"What a powerful combination technique… Looks like the top three have all been holding back."
Perched high in a tree, Shino Aburame murmured to himself as he observed the rising dust and mist swirling through the forest clearing.
Taking advantage of the obscured visibility, he silently released a swarm of insects. Hidden by the swirling haze, they buzzed toward Kurenai Yuhi, hoping to catch her off guard and snatch the bell at her waist.
But Hinata had already stirred the hornet's nest.
As a Jonin and member of the Sensory Unit, Kurenai's perception was sharp. Surprised by the earlier combination attack, she had already activated her sensory technique amid the chaos.
She sensed everything—the position of Izanami's shadow clone, the direction of the insects. She didn't hesitate.
Pop! A sharp sound echoed in the mist as a log clattered to the ground, surrounded by Shino's swarming insects.
Substitution Jutsu.
Team 8 didn't seem surprised.
Hinata, her Byakugan active, scanned the battlefield. With bulging veins at her temples, her white-hued vision pierced through the trees. Shino hidden above, Kurenai vanishing into the deeper forest with a flicker of Shunshin, and Izanami streaking forward like an afterimage—all revealed in crystal clarity.
Hinata caught sight of Izanami engaging Kurenai. A flicker of recognition lit her expression. The corner of her lips curled upward.
Without hesitation, she produced a cloth, gave Shino a subtle nod, and vanished.
The buzz of insects followed closely behind.
In a nearby grove, the sharp clang of metal rang out.
Zoom in—two figures danced in close quarters, their kunai clashing. A pair, nearly the same height, moved with deadly precision.
Izanami's strikes were relentless—stabbing, chopping, slashing—all aimed at Kurenai's vital points. The speed and commitment of his offense forced Kurenai into a rare defensive stance.
At first, her veteran instincts kept her calm. But then her eyes widened, pupils constricting.
"How… How is this possible?!"
Her voice cracked with disbelief.
Izanami simply smiled.
Pop! He vanished in a puff of smoke.
From three directions, voices rang out in unison.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
Blazing orange flames, like serpentine dragons, surged forward in a triangular formation, roaring toward their target.
Caught in the crossfire, Kurenai had no time to escape. Genjutsu was useless here. She formed hand seals in a blur.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A torrent of water burst from her lips, forming a shield as she spun gracefully, countering the advancing fire dragons.
Explosions crackled. Steam billowed.
"Cough, cough…"
Kurenai stumbled out of the mist, coughing. The dense vapor had spread far, spilling even into the open space.
She froze mid-step. Something felt wrong.
Then came a sound.
Jingle… jingle…
The soft chime of bells, approaching from within the fog.
A gust of wind cleared the mist. From the forest shadows, Team 8 emerged.
Izanami stood at the center, a faint smile on his face, twirling the bell between his fingers.
"Red Sensei," he said, "does this mean we pass?"
Kurenai looked at the bell, then at her students—clean, composed, unscathed.
Then at herself—disheveled, slightly scorched.
Despite the embarrassment, her expression bloomed into a bright smile.
"Amazing," she said with admiration. "I was on guard the whole time, and you still managed to steal the bell. Excellent coordination. Strong tactics. I've lost."
Izanami shook his head.
"No… True ninja battles are battles of information. The only reason we succeeded so easily is because Red Sensei, you revealed your strengths but didn't know ours well enough. In a real fight, with no holding back, it wouldn't have been this smooth. We were the ones taking advantage."
Hinata and Shino, trailing slightly behind Izanami, exchanged glances.
'Wow… he talks like that now?''Was that flattery? Wait… can we even do that?'
Kurenai blinked, stunned—then laughed, a warmth lighting up her face.
"You really know how to talk."
With a playful grin, she patted Izanami's shoulder, then draped an arm over Hinata's shoulders.
"Let's go," she said, her voice cheerful. "To celebrate Team 8's formation, your teacher's buying dinner!"
As they walked along the forest path toward Central Street, Kurenai glanced curiously at Izanami.
"Hey… how did your shadow clone break my Genjutsu in the middle of a fight?"
She raised a brow. "It's something even trained ninja struggle with. Disrupting chakra flow isn't exactly simple—especially in battle. You usually need time and hand seals."
The reason Kurenai Yuhi had been so shocked earlier wasn't simply because her opponent had been just a shadow clone, nor because Izanami's real body and other clones had set up an ambush.
No—the true shock came from something else entirely.
The shadow clone had completely ignored her Genjutsu.
"This is a personal secret, Red Sensei," Izanami said with a smile, raising a finger to his lips. "Ninja battles are battles of intelligence… and secrets make a man more interesting."
As he spoke, he playfully winked at Hinata.
The girl flushed crimson and lowered her head shyly, her voice barely a whisper.
Kurenai rolled her eyes, smirking. "You're not a man yet, just a brat. Talk to me again when you're twenty and old enough to drink with your teacher."
Though she teased him, she didn't press further. She could tell from his demeanor that he had no intention of explaining—and she respected that.
But inwardly, her appraisal of Izanami had quietly shifted.
Exceptional chakra reserves.Advanced Fire Release techniques.A calm, precocious mind.And above all—real battlefield instincts.
At last, Kurenai understood why Izanami had stood out so clearly among the heirs of major ninja clans. He hadn't just competed with them—he'd outshone them.
Her earlier jest aside, a rare admiration stirred within her.
Izanami, for his part, said nothing more—only smiled quietly.
Of course, he wasn't about to tell her the truth: that his resistance to Genjutsu came not only from his powerful Yin Release chakra, but also from something much rarer.
He didn't need hand seals to control chakra.
While others had to form seals to disrupt or manipulate their chakra flow, Izanami could do it with pure will.
In other words—
He was Genjutsu's natural counter.
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