章 38: Chapter 37
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"That's a Sharingan!"
Nakatou recognized the crimson pupils of Jin, with a single tomoe slowly rotating within them.
The legendary Sharingan of the Uchiha clan.
There were few in the shinobi world who wouldn't recognize it.
However, Jin wasn't happy about awakening his Sharingan under these circumstances. He gritted his teeth and muttered under his breath.
"I should really thank you for this."
If awakening the Sharingan required being pushed to the brink of death, he would have preferred not to awaken it at all.
Jin was terrified of dying, and the outcome had been nothing short of devastating.
His entire body was covered in severe burns, with his skin either charred black or bright red, his muscles exposed, and even his internal organs visible through the damaged tissue—like a person flayed alive.
This was like one of the ten most brutal tortures.
The intense pain that accompanied these injuries was barely suppressed by the adrenaline pumping through his body.
Without immediate medical attention, these injuries would be a death sentence.
Jin took a deep breath.
Rokku Senzei.
A vast amount of chakra began to flow through his body, rapidly healing his damaged skin. Within just two breaths, his skin had completely regenerated.
He truly had foresight.
Without Rokku Senzei, he would have been done for.
"What kind of jutsu is this…"
Nakatou narrowed his eyes as he watched Jin's rapid recovery. This level of regenerative ability was something he had only heard about from tales of Konoha's Tsunade.
This was the second person he knew of who possessed such a skill.
"Round two,"
Jin muttered, as the small white snake, Shiro, emerged from his tattered sleeve, opening its mouth to reveal the Kusanagi sword, which it had retrieved during the battle.
Nakatou wasted no time in launching his next attack.
"Doton: Doroiso Ryu!"
From the earth, a massive dragon formed of stone and mud, surging forth from the forest toward Jin.
Jin quickly turned his head, scanning the forest with his Sharingan.
"I see you."
The first tomoe of the Sharingan granted the ability to see chakra flow, allowing Jin to detect that the Nakatou standing before him was merely an Earth Clone.
Facing the approaching dragon, Jin lowered his body, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly.
With each heavy breath, sparks flickered from the corners of his mouth as he began to convert his chakra into flames through his breath.
This was the Flame Breathing.
"Flame Breathing, Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation!"
Fire erupted from his blade, spiraling as Jin swung it at the incoming dragon.
In the next moment, the flames collided with the earth dragon, creating a powerful gust of wind. The meeting of fire and earth produced molten lava that splattered in all directions.
Jin quickly retreated to avoid the splattering lava.
As he backed away, his gaze suddenly snapped to the ground.
"Didn't I tell you? I can see you!"
Jin snarled, leaping off the ground, his sword blazing with even more intense flames as sparks flew from his mouth.
"Flame Breathing, Third Form: Blazing Universe!"
The fiery blade slashed downward, splitting the ground open with its intense heat, revealing Nakatou beneath.
But Nakatou's body crumbled into dirt under the fiery strike.
The remaining dirt quickly turned to ash, revealing an explosive tag hidden within.
It was all part of a meticulously laid trap.
"Can't these shinobi ever fight fair?"
Jin's blade flashed, slicing the explosive tag in half before it could detonate.
In the distance, Nakatou knelt on the ground, his hair and back singed. Despite a quick retreat, he hadn't escaped unscathed.
Jin's performance was increasingly surprising him.
"Taijutsu… combined with Ninjutsu…"
Nakatou was growing more wary of the Uchiha before him. The combination of the Sharingan, rapid healing, and formidable taijutsu made Jin a particularly difficult opponent.
Any one of these abilities could produce a strong shinobi on its own.
But this boy possessed them all.
If he had such techniques, he would already be one of Iwagakure's elite jonin.
Damn the Uchiha.
"But this isn't over yet!"
Jin's feet slammed into the ground, flames swirling around his blade and enveloping his entire body.
Wherever he stepped, the ground was left scorched, with flames lingering in his wake.
Nakatou blinked, and Jin was suddenly right in front of him.
"Flame Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Fire!"
Jin's burning blade slashed toward Nakatou, whose face contorted in terror.
But just as Jin's sword was about to connect, his foot slipped into a hidden pitfall, covered by a mere cloth.
"Damn it! Tricked again!"
Before he could react, Nakatou had already completed his hand seals.
"It's over!"
"Doton: Daifūkai no Jutsu!"
Chakra formed into a massive boulder high above Jin, descending with a deafening roar.
This was the only A-rank jutsu Nakatou had mastered. Even those considered to be Kage-level would find themselves crushed under its weight.
"This is a true jonin!"
A master of deception.
Jin grasped the sharp earthen spikes lining the pit's interior. The pit was filled with deadly spikes, and a single misstep would leave his body riddled with holes.
Looking up at the boulder perfectly sized to fit the pit, Jin felt a wave of despair.
But he hadn't given up yet.
"Tekkai!"
"Rokku Senzei!"
"Open Gate! Kai!"
He poured everything into bolstering his defenses, determined to withstand the jutsu. His confidence in his strength was unshaken.
"I refuse to believe this will kill me!"
Jin flipped his body, planting his feet firmly on the spikes, gripping his sword with both hands, his fingers turning white and veins bulging.
"Flame Breathing!"
Jin rested his sword on his shoulder.
"Ninth Form!"
Flames spiraled around him, shattering the spikes beneath his feet. His form blurred as he launched himself upward, transforming into a roaring dragon of fire that surged toward the descending boulder.
"Rengoku!"
The fiery dragon crashed into the boulder.
Boom!
The force of the strike was enough to halt the boulder's descent, leaving a deep gash across its surface.
"Break for me!"
The flames raged, heating the boulder until it glowed red-hot, the surrounding temperature rising rapidly.
But despite his efforts, the gash didn't widen. The boulder, though appearing as stone, was as hard as iron, unmoved by Jin's blade.
"It's useless."
Nakatou maintained his hand seal, continuing to supply the jutsu with chakra. The longer he sustained it, the more powerful the jutsu became.
All he had to do was provide the chakra.
As he had said, the massive boulder soon resumed its descent.
Jin's strength was almost depleted, his flames gradually flickering out as his body fell back.
He landed back on the spikes, staring at Nakatou with a mixture of exhaustion and defiance.
"Next time we meet… will be your end."
"There won't be a next time!"
Nakatou gave his all, recognizing the extraordinary talent of his opponent.
This was his way of showing the utmost respect.
Iwagakure had lost a potential future enemy.
As the boulder continued its descent, Jin tore off what was left of his sleeve, revealing a strange tattoo.
He still had one last trick up his sleeve.
A jutsu designed specifically for escaping.
"Reverse Summoning…"
"Fūton: Reppūshō!"
A fierce wind suddenly picked up, accompanied by a flash of red.
"Die a hundred times over!"
Kushina, her arm wrapped in chains and propelled by the powerful wind, shot toward Nakatou at incredible speed.
This was her full power strike.
Even Tsunade wouldn't dare face it head-on!
Nakatou quickly switched hand seals.
Boom!
His body exploded into a cloud of mud.
Nakatou reappeared in the distance, his expression grim.
Seeing the two figures before him, he already knew the fate of his students. Those two were supposed to be promising ninja of the village.
Now, they were gone.
Without his chakra to sustain it, the boulder began to crack, fractures spreading rapidly across its surface. As chunks of stone fell away, the jutsu was effectively nullified.
"You really are…"
Seeing Minato and Kushina appear, Jin couldn't help but smile, the chakra he had prepared for the Reverse Summoning Technique flowing back into his body.
"Unbelievably foolish."
"We would never abandon our comrades!"
Kushina yelled at Jin.
Minato, standing behind her, awkwardly scratched his head.
Kushina seemed to be yelling at the wrong person—shouldn't she be yelling at the enemy?
"As long as you're happy,"
Jin replied nonchalantly, looking up at the descending boulder. Even though it was shattered, its momentum still made it dangerous.
Rumble.
As the boulder finally crashed down, Jin was buried beneath the debris.
Minato and Kushina didn't show any concern, their eyes fixed on Nakatou in the distance.
Just as they expected, a burst of flame erupted from the rubble.
Jin, engulfed in fire, leaped out, flipping in midair to land in front of the other two. Together, they all faced Nakatou.
Team Seven had reunited.
"Round three,"
Jin said, his voice calm but determined.
Without hesitation, both Jin and Minato dashed forward, using Soru to close the distance between them and Nakatou in an instant.
Their attacks were perfectly synchronized—Jin's sword and Minato's kunai crossed paths as they struck at Nakatou from different angles, forcing him to go on the defensive.
Nakatou's taijutsu was formidable, and even though he was being attacked from both sides, he managed to fend off their strikes, buying himself just enough time to attempt forming hand seals.
But whenever one of them was momentarily repelled, Kushina would step in, filling the gap with her monstrous strength.
Her attacks were the most dangerous. Nakatou couldn't afford to take any of them head-on, so he was forced to dodge and retreat whenever she entered the fray.
What Nakatou needed most was to obscure the vision of his opponents, but Jin's Sharingan was locked onto him, preventing him from making any escape attempts. The slightest movement away from the battle would prompt Jin to press forward with even more aggression.
Nakatou gritted his teeth. The earlier fight with Jin had drained too much of his strength and chakra, leaving him at a disadvantage against the three of them. He was finding it increasingly difficult to find an opening.
But while he struggled to find an opening, Team Seven had a chance.
Kushina suddenly leaped high into the air, bringing her leg down with immense force.
"Tontō-kyaku!"
The ground shattered under the impact, creating a massive crater.
"This is our chance!"
The explosion of earth and stone created a cloud of dust that momentarily obscured everyone's vision. Nakatou planned to use this moment to conceal himself.
But someone was faster.
"Flame Breathing, Fifth Form: Flame Tiger!"
"Zangeki no Kaze!"
A roaring tiger of flames, fueled by a fierce wind, burst forth, growing in size as it barreled toward Nakatou.
The attack was both swift and powerful.
Nakatou had no time to react as the fiery tiger closed in.
He smiled faintly, accepting his fate as the flaming beast engulfed him.
The flames raged on, consuming everything in their path. When the dust finally settled, all that remained was a charred, smoldering crater.
Nakatou was nowhere to be seen.
Team Seven stood together, their eyes scanning the destruction, but there was no sign of their opponent.
They remained alert, knowing that in the shinobi world, it wasn't over until they were certain.
But after a moment of silence, it became clear.
The battle was over.
Jin, Minato, and Kushina exchanged glances, a mix of relief and exhaustion on their faces. They had made it through—together.
"Well, that was close,"
Jin muttered, wiping some sweat from his brow.
Kushina punched him lightly on the shoulder, her way of showing her relief.
"You're impossible to kill, huh?"
Jin chuckled, wincing slightly at the soreness in his body.
"Maybe, but I'd prefer not to test that theory again anytime soon."
Minato smiled, grateful that they had all survived the ordeal.
"Let's get out of here before more trouble shows up."
The three of them nodded in agreement. There was no telling if more enemies were on the way, and they needed to regroup with Jiraiya and report what had happened.
As they turned to leave the battlefield, Jin glanced back at the smoldering crater one last time.
This fight had been a close call, but it had also pushed him to new heights. The Sharingan had awakened within him, and with it, a deeper understanding of his abilities.
But for now, survival was the priority.
With that thought, Jin followed his teammates as they made their way back, ready to face whatever challenges awaited them next.
(End of Chapter)
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