"Shut up! Shut up, you filthy bastard! What right do you have to criticize our Senju clan?!" Ryuken's eyes were bloodshot, his entire being consumed by hysteria! With a powerful push from his feet, he transformed into a blur, accompanied by a violent sonic boom, and charged towards Aizen!
"Oh? Did I touch a nerve?" Seeing Ryuken lose all reason, Aizen's lips twisted into a playful smirk. Things were unfolding exactly as he had predicted. From the original story, he had thoroughly grasped the reasons behind the Senju clan's decline. But first, he needed to deal with the Ryuken before him.
Strictly speaking, even with the Sixth Gate activated, Ryuken was still a formidable opponent for Aizen. Of course, it was only slightly difficult.
"Eight Gates, Gate of Opening, open!"
"Eight Gates, Gate of Healing, open!"
"Eight Gates, Gate of Life, open!"
"Earth Release: Hardening Jutsu!"
Aizen instantly activated the Eight Gates as well, and combined it with the Earth Release: Hardening Jutsu, further amplifying his strength!
Ryuken, in his frenzied state, failed to grasp the gravity of the situation and continued his reckless charge towards Aizen!
He launched a powerful horizontal kick aimed at Aizen's head! Aizen effortlessly dodged the blow with a slight shift of his body! In that instant, Aizen flicked his wrist, delivering a backhanded slash with Kyōka Suigetsu, aiming for Ryuken's thigh!
Ryuken contorted his body wildly to evade the strike! However, his hasty dodge left him wide open, giving Aizen the perfect opening! Especially for someone like Aizen, with incredibly sharp reflexes, this was a deadly mistake!
Aizen swiftly changed his grip, switching from a backhand to a forehand in an almost imperceptible moment, following Ryuken's retreat and slashing downwards!
A cold glint flashed, cutting a massive wound from Ryuken's left rib to his right shoulder!
Blood erupted from the gruesome gash, spraying into the air and forming a bloody mist! At that moment, the reflection of the swinging blade flashed in Aizen's eyes! A sinister smile spread across his face! His entire demeanor turned chillingly evil!
The gravely wounded Ryuken, finally regaining his senses through the agonizing pain, hastily gathered his chakra and distanced himself from Aizen!
Aizen made no attempt to stop him, allowing Ryuken to escape. But as he watched Ryuken retreat in disarray, a hint of amusement danced in his eyes!
"Huff... huff..." Ryuken gasped for air, his heart filled with dread as he looked back at Aizen. Aizen's terrifying reflexes, coupled with his unparalleled combat prowess, made him a monstrous force to be reckoned with!
"I cannot engage him in close combat!" Ryuken gritted his teeth, sweat dripping down his face, as he came to this grim realization.
Then, the horrifying wound that nearly bisected him began to heal rapidly, his muscles writhing and regenerating. Within moments, it had completely vanished. However, Ryuken's complexion had turned deathly pale!
Witnessing this, Aizen's eyes gleamed with growing interest.
"Damn it, my current state is nearing its limit. I can't use the Eight Gates Released Formation anymore. How can I defeat that damned Aizen?" Ryuken thought, his head throbbing.
Although he had been at a disadvantage since the beginning of the battle, Ryuken hadn't given up hope! He was still strategizing on how to defeat Aizen. And this wasn't blind overconfidence!
"What's wrong, patriarch of the Senju clan? Can you only run away like a stray dog? Is this how your noble Senju clan fights?" In the distance, seeing Ryuken starting to retreat again, Aizen sneered.
"Hmph! Aizen, if you're so powerful, why don't you attack me yourself?" Having learned his lesson, Ryuken retorted with disdain.
The battle had raged on until now, and even a top elite Jonin like him was nearing his limit. How could Aizen, a mere special Jonin, be any different?Ryuken's current combat power was already on par with that of an average Kage-level shinobi! Aizen was using Reiatsu, Kendo, Shunpo, the Eight Gates, Earth Release: Hardening, and the Water Body Substitution Technique. Combined, these powerful abilities and secrets allowed him to briefly contend with Ryuken!
Yes, only briefly!
For Aizen, a special Jonin, to possess strength rivaling a Kage-level shinobi. This wasn't just crossing one rank! Nor was it crossing two ranks! He was fighting across three entire ranks!
If news of Aizen's abilities reached the ninja world today, it would undoubtedly send shockwaves throughout the entire shinobi community! In the entire ninja world, anyone capable of fighting across a single rank within the Jonin level was considered an absolute genius of their era! Those who could fight across two ranks were even rarer, appearing perhaps once a century, with few documented in historical records. As for those who could fight across three ranks. Such a feat was simply unheard of, unseen!
Sure, it seemed glorious, but it definitely came at a cost. Especially the consumption of Aizen's energy. Aizen had repeatedly provoked Ryuken, aiming to make him lose his composure and engage in close combat. If Ryuken had maintained his distance. Killing him would have been a much more difficult task for Aizen.
However, all of this was still within Aizen's expectations, so, In the face of Senju Ryuken's taunts, Aizen remained calm, displaying only a faint smile.
Seeing Aizen's unyielding composure, Ryuken grew increasingly frustrated! However, he managed to maintain his sanity!
Ryuken had already decided that if Aizen attacked, he would not engage and would immediately retreat again. He refused to believe that, with his level of strength, he couldn't outlast a special Jonin like Aizen!
Aizen's impressive arsenal was nothing without chakra. Once his chakra was depleted, he would be reduced to his original state!
With this thought in mind, Ryuken began to imagine the scene of Aizen, exhausted of chakra, begging for mercy.
"Damn you, Aizen! I won't kill you quickly. I'll torture you, make you experience the agony of life worse than death, and then chop you into pieces to feed the dogs!" Ryuken thought viciously.
Thud!
But just as Ryuken was indulging in his vengeful fantasies, a cold, piercing pain, along with an inexplicably familiar sensation, surged through his heart once more. His excited expression instantly froze.