At that moment, he had used the Substitution Technique, swapping his real body with a Wood Release clone.
A simple ninjutsu, yet at the most critical moment, it had surpassed even an S-rank technique in usefulness.
But his coordination with Jiraiya...
Since when had he become so familiar with Jiraiya?
The ink-black sphere grew larger and larger within the advancing wood-grained palm. Its utterly dark color became increasingly distinct in the Rinnegan's vision. Even its trajectory, aimed straight at Susanoo's chest and abdomen, was clearly visible.
Yet Uchiha Nobuhiko seemed unconcerned that his Susanoo had been bitten by the Wood Dragon and could no longer move.
Instead, his mind once again recalled the moment white mist had blocked his vision—the blue Chakra cloak scattering in the wind. Without a doubt, Black-robed Chiba had swapped her real body for a Wood Release clone at that time. After all, Taki Chiba's Eight Gates Mode could not be applied to physical clones, nor could even Slug Sage Art clones use it.
Clearly, this Wood Release clone had been prepared in advance. And Taki Chiba had undoubtedly mastered hand-sign-free casting for basic ninjutsu such as the Three Body Techniques.
At the time, his attention had been somewhat drawn by the white mist, preventing him from noticing in time. Everything that followed had happened in an instant. If he had not detected it immediately, it was easy to fall into the trap.
It was a simple method of drawing the eye—or rather, diverting attention. Create a sudden situation to attract the opponent's attention, or prevent them from immediately noticing something they should have noticed.
Moreover, apart from drawing his attention for that brief instant, the white mist had also perfectly concealed the four Wood Dragons and that sphere resembling a Truth-Seeking Orb.
This move looked