[Usage Successful! Match Rate: 70%]
[Ability Assessment Updated]
[Name: Maruyama Shin]
[Age: 13]
[Chakra Nature: Fire, Earth]
[Combat Level: Elite Jōnin]
[Body: 65]
[Spirit: 59]
[Ninjutsu: 70]
[Genjutsu: 49]
[Control: 58]
[Hand Signs: 63]
[Known Jutsu: Clone Technique, Fire Style: Roaring Flame Bloom, Earth Style: Rock Concealment, Earth Style: Earth Land Return, Fire Style: Flame Shot, …]
[Items: Diluted Uchiha Bloodline Card (2/3), Obsession of the Firestone, …]
The sudden surge of power rushing through his body was no longer a new sensation to Maruyama Shin, who had already used several experience cards before. And yet, he still found himself nearly groaning aloud from the overwhelming intensity.
Thankfully, he held it in.
What continued to puzzle him, however, was the system's concept of "match rate." What exactly determined this number?
The last card he used—Sanpū Ichiwa's—had only yielded a 50% match. But this time, it hit 70%. He hadn't expected that.
His power rating soared to Elite Jōnin in an instant, and combined with the battle instincts of a quasi-Kage-level shinobi, Shin felt—perhaps for the first time—truly intoxicated by strength.
But this wasn't the time to be pondering system mechanics.
Across from him, Kaguya Chihaya was growing visibly impatient with Shin's lack of movement.
Still, Chihaya didn't make the first move. In his perception, Maruyama Shin's presence had undergone a dramatic transformation.
If the boy earlier had resembled a helpless, yapping pup, then now, he had turned into a lean, poised wolf ready to pounce.
Chihaya couldn't fathom how someone who looked like a weak Chūnin could shift so drastically in mere seconds.
But he wasn't the type to waste time thinking about things he couldn't figure out.
All he knew was that what had once been a boring one-sided beatdown had now turned into something far more exhilarating.
Excitement.
Uncontainable excitement. A ravenous hunger for combat.
"Interesting… very interesting!!" Chihaya's eyes widened, his twisted expression manic and crazed.
Lunatic, Shin thought to himself with a sigh.
The next second, as if by unspoken agreement, they both moved.
Lightning-quick.
The short distance between them vanished in an instant. Two fists collided mid-air with a resounding boom, each laced with dense chakra.
BOOM!!
The resulting shockwave blasted outward from the impact point, scattering thousands of leaves and creating a clear pocket of air within the dense forest.
Crack!
The ground trembled beneath them and fractured. Shin braced himself, feet rooted like anchors. Chihaya matched him evenly, neither side backing down.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the blink of an eye, their fists and legs had clashed dozens of times at close range.
Maruyama Shin, relying on the instincts of a quasi-Kage-level shinobi and his sudden boost in physical attributes, managed to hold his ground.
But Kaguya Chihaya was something else entirely.
Even though his Shikotsumyaku had not fully awakened, it still elevated his physical capabilities well beyond average. Add to that his berserker fighting style, utterly reckless and self-destructive, and it was clear—even with the experience card active, Shin couldn't dominate in taijutsu.
A wild thought suddenly crossed his mind.
If a Kaguya clan member were to master the Eight Gates and open the final Gate of Death like Might Guy had, wouldn't their last kick to Madara's face be so powerful that it would punch straight through the final episode?
He smirked inwardly, but his hands didn't slow.
After exchanging dozens of blows, both fighters disengaged and leapt apart.
"Good! Very good!" Chihaya roared, eyes blazing like a child who had just found a new favorite toy. "I didn't think a brat like you would have such a powerful body."
Shin had no interest in trading banter.
Wasting words now meant dying thirty minutes later.
He needed to end this, fast.
Unlike his previous experience card, which came from Sanpū—a taijutsu expert—this one came from Akagi Tsukasa, a ninjutsu-focused quasi-Kage. Taijutsu was not his strong suit.
Shin's hands blurred into afterimages as he formed hand seals.
"Earth Style! Swamp of the Underworld!"
"Earth Style! Earth Dragon Bullet!"
"Ninja Art: Mire-Deep Dragon!"
This fusion of two B-rank Earth Release techniques was strong enough to rival some A-rank jutsu.
While A-rank jutsu were sometimes considered borderline forbidden techniques, B-rank ninjutsu formed the mainstream of the shinobi world. When used well, they could easily rival A-rank power.
Especially when combined.
The ground beneath Chihaya's feet suddenly turned into bubbling, reeking swamp. From within the sludge, a massive dragon head formed, mouth wide open. It launched boulder-sized magma bombs at Chihaya with explosive force.
Each impact blasted the struggling Chihaya while also coating him in sticky mud, further anchoring him in place.
"Dance of the Willow!"
At some point, dual bone-blade-like weapons had appeared in Chihaya's hands. His body twisted and spun, bending with inhuman flexibility. He broke free from the mud and escaped the swamp's grip.
The Dance of the Willow—one of the six taijutsu techniques derived from the Kaguya clan's Shikotsumyaku.
Although Chihaya hadn't fully awakened the bloodline, the first two dances—Willow and Camellia—could be replicated with external weapons. The other four required control over one's own bones and couldn't be used.
Even with just these two dances and their resilient bodies, the Kaguya clan had earned their elite standing in Kirigakure.
Swish! Swish!
Chihaya weaved like a willow tree, slashing through the swamp with both blades, charging straight for Shin.
But Shin had never intended to end the fight with just one technique. As he retreated, chakra surged within him. His fingers quickly completed a far more complex series of hand seals.
"Earth Style! Path to Mountain!"
This was one of Akagi Tsukasa's signature jutsu—an advanced A-rank Earth Release technique that combined offense and battlefield control. However, it came with a cost. The seals were complex, and the chakra manipulation was extremely demanding.
The earlier combo jutsu had only been a setup, buying him time.
Such was the nature of A-rank ninjutsu. Tremendously powerful, yet often unwieldy. That's why techniques like the Rasengan, which required no hand seals, were so valuable—even if their destructive force wasn't always top tier.
RUMBLE!
The moment Shin completed the final seal, the ground let out a deafening roar.
Chihaya's legs suddenly froze in place, caught in an invisible grip. Twin slabs of earth rose on either side of him like massive pyramids, converging toward him as they closed in.
"Dance of the Camellia!"
Chihaya's body exploded into motion, blades whirling. He struck madly at the collapsing stone walls.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sharp metal clashed against solid rock. Chunks of debris flew everywhere. But no matter how many times he struck, Shin's continuous chakra flow repaired the structure almost instantly.
For the first time, Chihaya's expression changed.
It was fierce and twisted.
CLANG! CLANG!
His blades—though sharp—were no match for the crushing weight of the rock. They snapped under pressure.
Left with no choice, Chihaya braced both arms against the collapsing walls.
Say what you will about the Kaguya clan's brains, but their bodies were monsters. Even as the muscles in his arms tore open and blood ran down his cracked bones, he refused to let the rock crush him.
Shin narrowed his eyes.
He clapped his palms against his chest.
"Close!"
BOOM!
The two massive slabs of rock slammed together, forming a hill-sized mound.
Still wary that it might not be enough to kill someone this tenacious, Shin formed another set of seals.
"Earth Style! Earth Lance Barrage!"
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Dozens of razor-sharp stone spears burst out of the mound, turning the hill into a deadly spike trap.
Satisfied, Shin dusted off his hands.
The Kaguya were strong, yes. But unfortunately, not the brightest.
Muscle without brain—that's what they call it.
"Wait, wait! What if I destroyed the body?!" Shin froze as the thought hit him like a thunderclap.
He had just used a quasi-Kage experience card. No way was he going to break even. But at the very least, this was a Jōnin-level corpse. It had to have some value. If it was ruined, it would be a huge loss.
He quickly waved his hand, dispersing the rubble.
A grotesquely twisted corpse was revealed underneath, lifeless yet intact. A faint yellow glow shimmered faintly from its body.
He sighed in relief.
"Still usable. Rotten or not, a corpse is a corpse."
What he didn't notice, far off in the shadows, was a tiny brown snake slithering silently in the distance, its tongue flicking as it observed.
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Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!