Naruto: The Unbreakable Will of a Sannin's Student

"Ah, have you two already discussed how you'd prefer to die?" Kugutsu Kyōjin looked at the two figures standing back-to-back with a chilling smile.

"Don't worry, you're both excellent material. I won't kill you… yet."

He then turned his attention to Hyuga Ritsu. "Otherwise, you would have been dead a long time ago, little sister. You know, perception-type ninjas need to be eliminated first. But you've managed to surprise me a few times."

Pointing at Okamoto Dousuke, he continued, "Medical ninjas are quite a rare commodity in Sunagakure." With his identity now revealed, Kugutsu Kyōjin had become somewhat loquacious, his morbid remarks continuing to fill the air.

While relentlessly taunting Okamoto Dousuke and Hyuga Ritsu, he controlled Kota to engage them in close combat.

The reanimated Kota, under Kugutsu Kyōjin's control, had bones sprouting grotesquely from his body. Every part of Kota's form seemed capable of instantly generating a sharp bone blade.

Hyuga Ritsu's Gentle Fist techniques were primarily effective for passive defense against an opponent like this, and maintaining focus was crucial to avoid taking a hit at any moment.

Swish. A thin, sharp line of water sliced through the air.

Kota was too slow to react and was struck on the arm by the precise water jet.

His right hand and the bone whip extending from his tailbone were cleanly severed. The smooth fractures spoke to the immense sharpness of the technique.

Not far away, faint traces of residual chakra could still be seen around Okamoto Dousuke's hands.

Okamoto Dousuke quickly retrieved two Military Rations Pills from his Ninja Pouch and swallowed them. However, his chakra reserves still felt insufficient.

He knew that prolonged use of Military Rations Pills could have adverse effects on his body and significantly hinder his natural chakra production.

But he couldn't afford to worry about that now. Survival was his top priority.

"Sister Ritsu, can your Gentle Fist Art seal Kota's chakra?" Okamoto Dousuke asked.

"No, I've already tried. Kota is effectively a corpse now. I'm not sure what method that man used to make Kota's body so incredibly flexible, but Kota himself no longer possesses any chakra. The activation of his ninjutsu and bloodline abilities is entirely dependent on the manipulation and supply of chakra threads from Kugutsu Kyōjin," Hyuga Ritsu replied, her words conveying their perilous situation.

"Sister Ritsu, that guy's own physical skills don't seem particularly impressive. Even when he's controlling Kota and engaging you in close combat, he's mostly relying on Kota's inherent bloodline limit. If we want to win, we need to force a close-quarters engagement," Okamoto Dousuke said in a low voice, his back pressed against Hyuga Ritsu's.

"Then I'll attack him directly, and you need to help me keep Kota at bay," Hyuga Ritsu responded, her voice firm.

Kota, his arm now severed, regenerated a new bone whip from his body.

A sharp, spiraling spike also erupted from the bone at his severed hand, giving it a particularly grotesque appearance.

"Then come on!" Hyuga Ritsu yelled, her Byakugan blazing.

She pushed off the ground with explosive force, the earth cracking beneath her feet as she surged forward.

"Gentle Fist: Fierce Wind Palm Jutsu!" A powerful gust of chakra-infused wind erupted from her palms, forcing Kota backwards. Instantly, she shifted her momentum, closing the distance towards Kugutsu Kyōjin.

"Water Style: Water Spider Jutsu!" A concentrated ball of water slammed into Kota.

The water instantly soaked Kota's entire body, becoming viscous and sticky, significantly slowing his movements.

"Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!" The moment she was within striking distance, Hyuga Ritsu launched her attack with incredible speed.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Dozens of poisonous needles shot out from Kugutsu Kyōjin's body.

Unable to evade them all in time, a poisonous needle pierced Hyuga Ritsu's arm.

"What…"

The intense pain caused Hyuga Ritsu to cry out, momentarily halting her attack. She instantly retreated, moving out of Kugutsu Kyōjin's reach.

"The glandular fluid of the desert stone lizard isn't particularly lethal; its main function is to amplify the senses. It will inflict unimaginable pain on the injured and greatly intensify any existing pain," Kugutsu Kyōjin explained with twisted excitement, observing Hyuga Ritsu's agony.

Stone lizard gland fluid… this is a common tool used by the Sunagakure torture unit. In battle, Sand Shinobi often coat their weapons with it. The excruciating pain can incapacitate an opponent, but due to the difficulty of extraction, it's only issued to a small number of elite ninjas.

"Sister Ritsu, take this!" Okamoto Dousuke called out, throwing a test tube filled with a light blue liquid towards her.

Swoosh!!..

A bone whip suddenly crashed down, shattering the test tube mid-air. The liquid inside rapidly vaporized, forming a thin layer of mist that briefly enveloped everyone.

"I've heard that the purification of anthocyanin powder was invented by Tsunade-sama, one of the legendary Sannin. The liquid is light blue and can effectively alleviate the effects of the stone lizard gland fluid when ingested. It does have a stimulating effect, but it evaporates extremely quickly after being exposed to air," Kugutsu Kyōjin observed, looking at the dissipating mist with interest.

"This substance is even more difficult to extract than the stone lizard gland fluid itself. I highly doubt you possess a second vial," Kugutsu Kyōjin added, his gaze fixed on Okamoto Dousuke.

Okamoto Dousuke's expression darkened as he looked at the shattered remnants of the anthocyanin powder liquid.

The stone lizard gland fluid would severely impair Hyuga Ritsu's combat abilities for a significant period.

Nakajima Sodai was injured and unconscious, Aburame Takuto was partially incapacitated, and Hyuga Ritsu was wounded.

Their opponent was a special Jonin from Sunagakure, and he also had Kota, a user of a dangerous bloodline limit, under his control.

Although Kota's agility had likely been reduced due to being a reanimated corpse, he didn't have to fear further injury, allowing him to unleash the full ferocity of his Corpse Bone Vein Kekkei Genkai.

Observing the light mist produced by the evaporating liquid around him, Okamoto Dousuke quietly retrieved another vial of light blue medicine from his ninja tool bag, keeping it concealed in his hand.

Using his Water Style, he created a thin film of water that flowed to his palm, dissolving the medicine he held. Upon closer inspection, the water film on his palm now had a faint green tint.

Swish. Okamoto Dousuke instantly appeared next to Hyuga Ritsu, swiftly taking out a painkiller injection and administering it.

Water Flash Body is a ninjutsu where Okamoto Dousuke utilizes the reactive force of a thin layer of water beneath his feet to achieve erratic and swift movements.

"Sister Ritsu, the painkiller should suppress the effects of the stone lizard gland fluid for a few minutes. Please help me keep Kota occupied, and leave the rest to me," Okamoto Dousuke said.

"Okay," Hyuga Ritsu nodded, having regained some composure.

"Water Style: Finger Gun Barrage Jutsu!" Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Three sharp, conical streams of water materialized in front of Okamoto Dousuke in a V-formation.

With a few quick movements, Kugutsu Kyōjin easily dodged the water projectiles.

Swish, swish, swish. Three more Finger Guns followed in quick succession.

"You intend to deplete my chakra with this, kid?" Kugutsu Kyōjin scoffed at Okamoto Dousuke, who had just swallowed two more Chakra Pills

Okamoto Dousuke remained silent, focusing on quickly metabolizing the energy from the pills to replenish his chakra reserves.

"Water Style: Flower Rain Jutsu!" Okamoto Dousuke waved his hand, and hundreds of water droplets shot towards Kugutsu Kyōjin at an incredible speed.

Kugutsu Kyōjin, unable to dodge them all, was struck by over a dozen water droplets in an instant.

"Kid, is that all the chakra you've got?" Although hit by multiple projectiles, Kugutsu Kyōjin seemed unharmed.

Flower Rain is just a barrage of ordinary water droplets. It looks impressive, but its effectiveness relies on overwhelming the enemy with sheer quantity and speed. Generally, Flower Rain is used in conjunction with teammates to conceal a more powerful attack like Water Whip hidden within.