Chapter 43: Team Battle!

July 12th, 1:30 PM.

Shishita Genichi arrived outside the twenty-ninth training ground.

Before long, Uchiha Namai and Yamanaka En also arrived.

The three of them crossed the fence, entered the arena, and walked up to the proctor.

Unlike the training grounds in the core area of the Hidden Leaf Village, this one was set deep within a forest and spanned a vast area.

After waiting for a moment, another squad arrived.

Shishita Genichi's eyes lit up. "Kakami, as expected, we're matched against each other!"

Their opponents were none other than Kakami's squad.

Genichi had met Kakami's other two teammates yesterday: one was a chunin from the Sarutobi clan, and the other was a chunin from the Hyuga clan.

The two sides stood ten meters apart, facing one another.

Holding a flag, the proctor confirmed that both teams were ready and immediately waved it. "Begin!"

As the words fell, the proctor leaped backward and landed gracefully on a tree branch.

The two squads moved in unison.

Uchiha Namai charged forward while Shishita Genichi formed the Tiger hand seal.

Illusion: Bringer of Darkness Technique!

Across from them.

Kakami's trio did not charge immediately.

The Sarutobi clan ninja formed hand seals, while the veins near the Hyuga ninja's eyes bulged as he activated his Byakugan.

The next moment, their vision was blocked, plunging them into absolute darkness.

However.

The sight of the Byakugan pierced straight through the region of absolute darkness. While forming seals to dispel the illusion, the Hyuga ninja warned Kakami.

He prioritized dispelling the illusion for Kakami first.

Because Uchiha Namai was targeting Kakami directly.

Clang!

Ninja blades clashed.

Leveraging the impact, Uchiha Namai leaped backward while sheathing his sword, forming hand seals in mid-air. Opening his mouth, he exhaled a massive fireball that rolled toward Kakami.

At that exact moment, Shishita Genichi and Yamanaka En simultaneously cast the Demonic Illusion: Binding Shackles Technique.

Also known as the Paralysis Technique.

The moment Kakami's feet touched the ground, he was immobilized by the two of them.

Boom, boom, boom!

A stone wall rose up from the ground, precisely intercepting Uchiha Namai's Great Fireball Technique.

The Hyuga ninja in the back hurriedly dispelled the illusion for Kakami.

Right then, two figures flashed on the left and right sides of the wall.

They were Shishita Genichi and Uchiha Namai.

Having just regained his freedom, Kakami sprang into the air, engaging Uchiha Namai in close combat once more.

Meanwhile, Shishita Genichi squared off against the Sarutobi ninja.

Clang, clang, clang!

The rapid sounds of intense collisions echoed through the woods.

After a dozen exchanges, Shishita Genichi kicked the Sarutobi ninja flying.

The Sarutobi ninja slammed into a tree trunk before crashing hard onto the ground.

Enduring the searing pain in his chest, just as he was about to form hand seals to execute a jutsu, his gaze froze blankly.

Mind Body Switch Technique!

The Sarutobi ninja sprang to his feet and lunged straight at Kakami.

Meanwhile, Shishita Genichi had already charged toward the Hyuga ninja.

Had it not been for the Hyuga ninja, the earlier Bringer of Darkness Technique might not have resulted in Kakami's squad being defeated instantly, but they would have lost the initiative and suffered a swift defeat.

Yet, while the Bringer of Darkness Technique could counter the Sharingan, it had no way of countering the Byakugan.

Because the dark visual field had its limits, whereas the Byakugan's sight could penetrate right through the darkness.

Therefore, regardless of whether Kakami could withstand the combined assault of Uchiha Namai and Yamanaka En, Shishita Genichi had to eliminate the troublesome Hyuga ninja first.

Once the Hyuga ninja was dealt with.

He would only need a single Bringer of Darkness Technique to secure Kakami's defeat.

The Hyuga ninja knew this as well, but instead of retreating, he stepped forward to meet him.

He knew that if he retreated, Kakami would be forced to face a three-person pincer attack.

Alternatively, he could target Yamanaka En's physical body and trade blows for a one-for-one exchange.

Even then, he would eventually have to face the joint assault of the two opponents anyway.

Thus, pinning down Shishita Genichi was the optimal solution.

And the hope for victory rested entirely upon Kakami.

Kakami understood this very clearly.

Out of the corner of his eye, seeing Shishita Genichi head straight for the Hyuga ninja, he knew the situation had become extremely critical.

If he failed to break through the blockade of the two opponents in front of him, or even take one of them down, defeat was certain.

Because he knew Shishita Genichi's strength all too well—Hyuga Haru wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

The breakthrough point lay with Yamanaka En, but Uchiha Namai was simply too tenacious.

This was Kakami's first time witnessing the true power of the Sharingan. It saw through his every movement and intention with absolute clarity, intercepting him precisely every single time.

On the other side.

Holding a short blade, Shishita Genichi deflected all of the shuriken launched by Hyuga Haru, then flicked his wrist and hurled his own short blade forward.

Hyuga Haru batted the short blade away with a single palm strike, looking startled. "So fast!"

Shishita Genichi closed the distance in the blink of an eye. With no time to overthink, Hyuga Haru immediately resorted to the Gentle Fist to defend himself, noting that Shishita Genichi was currently empty-handed.

The next instant, however, Shishita Genichi drew his sword with his right hand.

Zing!

A brilliant flash of blade light swept out like a streak of silk.

Shishita Genichi brushed past Hyuga Haru.

Hyuga Haru's body froze in place. He lowered his gaze to look.

He saw that the fabric along his waist had been sliced open, leaving a shallow trace of blood across his skin.

He knew this wasn't due to any mistake on Shishita Genichi's part, but rather because mercy had been shown.

"Such formidable swordsmanship!"

That strike just now was far too fast; Hyuga Haru hadn't even had time to react.

"Only by mastering Rotation could I have ever blocked that blade."

Hyuga Haru muttered to himself inwardly before leaping backward to exit the arena.

Shishita Genichi glanced over toward Kakami's position just in time to see the Sarutobi ninja—whose body was controlled by Yamanaka En—kicked away by Kakami.

Almost immediately afterward, Kakami found an opening exploited by Uchiha Namai and was likewise kicked flying.

Swish!

Shishita Genichi vanished from his spot.

Just as Kakami steadied his footing, Shishita Genichi's long blade was already resting gently against his neck.

The proctor leaped down from a tree branch and announced, "Tomakuma's squad wins!"

Kakami couldn't help remarking, "Your speed has gotten even faster."

Shishita Genichi smiled lightly. "You flatter me."

Sarutobi Fufeng chimed in with a complaint, "Stop praising each other already. I think Genichi's illusions are even more terrifying."

"That was the Bringer of Darkness Technique just now, right? That's an ultra-high-difficulty illusion, and yet you only needed a single hand seal."

"Thank goodness for Haru's Byakugan, otherwise we would have lost within a minute."

Hearing this, Shishita Genichi asked with a puzzled expression, "Isn't the Bringer of Darkness Technique supposed to be performed with a single hand seal?"

At that moment, the proctor laughed and said, "Only ninjas who have mastered illusions to a profound degree can cast it with a single seal. Ordinary people can't pull that off."

"As far as I know, the hand seals recorded in the Scroll of Seals require two."

"Genichi, your talent for illusions is truly remarkable. It has been a very long time since I've seen someone of your age master such an advanced illusion."

"Keep it up!"

With those words, the proctor vanished.

Shishita Genichi helplessly spread his hands.

The version he had learned only required one seal.

After packing up their gear, the two squads walked out together.

At 8:30 the next morning.

Shishita Genichi arrived at the venue for the third round of individual matches, which turned out to be a massive indoor arena.

It featured spectator stands and electronic screens.

Everyone who had passed the first written exam gathered here for the one-on-one matches, as the second round had no eliminations.

As the time neared 9:00, the number of people inside the arena steadily increased.

Right as the clock struck nine, the proctor appeared and announced the rules: "Individual matches will be paired randomly. Losers are eliminated, and the winners will advance to subsequent matches."

"Begin now!"

Swish!

Up in the spectator stands, Shishita Genichi and the others couldn't help looking toward the giant electronic screen as two names flashed onto it.

"Sarutobi Fufeng, Nomoto Taisei!"

Kakami's teammate, Sarutobi Fufeng, immediately leaped down into the arena.

Shishita Genichi and the others raised their voices to cheer him on.

The individual matches had officially begun!