However, the offensive did not stop! Three phantoms of Shisui broke through the water wall, attacking Menma from different angles.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Menma instantly split into three Shadow Clones, simultaneously forming hand seals:
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
The fierce wind fueled the flames, and the blazing fire enveloped the lightning. The combined Ninjutsu swept across the entire field with destructive force!
Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan spun rapidly, and the emerald green Susanoo rose from the ground. Bone armor quickly covered its meridians, and the gigantic energy body forcefully withstood the world-destroying attack.
As the smoke and dust cleared, the land within dozens of meters had turned into scorched earth.
Shisui stood protected within his Susanoo, his expression grave. He still couldn't understand—why his Genjutsu had no effect on this young man?
"Continue?"
Menma wiped the sweat from his forehead, his fighting spirit burning brighter in his eyes.
Shisui smiled faintly, and the Susanoo's giant sword slowly rose: "Gladly!"
The onlookers in the distance all swallowed in unison. This duel had long surpassed their comprehension.
"Shisui-nii, be careful!"
Menma suddenly clapped his hands together, and the ground began to shake violently.
Thick tree trunks burst from the earth, twisting and coiling like living things, quickly forming a lifelike giant Wood Dragon. The Wood Dragon let out a silent roar, pouncing towards the Susanoo.
"This is... Shodai(1st)-sama's Wood Dragon Jutsu!"
Shisui's pupils constricted. The Susanoo's giant spiral sword chopped down forcefully, but the severed vines regenerated instantly. Even more terrifying, he clearly felt his Chakra being frantically devoured by the Wood Dragon!
"Crack—"
The emerald green Susanoo began to crack, forced to retreat from its Crow Tengu form to its second stage.
"Rasengan Ring!"
Menma seized the opportunity, leaping up, a black energy sphere in his hand emitting destructive fluctuations. The moment the Rasengan Ring struck the Susanoo's chest, the entire energy body shattered like glass!
"Stop! I give up!"
Shisui hurriedly called out to stop, a line of bloody tears already flowing from his right eye. Menma immediately stopped upon hearing him, and the Wood Dragon dissipated into the air as specks of green light.
"Thank you for the match, Shisui-nii."
Menma smiled and extended his hand.
Shisui used the leverage to stand up, shaking his head with a wry smile: "Your strength is too exaggerated."
He wiped the bloodstain from the corner of his eye, "Shodai(1st)-sama's Wood Release in your hands is simply..."
"Hahaha..."
Menma gave a dry laugh, but inwardly, he held even greater admiration for the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama. To be able to suppress the nine Tailed Beasts with just Wood Release, he truly deserved to be called the God of Shinobi.
On the sidelines, Sai and Shin stared at Tenzo in shock: "Tenzo-nii, can you also use Wood Release of that level?"
Tenzo's mouth twitched, his eyes seeming to say: Isn't that obvious? If I could do that, would I be here teaching you guys?
It was only when Menma left the training ground that he suddenly remembered—Naruto was still tracking Sasuke!
"I need to check on the situation."
He quickly formed hand seals, and his sensory Ninjutsu instantly expanded. He could vaguely sense Naruto and Sasuke's Chakra moving towards a certain direction in the Village.
Menma's brows furrowed. He used the Body Flicker Technique at full power, his figure flitting like a ghost across the rooftops.
Night fell, and Sasuke knelt alone in the training ground behind the mountain.
Sweat dripped from his chin, creating small dark pits on the dry dust.
His arms trembled so much he could barely hold his kunai, yet the image of his defeat to Naruto today kept replaying in his mind—that idiot's smug smile, the surprised whispers of his classmates... and his father's disappointed sigh as he turned away.
"Practicing late again, Sasuke-kun."
A gentle voice came from behind a tree.
Mizuki walked out, bathed in the moonlight, a perfectly appropriate look of concern on his face.
Sasuke didn't look up.
The kunai "thudded" into the wooden stake, half an inch off the bullseye.
"It must be hard to lose to the Hokage's son, right?"
Mizuki leaned against a nearby rock, "I heard his older brother often takes him to the Forbidden Scroll Archive to secretly learn things."
"What did you say?"
Sasuke sharply turned his head, flames igniting in his dark eyes.
Mizuki looked up at the moon, "Just like his father back then... Oh, you know how the Fourth Hokage became Hokage, don't you? It was all thanks to forbidden Ninjutsu..."
The night wind rustled the leaves, the whooshing sound covering Sasuke's suddenly rapid breathing.
"Get the Forbidden Scroll, and you'll be able to surpass both of them..."
Mizuki's tempting voice still echoed in his ears.
Looking at the lock on the Forbidden Scroll Archive door, Sasuke nervously swallowed. Just as his fingers were about to touch the scroll, a golden figure suddenly burst through the window.
"Stop!"
Naruto spread his arms, blocking the doorway, "Sasuke! Mizuki-sensei is lying to you! Big brother never—"
"Get out of my way!"
Sasuke's kunai grazed Naruto's ear, cutting off a strand of golden hair, "You have no right to lecture me!"
Naruto's azure pupils constricted violently.
He suddenly lunged forward, desperately hugging Sasuke's waist. They tumbled, crashing through the wooden window and falling into the rocky courtyard.
"You don't understand anything!"
Naruto shouted, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, "Big brother trains with me every day before dawn, his hands are covered in calluses from forming hand seals!"
Sasuke's fist froze in mid-air.
The moonlight illuminated his pale face, his bangs matted with sweat. Urgent footsteps approached from the distance, and Mizuki's figure appeared on the wall.
"What touching friendship."
Mizuki's civilized facade completely shattered.
He drew a Fuma Shuriken with a backhand, its blade cutting a cold arc: "Too bad you'll both die here!"
The giant shuriken whirled, tearing through the air with a piercing shriek. Naruto instinctively shielded Sasuke.
"Thud—"
The dull thud of the blade piercing flesh made Sasuke's pupils constrict. Warm blood dripped from Naruto's clothes, blooming into crimson flowers on his forehead.
"You... why..."
Sasuke's voice trembled uncontrollably.
Naruto grimaced in pain, but still forced a bright smile: "B-Because we're friends..."
"You big idiot..."
Sasuke's eyes suddenly burned, his vision blurring and turning red. When he refocused—Mizuki's hideous expression, the blood groove on the shuriken, even the trembling of distant leaves—all came into sharp focus.
A single tomoe slowly rotated in his crimson eyes, like a curse awakened by blood.
"Die!"
Mizuki's second shuriken was already thrown.
"Swish—"
The sound of the blade cutting through flesh was chilling.
Mizuki's smile suddenly froze—the "Naruto" that was cut in half turned into a wooden stake!
"Substitution Jutsu?!"
Before he could react, Sasuke's shoe slammed hard into his chin: "Lion Combo!"
The boy's figure cut a sharp trajectory through the air, each kick carrying long-suppressed rage.
When Mizuki fell heavily, a dozen of Naruto's Shadow Clones pounced like a pack of wolves, their punches and kicks raining down.
"Hmph... hmph..."
Sasuke leaned on his knees, panting, glaring at the unharmed Naruto, "You big idiot, you even fooled me just now!"
"Hehe..."
Naruto scratched his head, grinning foolishly, then suddenly said seriously: "But my intention to protect you was real."
"Tch!"
Sasuke turned his face away, but his ear tips quietly flushed red. He walked away with his hands in his pockets, Naruto's boisterous shouts of pursuit coming from behind him.
Menma, on the rooftop, shivered, the apple in his hand no longer tasting good: "Konoha's friendship is too terrifying..."
Anbu Ninja appeared like ghosts, dragging away the disfigured Mizuki.
Menma glanced at the overconfident guy, his figure gradually blending into the night. Compared to such a small fry, he was more worried about his own younger brother being led astray by Erzhuzi—
That look in their eyes just now, it didn't seem right at all...