CHAPTER 146

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The eruption of the old, deep-purple chakra caused an even greater impact than the previous roar.

Far away in the Tsuchikage's office, Ōnoki instantly sensed the tyrannical chakra aura of Roshi.

"Damn it! What happened to Roshi?! What's going on?!"

Tsuchikage cursed under his breath and immediately left his office in haste.

Why did it suddenly explode? And right in the middle of the village?

"Evacuate the civilians!"

At the same time, he gave orders to the Anbu and the surrounding shinobi, ensuring they cleared the area.

Meanwhile, deep in the village, Roshi was hot on the trail of the mysterious intruder. His chakra flared, and his fury was evident.

"You little thief! If I catch you, you're going to regret it!"

Tsuchikage's pursuer, the masked infiltrator, ignored Roshi's shouts, focusing only on increasing the distance between them.

Although he had mastered the Body Flicker Technique, he hesitated to use it now—its high chakra consumption would leave him exhausted and vulnerable in the long run.

Despite the urgency of the situation, he refrained from using his signature propulsion technique. The technique was far too recognizable—the high-pressure steam emission beneath his feet left an obvious trail. It had been used in past battles, and by now, it was nearly synonymous with Uchiha Kiyo.

There was no easy way to disguise it. After all, had anyone ever seen a rocket without an exhaust trail?

Roshi, however, was relentless in his pursuit. Rather than merely chasing, he molded his chakra and began forming an offensive strike. The temperature around him spiked as he prepared to unleash his attack.

"Lava Release: Scorching River Rock Technique!"

From his mouth, he spewed multiple molten projectiles—glowing magma orbs that arced toward the fleeing shinobi.

Unlike fire-style techniques, lava release did not rely solely on heat. Roshi's version of Lava Release had a particularly potent burning effect, several times stronger than a fire technique of the same intensity.

Moreover, the nature transformation infused within the magma made the attack even deadlier. The burning effect alone rivaled high-level fire-style techniques, but the molten rock itself was just as dangerous. If even a single orb landed, the damage would be severe.

However, the masked intruder was already several steps ahead. His five doppelgangers maneuvered swiftly, dodging through the barrage of magma orbs. In the end, three of the figures were struck—only for them to dissolve into mud upon impact.

The real body remained unharmed.

Wasting no time, he formed new earth clones to replace the fallen ones.

Roshi attacked once more, targeting the newly formed clones. Again, his magma found its mark, but when the clones disintegrated, Roshi's expression darkened.

"Earth Clone + Alternate Body Flicker Technique..."

This was a refined strategy the masked intruder had developed over time.

By seamlessly integrating the Body Flicker Technique with Earth Clones, he could substitute himself at a moment's notice. The clones served as both decoys and replacements.

As long as the real body remained untouched, he suffered no damage.

At last, after what felt like an eternity, he deemed the chase sufficient. If he continued running, he would reach the same opening he had used to infiltrate the village—potentially exposing his escape route.

He stood his ground.

"Since I didn't find the scroll, I should at least gain something from this..."

His gaze, predatory and calculating, locked onto Roshi like that of a hunter appraising his prey.

Roshi, already enraged by the intruder's trespassing, was further infuriated by that look.

First, the masked shinobi had ransacked his home. Now, he dared to stare at him like a mere target?

Fueled by his fury, Roshi's body became enveloped in a deep crimson chakra. A feral energy pulsed from within him, and a chakra-formed tail flickered behind him.

The air thickened with an overwhelming heat as Roshi slammed his hands onto the ground.

In an instant, the earth transformed into a roiling sea of molten lava.

The lava churned and surged, controlled by Roshi's chakra, crashing toward every shadow clone in sight.

The masked shinobi took a deep breath, releasing a surge of chakra to defend himself.

There was no defensive ninjutsu—only a raw, chakra-infused barrier around his body.

The magma struck him head-on. His chakra flared, wrapping around the searing heat, and in one swift motion, he sealed the captured magma into a storage scroll.

"Escape Technique—Breakthrough!"

The fiery wave surged, but the masked shinobi disappeared, leaving only the magma to crash down harmlessly.

Roshi grinned triumphantly.

That attack should have finished him.

But as time passed, something felt... off.

No matter how potent his lava, a shinobi with such high-level techniques shouldn't have died instantly.

"...Something's wrong."

He dispersed the remaining magma, scanning the battlefield.

Nothing.

The intruder was gone.

Ōnoki arrived moments later, surveying the scorched terrain. His experienced gaze quickly pieced together the situation. This wasn't an instance of Roshi losing control—this was an infiltration by an enemy.

He immediately dispatched tracking teams while restraining Roshi from pursuing the intruder further.

Regardless of the situation, they couldn't afford to lose their Jinchūriki.

However, Roshi was still seething, and being forcibly stopped only fueled his anger.

The two quickly descended into a heated argument.

Meanwhile, far from the chaos, the masked shinobi reappeared.

He frowned, somewhat frustrated.

Those kunai he had left behind in Iwagakure... they weren't cheap. The materials were expensive, and losing them in enemy territory was a waste.

Fortunately, before making his escape, he had lifted the sealing formulas embedded within the kunai, ensuring that no one could extract any useful intel from them.

After briefly lamenting the loss, he turned his attention back to his latest acquisition.

Reaching into his pouch, he retrieved the storage scroll.

"Bang!"

The scroll shuddered violently before bursting apart.

The magma he had sealed earlier erupted outwards.

His initial sealing method hadn't been strong enough—the raw heat had burned through the scroll.

Reacting swiftly, he encased the escaping magma in chakra, containing its spread.

Without Roshi's control, the magma was far less dangerous. Now, it was little more than superheated rock.

"Not bad. At least I gained something from this."

He quickly resealed the remains.

While he had failed to retrieve the scroll he was after, the chakra-infused lava would still be useful.

"Was that the Tailed Beast state?"

His mind wandered back to the moment Roshi's power surged. The oppressive, violent energy had been suffocating.

"Tailed Beasts are terrifying..."

Even an incomplete transformation held such destructive force. It was difficult to fathom the full power of a completely unleashed Tailed Beast.

Even with all his skills, his current self might not stand a chance against one.

Of course, power alone wasn't everything. Tailed Beasts could still be sealed away.

After all, the very existence of Jinchūriki proved that much.

In the entire ninja world, there were only a handful of shinobi who could fight a Tailed Beast head-on and win.

Uchiha Madara was one of them.

The Third Raikage was another.

And that was it.

Even Hanzō of the Salamander—stronger than the Third Raikage in many ways—might not be able to overpower a Tailed Beast.

Power comparisons in the ninja world were never straightforward. Different matchups led to wildly different outcomes.

Still, the masked shinobi couldn't help but feel intrigued.

"Tailed Beasts... I haven't researched them yet."

While his knowledge of Tailed Beasts was extensive, there were still mysteries he had yet to uncover.

But that could come later.

"One day, if my strength allows, perhaps I'll capture one myself..."

For now, he set his sights back on his next objective.

Charging his chakra once more, he vanished into the night.

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