Suguru's eyes glittered with their silver hues as the last echoes of the tsunami subsided, leaving the forest in a damp, shaky silence. The wreckage was indiscriminate, battering everything within a certain range.
The uprooted trees, their roots exposed like vast, threading veins, reached towards the sky. The air hummed softly with the atmosphere, still reeling from the destruction.
Suguru, having assessed the aftermath, allowed a slyness to poison his smile. His Gimmick Scrolls had turned the tide, literally and figuratively.
He saw the Konoha genin, their soaked shinobi garments clinging to their bodies. Their faces wore were characteristic of youths hardened in battle.
Their Will of Fire burned despite the flood.
The Ame-nins, though visibly shaken, mirrored this resolve, their eyes burning with a newfound desire:
Having realized the strength of the scrolls, their determination shifted.
A chuckle escaped Suguru.
'I wonder if those Scientific Ninja Tools will make their debut even before Boruto is born?' This thought echoed for a moment.
Meanwhile, the Konoha-nins, still regaining their footing amidst the debris, glared at their opponents with a mixture of anger and respect.
The Ame-nins returned this look in kind, their chests heaved with every creak in their bones.
Suguru's thoughts shifted to the topic of his scrolls.
The Gimmick Scrolls, designed for Offense, were indeed offensive. But they were also indicators. Indicators of the genin's ability to understand the flow of battle and knowledge over Fuinjutsu. Then, with such an understanding, wring the battlefield of opportunities.
In a way, the genin were learning the hard way. It was the only way true understanding could be etched into the soul.
Let them fight.
Let chaos bloom.
Having thought up until this point, Suguru finalized the plan in his mind. He was going to create a similar set of items to the Cards of Cursing.
He was going to craft his own little deck of Gimmick Cards.
* * *
Sasuke blinked his eyes open, seeing the dim moonlight finding trouble piercing through the dense canopy overhead.
"Ugh…"
Night had crept in unnoticed during the aftermath of their confrontational with Orochimaru. He felt a dull ache in his head and a stiffness in his shoulder where the Sannin's bite had landed.
Around him, the forest was completely still.
—Crack.
—HAP!
…Until the tranquility of the evening was pierced suddenly by the distant sounds of scuffling and voices.
Mitsuko and Sakura were nearby, their gaze was full of caution, eyes scanning the surroundings with vigilance.
The Hyuga's Byakugan had long been activated, glowing faintly in the darkness.
Sakura, revitalized by a few hours of respite, checked her bandages, her expression a mixture of concern and determination. Given the jinchuriki team's strength and her own team's unconscious member, they all opted to split up as they once were.
'Naruto-kun and the others probably got their Earth Scroll already…' Sakura thought, tightening the damaged bandages on her arm. Her gaze then moved towards her companion.
Mitsuko was observing Sasuke, noticing him awaken. She spoke with a smug whisper "Good morning, sleepy head. Sakura-chan was getting quite anxious since you hadn't been waking up,"
Sasuke's gaze alternated between the sounds of battle and Mitsuko's gentle smile.
"What's happening over there?" He asked, feeling a dull throbbing in his eyes.
"Oh, that?" Mitsuko tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, looking elegant in the moonlight, "It's just two squads fighting over their scrolls."
"Now that Sasuke-kun's awake, should we go over?" Sakura asked, her voice heavy with resolve. "Mitsuko-chan already confirmed that one of them has a Heaven Scroll."
Sasuke paused, agreeing with Sakura. A small trace of vulnerability flashed across his expression, having been protected by the two girls this whole time.
"…Let's go,"
Luckily, he didn't have much time to dwell on his own weakness. He had to focus on the task at hand. He pulled himself up, feeling a pang of diziness as his body adjusted, before stabilizing himself and rushing forward.
* * *
It didn't take long for Team 7 to arrive at the scene.
Rounding the bend of a darkening path filled with branches and coiling trees, the clash of steel and jutsu erupted into view.
Shinobi from two different villages were locked in a fierce struggle.
Amid the confusion, traces of someone's Fire Release technique flashed, gliding across the forest floor in erratic streams of orange.
Water Release responses were as clear as day, with jutsus creating violent waves that crashed against the fiery assaults.
—Sizzle!
The sound of boiling water and crackling flames filled the air. Steam made the darkness worse, obscuring one's vision even further.
"Hoshigakure and Iwagakure," Mitsuko identified, her Byakugan narrowing as they scanned the headbands before her.
—Swish!
Without another word, Mitsuko darted forward, her Gentle Fist moving as a blur of motion, aiming straight for a Iwa-nin engrossed in covering for his allies.
—Thud!
The Iwa-nin was caught off guard by the sudden attack. Mitsuko's fingers struck the exact position of a Tenketsu, numbing their entire arm.
"Sakura," Sasuke said, his voice low. "Let's go for a wide-area Genjutsu!"
"Un!" Sakura nodded, bringing her hands up to her chest.
[Snake » Rat]
Illusory cherry blossom petals swirled around Sakura as she completed her hand seals.
'Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique!'
Her chakra churned.
A shadowy illusion of a spiralling vortex appeared around the Iwagakure genin, trapping them in what they would all view as their greatest fears.
—Shiing!
At the same time.
Sasuke's eyes tore open, their tomoe swirling ominously.
'Genjutsu: Sharingan!'
An unlucky shinobi looking in his direction was instantly drowned in the illusions of his making. Coincidentally, this was the shinobi holding the Heaven Scroll they needed.
Sasuke thus launched into action.
"O-oi!"
The nearest Iwa genin, caught within Sakura's Genjutsu reacted a moment late. All he could do was stumble after cleansing himself of the foreign chakra in his system.
Mitsuko and Sasuke thus met midway, pincering their target in the blink of an eye. Their hands cut through the air, with one using Suguru's adaptation of the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist, while the other used the well and true original.
—Crack.
—Thud.
Byakugan- and Sharingan-focused taijutsu were combined instantly to incapacitate the genin, and the contents of his pouch spilled out.
Sakura, having guaranteed that her Genjutsu was still effective, moved to grab the scroll they needed. Then, she weaved hand seals once more.
Her attention fluttered towards the other group of shinobi.
Hoshigakure genin.
'Eat this—!'
Their opportunistic approach was as clear as day.
[Dog » Snake » Monkey » Ox » Tiger]
'Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death,'
Sakura instantly bypassed the close-range nature of the Genjutsu with her fine control, forcing her chakra straight into her targets. Each wisp was enough to infiltrate their bodies and enforce her illusions.
However…
—Kai!
"Oh no—!" Sakura position stuck out like a sore thumb.
The three Hoshi-nins had instantly shattered her illusions. Their special Star Training clearly in play at this moment.
Now, they were in the perfect range to strike.
'Mysterious Peacock Method: Peacock Feather Flick!'
"Sakura!"
Sasuke saw the flow of chakra and the swift feathers launched in his Sakura's direction. The boy grit his teeth and poured chakra into his legs.
—Swish!
With a burst of speed, Sasuke used a kunai to block two of the feathers, his Sharingan tracking down the projectiles as they arrived.
—Clang! Clang!
Unfortunately, there was still one more that slipped past his defences. Too fast for his reflexes to follow.
Luckily,
—Hap!
A palm wrapped with chakra deflected the sharp feather. Mitsuko, though arriving a split second later than Sasuke, was still enough to help Sakura avoid danger.
This was their teamwork.
Thus, Sasuke wouldn't even look back. He had full trust in the two kunoichi.
[Snake » Ram » Monkey » Boar » Horse » Tiger]
Sasuke inhaled a great breath of air, his lungs expanding fully and completely.
'Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!'
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