Explosion!

Dust billowed across the field, completely blocking Lihuo and his teammates' view.

"Does this count as a smoke screen?" Lihuo joked.

But everyone around them could see that Lihuo, who had been so calm until now, had grown serious.

As the brains of Ino-Shika-Cho, Lu Miao wouldn't do something so pointless. They couldn't just sit here and wait to die!

"Break through!" Lihuo ordered. The three of them dashed off in different directions, trying to get out of the smoke as quickly as possible.

Just as Lihuo broke into a run, he suddenly sensed a familiar chakra fluctuation.

The chakra swept over his body like radar, but its use was still somewhat unrefined. That was how Lihuo noticed it.

"This is the Yamanaka Clan's secret Sensory Technique. This is bad—we've been completely exposed!"

Meanwhile, Lu Miao couldn't see Lihuo and his teammates through the dust either.

But Jing Wen had already retreated behind the Trap Formation. After using Sensory Ninjutsu to track Lihuo and the others, he relayed their movements to his two teammates using the Yamanaka Clan's secret technique.

"Dai, keep Might Guy occupied!" Lu Miao ordered over their encrypted comms.

"This really is a daunting task!" Dai charged toward Guy.

"We're running out of time. Move!" Lu Miao harried Guy with precisely aimed Kunai.

"Jing Wen, hurry!" Lu Miao urged anxiously.

Jing Wen, standing nearby, had already exhausted himself after repeatedly using his secret technique. He could barely stand, but he was still struggling to gather chakra.

Because of the dust, Lihuo and Kakashi had no idea where the fighting was happening. They could only keep trying to break through.

Bang!

Dai arrived just in time to stop Guy before he could escape the dusty area. The two grappled, and, as expected, Dai was quickly beaten to the ground.

"Rest here for a while. I'm breaking through."

"Y-you can't! This is a mission Boss gave me!"

Dai shakily climbed back to his feet.

"If I let you leave...I'd be in a real bind."

Guy could tell that Dai was in bad shape. The intense use of the Akimichi Clan's secret technique, combined with one battle after another, had left Dai utterly exhausted.

With difficulty, Dai spread his arms and spoke slowly.

"My mission is to keep you occupied, so I absolutely won't give up!"

"Good! I acknowledge your youth! Come on, let's fight!" Guy sprang forward, delivering a powerful strike.

Dai managed a strained smile. "I've never used this move before. You're the first to experience it."

"Partial Multi-Size Technique!"

Bang!

A pair of enormous hands clamped around Guy—Dai's mouth was trickling with blood.

"You three are undisputed geniuses. And Lu Miao and Jing Wen, your talents are beyond anything I could ever hope to catch up to."

"But I know I have a place of my own. I can be the brain's most dependable weapon and carry out Lu Miao's plan without hesitation!"

"Dai, ready?" Jing Wen said quietly.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Dai." Lu Miao dropped into a crouch and formed Hand Seals in one fluid motion. A shadow shot out from beneath her.

Guy looked at the boy before him with profound admiration.

"I can't use ninjutsu, so all I can do is improve through endless training. But you've mastered the Akimichi Clan's secret technique at your age. My friend, you're the true genius!"

With that, Guy lowered his head, and an unprecedented force surged through his body.

"Uh-oh, Guy looks like he's getting serious," Lihuo said anxiously. "What's going on?"

Guy declared loudly, "Let me use my full strength to—"

But before he could finish, he found himself unable to speak.

"Shadow Possession Technique, successful!" Lu Miao said with difficulty. "Jing Wen, move!"

Jing Wen said nothing. He nodded. "Mind Transfer Technique!" A burst of spiritual energy shot straight toward Guy. Jing Wen's body went limp, and he collapsed behind the Trap Formation.

"What incredible power!" Guy's voice rang out, but it had a completely unfamiliar tone.

Lu Miao quickly released the Shadow Possession Technique and gave an order. "While they can't see us, take them down one at a time!"

"You think I'll let you get away with that?" Lihuo leaped high into the air and burst through the dust. Kakashi emerged from the other side right after him.

The students finally saw the whole situation and couldn't help gasping.

Guy stood with the dust-covered Dai and Lu Miao, facing off against Lihuo and Kakashi.

"Uh-oh, Guy's been taken over by the Mind Transfer Technique!" Lihuo said, sounding intrigued.

"You three are pretty strong. You used the Trap Formation to protect Jing Wen's body, had Dai throw a smoke bomb, extended the range of your Shadow Possession Technique using the shadows of the Kunai on the ground, and used the Mind Transfer Technique to take control of one of our fighters. Impressive."

Lu Miao heard the praise, but it did nothing to lift her spirits. She couldn't see a trace of panic on her opponent's face.

Lihuo continued, "But can Jing Wen really use Guy's body perfectly? Or do you think we're that weak?"

With that, Lihuo and Kakashi charged at the three. Jing Wen struck first, aiming a powerful straight punch at Lihuo's face.

"You're really not holding back. But have you ever trained in Konoha Strong Fist?" Lihuo easily dodged the punch, then swept his leg across and landed a solid kick on Guy's shin, knocking him to the ground.

But Lihuo didn't follow up. Instead, he charged straight toward the Trap Formation. He knew that if he took control of Jing Wen's body, the fight would be over.

Kakashi faced off against Dai. Dai was already exhausted. His attacks were still heavy, but Kakashi's exquisite footwork—too subtle for even Lihuo to read—kept Dai completely off balance.

At last, Lu Miao stood in Lihuo's way.

"Handsome little head-patter, I didn't know you were this strong," Lu Miao said airily, though her expression was deadly serious.

"Of course. I'm taking this win."

"You'll have to get past me first!" Lu Miao sprang forward.

Unlike Kakashi's unpredictable footwork or Guy's wide, powerful attacks, Lu Miao's Taijutsu was like water—nimble and graceful. She was impossible to hit, yet impossible to shake off.

Even Lihuo's Konoha Strong Fist couldn't find an opening against her. But thanks to his superior physical strength, he gradually forced Lu Miao backward, step by step, toward the Trap Formation.

"Give up. You can't win. The ground behind you is covered in Explosive Tags."

Lu Miao gave a smile that suggested her plan had worked, but Lihuo found it a little cute.

"Who's standing in front of the Explosive Tags? Looks to me like it's you!" Lu Miao twisted away, preparing to dart nimbly behind Lihuo.

Seeing this, Lihuo immediately understood her plan. If she could make it look as though the Explosive Tags were in front of him, then she could use the Shadow Possession Technique from behind to make him walk into the trap without putting herself in danger. That would decide the match.

But Lihuo wasn't about to let her succeed. The two kept fighting beside the Explosive Tags. Neither realized that one of the tags had suddenly lit up, radiating danger without mercy.

Lu Miao, still fighting Lihuo, hadn't noticed a thing. But Lihuo saw it, and alarm bells went off in his mind.

"Danger! No more holding back!" Lihuo shook his body, and several kilograms of weights fell to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Simplified Sage Mode: Activate!" A breeze spread outward in every direction, with Lihuo at its center.

Just then, Teacher Oshima spotted the perilous situation.

He raced toward Jing Wen's body behind the Trap Formation and Guy, whom Lihuo had knocked down, and rescued them both. But before Teacher Oshima could save anyone else—

BOOM!!!

The Explosive Tag went off, and the blast sent Kakashi and Dai flying far away.

Teacher Oshima had no choice but to immediately raise a Simplified Barrier to protect the children nearby.

Dust billowed in an instant, and smoke filled the air.

"Where's Lihuo?" Kakashi asked anxiously.

"Boss! Are you all right?" Dai shouted with difficulty.

Lihuo held the unharmed Lu Miao tightly in his arms. He could feel the girl trembling with fear, so he gently patted her back, soothing her.

"It's okay. It's okay now."

Lu Miao opened her eyes nervously. Lihuo's face came into view. She could feel that the boy's back had been badly hurt by the intense heat and shock wave.

But he kept trying to comfort her. Tears suddenly streamed down Lu Miao's face.

Seeing that Lu Miao was safe, Lihuo felt the weight lift from his heart. As Simplified Sage Mode wore off, exhaustion washed over him, and he collapsed unconscious.

Teacher Oshima hurried over to them, but on the way, he spotted a tiny white snake!