Pursuit, Noble Phantasm Again!
A pair of hands suddenly shot out from beneath the enemy's feet and grabbed hold of his legs.
"Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique!"
In an instant, the jōnin was pulled underground by Nakamura. Shirō seized the opportunity and drove a fist forward—his strike infused with Reinforcement Magic and Magic Power Emission—slamming it directly into the opponent's face.
The impact was brutal. The sound of shattering bone echoed as the man's head snapped sideways.
The reason Nakamura's Earth Release had worked so easily was that the jōnin had already been drawn into Shirō's rhythm earlier in the fight.
Although Shirō's practice with the Eight Extremities Fist was still in its early stages, with Nakamura deliberately creating openings, pulling the opponent into his flow wasn't difficult.
And once trapped within Shirō's rhythm, defeat was inevitable.
The Eight Extremities Fist, empowered by Reinforcement Magic and raw Magic Power Emission, became devastating. A direct hit was enough to end the battle in a single blow.
Earlier, when the enemy had blocked with ninjutsu and braced his body, even the weakened strike had left his arms trembling. Now, without that defense, the punch landed full-force.
His end was swift and ugly.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Tai Yi's genjutsu had already succeeded.
Thus, although the ambush was risky, the surprise attack ended in success, with minimal noise.
---
"Shirō, are you alright?" Nakamura asked, noticing him clutching his right hand and panting.
"I'm fine, Captain. Just backlash—nothing serious. You and the others clean up the battlefield. I'll stabilize myself. There's still one more target."
Nakamura frowned. "How about I handle him instead? You look more seriously injured than you admit."
"No, Captain," Shirō shook his head. "Your ninjutsu are too flashy—they'll draw unwanted attention. Leave it to me. Against him, I have the advantage."
"...Alright. Heal up first. Signal us if anything happens. I'll support the others."
"Understood."
Nakamura left to aid Tai Yi and Shikamaru, though as he passed through the scarred ground, he swallowed hard.
"Gulp... this kid is terrifying…"
All around, small craters dotted the battlefield—evidence of where Shirō's fists had struck. Nakamura remembered the shockwaves that had blasted out whenever the boy swung.
Filling the craters with Earth Release to erase traces, he couldn't help but marvel.
Only nine years old… his chakra and body haven't even matured yet, and he already wields this much destructive power. If he survives and grows… he'll become a top-tier shinobi.
The thought filled him with both pride and unease. To command someone with such potential was like holding a blade by its edge.
---
Meanwhile, Shirō focused on repairing the backlash in his magic circuits. At least enough so he could use Projection Magic in the next fight.
Even with Medea's inherited knowledge, he often misstepped during experiments. Circuit overloads had become almost routine. Still, he handled the treatment smoothly—so smoothly it was almost disheartening.
Though he could force a quicker recovery, Shirō preferred a slower, steady process. His past-life philosophy—borrowed from the principles of "nurturing" in traditional Chinese medicine—guided him. Rushing recovery was never wise, unless absolutely necessary.
This time, urgency demanded he accelerate slightly. Still, if left to his usual pace, he would've needed at least two or three days' rest.
When he finally stabilized himself, Nakamura and the others were still clearing the battlefield. So he rose and joined them.
"Shirō, you good?" Shikamaru asked.
"I'm fine. Almost done adjusting."
"That's good. Rest a bit. Then contact Gray Snake. We need to move quickly—let's strike while we have intel."
"Alright." Shirō nodded and sat, forming hand seals to initiate the contract link.
"Gray Snake, can you hear me?"
"Hissss~ yesss, Lord Shirō."
"Why can't I sense your position?" Shirō frowned.
"The disssstance is too great. Without Sage Mode, your sensing range is limited."
"So you can't show me visuals either?"
"Correct, Lord Shirō."
"Troublesome… fine. Give me the approximate direction. That should be enough." He spread open a map.
"Hisss… toward thisss area… near the Star Ninja's grounds."
Using Gray Snake's description, Shirō identified the general location. Though imprecise, it was sufficient—once they closed in, he'd sense the contract more clearly.
Marking the map, he cross-referenced details with Gray Snake in real time, sketching notes along the path.
By the time he finished, Shikamaru, Tai Yi, and Nakamura were gathered quietly around him.
"You're done already?" Shirō asked.
"Yes," Shikamaru said. "Almost cleaned up. How's Gray Snake?"
"Reliable as always. We have a general area locked down. I've noted the route here."
Shikamaru studied the map carefully, then looked up. "Good. Recall your snake. We're moving."
With that, he led the team forward.
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