Shennong's massive, hyper-muscular body bent violently backward into a horrifying bow shape. The sickening, wet sound of his thick ribs snapping and his internal organs shifting and rupturing under the catastrophic impact was entirely audible over the roar of the rain.
"POOF—!"
A massive mouthful of boiling blood mixed with fragments of ruptured lung tissue sprayed violently from Shennong's mouth.
His body flew backward like a fired cannonball, snapping seven ancient, thick tree trunks in a row before crashing brutally into the remnants of Orochimaru's viper swarm.
Those surviving, highly venomous snakes instantly took the opportunity to strike Shennong, sinking their fangs deep into his paralyzed, bleeding body.
Dust, wood splinters, and gray smoke filled the air of the canyon. The freezing rain continued to fall heavily, washing away the massive bloodstains painted across the mud.
Kurenai and Genma watched the scene from the perimeter in absolutely stunned, paralyzed silence.
Kiyohara... actually sent a monster who had opened the Sixth Gate flying with a single punch?!
Orochimaru's golden eyes shone with startling, fanatical brightness.
He was genuinely, profoundly surprised that Kiyohara possessed a "monstrous strength" similar to Tsunade's legendary taijutsu. He carefully examined the fading, dark metallic luster that had not yet fully receded from Kiyohara's chest and arms.
'Earth Release: Earth Spear... quite flawlessly cultivated,' Orochimaru analyzed clinically.
The Sannin then walked slowly toward the cratered ruins where Shennong had crashed.
Amidst the mass of biting snakes, Shennong's broken body was currently undergoing a horrifyingly rapid, biological recovery.
Pulverized muscles writhed incessantly like worms, violently shattered bones snapped and knit themselves back together with sickening cracks, and ruptured internal organs were being aggressively repaired by dark chakra.
That cellular recovery speed had already vastly exceeded the scope of ordinary Medical Ninjutsu. Even Tsunade's Mystical Palm Technique could not achieve such a rapid, violent healing effect without shortening the user's lifespan.
"The Body Revival technique... truly, endlessly fascinating," Orochimaru commented, a dark smile curling his lips.
"Heh... brats these days are really, terrifyingly strong," Shennong grunted, slowly standing up and aggressively ripping a viper off his neck. He rubbed his bruised, healed abdomen.
The absolute strongest, most overpowered boost from his Body Revival forbidden technique was its cellular recovery ability; his other base physical aspects were actually somewhat mediocre compared to a true taijutsu specialist like Might Duy. But Shennong firmly believed that once he completely mastered the dark chakra of the Zero-Tails, he would bridge that gap and receive a massive, permanent power-up.
"It seems... I will have to wait until later to settle the blood score with you, Orochimaru."
Shennong knew with absolute certainty that he wouldn't succeed today. That Konoha teenager possessed both immense, monstrous physical strength and a completely impenetrable, hardened body; if they kept fighting a war of attrition, Shennong might actually suffer cardiac arrest and die here.
The reason was simple: Orochimaru was still watching him from the sidelines like an apex predator, completely uninjured and full of chakra. Shennong absolutely couldn't afford to let Orochimaru analyze his combat data any further while he exhausted himself fighting.
Shennong stomped the ground violently, instantly splitting open deep ravines several meters long across the mud, and the bodies of the remaining venomous snakes all burst apart from the kinetic shockwave.
Shennong gave Orochimaru and Kiyohara one last, hateful look before turning and rushing into the thick curtain of rain, disappearing completely into the depths of the forest in a few massive leaps.
Orochimaru did not order a pursuit.
Who knew if Shennong had a cell of Sky Ninja snipers waiting in the canopy to back him up? There were no Konoha reinforcements here; with the enemy in the shadows and his squad in the light, he had to be cautious.
Letting Shennong escape would allow the man to continue finalizing his forbidden technique, and then Orochimaru could simply hunt him down and harvest the perfected research at the end.
Moreover, their primary objective for this deployment had already been successfully achieved.
Collecting the biological tissue samples from Kano Rō's corpse.
"Kiyohara... you always seem to surprise me," Orochimaru turned around, his eyes gleaming.
"It was just statistical luck, Lord Orochimaru; he arrogantly underestimated his enemy," Kiyohara said coldly. The skin on his torso was gradually returning to its normal, pale color.
Orochimaru gave a non-committal smile and walked toward Rō's massive corpse. He drew a specialized storage scroll from his robes, and after forming precise hand seals, perfectly sealed the heavy corpse inside.
"The mission is successfully completed. We fall back to Konoha."
The torrential rain finally stopped, the bruised dark clouds dispersed, and warm sunlight spilled through the gaps in the canopy.
Kiyohara and the other three stepped onto the familiar soil of the Land of Fire, the suffocating moisture in the air instantly replaced by a dry, comfortable warmth.
"The Land of Fire is still the most comfortable place on earth," Genma stretched his arms wide, spitting out his senbon. "In that depressing swamp, I felt like I was going to biologically grow mold if I stayed any longer."
Kurenai nodded in deep agreement, then turned to look at Kiyohara, her ruby eyes shining. "Kiyohara... that last counter-punch was amazing! You actually sent a monster who had opened the Sixth Gate flying! How did you generate that much force?"
"It was just a simple trick of leverage," Kiyohara explained smoothly. "His attack pattern was far too linear and predictable. He relied entirely on raw physical speed to charge blindly. I planted my feet, prepared my density in advance, and used his own massive momentum against him, catching his center of gravity off guard."
This explanation was barely plausible, but Kurenai and Genma were no fools. They could clearly see that the apocalyptic kinetic power contained in Kiyohara's punch was definitely not as simple as a mere 'trick of leverage.'
However, among shinobi, respecting each other's combat secrets and bloodline privacy was basic etiquette. Since Kiyohara clearly didn't want to elaborate, they wouldn't press him.
Orochimaru walked at the very front of the formation, remaining completely silent the entire journey.
In his brilliant, analytical mind, he repeatedly, obsessively replayed the microscopic scenes of the brutal clash between Kiyohara and Shennong: that instantaneous, pitch-black hardening ability, that immovable, absolute defense, and that monstrous kinetic power that effortlessly blasted away a Sixth Gate user...
'Can 'Earth Release: Earth Spear' really reach that level of molecular density?' Orochimaru thought to himself. 'No. I've heard there's an elite Rogue Ninja from Takigakure (Kakuzu) who also utilizes 'Earth Spear,' but intelligence reports state it definitely doesn't possess this kind of absolute, impenetrable defensive power.'
'Is it a genetic improvement? Or is it... the unique, localized power of Kiyohara's Magnet Release reinforcing the armor?' Orochimaru recalled the magnetic repulsion Kiyohara had used previously.
But there was another, far more terrifying biological possibility: that Kiyohara had somehow spontaneously developed a secondary, body-strengthening Bloodline Limit.
It was just that the mathematical odds of this possibility were astronomically low—so statistically low it was almost biologically impossible without intensive genetic engineering. Orochimaru chose to temporarily exclude this option from his hypothesis.
If Kiyohara truly mastered both Magnet Release and some kind of secondary, body-strengthening Bloodline Limit simultaneously... then the boy's genetic potential far, far exceeded his wildest expectations.
However, no matter how low the statistical probability... the possibility still existed.
Orochimaru looked back at Kiyohara's calm face. Given Kiyohara's terrifyingly deep understanding of Earth Release ninjutsu, it wouldn't be entirely incomprehensible if he really did force a secondary mutation.
A few days later. Konoha Village.
The familiar, towering Hokage Rock came into view, and the elite ANBU guarding the main gates immediately recognized Orochimaru, bowing respectfully to let the Sannin's squad pass.
"You three go back to your quarters and rest," Orochimaru instructed his genin. "I am going directly to the Hokage Building to submit the mission report."
Orochimaru paused, looking directly at Kiyohara.
"Kiyohara. I will report your flawless combat performance this time entirely truthfully. I believe Sarutobi-sensei will see your strategic value in a completely new light."
Kiyohara nodded in deep thanks, parted ways with Kurenai and Genma, and returned directly to his civilian apartment.
After taking a scalding shower to wash away his exhaustion, Kiyohara sat on the edge of his bed and began to clinically organize the biometric gains from this mission.
First was the complete inheritance of Steel Release.
Now, his microscopic understanding of the element had reached Kano Rō's veteran level, perhaps even surpassing it. For the exact same impenetrable defensive effect, Kiyohara now only needed to consume roughly seventy percent of the raw chakra that Kano Rō had required.
Second was the massive, permanent increase in his baseline chakra volume.
His current chakra reserves had undeniably, firmly crossed the physiological threshold of an Elite Jonin. If Kiyohara's microscopic chakra control continued to improve under Tsunade's medical texts, he could further increase the efficiency of his jutsu usage exponentially.
"It's still entirely not enough..." Kiyohara clenched his fist, feeling the raw power in his bones.
"Facing a true Kage-level expert, I am still too weak. Shennong was only violently repelled because he arrogantly underestimated me and wasn't operating at full capacity. If he were at full strength with the Zero-Tails, the outcome would be uncertain."
Kiyohara rubbed his chin. His current physical foundation was already quite terrifying; the biggest operational constraint was the severe lack of time.
How much time had actually passed since the Kannabi Bridge incident? And yet, his combat strength had increased exponentially, far more than just several-fold. If given more unbroken time, even without acquiring a new future ghost, he could physically integrate his own massive strength and step across the threshold to become a Kage-level threat.
"I can, however, immediately focus on improving my tactical mobility," Kiyohara pondered to himself.
His raw defensive power was absolute for now; if he could also drastically improve his three-dimensional mobility, his survival capability would reach a god-like new level.
Regarding this idea, he already had a highly theoretical, physics-based hypothesis.
That was the seamless, synchronized biological development of Steel Release and Magnet Release.
Could a human body completely hardened by Steel Release act as a perfect, living metallic conductor?
While Kiyohara was lost in thought, a sudden voice interrupted him from outside his window.
"Kiyohara! The mission payment has been officially issued!"
Kurenai stood outside, holding up a small, heavy coin pouch, a bright smile on her face. "Let's go eat premium barbecue together to celebrate! Genma is going too!"
Kiyohara hesitated for a fraction of a second but politely declined. "I'm sorry, Kurenai. I need to practice some theories on my own for a while."
Kurenai was visibly a bit disappointed, but quickly nodded in understanding. "Alright then, let's do it next time. But don't push yourself too hard to train; you just finished a brutal mission, resting is important too!"
"I will," Kiyohara lied smoothly.
After seeing Kurenai off, Kiyohara changed into tight, athletic clothes suitable for heavy movement and headed directly to the Third Training Ground.
Konoha had over forty designated, massive training grounds for ninja practice and destructive training. The lethal venues for the Chunin Exams were also usually selected from among these grids. These training grounds were usually located deep in the forested rear of Konoha, most of them possessing complex environments similar to mountains and swamps.
It was now late dusk, and the massive Third Training Ground was completely empty. The setting sun dyed the sky a bruised orange-red, and the wooden training posts cast long, ominous shadows across the grass.
Kiyohara walked to the dead center of the open field, closed his eyes, and began to forcefully mobilize his chakra.
First, he tried to violently concentrate Steel Release exclusively on the main structural parts of his torso: his chest, abdomen, and spine.
Chakra flowed seamlessly beneath his skin, and the skin color in those specific areas gradually turned pitch dark, gleaming with a heavy metallic luster. It looked exactly as if his upper body had been cast from solid black industrial iron.
Next was the critical, theoretical step.
A physical body hardened by Steel Release would theoretically become a flawless, zero-resistance electrical conductor.
This was a logical conclusion Kiyohara derived from high-school physics knowledge; the electrical conductivity of metal is infinitely higher than that of soft human tissue.
What if he intentionally magnetized his own biology?
Kiyohara began to aggressively guide his Magnet Release chakra.
Black iron sand seeped slowly out from his thermos, but instead of forming a weaponized shape, it circled around him slowly like planetary coil rings.
Then, he attempted to construct a massive, highly pressurized electromagnetic field directly within his own internal organs.
This was not simple, external magnetic manipulation, but turning his literal biology into a massive "living electromagnet."
Chakra circulated violently within his body according to a highly specific, mathematical circuit, attempting to generate a stable, localized magnetic field.
The first few attempts failed catastrophically.
Either the internal magnetic field strength was insufficient to combat gravity, the field was wildly unstable and threatened to tear his muscles, or the raw chakra consumption was mathematically too high to sustain.
But Kiyohara did not give up.
He repeatedly, obsessively adjusted the microscopic flow path of the chakra, the polarity of the magnetic field, and the complex synchronization between his hardened steel areas and the magnetic output.
Two hours later, when the pale moon had already risen high into the dark sky, Kiyohara finally achieved a biological breakthrough.
He felt a sudden, subtle, bizarre connection between his physical body and the surrounding environment. The microscopic metallic minerals buried deep in the ground beneath him and the static, charged particles floating in the night air were all suddenly within his direct range of kinetic perception.
Even more miraculously... his black hair began to slowly, unnaturally float upward, as if Kiyohara were currently submerged deep underwater.
Kiyohara's toes slowly left the grass.
Though it was only one centimeter, and only lasted for three agonizing seconds... he had indeed achieved true, anti-gravity levitation!
"It ... it really is feasible!" A flash of absolute, ecstatic joy crossed Kiyohara's black eyes.
The physical principle of magnetic levitation is to simply counteract planetary gravity through opposing magnetic field force. What he was doing now was heavily magnetizing his own steel biology and then generating physical lift by controlling the violent interaction between his personal magnetic field and the Earth's massive magnetic field.
Of course, this was still just the most rudimentary, unstable application of the theory.
There was still a massive, grueling way to go before achieving true, sustained aerodynamic flight. Moreover, this process placed extremely, terrifyingly high demands on his chakra control.
Kiyohara had to simultaneously, flawlessly maintain the Steel Release hardening, the Magnet Release localized magnetic field, and precise chakra manipulation; a microsecond mistake in any link would lead to a catastrophic fall or cellular damage.
'The proficiency isn't high enough yet, and my chakra control needs significant, brutal strengthening,' Kiyohara analyzed coldly.
'But the physics direction is absolutely correct. If I can master this ability, my three-dimensional tactical mobility will receive a god-like qualitative leap.'
True, unassisted flight-type abilities were an astronomically rare kind of power in the Ninja World.
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Give me powerstones.
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