Insect manipulation techniques of the Aburame clan? Were these set up while my attention was focused on Kiba just now?
Already somewhat familiar with insect manipulation techniques, Kurenai naturally knew how fearsome these seemingly unassuming insects could be. If she continued hiding in this illusion-created tree...
"My 'Kikaichū' can devour chakra, so illusionary techniques like this are ineffective."
As Shino snapped his fingers not far away, the "Kikaichū" swarming around the tree suddenly sprang into action! Almost simultaneously, half of the illusionary tree vanished!
Well done. So the plan from the start was to use Kiba as bait, allowing Shino to plant the "Kikaichū" and disrupt my jutsu? But this probably isn't over yet...
"Apologies, Teacher Kurenai."
The instant Kurenai's true body was forced out by the "Kikaichū," Yuki's figure was already directly above her!
This is the real one, no doubt. For Yuki, with his "Byakugan," trying to deceive him with illusions and substitutions like she did with Kiba earlier was basically impossible.
It's not that I look down on anyone, but Teacher Kurenai, you're a genjutsu-specialized Jōnin. When it comes to taijutsu and close-quarters combat, you're no match for me.
That's exactly what Yuki was thinking as he charged forward.
Even so, it was clear Yūhi Kurenai had no intention of engaging this kid in close combat.
"Genjutsu: Sakura Triad!"
Before Yuki could get close, Kurenai's hand seals were already completed almost faster than the eye could see.
Instantly, brilliant cherry blossoms bloomed before Yuki! Dense petals obscured his vision, immediately severely disrupting his sight!
Since genjutsu itself is composed of chakra, even using the "Byakugan," Yuki would only see vast swaths of chakra linked by the jutsu. Yūhi Kurenai's own chakra was concealed behind this illusion.
I see, a genjutsu specifically designed to obstruct dojutsu vision. As expected of a genjutsu-specialized Jōnin—she knows exactly how to leverage her strengths and compensate for her weaknesses.
If I can't track Teacher Kurenai's movements, she'll inevitably create distance. With her hand-seal speed, getting close again will be very difficult… Time to gamble.
The moment he was caught in the "Genjutsu: Sakura Triad," Yuki immediately switched his vision to Kaguya-hime's perspective and prepared to release a seal he had personally set earlier...
During his two years of training in the outside world, to better hone his skills, Yuki had set several restrictions for himself.
First, minimize the use of his "Stand" and rely mainly on his own abilities as the core of combat.
Second, even when using his "Stand," unless facing an opponent he couldn't defeat with sheer strength alone, avoid activating the "Tidal Moon" ability.
Third, unless encountering an opponent even Kaguya-hime in "Tidal Moon" state couldn't defeat, avoid activating Yuki's final special ability: "Bullet Vision."
"Bullet Vision" is a special ability that can only be used when both Yuki and Kaguya-hime activate their "Byakugan" simultaneously. Its effect slows the perceived flow of time to one-fifth normal speed—commonly known as "bullet time."
While not extremely powerful in practical combat, this ability can be very effective in certain situations, especially as it provides substantial time for thinking.
Of course, its fatal flaw is also obvious: using it causes significant fatigue, which during solo wilderness excursions would be tantamount to suicide.
But now that he's back in Konoha, this seal can be lifted. Especially when there's an opportunity to spar with a Jōnin-level expert like Kurenai, not taking advantage would be a waste.
So, the moment the "Genjutsu: Sakura Triad" took effect, Yuki hastily activated "Bullet Vision" and switched his vision to Kaguya-hime's viewpoint.
This type of genjutsu could obstruct the victim's vision, and even the "Byakugan" couldn't penetrate it. But Yuki possessed two visual fields: his own and that of his "Stand," Kaguya-hime.
Thus, even if his own vision was obstructed, simply switching to Kaguya-hime's perspective would perfectly solve the problem.
Spotted! When he switched his vision to the other pair of Byakugan floating above and slowed the flow of time, Yūhi Kurenai's figure—just about to slip into another illusionary tree not far away—was glaringly obvious to him!
With time now flowing at one-fifth its normal speed, Yuki had ample time to observe the positions of both his opponent and teammates.
The moment time resumed normal flow, another kunai in his hand shot toward the illusionary tree Kurenai had just slipped into! Simultaneously, a tiny "Kikaichū" was caught in Kaguya-hime's hair and flung in the same direction!
What?! Yūhi Kurenai probably never dreamed that Yuki could shake off the visual obstruction of "Sakura Triad" so quickly and instantly direct his teammates!
"Over here!"
"Found you."
Almost the next second, Kiba—who had just been freed by Shino—and a swarm of "Kikaichū" immediately split left and right, charging toward Teacher Kurenai's hiding spot!
Yes, Kiba and Shino didn't even need to guess where Kurenai was now; they could simply follow the kunai and Kikaichū's guidance to easily locate her. This was almost too convenient...
In a normal mission scenario, two genin like Kiba and Shino wouldn't be able to threaten Kurenai. But this was just a test; she couldn't use lethal techniques anyway. So, she had no choice but to escape using the Replacement Jutsu.
"Replacement Jutsu" was a ninjutsu that swapped the user's true body with a nearby object. Though simple, it was very practical. Used skillfully, its effectiveness wasn't much worse than flashier high-level techniques.
However, while "Replacement Jutsu" was useful, if a pair of exceptionally sharp eyes was watching you, it was best to use such techniques sparingly.
"Teacher Kurenai, thanks for the bells."
Before Kurenai could even fully extricate herself from Kiba and Shino's encirclement or react from the transition gap of the "Replacement Jutsu," a still youthful-sounding voice had already appeared behind her!
With two flashes of shadow, almost the very next second, two of the three bells tied at Kurenai's waist were snatched away! If she hadn't twisted her body quickly enough, and if the three bells hadn't been tied on separate sides, all three might have been stolen clean...
So fast! So quick to react! So precise in judgment!
When she saw the two bells instantly end up in Yuki's hands, Kurenai unknowingly broke out in a cold sweat. Though newly promoted to Jōnin, she had fought her way through countless missions and naturally knew just how dangerous the situation had been.
The biggest flaw of the "Replacement Jutsu" was the brief moment after the true body and the replacement object finished swapping. During that split second, the true body would be in a completely defenseless state. If attacked immediately, serious consequences were very likely.
Yuki had perfectly seized upon this critical weakness of the "Replacement Jutsu." If he had intended to kill, Kurenai might have been severely injured or worse in that instant.
"Kiba, Shino, catch."
After securing the two bells, Yuki almost casually tossed them to the side without even looking, sending each flying toward his two teammates dozens of meters away.
With crisp rings as the bells sailed through the air, they landed safely in two separate palms. Kiba and Shino each caught a bell—their proof of passing the test.
"There's still one bell left." Shino looked at the proof of success in his hand but showed no sign of relaxing. Instead, he subtly moved to Yuki's side.
"Oh! One last one! Let's hurry up and finish this!" Kiba also moved closer, crouching low into a stance ready to strike at any moment, his beast-like pupils fixed intently on Teacher Kurenai not far away.
An excellent team, able to jump into actual combat without even needing practice drills… But the one truly connecting the whole squad is him, huh? The legendary young master of the Hyūga clan, who never attends classes yet effortlessly takes first place in every exam.
Is this what a true genius is like? I tried my best to increase the test difficulty, but it was completely ineffective. Sighing softly, Kurenai then casually removed the last bell and tossed it to Yuki.
"Does this count as passing the test?" Juggling the bell in his hand, Yuki—who had been planning to continue the attack—smiled and rubbed the back of his head.
"It doesn't matter anymore. Originally, this exercise was supposed to be tomorrow, giving you half a day to practice teamwork. But you obviously don't need such childish assessments."
Looking at the members of Team 8, who had been formed for less than half a day, a satisfied expression appeared on Kurenai's face.
Initially, as a newly appointed team-leading Jōnin, she had felt somewhat uneasy. But now she realized her luck seemed quite good—drawing a winning hand right from the start...
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TL: SANTA ISNT REAL; IT'S A CONSPIRACY, I TELL YOU!!!, BUT ANYWAYS, HAPPY~CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!,
PS: IM TIRED OF EATING PLUM CAKES T_T