Yoshikawa Iwa's eyes gleamed with malice. As he charged toward Aokawa for the third time, he suddenly swerved toward the injured Konoha group, his hands rapidly forming seals:
"Lightning Release: Lightning Ball!"
The Konoha group was startled. Kakashi struggled to get up and form seals, but his injuries were too severe.
Before his hand seals could be completed, his arms fell back down, powerless.
Yoshikawa Iwa sneered, as if already picturing Aokawa's furious expression.
The next moment.
A thick earthen wall rose from the ground, blocking the swiftly approaching lightning ball.
As the wall crumbled, Aokawa's figure appeared behind it.
Yoshikawa Iwa whipped his head around. The spot in the distance where Aokawa had been shooting arrows at them moments ago was now empty.
So fast! When did he get here?
Not only Yoshikawa Iwa, but even Nii Yugito herself was filled with astonishment.
The five of them surrounded him once more.
Aokawa's Spirit Blade materialized in his hand as he stepped forward to meet the five.
This time, because he needed to stand between the enemies and Kakashi's group, Aokawa had to rely primarily on his Spirit Blade, with his Spirit Bow providing supporting fire.
He constantly weaved and dodged amidst the five's onslaught.
His Spirit Blade swept upward from below, precisely deflecting a Cloud ninja's Kunai aimed at his waist.
Before his opponent could change stance, he twisted his wrist, slamming the sword's hilt heavily into the joint of the other's wrist, forcing him to release his weapon.
Clang!
Another Cloud Hidden Ninja attacked from behind. Without even turning his head, Aokawa thrust his blade backward. The tip of the Spirit Blade met the point of the incoming Kunai with perfect timing.
Following that, he angled his wrist, parrying the Kunai aside while his Spirit Blade thrust straight toward the Cloud ninja's throat.
That Cloud ninja was terrified out of his wits. He hastily and clumsily blocked, and only with Nii Yugito's timely intervention from beside him did he narrowly escape death.
Cold sweat poured down his back. He was supposed to be part of the encircling group, yet it felt like he was the one being surrounded, constantly in peril.
Within the 359-degree field of vision of Aokawa's Byakugan, the trajectories of all attacks were crystal clear.
His body moved at high speed among the Cloud ninja. Every dodge was perfectly timed, every block flawlessly accurate.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The blue Spirit Blade left afterimages in the air, clashing continuously with the Cloud ninjas' weapons, producing a dense cacophony of metallic clangs.
Under the assault of five, Aokawa's figure was elusive. Far from being at a disadvantage, he remained composed and handled the situation with ease.
He even occasionally created a bit of distance to fire arrows as support. Despite Nii Yugito frequently assisting, the three ordinary Cloud ninjas still sustained some injuries.
This scene left the Konoha group on the field dumbfounded.
Is this... Aokawa's true strength?
"Bastard! Bastard!"
The more Yoshikawa Iwa fought, the more alarmed and furious he became.
He realized that no matter how fast or fierce his attacks were, the other would anticipate and easily neutralize them.
That feeling of being completely seen through drove him almost to madness.
Nii Yugito was also deeply shocked.
Her attacks were renowned for their speed, yet a young boy kept dodging them.
What concerned her more was that last time on the high wall, this kid had needed an Elite Jonin to fight her to a standstill.
But now, his speed was even superior to hers.
This kid must be eliminated. Konoha is too terrifying.
A thought crossed her mind: "Matatabi!"
"Yugito..."
This time, Matatabi did not respond readily. Instead, she worriedly said, "Using Tailed Beast Transformation again, even a partial one, your body..."
After successive major battles recently, Nii Yugito had frequently used Tailed Beast Chakra on the Battlefield.
Even though the Two-Tails Matatabi did not harm her, the Tailed Beast Chakra itself corroded the body.
With repeated use, even Nii Yugito's body, tempered by Lightning Release, was struggling to withstand it.
"Can't worry about that now. We must strangle Konoha's future."
Nii Yugito looked gravely at Aokawa, who moved with such ease amidst the group.
If Konoha's next generation were all figures like this, what would Cloud Hidden use to fight them in ten years?
With this thought, she hesitated no longer. Blue-tinged flames erupted from her body, and two tails covered in black markings shot out from behind her.
Instantly, her speed and power surged dramatically.
The pressure on Yoshikawa Iwa beside her abruptly lessened.
"Hahaha!"
A triumphant smile spread across his face. "To force Lady Yugito to use a two-tailed form right from the start, you bastard, your death will be worth it."
As he spoke, he added another thirty percent force to the swing of his Ninja Blade. "So, please die!"
Aokawa, who had been holding the upper hand, was immediately forced onto the defensive.
For a moment, danger surrounded him, and he was constantly on the back foot.
Seeing this, the Konoha group couldn't help but worry.
"As expected, no matter how strong he is, fighting one against five is still too difficult." Asuma Sarutobi felt a sense of relief, but also intense anxiety.
His emotions at this moment were very complex. He desperately hoped Aokawa could defeat the enemies and save them.
Yet, upon seeing that his strength wasn't that overwhelming, while worried, he found himself inexplicably sighing in relief.
Time passed bit by bit. On the field, Aokawa grew more and more passive. Even with the Byakugan, the number of wounds on his body kept increasing.
The light in Yoshikawa Iwa's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
Finally!
Finally, we can finish off this bastard!
Ever since encountering this bastard, the once clear skies of his smooth-sailing life had become overcast with storms.
First, with several times the manpower, they failed to take the outpost even with a sneak attack, ultimately relying on Lady Yugito using a Tailed Beast Ball to clear the way.
Then came the warehouse supplies.
Just when he was brimming with confidence, having set up both real and fake warehouses, guaranteeing to Lord A that there were absolutely no problems...
This bastard infiltrated again.
Three months!
An entire three months' worth of supplies for the army!
Damn it!
All cleared out by this bastard with a single fire.
This led to Cloud Hidden's successive defeats in the subsequent battles. If Lord A hadn't shown mercy for old times' sake, he wouldn't even be alive now.
And now, to capture this guy, Lady Yugito has to use Tailed Beast Transformation again.
You're Aokawa, I'm Yoshikawa. We both have 'kawa'. Why must you always oppose me?
Fortunately, today, this guy is finally going to die here.
Thinking of this, waves of pleasure surged in his heart. With a ferocious expression, he roared at Aokawa, "Aren't you good at fighting?"
"Can't you defeat many with few?"
"Fight then! Let's see how good you really are!"
He brandished his Ninja Blade, slashing madly at Aokawa, his gaze fixed intently on Aokawa's face.
He wanted to see if that damn face could remain so calm under such circumstances.
But he was disappointed.
Even facing the storm of attacks from five, even as wounds accumulated on his body, the expression on Aokawa's face showed not a trace of panic. It remained utterly calm, as if victory was already assured.
Looking at Yoshikawa Iwa's mockery, Aokawa smiled faintly and suddenly said:
"Time... is almost up!"
...
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