Chapter 316: Tobirama Senju's Ninjutsu
"Water Style: Water Severing Wave!"
"Water Style: Wind Blade Raging Stream!"
The silver-white water line shooting out from the girl's fingertip in the distance met its ancestor ninjutsu head-on for the first time!
Although the Water Style: Wind Blade Raging Stream was a ninjutsu created by Haruno Sakura, it was very similar to the Second Hokage's Water Severing Wave. From the perspective of ninjutsu development, it was not unreasonable to call the Water Severing Wave the predecessor or sister ninjutsu of the Wind Blade Raging Stream. If that ninjutsu had not been lost back then, Sakura might have been using the Water Severing Wave now...
The two ninjutsu collided head-on in the air!
Both were extremely sharp cutting-type ninjutsu. Which of the two sister ninjutsu was stronger?
The water stream spewing from Tobirama Senju's mouth was beaten into a frantic scatter and flew backwards, announcing the answer to this question!
Orochimaru's face changed slightly. The water column sprayed by the Second Hokage was thicker, but its power was far less than the slender and precise water line shot from Sakura's fingertip...
Haruno Sakura controlled her ninjutsu better than the Second Hokage, and all the power was concentrated on that one point!
SWISH—!
The water stream in Tobirama Senju's mouth was fiercely suppressed by Sakura's silver water line and shot back; with a bang, the water line pierced through the Second Hokage's head, and the Water Severing Wave came to an abrupt end. Then, with a downward slash, his entire body was cut in two!
Orochimaru was shocked and quickly formed hand seals. "Summoning: Rashōmon!"
The ferocious demon gate reappeared on the battlefield, blocking the vision of both sides.
The sharp water line cut through the gate, stirring up countless splashes of water and dust, and cutting off half of the gate's corner. Then Haruno Sakura twirled her index finger, waving the silver line, and with a few more slashes, the Rashōmon was cut into several pieces, shattered, and then crashed down into the sea!
It splashed up endless water and dust, obscuring the view of the battlefield.
The chakra signatures of Orochimaru and the Second Hokage were faintly visible in the hazy vision.
The disturbance soon subsided, and peace returned to the sea surface. Haruno Sakura looked over calmly and saw that the Second Hokage's severed body had returned to its original state, standing in front of Orochimaru.
Separated by a hundred meters, the three of them confronted each other calmly.
"Second Hokage, it seems your Water Style has been suppressed!" Orochimaru sneered, speaking to Tobirama Senju in front of him.
He had only controlled the Second Hokage's body, but Tobirama could still speak on his own. The latter sighed, "Whether it is the architecture and design of the ninjutsu, or the ability to control chakra, she has far surpassed me. I never expected that after my death, Konoha would produce such a powerful Water Style ninja!"
"Blue comes from indigo but is bluer than indigo!" (1) He glanced at Orochimaru out of the corner of his eye and said meaningfully.
The man behind him had developed the Reanimation Jutsu to a degree that was beyond his expectations! Even he might not have been able to improve the precision of the Reanimation Jutsu to this extent back then...
"What is your name?" Tobirama Senju asked from a distance.
"My name is Haruno Sakura," the girl said faintly. "It is a great honor to be remembered by Lord Second Hokage!"
"I'm just a dead man. There's no honor to speak of..." The Second Hokage sighed, his tone a little heavy. "This ninjutsu has caused you so much trouble. It really isn't my intention."
"No... ninjutsu itself is neither good nor bad. The difference lies only in the user," Haruno Sakura said calmly. "Abused by evil people, even the best ninjutsu will cause evil consequences!"
Orochimaru interjected, "Hehe... indeed, ninjutsu itself is neither good nor bad! All three of us are ninja who like to develop and create new ninjutsu. On this point, we should have a lot in common!"
"However, now is the time for battle. Let's save the idle chat for after one of us has completely fallen..."
"My Water Style has been suppressed. Do we still need to continue fighting?" The Second Hokage turned his head with great difficulty and glanced at Orochimaru. "She has the Yin Seal passed down by Tsunade, and her ability to sustain combat is extremely strong! If we continue to fight, even if you can control me to fight, you will lose sooner or later..."
"I suggest you make plans early while you still retain most of your combat power!"
Orochimaru chuckled lightly, the corner of his mouth curling up with a hint of mockery.
"Are you advising me to run away?"
Without waiting for Tobirama Senju to speak, he continued, "Indeed, choosing to fight on the sea was a miscalculation on my part. I originally thought this place would be more favorable for your performance. It seems I've shot myself in the foot!"
Orochimaru licked his lips and gave the Second Hokage a deep look.
"But your ninjutsu isn't just Water Style, Lord Second Hokage!"
Tobirama Senju's eyes flickered and turned cold.
"It seems I shouldn't have slashed you just now!" His voice was cold and full of killing intent!
"Hehe, Lord Second Hokage, do you think I would summon you without first understanding your ninjutsu?" Orochimaru ignored the chilling killing intent emanating from the man beside him and sneered. "You have indeed developed many powerful ninjutsu with far-reaching influence!"
"Enough nonsense!" Orochimaru clasped his hands together in front of him. "The next battle will not be a gorgeous clash of ninjutsu, but a bloody close-quarters fight!"
The chakra of the two surged wildly again!
"You have to be careful, Haruno Sakura..." The Second Hokage looked at the girl opposite him and said coldly, "I am now acting against my will!"
Facing the sudden increase in the momentum of the Second Hokage and Orochimaru, the expression on Sakura's face did not change. Instead, she smiled faintly.
"Is it the Flying Raijin space-time ninjutsu?" she said calmly.
"After competing in Water Style, are we now going to compete in speed?"
She quietly activated Sakura Rush Phase Three (Pseudo).
Entering brain overclocking mode!
In this phase of Sakura Rush, the transmission speed of nerve signals in the brain became faster, which meant... faster thinking speed! In other words, in high-speed combat, she could use less time to dodge enemy attacks, or think of a way to attack in a flash!
Although it was only a slight improvement, when dealing with this kind of battle, it could very well be the difference between a light injury and a fatal one.
This was the first time she had used Sakura Rush Phase Three (Pseudo) in a life-or-death battle since its completion.
This felt a little different from when she was experimenting; the world in her eyes seemed to have slowed down!
If Phase Two of Sakura Rush was the effect of "thought and action arriving together," where the body reacted immediately as soon as a thought arose in the mind; then Phase Three was the effect of "action arriving before thought"!
This was a very strange feeling...
Some of her thoughts and actions had already reacted before her brain was even aware of their existence!
Haruno Sakura clasped her hands in front of her chest. After she finished this action, her consciousness realized that she wanted to form seals, and at this moment, the ice armor protecting her vital points had already condensed on her body.
"Come on, Lord Second Hokage..." Sakura said faintly, her eyes calmly looking at the Second Hokage opposite her. "I'm ready!"
"Here I come!" The Second Hokage crouched down and suddenly said.
The speed of sound in air is 340 meters per second.
Tobirama Senju's speed was faster than sound!
"Water Style: Instant Water!"
Using the water area as a medium for the Body Flicker, he skillfully cast it. In the next moment, Tobirama Senju appeared behind Haruno Sakura!
The moment he appeared here, the sound of the sentence he had just said reached Sakura's ears; "Behind you!" The Second Hokage shouted, reminding her at the same time as he attacked.
Haruno Sakura already knew.
Her reaction speed was much faster than the Second Hokage had anticipated! Tobirama Senju swung his long sword from behind the girl, piercing the air, slashing at Haruno Sakura with a sharp whistle; the latter suddenly ducked to dodge, her left elbow abruptly lifted, and a fierce elbow strike landed on Tobirama Senju's wrist, brutally shattering his right hand into fragments!
So fast! Tobirama Senju's eyes narrowed. He was trying his best to control his body to resist Orochimaru's manipulation, so his body was not using its full strength; but the girl's response and counterattack also exceeded his imagination!
Such a swift and ruthless counterattack almost reminded him of the scenes when he sparred with his elder brother Hashirama!
Haruno Sakura succeeded in one hit, but did not pause. Then she twisted her waist and hips, her left leg swinging back, her straight calf kicking fiercely at Tobirama Senju.
"Nin-taijutsu: Wing Chun Hidden Leg!"
This heavy kick carried a flavor familiar to the Second Hokage. He was slightly stunned. This was Tsunade's Monstrous Strength Technique!
The fierce wind from the kick stung Tobirama Senju's skin; even though he had become an immortal body, his expression became grave when facing this blow!
Can't block it!
He reached out to block this heavy kick, but his left hand crumpled like an egg hitting a rock under that immense force, scattering into the dust unique to the Reanimation Jutsu; then, the girl's calf continued to sweep across, its momentum undiminished, like splitting bamboo!
Swish—
Sakura's heavy kick missed, hitting only an afterimage, kicking out a sharp whistle of compressed air; the Second Hokage had already flickered away from the spot, using the slight gap created by his left hand's block to dodge this blow!
The two or three exchanges, as fast as a rabbit's leap and a falcon's dive, sounded like a lot of words, but in fact, they had taken less than a second.
Both of their movements were extremely fast, so fast that every movement produced an afterimage!
The Second Hokage flickered away. Before Haruno Sakura had time to catch her breath, Orochimaru's next wave of attacks followed.
"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
The giant fireball attacked again. The blazing firelight shone dazzlingly, pouncing over with bared fangs and brandished claws, as if to swallow her whole!
Haruno Sakura snorted coldly. This move again!
The continuous attacks gave her no time to breathe!
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