Phantasm Materialization

"Huh?!" The sword's edge stopped in its tracks.

Shunren tried to struggle, but couldn't move an inch. "I can't move..."

"Body Paralysis Technique!" After completing the hand seals, Inoichi only needed one hand to maintain the seal, leaving the other free to pick up a kunai. "As a qualified ninja, you must always pay attention to changes in your surroundings, even the smallest things."

"When did you do this?" Shunren asked in bewilderment.

"Look at your feet."

Shunren's gaze froze. Severed kunai lay scattered all around his feet. Fine threads of chakra ran from beneath Inoichi's feet, linking the kunai together to form a powerful chakra net that bound Shunren within it.

"I see." Shunren nodded slightly, thinking that he really did lack experience. He hadn't even noticed when he'd fallen into the trap. A little thought was all it took to understand: Inoichi's Mind Body Switch Technique and its related secret techniques placed great demands on locking onto a target, because if a mental invasion missed, he would be unable to return to his body for a time. That was why the Ino-Shika-Cho combination had been born. The Mind Body Switch Technique required the Nara Clan's shadows to bind and immobilize the target before it could be used.

But how could a ninja of Inoichi's level rely solely on his teammates? It was no surprise, then, that Inoichi had mastered the Body Paralysis Technique to bind others.

Inoichi glanced around and said mildly, "And then? Surely this isn't all you have?"

"Of course not."

The moment Shunren finished speaking, several shuriken flew out of the bushes nearby.

Inoichi's eyes lit up at the sight. "The trajectories of these shuriken... are much better than yours, Shunren."

Even so, they weren't enough to force Inoichi to retreat. He raised his kunai in one hand, ready to block them head-on.

He concentrated, locking onto the flight path of every shuriken.

"Hm?!" Inoichi felt his mind reel, and the once-clear image of the shuriken's trajectories in his mind grew blurry.

On the other side, Kurenai came running toward him with her hands forming a seal. As she ran, her figure grew indistinct, until she vanished completely.

"Genjutsu, huh? As expected of Shinku's child." Inoichi didn't form any hand seals; he merely narrowed his eyes.

"Hum~" A sound wave that seemed to come from the depths of his mind reverberated!

Inoichi dispelled Kurenai's Genjutsu in an instant. The map of the shuriken's trajectories in his mind became clear again, and his kunai flicked rapidly in one hand, easily knocking down every one of the shuriken flying along curved paths. At the same time, he turned his gaze to the side, and Kurenai, who had concealed herself and vanished, was once again fully exposed before him.

"Oh no, he broke my Genjutsu!" Kurenai immediately stopped. She had already realized she'd been exposed, and since she wasn't good at close combat, she didn't dare go up against Inoichi without her Genjutsu to cover her.

"Too slow." Inoichi pulled out a hemp rope. Under the influence of his chakra, it stiffened, then became a long snake that shot toward Kurenai.

But just then, a great number of shuriken suddenly came hurtling out of the distant bushes!

Inoichi's eyes shifted slightly. "That many... I see. Was there another person hiding and setting up a trap?"

This dense barrage of shuriken was more than one person could block, so even Inoichi had to retreat and avoid its edge for the moment.

But when he retreated, the binding on Shunren came undone.

"Clang!" As soon as Shunren could move again, he charged at Inoichi, swords in hand.

Both swords slashed!

"Clink, clink~"

Inoichi reached out with both hands and casually snatched two shuriken from the barrage to block Shunren's sword strikes.

But in terms of weapons alone,

Shunren had the absolute advantage. He immediately drew his blades back and slashed again! "Slash~" The sharp blades sheared the corners off Inoichi's shuriken, and the next blow would reach his hands!

Inoichi discarded the damaged shuriken and prepared to form hand seals. But just then, without even looking, he could clearly sense that Kurenai had completed the hand seals for a Genjutsu behind him.

Inoichi immediately changed his hand seal mid-motion, forming the Ram seal.

Shunren naturally recognized the seal. He thought that Inoichi was practically a human-shaped radar: sensing Kurenai secretly casting a Genjutsu behind him, Inoichi had moved first to reflect it, which could even make Kurenai cast the Genjutsu on herself without realizing it!

Sure enough, Shunren saw Kurenai's eyes grow dazed. Clearly, the Genjutsu had been reflected back at her without her realizing it.

Shunren knew full well that he couldn't possibly land a hit on Inoichi with his swords alone. So, after Kurenai was taken down, he immediately put away both swords and retreated swiftly.

"A wise choice." Inoichi praised Shunren's decisiveness. But the next second, he turned and walked toward Kurenai. "Next, I'm going to attack your teammate. What will you do?"

Shunren's expression changed. Although he knew Inoichi wouldn't really do anything to Kurenai, he had to ask himself honestly: if they were on a real battlefield and an enemy did this, what should he do? This was a question Inoichi had set for him.

According to the rules of ninja, recklessly attacking when you knew your side lacked the strength to win was undoubtedly throwing your life away.

On a real battlefield, Kurenai was already "beyond saving." When necessary, a ninja had to learn to let go.

But I'm not a ninja, Shunren said silently.

"Whoosh, whoosh~"

Shunren stopped retreating without hesitation. To stop Inoichi in time, he even hurled both swords at him first, then charged forward!

As if their minds were in sync, Shizune, who had been hiding in the distance, also charged out decisively.

"That's not a wise choice," Inoichi said mildly.

Inoichi's body flickered as he dodged Shunren's thrown swords, his hands forming seals at the same time.

Body Flicker Technique!

In an instant, he appeared in front of Shizune and knocked her to the ground with a chop of his hand.

"A ninja providing long-range support shouldn't run up to the front lines." Inoichi then turned his gaze to Shunren and said with utmost seriousness, "Do you see? It's cruel, but this is reality."

Shunren understood Inoichi's good intentions. He wanted to tell them that, as ninja, they shouldn't act on emotion; recklessly giving in to a moment's impulse would only cause greater casualties.

"Now then, Shunren, one more time. Your choice..." Before he finished speaking, Inoichi's pupils suddenly contracted. He could clearly sense Shunren releasing an immense amount of mental energy.

A year ago, Shunren had faced six Root Anbu. If he had surrendered to save his life then, he would presumably have become a killing tool of Root, no different from a walking corpse, by now.

"Yin Release: Projection!"

Shunren looked at the black greatsword in his hand and smiled faintly. "Phantasm Materialization—a fantasy straight out of the Arabian Nights. How could it succeed without an unshakable will?"