Meanwhile, in Iwagakure.
Tsuchikage's Office.
"Useless trash!"
Bang!
The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, also smashed the desk in front of him with a palm strike.
His short body floated in mid-air, his beard trembling with rage.
"Who was leading the third patrol squad on the eastern front?!"
"Is his head stuffed with shit?!"
"Since they were exposed, why didn't they commit suicide immediately? Why did they use our Village's signature Ninjutsu and Taijutsu right before dying?!"
"Are they afraid they didn't die clearly enough? Are they worried that group of brutes from Kumogakure wouldn't find an excuse?!"
Inside the office, Ōnoki's son Kitsuchi and the Jinchuriki Han both had solemn expressions.
Han took a step forward and spoke in a muffled, heavy voice.
"Tsuchikage-sama, there is definitely something fishy about this."
"Our people couldn't possibly be that foolish."
"The priority now is to find a way to explain things clearly to Kumogakure and appease their anger."
Ōnoki snorted angrily, but he managed to calm down from his rage.
He wasn't a fool; he naturally understood the issues involved.
I'm afraid someone is pulling the strings from behind the scenes.
"Konoha..." He squeezed those two words out from between his teeth... Aokawa didn't know what was happening between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth. After returning to the Barracks, he began to take stock of his gains.
[Beating them at their own game, shifting the trouble elsewhere; you have obtained blessing]
[You have obtained Earth Release: Earth Shore Return (Proficient level) *1]
[You have obtained Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spear (Proficient level) *1]
[You have obtained Earth Release: Earth Flow (Proficient level) *1]
[You have obtained Earth Release: Earth Spear (Proficient level) *1]
[You have obtained Fire Release: Great Flame Technique Experience *1]
[Fire Release: Great Flame Technique has been promoted to Proficient level]
[You have obtained Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation Experience *1]
[Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation has been promoted to Mastery level]
[You have dabbled in multiple Fire Release Ninjutsu and have your own insights into Fire Release. You have obtained the crest: Fire Release Mastery]
[energy crystal *2000]
[Unafraid of power, standing firm against an Elder; you have obtained blessing]
[Self-Cursing Seal (Proficient level) *1]
[Wind Release: Vacuum Wave (Proficient level) *1]
[energy crystal *1000]
He actually managed to drop old man Danzo's Self-Cursing Seal. This thing was what allowed someone to act all high and mighty in front of Sasuke.
He looked at his personal information.
---
racial imprint: Quincy (Mixed-blood, fusion rate: 100%)
Innate Skill: Spiritual Particle Cluster
Racial Skills: Holy Arrow, Holy Arrow: Scatter, Holy Arrow: Demon Break, Reishi Network, Hirenkyaku, Rantō Tenkū, Seietsu, Green Cup, Gokakuhō, Rain of Light, Sprenger, Blood Armor: Dynamic Blood Armor
crests: Innate Full Spirit, Water Release Mastery, Spirit Healer, Sword Mastery, Lightning Release Mastery, Fire Release Mastery
Kekkei Genkai: Byakugan (Complete)
Chakra Attributes: Water, Lightning, Earth, Fire, Yang, Yin, Wind
energy crystals: 18,990
---
Adding the three thousand energy crystals, he had nearly 19,000. He only needed about 1,000 more to open the stone gate.
He clicked on the description for Fire Release Mastery.
[Fire Release Mastery: A raging fire spreading across the plains, burning through the eight wildernesses. Your command over Fire Release has reached the Transcendent level, possessing extreme explosive power and diffusivity, capable of drawing everything into a burning purgatory. The extreme temperatures can incinerate all.]
[Effect 1: Chakra consumption for Fire Release Ninjutsu is reduced by 50%]
[Effect 2: Fire Release talent increased by 100%]
[Effect 3: Control over Fire Release Nature Transformation and Shape Transformation increased by 100%]
[Effect 4: Fire Release Ninjutsu damage and range increased by 30%]
[Passive: Fire Release temperature increased by 30%]
...Konoha Main Camp, Temporary Training Ground.
In the center of the grounds, two figures were facing off.
One of the stout figures was Hyuga Ryosuke.
Opposite him was a youth of similar age, with a bandana wrapped around his head.
Hyuga Kamon, a Chunin.
"Are you ready, Ryosuke?"
"Come on, it's been a long time since we sparred," Hyuga Ryosuke said.
After speaking, he took a deep breath and assumed the starting stance of the Gentle Fist. His posture was standard and flawless, and his eyes became incredibly focused.
Hyuga Kamon's eyebrows twitched slightly in surprise.
This stance was actually quite decent.
"Then here I come."
The moment the words fell, Hyuga Kamon's figure vanished from the spot.
The next moment, he appeared on Hyuga Ryosuke's right side, lightly striking a palm toward his shoulder.
Slap!
A crisp sound rang out.
Hyuga Ryosuke's left hand accurately parried his wrist, while his right palm struck back at his chest from a tricky angle.
"Hmm?"
Hyuga Kamon's pupils constricted slightly. He tapped his foot and floated backward, dodging the strike.
The casualness on his face diminished a bit, replaced by a hint of astonishment.
This reaction speed... this counter... it didn't seem like Hyuga Ryosuke's strength at all.
"It seems you really have grown quite a bit on the Battlefield."
Hyuga Kamon stood firm again, his tone becoming more serious.
"Again!"
This time, his speed increased significantly.
Palm winds whistled as a series of attacks enveloped Hyuga Ryosuke like a torrential rain.
Hyuga Ryosuke's expression instantly became solemn.
His footwork shifted and his hands danced, parrying the incoming attacks one by one.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The dull sounds of palm strikes echoed continuously across the Training Ground.
The more Hyuga Kamon fought, the more startled he became.
Hyuga Ryosuke's Gentle Fist foundation was terrifyingly solid; every move and every stance was as standard as a textbook.
What he found most incomprehensible was that the other's palm style had changed drastically, completely different from before.
Long-term defense inevitably leads to a lapse.
Under Hyuga Kamon's increasingly fierce offensive, Hyuga Ryosuke gradually fell into a disadvantage.
Just as Hyuga Kamon's palm was about to land on his chest.
A sharp light flashed in Hyuga Ryosuke's eyes, and his body suddenly spun.
"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
What?!
Hyuga Kamon's brain buzzed, and his mind went blank.
What did he just see?
Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!
How is this possible!
This was an advanced Gentle Fist technique that only core members of the Main House were qualified to practice!
How could a kid from the Branch House know how to use it!
In his shock, his movements slowed by half a beat.
Bang bang bang!
A series of dense palm strikes landed solidly on his arms and chest.
Surges of Gentle Fist energy penetrated his body, causing the Chakra flow within him to stagnate.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Hyuga Kamon retreated three steps in a row before barely stabilizing himself.
He looked up, his eyes filled with horror.
He suppressed the stormy waves in his heart and walked quickly to Hyuga Ryosuke.
He grabbed the other's shoulder, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.
"You... who did you learn your Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms from?!"
"I didn't learn it," Hyuga Ryosuke panted, looking up and saying with extreme determination.
"I realized it myself through combat."
"Realized it?" Hyuga Kamon froze, then immediately reacted.
Stealing the Main House's Secret Techniques was a serious crime in the Hyuga Clan.
"Right, right, right!" He immediately changed his tune: "Whose battle were you watching when you realized it?!"
"It was Aokawa!"
-------------------------
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