Chapter 226: Art is Creating Big Explosions [Part Two] (Patreon)

Chapter List: Naruto: Sakura Blizzard

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"What's the deal with this exploding scroll? The power of this explosion is simply unbelievable!"

Lying there amidst the searing heat generated by the explosion not far away, Retsu couldn't help but feel bewildered. He had used exploding scrolls before and was familiar with their power, but the one Tenten had just used completely shattered his preconceptions about them.

"Don't daydream..."

Tenten's voice echoed in Retsu's ears as he turned to see several kunai flying towards him once again, each of them rigged with exploding tags.

"Oh, dear..."

Retsu felt his scalp tingle. If these exploding tags were anything like the previous one, he knew that if they went off, there would be nothing left of him but ashes. He didn't have time to ponder the scientific validity of the explosion tags anymore; he had to make a run for it.

"Boom... Boom... Boom..."

Deafening explosions continued to erupt inside the arena. Fireballs burst forth one after another, and the continuous explosions made the arena tremble as Retsu desperately fled from the pursuing kunai. He had completely abandoned his previous disdain for Tenten at this point.

"Wow, she's using so many exploding tags and kunai to hunt me down..."

Retsu muttered to himself while dodging the kunai rigged with exploding tags. He realized he had no chance to counterattack now; his only option was to run for his life.

"Indeed, Tenten's battles always shake the ground..."

Sakura and the others instinctively covered their ears. The relentless explosions made them feel like they were on a battlefield, and the noise was becoming unbearable.

After evading another kunai, Retsu gritted his teeth. He couldn't keep dodging forever, or he would exhaust his stamina and chakra, eventually being blown to pieces.

With that in mind, Retsu made a decision. Taking advantage of the fiery explosions for cover, he created an Earth Clone to continue dodging, drawing Tenten's firepower, while he silently concealed himself, preparing to ambush Tenten.

"Using ninja tools in battle, while impressive, has fatal weaknesses. Once you run out of ninja tools or someone gets close to you, your time is up..."

Retsu silently approached Tenten from behind, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. He suddenly struck Tenten's back with a punch, and flames erupted from his fist, engulfing Tenten.

"This is... Exploding Release..."

Kakashi, who had previously been active on battlefields in Konoha and Hidden Rock Village, immediately recognized the power Retsu was using. However, he showed no signs of concern.

"What a shame, such a cute girl..."

Retsu revealed himself, wearing a regretful expression. Exploding Release gave him terrifying destructive power, and a punch like the one he just delivered was equivalent to a point-blank exploding tag. The consequences of being hit by an exploding tag at close range were, at the very least, severe injuries.

However, when the smoke cleared from the explosion, what appeared in front of Retsu was not Tenten, injured by the blast, but numerous scattered exploding tags, all of which were starting to glow.

"What? I didn't hit her?!"

Retsu's pupils contracted suddenly. When did she split into a clone? And why didn't he notice it?!

"Boom, boom, boom..."

Several dozen exploding tags detonated simultaneously, creating a massive crater in the arena. Retsu's body was blasted away.

At the same time, Retsu's Earth Clone was also reduced to rubble.

Emerging from the shadows in the corner, Tenten looked at the charred Retsu's lying on the ground and chuckled. "Don't play dead. I can tell it's a clone!"

"How did you know it was a clone?"

Retsu's crawled out from under the ground, curious. The Retsu who had been blasted was now nothing more than a pile of dirt.

"It's simple, because of this..."

Tenten suddenly pointed behind Retsu, where a small stone was flying towards him at high speed and accurately struck his kidney.

"Ah..."

Retsu let out a cry of pain, clutching his kidney. He had never experienced the feeling of being attacked in the kidney before, but now he had one clear sensation: pain!

"What in the world was that?" Retsu grimaced and asked Kiba, perplexed. How did a small stone suddenly come flying at him and hit him?

"Guess!" Tenten replied with a smirk, leaving Retsu's chest feeling tight.

"Tenten's mastery of causality and kinetic energy infusion is getting more and more proficient," Sakura commented, still rubbing her ears. Tenten had two unique abilities: kinetic energy infusion and causality.

Kinetic energy infusion involved injecting kinetic energy into objects, allowing her to control their explosions. The reason Retsu found the power of the exploding tags unusual was because of this ability.

Tenten had attached exploding tags to kunai, and in addition to the tags themselves exploding, she had infused kinetic energy into the kunai. So, when the exploding tags detonated, they also triggered the kunai to explode, creating a double explosion that made Retsu mistakenly believe she was using some new type of exploding tag.

"I understand kinetic energy infusion, as Tenten uses it frequently, but what about causality?" Kakashi asked.

"In this world, causality is interdependent—there is a cause for every effect, and an effect for every cause. Normally, causality follows a sequence where the cause comes before the effect. However, for Tenten, she can reverse causality," Sakura explained. "For example, when she throws a kunai at an enemy, throwing the kunai is the cause, and hitting the enemy is the effect. However, the effect of hitting the enemy is not always a fixed outcome. Various factors, both natural and artificial, can cause variations in the outcome. So, one cause can have multiple effects."

"But when Tenten reverses causality, cause and effect become fixed. She can set the effect, such as the kunai hitting the enemy's shoulder, before setting the cause, like throwing the kunai into the sky. Normally, when you throw a kunai into the sky, it's unlikely to hit an enemy's shoulder. But under Tenten's influence, it becomes a guaranteed outcome," Sakura continued.

"Normal causality is a one-way street, but Tenten can make it a two-way road," Kakashi concluded.

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Next Chapter >>Chapter 227: Art is Creating Huge Explosions [Part Three]