"What kind of Lightning Release jutsu was that?" Kitsuchi gasped, sweating profusely as he endured the agonizing pain. He couldn't believe a jutsu of such speed existed; even he had nearly failed to react.
"Lightning Release: Thunderbird! A technique of my own invention! How does it taste? Actually, it doesn't have to be lethal; it works quite well for pinning and restricting an opponent's movement."
With that, Allen spread his ten fingers. Within seconds, ten sparrow-sized Thunderbirds condensed at his fingertips, and with a wave of his hands, he released them all.
Seeing this, Kitsuchi charged forward without hesitation. His plan was simple: since the jutsu was nearly impossible to dodge, he would force a close-quarters brawl. If he were hit, his opponent would be caught in the blast as well. It was a binding tactic to make Allen hesitate out of concern for his own safety.
"Comparing Taijutsu and close-quarter-combat with me? Not a wise choice..."
Allen spoke as he coated his fists in chakra, swinging a heavy blow at the middle-aged man charging him. This was a brawling style he developed based on the Ko principle from Nen.
The difference was that Nen was easy to control, whereas chakra was volatile. Once gathered, it had to be released immediately, or it would harm the user.
With his terrifying muscular explosive power and the chakra boost, a punch against a rock would cause a mountain to collapse, triggering a landslide.
Kitsuchi realized the danger. He wove signs to encase his arm in a thick layer of rock. "Earth Release: Rock Fist!"
Boom!
Their fists collided! Because chakra is more destructive than Nen, both were sent sliding backward across the ground. Allen stopped after three or four meters. Kitsuchi, however, slid back over ten meters before stabilizing. Shock filled his eyes.
"Monster... Monster Strength? Are you a disciple of Tsunade of the Sannin?!"
"Monster Strength? No, this is just a fist coated in ordinary chakra. I've never met Tsunade, let alone been her disciple," Allen shook his head in denial.
Tsunade's strength involved applying chakra throughout the body, while his was focused on a single point. Though this technique was in its infancy and he didn't dare channel too much chakra at once, its penetration and destructive power already surpassed the former.
"Another jutsu of your own invention? You really are a monster!" Kitsuchi's tone was full of wariness.
"Thanks for the compliment. From the very start, I had a different starting point than you so-called ninja, and I will only get stronger. So please, go all out, or you might die in the next second," Allen replied with a smile.
"In that case! Earth Release: Harden! Earth Spear! Rock Fist! Added-Weight Rock Technique!"
Kitsuchi didn't hesitate, unleashing every jutsu that could enhance his brawling capability. Harden made his body indestructible to block attacks; Earth Spear and Rock Fist enhanced the power of his strikes. Finally, the Added-Weight Rock Technique augmented the previous three, increasing the weight of the rock to drastically boost attack power and defense.
Having completed the four Earth Release jutsus, he had transformed into a black stone golem. Even a direct hit from a wrecking ball would likely leave him unscathed.
Observing the nearly indestructible defense, Allen smiled with satisfaction. "Good! A perfect sandbag! I suppose I should get a bit serious, too. Eight Inner Gates! Gate of Opening! Gate of Healing! Gate of Life! Gate of Pain! OPEN!"
Instantly!
As the four valves restricting his chakra flow were thrown open, chakra and blood surged with violent intensity. Simultaneously, his health on the Hunter profession panel began to slowly drain. Even with his physical stats, opening the first four of the Eight Gates caused terrifying damage to his body.
However, with the Hunter panel as protection, even opening up to the sixth gate wouldn't be a catastrophic issue.
"A... Forbidden Jutsu! Just how many terrifying jutsus have you mastered, kid?" Kitsuchi recognized the iconic Taijutsu. After all, Might Duy had once crippled the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist at the cost of his own life; the major nations had gathered plenty of intel on it.
"Don't worry, this is the last one. Come, while the others are still fighting, let's end this. My little pet is already drooling, eager to devour you."
With that, Allen shot forward like an arrow, launching a torrential barrage of punches.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Boom!
Kitsuchi was skilled in Taijutsu, but he couldn't keep pace with a Forbidden Jutsu-level technique like the Eight Inner Gates. If he hadn't reinforced his body beforehand, he would already be spitting blood. Even so, black stone shards were flying everywhere as he was forced into a purely defensive stance.
But as the son of the Tsuchikage and a veteran commander, he didn't panic. He protected his vitals with his reinforced arms, observing the direction and frequency of the attacks through the gaps. When he thought he could predict the next move, he dropped his defense and swung his right Rock Fist with all his might.
"Die!"
Unfortunately, he hit nothing but an afterimage. Before he could react, a sharp pain pierced his chest—it felt as though his heart had been skewered.
Looking down, he saw that Allen had switched from "Monster Strength" fists to Chakra Scalpels, piercing through his Harden jutsu. Blood erupted from the wound, and his strength vanished instantly.
"Sorry, game over."
Allen gently withdrew his blood-stained hand, switching from chakra mode to Nen mode.
The copying ability activated! In less than a second, an identical corpse of Kitsuchi appeared out of thin air.
"Vaelastrasz! Devour him!"
The red dragon, usually in necklace form, transformed into a massive head, opening its maw to spray the Flames of Life. Kitsuchi, his face frozen in shock, was burned into a cocoon and swallowed whole.