Possessing an Adamantine Body while also being capable of freely stretching and transforming—this is Enma’s Transformation Technique.
The reason for this seems to be that Hiruzen believed it could bridge the gap in their Taijutsu abilities.
Thanks to his partner Enma, Hiruzen was also particularly skilled in staff techniques when it came to Taijutsu.
However, just as Hiruzen had not yet gone all out…
Matsuake’s Breathing Technique was far more than this.
In the world of Demon Slayer, ordinary people could battle demons through Breathing Techniques and rigorous training.
Even the Pillars, the elite among them, were merely flesh and blood before mastering the Breathing Techniques.
But for Matsuake, the encounter between Breathing Techniques and Chakra produced a synergistic effect where one plus one became greater than two.
“Hiruzen-nii, you should be careful too!” Returning the courtesy, Matsuake kindly reminded him before going all out.
Then, immense Chakra erupted from his body, ultimately concentrating in his hands and short sword.
“Monstrous Strength Slash!” Chakra Enhanced Strength was a technique passed down within the Senju Clan, generating tremendous destructive power by concentrating and explosively releasing Chakra.
Tsunade’s Painful Sky Leg and Sakura Haruno’s Cherry Blossom Impact were both forms of Chakra Enhanced Strength.
Now, Matsuake chose to combine Chakra Enhanced Strength with swordsmanship, releasing Chakra through the point of contact between his blade and his opponent.
Next, Hiruzen was astonished to discover…
That his confident, powerful strike was blocked by a short sword vastly smaller in size.
The roaring wind stirred by the Adamantine Staff abruptly stilled at that moment.
Then, he felt an immense force transmitted in the opposite direction through the Adamantine Staff, irresistibly pulling his hands backward.
“Not good!” Realizing his balance was compromised, Hiruzen reacted instantly, releasing his grip and severing the connection with the Adamantine Staff.
After being flung away, the Adamantine Staff transformed back into Enma mid-air.
Enma flipped to disperse the force and immediately ran to support Hiruzen.
“Enma!
Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet!” Hiruzen shouted lowly while forming hand seals with both hands.
“Got it!
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!” Having fought alongside Hiruzen countless times, Enma immediately understood.
He halted his run and also began forming hand seals.
This was one of the advantages of the Enma clan.
Due to their body structure being similar to humans, they could, with training, form hand seals and use Ninjutsu like shinobi.
The Fire Dragon Bullet combined with the whirlwind created by Great Breakthrough—fire borrowing the wind’s force, wind fueling the fire’s might—transforming into a fiery whirlwind that swept forward.
“Water Release: Water Colliding Wave!” In response, Matsuake simply formed hand seals rapidly with both hands, then spewed a massive torrent of water from his mouth.
The water rose in a tornado-like spiral, swirling upward around Matsuake’s body before spreading and cascading toward the direction of Hiruzen and Enma.
This was one of the Water Release techniques Tobirama excelled in, and currently the strongest Water Release Ninjutsu Matsuake could master.
The difference lay in that Tobirama’s mastery of Water Release was extremely profound; he could summon vast amounts of water even in waterless environments.
Whereas Matsuake, like most other shinobi, could only spew water from his mouth.
Thus, there were differences in both power and casting speed.
After the water dispersed, the originally dry ground became thoroughly soaked.
An ordinary person walking on such terrain would likely slip with the slightest misstep.
“It’s not over yet!” At that moment, Matsuake moved again.
The previous Monstrous Strength Slash had not yet been his full power.
“Monstrous Strength Continuous Slash!” The veins on his arms bulged, and the flow of Chakra within Matsuake’s body accelerated once more.
After closing the distance with Hiruzen at extreme speed, he swung his short sword, leaving only afterimages visible to the spectators outside the arena.
“Hey, this is too reckless!” Seeing this, Hiruzen couldn’t help but feel a bit apprehensive.
Compared to the earlier Monstrous Strength Slash, Matsuake’s Monstrous Strength Continuous Slash was slightly inferior in raw power.
However, its incredible speed was enough to compensate for this flaw.
Even though he had mentally prepared himself and exerted his full strength while swinging his staff, Hiruzen still felt as if his entire arm was about to fall apart.
“Enma!
Adamantine Prison Wall!” Hiruzen shouted lowly, and the Adamantine Staff in his hand suddenly flew out.
The Adamantine Staff appeared to be thrown toward Matsuake to disrupt his movements.
Yet, mid-air, it split into dozens of staffs, rapidly forming a cubic prison cage that enveloped Matsuake.
Even so, Matsuake did not give up, continuing his movements without pause.
Although he could maintain his Breathing Technique continuously, his current offensive relied primarily on Chakra Enhanced Strength, constantly consuming his Chakra.
Each release of monstrous strength resulted in significant depletion.
If he couldn’t end the battle quickly, he would exhaust himself and lose without Hiruzen even needing to act.
“Break, for me!” Monstrous Strength Slashes continuously struck the Adamantine Prison, causing it to shake violently.
Even though it was hailed as an Adamantine Body, the Adamantine Staff transformed by Enma still had its limits.
If it were Sarutobi Hiruzen and Enma at their peak in the future, Matsuake might truly have been trapped in the Adamantine Prison until his strength gave out.
But now, they were only Chūnin.
Trying to trap him like this was still far from enough!
“Hiruzen!
I can’t hold on any longer!” The Adamantine Prison shook violently, and Enma’s somewhat panicked voice came from within.
“I know!
Hold on a little longer!” After hurriedly responding, Hiruzen formed hand seals with both hands again.
This time, the seals he formed were more complex than before.
Seeing this, Tobirama outside the arena stirred, already prepared to intervene and rescue at any moment.
And precisely because he knew that the Hokage and Teacher Tobirama could intervene at any time, Hiruzen felt confident enough to use this Ninjutsu.
“Break!” With Matsuake’s low roar, the sturdy Adamantine Prison finally shattered.
Enma, who had been full of energy moments before, now lay on the ground, shaking his head dizzily, seeing stars.
Matsuake’s relentless slashes had made him feel as if his brains were about to be scrambled.
Knowing he had no strength left to fight and that the battle was nearing its end, Enma simply dispelled the Summoning Technique and vanished from the spot.
Just as Matsuake broke free and prepared to attack Hiruzen, Hiruzen also ceased his hand seal movements.
“Lightning Water Dragon Bullet!!” Hiruzen first spat a stream of water from his mouth, forming a dragon-shaped water bullet beside him.
Then, bolts of lightning released from his palms toward the water dragon bullet, penetrating within it yet also swirling around its exterior.
This was a composite Ninjutsu created by Hiruzen, combining Lightning Release and Water Release techniques.
Hiruzen demonstrated exceptional talent in Ninjutsu from a young age, capable of combining techniques to unleash even greater power.
This was the reason Tobirama took him on as a direct disciple.
This combination of Ninjutsu was not a Kekkei Genkai, yet it could still achieve an effect where one plus one was greater than two.