'Fire and Wind Release: Great Flaming Breakthrough'
Shiki and a shadow clone he just made unleashed his signature combo jutsu at the still frozen man.
'Come on. Go and absorb it. Let me see if you have a limit.' The boy eyed the young and clearly less experienced Dark Release user, running to his leader's defense once again.
But Shiki's expectations were going to be dashed . . .
'Typhoon Release: Consecutive Bursting Strong Winds'
A massive vortex of wind formed near instantaneously, wiping out Shiki's Nirvana Art: Elemental enhanced Fire and Wind Release combination jutsu as if blowing out a candle.
Luckily, the boy managed to dive underground with his Hiding in Surface jutsu before the wind could reach his position.
Even then, Typhoon's jutsu mowed down everything in the area, crushing rock, uprooting trees, flattening the terrain, a truly indiscriminate wide range attack.
It even affected the battle on Inori's side.
Speaking of which . . .
*
Once Kumo's defensive measures against general insect based jutsu kicked in to save them from Shinka's Kochu, Inori immediately made her move.
Namely, she put the new genjutsu she and Shiki had cooked up to the test in a trial by fire with her life on the line.
'Twin Illusion: Meikyo Shisui, Kyoka Suigetsu'
The effect of fully fusing the two jutsu created a result that far overwhelmed the sum of its parts.
Its area of effect was the user's own sensory range, everyone within it would be caught and within that area the user could create any sensory illusion they wished.
These illusions could be dispelled of course but that did not free one from the jutsu itself, enabling the user to just keep making more.
But all of that was just the side benefit. Abilities of the original Kyoka Suigetsu that bled over into this new combined jutsu.
As for the key ability, Kumo was about to get a taste of it.
The Violet Rose made no show of caution, seemingly abandoning her usual slow, methodical style filled with caution for a more direct approach.
Her figure appeared out of nowhere in front of one of the six weaker Kumo Jonin, avoiding the three Elites., as if suddenly casting off her concealment.
In a flash, Inori's kunai was already at the man's throat but, already alert, he was not going down that easily.
'Lightning Release: Overdrive'
Surging electricity accelerated the jonin's reflexes and movement as his ninja blade was drawn from his back at lightning speed, seemingly going for mutual injury.
'Just the kind of ruthless tactics I've come to expect from Kumo shinobi but-' Inori paused in her mind.
Under the disbelieving eyes of her opponent, his blade cleaved through the kumoichi's form, from right shoulder to left hip.
However . . .
The cut area dispersed into black watery mist.
"Genjutsu!" The Kumo shinobi shouted . . . Just as the supposedly illusory Inori's kunai slit open his throat, granting him a bloody death.
The dispersed part of the "fake?" Inori's body reformed immediately as she moved towards the next Kumo Jonin.
Out of nowhere, with blindingly fast Lightning Flicker, Zee, already covered in her Lightning Chakra Mode, instantly closed the gap between her and the Konoha kunoichi.
'Lateral Bolt of Pain'
A single lightning enhanced chop blew off Inori's head but, like before, it just dispersed into black smoke, the headless body, continuing towards its original target, completely undeterred.
"What the-?"
Dodai and Toroi were also shocked but did not stop their movements for even a moment, rapidly repositioning to cut off Inori's possible escape routes though now, they wondered how to actually stop her.
'Are we even fighting the real thing?' Dodai questioned.
'Genjutsu: Release'
Suddenly, just for him, the "Inori" in Dodai's senses dissolved into an inky mist.
'As expected!' He thought, but before he could even shout a warning, that the real Inori should be hiding in the surrounding area, the dispersed Inori had already re-materialized.
For the others, she was never even gone.
'What kind of genjutsu is this!?' The Elite Jonin internally asked, filled with frustration.
The Jonin under attack, not really understanding Inori's jutsu from a lack of data, could only grit his teeth and counterattack as if fighting a standard opponent.
'Fire Release: Soaring Flame Bullet'
Unlike its name implied, this was not a variation of the regular Flame Bullet but its own jutsu, a standard C rank Fire Release that allowed its user to spit out a fireball smaller than the Great Fireball Jutsu but almost as potent.
The burning flames instantly consumed the charging Inori but her shadowy form, enveloped in inky black mist, emerged unscathed, terrorizing the man who Body Flickered backwards in haste.
One of his more confident companions stepped forwards to engage.
"Step back! We need to figure out her jutsu first!" Dodai shouted but it was too late to back out.
The burly Kumo shinobi did not mindlessly go in though.
'Even if I die, this will give the other valuable intel on the enemy's jutsu!' He internally vowed.
'Lightning Release: Emotion Wave'
Electricity surged from the Kumo shinobi's body, indiscriminately striking at his surroundings.
But Inori just dove straight into it.
Each flash of lightning blasted away parts of her illusory body into inky mist but that did nothing to stop her from plunging her kunai into her enemy's skull, taking out yet another of Kumo's shinobi while taking no discernable damage.
"Dammit!" Zee shouted, sensing a disastrous repeat of last time, a complete wipeout, to be heading her squad's way.
"Where are those mercenary fools?" She questioned her subordinates but before they could respond, an answer arrived in a different way . . .
A massive blast of wind from an expanding vortex swept through the battlefield, dispersing the illusory Inori completely and unceremoniously knocking every Kumo shinobi off their feet, sending them tumbling.
Zee herself was undamaged due to her Lightning Armor but it was quite humiliating nonetheless.
They all quickly got back to their feet but in the meantime, the illusory Inori also reformed but . . .
The remaining Four Kumo Joni and three Elite Jonin all immediately noticed.
The previously unblemished Inori . . . She now sported splotches of dirt on her purple clothing and scratches on her skin, likely from being tossed to the ground tumbling from the sudden blast of wind coming from Shiki's side of the battlefield.
She had previously been unharmed from all of their attack, why had the wind just now worked?
'No! She was definitely dispersed into that black mist by the wind, actually unaffected like before.' Zee thought.
Her accelerated reflexes allowed the Kumo kunoichi to capture all that occurred during the wind blast perfectly.
'So where did the scratches and dirt come from?' She questioned.
'I can only test things out first . . .' Zee sharply breathed out.
'Lightning Chakra Mode: Max Output'
The tanned beauty upped the intensity of her lightning to the maximum safe output as her long and wild red mane flared up in spikes from the electricity running through it.
Alas, as if sensing Zee's thoughts, the Inori who had been recklessly attacking before, suddenly turned and bolted.
Magnetically charged shuriken from Toroi ripped through the air with unnatural speed and formed but, like all previous attacks, harmlessly blew the areas they impacted into inky mist, allowing the Yamanaka kunoichi to effortlessly break through the blockade and escape.
"After her!" Zee barked her order, charging in pursuit of the running Inori herself.
+++++
Hey, Author here!
To promote the novel I will be releasing BONUS CHAPTERS on SUNDAYS based on the previous week's power stone count.
100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter
500 Power Stones = 2 Bonus Chapters
1000 Power Stones = 3 Bonus Chapters
Every earned BONUS CHAPTER on Webnovel will also be posted on Scribble.
Just a reminder that you can read up to a FULL MONTH ahead of this site on pa-treon.
I'm trying to become a full time Author now and I'm not going to be starting any new novels just so I can make sure this one is properly completed.
Find those sweet advanced chapters on pa-treon.com/lusoba without the -