"Ahhhh!"
"What kind of strength does this brat have!?"
"He just blew a hole in the ground the size of a crater!"
With Leo's punch, shockwaves rippled outward in concentric circles, shaking the earth like an earthquake.
The fusion of Monster Strength and Armament Haki — two powers united — finally unleashed its true destructive brilliance.
The seven Hidden Mist Chūnin were thrown into chaos. Some panicked, others hastily coated their legs with chakra and leapt onto the nearby trees.
Even among shinobi, there were always those with weak nerves — and Leo knew how to eEXPloit that. He deliberately targeted the ones whose fear showed in their eyes.
Soru! Continuous use of Soru!
Each time his foot struck the ground or air, swirling eddies of pressure burst beneath him. His figure blurred into a flash of light, his speed eEXPlosive!
At Level 3, his Soru's range had extended from thirty meters to sixty — its speed doubled, now fully equivalent to a high-level Body Flicker Technique.
And when Leo infused it with his Lightning-nature Chakra, his movements became a streak of lightning darting through the void — a phantom that appeared everywhere at once.
"Chidori – Thrust!"
In a flash, his lightning blade pierced through the chest of another Mist ninja.
One kill. Clean and precise. No hesitation.
He vanished again in a burst of static.
"Secret Art – Spiral Force!"
Another monstrous punch landed — the shockwave blasted a Mist shinobi's heart into pulp, leaving a gaping hole in his chest.
In the span of two breaths, seven Chūnin had already become five.
Each life taken sent a jolt of exhilaration through Leo. Instead of discomfort, he felt thrill, even addiction — battle, blood, growth… This was the kind of life he desired!
Whoosh!
He paused, landing upside-down on a tree trunk, chakra anchoring his feet. Looking down from above, he raised his right hand — white lightning flickered in his palm, a streak of black blood trailing down his cheek.
In that moment, his eEXPression was dark and wicked — like a demon born from battle.
The surviving Mist assassins trembled at the sight. When they looked at the corpses of their comrades — one electrocuted, abdomen split open with entrails spilling out; another with a gaping hole where his heart should've been — they froze in horror.
"What a devilish brat! Attack together!" barked the squad leader, wariness in his eyes.
"Yes, Captain!"
The five Mist ninjas sprang into the air, surrounding Leo from all directions. Each one wielded a kunai or shuriken, launching their assault in unison!
For lower-ranked shinobi, battles often boiled down to taijutsu exchanges. Their chakra reserves were limited — a few C-rank or B-rank jutsu and they'd be running on empty.
Ninjutsu existed for one reason only: to end the fight in a single strike.
"Humph!"
Leo snorted, a disdainful smile tugging at his lips. When it came to taijutsu — he feared no one.
He leapt straight into their formation.
"Observation Haki — On!"
His body tilted just slightly — and the shuriken that would've pierced his neck missed by inches.
Through subtle footwork and perfect predictive evasion, Leo slipped through their five-man barrage without taking a single hit.
Then, both his arms turned black — hardened by Armament Haki — and he struck the air itself!
The invisible force burst outward, blasting two Chūnin away as if struck by an unseen hammer.
From that close a distance, Leo's cold gaze was piercing. His brows arched, and an overwhelming aura erupted from his forehead.
Conqueror's Haki — Release!
The skies dimmed. The wind howled. Pressure suffused the forest.
Under that crushing wave of willpower, three of the Chūnin staggered, eyes rolling back — completely stunned and defenseless!
"Chidori – Triple Thrust!"
A flash of lightning burst forward — Leo pierced through all three in one strike.
As for the two who had been blown away earlier — he didn't spare them either. He dashed forward and finished them off with ruthless efficiency.
Kill.
In barely a few dozen breaths, all seven Mist Chūnin lay dead.
It wasn't that they were weak — it was that Leo's attacks were too fast, too strange, and too merciless.
Huff, huff, huff—
Leo panted heavily. Consecutively killing seven Chūnin wasn't as easy as it looked. It had far surpassed his body's usual limits, draining immense physical stamina.
Such intensity couldn't be sustained a second time in one day.
Ding! EEXPerience +400!
EEXPerience +600!
EEXPerience +800!
…
In total, seven Chūnin granted 4,200 eEXPerience points.
Now his total stood at 9,500 / 10,000.
Just five hundred more, and he'd level up again — his strength would take another leap forward!
"Morning Peacock!"
A righteous roar split the air. From afar, a peacock-like cry echoed through the battlefield.
The flooded plain in the distance boiled violently — within the raging river, two towering water giants emerged!
The Hydrification Technique — the signature of the Hōzuki Clan, who grew stronger in water!
Opposite them, Might Duy blazed with emerald flames of chakra. His speed was so great that he hovered momentarily in midair!
His fists struck out in a flurry, each punch igniting the air itself. The friction created bursts of fire, forming waves of flaming impacts that rained down upon the water giants.
The spectacle was breathtaking — like a shower of falling stars, each strike as brilliant as dawn. Hence the name — Morning Peacock.
Countless fiery blows pounded the watery giants. The sheer heat of his fists evaporated the river, boiling it away in clouds of steam.
The two Mist jonin who had used the Hydrification Technique were overwhelmed, forced to cancel their transformation in panic.
One of them was sent flying, crashing violently to the ground — right at Leo's feet.
The man barely breathed; his life was hanging by a thread.
A perfect opportunity. A free eEXPerience pack delivered straight to him — how could Leo refuse?
The jonin's eyes fluttered open, just in time to see a blackened fist descending upon him.
BOOM!
The Armament Haki + Monster Strength punch smashed through his skull — blood and bone scattering.
Ding! EEXPerience +1300. Total: 10,800.
A clean kill. Smooth and satisfying.
"Assist of the day, courtesy of Might Duy!" Leo grinned, flashing a thumbs-up toward the Green Beast.
But before he could finish the gesture, Duy stumbled forward, collapsing to his knees. White steam poured from his body, his vision swimming. The backlash from opening the Sixth Gate had struck — his stamina was completely spent!
"Hahaha… the time limit on your forbidden technique is up!" The last surviving Mist jonin roared in triumph, eyes bloodshot with rage.
"Brother!!!"
His grief turned to fury — the Hōzuki clan was already few in number; the death of one was a heavy blow.
"Don't you dare touch Leo-kun!" Duy forced himself up, staggering into position between Leo and the enemy. His face hardened, green flames still flickering weakly around him.
"Nicely done, Duy — what a perfect assist!" Leo praised again.
But even as he spoke, Duy's legs gave out completely, and he fell to the ground, white vapor escaping his body as his eyes rolled back.
"Leo-kun…" he rasped, arm trembling as he reached out. "Don't worry about me… just run…"
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