You Can Step Aside!

Shinji's appearance and attack had both been sudden.

His sense of timing was exceptionally precise. He struck just as Shinnō had finished fighting Yakumo, Kimimaro, and Neji, after they had worn him down and he had let his guard slip in the belief that he had the upper hand.

And when Shinji attacked, he held nothing back.

Not only did he use the full power of the Twelve Palaces, he also activated the Seventh Form, "Short Step." In that instant, his speed was no slower than Shinnō's in the Gate of Wonder state. And after Shinnō had just defeated Yakumo—the foremost of Konoha's younger generation, who wielded Wood Release—he couldn't help but relax his guard.

With one side gaining as the other let up,

Shinji's seemingly straightforward strike, which was actually a sneak attack, succeeded with ease!

Rumble!

Shinnō was sent flying. No one knew how many trees and vines he smashed through. His body plowed a gap through the forest before slamming hard into the ground and going still.

"Is he... dead?"

Kurotsuchi stared blankly, disbelief filling her eyes.

An enemy so powerful that he had made her tremble had just been dealt with by Shinji as if it were nothing. The sight was more shocking and vivid than when she had heard Shinji defeated Yakumo during the exam in Konoha!

At that moment, Karin shook her head. "He's not dead!"

Bang!

Sure enough, Shinnō blasted the broken trunks and rubble off himself and sprang to his feet.

"Y-you little brat!"

Shinnō looked down at the wound in his chest. Even with the healing effect of his Forbidden Medical Ninjutsu, Body Regeneration, the flesh around the wound was writhing rapidly as it tried to recover, but the injury was still horrifying to behold!

"How is that possible?!"

Yakumo was