Thump, thump, thump.
Low, muffled thuds echoed densely through the central training ground like the beat of a drum. Two figures, trailing afterimages, intertwined and collided!
The fighters were none other than Haku, who had just learned Senjutsu, and Sasuke, who had recently awakened the Rinnegan.
At the edge of the field, Shion, Karin, Hikari, Yakumo, Neji, Kimimaro, Ryūsetsuna, and Chiyo stood in a line, silently watching the fierce battle, each with a different expression.
Shion blinked, her face full of curiosity.
Even after reaching a level close to Six Paths level, Taijutsu was still her weak point. Fortunately, Miko excelled at Sealing Techniques, and Shinji had also had her learn the Magic Ring, further strengthening her offense and defense. That was enough to keep her from being disadvantaged against others of the same level.
But this also meant that her understanding of Taijutsu was relatively superficial. She was the only one in the group simply watching for fun!
If everyone beside her hadn't been so quiet, she would probably have started hollering by now.
Karin, standing beside her, looked serious.
As her Chakra grew stronger, Karin realized that unless a technique involved space-time or something like fate, ordinary ninjutsu and genjutsu could hardly hurt an enemy of the same level.
This had greatly increased the importance of Taijutsu.
So, since obtaining the Six Tomoe Rinnegan, she had been honing her Taijutsu, for instance by learning the Twelve Palaces from Hikari.
Fortunately, she was a dōjutsu Bloodline Ninja and had mastered a sensory secret technique like the Mind's Eye of the Kagura. With the combined advantages of insight and perception, her Taijutsu had improved remarkably quickly, almost as if she were cheating.
And just then, Haku's return disrupted that progress.
Haku's Sage Mode had a strange ability to block both