In the world of Naruto, the Uchiha Clan was a born warrior race, much like the Saiyans in Dragon Ball.
As descendants of Indra, the Uchiha were born fighters. With the Sharingan boosting their abilities, their taijutsu, genjutsu, and ninjutsu were all enhanced. After awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, they were practically like people who had unlocked a legendary bug!
Light Release, Tsukuyomi, Kamui, Susanoo—setting aside those almost law-like abilities, even the genjutsu enhanced by the two- and three-tomoe Sharingan had a huge effect on Sato Hideaka. During his fight with Uchiha Kenichi, if Kurenai hadn't broken the genjutsu in time, he would have been taken out in a single move.
Based on his battle with Uchiha Kenichi three days ago, Sato Hideaka had summed up his current weaknesses: his resistance to genjutsu was too poor, his chakra reserves were insufficient, and his taijutsu was limited by his age, preventing him from performing as well as he should.
The other two weaknesses might put Sato Hideaka at a disadvantage in a fight, but genjutsu could leave him unable to react at all, allowing his opponent to take him out instantly!
Sato Hideaka had spent a long time thinking about his poor resistance to genjutsu. At last, he had come up with a way to counter it—or even turn it against his opponent. This method might not be very effective against ordinary genjutsu, but it would be especially effective against the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan genjutsu.
Turning an opponent's own methods against them was a supreme martial art practiced by the Murong family in Jin Yong's wuxia novels. In the world of Naruto, there was also a ninja capable of doing just that: Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage and the Three-Tails Jinchuriki. By using Water Release: Water Mirror Technique, which he performed through Water Nature Transformation, he could create a copy identical to his opponent's. It could use the same ninjutsu, with the same strength.
During his battles against Naruto Uzumaki and Killer B, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Yagura had used the Water Mirror Technique to withstand their simultaneous attacks!
If he could use Crystal Release Chakra Nature Transformation to create a mirror-like technique, he could reflect the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan genjutsu. And with the Sharingan's ocular power boosting it, the genjutsu's effects would be even stronger.
However, to develop the technique properly, he still needed to understand the nature of genjutsu, ocular techniques, and Crystal Release, then build the technique's framework and test it before it could succeed. Sato Hideaka obviously didn't have the time or energy for that while he was in the Forest of Death. He planned to tackle the problem after completing this Forest of Death test!
After plucking six or seven fruits from a tree, Sato Hideaka leaped between the branches a few times and reached a hollow in a large tree. He jumped down and landed on the ground.
Yuhi Kurenai and Hyuga Xiangning came out of the hollow. When they saw the fruit in Sato Hideaka's hands, their eyes lit up. They had been eating rations for two days, avoiding lighting a fire in case it attracted their opponents and put them in danger. Now, seeing fresh fruit, they could finally enjoy a change of flavor.
"Ah, fruit! Thanks, Hideaka." The two girls happily took the fruit from Sato Hideaka and thanked him excitedly. They wiped it on their clothes and started eating.
Sato Hideaka took a bite too and said indistinctly, "We've collected three scrolls so far: two Yang Scrolls and one Yin Scroll. So we still need one more Yang Scroll and two Yin Scrolls before we're done!"
Yuhi Kurenai nodded. "I didn't expect collecting scrolls to be so easy. But we have Hideaka to thank for that. We wouldn't have collected three scrolls so quickly without you!"
"Haha, not at all... We all contributed as a team. Xiangning handled scouting and guarding, and Kurenai, you supported us with genjutsu. Otherwise, we might have been the ones falling into their trap instead of them...!"
Sato Hideaka was telling the truth. A real battle between ninjas wasn't like a samurai's one-on-one, face-to-face duel. Traps, ambushes, and sneak attacks were all fair game as long as they led to victory. That was why even an elite jonin could be easily taken out by a group of Chunin who had prepared carefully.
This also showed, in its own way, how useful a sensory-type ninja was in combat. A sensory-type ninja was like the eyes of a team!
"Xiangning, are there any teams nearby? We need to pick up the pace. It takes about five days to get from the edge of the Forest of Death to the Tower of Death. We've already spent three days, so if we collect all six scrolls sooner, we'll have a better chance of passing."
After finishing the fruit Sato Hideaka had handed her, Hyuga Ningxiang nodded. She quickly formed six hand seals at her chest, then snapped her eyes open. Veins bulged at her temples as she surveyed the area.
"Hmm... There's a team of three about a kilometer away, in the eleven o'clock direction. It looks like they have two scrolls."
"We'll use the same approach as before... And Xiangning, keep an eye on our surroundings in case we're ambushed or attacked while we're moving!"
As soon as Sato Hideaka finished speaking, he leaped onto a treetop. He raced toward their target, leaping from one thick canopy to the next. Hyuga Ningxiang and Yuhi Kurenai followed close behind in a triangular formation...
Before long, guided by Hyuga Ningxiang, the three of them reached the team's vicinity. The team was hidden in a very secluded spot, concealed by boulders, large trees, and low shrubs. Two people were lying on a rock as if asleep, while another kept watch over the area. They seemed to be resting.
Sato Hideaka gestured to Hyuga Ningxiang. She nodded to show she understood, swept the area with her Byakugan, then pointed at several patches of grass that looked perfectly ordinary and made a few hand signs. She was indicating that the team had hidden traps there. After confirming the traps' locations, Sato Hideaka turned and nodded to Yuhi Kurenai.
Just as Yuhi Kurenai was about to act, the three people ahead of them stirred...
One of the sleeping examinees suddenly sat up. The examinee on guard went over to him, and the two seemed to exchange a few words. Together, they approached the other resting examinee, punched the sleeping person unconscious, then took a scroll from his body before sneaking away in a particular direction.
It was obvious that this team had already collected both the Yin and Yang Scrolls. Unfortunately, the members weren't united. The two of them clearly intended to leave the person they'd knocked out behind and enjoy the fruits of victory on their own...
Sato Hideaka couldn't believe the unconscious examinee had been completely off guard. It was probably the three days they'd spent together that had made him let his guard down, allowing the other two to carry out their scheme.
Sato Hideaka was glad his own team wasn't like theirs. With all the dangers in the forest, having to watch out for his own teammates as well would have been a terrible waste of energy and trust.
"Move!"
Sato Hideaka's voice was quiet and cold. Six Shuriken formed in his hands, made from Crystal Release chakra. His eyes locked onto the two who were about to leave, and his body crouched slightly into an optimal stance.
Yuhi Kurenai's ruby eyes fixed on their targets. Her delicate hands formed a few seals at her chest as she murmured, "Demonic Illusion: Temple of Nirvana Technique!"
The Temple of Nirvana Technique was a genjutsu that caused phantom-like feathers to rain down and put enemies to sleep. During the Chunin exam, Yakushi Kabuto had used this technique to put a large crowd to sleep.
The two examinees about to leave suddenly stopped. Their bodies swayed as if they were drunk, their legs going limp as though they were about to collapse. Then they seemed to realize something, their expressions suddenly sharpening. They formed a seal at their chests and shouted, "Release!"
But by then, Sato Hideaka had already charged forward. He dodged every trap the other team had set, and as soon as he reached a distance where he was certain to hit, he sent the six Shuriken in his hands flying. They traced six graceful arcs through the air—
Bright red crystal began to form around the two men's knees, elbows, and ankles. It completely encased their joints, robbing them of their balance just as they tried to struggle free. They fell face-first onto the ground and cried out in terror...
"What happened? How did this happen...?"
"Who is it? Who's attacking us? If you've got the guts, fight us one-on-one!"
When Sato Hideaka had thrown the Shuriken, they had grazed the fabric around the two men's joints while they were under the genjutsu. Crystal Release chakra burst out from within and completely encased their joints, taking away most of their mobility and sending them crashing to the ground...
Sato Hideaka curled his lip in disdain at their demand for a one-on-one fight. Ninjas were willing to use any means necessary to achieve their goals. They wanted an honorable duel now, but when they were stealing their teammate's scroll, why hadn't they challenged him to an honorable duel then?
Following Hyuga Ningxiang's directions, Sato Hideaka went over to the two men. He used Crystal Release chakra to seal their joints completely, making sure they couldn't escape, then took two scrolls from their chests. When he opened them, he saw that they were indeed one Yin Scroll and one Yang Scroll, confirming their earlier guess!
Just as Sato Hideaka was about to turn around and celebrate with Yuhi Kurenai and Hyuga Ningxiang, Hyuga Ningxiang seemed to notice something. She said excitedly, "One of my clansmen is nearby. It looks like he's under attack, and his chakra is rapidly running low. I have to go help him..."
With that, she leaped onto a tree by herself and headed toward the eleven o'clock direction!