By now, Shino had followed Kazama's orders and secretly headed to the location of the Bikochu (Micro-Scent Bug). The Shino standing beside Kazama was actually a Mokuton Bunshin (Wood Release Clone), created to fool the enemy and buy time for the real Shino to secure the Bikochu.
"You little punk, pretending to be Sanada Kazama to scare us?!"
"Even if you are Sanada Kazama, our Uesugi clan isn't afraid of you!"
"Really? Not scared at all?"
No sooner had Kazama spoken than he flung dozens of shuriken at the three enemy clones. His movements were so fast they left the enemies stunned. The clones didn't even have time to react before Kazama effortlessly wiped them out.
Kazama deliberately chose shuriken over flashier techniques. His goal was to lure out the enemies' real bodies. If he used something too powerful, their true selves might flee in fear, and he'd lose the chance to interrogate them about Naruto's whereabouts. Sure, they had the Bikochu to track Naruto, but Kazama was always cautious—he wanted both the enemy and the Bikochu as insurance.
"Damn it! This kid's got some skills, taking out all three of our clones at once!"
"Hmph! He's just good with shuriken. Once we show up in person, we'll tear these Konoha brats to shreds!"
Just as Kazama had predicted, the moment their clones were destroyed, the enemies' real bodies came charging at him.
"You little punk, you're dead!"
The three shinobi immediately attacked Kazama and the Shino clone.
"Mushi-ton: Hachimitsu no Jutsu!" (Insect Release: Honey Technique)
"Mushi-ton: Dokubachi no Jutsu!" (Insect Release: Poison Bee Technique)
"Mushi-ton: Dokushin Senbon!" (Insect Release: Poison Needle Thousand Spikes)
Though Kazama was surrounded by sticky honey, he effortlessly deflected the poison bees and needles, completely unharmed. With Kazan Ishi'en (Volcanic Stone Flame) as his absolute defense, these attacks were like child's play—barely a tickle.
"You… you're not even fazed by our attacks?!"
The Uesugi trio was shocked to see their poison needles and bees repelled.
"Your attacks are like a light scratch. What's there to be afraid of?"
"You bastard!"
Infuriated by Kazama's taunts, the three shinobi ramped up their attacks.
"Don't get cocky, kid! You might be fine, but your buddy's not so lucky!"
Seeing the Shino clone covered in wounds, the Uesugi trio burst into laughter.
"Not bad! We took out an Aburame clan member. That's vengeance for our Uesugi clan!"
"Sorry, but that grudge of yours isn't getting settled."
"What?!"
As the trio cackled, Shino's body went poof and turned into a wooden log.
"Bunshin no Jutsu! You bastard!"
The Uesugi trio finally realized Kazama had played them. Enraged, they all charged at him.
"Brat, your friend may have slipped away, but you're trapped here! We'll tear you to pieces, or we're not human!"
"Well, that's bad news for you, because you might not be human much longer. Genko'en!" (Mysterious Yellow Flame)
With a sharp cry, Kazama unleashed his Genko'en, incinerating the honey trapping him into nothingness. He deliberately used his weakest Ika (Different Fire) since he still needed these three alive for information.