Chapter 131: Two-on-Two
Even the fiercest warrior cannot endure endless attrition. When his comrades fall, an Iwa ninja always feels that his turn is inevitable.
After a brief skirmish, the Iwa ninja adjusted his tactics, retreating from close combat with the Konoha ninja. Both sides transitioned into a ninjutsu exchange, except for the Iwa fighters skilled in taijutsu, who continued battling in close quarters.
Kawakaze advanced steadily, showing no eagerness to attack. Yet, wherever he went, the Iwa ninja retreated. None dared confront him directly, his fierce reputation serving as an unspoken deterrent.
As Kawakaze closed in on Ōnoki, his pace quickened. Lightning flickered across his body—he had entered full combat mode. Tsunade, now back to her usual self, followed closely behind him. Their objective was clear: Ōnoki and Rōshi.
"I'll go first," Rōshi said to Ōnoki before dashing toward Kawakaze.
"Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rock Technique!"
Forming a hand seal, Rōshi spat out several large magma balls toward Kawakaze and Tsunade. As he ran, a red tail appeared behind him—a sign of his transformation beginning.
Ōnoki floated into the air, watching Kawakaze intently. His sharp gaze sought the slightest mistake, ready to exploit it at once.
The magma balls, each larger than a person, radiated an intense heat. Flames danced across their surfaces, and the molten rock flowed ominously. Before the balls reached him, Kawakaze could already feel the scorching heat.
"Thunderclap and Flash: One Flash of Lightning, Sixfold," he muttered with a faint smirk.
With a slight bend of his knees, Kawakaze launched forward, leaving a streak of lightning in his wake. The magma ball was split cleanly in two by the lightning strike, its halves crashing into the ground. Even then, the fire atop them burned fiercely, igniting the surrounding terrain as molten rock seeped into the earth.