No matter how powerful the founder was, looking purely from the perspective of techniques, the longer shinobi existed throughout history, the number of ninjutsu would only increase. It would never decrease.
After all, creation had no end.
A ridiculous genius could develop the Flying Thunder God Technique. The student of a ridiculous genius could develop the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique. The student of the student of the student of a ridiculous genius could develop the Rasengan and improve the Flying Thunder God Technique. And the son of the student of the student of the student of a ridiculous genius could improve the Rasengan again and develop the Sexy Technique.
As for the system known as the "shinobi world," the Sage of Six Paths had established the framework, while the shinobi who came after him wrote new entries into that framework. That was why it had grown richer and richer.
Hagoromo's Chidori Current, third stage, was a technique originally intended as the ultimate application of Chidori Current's taijutsu enhancement. After it was developed, it did indeed produce that kind of effect. Objectively speaking, it was absolutely a very valuable technique.
It could compare to the Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode and Konoha's Eight Gates, yet its restrictions and cost were weaker than both of those.
The difficulty of training in this technique lay not so much in the practice itself, but rather in the basic prerequisites.
First, it required the user to possess extremely high resistance or affinity toward Lightning Release. Second, and more importantly—indeed, most importantly—it required the sealing formula that Hagoromo had developed, tested, and improved step by step.
Without that formula, theoretically speaking, Chidori Current, third stage, could not be used.
But how long had it been since they started fighting? The Sage of Six Paths was already able to use a technique with a similar formula and the same effect.
All changes remained rooted in the same source. For the origin point of all ninjutsu, understanding a complex, high-level ninjutsu and being able to use it in such a short time was astonishing, but not exaggerated.
Aside from his astounding comprehension, the Sage of Six Paths also possessed the power to govern all techniques: kekkei mōra.
But understanding was one thing. At this moment, Hagoromo's first reaction was:
The Sage of Six Paths was playing dirty!
Talent went without saying. The Sage of Six Paths was the second most outrageous prodigy born from the most outrageous bloodline in history. But did his talent and learning ability really need to go this far?
Putting everything else aside, in terms of learning ninjutsu, Hagoromo was basically already absurdly good. But from the look of things now, the Sage of Six Paths left him eight streets behind.
However, Hagoromo's shock lasted only an instant, because the Sage of Six Paths had already charged right in front of him!
As the developer and original user of Chidori Current, third stage, Hagoromo naturally knew exactly how powerful this move was: taking one punch from it was no different from taking a cannon blast.
Faced with such an offensive, Sage Mode's defensive power might not necessarily hold up. Even if he used electrical current at the absolute limit for defense, it was hard to say whether it would take effect before the attack reached his body.
Therefore, Hagoromo could not tank it head-on. He could only dodge.
In an instant, nearly all the energy in his body concentrated into his legs. At the same time, electrical current amplified, pressurized, and built up power. Then, in the very next instant, he flashed sideways by the narrowest of margins.
He dodged just before that blow could land!
And why was Hagoromo able to outspeed Chidori Current, third stage, in that instant?
The reason was simple. What Hagoromo used at that moment was electromagnetic catapulting. If he could launch Rashōmon, then naturally he could launch himself.
To put it simply, the same way an aircraft carrier catapulted a heavy early-warning aircraft into the air was the same way Hagoromo had just catapulted himself…
The speed was astonishing, but in that hurried moment, Hagoromo also cut a very sorry figure. As for the burden this move placed on his body… now that was what you called a burden.
He did not even skip across the water. Once again, he plunged headfirst straight into it.
With one careless mistake, he might have slammed himself into the seabed and killed himself, but fortunately, his angle of entry was very shallow. He sliced diagonally downward into the water.
The trace beneath the water stretched far into the distance. Only several minutes later did Hagoromo finally float back up.
Even so, he still needed a short time to recover. At this moment, the Sage of Six Paths did not choose to press his advantage.
"Any formula or technique, if used in front of you, runs the risk of being taken?"
After catching his breath, Hagoromo asked the Sage of Six Paths. There was basically nothing puzzling about his question.
Among all techniques, sealing techniques could generally be called the most complicated. If even a sealing technique could be understood instantly, then there would basically be no issue with other techniques either.
Unexpectedly, however, the Sage of Six Paths shook his head.
"There is no need for that."
The Sage of Six Paths had tried using Hagoromo's technique largely because he was curious. Other factors did not make up the main reason.
In truth, whether it was taijutsu or nin-taijutsu, the Sage himself had already reached an almost perfect level. The meaning behind his words was also very clear. He would not continue using Hagoromo's techniques not because he could not learn them, but because there was no need to.
As if to prove that point, after he finished speaking, the lightning markings on his body faded away.
Hagoromo nodded, indicating that he understood.
But even so, he could no longer casually use ninjutsu in front of the Sage of Six Paths. Even if the other party did not "copy" his techniques, simply being able to fully understand them after seeing them would cause Hagoromo's techniques to lose their proper threat.
"If ninjutsu cannot be used, then… for the technique I use next, if you can still understand it, Sage, then I'll have no choice but to admit defeat."
Hagoromo spoke again.
Yes, if the Sage of Six Paths could still understand this next move, Hagoromo was prepared to accept defeat right away… But the thing he was about to use was something the Sage could not possibly understand at all.
Hagoromo still had no choice but to return to his old path of firing cannons.
Could the Sage of Six Paths analyze and then use "Raien Jūkoku"?
So when the Railgun was fired, the Sage of Six Paths was still somewhat stunned. Given his monitoring of the tailed beasts, he still had some impression of this attack method. After all, the Three-Tails had been blasted into submission by exactly this.
But having an impression of it and actually facing the move were completely different things.
To the Sage of Six Paths, no matter how heaven-defying a technique was, it was still a technique. There was nothing incomprehensible about it. But what Hagoromo was using here… setting aside whether it was strong or weak for the moment, where was the chakra?
Learning ninjutsu quickly was not playing dirty. Any "ninjutsu" that did not use chakra was what truly counted as playing dirty.
The defense of a Truth-Seeking Ball could be as thin as paper, yet remain unbreakable against the iron-sand sword. But against the Railgun's extreme violent output, that was not the case.
After realizing the power of this move, the Sage of Six Paths instantly arranged layer after layer of defense along the Railgun's attack path.
Then…
One layer, two layers, three layers. Only after piercing through three layers of defense was Hagoromo's attack finally stopped.
Although the attack had achieved results, Hagoromo sensed something abnormal…
The Truth-Seeking Ball defense was somewhat different compared to before. But where exactly was the difference?
He could not figure it out, but immediately afterward, he understood.
The Sage of Six Paths had appeared directly before Hagoromo's eyes by some unknown method!
The Truth-Seeking Ball defense had only been a feint. After the Truth-Seeking Ball barrier opened, the Sage of Six Paths had disappeared behind it!
The two hands marked with the sun and moon symbols enlarged before Hagoromo's eyes, then pressed onto his shoulders at the same time. In an instant, he felt his consciousness blur.
This powerful attack method that did not use chakra had made the Sage of Six Paths notice Hagoromo's abnormality. After realizing the true threat, he began using his ultimate move.
What was the strongest sealing technique?
It was what the Sage of Six Paths was using right now.
He used a sealing technique formed by the combined effect of the powers of yin and yang and the Rinnegan:
Six Paths: Chibaku Tensei.
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