According to what Magnet Release Kiyohara had explained, if one could precisely control the interaction between the magnetic field surrounding the body and the Earth's magnetic field, it would be possible to counteract gravity.
It was similar in principle to Ōnoki's Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique, which reduced the density of matter to lessen its weight, thereby achieving high-speed movement and even flight.
However, the development process was extremely difficult. Kiyohara estimated that, relying on his current self alone, it would take a very long period of cultivation to reach that level.
Unless he completed the second unfulfilled wish and inherited even more talent.
If that happened, the required training time would be drastically shortened.
If he could truly master the ability to fly, then in the future—whether in terms of mobility or evasive capability—he would undergo a qualitative leap.
Over the next few days, the frontline situation remained tense, but large-scale clashes temporarily subsided. Both sides seemed to be accumulating strength, or perhaps engaging in small-scale infiltration and counter-infiltration.
Kiyohara took advantage of this lull to absorb all kinds of knowledge like a starving man, steadily improving bit by bit and strengthening himself.
While Kiyohara was inside his tent, studying the genjutsu notes given to him by Kurenai, a violent explosion suddenly rang out.
When Kiyohara rushed out of the tent, he discovered that the explosions were coming one after another.
Their direction was unmistakably toward the rear side of the camp—the area where important prisoners were being held!
"Enemy attack! Prisoner camp direction!"
A sharp alarm immediately echoed throughout the camp.
Through an amplification technique, the voice of the commander at Kiyohara's outpost rang out: "Third and Fourth Squads, immediately proceed to provide support and stop the enemy!"
Kiyohara's gaze sharpened. He instantly put away the notebook, gathered with the equally alarmed Kurenai, Genma, and the others, and sprinted toward the source of the explosions.
Before they even reached the scene, chaos had already erupted ahead.
Several tents were burning fiercely, and Konoha shinobi were engaged in combat with several Sunagakure attackers.
The most eye-catching presence, however, was the slender yet overwhelmingly powerful figure standing at the center of the battlefield.
Kiyohara recognized her at a glance—it was Pakura!
Several orange fireballs radiating terrifying heat floated around her body. With every casual wave of her hand, a Konoha shinobi would let out a scream and collapse, their bodily moisture instantly evaporated, leaving behind horrifying dried corpses.
Behind her, she was protecting her disciple, Maki, who had just been rescued from detention, his face filled with a mixture of panic and joy.
"So it really is for her—"
Kiyohara understood immediately.
In the original storyline, the reason Pakura, who had fallen into darkness and sought revenge against the entire shinobi world—could be persuaded to lay down her butcher's knife was largely due to her disciple Maki's words. It was the bond between the two of them.
"It's Suna's Scorch Release User Pakura! Be careful of her fireballs!"
A Konoha jōnin shouted loudly in warning. However, faced with Scorch Release, which meant instant death upon contact, everyone hesitated, afraid to act recklessly, and their offensive was inevitably constrained.
At this moment, a golden figure arrived at the battlefield—it was Tsunade.
She took in the tragic scene before her eyes, especially the several dried corpses, and her face instantly turned pale. Her beautiful brows knitted tightly as she subconsciously took half a step back.
"Damn it—"
She cursed softly. The intense discomfort brought on by her hemophobia made it difficult for her to perform at full strength.
"Leave this to me!"
A steady shout rang out.
The Konoha jōnin Hayama Shirakumo charged forward with a long blade in hand, his figure swift as the wind as he lunged straight toward Pakura!
His kenjutsu was exquisite. Each swing sent out a blade of wind, and his body would occasionally scatter like leaves, attempting to break through Scorch Release's defenses with sheer speed.
"Scorch Release—!"
Pakura responded calmly. One Scorch Release fireball instantly expanded and detonated, its powerful shockwave and searing heat forcing Hayama Shirakumo to pull back his blade to defend. His body was blasted several steps backward.
Although he wasn't hit directly, his arm was scorched by the intense heat, and his breathing became slightly unstable.
After that, other shinobi rushed forward one after another, but they still couldn't take Pakura down quickly. At most, they were only able to gradually wear down her chakra.
Seeing this, Tsunade knew she could no longer hesitate.
She bit down hard, forcing herself to calm her mind. Closing her eyes, she bit her fingertip.
"Summoning Technique!"
Bang!
A gigantic slug appeared on the battlefield.
"Katsuyu, help me deal with the enemy ahead," Tsunade ordered.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade."
Katsuyu spewed large quantities of corrosive acid, which collided continuously with Pakura's Scorch Release fireballs, evaporating into vast clouds of pungent white mist.
Pakura had to protect Maki behind her while also dealing with Katsuyu's attacks and the harassment of surrounding Konoha shinobi. Her chakra and stamina were rapidly being consumed, and she began to look somewhat disheveled.
"Sensei!"
Seeing Pakura struggling to hold on, Maki's eyes filled with tears.
"It's fine, Maki. We'll definitely break through!" Pakura gritted out, her sharp gaze sweeping across the encirclement as she searched for a weak point.
She calculated silently—if she could hold out for another wave and create enough chaos, she would have a chance to break through with Maki!
"So Tsunade really did come… and she ran straight into Pakura's rescue."
Kiyohara advanced toward the battlefield along with the follow-up reinforcements.
In her current state, Tsunade couldn't even display a fraction of her true strength—she was practically half-disabled.
Kiyohara knew very well that Tsunade, suffering from hemophobia, simply couldn't tolerate the sight of much blood.
"That woman has arrived."
The spirit form of Magnet Release Kiyohara emerged.
Compared to a few days ago, he had faded slightly more.
"She's right ahead."
Kiyohara wasn't in a hurry to move in.
Once a final will was set, Magnet Release Kiyohara couldn't alter it.
The requirement of the will was to defeat Pakura—but it never specified what kind of Pakura.
Defeating Pakura at full health was defeating Pakura. Defeating a Pakura whose health had been worn down to 1%, just needing a finishing blow, was also defeating Pakura!
"Do you have any long-range ninjutsu?" Kiyohara asked.
The two Magnet Release jutsus he had inherited, as well as the ones he had copied from Magnet Release scrolls over the past few days, all had limited range.
The distance here exceeded five hundred meters. Most ninjutsu simply didn't reach that far.
"I do have some, but they haven't been fully developed yet," Magnet Release Kiyohara replied.
As he spoke, he once again performed partial possession.
Kiyohara could feel his chakra flowing, being refined and transformed into magnetic force.
Then, under the somewhat puzzled gazes of Kurenai and Genma, he stopped and made a grasping motion toward the distant ground.
As magnetic force surged, grains of iron sand continuously pushed up from the soil.
In an instant, they gathered into Kiyohara's hand.
They formed a spherical ball of iron sand.
Then, the sphere was continuously compressed, eventually forming a pitch-black iron sand coin about the size of a thumbnail.
Dense blue arcs of electricity danced across the surface of the coin—currents generated by the interaction between magnetic force and iron sand.
Watching this scene, Kiyohara recalled that Shinki, Gaara's adopted son, used Magnet Release techniques like Magnet Release: Iron Sand Fist, which relied on compressing iron sand to generate electrical power.
"Place a highly conductive iron sand coin into an acceleration rail formed by a strong magnetic field, then apply an instantaneous powerful electric current through the coin. When the current intersects perpendicularly with the magnetic field, the resulting force can propel the coin, giving it an initial velocity of up to six hundred meters per second!"
Magnet Release Kiyohara explained to him.
Hearing this, Kiyohara felt that Magnet Release Kiyohara really had quite a few tricks up his sleeve.
From a single Magnet Release, he had forcefully developed so many different applications.
He suddenly felt a strong sense of déjà vu—something like A Certain Scientific Railgun.
Of course, the power of the two couldn't be compared.
Magnet Release Kiyohara's Magnet Release techniques only approached about twice the speed of sound, while that certain scientific railgun could reach three times the speed of sound.
Kiyohara thought it might be better to call this—
A Certain Ninjutsu's Electromagnetic Coin.
"Why not make it spindle-shaped?" Kiyohara asked.
"This is simpler. Otherwise, it would consume extra chakra and require much higher precision," Magnet Release Kiyohara replied.
"I see," Kiyohara said, gaining some insight.
"It's too far away. Ninjutsu can't reach that distance," Kurenai reminded him.
Under the cover of night, she could only vaguely see the fireballs swirling around the distant enemy, continuously guarding her.
So, what method could Kiyohara possibly use to strike Pakura from here?
If it were Wind Release, Kurenai could at least understand it—but Kiyohara had used Magnet Release to gather iron sand, formed a coin, and was now just holding it in his hand.
Could it be that he intended to throw it like a shuriken?
(End of Chapter)