[NTU] [ARC-07-JOUNIN] Chapter : 107 (Patreon)

"Boil Release: Corrosive Acid!"

Just as Toshiro was searching for his opponent's original, Terumi appeared behind him, her hands forming seals to use her bloodline limit technique once again. Though she didn't know how he had countered her boil release earlier, she decided to try again. This jutsu was especially effective underwater. Once spread, the entire underwater realm would become her domain, with her controlling the acid's concentration and potentially leaving nothing of her enemy.

"Is this... that Water Prison Jutsu? And the water in it, twisting like a whirlpool?"

Mei was astonished to see her acid confined by an invisible barrier. The typical Water Prison Jutsu required the caster to extend their arms into the water, but this was no ordinary opponent.

Toshiro had used water prison jutsu in conjunction with Rasengan's shape transformation to confine the acid to the water prison he created.

Despite her restricted ninjutsu, Mei had more tricks up her sleeve. She formed a seal to unleash a massive water dragon bullet, aiming it at Toshiro. This water dragon, nearly seventy or eighty meters long and partially concealed in the water, charged at him.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"

Boom!

Toshiro's figure exploded upon impact.

"Is it a water clone?"

Realizing it was a water clone, Mei barely had time to react before the explosion's force hurled her away.

"What happened? The explosion shouldn't have been that powerful!"

After several somersaults underwater, she stabilized herself but found the damage more severe than expected. Blood trickled from the corners of her mouth, diluted quickly by the water.

Before she could understand her injuries, a strong arm locked around her neck.

"Ugh~"

A cough escaped her, forming bubbles in the water as she struggled to breathe. Mei choked on water.

"How about I give you some fresh air and a hot, wet kiss?"

As she struggled, Toshiro's head appeared beside her ear, whispering softly.

"Asshole! When I get free, you'll pay!"

Annoyed, Mei nearly lost her breath entirely. To make matters worse, Toshiro pressed his entire body against her back, even wrapping his legs around her waist.

Toshiro, oblivious to her thoughts, only intended to immobilize her and prevent her from using ninjutsu.

Just as Toshiro's grip tightened, ready to strangle the future Fifth Mizukage underwater, a white bone sword thrust toward his head.

Dodging the attack, Toshiro turned, pulling Mei with him.

"It seems your companions are quite concerned about you!"

As he evaded the sneak attack, he noticed Terumi Mei's eyes had turned white from lack of oxygen.

"Ice Release: Ice Thorns!"

Before Toshiro could use Terumi Mei as a human shield, Shimizu intervened, forcing Toshiro to abandon his plan. The ice thorns, precise enough to avoid harming Terumi Mei, would undoubtedly pierce him.

"What a pity! Just one more minute, and Terumi Mei would have been finished."

Reflecting on his past attempts to change fate, Toshiro wondered if destiny was indeed unchangeable. Emerging from the flood he had created, he pondered these thoughts.

Before he could fully grasp the situation, Mei and her companions reappeared. Without his chakra to sustain it, the water receded, exposing them quickly.

Mei gasped for air upon emerging. Her long, soaked skirt and curvaceous figure gave her a vulnerable and sexy allure. Her tight-fitting fishnet undershirt left little to the imagination, providing a tantalizing view.

"She truly is the top beauty next to Tsunade!"

"Why was the explosion so powerful?"

Having regained her breath, Terumi Mei demanded an explanation from Toshiro. The explosion had been far more devastating than anticipated, leaving her severely injured.

Toshiro, taken aback by her question, couldn't resist a cheeky reply.

"That's a mystery, Mei-chan. How about a passionate kiss in exchange for the answer?"

"A passionate kiss?"

Mei was momentarily stunned by Toshiro's words, but she quickly regained her composure, not one to be easily flustered.

"No problem. If you come back to Kirigakure with me, not only a passionate kiss, but even more, is on the table!" She replied, giving him a sexy wink.

Her wet attire and striking green eyes left Toshiro momentarily taken aback. However, he quickly focused on his strategy. He had placed a large number of explosive tags on the water clone that used the Water Prison Jutsu, which detonated when attacked by Mei. Underwater, the explosion's force was far greater than in the air, compounded by the air in her lungs. This shock wave seriously injured her. Just as Deidara's clay bombs once defeated the Three-Tails, so too did his tactics.

But Toshiro had no time to relish his success.

"I'll take the main attack again; Mei and Kaito, you cover me." Shimizu, having rescued Mei, had been watching Toshiro closely and was now prepared to launch another assault.

"I'll fight him! You two cover me!" Kaguya Kaito interjected, unwilling to be relegated to a supporting role. He intended to take the lead, letting his companions support him with ninjutsu. His frustration from the earlier genjutsu needed an outlet.

"No! You can't withstand the opponent's genjutsu!" his companions objected unanimously.

"It's too dangerous to engage him alone in close combat. We should use Ninjutsu to handle him and see if there are any changes!" Mei now doubted their ability to kill the Uchiha with just their combined strength.

"It looks like we still have to fight hard!"

"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower flame bombs!" Toshiro, sensing the necessity of continuing the battle, initiated his developed ninjutsu. Unlike his usual method, this time the Phoenix Flower Flame Bombs attacked collectively.

"Ice Release: Ice Prison!"

"Dead Bone Pulse: Bone Shield!"

Facing Toshiro's attack, Mei's companions didn't dare underestimate him. Except for the injured Mei, the others deployed their defensive techniques. But Toshiro's assault didn't stop with the flame bombs.

He unleashed a barrage of fire jutsu, transforming into a veritable ninjutsu fortress.

"Fire Release: Fire Rain!"

"Fire Release: Fox Fire!"

"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"

Shimizu, the main force on the opposing side, matched Toshiro's barrage with her own bloodline limit techniques.

"Ice Release: Freezing Rain Technique!"

"Ice Release: Ice Crystal Wave!"

"Ice Release: Ice Roar!"

These ice techniques, especially the ice roar and ice wave, were particularly impressive. The Ice Roar used surrounding water sources to create numerous ice blades, then formed a tornado to sweep them towards Toshiro. The ice wave froze the area within nearly a kilometer, turning everything into a fragile ice crystal field.

Without his extensive fire jutsu training, Toshiro would have struggled to withstand these attacks. The bloodline jutsus had clear advantages over the single-element chakra jutsus.

"Hmm! Is that... Yagura coming?" Amid the heated battle, Toshiro sensed a massive chakra source approaching. It was none other than the future Fourth Mizukage, Yagura.

He quickly distanced himself from the opponents. Upon arrival, Yagura surveyed the battlefield briefly, then signaled to Mei and the others, his attention now on Toshiro and the place beside Toshiro.

"You're quite cautious. I originally planned to see if I could take you down, but now it seems..."

A figure emerged from the depths of the earth, where Yagura had looked. It was Orochimaru, who had been in the midst of his own battle.

"With an opponent like you, how can I not be cautious? If I tried to ambush this Uchiha, you'd succeed in your own sneak attack!" Toshiro realized he had been used as bait by Orochimaru to lure Yagura into an ambush. The sudden appearance of an enemy like Yagura makes sense now.

"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!" Not wanting to tangle with Orochimaru, Yagura unleashed a wide-range water jutsu, flooding the area. When the waters receded, Yagura and his group were gone.

"It looks like today's battle is over," Toshiro thought, noticing the retreating Mist Ninjas. He realized he had been entangled with his opponents for nearly two hours. The Mist Ninjas, seeing no hope of defeating Konoha, chose to retreat. Yagura's arrival had likely ensured their safe withdrawal. Otherwise, Toshiro would have been confident in capturing at least two of them.

"It seems Toshiro-kun's strength keeps on exceeding my expectations!"

Orochimaru didn't pursue Yagura and his party. Instead, he turned his attention to Toshiro. During his battle with Yagura, he had noticed the commotion caused by Toshiro and the three Kiri ninja, whose frequent use of ninjutsu had drawn everyone's attention.

"Senpai, Thanks for your compliment! Compared to your strength of a Sannin, I'm still far behind," Toshiro replied humbly, smiling gently at Orochimaru.

"Sannin? Haha..."

Orochimaru's laughter hinted at his dissatisfaction with the title bestowed upon him by Hanzo of the Salamander after their defeat.

"It seems that your Uchiha bloodline is truly extraordinary," Orochimaru mused, squinting as he sensed Toshiro's vigorous vitality. His expression turned predatory, indicating his interest.

"Orochimaru-senpai, you're joking. I'm just good at working hard!" Toshiro protested. His current strength wasn't solely due to his Uchiha bloodline; years of relentless effort had played a crucial role.

"Working hard?" Orochimaru's mind wandered to a figure with white hair—someone who had once pushed himself hard and is now on the same level as him—causing Orochimaru to reflect. He shook off the memory, knowing such bonds would now only hinder his ambitions. Realizing his dream was his sole focus, and it seemed unattainable within his short lifespan.

Meanwhile, Yagura, retreating with Mei and Shimizu, whose chakras were nearly depleted, asked about their opponent.

"Mei, it seems your opponent this time was very strong!"

"Yagura-senpai, I apologize for causing trouble for you," Mei responded, acknowledging the situation. She had been reduced to a supporting role due to her injuries. Kaguya Kaito couldn't sustain close combat for long, and they had relied heavily on Shimizu's Bloodline Limit to hold on.

"The opponent’s Sharingan is hard to defend against. I recommend that ordinary mission teams retreat if they encounter him," Mei advised. Her most vivid memory was of the opponent's bloodline limit, which repeatedly trapped Kaito in genjutsu despite their vigilance.

"The Sharingan is troublesome, but I thought avoiding eye contact could prevent its effects," Yagura noted. But their expressions suggested this Sharingan user was different.

"Unlike ordinary Uchiha, this one's Sharingan genjutsu doesn’t require eye contact!" Mei explained, pushing Kaito forward to corroborate. He had been ensnared the most, particularly during ninjutsu battles when the opponent used illusions to control him repeatedly.

"Yes, the opponent's genjutsu is not only difficult to find but also potent. Even with my physical condition, I need a good rest after this," Kaito added.

"Is it really that severe?" Yagura was surprised. The Kaguya clan's physical resilience was well-known, and Kaito hadn’t shown any abnormalities during the battle.

"The opponent's illusion can damage the soul. I used a secret technique passed down in my clan to delay the injury," Kaito explained.

"Concealed? You can’t even discern the medium of his illusions?" Yagura realized the challenge ahead. If they couldn't detect how the illusion was cast, defending against it was nearly impossible. The potential for spiritual damage made the opponent even more dangerous.

"Yes, there are no traces," Kaito confirmed.

"What about his ninjutsu and taijutsu?" Yagura inquired, hoping to find some weakness.

"His ninjutsu and taijutsu surpass ours," Terumi Mei admitted reluctantly. "The opponent has mastered five chakra natures. Although he lacked a ninjutsu bloodline, his ninjutsu is powerful."

Shimizu added, "His chakra reserves are also huge. The sheer output of chakra boosts his ninjutsu power, countering my bloodline techniques."

"Konoha is truly blessed," Yagura sighed, acknowledging the extraordinary talent nurtured within the Hidden Leaf Village.