Chapter 282: Wood Leaf Divine Dragon vs. Midday Tiger
Chapter 282: Wood Leaf Divine Dragon vs. Midday Tiger
Teacher Chen dusted himself off and stood up, his body hardened from a lifetime of practicing taijutsu. He was far tougher than the average ninja, and this minor scuffle wouldn't hinder his performance in the upcoming battle.
Muyue's display of prowess had thoroughly impressed Teacher Chen. Her taijutsu prowess surpassed her ninjutsu, and she even possessed skills he couldn't comprehend.
"What a shame. If she had been born a decade or two earlier, my taijutsu would have been even more formidable," Teacher Chen thought to himself.
If he had access to a taijutsu master like Muyue ten years ago, he would have challenged her daily, and his physical prowess would undoubtedly be even stronger today.
But those days were long gone. His body was already at its peak, and engaging in frequent battles would only hasten the decline of his powers.
"However, it's quite fortunate to encounter such an opponent during my prime," Teacher Chen mused with a smile.
While he often joked about being the strongest taijutsu user, there was a hint of pride in his words. He attributed his inability to defeat the Third Hokage to the latter's mastery of the Monkey Demon, believing that without that advantage, he might have stood a chance in a hand-to-hand combat.
"Wood Leaf Divine Dragon!"
Without hesitation, Teacher Chen unleashed his self-created advanced taijutsu technique, determined to give it his all against such a formidable foe.
He gathered a massive amount of chakra in the lower half of his body and then explosively released it, kicking up a whirlwind of devastating speed.
Whoosh! !
In an instant, a dragon-shaped tornado over thirty meters high appeared, its powerful cutting force instantly slicing the surrounding trees into segments. Not just the trees, but everything near the tornado was shredded into pieces, sending sawdust and sand flying through the air.
"That's incredible! Teacher Chen must not have been using his full strength earlier," thought Itachi, unconsciously edging backward as he watched the towering Wood Leaf Divine Dragon. He felt that even spectating this battle could be risky.
"I wonder how Muyue will counter this move," Might Guy thought, his eyes fixed on the bluish-green tornado on the field. He was curious to see what kind of taijutsu Muyue would use to counter Teacher Chen's Wood Leaf Divine Dragon.
"How will Muyue counter such an attack?" Even after their previous encounter, Ebizo was no longer certain that Muyue's strength was inferior to Teacher Chen's.
"Is this taijutsu or ninjutsu? It's so cool!" Obito exclaimed, captivated by the destructive bluish-green dragon.
Obito wanted to ask Muyue if he could teach him that move.
"Regarding this taijutsu..." Muyue furrowed his brows in thought. As a proficient user of the Wood Leaf Divine Dragon himself and having watched the anime, he was well aware of its weakness.
Due to its nature as a tornado, the eye of the storm was the Wood Leaf Divine Dragon's weak point. By finding the right opportunity to enter the eye, one could disrupt the technique.
After some contemplation, Muyue decided to engage the Wood Leaf Divine Dragon head-on with taijutsu. This wasn't a battle against an enemy, so there was no need to conserve his strength or aim for maximum efficiency.
"Eight Inner Gates, Gate of Life, Open!"
Muyue directly activated the third gate of the Eight Inner Gates, further enhancing his already formidable physical prowess.
He prepared to use the Midday Tiger, a technique he had acquired earlier, to counter Teacher Chen's Wood Leaf Divine Dragon.
However, even with the boost from the Eight Inner Gates, his physical strength wasn't sufficient to meet the requirements for performing the Midday Tiger, let alone unleashing its full power. He would need to open at least one more gate to pull it off while reducing its might.
Muyue gathered a massive amount of chakra in his fist and delivered rapid, forceful punches into the air, compressing it with each strike.
"Midday Tiger!"
With the final punch, the compressed air erupted, giving birth to a gigantic transparent tiger that rushed towards the Wood Leaf Divine Dragon like an air cannon.
Whoosh! ! !
The moment the tiger-shaped air cannon appeared, it generated an immense shockwave. Nearby trees were toppled, and those farther away rustled violently from the force.
Ebizo, caught off guard, was blown backward by the powerful shockwave. Might Guy swiftly entered the Rock Breathing state to steady himself before grabbing onto Ebizo to prevent him from being blown away.
Shimura Danzo fared only slightly better than Ebizo. He reacted a bit quicker, managing to cling to a nearby tree and avoid being blown away.
Obito entered the Flame Breathing Concentration state to withstand the intense shockwave.
"What a terrifying technique! Even from this distance, the aftermath is so powerful," Shimura Danzo exclaimed.
When the Wood Leaf Divine Dragon appeared, he could instinctively scoot backward, but when the Midday Tiger was unleashed, he felt the force might propel them forward even if they tried to escape.
"Amazing!" Might Guy exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock as he watched Muyue create the tiger-shaped air cannon. He felt that Muyue's current strength could kill him with a single punch, and this was just the aftermath of the technique.
"Although it lacks the Dragon Leader, this move seems even stronger," Obito thought, comparing the air cannon tiger to the Wood Leaf Divine Dragon. The dragon hadn't caused such a commotion when it first appeared.
Kakashi and the others could feel the terror of the Midday Tiger, let alone Teacher Chen, who faced it directly. He sensed a powerful force like none he had ever encountered before.
Stimulated by this force, Teacher Chen felt an unparalleled excitement. Such a taijutsu battle was a novel experience for him.
Finally, under the watchful eyes of everyone present, the tiger-shaped air cannon unleashed by Muyue collided with Teacher Chen's towering green dragon.
Roar!!!
The green dragon and the white tiger clashed, their massive forms tearing at each other. The great white tiger sank its fangs into the dragon's body, while the dragon retaliated by lashing out with its body, using the tornado's cutting force to attack the tiger.
Boom!!!
The tiger and dragon clash caused a series of explosions on the ground below, the impact too much for the earth to bear. Chunks of dirt and dust flew in all directions.
Shockwaves rippled outward, toppling trees and sending objects flying, leaving the surrounding area in disarray.
Amidst the tiger's roars and the dragon's bellows, both beasts became riddled with wounds, eventually dissipating and revealing a disheveled Teacher Chen.
Muyue deactivated the Eight Inner Gates and the Rock Breathing state, approaching him with a smile. "Senior, you are indeed the strongest taijutsu ninja in Konoha. Even with all my efforts, I could only barely counter your Wood Leaf Dragon God."
Muyue had no intention of continuing the fight. The state he had just demonstrated was not solely for the purpose of unleashing the Midday Tiger. With the combination of those two techniques, any taijutsu he employed would be immensely powerful. Add to that his understanding of the Transparent World, and he could easily overpower Teacher Chen.
He knew when to stop, and his purpose here was not to defeat Teacher Chen.
Teacher Chen stood in momentary silence, appreciating the art of language as Muyue made it seem like he was the one who had barely managed to hold his own.
"You have a way with words," Teacher Chen laughed. "But let's not talk about being the strongest in taijutsu. Your taijutsu skills are already on par with mine."
He didn't know how Muyue had managed to unleash such powerful taijutsu, able to counter his Wood Leaf Dragon God head-on, but he could acknowledge that his own skills fell short.
If this had been a real battle, Muyue could have easily taken advantage of the moment when his Wood Leaf Dragon God was broken and launched a swift offensive. He would have found it difficult to defend against such an attack.
"I merely exploited a weakness," Muyue replied with a gentle smile. "My true taijutsu skills are still far from matching yours."
He had relied on brute force, using the Rock Breathing state and the Eight Inner Gates to overpower Teacher Chen.
"The youth of today are truly remarkable," Teacher Chen said, ignoring Muyue's humility. "I can't even begin to imagine how strong you'll be when you reach my age." He believed that regardless of the means, Muyue's prowess was a testament to his own abilities.
"Well, Senior, if you continue to mentor Might Guy as you have, he should be able to reach a similar level by the time he's my age," Muyue said with a smile.
After all, he had only used the Rock Breathing state with three open gates. Who knew what Might Guy could achieve by the time he turned eighteen? Perhaps he would be able to open seven of the Eight Inner Gates, maintain the Rock Breathing state, and even master Haki.
"With Guy, that's definitely a possibility," Teacher Chen said, his expression turning thoughtful.
Might Guy was only nine years old, yet he already possessed impressive taijutsu skills. With another nine or ten years of training, coupled with his dedication and the guidance of both Teacher Chen and Muyue, his future potential was immeasurable.
"Are we done here?" Obito asked, approaching them with a confused look as the battle had ended without a clear victor.
Smack!
Muyue sent a transparent wave of chakra toward Obito with a slash of his hand, striking him precisely on the forehead. "Among masters, a battle need not always determine a winner and loser. Sometimes, a single exchange is enough."
Teacher Chen narrowed his eyes, recognizing this as an unfamiliar taijutsu technique that Muyue had not used during their fight.
"Hey, can you teach me that move?" Obito asked, rubbing the spot on his forehead where he had been struck. He looked at Muyue with eager anticipation.
"The Wood Leaf Dragon God? That's Teacher Chen's self-created technique. How could I possibly know it?" Muyue shook his head.
Initially, he had considered pretending to learn the Wood Leaf Dragon God during their battle, but now he felt it might be a bit discouraging for Teacher Chen. Besides, Might Guy could also learn it from Teacher Chen, and he himself had no particular need for it.
"I want to learn it!" Obito persisted.
"Then I'll ask Teacher Chen to teach you," Teacher Chen said, brushing off his clothes. "I have no intention of keeping this technique a secret. I'm happy to pass it on to you."
The Wood Leaf Dragon God was a product of his hard work and creativity, but he had no desire to take it to the grave. He quite liked Muyue, so he had no qualms about teaching it to him.
"My apologies, Senior. You're not a decrepit old man, but the most spirited one around!" Obito chuckled, giving Teacher Chen a thumbs-up.
(End of Chapter)
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