Konoha cat breeder

Chapter 161: Jonin!

Ever heard of a certain palm strike that descends from the heavens?

Wait... not just palm strikes—sometimes, it's Lotus!

The Lotus is an advanced taijutsu move, one that's incredibly difficult to execute because of its numerous prerequisites. The most challenging among them? Getting your opponent into the air.

Not every ninja is careless enough to be caught mid-air during a jump.

To meet this condition, the Lotus is often preceded by the Shadow of the Dancing Leaf, a technique that delivers a forceful kick to send the opponent airborne. This not only fulfills the conditions for the Lotus but also temporarily incapacitates the target.

The move is fraught with risk—interruptions during execution can leave the user gravely injured.

Even when executed perfectly, the Lotus still inflicts damage on the user due to the extreme strain it places on the body.

When Tonari learned the Lotus from Might Duy, his mentor repeatedly stressed that without sufficient physical preparation, the move was practically unusable. Even with a strong body and exceptional speed, achieving the level of control necessary to perform the Lotus was daunting.

It wasn't until Tonari unlocked the first and second gates of the Eight Gates—Gate of Opening and Gate of Rest—and achieved total control over his body that the move became feasible.

Tonari leapt into the air, his speed surpassing that of the airborne Kaguya Futogen, positioning himself behind his opponent.

Grabbing Futogen's ankles with a vice-like grip, Tonari planted his feet firmly under Futogen's arms, locking their bodies together.

With Futogen inverted, head down and feet up, Tonari maintained the opposite orientation.

"Primary Lotus!"

With a roar, Tonari began to spin.

The spiraling motion turned both of them into a human drill, rocketing toward the ground with incredible force.

Traditionally, the Lotus requires both user and target to be bound together, head-first, to maximize impact. This approach inflicts severe damage on both parties, making it a double-edged sword.

However, Tonari had modified the technique to minimize harm to himself. Though the rotational speed was slightly reduced, the adjustments eliminated self-inflicted injuries. Of course, this also raised the difficulty of execution significantly.

As they crashed into the ground like a massive spinning top, the resulting impact was catastrophic.

Boom!

The already fractured earth shattered completely, sending chunks of rock flying in every direction. Trees toppled under the shockwave, and debris scattered far and wide.

Even the observing Mist ninjas, startled by the sheer force of the impact, instinctively retreated to avoid the deadly projectiles.

Forced to deflect incoming rocks with their kunai, they couldn't help but feel a sense of dread.

"If those fragments carry this much force, what about the one who took the direct hit?"

Yet, a glance at Tonari's cautious expression told them the truth—Futogen was still alive.

Tonari's mind replayed the sequence of events leading to the Lotus.

Everything had gone as planned, from the Shadow of the Dancing Leaf to the grapple and the subsequent spinning descent.

But something felt off at the moment of impact.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Amid the rubble, a blood-soaked figure emerged.

Kaguya Futogen, covered in lacerations and with large sections of skin missing, staggered to his feet. His arms, stripped of flesh, exposed bone in some places.

And yet, despite his grievous injuries, he grinned—a crazed, bloodthirsty smile that made it seem as though the pain didn't register at all.

Tonari's eye twitched.

What kind of lunatic... what kind of monster had he encountered?

If anything, Futogen appeared more exhilarated than hurt.

Only now did Tonari understand what had gone wrong.

At the last moment, Futogen had contorted his body in an unnatural way, deliberately dislocating his arms and using a unique technique to distribute the force of the impact.

"That maniac dislocated his own bones... just to absorb the blow?" Tonari thought, his shock mounting.

Futogen twisted his shoulders with a sickening pop, resetting his dislocated arms with ease.

The man was living proof of what you could achieve with unbreakable bones.

Futogen's wild laughter echoed through the clearing, his bloodied form seemingly unfazed.

"Excellent! Such taijutsu! Come, let's continue!"

Tonari groaned inwardly.

This was why he hated fighting the Kaguya Clan.

Even without the Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse), their insane physical resilience and unyielding battle fervor made them formidable.

The infamous Kimimaro, under Orochimaru's command, was proof enough. Even riddled with disease and held together by sheer willpower, he had been a terror on the battlefield.

Tonari's options were dwindling.

He didn't have time for this drawn-out fight. The longer he stayed, the more likely reinforcements would arrive, overwhelming him.

Though frustrated, Tonari knew he had to finish this quickly.

His Eight Gates aura began to fade, and the veins protruding from his forehead receded. His flushed skin and glowing green energy returned to normal.

This sudden shift caught Futogen off guard.

"What are you doing? Surrendering?" he sneered, his manic grin faltering.

Tonari ignored the taunt, calmly forming hand seals.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

With a puff of smoke, Silver appeared at his side.

"Silver, let's try harnessing that energy you've been carrying."

The feline nodded, leaping toward Tonari and vanishing into his chest.

Tonari's appearance began to change.

Brown markings formed around his eyes, spreading outward to create a fierce, mask-like pattern. From his forehead sprouted two curved horns, while his arms grew sucker-like appendages resembling tentacles.

Sage Mode.

But unlike the Sage Mode he achieved with Matatabi's chakra, this transformation was powered by the energy of the Eight-Tails, Gyūki.

As the transformation completed, Futogen's grin returned.

"This aura... this strength..."

Tonari's hands moved swiftly, forming new seals.

The unfamiliarity of Gyūki's chakra made maintaining this mode taxing. The searing pain coursing through his body was a constant reminder of his limits.

But for the next technique, it was perfect.

A swirling, watery vortex formed in Tonari's hand, infused with natural energy.

The sight sent the nearby Mist ninjas scrambling.

"Run! Get out of here!"

"Sage Art: Hard Whirlpool Water Blade!"

Tonari hurled the spinning vortex at Futogen, the devastating technique detonating upon impact.

The explosion unleashed a massive whirlpool, its spiraling torrents slicing through everything in its path.

Trees, rocks, and even the ground itself were shredded into fine particles.

The once-forest was reduced to a watery wasteland.

With his final attack unleashed, Tonari turned and fled.

His Sage Mode faded, and blood seeped from countless pores on his body. Though his injuries were severe, he began healing himself with medical ninjutsu as he moved.

The damage was extensive, but he had succeeded.

The aftermath was devastating.

At the epicenter of the attack, a massive crater had filled with rainwater, transforming into a lake.

Amid the wreckage, Kaguya Futogen floated to the surface.

Barely clinging to life, his body was a grotesque display of exposed bone and mangled flesh.

Even the Kaguya Clan's legendary resilience had its limits.

The remaining Mist ninjas hesitated, glancing at each other with uncertainty.

Was it worth continuing the chase?

No.

Gathering Futogen's unconscious body, they retreated to the Mist Village.

By the time Tonari reached the Leaf forces at the border, he was drenched in blood but alive.

The sight of him left the others speechless, their admiration only growing.

Tonari and Minato had completed their mission, officially earning their promotions to Jonin.

At just fifteen years old, Minato's achievement cemented his status as a prodigy.

Tonari's exact age remained a mystery, but his prowess was undeniable. Together, they became the Leaf Village's rising stars, the next generation to carry its legacy.

As for Kushina?

Furious at being left behind, she stormed into Hiruzen Sarutobi's office, demanding a promotion.

Her fiery temper only intensified in the days that followed, much to everyone's amusement.

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