Not far away, Veigar Koshima observed the actions of the Ame-nin and Taki-nin without the slightest ripple of emotion in his heart. Instead, he continued hurling his Wind Release: Shuriken toward them.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Concealment Jutsu."
"Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet."
At the same time, Kozuka Tachibana and Morita Daiku completed their hand seals, each unleashing their respective ninjutsu.
Kozuka Tachibana used chakra to break down the soil beneath him into fine sand, allowing him to instantly sink underground. He aimed to avoid Veigar's attack while simultaneously preparing for a surprise counterattack.
Meanwhile, Morita Daiku, upon confirming that he could evade Veigar's Wind Release: Shuriken, immediately launched his Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet.
A fireball shot out from Morita Daiku's mouth, hurtling rapidly toward Veigar's position.
The fact that the Ame-nin and Taki-nin dodged his initial attack came as no surprise to Veigar. After all, his Wind Release: Shuriken had never been meant for them in the first place.
His real target was the Kiri-nin farther away—the squad led by Kisame Hoshigaki, alongside his teammates Itō Otu and Yuki Minazuki.
It was the Kiri-nin squad that Veigar deemed a real threat, necessitating an immediate warning or even a forced retreat. Otherwise, if they launched a sneak attack, Veigar knew he would have no time for regrets.
Morita Daiku from Taki-nin watched his own Great Flame Bullet hurtling forward while keeping a vigilant eye on Veigar, wary of any potential counterattacks.
But in the very next moment, Morita Daiku's eyes widened in terror—Veigar had unleashed another Wind Release: Shuriken, slicing straight through his Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet.
Fire and Wind techniques naturally counter one another, and Morita Daiku had correctly judged that Veigar was using Wind Release. In theory, his choice of a Fire-based counterattack was sound.
However, he had miscalculated his opponent.
Veigar's Wind Release techniques boasted power more than four times that of an ordinary practitioner. Unless faced with an exceptionally potent counteracting jutsu, Veigar's Wind Release was virtually impervious to same-rank Fire Release techniques.
Only a massive disparity in strength or a highly specialized countermeasure could overcome Veigar's elemental dominance. Otherwise, simple type advantage was meaningless against him.
Faced with the returning Wind Release: Shuriken, Daiku had no time to dodge. Panic-stricken, he cried out for help:
"Save me—!"
Shhh! Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!
However, his teammates, Hasegawa Masaki and Matsunaga Hisahide, were powerless to assist him. Veigar had launched not just one but four Wind Release: Shuriken this time.
More crucially, trailing behind the airborne shuriken were two of Veigar's shadow clones, ensuring that Masaki and Hisahide had no chance to intervene. All they could do was watch in horror as Morita Oozora was cleaved in half by the attack.
Morita Daiku felt a sharp pain in his chest. His terrified eyes dimmed as his sundered torso spilled blood into the air.
For Hasegawa Masaki and Matsunaga Hisahide, their situation was no better than that of their now-dead comrade. While they were farther from Veigar than Morita had been, giving them a slight advantage in dodging his Wind Release: Shuriken, the real danger was not the incoming projectiles.
It was the shadow clones closing in behind them.
"Ittō-ryū: Iai—Blade of Wind!"
A fusion of the Ittō-ryū iai technique and Wind Release created an unparalleled boost in cutting power. This was Veigar's first real battle using his perfected sword-and-ninjutsu hybrid style.
The Wind Release: Shuriken forced Masaki and Hisahide into a defensive position, restricting their movement, while Veigar's shadow clones executed the decisive sword strikes.
With this combination attack, Veigar showcased his full combat potential.
Even an average Chunin would struggle to evade this coordinated assault, let alone two mere Genin.
"Aghhh—!"
The ninjatō sliced through Masaki and Hisahide's bodies, eliciting pained screams from both.
Their agonized cries reverberated through the Forest of Death, catching the attention of all the Genin and exam proctors, including the chief examiner—Orochimaru himself.
Among the Konoha Genin who had passed the first exam, the team consisting of Nanaki Hyuga, Shikatsu Aburame, and Jun Inuzuka possessed unparalleled scouting abilities. Hearing the distant screams, Nanaki Hyuga immediately sprang into action.
"Byakugan—Activate!"
His long, jet-black hair swayed as bulging veins surfaced around his pale eyes, adding an air of fierce intensity to his otherwise handsome face.
Elsewhere, another Konoha squad—comprising Shōgetsu Uchiha, Hoshino Sarutobi, and Kōtaro Akiyama—also reacted to the cries. Shōgetsu Uchiha, having recently evolved his Sharingan from a single tomoe to a double-tomoe, instantly activated his blood-red eyes, scanning toward the source of the disturbance.
A third Konoha squad, consisting of Kaede Nara, Kenji Akimichi, and Asuka Yamanaka, had just set up an ambush position when they too heard the commotion. They exchanged glances, surprised that the Chunin Exams had already claimed its first casualties so soon.
Meanwhile, other teams—including squads from Kumogakure, Kirigakure, Amegakure, and Kusagakure—also took notice of the unfolding battle.
As for the Taki-nin squad participating in this year's Chunin Exams, they had already been completely eliminated.
Orochimaru, hearing the dying screams, curled his lips into a sinister smile and murmured:
"Veigar-kun has already taken care of his first squad, hasn't he?"
Despite his swift victory over the Taki-nin, Veigar felt little satisfaction. Even though his shadow clones had absorbed the life essence of three people, the fight was far from over.
From afar, Kisame Hoshigaki, Itō Uto, and Yuki Minazuki—upon seeing the six Wind Release: Shuriken flying toward them—no longer remained hidden in the shadows. Nor did they retreat.
Instead, they calmly stepped forward, locking eyes with Veigar.
At the same time, Ame-nin Mizushima Kimou and Ayase Mado, who had been observing the fight, also turned their gaze toward him.
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