Inorganic Sensing Technique
The moment the Grass Ninja saw the massive Blue Snake, their hearts sank. Its oppressive presence and chakra signature were nothing like that of a human. Instantly, many of them recalled a terrifying name whispered across the shinobi world — Orochimaru, the Cold King of the Sannin.
Although the snake wasn't his, its aura alone shattered their fighting spirit.
Off to the side, Shikamaru watched in silence, stunned. Over these past two days, he had truly seen the strength of his teammates. One of them could already stand toe-to-toe with a Jōnin, while the other, though lacking durability, was devastating in raw offensive power.
Compared to them, Shikamaru was much weaker in direct combat — but he didn't mind. After all, he was a Nara. The clan didn't rely on strength of arms; they relied on strategy and intellect.
So, as the Grass Ninja scattered in panic, Shikamaru merely shook his head, found a quiet spot to sit, and began working out the next step in their plan, leaving Shirō undisturbed.
---
Shirō, however, was relentless. After summoning the Blue Snake, he immediately wove chakra through his body with Reinforcement Magic, then Projected the blade Dryan Mo Xie, before charging headlong into the enemy ranks.
Battles weren't always decided by strength alone. Morale could crush an opponent before the first blow even landed.
Just like now.
The Grass Ninja, demoralized and scattered, had no will to resist Shirō's onslaught. In truth, if they had gathered themselves and fought together, their numbers might have troubled him. After all, there were still dozens of shinobi.
But their coordination collapsed. Their movements were clumsy and full of openings, and in front of Shirō's sharpened killing intent, they crumbled.
He cut through them swiftly, his projected blade flashing like a guillotine. Those who ran fared no better.
"Blue Snake."
At Shirō's lazy call, the snake paused mid-strike and turned its head.
"Lord Shirō."
Before one fleeing Grass Ninja could breathe a sigh of relief, the Blue Snake's tail slammed down with a thunderous bang! A scream was drowned beneath the impact.
"Trap them," Shirō commanded, his eyes never leaving the enemy.
"Yes, Lord Shirō."
The Blue Snake darted forward, maw gaping as a sinister hiss echoed.
"Snake Binding Illusion!"
"Hissss~ Hissss~"
At once, the fleeing Grass Ninja froze, their minds going blank as the auditory genjutsu took hold. Their bodies stiffened, completely under the serpent's sway.
Shirō dismissed his blade with a thought. Raising his hand, he projected several black stakes — like the rods of the Sage of Six Paths — which rained down and impaled the immobilized Grass Ninja to the earth.
Only after confirming their deaths did he dismiss the Blue Snake.
"You've done well. Rest now."
"As you command, Lord Shirō."
With the summoning undone, Shirō didn't pause to recover. Instead, he mounted a projected flying bird and took to the skies, ready to reinforce Tai Yi and Nakamura at a moment's notice — though his body screamed in exhaustion.
This was the most draining battle he had ever fought.
Before, his team always preferred retreat to overcommitment. Even when they couldn't, they found ways to disengage. But this battle required endurance, strategy, and preparation.
The transformation and Noble Phantasm release were heavy burdens, yes — but the true cost had been the meticulous planning. Shikamaru had given him only a rough outline. The execution, the traps, the flow of combat — all of it had been Shirō's responsibility.
For the first time since graduating, he had borne the weight of strategy. And though he was spent, the results had been worth it.
---
Elsewhere, Tai Yi faced his own opponent.
At first, he attempted his usual tactic — use his newly awakened Three-Tomoe Sharingan to end the fight instantly with genjutsu.
But unlike before, there was no ambush. The Grass Jōnin was ready, his senses sharp. The instant Tai Yi's eyes spun into view, the man's wrist flicked, launching a shuriken with almost invisible movement.
At such close range, if Tai Yi forced the genjutsu, he'd be skewered through the skull.
Without hesitation, Tai Yi retreated, narrowly dodging the shuriken.
His attempt had failed for two reasons. First, his mastery of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan was still raw, his genjutsu casting not yet smooth. Second, the enemy was a veteran Jōnin, prepared and alert. Against someone of that caliber, slipping genjutsu in head-on was far harder than in ambush.
And this Jōnin was no ordinary Grass shinobi. Though Kusagakure was a small village, their fighters often specialized narrowly, making them dangerous in specific fields. This man's taijutsu was sharp, his shuriken work refined to a deadly edge. That single, near-invisible flick of the wrist spoke of long, merciless training.
Even Tai Yi, an Uchiha, couldn't yet match that level of finesse. The Uchiha specialized in complex aerial trajectories, ricochets, and combinations — but Tai Yi hadn't mastered those arts. His dodge had to be wide, buying his foe time to weave hand seals.
"Ninja Art: Inorganic Sensing Technique!"
In an instant, chakra spread through the earth and the environment. The Grass Jōnin closed his eyes, yet his awareness sharpened.
Kusagakure's reputation lay in studying and reverse-engineering the jutsu of the great nations. And the Sharingan, feared for its genjutsu, was a natural target.
This technique was their answer — allowing them to sense and fight without relying on sight at all.
Of course, it was imperfect. The Sharingan's genjutsu wasn't its only weapon. Its predictive power, clarity, and insight into movement made even average Uchiha into elite shinobi. If the dōjutsu were only about genjutsu, the clan wouldn't have earned such fearsome renown.
But to outsiders, information on the Uchiha was scarce. And so, believing the rumors, the Grass Jōnin confidently activated his countermeasure the moment he realized Tai Yi's heritage.
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