This was different from last time.
Although the genin didn't say it out loud, many of them felt that Uchiha Sogetsu was getting a bit too cocky.
Jōnin aren't just anyone. They're elite ninjas from their respective villages, each with their own set of skills and experiences.
To suggest that he could take on two of them so casually—well, even most Uchihas wouldn't be so bold.
But Sogetsu didn't just talk big; he backed it up. He delivered a crushing defeat to his opponents, particularly the genins from Iwagakure, whose pride took a serious hit.
The elite jōnin from the Iwagakure was completely outclassed. There was no room for excuses. Even though some in Iwa tried to justify it by saying that Higashi Shibito had just been caught off-guard, the result was still a bitter pill to swallow.
Higashi Shibito, feeling the pressure of all eyes on him, regretted stepping up in the first place. He was now being roasted in a stove, neither advancing or retreating.
Fortunately, Pakura, Sunagakure's Elite Jonin, stepped in, trying to turn the tides.
With a simple flick of her ponytail, Pakura radiated confidence and combat readiness. Her voice rang out: "You asked for this. Don't blame us when you lose!"
Higashi Shibito silently moved to the side, creating an angle with Pakura to surround Sogetsu.
The pressure mounted.
Kosuke asked with concern, "Jōnin Sogetsu, are you sure you don't need our help?"
Sogetsu didn't respond. Instead, he simply spread his arms wide, with a sly grin, beckoning his opponents. "Come on, let's see what Iwagakure and Sunagakure can do."
The air grew tense, and the genin watched with bated breath. The silence was soon shattered by a sudden burst of chakra as Higashi Shibito made the first move.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
He capitalized on his geographical advantage, taking the lead and stomping the ground to create a massive shockwave. The earth itself seemed to obey him, morphing into a towering earth dragon, its body as large as a hill. It soared high into the air, casting a shadow over half the battlefield.
As the earth dragon shifted, the entire tower trembled violently. The weight of the mountainous mass seemed to bear down, evoking the terrifying feeling of a landslide.
Uchiha Sogetsu stepped back, keeping his balance. "Fire Release: Fireball!" he shouted, sending a massive fireball toward the ascending earth dragon.
The explosion was tremendous, the fireball shattering into sparks that rained down, but the force was enough to break apart the earth dragon, causing rocks and debris to cascade to the ground. Dust and smoke filled the area, obscuring vision.
Out of the haze, a flurry of shurikens sliced through the air toward Sogetsu. He leaned back, effortlessly dodging them. What he didn't expect was the cunning tactics of Pakura.
She slid in low like a sleek cheetah, using the smoke as cover, her calf enveloped in a blazing orange-red chakra.
"Scorch Release: Blazing Kick!" she cried, aiming a high-powered kick directly at Sogetsu's head.
But Sogetsu was a step ahead. He raised his hand and grabbed her ankle, his grip like a vice. Lightning crackled in his breath, and beneath his loose black coat, layers of fine dragon scales gleamed. His fingers crushed Pakura's ankle with brutal force, shattering bone.
As a Sequence 6 Hypnotist, his defenses and strength provided by the dragon scales might not match those of someone like Tsunade, but they were more than enough to overpower a mere Jonin.
Pakura's Scorch Release, famous as it was, seemed like a mere annoyance to Sogetsu.
Pakura groaned in pain as the force of impact surged through her legs, sending waves of searing heat along her nerves. Confusion clouded her eyes—why wasn't her fire power affecting Uchiha Sogetsu?
Anyone else who touched her would feel their skin blistering as if seared by open flames. But not him.
Unfortunately, she didn't have time to find out why.
"Do you know?" Uchiha Sogetsu raised his head slightly, his Sharingan glowing with a chilling light. "Your biggest mistake was approaching me recklessly. That's why you lost."
Muscles bulged across his body as he tensed his arms. He swung his limbs with brute force, and Pakura, lightweight in comparison, was tossed into the air like a boat in a violent storm.
The sheer power sent her flying, flipping end over end, as if she were caught in a spinning drum. Her insides churned as if they might burst from the force.
The onlookers were stunned, unable to believe what they were seeing.
"An afterimage?!" someone exclaimed.
Uchiha Sogetsu moved with such speed that his movements left a blur behind him, creating a cascade of wind that swept away the surrounding smoke and dust.
As Pakura spun through the air, the force of his attacks seemed to warp the space around them, with ripples spreading out like shockwaves.
"Let her go!" Ginko, watching from the stands, couldn't hold back her anger and shouted at the top of her lungs.
Finally, Uchiha Sogetsu, apparently done with his display, flung Pakura aside as if she were a discarded piece of trash. She crashed into the hard wall, her body embedding into it, leaving her limp and motionless.
"YOU—!" Ginko's voice roared as she gripped the railing, her knuckles turning white from the pressure.
"I'm sorry," Uchiha Sogetsu replied calmly, as if nothing unusual had happened.
"I might have overdone it a bit. To make it up to you, just mention my name at Konoha Hospital, and you'll get a 20% discount on her medical care."
Ginko's rage soared to new heights. She clenched her teeth, her anger almost tangible as if it might set the whole place ablaze.
"20% off? What kind of discount is that?"
Meanwhile, Higashi Shibito, who had been lurking and waiting for an opportunity, finally found the perfect moment.
Using the Earth Release technique, he stealthily emerged from the ground, his right arm encased in solid rock.
"Earth Release: Super Heavy Rock Technique!" he shouted as he threw a powerful punch, channeling 80% of his chakra into it.
He was confident that with the enhanced weight from the Earth Release, even someone with a head as hard as copper or bones like iron would be seriously injured.
This punch would make anyone seriously injuired.
However, as Higashi Shibito planned his surprise attack from behind, he was met with a pair of glowing scarlet eyes.
Three tomoe swirled slowly within Uchiha Sogetsu's Sharingan.
Higashi Shibito seemed to freeze in mid-punch, his fist stopping right in front of Uchiha Sogetsu's face, as if time had been paused.
"What's wrong with the Jonin Higashi Shibito?"
The genin from Iwagakure, who were observing the battle, were perplexed and yelled in concern, "Attack him, quickly!"
"I can't move," Higashi Shibito replied, his pupils trembling, his face turning pale.
It was then that he remembered the crucial thing he had overlooked.
"I'm curious," Uchiha Sogetsu said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. The tomoe in his eyes rotated gently as he asked, "Who gave you the confidence to think you could ambush me with these eyes watching?"
"Sharingan."
Higashi Shibito suddenly felt a sinking sensation of despair in his chest.
He had overlooked a critical detail—Uchiha Sogetsu was an Uchiha.
All this time, he had been deceived by Sogetsu's incredible taijutsu skills, which were nearly superhuman in their precision and power.
Because of that, he had completely dismissed the fact that Sogetsu was part of the Uchiha clan, renowned for their unique bloodline limit and the powerful Sharingan.
It wasn't just taijutsu that made them formidable; their true strengths lay in ninjutsu and genjutsu.
"Friendly reminder: you might want to brace yourself," Uchiha Sogetsu said with a smirk as he clenched his fists. "Considering your skill, I'll give you a 35% discount when you check in at Konoha Hospital. Just mention my name."
Boom!
The sound reverberated like thunder.
A perfect way to boost Konoha Hospital's patient count.
********
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