Instant Kill with Blue Fire
"Since the other party has chosen to appear, let's move on to the next phase."
Without waiting for feedback, Kakashi laid out the next stage of the plan to his teammates and immediately put it into motion. He had already begun formulating countermeasures the moment Bai Ye took action, preparing multiple strategies in anticipation of Kazuhiko's possible responses.
"Why are these two even more overbearing than I am?"
Shō had always considered himself fairly arrogant, but after observing this operation, he began to feel naïve in comparison. Both Bai Ye and Kakashi gave off the same energy: Here's what we're doing. If you're not on board, too bad—we all go down together.
"Why waste words? I'm the one getting the worst of this deal!"
Kazuo scowled, clearly displeased. Whether the plan succeeded or not, he was bound to take heavy damage. If he couldn't come up with a better alternative, there was no way he'd agree so easily.
"Hurry up. I can't hold on much longer in this state."
Kakashi moved swiftly. He used Earth Release to subtly reshape the terrain, creating a sloped embankment leading toward Kazuhiko's position. Next, he placed a dozen kunai on the ground and walls around them, forming a crude formation. Kakashi stood in its center, holding one kunai, which was connected to the others with thin wire.
Sparks of lightning danced intermittently between the wires, crackling and sizzling as they incinerated parasitic insects attempting to fly across.
"Insects are such a pain. Every time the fight starts, the whole field turns black—I can't see a damn thing."
As the battle reached its most intense phase, the screen of insects blocked the view entirely for those lacking special visual abilities.
"The guy made a lot of noise earlier, but it looks like nothing really came of it."
"Not quite. At the very least, the Aburame clan kid initiated an attack."
Unable to see the battlefield clearly, the spectators began to discuss the fight.
"Guy, you should be familiar with Bai Ye's moves. How is he doing?"
Yue noticed that Bai Ye had yet to reappear and grew concerned. She turned to Might Guy, who had trained with him, hoping he might offer insight. Others also leaned in to listen.
Over the past few weeks, Bai Ye, Guy, and Kakashi had often vanished together, claiming to be developing new ninjutsu. Since Bai Ye had always been the inventive type, no one had paid it much mind.
Based on the battlefield, the technique seemed to have succeeded—but the aftereffects looked severe.
"This move is called 'Blue Fire Instant Kill.' I just gave a few pointers about the Eight Gates. The main development came from Bai Ye and Kakashi," said Guy. "The technique has immense power, but it comes with serious drawbacks. The prep time is too long, and opening even one gate causes the user's body to collapse afterward. It's not really viable in most situations."
Half a month ago, under the strict supervision of Might Duy, Bai Ye had barely managed to open the Gate of Limit (Dōmon) for a brief moment—and nearly died from the strain. He only survived thanks to super-accelerated healing and was explicitly warned by Duy to never attempt it again until his body matured.
But Bai Ye wasn't one to follow such advice. He believed even a fleeting moment could change the tide of battle. So he secretly enlisted Guy and Kakashi to help him refine the technique.
Though Guy currently opposed using the Eight Gates recklessly, and Kakashi's understanding of taijutsu was limited, the collaboration proved fruitful. Guy's physical expertise offered new perspectives, and Bai Ye saw potential in a technique Kakashi had not yet created—Chidori. Though it didn't exist yet, Bai Ye fed him detailed concepts, hoping Kakashi would develop it earlier.
The prototype for "Blue Fire Instant Kill" was Hadō #33: Sōkatsui (Blue Fire Crash Down) from Bai Ye's previous life. Like Chidori, it was a high-speed, high-intensity move that emitted a piercing screech. But since Sōkatsui was a long-range technique, Bai Ye needed help modifying it into a close-quarters, high-impact thrust.
After ten days of relentless testing, they finally succeeded. By concentrating the Blue Fire technique at his fingertips without releasing it, Bai Ye could use the boost from the Gate of Limit to dash at supersonic speed and release the technique upon contact.
Because the sonic boom and explosion struck simultaneously, it nullified the sound-based warning usually produced by a loud technique like Chidori. The result: a silent one-hit kill, perfect for ambushes.
"I swear, I can't slack off anymore… We're getting left in the dust."
Asuma reached for a cigarette but stopped himself. Kakashi had already widened the gap between himself and the rest, and now Bai Ye was doing the same. He suddenly feared becoming one of those older genin still taking the Chūnin Exams.
After witnessing this display, most of the genin silently resolved to work harder. One genius could be brushed off. Two meant the rest of them needed to reevaluate their efforts.
"Look! There's movement below!"
Although visibility was poor, Obito, still staring at the field, noticed the change first.
A spinning fireball erupted from the earth, cutting through the insect swarm with ease. It rose in a high arc before plunging into the crater where Kazuhiko had last been seen. The insect cloud scattered, revealing a massive scorched pit—but aside from Kakashi's kunai formation, there was no trace of anyone.
"Was that a modified Fireball Jutsu?"
Obito turned to Yue in confusion. The technique seemed small, but it had effortlessly cleared the insect swarm.
"Didn't you see the solid core inside the fireball?" asked Genma, stepping in. "That's what felt off to me."
"Of course I saw it!" Obito snapped back. "I'm not blind."
"The core was likely a body-widening technique from the Akimichi clan—Kazuhiko's last move," Rin said quietly, tugging on Obito's sleeve. Her expression was laced with concern.
Pffft—
Yue, who had been silent the entire time, couldn't help but let out a giggle as Obito stood there, flustered and speechless.
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