"Ha!"
Before Fugaku Uchiha could figure out how to get close enough to the Three-Tails for genjutsu, a thunderous shout shook the battlefield—like a lion's roar, fierce and electrifying, echoing through the trees.
Fugaku spun, searching for the source, and found Master Genshi standing tall, his presence suddenly overwhelming.
"Aming, fall back! This one's mine!" Genshi commanded, his voice booming.
A surge of power erupted from Genshi, blue light flickering across his skin. Even a drifting leaf, caught in the bizarre aura swirling around him, was shredded to dust before it could touch his shoulder.
"Ha!" Genshi roared again, his voice rolling like a dragon's cry from the depths, like a tiger's howl in the wild. His robes fluttered in an invisible wind, and when he opened his eyes, they flashed with blue lightning—electric arcs sparking in his gaze.
"Ha!" For the third time, Genshi's shout pierced the clouds, shaking the heavens. His once hunched, frail body began to expand, muscles swelling until his yellow robe split at the seams.
In an instant, the sickly old man was gone. In his place stood a nine-foot giant, eight-pack abs rippling, a tiger's build, bear-like arms, a predator's waist. His back was inked with a fire-breathing blue dragon, its jaws open in fury—a complete transformation. Aming stared, dumbstruck, momentarily forgetting to retreat.
Master Genshi has tattoos? Was he some kind of street legend in his youth?!
"What the hell is that?" Fugaku nearly dropped his jaw. Beside him, Koharu Utatane spoke calmly, almost in awe.
"So that technique really exists…"
"Technique? What technique?" Fugaku demanded.
"The Blood Maitreya Technique—also called the Blood Qi Art. It's said to be the First Mizukage Byakuren's ultimate move. After Byakuren's death, some thought it lost, others whispered it was passed down to Master Genshi. No one's seen it for decades. To witness the Mist's secret art reappear… it's incredible."
"Blood Maitreya Technique?"
"It's a jutsu that ignites your hidden potential—burning blood essence to multiply your power several times over."
"Sounds a bit like our Konoha's Eight Gates."
"Similar, but not the same. This one also costs you physically, even shortens your lifespan, but it doesn't burn your life force directly like the Eight Gates. Don't ask me for details—I only know so much. Let's watch and see what this Blood Maitreya Technique can really do."
Koharu was only half right. The Blood Maitreya Technique did burn blood and essence, sharing some similarities with the Eight Gates, but its principle was different.
The Eight Gates forced open chakra points along the spine, burning the body's energy for explosive power.
But the Blood Maitreya Technique trained just one thing: the heart muscle—the very one involved in heart attacks. You can't control it at will; it governs your heartbeat, the core of your life.
The First Mizukage Byakuren had pioneered a way to control this muscle through a unique ninjutsu.
Mastering the technique meant controlling your own heart rate.
Normally, you'd slow your heartbeat, moving like a hibernating turtle—sluggish, almost dull.
But when you needed to fight, you'd ramp up your heartbeat—like flooring the gas pedal on an engine. Your body's functions would fire on all cylinders, chakra surging, strength multiplying. Not as extreme as the Eight Gates—you wouldn't shatter Madara with a single kick—but still terrifying.
Of course, every power has its price. The heart is an engine fueled by blood. Run it too hard, and you burn through your reserves. Long-term use means severe myocardial ischemia—potentially fatal. So this jutsu comes with a time limit, though it lasts far longer than the Eight Gates—about an hour.
There's another side effect: high blood pressure. When your heart pumps too fast, blood races through your veins, raising your pressure and risking all sorts of cardiovascular disasters. That's why Byakuren classified the Blood Maitreya Technique as a Mist forbidden jutsu.
Genshi was the living proof. His stroke was actually mild cerebral hemorrhage caused by practicing the Blood Maitreya Technique. (Back then, he'd tried to take down the Six-Tails jinchūriki Yeming solo—only to suffer a "cultivation mishap" before he even started.)
Which brings us to the real danger. Stroke patients must control their blood pressure. If it spikes, a second stroke can hit—paralysis at best, instant death at worst. By activating the Blood Maitreya Technique, Genshi was gambling with his life. But he had no choice—if the Three-Tails rolled into the village, Mist's last hope would be snuffed out.
Suddenly, Genshi vanished, reappearing at the Three-Tails' flank. Without hesitation, he launched a flying kick.
The blow sent the Three-Tails' massive body flying.
"Incredible!" Fugaku gasped. He could hardly believe a human—especially an old man—could unleash such force.
But Genshi wasn't done. As the Three-Tails hurtled toward the ground, Genshi flashed beneath it, spun, and delivered a flawless upward kick—sending the beast soaring back into the air.
Back and forth, the Three-Tails spun like a giant frisbee, tossed around by Genshi's relentless assault.
After dozens of exchanges, Genshi finally relented.
"Aming! I'm sealing the Three-Tails now. Get ready to replenish the jinchūriki's chakra—if she dies, the seal's worthless!" he called.
"Yes, Master!" Aming replied.
Genshi leaped high, hands weaving seals at blinding speed.
"Azure Kang Seal: Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon!"
A dragon's roar echoed. The blue dragon tattoo on Genshi's back peeled away, transforming into a spectral dragon-shaped seal that shot straight toward the Three-Tails!
"He actually carved the sealing formula into his skin!" Koharu exclaimed, stunned.
(The real Maitreya isn't some jolly fat monk—the true image is a powerhouse like this.)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
📚 BOOK COMPLETED ON PATREON!📚
This story has reached its conclusion on my Patreon!
🔥 Full story available now
💎 Exclusive bonus content & early access to new books
👉 Join my Patreon community today!
[✨patreon.com/DarkGolds]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━