A battle-hardened veteran like Aburame Shige had no intention of retreating in fear.
Behind his tinted glasses, his eyes shifted slightly as he made a split-second decision.
Instead of dodging Hayate Gekkō's slash to his right arm, he chose to take the blow in exchange for a counterattack.
But as the kunai drew closer and the killing intent thickened around him, Hayate hesitated. Fear gripped him, and he stepped back.
That retreat saved him from immediate danger, but also meant he had completely ceded the initiative.
Now on the defensive, Hayate found himself in a perilous position, every passing moment brought him closer to serious injury or even death.
Just as Hayate was knocked back and about to be severely wounded, a kunai whistled past his ear, flying straight toward Aburame Shige's right eye.
It was so close that Shige didn't even have time to react.
He couldn't even use the Body Replacement Technique before it struck.
Thud!
There was no blood, only a thin wisp of white smoke.
The kunai, still carrying its force, pierced through three tree trunks in a row before embedding itself deep into a fourth.
Inuzuka Aya had just snapped out of her daze in time to witness Uchiha Aozora's kunai hurl and the moment Shige was "killed" on impact.
Comparing Aozora's clean kill with her own performance moments earlier, Aya flushed with embarrassment.
And to think she had the nerve to call him dead-last? If he was the one lagging behind, what did that make her—someone choking on his dust?
Of course, from a distance, she hadn't truly grasped the power behind that kunai.
Hayate, however, could feel it clearly. Clutching the scratch left by the wind pressure on his cheek, he had to use his sword like a cane just to keep from collapsing.
In that fleeting instant when the kunai had brushed past him, he had felt the chill of death.
He knew without a doubt, if that kunai had been aimed at him, he wouldn't still be breathing.
At that moment, Aburame Shige reappeared atop a nearby tree branch, fingers brushing the center of his forehead where the illusionary injury should have been. The residual sensation from the Shadow Clone's destruction still lingered.
"You're not bad. Better than I expected," he said in a flat tone.
His words, though meant as praise, were so devoid of emotion that both Hayate and Aya thought he was mocking them.
Thinking back on their own clumsy showing, their faces turned red with shame.
Aozora, on the other hand, didn't look pleased at the compliment. He simply gripped another kunai and resumed scanning for weaknesses in Shige's stance.
Shige silently observed the trio's reactions, then continued, "Now that introductions are over, let's resume where we left off."
"Remember, attack me with the intent to kill."
He stood still, waiting for their next assault.
After the earlier fight, it was clear to both Hayate and Aya who the true powerhouse of the team was. Without a word, they moved to stand closer to Aozora.
Aya, however, couldn't bring herself to speak first, still bothered by her earlier comments.
Hayate broke the silence. "Looks like Sensei isn't going to hide this time. He probably wants to test how we perform in direct combat."
"How about this? Aya and I go in close while Aozora provides long-range support with his kunai. Sound good?"
Aozora nodded without hesitation. As a ranged-type, having a solid frontline was ideal.
Aya let out a soft grunt of agreement as well.
Once their general plan was settled, Hayate and Aya briefly coordinated their melee strategy.
Shige remained unmoving on the tree branch, patiently watching.
Finally, they came to an agreement.
Aya took out a red pill and fed it to her small white dog.
The moment the pill entered its mouth, the dog's fur thickened wildly, its eyes turned blood-red, and its body swelled to the size of a young calf.
Aya gave Aozora a quick glance and declared with conviction, "Uchiha Aozora, this time I won't drag anyone down. Watch carefully."
Before her words had even finished, she and the now-beastly pup charged forward.
The once-cute pup now looked like a vicious Tibetan mastiff, more beast than pet.
A swarm of black smoke burst from the gourd behind Shige's back, rushing toward them.
Aozora narrowed his eyes. It wasn't smoke—it was a dense mass of insects.
As the insect cloud engulfed the field, Shige hurled a barrage of shuriken from behind its veil.
But Aya and her transformed companion didn't flinch. Relying on their sharpened senses and reflexes, they avoided the projectiles and darted through the swarm, closing in on Shige rapidly.
The distance between them had been no more than a few dozen meters. In a matter of seconds, Aya and her dog were right in front of him.
The dog kicked off a tree, launching itself midair, jaws wide open to reveal a row of razor-sharp fangs.
Aya trailed half a step behind, clinging to the tree trunk with all fours, eyes locked on Shige.
Shige sidestepped to narrowly avoid the dog's lunge, only to be met by Aya's deadly claws.
He showed no surprise, he had been prepared for this.
With a powerful push from his legs, he leapt back.
But as he retreated, Hayate's blade was already swinging in from the other side.
Clang!
Hayate struck, then backed off immediately. The dog turned and bit again.
Attack and defense. Advance and retreat. Within moments, dozens of exchanges had occurred.
The pill-boosted pup was ferocious, and Aya moved with perfect coordination. Together, they launched an unrelenting barrage.
Hayate lingered just at the edge of the fight, stepping in to slash when an opening appeared.
One human, one dog, and one swordsman, each played their role with precision. For a brief moment, they even managed to pressure Aburame Shige.
Though calling it "pressure" might be generous. Shige appeared to be on the back foot, but he was never truly disoriented. In fact, he was using the opportunity to observe Aozora.
Watching the young Uchiha circling at a distance, never too close or too far, Shige quietly set a portion of his focus on him, wary of another strike.
Soon, Aozora noticed the dog beginning to tire, and Hayate had to take a more active role in the offense.
However, the two lacked the same coordination Aya had with her canine partner. This gave Shige more room to maneuver—and finally, he started going on the offensive.
Seeing this, Aozora abandoned the idea of waiting for a perfect opening.
He jumped, adjusted his angle midair, and hurled another kunai with force.
Shige had been watching him.
But as the kunai flew in, he instantly realized he couldn't dodge and was forced to block with his own weapon.
The kunai sliced through the air, a gust trailing in its wake, threading perfectly between Hayate and Aya to strike at Shige.
The Jonin raised his kunai horizontally to parry.
All three, Hayate, Aya, and Shige were bracing for the sound of metal clashing.
But the kunai curved mid-flight.
Right before their eyes, the kunai bent ever so slightly, slipping around Shige's guard.
Thud!
Again, no blood. Just a puff of white smoke.
Another Shadow Clone!
So where was the real Aburame Shige?
Or rather… who was he planning to ambush?
Aozora knew the answer instantly.
Shige appeared behind him without warning.
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Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!