"Jing Hang, stop your arrogance! Let me, Akatsuchi, take you on!"
Unnoticed by all, Akatsuchi, the great general of Iwagakure, leapt into the air. With one hand, he caught the falling Danar, and with the other, he rapidly formed hand seals.
"Earth Release: Gōri Style Technique!"
From his mouth, Akatsuchi spewed out a massive amount of earth, which instantly coalesced into a gigantic rock golem.
Jing Hang, unable to stop his momentum, collided head-on with the rock golem. The impact sent a cloud of dust billowing into the air, obscuring the battlefield from the spectators below.
When the dust finally settled, the enormous rock golem was shattered beyond recognition. The sheer force of the impact left everyone speechless.
"Akatsuchi?" Jing Hang muttered as he balanced himself atop his Iron Truth-Seeking Orb, scrutinizing this new opponent who had barged into the fray.
By now, Danar had already prepared a new clay "crane." Mounting it, he hovered in the air, warily observing Jing Hang.
Akatsuchi, though young—merely in his early twenties—looked just as he did in the manga: small eyes, a broad nose, and a physique as sturdy as a mountain. As the former personal guard of the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, his strength was undoubtedly formidable. Known as the "Shield of the Tsuchikage with Unparalleled Strength," Akatsuchi was a prodigy of Iwagakure. He was also one of the rare few who had mastered the Super Light-Weight Rock Technique, granting him aerial combat capabilities.
"You two, come at me together," Jing Hang taunted, pointing arrogantly at both of them.
Exchanging a glance, Akatsuchi and Danar nodded in agreement. Danar quickly maneuvered his "crane" to a safer distance, while Akatsuchi charged forward for close combat.
"Not bad," Jing Hang thought, observing their teamwork. "Looks like they've practiced this. Using Akatsuchi's brute strength for close-quarters combat while Danar attacks from afar with his clay bombs. A reasonable strategy."
"But aren't you worried about friendly fire?"
Without further hesitation, Jing Hang manipulated his Iron Truth-Seeking Orb and engaged Akatsuchi in hand-to-hand combat.
As they exchanged blows, Jing Hang was surprised to find that Akatsuchi's strength and combat skills were indeed extraordinary. His raw power rivaled that of Tsunade, the legendary Sannin. Despite Jing Hang's Sage Mode, which could shatter granite with ease, Akatsuchi's defenses were impenetrable, and he even managed to counterattack occasionally. Iwagakure truly had some depth to its ranks.
Meanwhile, Danar, circling on the outskirts, had completed his preparations. He released several peculiar-looking birds, each about the size of a sparrow, with disproportionately large heads and crooked features.
A quick glance during the fight was enough for Jing Hang to discern Danar's intent.
"Well, I'll be damned! This kid's got a knack for explosions. He's even playing with directional charges!"
Unwilling to fall for the trap, Jing Hang maneuvered his Iron Truth-Seeking Orb to disengage from Akatsuchi, creating some distance.
"Iron Sand: Five Orb Formation!"
The massive Iron Truth-Seeking Orb split into six. One flattened into a "disk" under Jing Hang's feet, while the other five orbited around him within a five-meter radius. If he added a tail and donned regal robes, he'd look just like Donghuang Taiyi from Honor of Kings.
Occasionally, blue sparks of electricity crackled across the Iron Truth-Seeking Orbs, clearly charged with lightning.
Sure enough, Danar's clay birds collided with the Iron Truth-Seeking Orbs and instantly lost power, plummeting straight to the ground.
Without missing a beat, Jing Hang charged toward Akatsuchi.
"Two hands, two feet, and five iron orbs. Let's see how you defend against this!"
Akatsuchi, realizing the danger, activated his Super Light-Weight Rock Technique and quickly retreated.
"Trying to run? Not so fast. I'll deal with you first, then take care of that bomb-loving brat."
Akatsuchi dove toward an open plain.
"What's this? Can't handle the air, so you're taking it to the ground? You'll fare no better there. If it weren't for the difficulty of aiming wind-based Rasenshuriken in mid-air, I'd have used it already. Could he be planning something?"
Jing Hang surveyed the ground below. The spot where Akatsuchi landed was still a fair distance from the Iwagakure forces. There was no risk of being surrounded, and even if they tried, Jing Hang could always pop some chakra pills and fly away. After all, Iwagakure's aerial capabilities were limited; they couldn't possibly pin him down.
As Akatsuchi landed, he abruptly turned to face Jing Hang, who was descending as well.
"Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique!"
Akatsuchi's right hand transformed into a massive rock fist, which he swung at Jing Hang.
"Magnet Release: Iron Fist Technique!"
Unfazed, Jing Hang countered with his own iron fist, meeting Akatsuchi's attack head-on.
A rock fist and an iron fist collided with a thunderous crash. Remarkably, their strength was evenly matched. However, the superior quality of the iron fist became apparent as cracks began to form on Akatsuchi's rock fist.
"Haah!" Jing Hang roared, channeling more power. Akatsuchi's rock fist shattered into pieces, forcing him to stumble back several steps to regain his footing.
"Now!" Akatsuchi suddenly shouted.
Five burly men emerged from the ground, surrounding Jing Hang.
"Damn it! An ambush!"
Though Jing Hang didn't know what the Iwagakure ninja were planning, he decided to retreat for now.
"Earth Release: Gōri Style Technique!"
Akatsuchi leapt high into the air, summoning another massive rock golem that descended upon Jing Hang like a falling mountain.
"Magnet Release: Pillars of Heaven and Sea!"
In an instant, Jing Hang's iron sand transformed into six massive black iron pillars, holding the rock golem aloft.
Just as Jing Hang was about to break free, the five Iwagakure men completed their hand seals and shouted in unison:
"Saturn Seal!"
Crap! I've been caught!
A glowing white chakra ring materialized around the five men, encircling Jing Hang. The ring began to shrink, tightening like an unyielding noose.
This is the Saturn Seal! A unique sealing technique of Iwagakure, typically used to subdue tailed beasts. Damn Iwagakure for pulling out all the stops and using it on me!
Having studied sealing techniques extensively in the past (see Volume 2, Chapter 28), Jing Hang recognized the Saturn Seal immediately. It was a life-sealing technique, meaning the casters sacrificed their own life force to activate it. If the seal succeeded, the five men would undoubtedly die, but the technique's power was undeniable. Once trapped by the "Saturn Ring," even the mightiest ninja would be rendered powerless. Chakra would be sealed within the body, unable to flow, leaving the victim no better than an ordinary person.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Dome!"
Jing Hang retracted the iron pillars, forming a hemispherical iron sand barrier around himself.
"Heh, it's useless. The Saturn Ring bypasses all physical defenses. Just wait to be sealed!" Akatsuchi sneered.
"All that effort finally paid off," he added with satisfaction.
Danar, who had been circling in the air, landed beside Akatsuchi.
The glowing ring shrank further, ignoring the iron sand and closing in on Jing Hang.
Moments later, the five Iwagakure men collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
"We did it!" Akatsuchi exclaimed triumphantly.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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