After several rounds of pursuit and evasive maneuvers, a sharp glint flashed in Yūhi Shinku's eyes!
At a moment when he appeared to be driven into a corner by the sweeping force of the blade—dangerously close, yet in truth using a substitution technique as a feint to slip away—
He had already reappeared more than ten meters away. His steps halted abruptly, and both hands rapidly formed a series of hand seals before his chest. The fluctuations of chakra suddenly grew deep and tranquil, yet carried an invisible, immense pressure that spread outward!
Genjutsu: Red Spider Lily!
The instant the hand seals were completed, guided by Yūhi Shinku's spiritual power, an intangible Yin Release chakra cage materialized in an instant—precisely capturing that violent figure who had just shattered the substitution log and was about to charge again!
Isshin's ferocious, unstoppable forward momentum seemed to crash into an unseen, viscous swamp, freezing abruptly in place!
The savage expression on his face solidified. His eyes instantly lost focus, as if his soul had been torn away.
Under the astonished gaze of countless spectators, nothing seemed amiss at the center of the arena. But in Isshin's eyes—directly affected by the genjutsu—the world had already turned upside down.
The solid stone beneath his feet began transforming into an enormous, slowly rotating crimson lotus!
Its petals were crystalline and translucent, yet emitted a haunting glow that dragged the mind into oblivion. The lotus seat bound him tightly. His vision twisted and spun. The shouts of the crowd and the arena itself rapidly faded into obscurity—only this lotus expanded endlessly, slowly closing, ready to engulf and crush him completely!
This was Yūhi Shinku's self-created, secret-level genjutsu—Red Spider Lily.
Through illusion, it constructed a beautiful yet lethal prison of consciousness, subjecting the victim to continuous, crushing mental pressure and fragmentation amid endless stillness and slow annihilation—until collapse!
"Success!"
"Shinku-sama has won!"
"Great! Let's see how arrogant that guy can be now!"
After a brief silence, thunderous cheers erupted from Konoha's side of the stands!
Everyone saw the once-invincible samurai frozen in place. Though Shinku's face had grown slightly pale and his breathing somewhat labored, he stood firmly in the arena—clear proof that the genjutsu had succeeded.
"Dad won!"
In the crowd, Kurenai clenched her fists tightly, her crimson eyes filled with excitement and pride as she spoke to Tsunade, Shizune, and Makoto beside her.
Makoto's expression was somewhat subtle. He said nothing, only glancing faintly at the excited Kurenai.
On the high platform, Koharu visibly let out a sigh of relief, her tense shoulders finally relaxing. "At last… Shinku is reliable as ever."
"Indeed." Homura nodded, a smile appearing on his face. "I'm familiar with Shinku's Red Spider Lily. It's a genjutsu he has refined for many years, specializing in mental suppression and confinement. Against a brute-force opponent like this, it's perfectly suited."
In the special viewing area, Uchiha Fugaku's three-tomoe Sharingan slowly ceased spinning, returning to ordinary black eyes.
In his judgment, the battle was already over.
Nearby, Hyūga Hiashi and Hyūga Hizashi kept their Byakugan active, staring at the motionless Isshin. In their vision, the samurai's chakra flow had completely halted.
In their view as well, the outcome had been decided.
...
Inside the arena, Shinku slowly exhaled a breath tinged with fatigue.
Being relentlessly chased by a humanoid beast like that—unceasingly, like a storm—had forced both mind and body into constant high alert. The consumption was far greater than it appeared.
Moreover, he himself was not a jōnin renowned for taijutsu or ninjutsu.
And successfully casting a genjutsu of Red Spider Lily's level had instantly drained a significant portion of his chakra and mental energy.
His temples throbbed faintly, a dull ache pulsing within.
Shinku steadied himself, forcefully suppressing the discomfort, and stepped toward Isshin—who stood frozen like a statue. The edge of the kunai in his hand reflected a cold glint under the sunlight.
According to the rules, he only needed to place the kunai lightly against a vital point—such as the neck or heart—and the referee would declare his victory.
However—
Just as he came within three steps of Isshin and was about to raise his arm—
A sense of danger—absolutely real—surged from deep within his heart.
Shinku's combat experience made him react almost instantly, attempting to retreat—
But!
Too late!
The figure that had been frozen like stone, eyes empty—
Moved without warning!
Isshin's right fist clenched. No tricks, no techniques—just gathering that terrifying strength into a single point and driving it straight toward Shinku's face!
Before the punch even landed, the violent wind pressure alone made it hard to breathe!
Caught off guard, Shinku could only cross his arms in front of him.
Boom!
With a dull, heavy impact like a hammer striking leather, an unstoppable force surged through him. His arms went numb with pain, and his entire body was sent staggering backward, out of control!
And in that fleeting moment—his balance broken, old force spent, new force not yet formed—
Isshin, having landed his blow, vanished from his original position like a phantom under the horrified gaze of the crowd!
"Watch out behind you!"
"Where did he go?!"
Cries of shock erupted from the stands.
Shinku's pupils shrank. While still midair, he twisted his body forcefully—
But a cold sensation had already touched the side of his neck, fast as an illusion.
As his feet finally touched the ground again, he heard a clear, crisp sound behind him—
A metallic click.
The sound of a katana being sheathed with perfect precision.
Immediately after, a calm, unquestionable voice spoke from behind him: "You've already lost, Konoha ninja."
Lost?
Shinku's body stiffened.
He slowly raised his hand, touching the side of his neck. His fingertips came away with warmth—a thin, shallow line of blood slowly seeping out.
He fell into silence.
In a real life-and-death battle, that instant would have already cost him his head.
...
"How is that possible?! Wasn't he caught in the genjutsu?!"
On the stands, countless spectators stood up in shock, their voices filled with disbelief.
"No way! The genjutsu clearly worked! I saw him freeze with my own eyes!"
"My god! Could it be… could it be he was never caught at all? Just pretending?!"
"That's too despicable! Just like before—underhanded tactics!"
"But… could someone even pretend under that kind of genjutsu?"
In the clan viewing area, Uchiha Fugaku's previously calm expression finally changed. His brows furrowed tightly as his scarlet Sharingan reopened, staring fixedly at Isshin standing calmly with his sword sheathed.
"That's not right. His mental fluctuations were genuine—he was indeed pulled into the illusion. But breaking free in an instant… how is that possible?"
The Hyūga brothers exchanged a glance, both seeing the same confusion in each other's eyes.
On the high platform, Koharu's smile had long since frozen.
Homura's hand, adjusting his glasses, had stopped mid-motion—his gaze filled with shock.
Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe and slowly exhaled. The drifting smoke obscured his profound gaze.
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