Chapter 59: Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags and Phased Self-Positioning
Somewhere in the Land of Frost, an inconspicuous mountain hollow.
Yuto hid in a freshly dug tunnel. The tunnel was deep, with traps set at both the entrance and exit. It was close to a water source, and the loose soil was ideal for further digging, making it a textbook temporary shelter.
The boy lay deep in the tunnel, panting heavily.
His right arm still ached. The initial slash had actually reached the bone, and Yuto had fought through the pain against a formidable enemy, so escaping was a stroke of luck.
Now he didn't even have the chakra to perform medical ninjutsu, so he could only lie on the ground, gulp down fresh water, eat a few soldier pills, and wait for his chakra and stamina to recover.
"Killer B... he's a monster," Yuto muttered to himself, feeling a chill.
Aside from his training with Tsunade and Shizune, this was his first encounter with an opponent of this caliber.
A body as tough as steel, perfectly honed taijutsu, extensive combat experience, an unyielding will, excellent situational judgment... and the beast sealed within him, a natural disaster.
By the age of seventeen, Killer B was already as strong as a Kage. Jinchuriki have this kind of advantage—fighting against their tailed beast's power, an ordinary Jonin would be defeated instantly.
Moreover, even without the Eight-Tails, Killer B's strength was above Yuto's.
Throughout the battle, Killer B hadn't even used his full strength, not employing his most potent taijutsu, the "Lariat." In the end, Yuto had to throw out the unmastered A-rank jutsu "Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags" to intimidate him, seizing the opportunity to escape.
Escaping in one piece was already a big win for Yuto. The worst-case scenario he'd envisioned was being killed on the spot by Killer B, becoming a casualty in the early stages of the Third Shinobi World War.
"I wonder if dying now means I'd be resurrected with Impure World Reincarnation in the Fourth War..." Yuto mused bitterly, pulling out a special explosive tag from his pocket.
Multiplying Explosive Tags, this was what Hiruzan Sarutobi had given him as a "promotion to Jonin reward."
Originally, suitable mid-to-long-range jutsu for the Hyuga clan were rare. Hiruzan couldn't find anything suitable right away, but when Tsunade discussed Yuto's combat characteristics with him, the Third Hokage had a sudden inspiration and gave him this technique.
The straight-line burst speed, faster than Lightning Body Flicker, was truly impressive. Using this strong point as the core, a series of tactics could be built.
Defining mid-to-long-range jutsu hinges on the effective range for attacking the enemy. For speed-type shinobi, this effective range can be significantly shortened.
Close-range, mid-range, long-range, it's all relative.
With someone as fast as Minato, any jutsu in his hands is long-range!
With the speed of the Lion's Fang Bite, Yuto could easily approach the enemy. At that point, whether planting explosive tags around or directly sticking them to the enemy wouldn't be difficult.
After the Second Hokage developed this technique, he often paired it with Impure World Reincarnation, sticking the "parent tag" on the revived person for suicide attacks.
In his past life, Yuto thought this attack method seemed foolish when he read the manga. But after transmigrating, he found his method of using Multiplying Explosive Tags even less clever, simply holding it and charging forward!
Of course, this was just the current attack method. Yuto had been pondering more usage scenarios and jutsu combinations these past few days.
He valued this technique highly. Multiplying Explosive Tags seemed unremarkable at first glance but were actually powerful.
Its core is the automatic summoning jutsu. One explosive tag explodes, summoning four more. Four explode, summoning sixteen, multiplying instantly until all prepared tags are used up.
In the blink of an eye, thousands of explosive tags are summoned, with endless explosions that are hard to escape. In the Fourth Shinobi World War, the reanimated Tobirama Senju used this technique against the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, Obito Uchiha, with great effect.
The box of explosive tags Tsunade gave Yuto before parting was to support his training with this technique. Although the branch family boy hadn't mastered it yet, he had a few special tags in his pocket, which came in handy today to bluff Killer B.
Fortunately, he fought Kumo shinobi. If it were Kirigakure or Iwagakure, they might not have recognized it.
After lying on the ground for a long time, Yuto felt his chakra had recovered significantly. Leaning against the rock wall, he used medical ninjutsu to heal his body.
This is where the advantage of mastering medical ninjutsu showed. Ordinary shinobi could only pathetically stick medical patches on themselves, while Yuto could heal himself, greatly improving his survival chances.
The power of medical ninjutsu permeated his skin and deeper. Since it was his own chakra, the healing was more effective. Dead tissue was removed, new cells grew rapidly, and injured bones hardened again.
"Next time I see Killer B, I better run quickly." Feeling almost recovered, Yuto stood up, trying to move his right arm.
This battle made him clearly realize his current combat strength.
One-on-one, using only Gentle Fist, Chakra Enhanced Strength, and Byakugan, he was at Jonin level.
Using Lion's Fang Bite for a frontal straight-line assault, if the enemy chose to confront head-on, even a Jonin might not withstand it and could be killed on the spot.
However, as they say, a shinobi's intelligence is a matter of life and death. As the war progressed, his fierce assault tactics would draw more attention, and strategies against him would become more refined, with ambush and attrition tactics being predictable responses.
Although Lion's Fang Bite is incredibly fast, it's not a space-time jutsu, not so fast that no one can handle it.
Multiplying Explosive Tags, with its infinite explosions, is a deadly move, best used unexpectedly. Mastering it is a great addition but not a game-changer. More power must be harnessed and combined to challenge higher-level opponents.
The road ahead is long, Yuto sighed, rubbing his forehead protector in the dim underground.
Today was the third day since he left the advance unit. Judging by Minato's marching speed, they should reach the border of the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Frost by nightfall. Kumo's speed should be similar. If Killer B was here, could the renowned son of the Third Raikage be far behind?
A confrontation was inevitable... heh.
Yuto checked the tunnel with his Byakugan, ensuring there were no oversights before leaving for the surface.
He glanced at the sky. The sun was high, suggesting some time before the battle erupted.
He could rest for another two hours, eat something, and recharge. Licking his lips, Yuto prepared himself.
(End of Chapter)
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