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In Small Forest
"Idiot, when we attack, don't just rush in recklessly! Pay more attention to Fuyu Shirou and me, and work together!"
The girl's voice, like the tinkling of a silver bell, echoed through the forest. It seemed to bring a bit of vitality to the woods that had been ravaged by countless members of the Uchiha Clan, making them no longer appear so desolate and lifeless.
"No problem, leave it all to me!" A familiar voice, tinged with a hint of youthful arrogance, rang out in Fuyu Shirou and Flame's ears.
[Of course!]
Seemingly having anticipated Uchiha Tetsu's response, the girl who had just given the warning to her Childhood Friend now had a vein popping on her forehead. She tore the vine in her hand as if about to explode, but in the end, could only sigh helplessly and shake her head.
[This guy is definitely the type to die young!]
[It's fine now, but once the war starts, he probably won't last a month!]
[Is their relationship destined to end in disappointment?]
Although he was a bit disappointed that there wouldn't be an exciting love triangle, the thought of being able to see the daily romantic antics of these two kids was still a good way to pass the time.
However, with Uchiha Tetsu's character, it probably wouldn't take more than a couple of years, or even just a few combat missions, before he would be gone.
Though the evolution of the Sharingan is fueled by negative emotions, the death of a companion is always hard for a modern person with different values to accept.
"Alright, the trap is almost set. Everyone, hide and wait for the teacher to step into the trap. Then we'll attack according to the plan!"
Putting aside his thoughts, Fuyu Shirou said calmly. If they delayed any longer, Teacher Shigemasa would likely appear right in front of them.
On the way here, they hadn't tried to hide their tracks. With Teacher Shigemasa's strength, hiding their tracks would have been more or less futile. He would easily find them.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Three rapid movements, almost blending together, as they each took their pre-arranged hiding spots, concealing themselves and waiting quietly. For a moment, the entire Small Forest fell into silence.
"Tap! Tap! Tap!"
It didn't take long for the unmistakable sound of footsteps to approach from a distance. Through the gaps in the leaves, Teacher Shigemasa's figure gradually came into view.
"Hm! These kids have hidden pretty well!"
Following the traces left by Fuyu Shirou and the others, Uchiha Shigemasa reached the ambush site in just a few minutes. His gaze swept over several suspicious spots, and he commented lightly.
His figure flickered, and his footsteps landed on a surface that seemed no different from the surrounding environment. With a sudden 'snap,' the sound of a rope tightening echoed.
Under his feet, a rope rapidly tightened. The rope was connected to a branch above his head, and its other end was tied to the tip of a bent cedar tree. The trap had been triggered, and the cedar tree, bent like a bow, was quickly returning to its original shape, pulling the rope taut. If he didn't react in time, his legs would be bound and he would be hung upside down, restricting his movements.
Without panicking, he pushed off with his feet, leaping up to a height of about five or six meters, dodging the simple trap. Then, a 'whoosh' sound came, and something heavy seemed to be hurtling towards him at high speed.
A log, thick enough for an adult to hug, about three or four meters long, with rows of sharp wooden spikes on its surface, was hurtling towards him. Just looking at those spikes, one could tell how gruesome the consequences would be if it hit him.
But Uchiha Shigemasa, a seasoned ninja who completed high-difficulty missions for the Hokage, was not to be underestimated. He pulled out a kunai from his waist and, with a burst of strength, threw it with a force that produced an unusual sound. The kunai struck the end of the log, causing it to spin and move the row of spikes away, exposing a relatively flat cross-section.
He landed his feet on the flat cross-section of the log.
Ignoring the enormous kinetic energy of the log, he pushed off with his feet and shot towards the ground.
At that moment, a barrage of shuriken shot towards him. With no place to hide in mid-air, he had to resort to the same technique, gathering chakra in his palms to deflect the shuriken.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Just as he deflected the shuriken and was about to land, several soccer-ball-sized fireballs, tracing elegant arcs, flew towards him.
Although he dodged each one, by the time he was about to land, the fireballs had formed a half-circle, restricting his movement in the area.
Before his feet touched the ground, a blinding sword flash cut through the air, aiming for his neck, a fatal point.
This was the trap and strategy they had prepared.
They would use pre-set traps like ropes to force Teacher Shigemasa into the air. Then, Flame would seize the opportunity to release the log and launch a shuriken attack to distract him.
With the distraction created by Uchiha Flame, Uchiha Tetsu would use the Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique to attack Teacher Shigemasa. If he could hit the target, that would be ideal, but if not, the fireballs would form a half-circle, limiting the teacher's movement.
Finally, Fuyu Shirou would use the Body Flicker Technique to get close to the target and, while Teacher Shigemasa was off balance, deliver a long-planned sword strike.
"We got him!"
A slightly excited voice rang out.
Uchiha Tetsu, who had just hidden in the tree canopy and used the Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, revealed himself, his face flushed with excitement.
However, Fuyu Shirou, who had struck Teacher Shigemasa with the sword, was not as excited. The moment he struck the teacher, he felt something was wrong. Without hesitation, he activated the Body Flicker Technique with a single-handed sword seal, and his figure disappeared from the spot.
Sure enough, as his figure vanished, the Teacher Shigemasa, whose head had just been cut off, turned into smoke with a 'poof.' In its place was a log that had been cut in half.
The Substitution Technique, the most beloved of the Three Great Ninja Techniques, had been used by Teacher Shigemasa to evade Fuyu Shirou's strike.
(End of Chapter)