Kazemori Masaki was equally surprised by Chiyo's strength. Although he had not used every move at his disposal, he had undoubtedly taken the fight seriously, yet she had still escaped death.
She truly lived up to her reputation as a kunoichi who would survive into her seventies. Three Shinobi World Wars had failed to bring her down; both her strength and her luck had already been proven.
Her intuition and reflexes in avoiding that strike were particularly impressive. The kunai she had hurled carried an explosive tag. Had Kazemori Masaki not been preparing to follow up with an Eight-Part Wind Wheel, he would probably have been injured by the explosion, and might even have been struck by the hidden weapons fired from her Puppets.
Kazemori Masaki swung Wind Cutter with one hand. The Wind Release Chakra coating its surface vibrated the air, knocking aside the hidden weapons. With his other hand, he turned the Eight-Part Wind Wheel he had been preparing to throw, aiming its flat, disc-shaped face toward the exploding flames. Its shape shifted slightly as it drew in and compressed a large volume of nearby air, creating a barrier that withstood the explosive tag's force.
This was the defensive form of the Eight-Part Wind Wheel that Kazemori Masaki had developed. Not only could it defend him, but once the attack was over, it could quickly return to its original shape and be thrown again.
However, the explosive tag's flames caught on the Wind Wheel. Although this increased its power further, Kazemori Masaki also felt a surge of scorching heat. Fortunately, he could endure it for such a short time. Before the flames vanished, he swiftly hurled the Eight-Part Wind Wheel toward Chiyo—the explosive tag's glare did nothing to obstruct his Sensory Vision.
Although Chiyo could not see what