'What should we do?'
From the corner of her eye, Izumi saw the other two Cloud shinobi arrive. Now it was three against three, but she knew very well, even if only one was a jonin, she and her team were barely holding on.
And now…
Her gaze shifted to the shuriken she had thrown earlier. Thanks to the calculations her brother had taught her, the steel wires attached to them now lay hidden in the shadows.
But…
Although Tokuma and Hana had been her classmates for years at the Academy, they had never actually fought as a team before.
How could she signal them? How could she let them know without alerting the enemy?
After a moment's thought, Izumi spoke softly: "Combine."
Tokuma didn't move, but Hana nodded and moved closer, backing against Tokuma and Izumi, forming a triangle with their backs to each other. Together, they faced two of the Cloud chunin.
"Wouldn't it be easier if you just gave up? If you resist, you'll only suffer."
"Sensei, who would've thought we'd catch some little fish out here."
"If not for me, you wouldn't have even noticed them sneaking up behind us! Don't underestimate them. They may only be genin, but they're clan heirs of Konoha. Be mindful of secret techniques and bloodline limits."
While the three Cloud-nin spoke, Izumi nudged Hana and Tokuma lightly with her elbow.
They responded, and Izumi's eyes sharpened as she focused on the two newly arrived chunin.
The jonin was unlikely to be defeated, but if they could take out the two chunin, things would become far easier.
Just as her brother had said: Better to cut off one finger than to wound ten.
But until then, they had to stall for time.
"If war breaks out again, Cloud, already weakened after losing the Fourth Raikage, will be destroyed completely."
Her words made the enemy chuckle. "And what makes you so sure we're from the Cloud?"
"Stone, Mist, even Sand, they'd all be happy to see Konoha and Cloud at each other's throats again."
As his words fell, the enemy suddenly weaved hand seals: "Earth Release: MovingEarthquake Core!"
The ground split violently beneath them.
The three genin leapt apart, scattering, only for a lightning-charged blade to slash toward them an instant later.
"Rotation!"
With a burst of chakra, Tokuma spun, creating a spherical shield that deflected the strike.
Izumi seized the chance, forming seals: 'Shadow Clone Technique!'
Two clones appeared beside her, and together they charged at the chunin.
Swish, swish…
Six shuriken arced through the air. When the chunin dodged, the weapons clashed midair, changing their trajectories.
"What?!"
Both were nicked, blood drawn despite their evasions.
Furious, they countered.
"Lightning Release: Thunder Drop!"
"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld"
The ground beneath Izumi turned to mire, holding her still. The swamp wasn't deep, likely due to low chakra, but it was enough to pin her.
"Boom!"
A bolt of lightning slammed down, engulfing her position. Smoke billowed up, and all three Izumi figures vanished in a puff.
She had used more than two clones. Her real body was hidden elsewhere.
"It's over."
Her voice rang out as she completed her seals: "Fire Release: Dragon Fire Net!"
Flames raced along the steel wires, ignited by a falling kunai. The wires shifted course, wrapping around the chunin and binding their limbs and torsos.
Boom!
Unable to dodge or form seals, the two were instantly engulfed in flames.
Poof.
The clones vanished, and Izumi herself collapsed to the ground, drained of chakra. She hurriedly swallowed a soldier pill, then looked toward the other battle.
The jonin was the true threat. He had already grown furious, seeing his subordinates cut down so quickly.
"That the Hyūga branch would even be taught Rotation… but no matter. The weakness of the branch family, we know it well."
Bang!
Tokuma was knocked back, gritting his teeth.
"You go! I'll hold him off!"
Hana shook her head. "I haven't used much chakra yet. Let Izumi retreat first, I can still fight with you."
Tokuma shook his head firmly. "No. He's serious now. You must go!"
He spun into Rotation once more, forcing Hana and Izumi backward.
"Escape? Do you really think you can?"
Even as Rotation ended, a kunai whistled toward Tokuma's blind spot.
He should've been able to see it. The Byakugan was supposed to be flawless.
But Izumi's eyes widened in horror.
'Why didn't he dodge?'
Blood blossomed from the back of Tokuma's head.
Thud.
He collapsed instantly, lifeless, his brain destroyed.
The Cloud jonin stepped forward, retrieving his kunai. "The branch family's Caged Bird seal. From the moment it's carved into them, their vision has a fatal flaw. Blame the Hyūga main family. Without that weakness, you might have truly stopped me at the cost of your life."
"Tokuma…"
Izumi fell to her knees, tears streaming. Her classmate of six years, dead on their very first mission.
'Why? Why was this happening?'
Beside her, Hana's eyes reddened. She grabbed Izumi. "Go! Find help! I'll hold him!"
The jonin advanced again. Without Rimaru, Hana was no match. His first strike sent her flying.
Izumi still couldn't move. 'Why… why is this happening?'
"Second one."
The jonin's blade pierced Hana's chest. But even as blood gushed, she clamped her hands onto the blade, locking it in place.
She met Izumi's gaze, whispering through blood: "Run…!"
Izumi's vision blurred.
"Bastard!!!"
Her eyes burned, spinning violently, three tomoe flickered into existence, only to stabilize as two.
The Sharingan.
The crushing weight pinning her down vanished.
Swish, swish!
Shuriken flew. Izumi surged forward, kunai in hand.
Clash!
Steel met lightning. Sparks flew, and she used the momentum to snap one of her wires.
Snap, snap, snap!
The wire recoiled, binding the jonin's arm.
Slice!
Her kunai slashed, severing his arm. Blood splattered the ground.
The Sharingan's clarity guided her every movement.
But then, the pressure returned. Her body froze once again.
"The Sharingan's illusions, paired with a transcription seal… quite effective."
A familiar voice spoke.
Izumi's surroundings warped. The corpses vanished. The jonin was gone.
Tears welled in her eyes.
It was all an illusion.
…
In the forest, Yun supported Izumi against a tree.
He handed her a bar of chocolate. "Eat. You'll need the calories. I'll explain soon."
Izumi nodded, devouring it, then drank from his flask. At last, she asked, "Brother… Tokuma and Hana…?"
"They're fine," Yun reassured. "Like you, they're still inside my genjutsu."
Relieved, Izumi pressed on: "But… when were we trapped? We never even saw your Sharingan."
Yun answered calmly, "Two days ago for you. A week ago for Tokuma and Hana."
"What?!" Izumi froze. "Impossible! Then everything… even graduation?"
Yun shook his head. "No, your team's formation was real. But the genjutsu seeds were planted long ago. With the Transcription Seal, I set conditions for activation. When you saw my shadow clone's distraction, the illusion triggered. You didn't know to suspect me, so everything felt real."
"The Sharingan is the Mirror of the Heart. Only when you watch bonds forged over six years shatter before your eyes does the brain awaken its hidden power. That power flows into the eyes, and the Sharingan opens."
He smiled faintly. "I didn't expect you to reach three tomoe. Though it slipped back to two… it's still impressive."
Izumi's tears finally fell. "Brother… thank you."
Yun ruffled her hair gently. "No matter what, I'm your brother. You want to grow on your own, but I'll always help you."
…
Meanwhile, Tokuma and Hana were still under illusion, undergoing their own trials.
The Cloud jonin's words echoed in their minds:
"Two chunin can't destroy Konoha alone. But if the village is already covered in explosive tags? In the cliffs of the Hokage Rock, thousands lie buried, placed long ago by the fallen village of Hot Springs. They were never detonated, but with our intel, they'll bring Konoha to ruin."