I founded the "Bragging Cult" in Naruto.

Chapter 316 Does disliking someone who is better than you in every way count as the uncanny valley effect?

Tatsuma gritted his teeth as he looked at the extremely irritating smile on Hozuki Gengetsu's face. He himself had never been so irritating!

The water blade in his hand stirred up Hozuki Gengetsu's body, and Tatsuma didn't feel any resistance at all. Just then, Hozuki Gengetsu gently raised his right hand and placed his index finger on Tatsuma's temple.

Even though Tatsuma was already turning his head to try to avoid it, Hozuki Gengetsu's hand, as if equipped with a tracking device, still managed to touch his head.

"biu~"

Hozuki Gengetsu once again used his mouth to cultivate, and a small wisp of water mist condensed into a water droplet at his fingertip. Then, he launched it, shooting it toward Tatsuma, who was standing nearby.

Knowing he couldn't avoid it and not wanting to reveal his skills too early, Tatsuma simply used a "two-handed binding" technique, wrapping it around Hozuki Gengetsu's right hand that was pointing at his temple, and then dropped him hard.

The sudden burst of superhuman strength caused Hozuki Gengetsu to raise an eyebrow, and his hand, which had been pointing at his temple, was suddenly pulled down. Tatsuma also quickly tilted his head back.

At that moment, the water jet shot out, grazing Chenma's jaw. Chenma felt a soreness in his chin and didn't have the strength to open his mouth. Without thinking, Chenma activated the recently activated Yin Healing and Destruction Curse Seal.

The chakra was transformed into the chakra unique to medical ninjutsu, quickly healing the injury to the chin. Tatsuma also used the strength wrapped around Hozuki Gengetsu's right hand to twist his body and kick towards his chest.

Hozuki Gengetsu raised his left hand to block, but one hand was no match for the monstrous power of Tatsuma's legs, which were like a rabbit kicking an eagle. Hozuki Gengetsu's left hand slammed into Tatsuma's chest, and then he flew backward.

Chenma landed on the swamp and gently stroked his chin. The wound had healed, and although there was no pain, the discomfort remained.

"Cough cough~"

Tatsuma coughed twice before he seemed to regain his senses, his expression becoming extremely serious. Hozuki Gengetsu's power far exceeded his expectations.

He stared at Hozuki Gengetsu, who had flown backwards for a distance, regained his balance, and landed on the swamp. His gaze involuntarily swept over Gengetsu's chest.

Hozuki Gengetsu's chest was completely unharmed. Although this was within Tatsuma's expectations, he was still somewhat shocked. The Water Transformation Technique was indeed amazing.

If he had just used other ninjutsu, he might have caused some trouble for Hozuki Gengetsu. In fact, if he knew lightning ninjutsu, Hozuki Gengetsu would probably have suffered a great loss at his hands.

Unfortunately, he didn't know Lightning Release and instead chose Water Release. Water has no fixed form, and when two pools of water collide, the water itself will not be harmed.

"Tsk tsk tsk~ This level of physical skill is something that even those who have survived the bloody selection process would find hard to match with your decisiveness."

It must be admitted that Hozuki Gengetsu was momentarily captivated by Takasugi Shinsuke, of course, because of his talent.

Ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu are compulsory courses for every ninja, but almost no ninja can master them all at the same time. Those who can are the best in the ninja world.

Most ninjas, or even most Jonin, are already quite good if they excel in one area and don't lag behind in two others.

Each of the four arts—ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu—is worth a ninja's lifelong dedication to mastering. In fact, even a lifetime might only allow them to study a small branch of one of these arts, such as mastering a specific escape technique within ninjutsu.

But what about "Takasugi Shinsuke"? In a short time, he demonstrated his Water Release skills, which far surpassed those of his peers, as well as Earth Release, which seemed to be not much different. Now, he has also shown Hozuki Gengetsu his talent in physical combat.

For a teenager to achieve this level, Hozuki Gengetsu could already foresee the future of "Takasugi Shinsuke," which was at the level of a Kage.

But what if we betray such a genius? He looked at Tatsuma and asked very seriously, "Takasugi Shinsuke, right? You really... don't have a bloodline limit?"

As a close friend of the Third Mizukage, Hozuki Gengetsu was aware of his friend's extreme tendencies. In a sense, he himself chose to leave Kirigakure because he couldn't stand his friend.

He naturally knew that what his old friend resisted most, no, should be said to despise most, was bloodline limit.

If this brat "Takasugi Shinsuke" chose to betray Kirigakure because of his bloodline limit, then even he would probably find it difficult to mediate the conflict.

Tatsuma moved his jaw slightly before slowly saying, "Old man, are you deaf? I told you, I'm not a bloodline limit ninja."

"An old...old guy?!?"

Hozuki Gengetsu's face flushed red with anger again. Pointing at Tatsuma, he said, "Insulting the village's higher-ups is an even greater crime!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he used his teleportation technique and rushed towards Tatsuma at high speed. Tatsuma was highly focused, calculating in his mind the motives behind Hozuki Gengetsu's approach and the possible actions that might be guided by those motives.

Finally, Tatsuma finished his calculations, and Hozuki Gengetsu also arrived in front of Tatsuma. The two attacked almost simultaneously.

"Water Release: Great Water Arm Technique!"

"Superhuman strength! Yin and Yang!"

Hozuki Gengetsu swung a shoveling motion at him, and Tatsuma met it head-on with an elbow strike. The tip of Tatsuma's elbow collided with Hozuki Gengetsu's knuckles, and the redness that had appeared on Hozuki Gengetsu's face due to anger instantly faded, leaving him looking somewhat pale.

The fingers are connected to the heart, and the piercing pain from the hard impact on his fingers made Hozuki Gengetsu unable to control himself, and his face involuntarily contorted.

"Whoosh~"

Hozuki Gengetsu's attack suddenly turned into a stream of water. He stepped back slightly, creating some distance between himself and Tatsuma. Then, looking at Tatsuma, who seemed completely unharmed, his expression grew increasingly grim.

He actually lost to a kid in terms of strength.

No, it wasn't strength, but rather that his bones weren't as hard as this brat's.

Although there is a difference in the hardness of the knuckles and the elbow, the age difference between the two should be enough to make up for it, and Hozuki Gengetsu should even have the advantage.

But Chenma really made him suffer a great loss. The pain in his fingers, which was a mixture of throbbing, swelling, pricking, and stabbing, was still throbbing in his mind.

In the blink of an eye, his right hand had transformed back into an arm from the water, and his slightly deformed fingers had also recovered. Chenma noticed this and couldn't help but purse his lips.

He forgot that the art of water transformation inherently includes techniques related to healing, and the Hozuki Gengetsu Association is a perfectly normal thing.

However, Tatsuma still felt a little regretful. His self-healing ability was much stronger than that of ordinary ninjas, which meant that in necessary situations, trading injury for injury was a good tactic.

But when you encounter an opponent whose self-healing ability and effect are not much different, especially if that opponent is stronger than you, then it becomes very scary.

Chenma suddenly understood the helplessness and despair of those who were weaker than him, who had gone to great lengths to inflict injuries on him, only to see his injuries heal instantly.

But Tatsuma hasn't given up yet, because Hozuki Gengetsu's strength is still within Tatsuma's acceptable range.

The main reason for his repeated losses was that he dared not use his true abilities and was ignorant of information about Hozuki Gengetsu.

Although the exchange was brief and the number of rounds was small, Tatsuma had already discovered some weaknesses in Hozuki Gengetsu.

Hozuki Gengetsu is strong in all aspects, including chakra reserves, mastery of chakra nature transformation, and even taijutsu. However, he is somewhat rusty in combat.

Tatsuma speculated that this was related to Hozuki Gengetsu not having participated in any real battles for many years.

The battlefield is the best training ground for soldiers, and this can also be applied to ninjas. The battlefield will take the lives of many ninjas, but at the same time, it will allow the surviving ninjas to grow greatly.

The larger the war, the more obvious the effect. For example, during the Second Shinobi World War, Tatsuma made the most progress on the battlefield.

Not only him, but all the other ninjas who participated in the war with him, whether from Konoha, Sunagakure, or Amegakure, made great progress.

However, the Land of Water did not participate in the Second Shinobi World War, thus missing out on a prime training opportunity.

Within the Land of Water, civil wars are frequent, but they are small in scale, involve few people, and have a relatively simple structure, thus bringing limited progress.

Moreover, it seems that Hozuki Gengetsu was not involved in the affairs between the village and the rogue ninja. Today's battle was only triggered by Tatsuma's arrival.

Although, judging from the information revealed by Hozuki Gengetsu himself, he had a good relationship with the Third Mizukage, it seems that this was only a good personal relationship.

Perhaps their views on factions were contradictory, so it is highly likely that Hozuki Gengetsu did not participate in the civil war that Kirigakure has been "popular" in recent years.

The combination of various factors has led to Hozuki Gengetsu's long-standing absence from battle. Tatsuma knows that this is the only crucial moment in his life when he might be able to defeat Hozuki Gengetsu.

Each of them was preoccupied with their own thoughts, scrutinizing each other once again. Their physical strength was also continuously being converted into chakra. Tatsuma's left hand, which was pressed against his trouser leg, had somehow already grasped an inhibitor.

Inhibitors are both effective and unorthodox remedies. They can temporarily suppress the growth of the Divine Tree cells and stimulate cells in the body to convert a large amount of physical strength into chakra in a short period of time.

Combined with Tatsuma's "Overturning the Sea" talent, this was a combination performance that was like a nuclear explosion.

However, after the passion subsides, he inevitably feels empty and weak. His depleted body will leave him in a state of weakness for a period of time before the inhibitors wear off.

In the past few days, Tatsuma has been trying his best to control his weakness during training, but the effect is real. If he can't defeat the enemy in one fell swoop, then Tatsuma may only have the Flying Thunder God technique left.

However, if he were to use the Flying Thunder God Technique against Hozuki Gengetsu and be recognized, then he might no longer be able to use his identity as Takasugi Shinsuke.

Tatsuma was preparing, and so was Hozuki Gengetsu. He also hid his left hand and formed a hand seal. With the combination of the seal and the technique, some kind of gas seemed to be rising from the swamp.

The two men stared at each other silently, both knowing that their opponent was preparing new tactics, but neither was willing to be the one to break the deadlock.

Sometimes, taking the initiative is the key to victory, but in other situations, it is often necessary to proactively put oneself in a passive position.

"Pop~"

Suddenly, a cloud of gas emerged from the swamp, appearing on a thin layer of water above it, before bursting open.

Chenma's pupils dilated slightly, then suddenly tightened, because he briefly felt an itching sensation on his skin and a burning sensation in his respiratory tract.

In an instant, Tatsuma moved, using the Body Flicker Technique to try and create distance between himself and Hozuki Gengetsu. But almost simultaneously, Hozuki Gengetsu also raised his hand, causing ripples to spread across the surface of the swamp.

Bubbles of varying sizes, some as large as a water vat and others only the size of a finger, rose from beneath the swamp.

"Water Release: Water Bubble Steam Killing Technique!"

One by one, bubbles exploded, and the highly corrosive mist inside instantly swirled above the swamp. Without using the Flying Thunder God Technique, Tatsuma, who was trapped inside, had no way to escape.

But Chenma suppressed the urge to cough due to bronchospasm caused by the burning sensation in his lungs, put the suppressant in his mouth, pressed the bottle with his finger, and took a deep breath.

He pressed the inhibitor and quickly sent it into his respiratory tract. Before the inhibitor could fully take effect, Chenma withdrew it and began to form hand seals. He had already taken a deep breath, so he saved himself a step.

"Water Release! Big Explosive Water Wave!"

With his hands clasped together, Chenma's open mouth was like a dam opening its gates, and countless streams of energy surged out from the air, quickly enveloping his body and spreading into the distance.

Hozuki Gengetsu raised an eyebrow, not expecting Tatsuma to react so quickly. His Bubble Steam Kill technique was inspired by the Six-Tails.

Although he used water escape techniques, the highly corrosive mist was insoluble in water, which is why he was able to use water bubbles to hide it at the bottom of the swamp.

The large amount of water pushed the mist that had been enveloping Tatsuma upwards. Tatsuma, now in the water, looked slightly better, but he didn't stop and quickly swam towards where Hozuki Gengetsu was.

The massive amount of water, just as the horse could not escape the mist, Hozuki Gengetsu could not escape the surging water either.

He was an extremely skilled ninja in water-style ninjutsu. Although entering the water filled with Tatsuma's chakra wasn't exactly advantageous for him, he wasn't particularly afraid. After all, water was something he was closest to.

Tatsuma looked at Hozuki Gengetsu, who was submerged in water, and instantly appeared in front of him. He unleashed his monstrous strength, but his punch went straight through Hozuki Gengetsu's heart. Hozuki Gengetsu's smug smile remained unchanged.

At the same time, Hozuki Gengetsu also threw a punch.

"Bang!"

In the water, their bodies came into contact, tearing a cavity in the water, and both of them were forced back by the impact.

Tatsuma rubbed his left forearm, where Hozuki Gengetsu had hit him; it was now a purplish-black stain. He was also slightly out of breath and dared not engage in any strenuous activity, fearing he might deplete the little oxygen he had left.

The swamp's water absorption capacity was much better than Tatsuma had anticipated. The water he created with his chakra did not last long before it was swallowed up by the swamp.

Once out of the water, the two faced each other again. Hozuki Gengetsu gently shook his right wrist, like a one-sided flower hand gesture, and said, "Are there any other methods?"

If not, then you'd better surrender obediently. Uncle has a lot of questions for you.

Chenma's breathing was heavy; he tried to calm himself, but the previous seriousness on his face had lessened somewhat. He raised his head, revealing a somewhat eerie smile, and said:

"You seem to be a bit stronger than me, but what about compared to that big guy down there?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Tatsuma raised his hand and slapped the water beneath him. The water that Tatsuma had just created with his chakra contained his own chakra, which was instantly mobilized.

There's only one chapter today. I went on a long trip, traveling 300 kilometers round trip by car. I really couldn't take it anymore; the world was spinning when I sat in front of the computer.

I'm so sorry, or2

(End of this chapter)