Easily Passing, the Nemesis of Genjutsu

"That combination technique was incredibly powerful. It looked like the top three had all been hiding their true strength."

Shino Aburame, hiding in a tree, looked at the dust mist rising from the clearing and the forest and muttered softly to himself.

At the same time, he swiftly sent out a large number of insects, using the dust mist as cover to quietly fly toward Red Yuhi, intending to snatch the bells from her waist while she was distracted.

Unfortunately, Hinata had already alerted her.

As the Guidance Jonin of the Sensor Team, Red Yuhi's Sensing Technique was equally exceptional.

After being startled by Hinata's combination technique and swallowed by the dust mist, she had already activated her senses.

Izayoi-kun's group's positions, as well as the approaching insects, had all been detected by Red Yuhi.

With a bang, a sound like a bursting balloon rang out from within the dust mist.

When the dust mist dispersed, only a log surrounded by circling insects remained on the ground.

Substitution Technique!

The Eighth Squad was not surprised by the sight.

With the veins at her temples bulging, Hinata scanned her surroundings. Within her black-and-white vision, Shino Aburame hiding in a tree, Red Yuhi using white smoke as cover to Body Flicker into the forest, and Izayoi-kun, who had already Body Flickered into an afterimage and was rushing toward Red Yuhi, were all exposed to her x-ray vision and farsight.

Watching Izayoi-kun appear before Red Yuhi and launch his attack, Hinata's Byakugan seemed to see something. The corners of her lips could not help but rise slightly.

Then, she took out a piece of cloth, nodded in Shino Aburame's direction, and vanished.

The buzzing of insects followed close behind.

In another part of the forest, the clang of metal striking metal rang out.

As the view drew closer, a man and a woman, their heights differing by only a few centimeters, were gripping kunai in reverse and engaging in melee combat.

Aiming at Red Yuhi's vital points, Izayoi-kun's kunai stabbed, slashed, and swept toward her.

His attacks were so fast, and his strikes so decisive, that even Red Yuhi could only defend passively.

At first, the battle-hardened Red Yuhi did not panic.

But soon, as though she had discovered something unbelievable, her pupils suddenly contracted and her expression changed dramatically.

"How is that possible?!"

She even cried out in shock.

Knowing what had stunned her, Izayoi-kun's lips curled slightly upward.

The next second, he turned into a cloud of white smoke with a bang.

At the same time, three shouts rang out from around the forest.

"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

Orange-red flames, like the glow of sunset, enveloped Red Yuhi.

Three fire dragons roughly four meters long roared toward her from three directions, forming a triangle.

Red Yuhi likewise had no time to Body Flicker away. Genjutsu was of no use either, so she could only rapidly form hand seals and shout, "Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

A waterfall-like stream burst from her mouth. As Red Yuhi spun, it collided with the incoming fire dragons.

Explosions and sizzling filled the air as an astonishing white mist spread outward.

"Cough, cough..."

The mist covered an enormous area, even spreading into the clearing.

Red Yuhi burst out of the mist, coughing as though she had choked on it.

Suddenly, as if realizing something, Red Yuhi froze in place.

The next second, a familiar sound reached her ears.

Jingle, jingle...

The pleasant ringing of bells drew nearer and nearer.

A gust of wind scattered the mist, and the Eighth Squad emerged from the forest.

Standing in the middle, Izayoi-kun lightly shook the bells in his hand while smiling at Red Yuhi. "Teacher Red, we passed, right?"

"Impressive. Even though I was already on guard against you, you still managed to take the bells."

Looking at the spotless Eighth Squad, then at herself in her slightly disheveled state, Red Yuhi felt a little embarrassed, but even more delighted.

She broke into a smile and praised them without reservation. "Very strong. Excellent tactics. Your teacher lost."

"No... A ninja's battle is a battle of intelligence."

Izayoi-kun shook his head and smiled. "The reason we obtained the bells so easily was because Teacher Red revealed her specialty, and because you did not know enough about us. If this had been a fight to the death, it would not have been so easy. We only succeeded because Teacher Red deliberately went easy on us."

Hearing this, Hinata and Shino Aburame, who had deliberately stayed one step behind Izayoi-kun, both looked at him in astonishment, though their thoughts differed.

I-Izayoi-kun... he speaks so nicely.

So that's how you can talk? Wait, isn't this just flattering her?

Red Yuhi was slightly taken aback as well, but the smile on her face only grew brighter. Her gaze toward Izayoi was filled with fondness.

"Such a sweet talker!"

With the awkwardness dispelled, Red Yuhi immediately regained her dashing composure. She walked over and patted Izayoi on the shoulder, then wrapped an arm around Hinata's delicate shoulders with a smile. "Come on. To celebrate the formation of Eighth Squad, your teacher is treating you to a big meal."

As they walked along the forest path leading to Central Street, Red Yuhi looked curiously at Izayoi and asked, "Izayoi, how did your Shadow Clone break my genjutsu in the middle of battle?"

The Ninja Academy taught how to break genjutsu.

All one had to do was disrupt the flow of chakra within the body.

It sounded simple, but it was extremely difficult in practice.

During battle, it was practically impossible to disrupt one's chakra.

After all, disrupting the chakra inside one's body required carefully mobilizing that chakra, which meant forming Hand Seals.

What had shocked Red Yuhi just now was not that the one fighting her had merely been Izayoi's Shadow Clone, nor was it that Izayoi's Main Body and Shadow Clone had been lying in ambush nearby.

It was that Izayoi's Shadow Clone had actually ignored her genjutsu.

"That's an exclusive secret, Teacher Red."

Izayoi raised an index finger to his lips and smiled. "A ninja's battle is a battle of intelligence. Secrets make a man more attractive."

As he said that, Izayoi threw Hinata a flirtatious wink, making the girl lower her head shyly.

"You're not a man yet. You're just a little brat."

Red Yuhi rolled her eyes. "Say that again once you're twenty and can drink with your teacher."

Even so, she did not press him further.

However, her assessment of Izayoi had already far surpassed that of Hinata and Shino Aburame, the two children of Ninja Clans.

Enormous chakra reserves, powerful Fire Release ninjutsu, a mature personality, and such ninja instincts...

At that moment, Red Yuhi finally understood why Izayoi had been able to suppress the children of all the major Ninja Clans and retain the position of Top Student year after year.

Izayoi merely smiled without answering her tease.

Of course, he would not tell Red Yuhi that the reason he could ignore her genjutsu was not only because his Yin Release Chakra was exceptionally powerful, but also because he could use Seal-less Casting.

Others needed Hand Seals to mobilize their chakra, but Izayoi had no need for them at all.

He was the natural nemesis of genjutsu.