Chapter 30 — The Second Round
Inside the forest.
Kinoshita Hikaru swept his gaze across the group and spoke rapidly, "30 seconds. Each of you think of a question— asked each other what to do and whether it can be done."
"Shikaku, when a jōnin holding a kunai faces a barrage of shuriken, which position is he most likely to overlook?"
"Mikoto-chan, what is a jōnin's kinetic output?"
"Nawaki, how do you defend against a jōnin's attack?"
"Shigeru, when is the best time to ambush an enemy?"
"Hiashi, how do you enter the battlefield, strike a chūnin, and safely withdraw?"
"Minato, how do you rescue Kushina?"
"Inoichi, how do you fine-tune the battlefield?"
"Chōza, how do you execute the final blow?"
The group was momentarily stunned by the questions, but they quickly began thinking seriously about their respective answers.
These questions were not asked casually. The Nara clan, known as the most intelligent in Konoha, had most of its members serving in the village's strategic command division.
During the First Shinobi World War, Konoha's primary opponent had been the Land of Lightning. Even the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, had been killed by Kumogakure's famed Gold and Silver Brothers.
Konoha had conducted extensive research on Cloud ninja.
Thirty seconds passed quickly.
Kinoshita Hikaru turned to Shikaku.
"Based on Hiashi's earlier description, this jōnin is about 180 centimeters tall, with explosive chakra—likely specializing in Lightning Release. Cloud ninja taijutsu centers on Iron Fist, which relies heavily on leg-driven momentum. So compared to his legs, he should be more guarded around his upper body.
Therefore, the most easily overlooked area is the lower body—specifically the calves.
That's because his calves are both the most flexible and the most durable. If I'm not mistaken, he may even have protective gear there to enhance lethality."
"As expected of Shikaku," Kinoshita Hikaru praised. "Now this plan has its prerequisite."
"Mikoto-chan."
A technical question required a specialist. As an Uchiha, her dōjutsu—the Sharingan—was also known as the Eye of Insight. She placed great emphasis on reading combat rhythm and observing the eight fundamental ninja attributes:
Ninjutsu—Strength—Taijutsu—Technique—Genjutsu—Stamina—Intelligence—Seals.
"This jōnin used genjutsu to attack Kushina and has the Lightning Sea Illusion Hawk as a summoned beast. He must be highly proficient in genjutsu, and he also uses Iron Fist for close combat.
I judge that his combat style combines taijutsu offense with genjutsu interference. With chakra bursts, he should be capable of reaching 100 meters per second."
...
The scene shifted back to the battlefield.
In an open clearing overgrown with weeds, a wall of earth stretched across the center.
With Kinoshita Hikaru and his partner as the center point, eighty meters ahead stood Iruwa, while fifty meters to the left, the others hid behind the earth wall—except for Uchiha Shigeru, who stood flamboyantly atop it.
Kinoshita Hikaru looked toward Iruwa, a lingering chill in his heart. If Namikaze Minato had been even a second slower in waking him earlier, he would have truly died here.
Everyone else was a shadow clone.
But as the bait, Kinoshita Hikaru was the real body.
At this moment—
The battlefield fell into a brief, eerie silence as both sides faced off.
The next instant—
"Ahhh—!" Iruzhen roared, charging straight toward them.
The calm shattered. A single movement set everything in motion.
"Shigeru!" Kinoshita Hikaru shouted.
"Tch—" Uchiha Shigeru activated his one-tomoe Sharingan and dashed forward at high speed, passing Iruzhen and regrouping midway with the other two.
The three of them attacked Iruwa together.
Everything proceeded according to the second battle plan—three against Iruwa, while the others handled Iruzhen.
Originally, the first plan had been to eliminate Iruzhen first. But plans couldn't keep up with reality—a Cloud ninja secret drug had disrupted everything, forcing them to execute the second plan.
Iruzhen ignored the three of them and charged straight toward Hyūga Hiashi.
At this moment—
The battlefield split.
The fight to the death officially began.
Kinoshita Hikaru and the other two sprinted forward at high speed, crossing paths as they moved, creating visual interference while rapidly forming hand seals.
The three formed an inverted triangle, with Kinoshita Hikaru at the rear.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
The two bent their legs and leapt. Kinoshita Hikaru gathered chakra in both palms, pressed against the soles of their feet, and pushed hard, accelerating them.
Midair, they shouted in unison:
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Wind Release: Breakthrough!"
"Combined Wind-Fire Double Strike!"
The wind fueled the flames, causing the fireball to swell violently. Heat waves surged forward, and upon impact, it exploded, scattering sparks and obscuring vision.
At the same time, sunlight reflected off something in their hands—a thin steel wire tightly gripped.
As they made contact with Iruwa, they used skillful force to spin 360 degrees, binding him tightly.
This was ninja wire—extremely tough, infused with trace amounts of chakra-conductive metal. Each strand was expensive.
Even a jōnin would find it impossible to break free.
"Rasengan!"
Kinoshita Hikaru followed closely behind, driving straight through Iruwa's chest. Blood splattered.
Yet the three showed no joy—only deep vigilance as they quickly regrouped into a triangular formation.
"Bang!"
The body burst into white smoke, leaving behind only a piece of wood—Iruwa's real body was nowhere to be seen.
The three scanned their surroundings, fully alert.
"Above!" Uchiha Shigeru shouted. His Sharingan spun rapidly as he spotted Iruwa using a concealment technique.
"Scatter!"
The two retreated, while Kinoshita Hikaru lowered his center of gravity.
"Gum-Gum… Gatling!"
His fists stretch and rained upward like a violent storm, rapid and dense, cutting through the air as they struck toward the sky.
Iruwa had not expected them to not only detect him but also possess aerial countermeasures.
Though suspended midair and unable to dodge, he remained calm. Forming hand seals, he cast Water Formation Wall.
The punches struck the water barrier, generating recoil. Using that force, Iruwa propelled himself backward and landed safely.
"Not bad, kids. Good coordination, but still too green."
The three felt their hearts sink. A jōnin was simply too troublesome—without sufficient speed, they couldn't catch him.
...
Elsewhere—
Nara Shikaku assigned tasks. "Inoichi, protect Kushina. The rest, engage the enemy."
Yamanaka Inoichi nodded. At this moment, Iruzhen was in a state of frenzied excitation—completely uncontrollable. The only option was to protect Kushina.
"Thank you, everyone…" Kushina's face was pale, tears streaming from her large eyes.
"Don't say that. We're comrades—we'd never abandon you."
"Boom!"
With a powerful stomp, Iruzhen leapt over the earth wall and slammed into the ground, sending dust flying with a thunderous crash.
As the dust cleared, Iruzhen knelt on one knee before suddenly raising his head—his bloodshot eyes filled with violent ferocity.
His first target was Akimichi Chōza, the one who had nearly killed him earlier.
Under the drug's effects, his speed was terrifying—like lightning chasing the wind. In an instant, he appeared before Chōza and threw a punch.
Chakra condensed around his fist, immense and heavy like a cannonball—brutal and unstoppable.
"Bang!"
Akimichi Chōza was sent flying. Iruzhen didn't stop—his second target was Senju Nawaki.
This brat's Earth Release defense was too strong—he had to be dealt with first.
In a flash, another punch sent Nawaki flying.
Two punches, two victims—like a demon unleashed, weighing heavily on everyone's hearts.
Uchiha Mikoto's eyes burned with anger.
"You dare hurt my comrades… unforgivable."
She pulled out a storage scroll and summoned a short blade, her feet moving in a strange, flowing pattern as she dashed forward.
"Uchiha Style: Leaping Flame Blade!"
This sword technique relied on specific footwork to confuse the enemy, find a blind spot, and deliver a killing strike—one of the many ancient Uchiha sword arts.
Afterimages appeared around Mikoto, making it impossible for Iruzhen to discern her real body. As she closed in, the blade glowed red, radiating heat as it slashed toward his neck.
"Clang—"
The short blade struck his neck, but instead of blood spraying, it collided with his skin, producing a harsh, grating sound—like metal scraping against stone.
Sparks flew between blade and flesh. The sword couldn't penetrate the chakra-coated skin, leaving only a faint red mark.
Uchiha Mikoto's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Watch out!"
***
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