Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 357 Encounter 4

Hyuga Kanan stood rooted to the spot, his deep and unwavering gaze fixed on the Six Paths of Pain, who were about to pounce upon him. At that critical moment, his eyes narrowed slightly, as if the entire world paused for a split second. Then, an invisible force surged forth from within him—a masterful manipulation of the earth element's rules.

A dense yellow light rapidly enveloped Hyuga Kanan's body, converging like nimble sprites and instantly solidifying into an indestructible earth elemental armor. This armor shimmered with an ancient and mysterious radiance, every inch exuding a terrifyingly powerful aura. The formed earth elemental armor maximized the physical strength of Hyuga Kanan's clone, while also significantly increasing its attack power and intensity.

Meanwhile, Hyuga Kanan didn't stop what he was doing. His hands moved rapidly, forming hand seals and chanting incantations. With a low, resonant sound, an invisible barrier silently appeared in the path of Pain's attack. This barrier was no ordinary defensive structure; it was a powerful gravity barrier. Once Pain stepped into it, he would immediately feel immense pressure, like a mountain crushing an egg, and his movements would become incredibly sluggish.

In that instant, Pain stepped firmly and steadily into the seemingly calm yet mysteriously powerful gravity barrier. In a flash, an invisible force swept towards them like a surging wave. This force did not originate from external attacks or interference, but from the immense gravity inherent in this mysterious area itself.

As the Six Paths of Pain entered the barrier, they immediately felt an unprecedented pressure. Their once light and free bodies felt as if they were being weighed down by a thousand pounds, making every step extremely difficult. Their previously lightning-fast speed suddenly slowed down, as if time itself had frozen.

This sudden change startled Pain, but they didn't panic. After all, as seasoned warriors who had endured countless hardships, they were used to facing all sorts of unexpected challenges and difficulties. However, despite this, the powerful gravity still caused them considerable trouble.

Under this powerful gravitational pull, the movements of the Six Paths of Pain noticeably slowed down. Their steps were no longer as light and agile as before, requiring more effort with each leg lift; the weapons in their hands also seemed incredibly heavy, far less nimble to wield than usual. Even their keen senses were affected to some extent, making it difficult to perceive subtle changes in their surroundings.

Hyuga Kanan's figure flashed past like lightning, disappearing into the void in the blink of an eye. That space seemed to be shrouded by an invisible barrier, but this could not hinder his progress in the slightest.

As he stepped into this area, the surrounding earth element instantly underwent subtle changes—the previously stable gravitational field began to distort and deform. However, this change was all too familiar to Hyuga Kanan. After all, he had long since mastered the power of the earth element's rules and could wield it with ease.

Nevertheless, he remained vigilant. He knew that these seemingly insignificant changes actually contained immense energy and potential. And now was the time to utilize this characteristic to unleash his full power!

By skillfully manipulating the changes in gravity within the rules of the earth element, Hyuga Kanan successfully created a battle environment extremely advantageous to himself. Here, the enemy would feel unprecedented pressure and constraint, their movements becoming sluggish and difficult; while he would be as free as a fish in water, unleashing all his special techniques.

This not only significantly weakened his opponent's fighting strength but also gave him a decisive advantage. It can be said that this meticulously planned battlefield became the key to his victory. As long as he can fully capitalize on this advantage, victory is sure to be his!

Just as Hyuga Kanan was gradually approaching Pain's Six Paths, the surging power within him seemed to be ignited instantly, erupting like a volcano and becoming unstoppable! Immediately afterwards, he launched his most ferocious and frenzied attack without hesitation.

The first to be hit was Pain, who was at the very front and capable of absorbing energy. In the blink of an eye, Hyuga Kanan's iron fist, imbued with boundless earth elemental power, slammed into Pain's chest like a storm. This strike was as powerful as a thunderbolt, catching Pain completely off guard and sending him flying backward, even disrupting Pain's carefully laid attack formation.

However, Hyuga Kanan did not give up. As if possessed by a war god, he flashed forward again. At this moment, his eyes were only on the enemy, and his heart was filled with the burning desire to fight. With a swing of his arm, another extremely fierce punch whistled out, rushing straight towards another Pain.

"Shinra Tensei!"

At the very center, Pain, the Deva Path, finally revealed his true colors, letting out a mighty roar. A tremendous repulsive force erupted from his body! This power, like a raging torrent, swept in with overwhelming force. The gravity barrier meticulously constructed by Hyuga Kanan crumbled instantly before this terrifying repulsive force, vanishing without a trace, as if it were made of fragile paper.

Not only that, but even Hyuga Kanan's attack, which he had originally intended to strike one of Pain's, was forcefully deflected by this sudden repulsive force. That repulsive force, containing astonishing power, formed a spherical barrier in the air, blasting everything around it away and ultimately creating a bowl-shaped crater in its place. Hyuga Kanan himself, due to the enormous recoil, was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the wall behind him.

Because Hyuga Kanan was clad in a sturdy armor formed from concentrated earth element, enveloping him like an impenetrable wall, he didn't suffer much substantial damage. However, when Tendou Pain unleashed this powerful repulsive attack, it genuinely aroused Hyuga Kanan's curiosity and surprise.

An invisible yet immense power suddenly erupted like a surging torrent, sweeping towards him with unparalleled might. Faced with such a terrifying attack, Hyuga Kanan's heart tightened, but he quickly regained his composure, relying on his superb ninjutsu skills and agile reflexes to swiftly adjust his stance and prepare to meet the challenge.

When the powerful repulsive force struck his earth elemental armor, it produced a dull thud, as if the entire space trembled. Although the armor successfully withstood most of the impact, some of the aftershocks still penetrated through it, causing Hyuga Kanan to feel a slight tremor. This unique attack method caught his eye and gave him a deeper understanding of Pain's strength.

In that breathtaking battle, Hyuga Kanan stared wide-eyed at the ninjutsu Pain unleashed. His gaze, like a sharp arrow, pierced through the ninjutsu's ornate exterior, reaching its very core. As time passed, Hyuga Kanan gradually realized that behind these seemingly powerful and mysterious ninjutsu lay an extraordinary force—the power of rules!

This power of rules was incomparable to ordinary chakra; it seemed to be the manifestation of the most fundamental and purest laws of the universe. When Pain used this power, the entire space seemed to tremble, and all the surrounding elements were subject to invisible binding and guidance. Hyuga Kanan was secretly amazed. He hadn't realized that the power of rules contained in those eyes also had a repulsive force, and that the level of ninjutsu manifested by the power of rules could be so profound and unfathomable, far exceeding his previous expectations.

Through careful observation and analysis of Pain's ninjutsu, Hyuga Kanan began to try to understand the essence of the power of rules contained within them. He discovered that this power was not limited to manipulating natural elements or releasing massive energy attacks, but involved a profound understanding and skillful application of the laws governing the world. For example, Pain could use the power of rules to alter the surrounding gravitational and repulsive forces, making them indestructible; or he could manipulate the flow of air to achieve miraculous effects such as deflecting all attacks.

Hyuga Kanan knew that the powerful rule-based force his opponent possessed primarily originated from those eyes, but he wasn't deterred by this. On the contrary, he was extremely grateful to have fought Pain beforehand, as this allowed him to gain insight into the power of the Sage of Six Paths, who controlled the ninja world from the shadows, and to prepare for future encounters.

However, Hyuga Kanan believed that Pain must have other methods he hadn't yet used. Therefore, what he needed to do now was to force out all of Pain's abilities as much as possible, so that he could gain a better understanding of the future Sage of Six Paths.

Having already experienced the most basic power of the Six Paths of Pain's rules, he knew this was merely the tip of the iceberg. Facing such a powerful and mysterious opponent, Hyuga Kanan knew he couldn't afford to be careless. He needed to probe further and uncover the deeper layers of power his opponent concealed.

Hyuga Kanan stared intently at his enemy, pondering to himself, "Just how many unknown abilities does this Six Paths of Pain possess that await my discovery? Is the power of rules they wield far beyond what's currently known?" With these questions and a sense of unease, he decided to adopt a bolder strategy for the upcoming battle. He wanted to force his opponent to unleash as many rule-based ninjutsu as possible, allowing him to fully witness the power of rules contained within those eyes.