Storm Release — a Bloodline Limit born from the fusion of Water Release and Lightning Release.
Its power is formidable. While lightning alone is difficult to control, combining it with water allows that volatile energy to be condensed and directed. The result is a chakra nature that trades a little of lightning's raw speed for far greater stability and destructive potential.
For most shinobi, that's a trade worth making.
"Great Sage, how long will it take to calculate the fusion for Storm Release?"
[Great Sage: If the host's body is used for computation, the estimated time required is one hour.]
"One hour?"
That was surprisingly short. When calculating Ice Release, Boil Release, and other advanced nature transformations before, it had taken almost an entire day.
Now it was only an hour — a clear sign of progress.
Shigure nodded to himself. "Alright, let's begin."
[Great Sage: Acquiring host's body control.]
From a detached, god's-eye perspective, Shigure felt his body shift.
Water flowed from his left hand.
Lightning sparked to life in his right.
When the two forces met, the reaction was unlike the violent clashes he'd experienced during earlier fusions. This time, the combination was smooth — almost serene — as if the chakra natures were naturally attuned to one another.
A new element was being born.
The crackling roar of lightning softened as it merged into a luminous torrent. The radiance of the newly-formed Storm Release grew brighter, more stable — a steady current of contained destruction.
Compared to raw lightning, its glow was cleaner, purer. The wild, uncontrolled discharges had vanished, replaced by a refined and focused beam of energy.
Still…
It's not quite what I imagined. It's not pure light — more like a laser.
He frowned. Lasers and light weren't the same. Light was the source — pure energy — while a laser was merely concentrated light. The difference, though subtle, was fundamental.
As he pondered this, the Great Sage spoke again.
[Great Sage: The host may attempt to integrate Yin Release to evolve Storm Release further, potentially transforming it into a true Light-based technique.]
Shigure's eyes lit up. "Yin Release… it can be fused too?"
[Great Sage: Indeed. Just as Wood Release is strengthened by Yang Release, Yin Release can be integrated into Ninjutsu as well.]
[Yin Release enhances the scope, speed, and nature of a technique. Yang Release increases its power and limits.]
[The Sage Art: Storm Release – Light Fang recorded in the host's memory is the result of combining both Yin and Yang Releases, giving rise to its devastating power.]
"Sage Art: Storm Release – Light Fang…"
So Madara had managed to wield a light-attribute technique after all?
[Great Sage: Negative. Sage Art: Storm Release – Light Fang is merely a Ninjutsu that mimics light. By channeling Yin and Yang chakra into Storm Release, the caster can generate a light-like beam — but this does not constitute mastery over Light Release itself.]
"So… Madara only used the technique, not the nature transformation behind it."
[Great Sage: Correct.]
Shigure's lips curved into a grin.
"If I integrate Yin Release directly… could I truly create Light Release?"
[Great Sage: Probability of success exceeds 80%.]
Eighty percent? That was astonishing.
"Then let's do it."
But a thought struck him before he began. "Wait, how long will this take?"
[Great Sage: Estimated duration — three days.]
"Three days? Why so long?"
[Great Sage: Yin Release is highly abstract and complex. The transformation process requires multiple iterations to achieve the desired result.]
In other words, he would need to refine it through trial and error.
Shigure sighed. "Alright. If anything feels off, I'll stop the process immediately."
[Great Sage: Understood.]
With that, Shigure began integrating the third attribute. As Yin Release chakra flowed into the mix, Storm Release began to fluctuate wildly.
What had been calm and stable moments ago turned restless, unstable — like a storm barely held in check.
Before his eyes, the chakra shifted form after form:
Black lightning.
Liquid shadow.
Lightless flame.
The creative essence of Yin Release manifested in endless possibilities, reshaping the very concept of Storm Release.
Shigure watched in awe, his senses overwhelmed by the spectacle.
And in what felt like a mere heartbeat—
An entire day had passed.
Mei Terumī had dispatched several shinobi to check on Shigure's situation.
Their reports were baffling.
He hadn't left Kirigakure — if he had, the entire village would've been in an uproar. Instead, he remained on the island, completely focused on his training.
Two days passed.
And still, there was no sign of rest.
The Mist shinobi stationed nearby were both awed and terrified. Throughout the night, the island glowed with an eerie, unending light. Strange roars echoed through the air, and the chakra fluctuations were so intense that even the sky above seemed to ripple.
By the third day, the phenomenon showed no signs of stopping.
But for Shigure himself, time had lost all meaning. Immersed in the fusion process, he was unaware of how long he'd been in meditation.
After countless calculations and refinements from the Great Sage, the balance was finally found.
The precise ratio of three chakra natures—Water, Lightning, and Yin Release—was established.
And then—
A new form of chakra was born.
Light.
It shimmered faintly in his palm, a soft radiance condensed through immense chakra consumption. Shigure's eyes narrowed as he examined it carefully.
The five basic elemental natures could produce countless derivative powers. When combined with Yin and Yang Release, the possibilities expanded even further—one shaping form, the other amplifying power.
That meant, in theory, any elemental transformation could be achieved.
Sand, acid, mist—
Even light and shadow themselves.
It all came down to how far one could push the transformation of chakra.
Just like the Third Tsuchikage's Dust Release, a Bloodline Limit born from the fusion of multiple elements, Light Release was another step beyond conventional limits.
"Great Sage, am I correct in my understanding?"
[Great Sage: Theoretically, yes.]
"Theoretically?" Shigure raised a brow.
[Great Sage: Achieving it in practice is far more complex. For example, without sufficient mastery over water transformation, even controlling water-nature chakra would prove difficult. The fusion of two chakra natures alone is already an immense challenge.]
"I see…"
So even someone like the Sage of Six Paths, who possessed mastery over all elements, might not have been able to fully harness every possible Bloodline Limit. Having all chakra natures didn't automatically mean one could perfectly use them.
Raising his hand toward the horizon, Shigure gathered the glowing light at his fingertip.
The air trembled.
"Let's see what you can do."
He lightly flicked his finger forward—
—and a blinding beam of light tore through the air.
The moment it erupted, it streaked across the sea faster than sound, leaving a luminous trail in its wake before colliding with the distant waves.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion split the ocean apart. Steam and mist billowed upward, and a towering pillar of light illuminated the sky.
The two Mist shinobi standing guard could only stare in stunned silence.
Their faces went pale.
"That… came from the island," one of them murmured, his voice trembling.
The other swallowed hard, eyes fixed on the distant glow. "You don't think… that was him, do you?"
The light still flickered faintly across the waves — a silent testament to Shigure's latest creation.
Light Release.
A power that blurred the boundary between chakra and pure energy.
And this was only the beginning.
...
TN:
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