Konoha Notes

Chapter 37 First Eclipse (Part 2)

A sharp hiss tore through the roar of the waves, and the head-eating beast's arms and neck burst forth with an eerie suppleness and strength, as if a serpent were biting at it from different angles!

The bluish-gray limbs tore through the air, accompanied by a piercing shriek, and intertwined with the eerie light on the fingertips to form a death net that covered the space where Xiu Si could dodge.

The boy's body, like a spinning top that has lost its center of gravity, used the rise and fall of the waves to dodge with minimal, extreme twisting.

Sharp tearing sounds rang out incessantly. Dark claws flashed past his forehead, shoulder blades, and ribs like lightning, each time narrowly slicing through the air, the resulting stench stinging his skin. Several new tears instantly appeared on Xiu Si's dark vest; the fabric fibers were corroded by the toxins, and the edges quickly turned black and hardened.

Shuji's figure traced an elusive path amidst the surging waves.

The First Eclipse's attacks grew increasingly ferocious, its elongated limbs lashing the sea like uncontrolled whips, sending water splashing everywhere. Excited roars echoed in its throat as it reveled in the death throes of its prey.

"Water Escape: Thousand Needles of Water".

Splashing waves and water droplets in the air transformed into tiny senbon needles under the influence of chakra.

The First Eclipse laughed wildly, "It doesn't work! It doesn't work! This kind of technique!"

Shuji remained unfazed and simultaneously activated another technique: "Wind Release: Explosive Stream!"

Composite Ninjutsu: Thousand Needles of Stormy Rain!

Water as his bones, wind as his blade! He took a deep breath, his chest bulging like a bellows, and exhaled sharply in the direction of the First Eclipse!
call--! ! !
A violent hurricane, condensed to the point of being almost tangible, carrying countless fine, azure water needles, rushed towards the First Eclipse. Each water needle spun at high speed, and under the unparalleled propulsion and acceleration of the wind escape, it transformed into a devastating rain of destruction!

This storm of blue and white needle-like rain was so vast that it instantly enveloped the First Eclipse's main body and all its wildly flailing, bizarre limbs! The rain needles spun at high speed like the Grim Reaper's spindle, threatening to shred everything within its range into dust!
The First Eclipse's fanatical gaze suddenly froze, its instincts sounding an alarm! It let out a strange cry, and all its elongated limbs, like startled venomous snakes, abruptly contracted towards its body! Its arms crossed tightly in front of its head, its legs slightly bent to lower its center of gravity, its entire body curled up, concealing its vital organs—especially the area covered by the dark breastplate—as much as possible behind this defensive posture. At the same time, a richer, bluish-gray sheen instantly appeared on the surface of its exposed limbs.

Puff puff puff puff puff—! ! !
A sound as dense as a torrential downpour hitting banana leaves suddenly exploded! Countless high-speed spinning azure water needles slammed into the erosion head's curled-up defensive limbs! Most of them struck the tough, bluish-gray skin, like hitting an oil-soaked, resilient old vine, tearing countless fine white scratches from the high-speed spinning needle tips, producing a teeth-grinding friction sound before shattering into even finer water mist.

However, the sheer number and range of the needle rain were terrifying! There were always some tricky angles, like maggots clinging to bones, that pierced through the gaps in the limbs' movements and struck the breastplate that the Eclipse was trying so hard to protect!
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
The hard metal plates collided with the water needles, producing a series of ear-piercing metallic clangs! Dense sparks flew wildly across the dark armor surface, like a miniature firework suddenly igniting! Each impact brought a barely perceptible yet extremely high-frequency vibration, which traveled through the armor to the depths of the Head Erosion's body!
Shou Shi's curled-up body trembled violently under the relentless, frenzied barrage, as if being repeatedly pounded by an invisible giant hammer! On his arms, which were protecting his head and face, the bluish-gray skin was repeatedly cut and rubbed by countless fine water needles, and deeper grooves began to appear, even faintly revealing the strange bluish-purple muscles below. Thick black liquid slowly seeped out from those tiny wounds.

The breastplate endured the most concentrated impacts, and the hard metal surface was quickly covered with pits, dents, and white spots. Even some small edges of the armor plates, under the relentless bombardment of countless water needles, finally emitted a faint "crack" sound as they could no longer bear the weight!

A piece of armor the size of a fingernail, after enduring dozens of precise water jet impacts on the same spot, finally shattered! With a piercing metallic tearing sound, it bounced off the main body of the breastplate and tumbled into the churning seawater below!
Just as the armor plates shattered—the First Eclipse, curled up in defense, suddenly stiffened! His cold green eyes, which had been fixed on Xiu Si through the gaps between his crossed arms, abruptly contracted! A near-instinctive panic, beyond his fighting will, surged through his nerves like an electric current!

The First Eclipse instinctively and frantically clutched at the spot on its breastplate that had just cracked open! The movement was so fast it was almost out of control, carrying a naked terror of having its deepest secret exposed!
really!

A cold glint flashed in Shuji's eyes. The ninja opposite him was sleeveless because of a technique, so the presence of a breastplate meant that the area below the armor was its weak point. "You're asking for death!" Shoushi roared, his voice filled with utter rage, shame, and savagery.

He abruptly dropped the hand that was protecting his body, his masked face contorted with rage, his exposed eyes transforming into ferocious, vertical pupils like those of a wild beast! The bluish-gray hue on his body surface instantly surged, and viscous black liquid gushed out from the wounds on his neck and arms as if boiling, covering the broken skin and accelerating the healing process while also emitting an even more pungent, sweet-smelling stench.

No longer caring about defense, the First Eclipse stretched its arms out wildly, like two barbed battering rams, unleashing a terrifying, all-consuming force as it bombarded Xiu Si! The attack was several times more violent than before, a fight of trade-offs, a life-or-death struggle!

However, the turmoil in his heart was far more turbulent than the violent attack.

The water needles were still gathering, and the powerful airflow showed no sign of weakening. Such a technique, with such power, must have consumed a lot of chakra! But the Konoha ninja on the other side seemed to feel no strain at all.

If this continues, he'll be worn down to death!

A cold, venomous snake called retreat silently coiled around the raging heart of the First Eclipse. Though the attack was fierce, a crack had already appeared deep within its reckless momentum.

He needs space, he needs to escape this damned battlefield, completely overwhelmed by the enemy's ninjutsu!
Just as the First Eclipse's double-arm attack faltered slightly due to that fleeting thought of retreat—

Shuji took a step forward as he faced the wildly waving, pitch-black giant arm!
Water Release: Reverse Whirlpool Coffin

The seawater, carrying Shuji's chakra, suddenly roared as it engulfed the ocean beneath his feet! Before Shuji, the sea, several meters wide, appeared as if an invisible giant bowl had been overturned! Incredibly thick, rapidly rotating ring-shaped water walls rose up from the ground with a deafening roar! The water walls were several inches thick, with turbulent and violent currents inside, like giant millstones!
In an instant, the First Eclipse, along with all the space around him, was completely sealed off.

The First Eclipse's two wildly beating giant arms slammed heavily against the water wall!

*Splash! Splash!* With muffled sounds, the thick, rapidly spinning water wall trembled violently, caved inward, and sprayed water outwards like an explosion! However, the water wall was not only not breached, but Shou Shi let out a muffled groan as the enormous recoil force traveled back through his mutated arms, causing his blood to surge and his arms to be involuntarily bounced back!
Lang Ren stared in utter horror at the thick, rapidly spinning walls of water that surrounded him—his escape route was completely blocked! The immense suction force generated by the rotating water walls even began to pull at his body! On the contrary, the force of the rotation was used to dissipate and deflect the impact of the First Eclipse's slam into him!
Shuji stood outside the raging water prison, his figure as steady as a rock amidst the surging waves. His right hand, fingers spread wide, precisely maintained the form and power of the massive water cage that trapped the First Eclipse. The sea breeze ruffled the stray hairs on his forehead, revealing his eyes, calm as a deep pool, filled not with the ecstasy of victory, but with a cold scrutiny and control.

Inside the water prison, First Eclipse resembled a monstrous insect trapped in amber. The rapidly spinning water walls blocked out most of the light, making the cage dimly lit. The roar of the rushing water was amplified infinitely, becoming deafening. He frantically swung his mutated limbs, slamming them heavily against the thick water walls time and again, but each attack was skillfully deflected and neutralized. The enormous recoil only made First Eclipse's figure stagger even more unsteadily within the water prison.

Thick, black liquid gushed rapidly from his numerous cracked skin wounds, attempting to repair the damage, but the continuous scouring of the high-speed water greatly slowed the healing process. In the dim light of the water prison and amidst the intense movements, the fine cracks on his dark breastplate and the glaringly small gap in it appeared even more glaring.

In the midst of a sway, a stream of water shot out, passing directly through the gap and into the body of the First Eclipse.

Blood flowed gently.

Lang Ren, finally exhausted, collapsed.

(End of this chapter)