Suddenly, Neji's feet went numb. A surge of Lightning Release (Raiton) burst through the ground, paralyzing his entire body in an instant. The attack wasn't particularly strong, but the brief paralysis was enough — in battle, even a heartbeat's delay could mean death.
When Neji looked up again, Sasuke had already closed the distance. A Chidori Blade of crackling lightning, over half a meter long, hovered threateningly before his throat.
"What...?"
The sudden reversal stunned Neji. How had the situation flipped so quickly?
He carefully replayed the previous moment in his mind, analyzing every detail. Then he noticed it — the small hole beneath his feet. The Lightning Release chakra had surged up from underground, striking him through the soles.
That explained everything. The Lightning Release wasn't powerful; it was designed purely to paralyze.
If the technique had contained more chakra or killing intent, Neji would've detected it through his Byakugan and evaded instantly.
That realization made him frown. He had found a weakness in his own technique — his footing was still too exposed.
"Sorry," Sasuke said with a smirk, lowering his blade. "Looks like I win this one."
But instead of frustration, Neji's expression remained calm and serious. "Thank you. If this had been a real battlefield, that flaw might've cost me my life."
Sasuke blinked in surprise before the two of them exchanged a faint smile of mutual respect.
A sudden whistling sound broke the moment — a kunai flew past, embedding itself between them.
Naruto appeared in a blur, landing beside them.
He looked at both of them, then turned to Sasuke first.
"Sasuke, not bad. Your Lightning Release control's improving fast — and your strategy wasn't half bad either."
Then he faced Neji. "You too, Neji. Your strength has grown quickly. But don't get arrogant. Your Eight Trigrams Palms: Rotation (Hakkeshō Kaiten) enhances your defense, but it's not perfect. If someone uses specialized ninja tools or weapons made of chakra metal, they could break through your rotation. You'll need to account for that."
He paused, his tone turning instructive.
"Also — when you shift chakra between your palms and your feet, there's a brief delay. It's short, but against a speed-type shinobi, that gap could get you killed. And your footwork — that's your biggest flaw right now."
Naruto's words made Neji fall silent, his mind already dissecting the critique. Indeed, there was still much to refine.
"I understand," Neji said quietly, bowing his head slightly. "Thank you, Naruto-senpai."
Naruto then turned to Sasuke, his eyes narrowing.
"And you — don't get too smug either. Your Lightning Clone feint was clever, but if I were you, I'd have layered it with a Shadow Clone (Kage Bunshin) diversion. You could've drawn Neji's focus before striking from a blind spot. Neji's defense works against straightforward assaults — but he struggles in chaotic, multi-directional battles."
Sasuke frowned. He wanted to argue but realized Naruto was right. He nodded silently, making a mental note of the advice.
"Fine," he muttered.
"You've got a point. But what's this really about, Naruto? Usually, you'd just message us — what's going on?"
Naruto didn't bother explaining. The two weren't fools; a simple cue was enough.
"There's a situation," he said.
"A small combat squad from Kumogakure is heading toward the Land of Snow. I thought I'd see if anyone's interested."
"Oh?" Sasuke's eyes lit up. "How strong are they?"
Naruto smiled faintly. "At least Elite Chūnin and above. Around thirty in total."
Both Sasuke and Neji exchanged surprised looks. A thirty-man squad, all Elite Chūnin or stronger — that was a serious force.
"Well?" Naruto asked, smirking.
"Interested? If not, I'll assign it to someone else."
"Are you kidding?" Sasuke said, his grin returning.
"That sounds perfect. We've been dying for a proper challenge."
Neji nodded in agreement.
"Training's one thing, but nothing beats real combat."
After all, sparring with their own comrades from Umbrella had its limits — but Cloud shinobi were fair game.
"I'm interested too."
A calm, feminine voice drifted from above.
Everyone looked up to see Yakumo Kurama standing on a nearby cliff. She leapt down gracefully, landing beside them.
Her movements were steady — a far cry from the frail girl she once was.
Naruto regarded her with a small nod. "You too, Yakumo? Fine. You're in."
Though Yakumo's physical strength was only at the level of an average Chūnin, her true power lay in her Kekkei Genkai — the Illusion Style: Dream World (Genjutsu: Mugen Sekai).
In a real battle, even jōnin would hesitate to face her directly.
Neither Neji nor Sasuke held any contempt toward Yakumo Kurama. Their respect stemmed from her terrifying Kekkei Genkai — a Genjutsu so potent that even the Sharingan struggled to break free.
Perhaps only those with the Mangekyō Sharingan could resist it completely.
Both Neji and Sasuke had experienced Yakumo's illusions firsthand. Her Bloodline Limit could manipulate all five senses — a Genjutsu of such realism and precision that even seasoned shinobi found themselves helpless once caught within it.
But Yakumo also had clear weaknesses. If she were attacked before she could weave her illusion, she could be easily defeated. However, if she had a capable teammate to support her, she became a terrifying force — especially in large-scale battles where confusion reigned supreme.
Meanwhile, at the border of the Land of Snow, a squad from Kumogakure advanced carefully through the frost-covered terrain.
"Our mission is to investigate the Umbrella's strength and uncover the manufacturing process behind their strange ninja tools," the squad leader announced coldly.
"Raikage-sama expects results. We cannot fail."
"Understood!" the others responded in unison.
The thirty-man team was formidable — composed of three Elite Jōnin, fifteen Jōnin, and twelve Elite Chūnin.
Such a force could easily crush a small Hidden Village.
They believed their movements were covert, unaware that they had already been detected.
Along the border, Umbrella had installed special chakra-sensing barriers — crude in design but nearly impossible to detect. These served as the first line of defense, activating when foreign chakra signatures entered the zone.
The thirty distinct chakra signatures had long triggered the alarm.
As the Kumogakure squad entered a narrow valley flanked by steep cliffs, an explosion suddenly shattered the silence — one of their Elite Chūnin was blown apart by a series of Explosive Tags.
"Enemy attack!"
The remaining shinobi instantly scattered, eyes sharp and hands poised with weapons.
From atop a nearby ridge, Sasuke, Neji, and Yakumo watched the chaos unfold.
"So that's them," Sasuke murmured, his eyes glinting red with his activated Sharingan.
"As expected of an elite unit… they only lost one man."
His tone was calm — almost amused.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness! (Raiton: Gian!)"
Several massive bolts of lightning tore through the mist, striking the ground where the Kumogakure shinobi had stood moments before. The squad dodged in perfect coordination, their reactions sharp.
"Yakumo," Sasuke said without turning, "stay back and provide support. I want to see what your Genjutsu can really do in a full-scale fight."
Yakumo gave a faint nod, her expression serene as she began to weave her hand signs.
From below, the Kumogakure leader narrowed his eyes.
"Uchiha Sasuke… Hyūga Neji… and Yakumo Kurama," he muttered, recognizing them instantly.
"Hmph. Only three brats? Don't insult us."
He surged forward, lightning crackling along his arms as the others followed. This was a force that even a Kage would hesitate to face head-on.
"Lightning Release: Chidori Current! (Raiton: Chidori Nagashi!)"
"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms! (Jūken Hō: Hakke Rokujūyon Shō!)"
The two techniques erupted simultaneously. Sasuke and Neji leapt into the fray — their coordination fluid, refined through countless joint missions.
Sasuke's Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly, locking onto the lead attacker. The moment the Kumogakure shinobi met his gaze, he felt his body seize.
"Genjutsu…" he realized too late.
Sasuke's Chidori pierced straight through his chest, lightning flashing in the snow. The scent of ozone and burnt flesh filled the air as the man's blood hissed and evaporated from the heat of the jutsu.
An Elite Chūnin of Kumogakure — slain in an instant.
Sasuke watched silently as the body fell, the man's wide, disbelieving eyes reflecting his final thought — a Lightning Release user, killed by lightning itself.
...
TN:
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