Although Yamato froze the Great Fireball, Itachi had already accomplished his tactical objective.
The next moment, Itachi repeated his earlier trick. His body became a flock of black crows that rushed toward Yamato beneath a veil of white mist, completely blocking her view.
Surrounded by black crows and unable to see a thing, Yamato fell from the air. She swung the kanabo in her hands, but hit nothing.
What surprised Yamato even more was that, just as the crows swarmed toward her, Itachi's presence—which her Observation Haki had kept locked onto—vanished for a moment, then split into three, appearing to her left, right, and behind her all at once.
What kind of ninjutsu was this? A Clone Technique? Or had her senses been misled?
Growing irritated, Yamato attacked more wildly. She swung her kanabo in every direction and used the freezing breath from her mouth to clear away every obstructive crow.
Just as the crows dispersed and Yamato's vision began to return, she heard something whistle through the air. Almost instinctively, she swept her kanabo across to block whatever attack might be coming, while coating her vital areas in Armament Haki.
To her left, right, and behind her, Itachi's Shadow Clones threw shuriken and kunai at the same time. Thanks to the Uchiha Clan's superior technique and the Sharingan, the projectiles collided with one another in midair before attacking Yamato from every direction.
The shuriken came at her from the air, the sides, and the front—racing toward her from nearly every angle except the ground beneath her feet. Unable to dodge them all, she could only use her kanabo to block some of the attacks. But the sharp shuriken still cut her, especially across both arms.
Yamato reached out and caught the last kunai as it flew toward her face,