While Bluebird tended to his injury, Ōnoki wasn't idle. He began weaving hand signs again, his body intensely surging with chakra, clearly indicating that this powerful Earth Release user was preparing an even fiercer wave of attack!
Meanwhile, having received Orochimaru's permission, an intense fervor flashed in Bluebird's eyes as he looked at Ōnoki. He then wiped the residual crimson blood from the corner of his mouth, letting slip a faint smile. If Jiraiya and the others had seen it, they would have noticed that this smile bore an uncanny resemblance to Orochimaru's usual expression.
Bluebird's strong will broke a certain restriction in his mind.
The pale-gold Eight Branches Cursed Seal on his neck suddenly began to writhe!
The intensely squirming and changing Eight Branches Cursed Seal sent waves of bone-chilling agony through Bluebird's limbs and organs, causing him to let out a fierce roar: "Hraaagh—"
Eight Branches Cursed Seal: Stage One, Release!
The Cursed Seal rapidly transformed into bizarre, golden, worm-like markings that quickly extended into Bluebird's Double-Pupil Byakugan, adding a mysterious pale-gold tint to the activated eyes. However, the transformation of Bluebird's Cursed Seal didn't stop; it grew even more intense and strange!
Bluebird immediately pushed this Stage One Cursed Seal, which had formed in less than a finger-snap, to the maximum extent he could currently access.
Eight Branches Cursed Seal: Stage Two, Release!
The rate at which the pale-gold Eight Branches Cursed Seal writhed became increasingly violent. The golden, worm-like marks on Bluebird's face trembled and shifted uncontrollably, like ants anticipating a natural disaster. They gradually connected, forming chains of mysterious and magnificent pale-gold patterns.
After another finger-snap, an even stranger phenomenon occurred!
The Double-Pupil Byakugan, now tinged with a pale-gold sheen, suddenly seemed to float out of their sockets. No, the eyes themselves didn't float out. Instead, two pale-gold, ethereal ghost images of the Double-Pupil Byakugan floated out of Bluebird's eye sockets.
These two ethereal Double-Pupil Byakugan hovered silently in the air about ten centimeters diagonally above Bluebird's eyes. Cold, ruthless gazes radiated from the pale-gold ghostly images.
The instant the ghost images appeared, deep blue solidified chakra ceaselessly erupted from Bluebird's body, forming blue chakra ribbons that danced and fluttered in the air.
The dancing chakra ribbons stirred up Bluebird's entire aura, instantly amplifying his power several times over. An invisible wave of air pressure suddenly emanated from Bluebird like a ripple spreading across water, rapidly dissipating outward. Gusts of wind scattered, and the vegetation bent low.
In this moment, Bluebird's aura was completely different from the person he was just moments before.
Ōnoki watched the dramatic change in Bluebird with astonishment, his eyes filled with solemn focus. More pure chakra poured into the hand signs he was weaving. The jutsu, which was nearing completion, was now extended with several more signs!
An aura no weaker than Bluebird's rose from Ōnoki. With the completion of the final hand sign, the immensely powerful Earth Release Ninjutsu was finally unleashed by Ōnoki!
Orochimaru, seeing the last few hand signs Ōnoki formed, focused his gaze and muttered in disbelief: "He can actually use that technique!"
Earth Release: Earth Golem!
"Boom—" The ground spanning dozens of meters in front of Ōnoki suddenly cracked open without warning, covered in a dense, spiderweb-like network of fissures.
Accompanied by a deafening roar, like the movement of tectonic plates, the fractured earth "bang—" suddenly thrust up a single gigantic rock hand, palm facing the sky!
The rock hand, about the size of a flowerbed, slammed down heavily, "Boom—" leaving a deep, sunken, palm-shaped crater in the ground. Then, the rock hand strained, and "Rumble, rumble—" a massive rock head emerged from the fractured earth.
"Bang—" Another rock hand appeared, also smashing heavily into the ground, leaving a deep, sunken, palm-shaped crater.
Immediately after, the two rock hands planted on the ground bent, pushing up together. The massive rock head suddenly let out a roar that shook the sky: "ROAR—"
Rumble, rumble, crash, crash—
Amidst the deafening roar and a shower of scattered stones, a massive giant, about ten meters tall and composed entirely of sturdy, heavy rock, climbed out of the ground to the astonishment of the Konoha audience.
The rock giant's figure, which nearly obscured half the arena, simply standing there, exerted immense pressure on Bluebird.
In the stands where the Kage sat, Sarutobi Hiruzen remarked admiringly: "That young man named Ōnoki being able to use the Earth Golem technique at that age is truly a genius!"
The Second Tsuchikage, Mū, did not respond, but every Kage could see the slight smile of satisfaction on Mū's only uncovered eye. He said faintly: "That Hyūga child's Cursed Seal is also quite interesting."
The Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Jōrō, who was perpetually hostile toward the Second Tsuchikage, couldn't help but let out a cold snort.
In the arena.
The shadow cast by the Earth Golem enveloped Bluebird.
Bluebird's pale-gold Double-Pupil Byakugan ghost images floating in the air stared coldly at the towering rock giant.
The miraculous Byakugan saw through the Earth Golem's entire structure: a rock giant composed of hard, heavy stones linked by an enormous amount of chakra.
Bluebird didn't wait for the rock giant to move. He transformed into a white blur, streaking toward Ōnoki like lightning. He knew that no matter how powerful the Earth Golem was, if he defeated the ninja who cast the jutsu, he would win.
However, under Ōnoki's control, the ten-meter-tall rock giant repeatedly forced Bluebird's advance back.
Bluebird was panting heavily. The pale-gold Double-Pupil Byakugan ghost images floating in the air were beginning to look unstable. The strain and burden of this Stage Two Eight Branches Cursed Seal on his body were too great; he couldn't sustain it for long.
Ōnoki had also consumed more than half of his chakra, but controlling the Earth Golem gave him a clear advantage.
Bluebird's next attempt at an advance was interrupted by the two massive rock hands. Facing the flowerbed-sized rock hands that swiped at him, he was forced to leap backward several times to evade the attack.
"Boom, boom—" The two rock hands slammed down, leaving two more deep craters in the ground.
Standing still on the ground, Bluebird's eyes were resolute. A fierce aura surged around him!
🗒️NOTE:
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