Chapter 18: My Grandson Kiyoshi Has the Makings of a Mizukage
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
The roar of a water dragon came from behind Kiyoshi. Having already revealed his Shikotsumyaku, Kiyoshi this time did not choose to use Water Release ninjutsu to defend. Instead, he simply activated all the Chakra in his body and quickly formed a layer of hard bone armor under his skin to enhance his body's defense.
"Shikotsumyaku: Bone Armor Technique!"
Relying on his indestructible defense to withstand the impact of the Water Dragon Bullet Technique unleashed by the Elite Jōnin, Kiyoshi used his right hand to pull out his spinal bone from his back and quickly swung it towards Ling's location.
"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Willow! Vines!"
Ling, shocked by Kiyoshi's powerful defense, didn't have time to dodge and was entangled by the bone whip. Kiyoshi pulled hard, quickly dragging Ling towards him. At the same time, his left hand was also quickly covered by a large amount of bone, forming a spiral bone flower.
"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Willow! Flower!"
The white bone drill bit fiercely stabbed towards Ling, who was being dragged over.
The moment he touched Ling's body, Kiyoshi immediately felt that the sensation was wrong. Ling once again turned into a puddle of water, splashing everywhere from the impact of the Dance of the Willow.
"Water Release: Water Clone Technique!"
Ling used the Body Flicker Technique to switch places with a water clone that had been prepared in the distance, avoiding Kiyoshi's close-range attack.
Watching Ling casually defuse his attacks several times while still being able to easily launch counterattacks, Kiyoshi gained a clearer understanding of the strength of an Elite Jōnin.
"Water Release: Bakusui Shōha!" (Exploding Water Wave)
The lake surface in the distance began to boil, and a large amount of lake water surged towards Kiyoshi under Ling's control.
The situation of attack and defense instantly reversed. The impact force of a large amount of water waves gathered together was much stronger than the Water Dragon Bullet Technique. Kiyoshi didn't want to stubbornly try to withstand it and quickly flashed to the side, avoiding the direct impact of the water waves.
Under the effect of the Exploding Water Wave, the battlefield for the two had already been covered with water. The geographical advantage that Ling wanted had been achieved.
"Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique!"
The Hidden Mist Technique could be said to be a standard skill for Jōnin in the Hidden Mist Village. Almost everyone knew it, and it was even one of the ninjutsu that was a must-learn in the Anbu.
Chakra permeated the air, and a large amount of thick fog rose up, quickly covering the entire battlefield. Kiyoshi's vision was severely obstructed, and he quickly lost sight of Ling in the mist.
Although Kiyoshi possessed all seven Chakra natures, he had not yet practiced any other nature transformations besides Water Release. Therefore, Kiyoshi currently did not have a very good way to break the Hidden Mist Technique and could only passively defend himself in the thick fog.
"Swish!"
The sound of something cutting through the air came from the side. Kiyoshi pulled out a bone blade from his body and waved it to block. It was a probing attack launched by Ling with a kunai in the mist.
Having tested Kiyoshi's reaction speed, Ling knew that using ranged attacks like kunai would not be very effective. So, he drew the ninja sword he carried on his back, preparing to engage Kiyoshi in close combat.
As the Anbu squad leader under Elder Seiji, Ling had a certain understanding of the Kaguya clan's Shikotsumyaku. But in the Hidden Mist Technique that blocked vision, it was his home ground, and he was confident in defeating Kiyoshi, who had awakened the Shikotsumyaku.
Ling silently appeared behind Kiyoshi, raising his ninja sword and quickly slashing towards Kiyoshi's back. What he didn't know was that Kiyoshi's sensory abilities were very strong, so strong that even with the Chakra interference of the Hidden Mist Technique, he could still sense Ling's movements. Ling's appearance had already clearly been exposed to Kiyoshi's senses.
"Bang!"
Kiyoshi turned around to block, and the bone blade in his hand collided heavily with Ling's ninja sword, making a huge booming sound.
Although Kiyoshi could clearly sense Ling's movements, his body's speed couldn't keep up with his senses. As a powerful figure close to the Kage level, Ling's speed was much faster than Kiyoshi's.
After several exchanges, Kiyoshi found it increasingly difficult to keep up with Ling's attacks. Chakra flowed within his body, quickly covering his entire being.
"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Camellia!"
The bones all over his body burst out from within, growing sharp bone spurs. At the same time, Kiyoshi's body spun rapidly in place.
Ling's continuous attacks were forced to stop, and he once again disappeared into the mist, preparing for his next attack.
"I can't continue like this. Without learning Wind Release ninjutsu, my Chakra will be exhausted," Kiyoshi thought.
"Then I have no choice but to use this move! Although I haven't mastered it very well yet. Dance! Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Seedling Fern!"
Kiyoshi put his hands together in a seal, mobilized most of the Chakra in his body, and then slammed his hands heavily on the ground.
Countless densely packed, snow-white bone spurs rapidly grew out of the ground, quickly forming a forest of white bones.
Sensing the Chakra erupting from Kiyoshi's location, although he didn't know what technique Kiyoshi had used, Ling quickly retreated backward. But Ling's actions were still a step too late. The bone spurs had already grown to his location.
Ling had no choice but to constantly swing his sword to cut down the bone spurs attacking him. The Dance of the Seedling Fern, as the ultimate dance of the Kaguya clan, was mastered by very few members, and its appearances in the ninja world were also very rare. Therefore, this technique was not included in the information about Shikotsumyaku that Ling possessed.
Ling, who had been hiding motionless to the side, could not have been sensed by Kiyoshi, but this movement instantly exposed him.
"Found you!" Kiyoshi whispered, using the bone forest to quickly teleport to Ling's front and launch an attack.
"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Willow!"
The bones in his shoulders, elbows, palms, and knees rapidly burst out of his body, and Kiyoshi launched a frantic attack on Ling.
And Ling lived up to his reputation as an Elite Jōnin. Facing the double attack of the bone spurs from below and Kiyoshi's assault from the front, he remained calm and composed, blocking every one of Kiyoshi's attacks.
Kiyoshi, who had been attacking for a long time without success, gradually began to show a trace of fatigue. Seizing an opening, Ling quickly disengaged from Kiyoshi's attack. Knowing that the Hidden Mist Technique was no longer effective against Kiyoshi, he also dispelled the Hidden Mist Technique.
The thick fog slowly dissipated, revealing the two still facing each other. Oshu, Bi, and Elder Seiji, watching the fog dissipate, looked at the ravaged ground and the scattered white bones everywhere, and couldn't help but show surprise again. Kiyoshi had given them too many surprises today.
As for Kiyoshi being able to hold out against an Elite Jōnin for so long and forcing the opponent to abandon the Hidden Mist Technique, Elder Seiji had roughly judged Kiyoshi's current strength.
With the existence of the Kekkei Genkai Shikotsumyaku, Kiyoshi was stronger than ordinary Jōnin and could likely defeat them, but killing them might be difficult.
Against an Elite Jōnin, he had a certain ability to protect himself, but he could not contend with them for a long time.
Moreover, as an old figure who had existed since the founding of the village, Elder Seiji had personally witnessed the Dance of the Seedling Fern and had a certain understanding of it.
For Kiyoshi to be able to release the Dance of the Seedling Fern at the young age of 9, Elder Seiji could only say that he had never seen anyone with such high talent.
"My grandson Kiyoshi has the makings of a Mizukage!" The long-dormant heart of Elder Seiji gradually began to stir.