Duel with Konoha's White Fang!

"Asuma, are you confident?"

Kurenai asked.

"Of course not. We're facing Konoha's White Fang!"

Asuma chuckled. "But all we need to do is give it everything we've got!"

Kurenai and Shizune nodded together, feeling considerably more at ease.

"Kurenai, you'll be responsible for interference later. Create an opening for me."

Asuma assigned their roles.

"What about me?" Shizune hurriedly asked.

Asuma looked at Shizune and pondered.

Shizune had followed Tsunade since she was very young. Her taijutsu was fairly average so far, but her Medical Ninjutsu was already quite good.

She had even mastered the Mystical Palm Technique, a Medical Ninjutsu that Tsunade herself considered somewhat difficult.

Shizune was not the only one in their class studying Medical Ninjutsu.

But she had gained the deepest mastery of it.

Rin came next.

Of course, that also had to do with inheritance.

Shizune had Tsunade's guidance, while Rin came from a family of medical ninja, with both her parents being medical ninja.

After all, the Ninja Academy did not teach much Medical Ninjutsu over its years of instruction, only some basic medical knowledge. To become a true medical ninja, one still had to attend supplementary training at Konoha Ninja Hospital.

Asuma knew Shizune quite well.

He knew that while her taijutsu was average, she was quite skilled at Ninja Tool Throwing.

But under the current circumstances, there was little room for her to put those skills to use.

"Shizune, your task is to support Kurenai, protect yourself, and heal us when necessary."

Asuma said.

This was the most standard arrangement for a medical ninja.

Shizune nodded.

Asuma added, "Also, whether it's me or Kurenai, we'll protect you!"

"We're your support, and you're ours!"

Kurenai and Shizune nodded together.

Hatake Sakumo had silently watched the three arrange their tactics. Only after they had finished did he speak. "Can we begin?"

Asuma and the other two exchanged glances, then nodded together.

"Good. Then let's begin!"

Hatake Sakumo hung the bells at his waist and announced the start.

The moment his words fell, Asuma flung out a smoke bomb.

As the smoke bomb exploded, thick purple mist enveloped Hatake Sakumo.

Hatake Sakumo did not move, quietly waiting for Asuma and the others to attack.

Suddenly.

The smoke churned before being forced apart.

Then Hatake Sakumo felt the temperature of the air rise sharply.

And it was not coming from one direction in front of him, but from all four directions.

Sure enough.

The smoke vanished, replaced by four orange-red Fire Bullets.

The air warped, and the ground blackened and cracked wherever the Fire Bullets passed.

Their temperature was clearly extremely high.

Fire Style of this level is rare even among Jōnin!

Hatake Sakumo was secretly astonished.

This Fire Style was far stronger than the one Asuma had used during the Graduation Exam.

So he really had been hiding his strength!

Hatake Sakumo thought, then shot into the air with a swish.

The four Fire Bullets collided with one another. With a boom, they blasted a charred crater into the ground, while surging waves of flame swept outward in every direction.

As Hatake Sakumo rose into the air, he saw shuriken shooting toward him from directly ahead and from both sides, forming a triangle.

They had anticipated that he would leap into the air to evade the four Fire Bullets.

Hatake Sakumo was not surprised.

He did not draw his sword. Instead, he raised a hand as Electric Arcs appeared around it, crackling before abruptly expanding and bursting outward.

The three shuriken were struck by Electric Light and immediately spun out of control.

But Hatake Sakumo suddenly raised an eyebrow.

Three Asumas had suddenly appeared diagonally below him.

The one in the middle cast Fire Bullet, while the two on either side used Wind Style.

And at that moment, he happened to be falling.

He hid Shadow Clones in the shadows of the shuriken!

Hatake Sakumo understood instantly and drew his sword.

White light flashed!

The massive orange-red Fire Bullet created by the Combined Ninjutsu of the three Shadow Clones was split in half by Hatake Sakumo's descending slash, then swept past both sides of him.

Hatake Sakumo was enveloped in white Electric Light and remained completely unaffected.

"As expected of Konoha's White Fang!"

Asuma watched in silent amazement.

If it had been any other ninja, even a Jōnin, they absolutely would not have been able to deal with that attack so easily.

It was a wide-range Fire Style attack. Even the Substitution Technique would have been useless.

But amazement was one thing.

As the Shadow Clones dispersed, Asuma and Kurenai lunged forward together, advancing in alternating positions.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Asuma threw out two Kunai.

Hatake Sakumo landed and casually knocked one Kunai away with a slash, then tilted his head to evade the second.

At that very moment.

Kurenai, who had moved ahead while they alternated positions, had already completed her Hand Seals.

Cherry Blossom Viewing Technique!

Hatake Sakumo was affected, but he broke free of Kurenai's Genjutsu in only an instant, suffering almost no effect at all.

By then, Asuma had appeared before Kurenai and drawn his sword. Pale blue Wind Release Chakra coated the blade as it cut through the air toward Hatake Sakumo.

"Combining Wind Style with Swordsmanship!"

Delight flashed in Hatake Sakumo's eyes. Moreover, he could sense that Asuma's Wind Release Chakra was exceptionally powerful, stronger than the Chakra of any Wind Style ninja he had ever seen.

He immediately drew his sword and used his full strength.

Clang!

Metal rang against metal as Wind Style and Lightning Style Chakra erupted, instantly stirring up a gale laced with streams of electricity.

Kurenai, who had charged in alongside Asuma, was immediately swept away by the fierce wind.

And at that very moment.

Behind Hatake Sakumo, the Kunai Asuma had thrown earlier transformed into Asuma with a puff, then lunged from behind Hatake Sakumo for the bell at his waist.

Even Hatake Sakumo had failed to notice the Transformation Technique in the slightest.

However.

Just as Asuma's Shadow Clone was about to seize the bell, Hatake Sakumo vanished from where he stood.

"Not good!"

Asuma's expression changed. He hurriedly grabbed his Shadow Clone by the arm and swung it toward Shizune. "Shizune, watch out!"

Shizune was startled. Before she could turn around, she felt a hand land on her shoulder.

But the instant Hatake Sakumo grasped Shizune's shoulder, he sensed that something was wrong.

In an instant, Shizune's body transformed into a mass of fierce swirling wind and exploded.

"Wind Style—Shadow Clone!"

Hatake Sakumo was utterly astonished. Electric Light swirled around his body, but he was caught within the raging wind.

Meanwhile, Asuma's other Shadow Clone had already arrived. With lightning speed, it plucked the bell from Hatake Sakumo's waist!

"Did we succeed?"

Asuma froze, not expecting it to actually work.

"We succeeded!"

Kurenai was ecstatic.

Shizune also appeared, having used the Transformation Technique to become a piece of rubble.

Hatake Sakumo waved a hand, tearing apart the wind surrounding him. Looking at Asuma, he smiled. "Very good. You turned the weakness of a medical ninja to your advantage!"