Type: Supplementary/Defensive
Rank: S
Range: Short
Chakra cost: 40 (+ 10 = 50) (-10 chakra per turn)
Damage points: N/A (100)
Description: The user focuses his koton chakra throughout every chakra point in his body and uses it to create a mass of black steel which appears to grow over his body. The metalllic armour envelops him entirely (with the exception of his eyes and mouth) and takes the form of a medieval armour with a glossy metallic sheen. Unlike its earthen counterpart (Hardening technique) the armour is not as bulky since not as much material is required to make an equally formidable defense (steel is much harder than earth) but its mass still takes its toll on the user. Consequently the user's overall movement speed is reduced by half. What makes this technique unique and not just another elemental armour is the fact that the armour is a partially sentient being that is worn as a defense. Through mental commands alone, the user can freely control the chassis of steel throughout its duration granting him an unparalleled ability in combat. Aside from its sentience, the armour possess two abilities. The first ability is a variation of its earthen counterpart's capability to create tools from itself. The user can create and/or extend spiked or blunt weapons from anywhere (or everywhere) on the armour's body, which are capable of bludgeoning or skewering through the body of anyone they come into contact with. Any weapons made via this method can be a maximum of five meters in length and one meter in width. Each weapon is also fully equipped with a hilt, in which can be used to hold onto the weapon, much like one would do with a sword. Any weapon made via this method is physically attached to the armour but can be detached and thrown as a projectile or retracted into the armour's body at any time to restore its original form. The second ability essentially allows anything inanimate that's solid in composition touched by the armour to be converted into black steel. As a result the user can make use of anything as if it were an actual weapon, from sticks to the weapons of others (excluding Custom Weapons). This transforming anything the armour touches into steel will not apply to living beings, anything on the user’s person nor will it apply to the ground or any surface they may be standing on. The bond between the user and the armour is stronger than that of most sentient creation techniques because the two are always in physical contact. Thus the armour passively leeches a portion of chakra from the user's body every turn in order to sustain itself. However in a way it is also more dependent on the user than most sentient creations as it acts like a symbiotic parasite. It cannot leech chakra from the user without physical contact and so when the user sheds the armour it will drop lifelessly to the ground. Since the armour is a sentient creation it cannot be manifested in only specific parts of the body and initially must always be made to encase the user in his entirety (excluding eyes and mouth). This armour does not limit the user’s ability in battle any way. It doesn’t limit or hinder their ability to perform handseals. It’s flexible at the joints (back of the knees, elbows, etc), allowing seamless movement while in the armour. To supplement their ability to release steel techniques from the body, the user can instead create them from the armour (without weakening it) sans handseals. The user’s chakra can diffuse into and pass through the armour, so they can slam their hands on the ground to still perform earth techniques, make contact with objects/entities to channel chakra into them (e.g. applying the Added/Light Weight techniques), techniques which form over the user’s body can instead form over the armour (e.g. Hardening), et cetera.
Note: Can only be used twice per battle
Note: Lasts for four turns (unless cancelled)
Note: No S-Rank or above Steel techniques on the turn the armour is deactivated
Note: No Fire or Earth techniques above S-Rank on the turn the armour is deactivated
Note: The user can instead have this armour last indefinitely (or until it’s destroyed) but it will count as their custom weapon for that fight/event. This of course means it can only be used once rather than twice per battle.