Chapter 170: Hiruko’s Base, Crystal Release

Mass Release 5 Chapters! --- Hiruko gasped for breath, clutching his chest, a look of pain on his face. To ensure the Flying Thunder God formula was no longer active, he had swum around with the sharks in the sea for several laps. He waited a long time before coming ashore. Although he was safe, as time went on, the deterioration of his chest became more and more obvious. The Chimera Technique... it still has flaws! "Thankfully, my third choice was a Kekkei Genkai that strengthens the body. If it had been a ninjutsu-type Kekkei Genkai, I might be dead by now." Hiruko reflected amidst the pain. What should I choose for my fourth Kekkei Genkai? Constitution? If it was constitution-based, the best choice was undoubtedly the Shikotsumyaku. It could complement his Steel Release, and perhaps lead to an even stronger fusion and transformation. If it was ninjutsu-based... either something that let him run fast or something that could absorb chakra. The former would save his life, the latter would strengthen him. He sat on the shark, contemplating how to become stronger. Today’s events had sounded a warning bell for him. He had thought he was already very strong, but even after fusing with three Kekkei Genkai, he was still no match for Kyohiko. However, once he absorbed his fourth Kekkei Genkai, even Kyohiko couldn’t possibly be stronger than him... and if he was, he would just choose someone else and complete the fusion of the fifth Kekkei Genkai first! According to his vision, five Kekkei Genkai should allow him to reach a second qualitative transformation. By then, he would surely be even more powerful. "People have limits, but the growth of the Chimera Technique has no limits." "Hmph, Kyohiko, just wait until I absorb my fifth Kekkei Genkai, then I’ll come and kill you!" "As for now..." Hiruko struggled back to his base, took out a needle and thread, and began to treat himself with the help of a shadow clone’s medical ninjutsu. He had confirmed the growth potential of the Chimera Technique. But at the same time, the side effects of the third absorption also frightened him. The fourth time had to be done with caution and ample preparation, otherwise, if a side effect even more terrible than this one occurred, it would be over. Hiruko was pondering this when suddenly, a powerful chakra presence filled the space. He was startled—this familiar chakra. Kyohiko? How is that possible! He had clearly shaken him off, yet the Flying Thunder God formula hadn’t dissipated after all this time. Careless! Realizing this, Hiruko released his chakra. Ice Release: Ice Rock Dome! In an instant, a thick layer of ice appeared around Hiruko, as hard as rock. Inside the rock-like ice, there was an additional space. Hiruko formed hand seals inside. Gale Release: Thunder Cloud Cavity Wave! Water vapor gathered, and dark clouds filled the air. Within the not-so-spacious area, thunderclouds rolled, and bolts of lightning erratically struck the surroundings. His goal was not to kill the enemy, but to destroy everything in the cave. He had already fully mastered the Chimera Technique and didn’t need these written materials; leaving them behind would only benefit the people from Konoha. However, at this moment, Kyohiko split into three, each positioned at a different point. Then, the main body and the two clones formed hand seals, and a barrier formula spread out beneath their feet. After releasing the Gale Release, Hiruko had been about to use a summoning jutsu—his summoned beasts were mostly synthesized creatures like the ones before, their strength considerable, and summoning them into the cave would create more chaos, preparing for his escape. However, the next moment, he was horrified to find that the summoning jutsu had failed! How could this be? Hiruko was first shocked, then his gaze quickly swept to the barrier formulas around him. It’s them! The barrier had blocked his summoning jutsu. Boom! The thunder rolled, shaking the surroundings. He was going to shatter the barrier! But... Swish! The next moment, all the bolts of lightning disappeared without a trace. Everything in the center of the three figures had been sent away. Flying Thunder God Formation Technique! A slight smile touched Kyohiko’s lips. "The effect is not bad!" The current Flying Thunder God Formation Technique, on top of his own "Expert" level, had integrated Namikaze Minato’s understanding and concepts. Therefore, its proficiency had already reached the "Master" level. At this level... combined with a barrier jutsu, he could directly teleport everything within the center of the three users. Of course, to achieve this, the user must have sufficient understanding of space-time ninjutsu. In other words, to reach Kyohiko’s level, one must also master the Flying Thunder God technique. Otherwise, at best, they would only be slightly stronger than the original three-man team. But the effect was significant. The Flying Thunder God Formation combined with a barrier could directly teleport everything in the middle, so it still had considerable practical value. Right now, what Kyohiko needed to do was to clean out Hiruko’s base and seal all the usable books and materials to take back. As for Hiruko, on the other side of the Flying Thunder God Formation was Namikaze Minato, who had already laid out a sealing formula. --- The Flying Thunder God Formation teleported him. As space distorted, Hiruko panicked. None of his abilities could counter the Flying Thunder God. At this moment, he didn’t even know what was waiting for him on the other side. I hope it’s blades! he prayed in his heart. However, when space stabilized, he felt an immense crisis. It’s a sealing jutsu! I’m done for! Once he was hit by the technique, he would have no chance of turning the tables. Hiruko’s skin hardened like steel, and at the same time, his chakra formed a thundercloud, but it was useless. He was now surrounded by dense sealing formulas. And Namikaze Minato’s speed was incredibly fast. Not to mention there was a Flying Thunder God formula right under his feet; even without it, with Minato’s Body Flicker speed, approaching Hiruko would only take an instant. In a flash, his shadow clone was already beside Hiruko, the five elements flowing in his hand. Five Elements Seal! Bang! Chakra poured into his body, instantly disrupting his internal chakra circulation and throwing Hiruko’s chakra into chaos. Splash! The original Gale Release instantly turned into Water Release. This was the result of his chakra being disrupted. At the same time, through contact, Namikaze Minato got a general understanding of Hiruko’s condition. As expected, just as Kyohiko had said, he had at least one constitution-type Kekkei Genkai, likely a type that enhanced defense. In that case... sealing jutsu was the best solution. Hiruko had learned sealing jutsu and could use a release method to counter it, but the key now was not to release the seal, but to escape quickly! Just as he was about to move, Namikaze Minato’s shadow clone cast another seal. Seal of the Heavy Limbs! His four limbs instantly became heavy, his strength sealed away. Damn it! Hiruko was frantic. Without a doubt, the person before him was a master of sealing jutsu, and also proficient in the Flying Thunder God and Body Flicker techniques. If this dragged on and Kyohiko arrived, he would be no match. However, Namikaze Minato had come prepared, setting up numerous traps around, which he couldn’t break free from in a short time. Even if he unleashed his chakra, he couldn’t stop the surrounding formulas from closing in. Before long, the Four Symbols Seal was successful! A sealing formula appeared on Hiruko’s body, sealing most of his chakra, leaving only a small fraction. With his chakra sealed, his Steel Release was also greatly restricted, its effect diminished. At this moment, Namikaze Minato’s fingers moved like lightning—he had also learned a thing or two about pressure point strikes! Although he couldn’t remember as many techniques and locations as Kyohiko or the Hyuga clan, he had memorized the major chakra points. Thump, thump, thump! With four fingers, Hiruko’s remaining chakra was also cut off. A look of deep despair appeared in his eyes. A pressure point seal! How could this be? Isn’t that a Hyuga clan ability? Why does this Namikaze Minato know it too, and since when did the Flying Thunder God become so common?! "A truly troublesome opponent. Fortunately, you lacked vigilance towards us, otherwise, catching you would not have been easy." Namikaze Minato let out a breath. He was on a small island in the Land of Waves, very close to Hiruko’s— Hiruko almost coughed up blood hearing this. For an ordinary person, such words might be a compliment, as his opponent was the "Yellow Flash" who had shone brightly in the previous war. But Hiruko had his own pride. Thinking of his painstaking efforts over a dozen years, finally researching the Chimera Technique, only to be so easily defeated... his mentality was on the verge of collapse. This extreme emotion was also influenced by the Chimera Technique. "Even if I die, I..." Hiruko roared, making a final effort. However, the layers of sealing jutsu gave him no chance. Thinking of the consequences after being captured, despair appeared in his eyes. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his figure hunching over. As the blood flowed, a burst of chakra erupted from his heart. "I won’t let you capture me alive!" Then, blood spurted from Hiruko’s chest. A sense of foreboding flashed in Namikaze Minato’s mind. Just as he was about to step forward, he sensed a bizarre creature appearing at Hiruko’s feet. It looked like a dog, yet had a hint of a human face, incredibly strange. Namikaze Minato flickered forward. But in an instant, the creature had already devoured Hiruko, and then— Boom! A blaze of fire engulfed the surroundings, with rolling thunder clashing and intertwining within. The entire small island shattered, the base below collapsed directly, and the corners of the island were blasted to pieces. A series of explosions echoed from underground. Hiruko’s summoning jutsu had failed, but it had still awakened the hidden ninja beasts. Below, Kyohiko had just finished organizing most of the materials and books when he faintly heard some human voices. He was following the sound down a tunnel when a roar came from the earth above. What’s going on? Kyohiko sensed for a moment and immediately understood the situation. A self-destruction up top! He immediately formed hand seals, and wooden pillars grew out, supporting the entire tunnel and cavern. He then created a shadow clone to accelerate forward. After a moment, Kyohiko’s clone arrived inside. It was a cave with an opening at the top, and both the top and the exit here were blocked by iron bars. Inside, a dozen people were imprisoned. The wails were coming from within. Kyohiko’s shadow clone broke through the bars and rushed in. "A Konoha ninja? Konoha Ninja, save me!!" Seeing someone arrive, they rushed over chaotically. "Stop!" Kyohiko immediately threw a shuriken. After stopping them, he formed hand seals, and instantly, wooden pillars grew, propping up the cave and forming a wooden roof in the middle. The cave’s condition was stabilized. Then, the main body and other shadow clones rushed in. "To the center!" Kyohiko was calm. Among these dozen people, some looked like Kekkei Genkai ninjas, others more like ordinary people, but regardless, they all had to be rescued now! The dozen people swallowed, then gathered in the center. In a short while, the jutsu formula spread out. A few seconds later, the dozen people in the middle were quickly sent away by the Flying Thunder God Formation, and immediately after, seawater poured in—as the waves spread through the breach from the explosion above, seawater gradually flooded in. Crack! The wooden roof broke. Kyohiko’s shadow clones merged into one, and he himself instantly disappeared. On the island above. Namikaze Minato was wondering why Kyohiko hadn’t arrived yet when he found a group of people appearing beside him. Fortunately, his position was on a reef. Although there were waves, it was enough for them to stand. These people are... the people Hiruko captured? Namikaze Minato understood, then cursed Hiruko in his heart. One could only imagine how many people had died at Hiruko’s hands; those rescued were only a small fraction. The next moment, Kyohiko teleported over. "How is it?" "The bottom has completely collapsed, and it’s not very safe here either. Let’s move them first." Kyohiko’s gaze swept over the dozen people. Some of them were clearly mentally unstable, looking dazed, with only two or three still rational and lucid. The one who had recognized him as a Konoha ninja earlier... was actually a woman. A trace of surprise flashed in Kyohiko’s eyes. "Who are you?" "My name is Mami. Thank you for your help. I’ve been placed under a seal and a curse jutsu and cannot use chakra." The woman was indeed still rational. As she spoke, she revealed her abdomen. Namikaze Minato glanced at it, immediately formed hand seals, and condensed his chakra. Then... he pressed his fingers on it, and a look of joy immediately appeared in the woman’s eyes. "Organize them to leave here. It’s very dangerous. We’ll talk about the rest later." "Yes!" Mami was overjoyed and her face was filled with gratitude. She seemed to have considerable prestige among the prisoners and quickly organized them to run towards a safe direction. Kyohiko and Namikaze Minato protected them from the front and back. It wasn’t until they reached the other side of the island that everyone stopped. Mami bowed gratefully to them. "Thank you for saving me!" "Which village are you from? How were you captured?" Kyohiko asked. Mami gave a bitter smile, a look of hatred and resentment on her face. "My family used to be wandering ninjas. Later, we settled down on the border of the Land of Rice Paddies, and then we ran into that beast..." "My poor husband, because he had the Crystal Release Kekkei Genkai, died very early. If I wasn’t worried about my daughter, I might have killed myself too." As she spoke, her tone turned to one of deep concern. "I hid my daughter before, I don’t know if she’s still alive." Crystal Release? Kyohiko was stunned for a moment, then quickly understood. Near the Land of Rice Paddies, Crystal Release. Could her daughter be Guren, who would later be one of Orochimaru’s subordinates? Kyohiko was secretly surprised. If it was Guren, then... Mami continued speaking. From her, Kyohiko and Namikaze Minato learned the general situation. These people were like her; their family members were Kekkei Genkai ninjas. Those who possessed the Kekkei Genkai were already dead, and they... if Kyohiko and Minato hadn’t arrived, would have sooner or later become test subjects. Unfortunately, most of the others were dazed, and even those who were lucid had confused memories and couldn’t clearly state their family situation, requiring Mami to fill in the gaps. In the end, Kyohiko and Minato only got a rough idea—Hiruko had been to all five great nations, capturing test subjects from all over. It would be very difficult to find out where they lived. "Kyohiko, what should we do?" Namikaze Minato couldn’t bear it. These people were too pitiful! "Let’s take them back first. With treatment and the help of the Yamanaka clan, maybe we can get them close to normal."