"Boom!"
The air suddenly exploded, a violent shockwave sweeping out in all directions. The ground cracked apart and trembled violently.
The surrounding ANBU operatives looked on in shock. What kind of power is this?! The Boar Mask ninja was strong because of his Body Expansion Technique—he could unleash enormous strength in an instant.
But this masked ninja, this so-called Rakshasa Demon—where did his power come from? His body didn't look especially muscular; in fact, he seemed rather lean and young.
In truth, Leo wasn't frail at all. He only looked small compared to the enlarged Boar Mask ninja.
Now, the two stood in the center of the training field, palms pressed against each other, locked in a contest of raw power!
"Not bad… you're pretty strong," came the deep, muffled voice from behind the Boar Mask ninja's mask.
"This is your strength?" Leo said calmly, his voice flat and unreadable.
"What do you mean?" The Boar Mask ninja froze, confused.
Leo's arm twisted at an odd angle, and he let out a low shout:
"Spiral Force!"
He unleashed his secret Monster Strength Technique, compressing all his physical power into a spiraling burst concentrated in his fist. It took only an instant to complete.
He stepped back slightly, then thrust both arms forward with a sharp motion. The Boar Mask ninja felt a searing pain in his massive fists.
He tried to push back with even greater strength, but to his horror, his power felt as if it had been caught in a whirlpool—drawn in, shredded, and dissolved!
"Bang!"
Before he could even process what was happening, the air around their fists exploded. Twin spiraling shockwaves manifested visibly, and his enormous body was flung backward like a ragdoll.
"Thud!"
He crashed heavily to the ground. His arms shrank back to normal size—the Body Expansion Technique had ended, its chakra consumption too heavy to maintain any longer.
The ANBU operatives whispered among themselves. The Boar Mask ninja had lost!
"I admit defeat!"
The Boar Mask ninja stood up, glancing at his arms. His sleeves were torn apart, and his skin had peeled in a strange, twisted pattern—like braided rope.
What kind of power was that? So strange…!
Leo said nothing. The two formed the Seal of Reconciliation, marking the end of their duel.
Ding! Experience +20
Experience +50!
Experience +60!
Experience +200!
…
When the fight ended, Leo roughly calculated that he had gained nearly 500 experience points in total. His current balance was 1300 / 10000—enough to upgrade his Three Colors of Haki to Level 2.
Having tasted the benefits, Leo stayed in the arena, clearly ready for another fight.
The Boar Mask ninja's rank on the ANBU Shadow List was between 50 and 100, so few were eager to challenge Leo right away.
After some waiting, another ninja finally stepped forward.
This one was about Leo's size, his age unclear. He wore a crimson mask—pure red, without any pattern, like a smoldering ember.
The two entered the field.
They said nothing, performing the Seal of Opposition simultaneously—then the duel began.
The Red Mask ninja charged first, kunai in hand. His movements were fast—crossing ten meters in a breath.
His blade slashed through the air, leaving a black arc of light. Each strike was vicious and precise, aimed at the body's most vulnerable points.
Leo sidestepped twice, then spun and countered with a punch—no dodging, no hesitation. His Armament Haki flared, coating his fist in invisible steel.
"Clang!"
The kunai shattered upon impact, and the Red Mask ninja was sent flying, crashing to the ground.
That was too fast… too easy. Leo's heart tensed. This is an ANBU ninja. There's no way he's that weak.
Sure enough—poof! The fallen body burst into white smoke.
"A clone!" Leo realized instantly. His Observation Haki tingled—danger approaching.
"Ninja Art: Path of Darkness!" a cold voice whispered in his ear.
Leo's pupils contracted. Around him, the world dimmed—the light faded, the scenery vanished—until nothing remained but endless darkness.
It was as if he'd been thrown into a vast, empty void.
"This is genjutsu—an illusion that strips away the five senses!" Leo understood immediately.
If it had been a mental illusion like the one Uchiha Shiro used last time, he could've repelled it with his Conqueror's Haki.
But this type—targeting the senses—was harder to break.
"Whizz!"
A sharp sound sliced through the darkness. Leo couldn't see it, but his Observation Haki let him sense the attack. He dodged easily.
Then came several more. Shuriken. In a pitch-black world, throwing shuriken was smart—unseen, unpredictable, impossible to block.
Unfortunately for Red Mask, Leo's Observation Haki was his second pair of eyes—sharper than the real ones.
He dodged them all effortlessly.
That clearly startled the Red Mask ninja.
"If you've got other tricks, use them all," Leo said calmly. "You can't trap me."
Silence. Then a low murmur—
"Ninjutsu: Golden Binding Technique!"
Leo's consciousness remained clear, but his body refused to move.
So this genjutsu disrupts my chakra flow…
"Rustle."
Footsteps approached through the darkness. A black figure emerged—Red Mask.
From beneath his mask, two crimson eyes gleamed—clear as blood in the void, like a demon's gaze.
Red eyes… no tomoe… illusion-user… could he be from the Kurama Clan? Leo thought, unfazed despite the dual-layered illusion.
"You've lost," Red Mask said coldly, pressing a kunai to Leo's throat.
"Have I?" Leo smiled faintly. "You shouldn't have shown yourself to me."
"What?"
"Conqueror's Haki!"
In an instant, Leo's will surged outward—sharp, overwhelming. His spirit exploded like a storm.
Centered on him, the Conqueror's Haki rippled outward, crushing through the darkness like a tidal wave. The illusory world shattered—the void turned gray, and even the surrounding ANBU watching outside felt an oppressive weight press down on their chests.
The Red Mask ninja met Leo's eyes—and his mind shook violently.
That gaze—terrifying, regal, commanding submission. His spirit faltered; his knees buckled; he dropped to one knee, utterly defeated.
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