"It seems I underestimated you," Yuan said, taking a deep breath as she looked at Sakura, who appeared completely unharmed.
Initially, Yuan admitted, she had been surprised that the girl could move while being pummeled by the Water Formation Pillar, but Yuan hadn't been using her full strength then – it was more of a probe. However, after increasing her chakra output to its normal level, she hadn't expected Sakura to absorb the full force of the jutsu and emerge seemingly unscathed.
Sakura didn't give Yuan time to dwell on it. Raising her hands, she pointed both index fingers towards her opponent. "Try this! Water Bullet!"
This was an early ninjutsu Sakura had developed long before acquiring Storm Release. Now, needing to conceal her identity, she was resorting to techniques with lower recognition value.
A rapid stream of water bullets shot from her fingertips like machine gun fire, spraying towards Yuan. The rapid-fire application was something Sakura had improvised on the spot; her extensive combat experience since the formation of Team 7 had significantly refined her fine chakra control, allowing her this sudden burst of inspiration – concentrating her control to launch continuous, high-speed Water Bullets.
Seeing the dense barrage approaching, Yuan quickly moved to dodge. But the sheer number of projectiles and their speed made evasion difficult. A series of wet smacking sounds – papapa! – echoed as numerous bullets struck Yuan's body.
Damn, the power drop-off is severe! Sakura observed, shaking her head slightly in disappointment. The bullets were only pushing Yuan back, not piercing her defenses. If this rapid-fire version had the same penetrative power as a single, focused Water Bullet, Yuan would look like swiss cheese right now.
Seeing the limited effect, Sakura stopped the barrage. This impromptu modification, she noted, had significant drawbacks, not least of which was the considerable chakra consumption.
Yuan, though knocked back repeatedly by the impacts, was essentially unharmed physically. Inwardly, however, she was shocked. The power of the individual bullets might be low, but the technique itself – maintaining such a high rate of fire – definitely required A-rank levels of chakra control. But why? Yuan wondered, puzzled. Why would someone with such exquisite control waste time mastering such an inefficient, awkward jutsu? First, she'd tanked the Water Pillar head-on, now this... Yuan looked at Sakura with growing confusion. She seems strong, certainly, but maybe her tactical thinking isn't quite up to par?
"Hey, you," Yuan called out. "Which village are you from?"
"Enough talk, let's just fight!" Sakura retorted, having no interest in chatting. Relying on the toughness granted by her Hardening Technique, she gathered chakra into her fist and charged Yuan again.
She felt she had a decent grasp of Yuan's capabilities now. Unless the woman had a hidden trump card, this should be manageable. Closing the distance swiftly, Sakura threw a powerful punch aimed directly at Yuan's face. Just before impact, Yuan's figure flickered, instantly reappearing behind Sakura.
As Yuan swung her kunai towards Sakura's back, Sakura twisted sharply at the waist, using her core strength to whip her leg around in a vicious side kick aimed at Yuan. Yuan's pupils contracted; she quickly crossed her arms defensively in front of her chest. A resounding BANG! echoed as Sakura's kick connected with explosive force. Yuan was sent flying backward like a cannonball, crashing straight back into the same ruined shop Sakura had been knocked into moments before.
The battered wooden structure, unable to withstand a second devastating impact, groaned and trembled violently before collapsing entirely with a deafening roar of splintering wood and shattering debris, completely burying Yuan within the rubble.
Sakura didn't let her guard down, keenly aware that a moment of carelessness could lead to a fatal counterattack. Facing the pile of debris, she formed hand seals and slammed her palms onto the ground. Instantly, the street beneath her transformed into a muddy swamp, spreading rapidly outwards to engulf the entire collapsed building site.
Since we're fighting in a town street, best avoid unnecessary destruction if possible, Sakura thought, finding the Swamp of the Underworld technique incredibly practical for capture situations. She focused her chakra, extending her senses throughout the mire, searching for Yuan.
However, before she could locate her target within the swamp, the rubble, still slowly sinking into the mud, suddenly burst outwards. A figure leaped clear, landing lightly on solid ground in front of Sakura. It was Yuan.
"You have succeeded," Yuan stated, her voice devoid of warmth, "in thoroughly annoying me. Now, I'm getting serious."
"Oh? Then please, watch carefully," Sakura replied, her face adopting a playful, almost mocking expression, though her hands were already secretly preparing the seals for the Strength of a Hundred Technique.
This woman is much trickier than I expected, Sakura admitted internally. That last kick had utilized her Monster Strength; a typical Jonin hit with that much force would have ended up like Ryuta – broken arms, unconscious. Yet Yuan appeared completely unscathed, at least externally. Did she somehow endure the hit directly, or did she use a defensive jutsu at the last second to negate the impact?
Yuan's hands blurred through seals at an incredible speed. Suddenly, an intense, piercing sense of danger screamed through Sakura's senses – a feeling more potent than any she had ever experienced before. There was no time for thought. As Yuan's fingers formed the final "Bird" hand seal, Sakura instantly activated the Strength of a Hundred Technique.
The familiar diamond marking on her forehead unfurled, dark patterns spreading rapidly across her entire body. The potent, mutated Sage Chakra surged through her system. Just as the Seal fully released its power, Yuan completed her jutsu.
With a guttural heave, Yuan expelled a massive volume of viscous, milky-white liquid from her mouth. It spread upwards and outwards with astonishing speed, forming a vast canopy that blotted out the sky, before descending rapidly towards Sakura's position.
Sakura instinctively knew the white substance was extremely dangerous. Its range was enormous, covering the entire street. Running was impossible.
No choice then! Sakura quickly formed hand seals. "Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"
It was her only purely defensive ninjutsu. It has to be enough! A semi-spherical dome of churning water instantly enveloped her. As the white liquid rained down, contacting the water wall, it produced a violent hissing sound – Tssssssss! – and clouds of white smoke billowed upwards.
The Sage Chakra-enhanced Water Wall held, much to Sakura's relief. However, the viscous liquid completely coated the exterior of the water dome, obscuring her vision entirely. She didn't dare drop the shield.
After what felt like an eternity, Sakura sensed that the liquid outside might have solidified. Cautiously, she dispelled the Water Formation Wall. She found herself encased within a hard, opaque, white shell, perfectly molded to the shape of her previous water barrier.
What on earth is this jutsu?! Sakura wondered, completely bewildered. She was trapped inside a dark, hemispherical prison. The liquid had felt incredibly dangerous, but was this its only effect? Just trapping her? It didn't seem that lethal on its own.
Forming seals again, Sakura channeled chakra to her hand. Crackling purple lightning illuminated the small space – her own makeshift Raikiri-brand flashlight, since she didn't know any Fire Style jutsu for illumination. She cautiously approached the inner wall of the white shell and tentatively touched it with a finger.
Agony, immediate and intense, shot up her arm, nearly bringing tears to her eyes. Looking down by the purple light of her hand, Sakura watched in horror as the flesh of her fingertip visibly corroded at an alarming rate. Skin melted away, revealing raw muscle underneath, the bone almost exposed within moments.
Shocked, Sakura instantly dispelled the lightning and formed a healing seal. A tingling numbness spread from her fingertip as Creation Rebirth kicked in, rapidly regenerating the damaged tissue. Within seconds, her finger was restored to normal.
This stuff is incredibly corrosive! What is it made of? Sakura activated her Raikiri-light again, examining the shell wall more closely, but could discern nothing unusual about its composition. I didn't expect her to have a trump card like this. Is she just trying to trap me in here until I suffocate or starve?
Then, a more chilling thought occurred. No... she probably didn't intend to just trap me. She likely wanted this corrosive substance to eat right through my defenses and dissolve me directly. It's a good thing the Sage Chakra boosted my Water Wall; a normal version would have been penetrated instantly.
Just as she was contemplating this, the white shell around her suddenly began to move. The walls started contracting inwards, shrinking the space around her. A wave of terror washed over Sakura.
Shit! Cold sweat beaded on her forehead. She must know I'm still alive! She's trying to crush me and dissolve me completely!
Damn it all! Fine! Sakura thought desperately, steeling her resolve. Just wait until I get out of here! I swear, I'll kill you!
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