Shinji had every reason to be dissatisfied.
Firstly, Hiruko's handling of Susanoo was clearly amateurish. Secondly, Hiruko had already been battling Yakumo and the other Leaf shinobi with Susanoo for a while, burning through significant pupil power.
Under these conditions, Shinji, fully unleashing the Twelve Palaces, still took six punches to shatter Hiruko's Susanoo. There was little to be proud of.
To onlookers, however, his feat was jaw-dropping.
"He… he punched a hole through Susanoo?"
Naruto rubbed his eyes, asking Yakumo and Sasuke uncertainly.
Yakumo, dazed, replied: "It… it seems so!"
"How is that possible!?"
Sasuke swallowed hard, his eyes full of disbelief.
He had been adjusting his perception of Shinji's strength, but even now, he realized he'd underestimated him.
Kakashi wasn't faring much better, eyes wide with confusion, wondering: How did he do it?
His Lightning Blade hadn't even scratched Hiruko's Susanoo, yet Shinji had punched a gaping hole through it with his fists, overturning Kakashi's understanding.
In the distance.
"Hm?"
The Third Hokage, perched on a tree and closely watching the battlefield, let out a soft exclamation.
Known as the Professor of Ninjutsu, he recognized that Shinji had used some taijutsu secret technique to break Hiruko's Susanoo. But despite racking his brain, he couldn't identify a technique matching what he'd just witnessed.
The Third's personal Anbu exchanged glances.
"What was that move?"
"Definitely not Eight Gates Release!"
"Could it be Lady Tsunade's Strange Strength Fist?"
They whispered, trying to match known taijutsu secrets to what they'd seen.
On the battlefield.
Hiruko, launched from the rubble, leaped out, glaring at Shinji: "You shattered my Susanoo, you brat!"
As he was knocked out, his dark purple Susanoo dissipated, though Hiruko himself seemed unharmed.
Shinji didn't respond, only casting a glance at Hiruko.
Hiruko tensed, hastily averting his gaze.
He hadn't forgotten his last genjutsu duel, where this Uchiha youth had bested him.
Shinji rubbed his wrist: "Hey, how long are you going to stand there gawking? Keep going!"
Hiruko's face twisted: "Courting death!"
Raiga, furious, added: "You're too arrogant, kid!"
Swish.
Swish.
Almost simultaneously, both charged at Shinji.
Hiruko, no longer daring to underestimate his foe, formed seals mid-assault, activating Swift Release and Steel Release.
In his first few steps, the Leaf shinobi could barely track his form. But once Swift Release kicked in, his body blurred into a line, leaving only a faint afterimage in their vision!
Raiga formed seals, reactivating Armor of Lightning, and used its speed boost to lunge at Shinji.
Shinji didn't dodge, meeting them head-on.
Bang bang bang.
In an instant, three impossibly fast afterimages clashed across the battlefield.
Shinji, fighting two-on-one, was at a disadvantage.
In speed and strength, fully utilizing the Twelve Palaces, he had caught up to Hiruko's Swift Release and Steel Release.
But with Raiga's Armor of Lightning assisting, Shinji struggled against their combined assault.
Raiga, in his Armor of Lightning, was only slightly slower than the two, but this lightning-charged muscle stimulation technique heavily taxed the body and couldn't be sustained long.
As expected.
Unable to take Shinji down quickly, Raiga flashed toward the Fang blades Shinji had taken and planted in the ground!
"Heh."
Shinji smirked.
He adjusted his angle, trading a punch with Hiruko in Steel Release, using the recoil to dart toward the Fang blades.
Raiga, mid-lunge, glanced back at Shinji, thinking: I'm faster!
In a flash, they reached the blades, separated by less than half a body's length.
Raiga's hand, always a fraction faster, grazed the blade's hilt.
"Your death's coming, kid!"
He was ready to grab the blades, spin, and slash, confident he could at least take one of Shinji's arms given their distance.
Bang.
But a low thud rang in Raiga's ears.
With it, he was shocked to find the hilt, within reach moments ago, had sunk slightly, slipping past his grasp.
After a brief moment of surprise, he realized the blades had sunk into the ground. Recalling the thud behind him, he understood it was the sound of a stomp, causing the blades to drop.
"A trap!?"
The thought flashed through his mind.
Shinji, repeating his tactic, used Chidori's lightning to neutralize Raiga's Armor of Lightning and threw a punch!
His earlier act of tossing the Fang blades into the ground, seemingly arrogant, was a deliberate trap for Raiga.
The blades meant little to Shinji but were treasures to Raiga, a former Seven Swordsman.
Knowing Raiga carried Ranmaru with his Hogan, Shinji hadn't tampered elsewhere. When planting the blades, he'd left a trace of Lightning Release, creating an inconspicuous cavity beneath them.
When Raiga took the bait, a light stomp was enough to make the blades sink.
Raiga's taijutsu was already inferior to Shinji's, relying solely on Armor of Lightning to compete. Now, failing to reclaim his blades and losing the initiative, he couldn't adjust his position. Facing Shinji's punch, he could only raise his arms to shield his vitals.
Shinji pressed his advantage, activating the Koryugan's ability to slow Raiga's movements. His fist slipped through Raiga's guarding arms, landing squarely on his chest!