Chapter 437: Training Magnet Release

Chapter 437: Chapter 437: Training Magnet Release

As Kagami focused more and more intently on manipulating his Wind-nature chakra to provoke his Lightning-nature chakra, it wasn’t long before he became completely immersed in this single-minded training, shutting out everything around him.

Without a doubt, the nature transformation fusion required for Magnet Release placed extremely high demands on a shinobi’s chakra control.

To maintain the effects of Magnet Release, one had to constantly manipulate Wind-nature chakra to stimulate Lightning-nature chakra, until controlling the Wind-nature chakra became as instinctive as breathing.

This was fundamentally different from ninjutsu that required hand seals.

For ninjutsu performed through hand seals, a shinobi generally only needed to control their chakra for a short period while completing the necessary seals, after which the technique could be successfully released. That was why so many people were capable of doing it.

Magnet Release, however, required the shinobi to remain in a constant state of maintaining the technique, continuously manipulating their chakra.

It was essentially equivalent to forcing a shinobi to perform hand seals without stopping.

Thus, maintaining Magnet Release was both a form of training for the shinobi and a significant burden on them.

This was also why, despite Sunagakure having already developed a method for training Magnet Release, only the Third Kazekage and Fourth Kazekage had ever truly mastered it.

At the training ground—

As Kagami gradually became absorbed in his training, the mass of iron sand in front of him began responding as well.

More and more grains of black iron sand were drawn upward by the magnetic force, slowly floating into the air.

It wasn’t until a powerful pang of hunger came from his stomach that Kagami finally snapped back to his senses and withdrew from that deeply immersed state.

Clatter...

The moment Kagami stopped training, the mass of iron sand that had been floating before him immediately scattered across the ground.

Listening to the sound of the iron sand scattering onto the ground beside him, Kagami abruptly snapped awake. His eyes flew open as he muttered,

"No way... I succeeded on my very first try?"

Collecting himself, Kagami questioned the Third Kazekage human puppet standing nearby. Only then did he learn that a full five hours had passed since he first began attempting to train Magnet Release.

"So much time passed without me even noticing. No wonder I’m so hungry!"

Kagami immediately got up and found something to eat. As he filled his stomach, he began thinking over what had just happened.

With only a single attempt, he had managed to generate a faint magnetic force strong enough to affect the iron sand and cause its grains to float into the air.

Such remarkable results from his training naturally left him overjoyed.

And he believed that the reason he had achieved such outstanding results was inseparably linked to this clone body.

"Looks like this clone has an extremely high affinity for chakra!"

Aside from having relatively poor affinity with Fire-nature chakra, this Type-A clone possessed exceptionally high affinity with all the other chakra natures. In particular, its primary Wind nature was so easy to manipulate that it responded almost like an extension of his own limbs.

Moreover, Kagami already understood the principles behind Magnet Release extremely well. He had also personally experienced using Magnet Release numerous times while possessing the Third Kazekage human puppet.

It was precisely because of these advantages that his training had produced such remarkable results.

In addition, the iron sand he had borrowed from the Third Kazekage human puppet had been influenced by Magnet Release chakra for years upon years.

As a result, it was exceptionally sensitive to Magnet Release chakra. Even the slightest magnetic force would cause it to react.

It was the combination of all these factors that allowed Kagami to achieve such extraordinary results on his very first attempt at training Magnet Release with the Type-A clone.

Three days later.

Controlling the Type-A Wind Release clone, Kagami stood calmly in the training ground. Opposite him stood the Third Kazekage human puppet.

The two simply stood there, silently facing each other!

Both of their bodies were surrounded by masses of black iron sand. The iron sand flowed and danced around them like constantly shifting shields.

Countless tiny grains of iron sand were also scattered throughout the surrounding air.

Caught between two powerful magnetic fields, these fine grains floating in the air were sometimes pulled toward Kagami, only to be dragged toward the Third Kazekage human puppet a moment later.

Clearly, although the two appeared to be silently confronting each other, their battle on the level of magnetic fields had already begun.

After a moment, the corner of Kagami’s mouth curled upward.

"Let’s try something new!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he slightly raised both hands.

Two streams immediately separated from the mass of iron sand surrounding his body, instantly transforming into two sharp iron spikes gleaming with a cold metallic light.

Immediately afterward, Kagami clenched his right hand into a fist.

As he activated the Magnet Release chakra within his body, the two iron spikes began revolving around each other in parallel.

Faster and faster they spun!

Gradually, visible arcs of electricity began appearing between the two iron spikes, connecting and drawing them toward each other.

At that moment, Kagami suddenly thrust his clenched right fist forward and shouted,

"Magnet Style: Magnetic Impact!"

Whoosh—!

In an instant, the two iron spikes spinning parallel to each other shot toward the Third Kazekage human puppet with a piercing shriek!

Seeing this, the Third Kazekage human puppet hurriedly manipulated his own mass of iron sand, transforming it into a gigantic iron shield that firmly protected his front.

However—

When the two rapidly spinning iron spikes struck the iron shield, there was no deafening roar of metal colliding with metal.

The instant the two iron spikes struck the gigantic iron shield shaped by the Third Kazekage human puppet’s Magnet Release, an arc of electricity raced across its surface.

Immediately afterward, the formerly solid surface of the iron shield seemed to turn into fine, flowing sand, collapsing in an instant!

Clatter...

Amid the sound of iron sand pouring onto the ground, it took only a few moments for the Third Kazekage human puppet’s gigantic iron shield to completely disintegrate into loose grains of iron sand scattered across the floor.

Kagami smiled and immediately stopped the two iron spikes that had been attacking the Third Kazekage human puppet.

A clash between two users of the Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai was fundamentally different from clashes involving other Kekkei Genkai.

In a battle of Magnet Release against Magnet Release, if one side’s chakra intensity surpassed the other’s, the weaker side would have almost no ability to resist.

After all, magnetic force was inherently extremely susceptible to interference. In the face of a stronger magnetic force, the weaker side’s control would collapse almost instantaneously.

This was also why sufficiently powerful Lightning Release could counter Magnet Release ninjutsu.

It wasn’t that the chakra nature of Lightning Release was inherently superior to Magnet Release. Rather, high-intensity Lightning Release could interfere with the Wind-nature chakra stimulating the Lightning-nature chakra, fundamentally disrupting the conditions necessary for Magnet Release to exist.

As a result, the Magnet Release ninjutsu would collapse due to its own magnetic force falling into disorder.

If the opponent standing across from him had been the Third Kazekage himself, it naturally wouldn’t have been this easy for Kagami to win.

But his opponent was merely the human puppet Sasori had created from the Third Kazekage’s corpse.

Although the puppet could still use Magnet Release, without the Third Kazekage’s spirit, there was a considerable gap between its chakra intensity and that of the true Third Kazekage.

Such a difference in chakra intensity might not have been particularly obvious when competing through other ninjutsu.

But when two identical Magnet Release abilities clashed against each other, that difference was immediately exposed...