Kitazawa gave Uchiha Sasuke, Aburame Shino, and the others a quick check-up one by one.
After confirming everyone was fine, he returned to the Wood Dragon.
With him were Maruboshi Kosuke and Kurenai.
In their place, Hatake Kakashi and Sarutobi Hiruzen entered the Forest of Death with the students.
They were the instructors for Kurama Yakumo's team and Hyuga Neji's team, so they had to go along.
On the left side of the Forest of Death, the mountain Uchiha Sasuke's team had chosen earlier welcomed new visitors.
It was Kurama Yakumo, Yamanaka Ino, and Karin.
But they didn't climb the mountain. Instead, they hid behind it.
"Neji has the Byakugan and the Fatefeather Bow. If nothing unexpected happens, he'll use the Fatefeather Bow to suppress us from long range."
Kurama Yakumo spoke in a low voice.
In the Forest of Death, the ones with the biggest advantage weren't Aburame Shino or Nara Shikamaru, but Hyuga Neji and Hyuga Hinata.
Because their Byakugan range could basically cover the entire field.
No matter what the opposing teams tried to do, they would be exposed under their gaze.
"The Byakugan is such a pain."
Yamanaka Ino sighed.
"But we have our own advantage too. As long as they get close, we win—because we have way more crowd control."
Kurama Yakumo said gently.
"You have genjutsu, Karin has sealing jutsu, and I have genjutsu plus Yin Release secret techniques."
Yamanaka Ino couldn't help but grin.
"At that point Neji's the one who'll have a headache."
"The only problem is how to make them come close on their own."
Karin nodded, then added.
"We just have to make the Fatefeather Bow lose its proper effectiveness. We're not going anywhere—we'll use this mountain as a base and defend while counterattacking."
Kurama Yakumo took out the prepared scrolls.
"While we have time, let's add a few more defensive measures."
"I'll go drag over some big boulders."
Yamanaka Ino stood up and said.
"I'll set up sealing jutsu in the area."
Karin immediately began scanning the surroundings. She quickly picked out locations and started drawing sealing formulas.
Meanwhile, Hyuga Neji, Tenten, and Tayuya had entered a dense patch of forest.
Earlier, Uchiha Sasuke had burned a lot of trees to block fire, but Kitazawa's Wood Release had already restored them.
"Neji, what are they doing back there?"
Tenten stopped and asked curiously.
"They're hiding behind the mountain, setting up defenses."
Hyuga Neji glanced over and replied.
"Looks like Lord Third really did guess their move."
Tenten laughed.
"Yeah."
Hyuga Neji nodded.
"We'll carry out the first plan first. If it doesn't work, we switch to the second."
Sarutobi Hiruzen had drafted two plans based on their abilities.
The first was pure long-range offense.
The second wasn't "long-range first, then close combat," but a coordinated mix of ranged and close-range attacks.
Fifteen minutes passed quickly.
As Kitazawa's voice rang out, Hyuga Neji took out the Fatefeather Bow.
He pinched the bowstring and pulled back. A Yin Release arrow appeared out of thin air.
Spiral Arrow.
Neji's chakra wrapped around the Yin Release arrow, making it spin at high speed as it shot out.
Boom!
After crossing a kilometer, the Spiral Arrow hit the mountainside and punched straight through.
"They're here!"
Kurama Yakumo immediately opened a scroll without hesitation.
Genjutsu – True Illusion.
The wall painted on the scroll materialized in front of them, blocking their view.
The Spiral Arrow had already lost some power passing through the mountain. When it hit the earth wall, it ran out of steam and stuck into it.
"Let's change position."
Hyuga Neji said calmly.
The Spiral Arrow was without question the bow technique he had with the strongest piercing power.
But the mountain's mass kept it from fully displaying that power.
Neji shortened the distance between them and Yakumo's squad.
He stopped and used Spiral Arrow again.
This time the Spiral Arrow flew in a diagonal arc, bypassing the mountain and slamming into the big boulders Yamanaka Ino had dragged over.
Kurama Yakumo's pupils shrank. She opened a scroll out of reflex.
Another wall rose up in front of them.
But this time, since the Spiral Arrow hadn't been weakened by the mountain, its power was overwhelming—it punched clean through the wall.
At the critical moment, Karin raised her hand.
Four sealing tags flew out around them, encircling the Spiral Arrow.
An invisible surge of chakra erupted and froze the arrow in mid-air.
Seeing that, Yamanaka Ino threw a kunai and knocked the Spiral Arrow away.
"Sealing jutsu, huh…"
Neji felt a headache coming on, but his hands didn't slow down.
A huge amount of chakra surged out.
One Yin Release arrow instantly vanished from his bow.
It shot toward Kurama Yakumo's group at extreme speed.
Then it trembled slightly and split into three, each locking onto one of them.
Yakumo reacted fastest, once again using a wall from her scroll.
The three Yin Release arrows slammed into the wall.
But before she could relax, a second Yin Release arrow had already arrived.
With a hum, it split into six in mid-air.
Yakumo hurriedly tossed another scroll.
Another wall rose up.
All six arrows slammed into it.
Crack.
The wall split open and fissures formed.
The three girls saw this and immediately dove to the sides.
The sound of air splitting rang out—another burst of six Yin Release arrows splitting off mid-flight.
"Karin, watch out!"
Yakumo used a wall to shield herself and Ino, then looked toward Karin on the other side.
String Light Formation!
A circular black sealing formula appeared under Karin's feet.
Two of the Yin Release arrows were locked in place right in front of her.
"Sealing jutsu really is amazing."
Yakumo couldn't help but praise her.
Yamanaka Ino nodded.
In normal battles, sealing jutsu was hard to use properly.
But out in the wild, if a sealing ninja had enough prep time, it was a different story.
Hyuga Neji frowned.
Among the top eighteen of the Advanced Class, Karin wasn't particularly eye-catching.
Her placing this time was mostly thanks to her massive chakra reserves and her Leaf-Style taijutsu.
But now, seeing her in action, Neji had to admit that sealing jutsu being ranked alongside medical ninjutsu as the hardest to learn really wasn't an exaggeration—the effect was beyond what he expected.
"Should we use the second plan now?"
Tenten noticed the change in Neji's expression.
"Let's go straight to the second plan!"
Tayuya pulled out her bamboo flute, itching to move.
The first plan gave almost no room for her or Tenten to shine.
Even if it worked, all the credit would go to Neji.
With her pride, she definitely didn't want that.
"I'll try one more time."
Neji thought for a moment, then drew the bow again.
Burst Arrow.
Multiple Arrow.
Neji burst out with a massive load of chakra at once.
After firing those two shots back-to-back, he was already feeling tired.
Even though the Yin Release power in the arrows came from the Fatefeather Bow itself, using bow techniques still required his chakra to guide them.
On the whole, it cost less chakra than other secret techniques—but that didn't mean the cost was zero.
The Burst Arrow arrived first. Before it even got close to Yakumo's group, it suddenly exploded.
An invisible, chaotic mental shockwave swept out.
Ino and Karin immediately felt a wave of discomfort.
At the same time, the Multiple Arrow split into three and shot toward them.
Normally, they would have been stunned by the Burst Arrow and then skewered by the Multiple Arrow.
But in front of Kurama Yakumo, Burst Arrow was a bit child's play.
She simply raised her hand, and dense Yin Release power surged out to block the mental shockwave.
At the same moment, she threw a scroll.
Another wall rose up and blocked the Multiple Arrow.
"Go with the second plan."
Seeing that Burst Arrow had no effect, Neji immediately made the call.
In theory, he could use the Fatefeather Bow to wear their chakra down.
After all, the cost of the Yin Release arrows came from the bow itself—or rather, from the Zero-Tails sealed inside it.
But Neji knew that wouldn't work on these three.
Because of Yakumo and Karin.
Both had chakra reserves far beyond normal.
One had a vast amount of Yin Release inside her; the other was a member of the Uzumaki clan.
As Neji continued shooting, he led Tayuya and Tenten closer to Yakumo's team.
On the viewing platform atop the Wood Dragon, Maruboshi Kosuke chuckled.
"I've got to say, Byakugan plus a bow really is a busted combo. If they weren't up against Yakumo and Karin, the other side would already be overwhelmed."
Karin's sealing jutsu could be set up ahead of time.
Yakumo's Genjutsu: True Illusion didn't even need hand seals.
That was the only reason they could keep stopping Neji's bow techniques.
"In the end, this is still thanks to Kitazawa."
Kurenai said with a bright smile.
Whether it was Hinata or Neji, their bows all came from Kitazawa.
Tsunade opened her mouth, then closed it again.
She thought of the World-End Arrow Kitazawa had demonstrated to her.
Obviously, Neji and Hinata didn't know that move, so she kept quiet.
And even if they did, it wasn't something they could ever use in this kind of exam.
The World-End Arrow had power on par with a Tailed Beast Bomb, after all.
"Spiral Arrow and Multiple Arrow are still a bit underpowered."
Tsunade finally concluded.
"If their firepower was higher, Yakumo's team would be in real trouble."
"Yeah."
Master Chen nodded.
"Yakumo's team can withstand this, but Naruto's team will have a rough time. They're mostly taijutsu types."
Uzumaki Naruto and Rock Lee were half his unofficial students.
On top of that, they'd be facing Hinata—who also had a bow—in the next round, so he couldn't help feeling worried.
"You're Naruto's instructor. Did you set up tactics for them?"
Kurenai turned to Kitazawa.
"Of course I did."
Kitazawa smiled.
"You'll see in the next match."
"Then let's first see how Neji's team handles Yakumo's."
Tsunade had noticed Neji's group had stopped moving.
From their new position, they could see the mountain where Yakumo's team was holed up.
There was still some distance between them, but it wasn't that far anymore.
"Tenten."
Neji handed the Fatefeather Bow to Tenten.
"This distance is good enough. From here on, you harass them."
Tenten nodded.
She didn't know any bow techniques, but she was exceptional with ninja tools—and that included bows.
Even ordinary Yin Release arrows fired from the Fatefeather Bow packed a decent punch, enough to be disruptive.
"Tayuya."
Neji looked at her.
"Just leave it to me!"
Tayuya replied confidently.
Neji nodded and stepped out together with her.
Tenten pulled back the bowstring and fired a Yin Release arrow.
Yakumo casually opened a scroll.
Another wall rose up.
At that moment, the ground trembled slightly.
"Tayuya's Three Doki."
Ino stood and glanced outside.
"But I don't see her."
"Watch out for her sound genjutsu."
Karin quickly warned her.
"We can use hand signals for basic communication."
Ino chuckled and took out three pairs of earplugs.
They didn't need to plan the signals ahead of time—they had a hand-sign class at the Academy.
More accurately, it was called the Codes and Intel class.
Ino couldn't help thinking it was a shame.
She hadn't learned her Mind Body Transmission Technique yet. If she had, talking would be even easier.
"Even with earplugs, we can't drop our guard."
Yakumo took the earplugs from her.
Honestly, she didn't need them. With her level of Yin Release, falling for genjutsu was pretty unlikely.
"Mm."
Ino nodded.
"I don't see Neji or Tenten either."
"Neji should be over that way firing arrows."
Yakumo pointed toward where the last Yin Release arrow had come from.
"As for Tenten, she's good at ninja tools. She's probably lying in wait somewhere for us."
"Either way, they finally agreed to fight us up close."
Ino clenched her fists.
"As long as they show up in front of us, we can lock them down."
Just then, the mountain in front of them gave a heavy shudder.
"The Three Doki are trying to break the mountain?"
Ino froze, feeling something was off.
With Neji's Byakugan, it didn't matter whether the mountain was there or not.
"I'll go deal with Tayuya!"
Ino said immediately.
"Take these two scrolls."
Yakumo handed her two scrolls.
"Don't get too far from me. If you open them, I can use Genjutsu: True Illusion through them."
"Your bloodline limit really is scary."
Ino sighed, then put in her earplugs.
She circled around the mountain, heading in the direction opposite Neji.
Soon she clearly saw the Three Doki.
This mountain was artificially piled up by Kitazawa. It was tall but not thick.
Under the Three Doki' repeated charges, it wouldn't take long before it collapsed.
Ino took out her earplugs and quickly heard a faint flute sound.
Tayuya was controlling the Three Doki with her flute.
Ino scanned the area and finally spotted Tayuya.
She put her earplugs back in and dashed into the woods to the left.
Up against Tayuya, Ino was very confident.
The moment she saw her, she scattered a shower of flower petals.
Tayuya blinked, not reacting in time to change her tune, and was immediately caught in a genjutsu.
Ino vanished from where she stood and reappeared above Tayuya's head.
She leapt down, stabbing with her kunai.
But at the exact moment she struck, "Tayuya" moved.
Her hand snapped up at incredible speed and struck Ino's arm.
Ino's face changed drastically.
She felt the flow of chakra in that arm suddenly stop.
That wasn't Tayuya—that was Hyuga Neji.
Ino immediately opened her right hand and dropped the scroll she was holding.
Brilliant lightning burst forth.
Neji frowned slightly and had no choice but to retreat.
"That's Neji!"
Ino shouted at the top of her lungs.
"What?"
Yakumo and Karin's expressions both changed.
They weren't wearing earplugs, so they heard her clearly.
After all, there was only one Tayuya.
Unless she was right next to them, they didn't need earplugs at all.
But this "Tayuya" was Neji.
So where was the real Tayuya?
Demonic Flute: Phantom Sound Chains!
A wave of flute music washed over them.
Yakumo and Karin instinctively looked up and saw Tayuya standing on the mountainside.
Karin's mind went blank and she was instantly pulled into a genjutsu.
Ropes dropped from the sky and bound her arms and legs—she couldn't move at all.
Yakumo, however, erupted with Yin Release in an instant.
A battle between genjutsu specialists came down to two things: who broke illusions faster, and who had stronger Yin Release.
Yakumo outclassed Tayuya in both.
In a flash, she pulled Tayuya into a Terror Dreamscape of her own.
At the same time she grabbed Karin's shoulder and dispelled the genjutsu on her.
But while she could save Karin, she couldn't save Ino.
The moment Ino exposed his identity, Neji lunged in.
Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!
Neji's hands moved fast, precise, and ruthless as he struck thirty-two times.
Ino's chakra points were sealed. She collapsed and couldn't move—out of the match.
"Tenten!"
Neji picked up Ino's ID tag and shouted.
He turned his head and saw Tayuya already hard-locked in place.
The Three Doki had also lost control and were just standing there, unmoving.
It was an unsurprising outcome.
If Tayuya got within range, Yakumo could one-shot her.
Honestly, it wasn't just Tayuya. Anyone besides Naruto would have the same problem.
But despite that, their team still hadn't lost.
Whoosh!
A shuriken suddenly appeared in front of Yakumo and Karin.
Yakumo immediately opened another scroll.
A wall rose in front of them.
At that exact moment, the shuriken trembled and changed direction mid-air.
It shot upward, dodging the wall.
Manipulating Shuriken Technique.
Sealed Binding Formation!
Karin snapped four sealing tags into the air, freezing the shuriken.
But before they could exhale, the shuriken split in two, then split again, becoming four, then countless shuriken in the blink of an eye.
After long practice, Tenten had finally mastered the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique.
Kitazawa had started teaching it to her back before Tsunade had even become the Fifth Hokage.
Faced with the dense storm of shuriken, Yakumo and Karin were in serious trouble.
Yakumo reflexively threw her two remaining scrolls.
The two walls that appeared were immediately riddled with holes.
"Yakumo, go!"
Karin triggered the String Light Formation inscribed on the ground.
A circular sealing formula lit up under her feet.
The rain of shuriken froze for a second—but only for a second—before resuming their deadly flight.
"Karin!"
Yakumo's heart clenched.
She had to retreat.
Karin was swallowed by the shuriken storm, but Kakashi swooped in and pulled her out at the last second.
Yakumo, however, had forgotten someone.
Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!
Neji seized the moment and fired a palm strike.
Yakumo's mind was still on Karin, and the blow sent her flying.
Body Flicker!
Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!
Neji flashed forward and unleashed a flurry of palm strikes.
Terror Dreamscape!
Yakumo grit her teeth, tanked several blows, and finally got Neji caught in her genjutsu.
She let out a breath, feeling her chakra stagnate inside her body.
Just then, the sound of wind cutting through air rang out.
Yakumo looked up on instinct and saw a mass of ninja tools coming for her.
She hastily threw a scroll.
An earthen wall appeared in mid-air and blocked part of the incoming weapons.
The rest landed all around her.
She had just started to stand up when several shuriken suddenly sprang back to life and tied her up.
That was also the Manipulating Shuriken Technique.
Yakumo's face changed—but it was too late.
Manipulated Tools: Binding Meteor!
A chain dropped down from above and wrapped her up again.
"Yakumo, you lost."
Tenten's voice sounded from behind her.
Yakumo opened her mouth, but there was nothing she could say.
At this point, if Tenten threw even one more weapon at her, she wouldn't be able to dodge. Calling it a loss was more than fair.
Yakumo sighed inwardly.
This team battle had turned out completely different from what she imagined.
She'd thought she would win. With Mangekyo-level genjutsu, she had been practically unbeatable in the Advanced Class.
But this time she lost—and she didn't feel it was unfair at all.
From the very beginning, their team had been dancing to Neji's team's tune.
Thinking it over, there were four things they had failed to anticipate.
First, Neji handed the Fatefeather Bow to Tenten.
They assumed that Neji had been the one shooting arrows the whole time.
Second, Neji transformed into Tayuya.
Ino let her guard down and rushed in on her own.
Third, the real Tayuya appeared and pinned them down while Tenten unleashed her full power.
Especially the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique—that had completely blindsided them.
And finally, Neji's sneak attack.
He robbed Yakumo of her initiative, and Tenten finished the job with ninja tools.
Yakumo hadn't even laid eyes on Tenten from start to finish.
On the viewing platform atop the Wood Dragon, Kurenai was stunned.
"I really didn't see that coming."
She knew Yakumo's strength well. In her mind, aside from Naruto, no one else in the Advanced Class should be a match for her.
"I didn't expect it either."
Kitazawa agreed.
And he wasn't lying.
He'd originally thought the three teams most likely to take first place were Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, and Kurama Yakumo's teams.
He hadn't expected Yakumo's team to get knocked out in the very first round of team battles.
"Neji's team synergy was too perfect."
Master Chen praised them.
"Everyone contributed to that win."
By contrast, Sasuke's earlier victory had been almost entirely thanks to his own overwhelming power.
"Looks like the old man's still got it."
Tsunade chuckled.
Neji's team's instructor was Sarutobi Hiruzen.
And a layered, interlocking strategy like that was not something a group of ten-year-old kids could realistically come up with. It was almost certainly Hiruzen's doing.
"Yakumo's team did respond pretty well though. They were just a bit short."
Maruboshi Kosuke gave his assessment.
"Kitazawa, are you sure your tactics will work?"
Kurenai smiled.
"Next, Naruto's squad has to face Hinata's. They're no weaker than Neji's team."
It wouldn't be hard at all for Hinata's team to copy Neji's tactics.
After all, both teams were led by a captain with Byakugan plus a bow.
"Talking won't change anything. You'll see soon enough."
Kitazawa shook his head.
"I'll go down and announce the result first."
He vanished from the platform and reappeared in front of the Advanced Class students.
At that moment, Umino Iruka was narrating the final clash between Neji's team and Yakumo's team.
Seeing this, Kitazawa didn't interrupt. He just waited quietly.
"…and in the end, Yakumo was bound up by Tenten and forced to surrender."
Iruka finished.
The Advanced Class erupted in chatter.
Because of Yakumo's previously unbeatable performance, most of them had assumed her team would win. The outcome was completely unexpected.
"Yakumo actually lost?"
Sasuke frowned without thinking.
He'd originally thought the three teams entering the third round would be himself, Yakumo, and Naruto.
Now it was obvious: team battles were full of uncertainty.
He had almost wiped out himself, and Yakumo had gone down outright.
Who knew if Naruto's team could win?
"Neji's team's tactics—our team can use them too."
Nara Shikamaru's eyes lit up.
"Yeah, we can."
Hinata nodded.
"Then doesn't that mean Naruto's going to lose?"
Inuzuka Kiba stared in disbelief.
"Naruto is Naruto, Yakumo is Yakumo. And Naruto already knows about this tactic, so he'll definitely be on guard."
Aburame Shino adjusted his glasses.
"Obviously we can't just copy it word for word."
Shikamaru chuckled.
"Shikamaru must already have a new idea."
Akimichi Choji commented.
"We have Kitazawa-sensei's tactics too!"
Naruto gave a thumbs up.
"Our Youth Squad's youth doesn't allow us to lose!"
Hinata couldn't help feeling a little envious.
Their instructor was Master Chen, who was also very strong, but in her heart, no one could compare to Kitazawa.
In a way, this team battle had turned her and Kitazawa into opponents.
"This is exactly why we do team battles."
Iruka glanced at Kitazawa.
"So you understand the power of a squad. Individual power has its limits."
There wasn't anything wrong with that statement.
But every now and then, the ninja world produced monsters strong enough that numbers were meaningless in front of them.
"Next is Naruto's team versus Hinata's team."
Kitazawa cleared his throat.
"Both teams, please enter the Forest of Death and get ready. The match starts in fifteen minutes."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei!"
Naruto shouted, then rushed into the Forest of Death with Rock Lee and Jugo.
By comparison, Hinata, Shikamaru, and Haku moved much more calmly.
Kitazawa glanced at Hinata and thought to himself that with the system mission in play, he'd have to knock them out this time.
Next term, if there was no system mission, he could choose to be Hinata's team's instructor.
Since there were fifteen minutes, Kitazawa didn't hurry after Naruto's squad.
Instead, he went to see Neji's team and Yakumo's team.
Neither team had any serious injuries.
Kitazawa went to Ino first and undid Neji's Gentle Fist strikes.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei."
Ino grabbed his hand and stood up.
"I thought you'd be really bummed out."
Kitazawa smiled.
"Losing to Neji is normal."
Ino shook her head.
"The only shame is that Yakumo didn't win this time."
Her fight with Neji had basically been a one-on-one encounter—and she'd been the one to rush in. It would've been strange if she hadn't lost.
Yakumo's defeat, though, was unexpected.
Still, it proved how special team battles were. They were nothing like one-on-one duels—anything could happen.
"All right, you go out and rest first."
Kitazawa ruffled her hair.
Then he checked Yakumo and Neji as well.
Once they'd all left, he went to find Naruto's squad.
They had already discussed tactics beforehand.
And the rules of the team battle didn't allow instructors to give on-the-spot orders—that was specifically to test the students' ability to adapt.
So Kitazawa just hid in the dark and waited for the match to start.
On the left side of the Forest of Death—
"Let's do it here."
Shikamaru glanced around.
"The trees are thickest here. It's perfect for hiding."
"What's our plan?"
Haku asked curiously.
"Are we using Neji's tactic?"
"We'll just use their first tactic."
Shikamaru smirked.
"Have Hinata suppress them from range. Then we just sit back and wait for them to come."
"Wait?"
Haku blinked.
"Lee and Jugo can't deal with Hinata's bow techniques."
Shikamaru explained.
"Wind Release jutsu can—but Naruto's impatient. No way he'll just stand there and get shot."
"I see."
Realization dawned on Haku.
Neji's team had been forced to close in because Yakumo's team could drag it out until time ran out.
Naruto's team couldn't. Whether it was him or Lee, they were both reckless.
"To make sure Naruto doesn't actually manage to hold back, Hinata can focus her shots on Lee and Jugo."
Shikamaru added.
"All right."
Hinata replied simply.
"While we still have time, let's set traps in this grove."
Shikamaru clapped his hands.
"Who knows, maybe we'll pull off an upset and knock out Naruto's team like Neji did."
Time slid by.
Fifteen minutes later, Kitazawa's voice echoed out, signaling the start of the match.
Hinata immediately activated her Byakugan.
She pulled back the bowstring—and suddenly froze.
"Jugo and Lee used Transformation Jutsu. They're mixed in with Naruto's shadow clones."
Hinata explained as she released the bowstring.
A Yin Release arrow streaked out.
"Looks like they thought of a counter too."
Shikamaru rubbed his temples.
"Charge!"
Naruto yelled, pumping his fist.
Two hundred shadow clones sprinted forward at high speed.
Just then, Hinata's arrow split into six and wiped out six shadow clones.
They vanished in puffs of smoke, but the rest ignored it and kept charging.
Burst Arrow!
Hinata changed tactics.
A Yin Release arrow flew up over the clones and exploded.
An invisible mental shockwave rippled outward.
The clones all reeled, stunned.
Only the real Naruto remained unaffected.
Burst Arrow was essentially a type of genjutsu—it was Yin Release, after all.
One swat from Kurama was enough to snap him out of it.
Jugo and Lee weren't so lucky.
Lee's transformation dropped automatically, revealing his true form.
Hinata saw this and didn't hesitate. She drew her bow again.
Spiral Arrow!
A Yin Release arrow spun toward them.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
Naruto was the first to notice the incoming arrow.
He clapped his hands, and a gust of wind blasted into the Spiral Arrow, slowing it down.
The Naruto clone nearest Lee slapped him hard on the back, driving chakra into him and helping him recover from the Burst Arrow.
Boom!
The Spiral Arrow missed.
Burst Arrow!
Multiple Arrow!
Hinata copied Neji and fired two arrows almost simultaneously.
The Burst Arrow landed first and detonated.
The Multiple Arrow split into six and shot at Lee.
At the crucial moment, Jugo entered Earth Curse Mark: Second Level.
Piston Fist!
The skin on his hands turned grayish-yellow.
He stepped in front of Lee, raised both arms, and swung.
All the Yin Release arrows were knocked aside.
But the force behind them was so huge that both he and Lee were pushed back several steps.
"Don't worry about us, Naruto!"
Jugo shouted.
"Use this chance to find their position!"
"You twenty stay here!"
Naruto jabbed a finger at twenty clones.
"Everyone else, with me!"
"They split into two groups."
Hinata reported.
"Jugo and Lee stayed put. Naruto and his clones kept moving forward."
"What are they doing?"
Haku muttered.
"Something's off."
Shikamaru frowned slightly.
"Hinata, stop Naruto for now."
Multiple Arrow!
Hinata loosed another shot.
The sound of clones popping echoed again and again as Naruto's clones were rapidly cut down.
On the viewing platform, Kurenai frowned.
"Kitazawa, what kind of tactic is this?"
"It looks like Naruto's trying to close the distance with Hinata's team."
Maruboshi Kosuke mused.
"Is he planning to go close-range with taijutsu?"
Kurenai shook her head.
"But Hinata's team already laid traps, and Naruto's teammates aren't moving with him."
"Maybe Naruto wants to pull a Sasuke—take on all three by himself."
Sarutobi Hiruzen thought for a moment.
"With his strength, it's not impossible."
"Knowing Kitazawa, it's definitely not that simple."
Tsunade said, thinking it over.
"Naruto stopped!"
Maruboshi Kosuke suddenly called out.
Everyone instinctively turned to him.
The next second, they saw something that left them stunned.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Naruto drew on all his chakra and split into three hundred clones at once.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
All five hundred bodies clapped their hands.
A roaring wind rose up and turned into a visible storm.
It tore through the forest, uprooting trees in its path.
"What the hell?"
Shikamaru felt the ground shake under him.
"Run!"
Hinata's face changed. She shouted quickly.
Shikamaru blinked in confusion, but only for a moment.
Endless wind gathered and swept flowers, grass, and trees into the air.
Everything in its path was churned up like a swarm of locusts.
Every trap Hinata's team had set was forced to trigger.
Not only that, the dense forest they were hiding in was wiped clean.
"Man, Naruto really does have stupid amounts of chakra."
Kakashi's mouth twitched.
"What kind of busted tactic is that?"
Kurenai pressed a hand to her forehead, half laughing, half crying.
"…"
Tsunade was speechless.
She had imagined many kinds of tactics Kitazawa might have designed—but not this level of brute force.
"This chakra advantage is just bullying."
Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but laugh.
"When your chakra is that overwhelming, the battlefield itself stops mattering."
Maruboshi Kosuke made a complicated face.
Down below, the Advanced Class students were also staring in shock.
With that much noise, it was impossible not to notice.
"What happened?"
Ino blurted.
"That has to be Naruto."
Sasuke paused, then said.
"Other than him, I can't think of anyone who could cause that much chaos."
"Isn't that basically cheating?"
Kiba complained.
"Cheating still takes power."
Tenten shook her head.
"I thought a hundred clones was already his limit."
Tayuya looked like the sky was falling.
"This is just inhuman."
Neji and Kimimaro both fell silent—especially Neji.
He had just beaten Yakumo's team with the Fatefeather Bow and flawless teamwork, and had started to think he had a real shot at first place.
Naruto's shameless tactic shook his confidence again.
When the storm died down, a clearing had been carved out of the Forest of Death.
Hinata, Haku, and Shikamaru were huddled behind an ice wall. They'd barely managed to hold on.
But they all knew: without the terrain advantage, they couldn't beat Naruto's team head-on.
"They're coming."
Shikamaru watched the wave of Naruto clones rushing in and sighed helplessly.
"Let's just do what we can."
Burst Arrow!
Hinata released another Yin Release arrow, which detonated mid-air.
The nearby clones fell into confusion.
"Leaf Dragon God!"
At that moment, Rock Lee shouted and started spinning on the spot.
A massive green dragon surged toward them.
Ice Release: Ice Rock Dome of Magnificent Nothingness!
Haku formed hand seals and conjured another ice wall.
It was shattered instantly by the green dragon.
Right before it hit them, Master Chen snatched Haku out of the way.
He glanced at Lee's Leaf Dragon God and nodded in approval.
"I'm coming too! Youth can't fall behind! Leaf Dragon God!"
Naruto yelled and started spinning as well.
Another green dragon barreled in.
"...?"
Shikamaru's face was full of question marks.
In that state of high-speed spinning, neither Naruto nor Lee could lock onto their shadows.
Hinata said nothing.
Leaf Dragon God wasn't just taijutsu; it was laced with Wind Release.
The tornado of wind around them was full of razor-sharp wind blades.
If she closed in, she'd be shredded.
Spiral Arrow!
Hinata made a quick decision and aimed at Lee.
A Yin Release arrow spun toward the green dragon.
But the moment it touched the swirling wind, it rang off with a sound like metal on steel.
The wind blades covering the green dragon blocked the Spiral Arrow completely.
"Let's just surrender."
Shikamaru said helplessly.
Hinata hesitated for two seconds, then lowered the Moonchaser Bow.
~~~
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