"Reverse: Bringer of Darkness Jutsu!"
The hand seals were completed, and the technique was activated. Tatsuma's visual sensitivity was completely stripped away. His blood-red pupils and pure white sclera were now entirely black.
Not only were Chakra-mimicking waves undetectable, but even real light waves could not be perceived by Tatsuma's eyes. At this moment, Tatsuma's vision was worse than that of a blind person who lost their sight later in life.
Some blind people who lost their sight due to later factors can still receive some light, but Tatsuma's eyes at this moment could not perceive even a trace of light, resembling the condition of the most severe congenital blindness.
Even the "darkness" that a normal person experiences with their eyes closed is very hard for Tatsuma to detect. If he hadn't seen the colors, he might not even know what darkness was.
The essence of this technique is essentially closing one's eyes, but closing one's eyes is not foolproof because thin eyelids cannot block light. Moreover, in Tatsuma's past battles, he was unable to be separated from his visual sight. Therefore, even closing his eyes or avoiding looking directly at Tenko was not a reliable option for him.
Instinct is called instinct because it is difficult to change; even in the process of subjective consciousness leading, instincts can still act up.
Perhaps for some Jonin who at least don't have Genjutsu as a weak point, they don't need to go to the extremes that Tatsuma does. They only need to avoid the most direct Genjutsu attacks and quickly dispel the Genjutsu.
But Tatsuma is different. Genjutsu has always been his weak point. When facing other enemies, he has to be extra cautious, let alone facing the Uchiha Clan.
To avoid failure, he must be extremely cautious, even if it requires paying a price that others might not understand.
At this moment, Tenko also made eye contact with Tatsuma. However, after just one glance, he was stunned because he could not find the focus in Tatsuma's gaze. No, Tatsuma didn't even have a gaze at this moment.
Those dark eyes were like a stagnant pool, absorbing light completely, with no reflection or effect.
Tatsuma's footsteps did not stop; he was not affected by the Illusion Shackling Stakes Jutsu's immobilization effect.
"Something's wrong!"
The thought flashed in Tenko's mind. The confusion from the failed Genjutsu activation caused him to momentarily falter in his actions, and that brief moment was enough for Tatsuma to reach him and launch an attack.
The Perception Technique isn't so magical. Except for a few Sensing techniques that require special conditions to activate, being able to sense the position and volume of Chakra is already the limit.
However, Tatsuma has a good memory. Although he gave up the extra boost of [Focus] and cannot truly have perfect recall, his already excellent memory is sufficient for him to remember Tenko's position and posture.
While Sensing, Tenko's position had not changed, which also suggested that his posture had not changed much. Therefore, Tatsuma directly threw an Enhanced Strength punch towards Tenko's face.
"Whew~"
The whistling wind passed by Tenko's ears, and he could even feel his ear cartilage and earlobes rapidly vibrating. A slight stinging sensation was transmitted from his ear canal to his brain.
Sento was also extremely nervous. If he hadn't quickly pulled Tenko just now, Tatsuma's fist would have left an imprint on Tenko's face.
"Lightning Release! Thunderclap Arrow!"
Before the two could enjoy their narrow escape, a barrage of lightning arrows was thrown at them. Tatsuma, whose punch had missed, also swiftly rotated his waist and followed up with a spinning elbow strike.
"Eight Trigrams! Revolving Heaven!"
Caught in a pincer attack and with Tenko still in shock, Sento had no better way to respond and could only use Revolving Heaven again.
"Boom!"
The hurriedly activated Revolving Heaven had some issues with Chakra output balance. It was shattered in an instant.
However, the time gained by Revolving Heaven allowed Tenko to fully regain his composure. He performed hand seals and then slapped his hand on the ground.
"Uchiha Flame Formation!"
A crimson fire wall erupted from the ground. The lightning arrows collided with the fire wall and were burned up during their spread. Tatsuma, who was initially pursuing, seemed to have noticed something and withdrew immediately.
"It seems Tatsuma has closed his own vision."
Seeing Tatsuma retreat and accidentally trip over a stone, Tenko quickly deduced, recalling Tatsuma's earlier performance.
Tenko didn't accuse Tatsuma of cheating, since Tatsuma had agreed to simulate Nin Taijutsu but was now using a technique unique to Konoha, and extremely rare even within Konoha.
In theory, it could be considered cheating or underhanded, but while Tenko and Sento were not completely clear about Tatsuma's weakness in Genjutsu, they were sure that Tatsuma's Genjutsu was noy strong.
True Cloud Ninja Jonin would not behave this way. Even if they were not skilled in Genjutsu, they would not need the extensive preparation that Tatsuma did.
Tatsuma using Bringer of Darkness Jutsu only narrows the gap in Genjutsu resistance between him and Cloud Ninja. If Tenko aimed to defeat Tatsuma, he would definitely target Tatsuma's excessive use of techniques. However, his opponent is a candidate for Cloud Ninja leadership.
Even Sento, upon hearing this, muttered, "Isn't this a bit unfair? Cloud Ninja aren't blind. Tatsuma giving up his vision must significantly reduce his strength, right?"
Although he spoke softly, his words did not escape Tatsuma's ears. Tatsuma shook his head and said, "You seem to overestimate yourselves."
The seemingly casual remark caused the two, who had previously felt they had a bit of an advantage, to return to a heated state. Sento, enraged, said:
"Then don't blame me for bullying you while you are blind!"
With that, he used Body Flicker Jutsu and moved towards Tatsuma. Tenko also wanted to follow, but Minato unleashed another Thunderclap Arrow, blocking his path.
Previously, Tatsuma targeted Tenko, while Minato was responsible for attacking Sento. Now the roles have switched.
"Eight Trigrams! Sixty-Four Palms!"
Sento's strategy was clear. Although Tatsuma's vision was obstructed, Tatsuma's Sensing ability was evidently strong. This was known because Tatsuma and Minato had both worked on infiltration missions alongside the Inuzuka and Aburame clans.
As a clan with Sensing abilities themselves, the Hyuga clan had plenty of contact with these two clans during mission operations, and naturally, they were aware that many from these clans highly regarded and praised Tatsuma's Sensing ability.
Therefore, large-scale Ninjutsu or techniques requiring significant Chakra are, for Tatsuma, effectively the same as direct visual observation. This is why Sento took action against Tatsuma before Tenko could.
Among the Eight Trigrams Gentle Fist techniques, there are actually only two that can be clearly sensed: one is Revolving Heaven, and the other is Vacuum Palm. Aside from these two techniques, other Gentle Fist techniques are difficult to detect with Perception Techniques.
Especially with the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, which focuses on striking points, each change in Chakra occurs when it comes into contact with the opponent's pressure points. The amount used is minimal, just enough to block the opponent's vital points and meridians, making it hard for Perception Techniques to detect.
He struck at Tatsuma's various pressure points with each palm. Tatsuma frowned; although he couldn't see or sense the attacks, he managed to avoid some of them by relying on the sound of the wind and his knowledge of Eight Trigrams Gentle Fist.
Combined with Enhanced Strength and Chakra bursts, he managed to block several of Sento's strikes. The Chakra absorption prevented Sento's Chakra from penetrating Tatsuma's body.
Sento's expression was extremely serious. He hadn't expected that Tatsuma, who had blocked his vision, could still hold his ground in a Taijutsu fight.
"Shadow of the Dancing Leaf!"
Instead of rigidly completing the Sixty-Four Palms, Sento suddenly changed tactics. In stark contrast to the Eight Trigrams Gentle Fist, he unleashed Konoha Style Strong Fist Taijutsu with a powerful kick aimed directly at Tatsuma's chin.
Hearing the wind, Tatsuma determined the attack's position and attempted to block with both hands. However, the completely opposite forces made it somewhat challenging for Tatsuma to adjust.
With his block taking too long, Sento's foot had already landed again before Tatsuma could fully rise. Sento seized the opportunity to continue his attack.
"Konoha Whirlwind!"
With a spinning upper kick, Tatsuma quickly raised his elbow to block and attempted a forward throw. However, Sento's Konoha Style Taijutsu was well-trained, not only in techniques and strength but also in combat experience.
The upper kick was withdrawn before it was fully executed. Switching to a central leg position, Sento's lower kick swept toward Tatsuma's head as he crouched forward.
"Konoha Gale!"
Tatsuma found it difficult to make precise judgments, but his richer combat experience still allowed him to react. His right hand, initially raised to his ear, swung downward to block.
"Bang!"
The two forces canceled each other out. Tatsuma used the momentum to rise and retreat, while Sento quickly followed up, channeling Chakra in his right hand to strike at Tatsuma.
"Eight Trigrams! Mountain Crusher!"
The technique took some time to execute. Tatsuma, having already reacted, swiped his hands to deflect Sento's strike. However, the difference in force made Tatsuma's movements slightly disjointed.
Although he deflected Sento's attack, Tatsuma couldn't keep up with a counterattack. As they both quickly turned around, Tatsuma readied a spinning elbow while Sento prepared a shoulder and elbow strike.
"Boom!"
The clash of Taijutsu actually cracked the ground, and both of them staggered back two steps. Tatsuma pursed his lips. Sento's ability to switch seamlessly between Strong Fist and Gentle Fist made it difficult for his opponents to predict and adapt.
Even Tatsuma himself made several misjudgments and was slightly caught off balance by Sento. His Enhanced Strength couldn't fully explode as a result.
Tatsuma shook his hands to relieve the soreness and tingling, assessed the condition of Sento and Tenko with his Sensing ability, and knew it was almost time to end the fight. Of course, he had to leave them with a lasting impression before finishing.
Sento was also struggling. Although his visual advantage and the challenging transition between two types of power allowed him to hold his own against Tatsuma, and even manage the situation better than Tatsuma, Tatsuma's sheer strength and hardness made it tough. After enduring several of Tatsuma's elbow strikes, Sento could already see tiny cracks in the bones at the impact points through his Byakugan.
As Sento was trying to find a way out of this awkward predicament, he heard Tatsuma say, "I'm warmed up enough now. Next... take your time to experience it!"
With that, Tatsuma performed hand seals and activated a special seal. In an instant, Tatsuma's Chakra merged with the turbulent air currents caused by the battle.
Although he still couldn't "see" Sento's movements, the changes in the wind direction, combined with his talents, were enough for Tatsuma to deduce Sento's actions.
Not far away, Tenko, half-burned, was catching his breath behind a large tree. Hearing Tatsuma's voice, Minato remarked, "It seems I also need to resolve this quickly."
The next moment, Body Flicker Jutsu was activated. With extremely high speed, two streaks of golden and silver light appeared in the forest, accompanied by screams.
"Ahhh~~~" "Ah!!!!"
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