Fifteen minutes slipped by in the blink of an eye.
Once again, Kitazawa stepped up to the lottery box. The forest had grown quiet—too quiet—as if even the wind were waiting for the draw.
He reached in and pulled out two folded slips.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"The first match of the second round," he announced, his voice carrying across the clearing, "will be Kurama Yakumo's squad versus Hyuga Hinata's squad."
A murmur rippled through the teams.
With only four squads remaining, the first pairing made the second obvious.
Naruto grinned, flashing a confident thumbs-up at his rival. "Sasuke, see you in the second match!"
Sasuke's expression didn't change in the slightest. "The one who loses," he replied coolly, "will definitely be you."
Under the Team Battle rules, Naruto would be fighting with two restrictions placed on him.
This was Sasuke's best chance.
Memories of countless training sessions—of being knocked flat, of Naruto's infuriating grin—flashed through his mind. A fierce spark ignited in his dark eyes.
Today, he swore silently, I'll beat him.
"Sasuke-kun is right!" Sakura chimed in eagerly. "Naruto, just wait to be defeated by us!"
Sasuke glanced at her instinctively.
Sakura froze, then hurriedly covered her mouth, cheeks flushing.
Sasuke hesitated, as if about to say something—but in the end, he remained silent.
Five minutes later, the two squads submitted their chosen restrictions.
Yakumo's team had made adjustments.
The ban on Explosive Arrow had been replaced with a ban on Spiral Arrow.
Explosive Arrow was essentially a Yin Release secret technique—dangerous, yes—but not particularly troublesome for Yakumo. Spiral Arrow, on the other hand, was far more destructive. Removing it significantly reduced Hinata's killing power.
Likewise, the ban on Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms had been replaced with a ban on Void Arc Arrow.
The Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms was devastating—but it was close-range taijutsu. Against Yakumo's squad, who specialized in long-range ninjutsu, closing the distance would be a nightmare.
Void Arc Arrow, however, was an ultra-long-range technique. Banning it was a far more strategic move.
As for Yakumo's squad, their restrictions remained unchanged:
Horror Illusion.
Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique.
There was no debate to be had. Those two bloodline genjutsu were simply too terrifying to allow.
Left Side of the Forest of Death
The air beneath the canopy was damp and heavy.
"Shikamaru… what strategy should we use?" Hinata asked softly, her pale eyes steady.
Shikamaru smirked faintly. "Yakumo's squad has a fatal weakness."
"They lack sensory abilities."
Hinata paused, thinking it through. "You mean… we wear them down with long-range attacks?"
She frowned slightly. "But without Spiral Arrow and Void Arc Arrow, it'll be difficult to deal decisive damage."
Yakumo possessed the Illusion Technique: True Life, allowing her to prepare scrolls in advance and unleash ninjutsu almost instantaneously. The only advantage Hinata still held was range—her Moon-Chasing Bow far outclassed Yakumo's casting distance.
"They have two options," Shikamaru continued lazily. "One: stand their ground and counter your arrows. Two: try to close the distance and engage us directly."
"But without sensory techniques," Hinata said thoughtfully, "finding us would be nearly impossible."
"So… they'll just stay put and counterattack?" Hotaru asked.
Shikamaru shook his head.
"Not necessarily. Without Spiral Arrow and Void Arc Arrow, Hinata's threat level has dropped. His gaze sharpened. "And if both sides stall, the judges will decide the winner based on overall performance once time runs out."
Hinata nodded. "Yakumo's squad won't sit still and wait."
"Exactly." Shikamaru's smile widened slightly. "So our strategy is simple."
Since they can't sense us… we'll make them come looking.
"We lure them in," he finished calmly. "And set traps along the way."
Understanding dawned in Hinata's eyes. Hotaru nodded in agreement.
The three of them immediately began mapping out their route through the forest, carefully selecting choke points, blind spots, and natural cover.
In the shadows of the Forest of Death, the real battle had already begun.
Fifteen minutes later, the second-round battle officially began.
High above the treetops, Hinata's Byakugan flared to life.
Veins pulsed faintly at her temples as she locked onto her targets from an astonishing distance. Without hesitation, she drew her Moon-Chasing Bow.
Explosive Arrow.
Multiple Arrows.
One volley after another tore through the forest canopy, shrieking through the air toward Yakumo's squad.
Branches shattered. Leaves rained down like green snow.
Yet Yakumo's team held firm.
Ninjutsu detonated midair. Defensive techniques intercepted the arrows one by one. The forest trembled, but they did not falter.
They had expected Hinata's squad to do what Neji's team had done earlier—close the distance and force a confrontation.
But this time… no one came.
Minutes stretched.
Then an hour.
Finally, left with no choice, Yakumo's squad gritted their teeth and began advancing, enduring Hinata's relentless long-range harassment while attempting to track her down.
What they didn't realize—
They were walking exactly where Shikamaru wanted them to.
Shikamaru had "accidentally" left behind faint traces: a broken branch here, a scuffed footprint there.
Subtle. Intentional.
A trail meant to be found.
Yakumo's squad followed.
And stepped straight into layered traps.
Explosive tags burst from beneath fallen leaves. Wire snares snapped tight from hidden angles. Smoke bombs clouded their vision at precisely timed intervals.
Thanks to Yakumo's illusions, they avoided serious damage—pre-prepared scrolls activating in the blink of an eye to counter each danger.
But even so…
They were being led by the nose.
Every detour.
Every forced repositioning.
Every defensive maneuver.
All within the Shikamaru's calculations.
And whenever Yakumo's team attempted to close in—
Hinata's Byakugan tracked them effortlessly.
Her squad would disengage, widen the gap, and resume the long-range assault.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Two hours later, the chase finally came to an end.
From the observation platform, Kitazawa folded his arms thoughtfully.
"Who do you think performed better?" he asked, glancing at the examiners.
Without hesitation, Hiruzen Sarutobi replied, "Hinata's squad."
"I agree," Kurenai Yuhi said, nodding along with the others.
Although no one had been eliminated, the outcome was clear.
From beginning to end, Yakumo's squad had been dancing in the palm of Shikamaru's hand.
"The winner is Hinata's squad," Kitazawa announced.
A small cheer rose from the spectators.
"Shikamaru is seriously amazing…" Tenten couldn't help but say it.
"Well, he is from the Nara clan," Choji replied between bites of chips.
He, Tenten, and Naruto were the next team up.
"His strategy could work against us too," Sakura said grimly.
She stood beside Sasuke and Chino—her own squadmates.
Sasuke frowned.
Their team wasn't much different from Yakumo's. They lacked true sensory abilities. His Sharingan could see far—but it was nothing compared to the Byakugan's nearly omnidirectional vision.
Still…
He had one advantage.
Speed.
If I'm fast enough, he thought, eyes narrowing, even the Byakugan can't maintain distance forever.
Setting traps required time.
And Yakumo's squad had been only average in mobility.
Sasuke's lips pressed into a thin line.
"Let's focus on beating Naruto first," he said at last.
"Right." Sakura glanced toward Naruto, Choji, and Tenten.
If they couldn't clear this match, there would be no third round against Hinata's squad.
Kitazawa stepped forward again.
"The second match of the second round—Uchiha Sasuke's squad versus Uzumaki Naruto's squad."
He paused.
"You have five minutes to decide your restrictions."
Sasuke didn't hesitate.
"Two for Naruto. One for Tenten."
"Ban Naruto's multiple shadow clone jutsu and tailed beast power," Sakura added immediately. "Ban Tenten's Shiromari."
Chino remained silent but nodded.
Naruto was a walking stat monster.
Even with multiple shadow clones and Tailed Beast power restricted, he was still terrifying.
He still had devastating techniques like Konoha Dragon God and Yang Release: Rasengan.
And banning Tailed Beast Power didn't mean Kurama couldn't help him dispel genjutsu.
In other words—
Naruto still wasn't afraid of illusions.
And even without the Nine-Tails' chakra, his natural reserves surpassed everyone present.
Sakura let out a frustrated sigh.
"Two restrictions still feel like too little for him. He's practically an alien."
The concept wasn't far-fetched in the ninja world. The Academy even taught astronomy—lectures about stars, planets... and beings beyond.
"Time's up," Kitazawa called.
Naruto grinned and spoke up for his team.
"Ban Sasuke's Hatake swordsmanship and Sharingan Genjutsu. And ban Sakura's Water Release: Heavenly Cry."
The choices were calculated.
Hatake swordsmanship was lethal—fast, precise, and deadly in close combat.
Naruto himself wasn't worried about Sharingan Genjutsu—but Choji and Tenten were. If Sasuke caught them in an illusion, they might end up attacking their own teammates.
It was worth noting—
The Sharingan itself wasn't banned.
Only its genjutsu.
And Sasuke hadn't trained much in ordinary illusions. The techniques he mastered relied heavily on his dojutsu.
For him, it wasn't crippling—but it was limiting.
As for Sakura and Chino, they had fewer overwhelming options. In the end, Naruto's squad chose to eliminate the most insidious one:
Water Release: Heavenly Cry.
No hand seals.
Low chakra cost.
Nearly invisible.
A silent killer technique.
Kitazawa surveyed both sides and nodded.
"Enter the arena. The battle will begin in fifteen minutes."
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a long, wordless look.
Then—
They stepped into the forest of death.
Left Side of the Forest of Death
"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura asked impatiently, glancing toward the dense treeline. "Do we have a plan?"
"Wait," Sasuke replied, his voice calm and clipped.
"Wait?" Sakura blinked. "We're not going to take the initiative?"
Sasuke's dark eyes remained fixed on the forest below. "Tenten specializes in ninja tools. If we charge in, we'll just be presenting ourselves as moving targets."
He paused.
"And with Naruto's personality… he won't sit still. He'll come to us."
Understanding dawned on Sakura's face. "As expected of Sasuke-kun!"
Sasuke ignored the praise.
"Set up the field. At the very least, it'll help us mitigate Tenten's projectiles."
"Right!" Sakura immediately sprang into action, weaving through the terrain to reinforce their defensive layout.
Behind them, the mountain wind whistled softly—the calm before the storm.
Right Side of the Forest of Death
Naruto stopped mid-step. "What do you two think?"
"I'll summon Yue first."
Tenten bit her thumb and formed hand seals.
Poof!
A burst of smoke dispersed, revealing a Ninken with sharp eyes and an alert posture.
"She can track them for us," Tenten said, stroking the dog's head.
Naruto's eyes widened. "That's awesome! Let's go straight at them!"
Choji hesitated. "If we rush in, won't we trigger traps?"
Tenten smiled confidently. "My ninja tools can clear any traps in our way."
Naruto immediately gave her a thumbs-up. "You're amazing, Tenten! Next youth team battle, I'm picking you again!"
Tenten crossed her arms. "Next time, I'm joining Neji's squad."
Naruto scratched his head awkwardly. "Ah… I see."
Fifteen minutes later—
"Begin the battle!" Kitazawa's voice echoed across the forest.
Tenten crouched and held a kunai beneath Yue's nose.
Choji leaned closer. "Whose is that?"
"Sasuke's," Tenten replied. "I picked it up earlier."
"You collect people's kunai?" Choji asked, impressed.
"Being prepared never hurts," she said with a wink.
Choji grinned and gave a thumbs-up in Naruto's signature style. "That's very Shikamaru of you."
"Yue," Tenten ordered, rising to her feet. "Find the owner."
"Woof!"
The Ninken bolted forward.
Naruto and Choji dashed after her without hesitation.
Soon, they reached the base of a mountain ridge.
"They're up there," Tenten said, eyes narrowing.
Naruto rose onto his tiptoes, squinting toward the slope. "I think I see them—three heads behind that big rock."
High above, Sasuke, Sakura, and Chino crouched behind a massive stone outcrop, using the elevation to their advantage.
"I'll test the path first," Tenten said.
She dismissed Yue and unfurled a scroll with practiced precision.
The scroll glowed—
And a torrent of kunai erupted from its surface, streaking forward like a metallic river.
They rained down along the route leading up the mountain.
Boom!
An explosion detonated near the base of the slope.
Exploding tags.
Sakura winced. "Our traps are being wiped out. …"
"It doesn't matter," Sasuke said evenly. "High ground still favors us."
His gaze sharpened.
"Be careful of her Shuriken Shadow Clone technique," Sakura warned suddenly.
Sasuke nodded. "With her chakra reserves, she can probably only use it once. As long as we stay alert, it won't decide the match."
Below them, the explosions gradually ceased.
Every trap placed along the direct route had been triggered and destroyed by Tenten's relentless barrage.
Naruto pumped his fist. "Nice job!"
Tenten smiled faintly. "Now comes the real fight."
She looked toward the mountain peak.
"We'll be relying on you from here."
Naruto grinned, teeth flashing. "Leave it to me! In the name of youth—we're taking them down!"
Tenten studied the terrain once more.
"I'll destroy that large rock first. Once their cover's gone, they'll have nowhere to hide."
Naruto stepped forward, chakra already beginning to stir around him.
"Leave that to me."
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