Chapter 56
"Is dodging the only thing you can do?"
Feeling the surrounding violent wind and lightning chakra, Haneda jumped without hesitation.
His habit was to avoid any attack he could dodge, saving chakra whenever possible.
But the moment Haneda jumped, he revealed a sly grin.
As Haneda and Asuma's attacks missed, the lightning serpent they had released returned to Haneda's sword, transforming into hundreds of senbon needles that shot toward Sakumo in midair at lightning speed.
In midair, without any footholds, Sakumo's body could only move along its momentum. In the face of the sheer number of Chidori senbon, there was no way to avoid them!
"Below!" Haneda called out.
Instantly, Asuma understood Haneda's intention and swung his chakra blade, predicting where Sakumo would land.
"Interesting, you've grown, Haneda."
Sakumo swung his sword, his body spinning with the blade. In an instant, a small whirlwind formed, enveloping him completely. The Chidori senbon were deflected, scattering to the ground.
The vegetation in the area was struck by the senbon and singed, leaving dark marks everywhere.
But Haneda and Asuma's attack hadn't ended!
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*
The sound of slicing wind echoed as Haneda sent three wind blades, each a meter long, flying toward Sakumo in a triangular formation. The chakra in each blade was powerful enough to cut through a large boulder.
And from below, Asuma's chakra blade came rushing in.
Compared to Haneda's wind blades, Asuma was clearly the easier target.
Sakumo understood Haneda's intention. He could either take the hit head-on or eliminate Asuma.
It would be simple for Sakumo to eliminate Asuma, but his goal was to train the Ninth Squad in teamwork. Eliminating Asuma wouldn't serve that purpose.
This was Haneda's strategy, playing on Sakumo's psychology, forcing him to use more chakra and setting up conditions for victory.
Sakumo quickly weighed his options, but just then, a pair of red eyes flashed before him.
It was Kurenai, hiding in the shadows, making her move while Sakumo was being pressured from both sides.
She timed her opportunity well, catching him at a moment when most shinobi would have been too focused on their own defense.
As Sakumo was about to be pulled into her genjutsu world, his gaze sharpened, and he swiftly made his decision.
A terrifying aura and a surge of powerful chakra erupted from Sakumo's body.
The moment Kurenai's eyes met Sakumo's, a look of fear appeared on her face—her own genjutsu had backfired on her!
At the same time, Asuma, feeling the overwhelming aura at such close range, froze. He was paralyzed, as though he had seen something truly terrifying. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead.
At that moment, Sakumo landed, standing beside Asuma.
Despite being within easy striking distance, Asuma couldn't move. Every time he tried to attack with his chakra blade, an invisible force stopped him—his own survival instinct urging him to retreat.
"What are you hesitating for?" Haneda shouted.
For the first time in five years, Haneda felt the terrifying pressure that Sakumo exerted. But this time, he wasn't afraid.
Without hesitation, Haneda raised his sword and swung.
"It seems the child from five years ago has grown, able to face me head-on now."
Sakumo smiled softly, sidestepping Haneda's attacks effortlessly, even positioning himself in front of Asuma, offering openings deliberately.
"Ahhhh!"
Unable to bear the pressure any longer, Asuma roared, his eyes red as he charged blindly at Sakumo's back.
With a simple backward leap, Sakumo dodged, causing Asuma to nearly collide with Haneda's swinging blade.
"I see Haneda's shadow in you, Asuma. You're doing well," Sakumo praised.
Haneda glanced at Asuma, who was panting heavily, then at Kurenai, who was crying after her failed genjutsu.
In both of them, Haneda saw a reflection of his younger self.
One trying to face their fears with a sword, the other wanting to flee in terror.
"Both of you, stand back. This battle is too soon for you."
Haneda didn't blame them. He spoke softly.
His Sharingan activated, three tomoe spinning, and his sword crackled with electricity.
"Now, I will use my full strength, Sakumo-san."
"Watch my eyes."
With those words, Haneda moved like lightning, appearing in front of Sakumo in an instant.
Instead of swinging his sword immediately, he used a Leaf Whirlwind kick, kicking up dirt and sand to disrupt Sakumo's vision.
Taking advantage of the cover, Haneda moved again, using his Sharingan to track the flow of chakra, allowing him to see Sakumo's exact position as if through the dust.
*Swish, swish, swish...*
Footsteps approached rapidly, and Sakumo listened carefully, pinpointing where Haneda was.
But how could he be sure it wasn't just a clone?
Sakumo's relaxed expression turned serious. From Haneda's recent moves, Sakumo could see how formidable he had become and understood what Haneda meant by fighting seriously.
This would no longer be a simple sword fight using chakra. Haneda would be utilizing all of his abilities.
"Here it comes!"
Sakumo focused, swinging his blade to block Haneda's direct slash.
At the same time, another figure emerged from behind a tree, launching a massive fireball.
Sakumo used the force of Haneda's sword to leap backward, forming hand signs mid-air, and upon landing, slammed his hand into the ground.
"Earth Style—Earth Wall!"
A two-meter-high, solid earth wall rose from the ground, blocking the fireball.
Fire and dust filled the area, but Sakumo didn't relax.
He was certain Haneda would use the environment to his advantage—it was his preferred tactic.
As expected, a series of wind blades emerged from the cover of the dust cloud, just three meters away from Sakumo when they came into view!
Sakumo blocked the first wind blade with his sword, then dodged the others by moving left and right.
But Haneda had calculated Sakumo's movements precisely.
As Sakumo evaded the wind blades, earthen spikes shot up from the ground where he was about to land!
This was Earth Style—Earth Rising Spears, a technique Haneda had never used against Sakumo before!
A flicker of surprise crossed Sakumo's face. In mid-air, he performed a backflip, slashing the spikes as he landed, then continued retreating to avoid the range of the earth spikes.
At that moment, the real Haneda moved in!
His Sharingan spun slowly before Sakumo's eyes, drawing him into the genjutsu.
In the crimson world of the illusion, four invisible stakes pinned down Sakumo's limbs, binding him completely.
This was... Genjutsu: Shackling Stakes!
***
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