Shinji's entrance and attack were sudden.
His timing was impeccable, striking when Shinno was distracted after exhausting Yakumo, Kimimaro, and Neji, and growing overconfident in his dominance.
When he acted, he held nothing back.
He fully activated "Twelve Palaces" and used its Seventh Form, "Shrink Step," matching Shinno's speed in his "Gate of Wonder" state. Shinno, having just defeated the Leaf's prodigy generation, including Yakumo with her "Wood Release," was inevitably caught off guard.
This shift in momentum allowed Shinji's seemingly straightforward—but actually sneaky—attack to succeed effortlessly!
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.
Shinno, sent flying, crashed through countless trees and vines, carving a gap in the tree sea with his body before slamming into the ground, motionless.
"Is… is he dead?"
Kurotsuchi stared, her eyes filled with disbelief.
The enemy, so powerful she trembled at his presence, had been taken down so casually by Shinji. This shocking scene hit her harder and more vividly than when she'd heard Shinji defeated Yakumo during the Leaf's academy exam!
At that moment, Karin shook her head. "He's not dead!"
THUD.
Sure enough, Shinno blasted away the debris and broken wood pinning him, leaping up from the ground!
"Damn… damn brat!"
Shinno glanced at the wound on his chest. Even with the forbidden medical technique "Body Regeneration" causing his flesh to writhe and heal, the injury remained gruesome!
"How is that possible!?"
Seeing Shinno stand after taking a "Rasenshuriken" that could shatter even Sasuke's "Susanoo," Yakumo was stunned.
Not just her—the Hidden Stone ninja were equally dumbfounded.
Kurotsuchi, whose face had just lit up with hope, tensed again. Haku and Karin, nearby, grew serious, ready to jump in.
On the battlefield.
"Oh?"
Shinji wasn't too surprised.
Anyone else, even someone like Kakuzu with multiple hearts, would've been finished by that hit. But Shinno, with his Jinchuriki vitality and self-created forbidden medical technique, had endured.
But that was all!
"Brat, wounding me is something to be proud of!" Shinno snarled. "Not bad taijutsu—you're worth tearing apart myself!"
Yakumo, behind Shinji, urged, "Shinji, let's take him together!"
Without turning, Shinji waved her off. "Step back!"
"But—"
"Back!"
With that, Shinji advanced toward Shinno.
Watching his back, whether due to his authority as First Chair or something else, Yakumo chose to trust him, retreating obediently.
Shinno smirked. "Brat, your courage is commendable at least!"
Shinji didn't bother with words, activating "Twelve Palaces" again and using the Seventh Form, "Shrink Step."
Whoosh.
In an instant, he closed the distance to Shinno!
"Hmph!"
Prepared this time, Shinno, bolstered by his "Gate of Wonder" state, snorted and launched an attack on the charging Shinji.
THUD, THUD, THUD.
The two traded blows, fists and feet clashing rapidly.
"Brat, if you hadn't met me, your taijutsu would be something to boast about! Too bad you're unlucky today—you ran into me!"
After clashing, Shinno quickly realized Shinji's speed and strength were inferior to his own in the "Gate of Wonder" state, boosting his confidence.
Shinji remained silent, but his palms suddenly glowed with shimmering chakra.
"Palm Sage Technique?"
Shinno, mid-fight, frowned slightly.
As an expert in medical ninjutsu, he was familiar with the "Palm Sage Technique" but couldn't fathom why Shinji would use it in a peak-level taijutsu duel.
The "Palm Sage Technique" was a medical ninjutsu, capable of damaging meridians, but it was clearly inadequate in this level of taijutsu combat.
"No!"
Shinno's confusion didn't last long before it turned to horror.
Soon, in their fierce duel, his speed and strength began to wane. It wasn't that Shinji was getting stronger—Shinno was rapidly weakening.
Even the onlookers noticed, as Shinno's once robust, powerful frame began to shrivel.
In shock, Shinno stared at Shinji. "What did you do to me?"
Shinji didn't linger, spinning and delivering a kick that sent Shinno flying. The direction was deliberate, sending Shinno crashing near the unconscious Five-Tails Jinchuriki.
"Did he win?"
The Hidden Stone ninja were bewildered, struggling to keep up with the rapid shift in the battle.
Kurotsuchi sighed in awe. "So strong!"
Yakumo, with her Koryugan active, seemed to realize something, deep in thought.
Undoubtedly, during his first attack, Shinji had covertly injected his chakra into Shinno's body via the "Rasenshuriken."
He knew he'd only get one chance at a sneak attack. If he didn't leave a hidden trap, dealing with Shinno in his "Gate of Wonder" state would take far more effort.
Drawing from how Sasuke defeated Shinno in the original timeline, Shinji used a subtle tactic: secretly infusing his chakra into Shinno's body to block his meridians, disrupting the "Eight Gates Release."
What he'd just used wasn't purely the "Palm Sage Technique."
It was a fusion of the Rinnegan's "Almighty Pull" with the "Palm Sage Technique," designed to manipulate the chakra he'd injected into Shinno, precisely blocking key acupuncture points in his body!
His success wasn't luck.
Shinno might be a taijutsu genius, but Shinji knew his "Eight Gates Release" wasn't honed through relentless training like Might Guy's. Instead, it relied on technology and shortcuts, inevitably leading to less control over his body compared to a ninja who mastered the technique through rigorous practice.
Additionally, Shinno lacked a dojutsu Bloodline Limit, unable to monitor his own body. By the time Shinji's covert and overt tactics were complete, Shinno only realized it too late.
Pfft.
Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Shinno slumped, his aura rapidly fading.
With no fight left in him, his gaze drifted to the unconscious Five-Tails Jinchuriki nearby.
Shinji maintained his First Chair demeanor, exuding a hint of the Uchiha's trademark arrogance, refraining from pressing the attack.
Seeing this, Shinno leaped up, grabbed the unconscious Five-Tails Jinchuriki, and bolted.