the more onlookers, the better. Though information spread quickly in the ninja world, the channels were limited. Having witnesses to spread word of his actions was essential to warn off any hidden schemers in the Land of Fire.
Today, however, the familiar Genpachirou wasn't with them. Instead, a man he'd never seen before—a well-built man who exuded strength—stood by their side.
"Pleased to meet you, Fire Shadow Advisor. I am Ishikiri Maru," the tall man, nearly 190 cm, introduced himself with little warmth, his gaze carrying an open hint of appraisal.
Shozubou's mouth twitched slightly, but he didn't say anything. He'd already said all he could before they arrived. If Ishikiri Maru wouldn't listen, so be it. Perhaps facing a challenge would be a good cure for his arrogance.
"I see, Ishikiri Maru," Sōgen replied with a smile, paying him no further mind and turning to Dilu. "Shall we begin, or would you like to rest a little more?" He dismissed Ishikiri Maru; while the feudal lord's agents were skilled, to Konoha they were merely high-ranking fighters among many.
"I'm ready whenever you are," Dilu replied, prepared as much as possible.
"Then let's head to the training grounds," Sōgen said, setting down his teacup.
The elderly Yaku no Gyosha rose to follow with a smile. Though he was too old to participate, he wouldn't miss a good match. On his way out, he sent for his granddaughter Tsuchigumo Hotaru, thinking it would do her good to watch skilled fighters in action.
Word quickly spread, drawing a large audience. Some had even taken to lodging near the Konoha Embassy to watch these frequent matches. By the time Sōgen and his party reached the training grounds, people were already leaping over walls to watch. Among them were fighters Sōgen had defeated before, as well as skilled shinobi from various clans and villages, including some old families like the Tsuchigumo Clan. Moonlight Hayate and Kurenai Yuhi were also there, bringing the number of onlookers to nearly twenty, all positioned around the training area.
In the center of the field, Sōgen faced Dilu.
"Before we start, may I ask why you waited until now to challenge me?" Sōgen casually asked as he stretched his wrists.
"I've just resigned from my role as a guardian ninja," Dilu explained, controlling his breathing to reach peak focus.
"I wanted to seek your guidance before returning to the Fire Temple. I may never get another chance like this."
"I see," Sōgen nodded, understanding. "In that case, I'm just as eager to see the Sage Clan's prowess. Dilu, go ahead!" He stood calmly, letting Dilu make the first move. This was how he'd faced all his opponents lately.
No referees were necessary. Those who sparred with Sōgen weren't novices; they knew when they'd won or lost, and with so many spectators, no one dared deny the outcome.
Dilu made no ceremony of it. As soon as he reached his peak state, he struck. Standing his ground, he assumed a unique stance, drawing upon the signature Sage Clan technique of the Fire Temple.
"Come, Thousand Hands of the Divine."
In that moment, several observant individuals sensed an almost imperceptible change around Dilu.
A fierce gust of fist wind erupted, yet Dilu hadn't moved from his spot. As the invisible strikes lashed out, Sōgen appeared to be surrounded and pummeled as if by a crowd, his body lifting off the ground as if struck by an immense force. He literally flew, battered into the air by the sheer weight of the blows.
After around fifty hits, he landed with a heavy thud as the energy dissipated.
"What… just happened?" Kurenai Yuhi stared wide-eyed.
"… I have no idea!" Moonlight Hayate replied, equally baffled.
Neither could understand what had occurred. How had the Fire Shadow Advisor been sent flying when Dilu hadn't seemed to move? The mystery lingered, impossible to ignore.
"So this is the Sage Clan's technique!" Yaku no Gyosha stroked his long beard, deeply impressed.
It had been so long since anyone saw the monks from the Temple of Fire use the talents of the Sage Clan in combat that the exact time was forgotten. However, seeing these techniques, where wind and thunder seemed to arise invisibly, naturally brought back memories of those tumultuous and passionate years of youth.
"Is that all?"
Ishikiri Maru furrowed his brow and glanced sideways at Zenjubou. His expression clearly questioned if this was truly the invincible assistant to the Hokage that Zenjubou had boasted about. Could it be a fake? How could someone like Deira defeat him so easily?
It seemed a bit unworthy of the reputation, didn't it?
"Just keep watching, and you'll understand."
Zenjubou remained calm, entirely unaffected by Ishikiri Maru's skepticism. As the undisputed leader of all perception ninja in the Oniwaban, he could "see" things that most present couldn't. Besides, after witnessing Uchiha Sougen's numerous victories, he didn't believe Sougen would fall so easily.
Moreover, didn't you notice the serious expression on Deira's face?
Deira indeed appeared quite solemn. Although no one had ever stood back up after taking the full brunt of the Coming Welcome: Thousand-Handed Kill, the fact that it hadn't happened before didn't mean it never would. His instincts, sharpened through meditation and combat, still sensed danger.
The threat was not over.
"The strength is impressive, and the speed is also fast, with little sign of an attack beforehand... Is this the talent of the Sage Clan? It really is something!"
Sougen stood up as if nothing had happened.
He patted the dust off his clothes, looking completely unscathed.
"How is this possible? He actually…"
Deira's eyes widened. He hadn't expected this single move to defeat the Hokage's assistant. To be honest, he had approached this challenge with the attitude of seeking guidance rather than aiming for victory. However—
Not leaving a single scratch?
He had gone all out!
He hadn't held back at all.
He had attacked with the determination to kill the enemy in front of him.
Even if the attack was evaded, he could have accepted it, but to have his full-force attack taken head-on without inflicting any harm… It shook his resolve. Nevertheless, he was a monk ninja of the Temple of Fire, well-versed in mental discipline.
Suppressing the unease and confusion in his heart, he regained his composure and once again launched an attack on the now-standing Sougen.
Coming Welcome: Immovable King Sword
If fists were useless, then let's see the power of the Immovable King's sword!
As he moved, the blurred figure of the Immovable King appeared behind him. Even without visual jutsu, one could see the brief flash of the Immovable King's image.
However—
Clang!
Sougen raised his hand and caught the slash, which was almost invisible to the naked eye. The blade, sharp enough to cut through metal, landed on his hand that had turned grayish-white in an instant, leaving no mark. This time, though, Deira did notice a change.
"Hardening Jutsu?"
He blurted out.
"Correct."
Sougen nodded in acknowledgment.
With the help of the Bashō Fan, his mastery of the Earth Chakra nature transformation had reached an exceptional level. Even in the Hidden Stone Village, there were few who could surpass him in the art of Earth Style Chakra transformation. After fully comprehending the mysteries of Earth Chakra, his Earth Style Hardening Jutsu had naturally reached its peak.
That was why he dared to take Deira's attacks head-on without using the Susano'o.
Deira was silent for a couple of seconds. Without saying another word, he put all his strength into attacking, demonstrating almost perfectly the various powers of the Sage Clan talent that had been passed down for hundreds of years at the Temple of Fire. Invisible forces took the form of fists, palms, swords, and staves, launching a ferocious assault on Sougen.
Conversely, Sougen remained in place, enduring Deira's onslaught without moving an inch. He executed the peak-level Hardening Jutsu, his fists striking out like lightning, meeting attack with attack, withstanding all the blows. At the same time, he opened his scarlet Sharingan, carefully observing the subtle changes around Deira.
Ordinary people probably couldn't see the colorless and shapeless Chakra variations.
But—
The perceptive Sharingan could faintly perceive the special Chakra emitted by Deira. Most ninjas knew that Chakra was formed by combining spiritual energy and physical energy, but only a few knew that the mixture itself was quite intricate.
For example,
Secret techniques were unique not only because they involved the powers of Yin and Yang Release but also due to their extremely unique training methods, requiring precise ratios of Chakra. The Nara Clan's secret techniques, for instance, required refining Chakra with a high proportion of spiritual energy, while the Akimichi Clan's multiplication techniques required Chakra that was primarily physical energy.
As for the exact ratio,
That was one of the secrets of secret techniques, unknown to outsiders.
The Chakra used by Deira to perform the Sage Clan talent was clearly dominated by spiritual energy.
Unfortunately, even the Sharingan couldn't directly discern this special Chakra ratio, which was one reason why the Sharingan couldn't replicate secret techniques.
Although he couldn't replicate Deira's Sage Clan talent, that didn't mean there was no gain. After carefully observing, he faintly grasped the true nature of the Sage Clan's talent at the Temple of Fire. Unlike the Sage Jutsu passed down from the Three Great Sacred Lands, the Temple of Fire's Sage Clan talent represented a different form of natural energy manipulation.
The Sage Jutsu of the Three Great Sacred Lands involved absorbing natural energy into the body, combining it with spiritual and physical energy to form unique Sage Chakra, allowing the use of powerful techniques far exceeding ordinary ninjutsu. The problem was that training in the Sage Jutsu of the Sacred Lands was highly risky, with a single mistake potentially leading to self-destruction.
The Temple of Fire's Sage Clan talent seemed to evoke natural energy by using refined special Chakra, combining it with the Chakra released externally to form a unique, invisible force. This method was evidently safer than the Sage Jutsu of the Three Great Sacred Lands.
But the issue was,
The offensive techniques of the Temple of Fire's Sage Clan talent seemed rather limited in variety, and the power couldn't quite compare to Sage Jutsu. Of course, it was also possible that Deira's abilities were limited and didn't fully demonstrate the true power of the Sage Clan talent. In any case, it was indeed a distinct method of using natural energy, different from the Sage Jutsu of the Three Great Sacred Lands.
"The Sage Clan talent of the Temple of Fire is indeed extraordinary!"
Sougen praised sincerely.
However, to Deira, it sounded somewhat mocking. He had gone all out and couldn't make Sougen step back even a single step, only to be complimented on the greatness of the Sage Clan talent. Was that a hint that his own training wasn't up to par?
But,
He didn't have time to ponder whether Sougen was mocking him or not.
Because,
Sougen, who had observed enough, began his counterattack.
Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere
Without forming any hand seals, Sougen opened his mouth and shot out a high-pressure wind ball like a cannonball toward Deira. It collided with a transparent, colorless barrier half a meter away from Deira, and the spreading wind scraped off a layer of the training ground's surface. Deira, however, remained unharmed.
The Sage Clan talent of the Temple of Fire wasn't just about offense; its defense was also not lacking.
The renowned Sealing Iron Wall was a different application of the Sage Clan talent.
To defend against Sougen's sudden attack, Deira had to interrupt his assault on Sougen and use the Coming Welcome: Diamond Realm, successfully blocking the powerful Wind Style technique. However, Sougen's offensive was only just beginning.
Simply put,
The roles of attacker and defender had reversed.