Chapter 41: Jujutsu - Death Controlling Possessed Blood!
"With a body as weak as yours, how could you possibly defeat me?"
BAM!
Jade was sent flying again, a spray of crimson blood arcing through the air. Jizo caught the droplets in his hand. Looking at the defiant Jade not far away, a twisted grin spread across Jizo's face.
"Are you ready... to receive Lord Jashin's kiss?"
Jizo slammed his right hand onto the ground. The blood between his fingers seemed to come alive, rapidly forming a circle beneath his feet, then sketching out a crimson triangle within it.
"Th-this is?" Jade's eyes widened in horror. Seeing the symbol, which he had only ever seen in intelligence reports, filled him with a sense of dreadful absurdity. A legend he had dismissed as a joke was now becoming terrifyingly real.
Jizo slowly drew a long, thin black rod from within his dark torso, aiming it gradually toward his own chest. The rod was even longer than he was tall; Jade had no idea how he had pulled it out of his body.
"Damn it!" An unprecedented wave of fear washed over Jade. He felt as if he were about to face the most excruciating pain imaginable.
"Are you ready?" Jizo chuckled maliciously. "This might hurt a little!"
Jade's only answer was another furious blast of lightning.
"Lightning Style: False Darkness!"
His face was a mask of pure rage, illuminated starkly by the intense lightning. Two thick bolts shot forward, instantly engulfing Jizo's figure.
CRACKLE! FIZZ!
The deafening roar of electricity echoed through the cavern for over ten seconds. But when the light faded, Jade stared in utter despair. Jizo stood there, completely unharmed by the full force of his lightning jutsu. Worse still, Jade himself coughed up another mouthful of blood as the backlash of the jutsu wracked his body with numbness and searing pain.
What do I do? Ninjutsu is useless, and now it even seems to reflect back! Taijutsu... I'm no match for him in taijutsu either... Jade's mind raced, his hope sinking rapidly.
"Stop your useless struggles and feel the kiss of the Evil God!" Jizo's eyes suddenly blazed, and he let out a sharp cry. He brought his hands together in front of his chest and thrust the rod forward, plunging it deep into his own heart.
SHLICK!
The black rod pierced straight through his body.
Pfft!
Pfft!
Both men simultaneously coughed up blood. Jizo's face twisted into a mask of morbid ecstasy, while Jade's eyes widened in disbelief, blood pouring from his mouth. He slowly looked down at his chest.
A stark, circular wound had appeared over his heart. He could see the ground behind him through the hole. Then, blood gushed from the wound like a bursting dam.
BAM!
Jade collapsed to his knees. He desperately pressed one hand against the wound, trying to staunch the flow, while using the other to prop himself up, refusing to fall.
"Hehehe... cough!" A strange laugh escaped Jizo's lips, followed by a cough that brought up more blood. "Well, well, Jade! You old bastard chased me for so many years, and now look at you! Hahahaha..."
After a bout of laughter, Jizo roared maniacally, "This is the power of a god! The divine power granted to me by Lord Jashin!"
"Lord Leader!"
"Lord Leader!"
The surrounding Hidden Hot Water shinobi rushed over, crying out in alarm. Jizo was now the only Jashinist left standing.
Seeing Jizo raise the rod again, preparing to stab himself once more, Inoshita's expression changed. "Stop him!" he yelled.
He didn't need to say it. Most of the older shinobi in the village had heard rumors of the bizarre Death Controlling Possessed Blood technique. Seeing their leader fall victim to it confirmed their worst fears—the terrifying jutsu was real.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Led by Watanabe Musashi, the three remaining Hidden Hot Water Jonin charged at Jizo, determined to prevent him from harming himself further.
Meanwhile, high above Freyal City, the Wind Eagle hovered, occasionally beating its massive wings. The wind ruffled Kael's short, black hair. He sat atop the eagle's head, his face pale with shock.
"What a terrifying ability," he muttered to himself. "It's even worse than Hidan's in the original story. At the very least, this guy's taijutsu is stronger than Hidan's. He's probably an elite Jonin specializing in close combat."
His expression grew grim. "Add that bizarre immortality, immunity to ninjutsu, and the terrifying ability to reflect jutsu after activating the Death Controlling Possessed Blood... How did the Land of Hot Water end up with such a monster?"
Kael desperately tried to recall the weaknesses of Hidan's abilities.
"Although he can't die from fatal injuries, his body isn't indestructible. I remember Hidan didn't have regeneration in the original story. His wounds healed quickly, but the ear Asuma cut off never grew back."
His expression shifted rapidly as he considered the immortality's weakness.
"When his head was severed, he could still talk and think. He only regained mobility after Kakuzu stitched him back together. And when Shikamaru blew him apart and buried him, his body started to rot because he couldn't get any nutrients. That means... if his separated body parts don't receive sustenance, he will die. It's not true immortality! So, to kill him, I need to find a way to destroy his physical body or immobilize him. Then he'll eventually starve to death!"
Kael's eyes lit up. But the next moment, his brow furrowed deeply. Through the eyes of his Explosive Flies, he saw that even against three Jonin, Jizo was holding his own. In fact, using his immortality, he was trading blows recklessly, forcing the three Hidden Hot Water Jonin onto the defensive. They didn't dare let him get their blood, fearing he would use the curse on them too.
"This guy was already a powerful taijutsu Jonin. With the 'power of the Evil God,' he's even more troublesome. He's a whole level above Hidan, whose techniques were relatively simple. The Hidden Hot Water Village's forces might actually have a hard time with this..." Kael frowned, unsure what to do. He knew Jizo's weakness, but it seemed impossible to exploit it right now.
Screw it! If this continues, Watanabe Musashi and the others, who don't know how to counter him, will die!
His expression hardened. He slammed his hand down. "Little Wind, down!"
As they descended rapidly into the underground cavern, Kael's mind raced.
Ninjutsu is ineffective. That means chakra-based energy can't harm him, just like the five basic elements can't harm someone with the Rinnegan. Because they both possess 'the power of a god.'
But what about my summons? The Earth Dragon, Ironclad Hedgehog, Explosive Flies, even the Blazing Ant Queen! None of them have chakra in their bodies!
A glimmer of hope appeared in Kael's eyes.