Green steam began to burn on the body, spreading like mist and flames.
Even the Konoha Ninja beside him looked at Duy in surprise.
Although they knew that Duy's power would increase exponentially by opening the Eight Inner Gates, the explosive power of the Chakra was indeed exaggerated.
Boom!
Duy's figure instantly vanished from where he stood.
The sandy ground beneath his feet emitted a sound of explosion, and boundless sand was stirred up in an instant, obscuring everyone's view.
In the whirlwind of sand, Ruri squinted her eyes subconsciously due to the obstructed view, the corners of her mouth lightly curling into a smile.
"Green steam... This is the sign of opening the third gate, the Life Gate. However, for a warm-up, I feel the speed and power of the third gate are still somewhat lacking."
"Whether the speed and power are lacking, such things are only known through battle!"
Duy's voice was heard, but because of his rapid movement, it was impossible to discern which direction it came from.
Only the sharp sound of cutting through the air was heard, as his figure suddenly flickered to Ruri's back, spinning mid-air with a fierce sweep of his right leg.
Ruri quickly turned around, concentrating power in her right hand, and swung the Chakra Blade fiercely.
The blade swiftly passed through Duy's body.
"Afterimage?"
The Chakra Blade hit only a shadow lingering in the air.
Realizing this, Ruri immediately raised her left hand, her palm pointed downwards.
Duy's foot, attacking from below, was lightly palmed by Ruri, preventing it from kicking her chin.
"I see, the previous spinning kick was a feint. And this high kick was intending to use Primary Lotus on me."
His tactics were thwarted, surprising Duy, who retracted his foot and swiftly retreated backward.
Before he could stabilize on the sand, a chilling sensation came from behind.
Duy didn't have time to stabilize and directly displaced with his left foot, tilting his body sideways towards the ground.
His hair fell before his eyes, the dark red blade nearly brushing past his face.
Boom!
A fireball spewed from Ruri's mouth, hitting Duy directly and mercilessly blasting him away.
The green steam surrounding Duy's body acted as a protective layer, so the burn from the fireball wasn't severe.
He agilely bounced up during the roll, arms spread open.
The green steam deepened further, his jaw slightly tightened, as Chakra continuously erupted from within.
Ruri clearly heard the sound of Duy's body straining.
"The Pain Gate is opened too? Now things get interesting."
Ruri, holding the Chakra Blade, contemplated whether Duy's current strength could satisfy her, then pushed off the sand with her feet, lightly leaping forward, full of intent to kill.
"Your opponent includes us too!"
A Konoha Ninja, wearing a trench coat and black sunglasses, motioned with his hands, releasing a swarm of black clouds from his sleeves, intercepting Ruri's path towards Duy.
"Don't interfere!"
Ruri took a deep breath, and a huge fireball was once again spewed out, engulfing the black insect cloud.
Unexpectedly, the black insect cloud remained unscathed in the flames, and excited sounds came from their mandibles as they crazily devoured the fire; within a moment, the fireball was gnawed clean by the black insect cloud.
The black shells of the insects, bathed in the scorching flames, now appeared even smoother and shinier.
Upon witnessing this scene, Ruri frowned slightly.
The black insect cloud, in a surrounding formation, rushed forward slightly opening their mandibles, seemingly wanting to devour her like they did the flames.
Ruri's gaze flickered, she halted her steps, and the surroundings suddenly flooded with dark red tangible Chakra, forming a sturdy, enormous skeleton to protect her body.
The black insect cloud attacked, crazily gnawing at the external tangible Chakra.
Suddenly, as though poisoned, the insects' wing flapping visibly slowed, and one by one, they fell to the ground.
The face of the Aburame Clan's Jonin turned slightly pale, immediately recalling the insect cloud back to his body for recovery.
In a twist of fate, as the insects returned to his body for nurturing, the Aburame Clan Jonin's body suddenly stiffened, dark intentions of slaughter and destruction quickly infiltrated his mind, his pupils dyed pitch black, emitting painful howls unlike a human, more like a beast that had lost its sanity.
Countless black insects scattered from the Aburame Clan Jonin, crashing around nearby like headless flies.
The Aburame Clan Jonin, unable to bear the weight, collapsed to the ground, rolling wildly, the black sunglasses shattered, something was squirming beneath the skin on his face, revealing his gruesome visage.
"Chakra is best not absorbed indiscriminately, it could be fatal."
Ruri, watching the tragic state of the Aburame Clan Jonin, remarked indifferently.
The Konoha Ninja, upon hearing Ruri's words, gritted their teeth in anger.
Ignoring their furious gazes, the dark red skeletal frame protecting Ruri's body swiftly fused with meridians and flesh, donning armor and helmet, instantly forming into a formidable Dark Blood Warrior.
The Chakra Blade in her hand dissipated, but the half-body warrior's hand condensed a larger scale Chakra Blade.
Her gaze swept into the distance, where a stretch of black spread from the dune as the Hidden Sand Village's assault battalion officially arrived on the battlefield.
The Three Tomoe in her pupils swiftly transformed into the Mangekyo Sharingan, spreading a cold aura around, making the surrounding Konoha Ninja feel as if sitting on needles, their spines chilled.