Chapter 146: Your Biggest Mistake Was...
Fugaku Uchiha was watching them, his eyes wide. Hiroto Uzumaki was clearly the one with the most authority. The Cloud had a lot of people, eleven of them. Even in a vote, they had the majority.
After the sensory-types had dispersed, Camp A's plan was surprisingly straightforward: a frontal assault. With Yusuke's Red Eye and Kayo's senses, they had already confirmed the location of the enemy's hostages. And even if they were moved, it would be useless. The rules said they couldn't harm the hostages, so this seemingly reckless move had its own logic.
On the main street, Pakura's probing attack had begun. A fist-sized fireball, yet it packed a punch, suppressing the opposing Killer Bee.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A massive wall of water rose up and blocked the fireball. The steam from the impact created a thick fog.
"The amount of mist is not normal," Fuguki Suikazan, also from the Mist, warned. "This is the Hiding in Mist Technique."
It was a signature jutsu of the Hidden Mist, used to create a thick, unnatural fog to obscure vision, usually in conjunction with the Silent Killing Technique. Ringo Ameyuri, of Camp A, had mastered this jutsu. Even without the Silent Killing, the thick fog gave the attackers an advantage.
Sure enough, a few moments later, several figures charged out from the mist. It was clear that Camp A was not going to waste any time.
Tetsuo deflected a probing kunai with his palm and charged at the massive Fuguki. He swung his greatsword, but Tetsuo blocked it with his steel-hard arms, the sound of metal on metal ringing through the air.
On the other side, Pakura was facing a ninja in a straw hat.
"I hear your jutsu can evaporate the water from a person's body."
"What?" she said. "Want to try it out?"
"As it happens," he said, "I also like to fight with steam."
The commotion on the main street had caught Shikaku's attention. He immediately sent out his reserve forces.
In stark contrast to the tense atmosphere, the three identical Danas were sitting leisurely, humming a song. They had even started to sing in harmony, one man successfully recreating the feeling of an a cappella group. The lighthearted tune was a jarring contrast to the tension outside, and it was giving Shikaku a headache.
"Can the hostages make noise?" he muttered. "Isn't that interfering with the exam?"
"Of course we can," Dana said, stopping his humming. "They even wanted me to shout 'help.' But I thought that was too embarrassing. Between 'help' and a song, if I were you, I'd choose the song."
On the other side, Fugaku Uchiha suddenly cleared his throat.
Just as Hiroto and the others were wondering what he was about to say, he shouted, "Help! Help! Someone come and save me!"
No emotion, all technique.
Everyone stared at him, their faces blank. Even Tsume was cringing.
Fugaku's face turned red. "This is part of the exam design," he said. "The rescuers might have auditory senses. It's perfectly reasonable for a hostage to shout for help. I'll just... shout every now and then. I'll be back later."
Everyone turned away again. No one even bothered to comment.
Fugaku was even more embarrassed.
Hiroto was slowly releasing his power, not just to advance, but also to give everyone a chance to show their skills. He had arranged for everyone to have a suitable opponent, and Kayo's sensory ability was used to pinpoint their locations. Camp A might not have a brilliant strategist like Shikaku, but Kayo's senses were practically a cheat.
Shikaku soon discovered that no matter who he sent out, they would quickly be intercepted by a specific person from Camp A, and their opponents were always of a similar type or an effective counter. It was as if everyone in Camp A had been given a chance to "farm points."
The battle on the main street grew more and more intense. Many of the houses along the way were destroyed. Tsuki Kaguya, with a bone spike in each hand, charged forward. By now, everyone knew who she was, and they all gave her a wide berth.
But one figure fearlessly leaped out to meet her. It was Killer Bee, with his twin swords.
"I've been waiting for you!"
They clashed. Tsuki's strength was superior. More and more bone spikes appeared on her body. The next moment, two more shot from her fingertips. Killer Bee quickly dodged.
He then took out two more swords, one between his legs and one in his mouth.
"I'm not done yet! Four-Sword Style: Whirlwind Charge, Modified, First Form!"
Tsuki's advantage was that her entire body was a weapon. But Killer Bee's four-sword style was also unpredictable. Sometimes even he didn't know where his next strike would land. The chaotic style made it difficult for her to suppress him.
Besides the more intense battles, there were also some who had advanced through luck. They were assigned to safer positions, such as the edge of the main street, where a Waterfall ninja from Camp B was fighting a Cloud ninja.
"Nice swordsmanship! Take this!"
The two of them traded blows, and the Waterfall ninja felt a sense of camaraderie. He had been so cautious since he had arrived in the Land of Rain. He had finally found an opponent he could go all-out against.
"What's your name?" he asked.
But the Cloud ninja just remained silent.
"A silent one, eh? But I feel the connection! Let's have a battle with no regrets!"
Shikaku, in the tavern, was enduring Dana's musical assault and listening to the intelligence gathered by Shibi's insects.
"Almost everyone is out," he reported. "Nineteen of them have appeared. We haven't found that Uzumaki Hiroto or Uzumaki Kayo."
"What about that Sasori?" Shikaku asked. "His puppets are also a formidable force."
"Mahiru and Oiwa are fighting him," he said after a moment. "He's holding off two of them with just his two puppets."
Shikaku nodded. He suddenly felt a mist spreading towards them. He remembered the guy with the two female ninja from the first round, the one who liked to drink water. Didn't he have the ability to use mist for stealth?
"Shibi," he said, "where is that red-eyed guy?"
"He's fighting Yashamaru."
"Keep an eye on him."
"Understood."
Just then, Dana, who had been humming, felt a tug on the rope behind him.
He glanced at Shikaku and Shibi, saw that they hadn't noticed, and then continued to hum.
On the other side, Minato had already used his superb infiltration skills to get close to Camp A's base.
Most of them had gone out to "farm points," but he was not naive enough to think the hostages were unguarded.
"Help! Someone come and save me!" the emotionless voice came from inside.
He peeked through a crack in a window and saw the three bound Fugakus, and Hiroto and Kayo, who were discussing something.
He thought for a moment. Hiroto was restricted from using his large-scale jutsu. Even if he failed, he was confident he could get away.
And as if heaven were on his side, a short while later, even Kayo left. Now, only Hiroto was in the room.
So arrogant? he thought. Or is he just trying to give everyone else a chance to earn points?
He snuck in from the back. Fugaku looked at him, then continued to shout for help, as if to cover for him.
Minato slowly drew the short sword from his back and approached.
And then, he swung at the bound Fugaku's head.
CLANG!
The short sword was blocked by a kunai. Fugaku transformed into Hiroto.
"You found me?" he asked, surprised, as he blocked the blow. "Where did I slip up?"
"Everything was very natural," Minato said with a smile. "But your biggest mistake was that you don't know Fugaku-senpai's personality. He's a very serious person. He would never just shout for help like that."
Hiroto: "..."
How am I supposed to explain this?