"Ino, five o'clock!"
"Choji, restrict his movement at all times!"
Without hesitation, Shikamaru issued his command.
Having trained together for many years, Ino and Choji knew exactly what to do.
Ino reached into her ninja tool pouch and threw several threads with bells attached in them in the direction Shikamaru had indicated.
Chakra, Choji, gathered his chakra and used the Multi-Size Technique again, his giant left hand slamming towards Asuma's other side.
Upon seeing Choji's giant hand approaching, Asuma didn't hesitate and moved directly to his right.
However, in the next instant, the bell string that Ino had just thrown out amidst the smoke wrapped around Asuma's ankle.
The sound of bells rang out instantly.
Not good!
Asuma was about to cut the silk thread beneath his feet when his movements suddenly froze.
"Shadow Imitation Technique! Success!" Shikamaru, who had been ready at all times, smirked as he finally connected with the technique.
"Well done, Shikamaru!" Ino didn't hesitate and activated the Mind Body Switch Technique in an instant.
A look of admiration flashed in Asuma's eyes, and with a simple flick of his palm, the Flying Swallow appeared directly in his hand.
Chakra surged forth, forming Chakra blade directly on the Flying Swallow, which then extended and slammed into the ground.
Amidst the flying pebbles, Shikamaru's shadow connection was directly weakened, and Asuma unleashed his chakra to break free. He then performed a backflip to dodge Ino's turn.
"Cooperation, strength, tactics."
Asuma leisurely took out a cigarette, lit it, and looked in Shikamaru's direction.
"You are almost perfect, but... you still lack that one strike that I can't handle."
Shikamaru did not refute Asuma's words, but his eyes remained fixed on the specially made weapon in Asuma's hand.
"A weapon that can extend Chakra, that's really troublesome!"
Upon hearing this, Asuma smiled and raised the Flying Swallow in his hand with a helpless expression.
"There's no other way; I wasn't planning on using it anyway."
"However, you have truly surprised me."
"They've already achieved this level of teamwork before even graduating, and their abilities are quite impressive."
Asuma couldn't help but smile wryly to himself. What kind of monster had Hagoromo raised?
"Or, do you admit defeat now?"
"How is that possible?!" Choji exclaimed with a serious expression, then casually popped a Military Rations Pill into his mouth.
"Ninja Art: Butterfly Mode: Gluttony Form!"
Choji's Chakra surged at an extremely rapid pace, and butterfly patterns quickly appeared on his body.
The Chakra surge generated a whirlwind that spread outwards from itself.
Asuma was taken aback. What was going on?
"Hey, this amount of Chakra is even more exaggerated than that of a typical Jonin, isn't it?"
Choji clenched his fist and said seriously, "Shikamaru, Ino, use that tactic!"
Shikamaru frowned, nodded, and stood up.
Asuma stood still, more curious about how Shikamaru and the others would handle the current assessment than about what was happening now.
"Ninja Art: Shadow Possession Jutsu!"
Shikamaru used Shadow Possession Jutsu again, but this time the target was no longer Asuma.
The shadow beneath her feet shot directly towards Choji, while at the same time, Ino clasped her hands together in Choji's direction and shouted, "Mind Body Switch Technique - Modified!"
Ino, who had activated his Gluttony Form, shuddered, and Choji took over his body remotely.
"Superior!"
In an instant, Choji's body moved toward Asuma with incredible agility.
His palms erupted with Chakra- infused flames, striking Asuma at an odd angle.
Shikamaru, meanwhile, was intently watching Asuma's movements, while Choji's shadow occasionally extended tentacles to restrict Asuma's movement.
And, they were looking for an opportunity to bind Asuma.
"I see."
Asuma's face finally turned serious, and with a flick of his wrist Flying Swallow blade covered the Chakra- extended wind blade.
First, Ino controls Choji's body to increase Choji's attack agility.
Was Shikamaru's initial Shadow Possession Jutsu, which connected with Choji, actually a prelude to constantly preparing to connect his shadow whenever Choji approached?
This is no longer a team effort; it's about integrating three people into one and acting as one.
"Yang Release: Armor Coverage!"
Choji's hands were instantly covered in dark gray Yang Release Armament, after all, Asuma's Flying Swallow was no joke.
That kind of Wind Nature with cutting power is what Naruto Choji.
Having witnessed Hagoromo's technique firsthand and used it before, Asuma no longer hesitated, slashing his Chakra Blade towards Choji.
Bang--
The wind blade met the armed fist, and for the first time, it wasn't as sharp as it usually was.
Seeing this, Choji swung his other hand directly at Asuma.
Asuma dared not take the punch directly, and took a step back.
Call out--
A whooshing sound came as Shikamaru's Shadow Tentacles swiftly extended behind Asuma and launched an attack.
Asuma bit down hard on the cigarette butt, twisting his body forcefully in mid-air, landing on one hand to brace himself against the ground and flipping backward, while several Shuriken flew towards Ino's direction.
Ino, who was attached to Choji, felt a chill run down her spine, and Choji's movements became somewhat sluggish.
The moment Asuma landed, he formed hand seals and suddenly puffed out his mouth, creating a gust of wind that blew towards Choji, directly intercepting Choji's figure.
"Wind Release: Breakthrough!"
"Don't worry, Ino!"
Shikamaru shouted a warning to Ino not to get distracted, and the shadow domain beneath his feet expanded once more.
"Ninja Art: Shadow Imitation Technique - Shadow Realm!"
Several tentacles shot out from under Shikamaru's feet, directly blocking the Shuriken Asuma fired at him.
"Good!"
Choji and Ino both shouted in their hearts at the same time, and then dodged Asuma's Wind Release.
Asuma exhaled his last puff of smoke, and his speed increased once again.
Heading towards Ino, the Chakra wind blade in his hand cleaved through the Shadow Tentacles that were blocking him.
While Shikamaru and the others cooperated well this time, they overlooked a fatal mistake.
Ino's body!
Choji's quick wit is solely due to the fact that the sum of Ino and Choji is greater than the sum of their individual strengths.
Moreover, even if Shikamaru's shadow domain expands, it doesn't mean he'll have enough energy to stop me.
"Wind Release: Whirlwind Blade!"
The Chakra wind blades, aided by Asuma's technique, extended once more, aiming directly at Ino's location.
A sharp wind blade sliced through the air, just as it was about to reach Ino.
Ino, who had been hanging her head, suddenly looked up with a sly smile, "Gotcha, senpai~"
What?!
Asuma's pupils dilated sharply, and he knew something was wrong!
"Ninja Art: Mind Body Switch Technique."
"Damn it!" Asuma didn't have time to retreat. The activation of his Mind Body Switch Technique caused his movements to pause slightly.
"Operation B! Success!"