"Tch, this missing-nin from our own village is such a pain! He's not keeping anything secret!"
Seeing that Uchiha An had a clear target, and that the enormous fireball was hurtling straight down at him, even Nara Shikaku couldn't help but feel that things were tricky.
His Shadow Secret Technique was completely countered by Fireball Jutsu!
"Scatter!"
At his command, Nara Shikaku and the ninja behind him immediately leaped aside, leaving the enormous fireball to crash into the ground.
"Boom!"
The fireball struck the ground and exploded. Flames immediately scattered from the impact point, spreading in every direction and forcing the Konoha ninja to retreat even farther.
With just one attack, Uchiha An had scattered the ninja squad, using Blazing Flames to divide the battlefield.
Too bad he was alone, with no companions by his side. Otherwise, he could have taken the opportunity to gang up on them and lay the groundwork for victory.
I still don't have enough Chakra, Uchiha An lamented inwardly.
Although Inaba's White Rabbit sustained him and gave him far more Chakra than an ordinary person, it still wasn't truly limitless like a Tailed Beast's. If he used too much, it would still put tremendous strain on his eyes.
Otherwise, like Naruto or Madara, he could send out dozens of clones. No matter how many Jōnin came, they wouldn't be enough to take him on.
Rain hissed as it met the flames, generating clouds of white steam and causing visibility to plummet. This environment didn't affect Uchiha An much, thanks to his Mangekyō Sharingan, but it was far more dangerous for ordinary Konoha ninja.
Suddenly, the towering energy giant vanished, and Uchiha An disappeared from where he stood.
"Watch out! He's coming!"
Nara Shikaku's heart lurched. He hurriedly shouted a warning, but before he had finished speaking, a figure flashed into view. A pair of blood-red eyes appeared right in front of him. The pattern of the Sharingan abruptly expanded in his vision, as though it were a deep abyss about to suck in his consciousness.
Damn!
He's coming for me!
Nara Shikaku didn't hesitate for a moment. He immediately manipulated his shadow to snap the little finger on his own hand.
With a crisp crack of bone, pain shot through his body like an electric current, jolting him awake from the illusion.
Then he saw his body flipping backward, bending at an incredible angle to narrowly evade a short blade slashing toward his throat.
Meanwhile, the shadow on the ground stretched into a Shadow Whip and coiled toward the enemy.
Yamanaka Inoichi had used Mind Disturbance Technique to control his body and help him evade the fatal strike!
Mind Disturbance Technique was an advanced version of Mind Body Switch Technique. It didn't cause the user to pass out, allowing him to fight on two fronts. Yamanaka Inoichi had saved him countless times with this technique.
Their Tacit Understanding had been honed through countless life-and-death battles, becoming almost instinctive. Even if Shikaku lost consciousness, his body wouldn't resist Inoichi's control at all.
Of course, he often used Shadow Clone Technique to control Yamanaka Inoichi, too.
That was close!
Once Nara Shikaku came to, he broke out in a cold sweat, and raised his assessment of "Uchiha Itachi's" threat by another notch.
He had been focused on guarding against Susanoo. Who would have thought "Uchiha Itachi" would cancel Susanoo, take advantage of the poor visibility, and charge straight at him alone to use Genjutsu?
The Sharingan's Genjutsu was even more terrifying than the rumors claimed!
And the sudden change in fighting style made him impossible to guard against!
If the Ino-Shika-Cho trio hadn't worked together for years and developed such Tacit Understanding, he would likely have succeeded.
Shikaku simply closed his eyes and relaxed his body, letting Yamanaka Inoichi control him.
Uchiha Genjutsu was indeed terrifying, but Yamanaka Inoichi didn't observe his enemies with his eyes. Instead, he pinpointed their positions through Psychic Sense, rendering the Uchiha Clan's powerful Genjutsu useless without them even realizing it.
Invisible Chakra Threads connected their minds, allowing them to move in perfect sync. They made the same movements and narrowly evaded the enemy's successive attacks with impeccable precision.
On the other side, Akimichi Choza had been knocked away. Realizing Nara Shikaku was in danger, he stopped worrying about the strain on his body and immediately brought out one of his trump cards.
"Super Expansion Jutsu!"
As the secret technique took effect, Akimichi Choza's already massive body swelled several more times, transforming him into a Super Giant even taller than Susanoo.
His enormous figure rose from the ground, its shadow covering half the battlefield. Rain pattered against his mountain-like body.
Super Expansion Jutsu placed a heavy burden on him. He could clearly feel his Muscle Fibers tearing under the strain, but the determination in his eyes didn't waver.
With a single step, Akimichi Choza returned to the battlefield from the other side of the forest.
Uchiha An had canceled Susanoo, and flames and steam were still swirling across the battlefield. For the moment, Choza couldn't locate his enemy.
But becoming a Super Giant wasn't solely for the purpose of fighting the enemy.
He raised both hands and slammed them down hard on the ground beneath him.
"Super Push Hand!"
His Giant Palms struck the ground like meteorites, leaving two enormous handprints in the earth.
With a crash, the shock wave from the impact of his palms spread in every direction, even throwing up concentric rings in the ground.
Wherever the shock wave passed, violent winds sprang up, the earth churned, sand and stones flew, and trees were ripped up by their roots.
The Blazing Flames burning across the battlefield were buffeted by the gale. They flickered twice, then went out completely.
The water vapor hanging in the air was swept away, too.
The battlefield suddenly cleared, revealing everyone's positions.
"Heh, quick reaction!"
Uchiha An's eyes turned cold. He shifted his footing and flashed behind Akimichi Choza. The Mangekyō in his eyes slowly spun as Susanoo reappeared. Raising its Scepter high, it brought it crashing down on the back of Choza's head with a shrill whistle that tore through the air.
"Ha!"
Akimichi Choza roared. He shifted his body slightly, the muscles in his arm bulging and veins standing out, then drove his elbow backward to meet the Scepter with tremendous force.
"Boom!"
Energy and flesh collided for the second time, unleashing another earth-shaking crash. Shock waves burst in every direction, their force surpassing even a Jōnin's Wind Style attacks. Ordinary ninja could hardly get close to the battlefield.
"Shadow Binding Technique: Shadow Whip!"
Nara Shikaku's shadow surged wildly within the enormous shadow cast by Akimichi Choza, twisting and changing shape like a living creature.
Taking advantage of the vast shadow created by Super Expansion Jutsu, the Shadow Whip grew larger than ever before, so thick it seemed absurd. Like a black Poison Dragon, it raced along the ground against the shock wave, coiling toward Susanoo's legs.
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