On the other side of the river.
Might Duy's heart sank when he saw Shin's blade strike an Earth Clone and the Stone Hidden Jonin, Shima, emerge from the ground behind Shin.
"Damn it!"
"Too late..."
He immediately wanted to rush to the other side of the river to support Shin, but at this moment, he had only opened the Fifth Gate. He wouldn't be able to get there in time, and opening the Sixth and Seventh Gates wasn't an instantaneous process. This brief delay meant he simply couldn't get there in time to help Shin out of his predicament.
He had also heard Shima's words. The opponent was indeed a Jonin, a Jonin from the Hidden Stone Village, a true pillar of their village!
At the same time.
The remaining three ninjas from the Hidden Stone Village were all standing on the other side of the river, highly vigilant and confronting Might Duy from a distance, all prepared to obstruct him.
Shima was fully aware of the situation behind him. He knew that at this distance, no matter how fast Might Duy was, he wouldn't be able to provide support in time. His two sleeve blades were about to cleave Shin's head.
But almost at that very instant.
Shin's body suddenly moved with an almost bizarre speed, transforming into an afterimage almost imperceptible to the naked eye. From facing away from him, he instantly turned to face him directly, and the ninja blade White Fang in his hand also struck directly into the center where his two sleeve blades intersected!
"!!"
Shima's pupils contracted violently.
His eyes flashed with disbelief, and a chilling sensation arose in his heart, because the speed Shin displayed was simply not a speed a normal person could possess!
"What kind of speed is that..."
Before he could think further, he saw Shin's ninja blade White Fang suddenly cut several arcs in the void, slashing towards his body.
In his terror, Shima could only exert all his strength to swing his two sleeve blades.
Clang, clang, clang!!
Several dense and crisp sounds of metal clashing echoed in the void. Then, Shima was seen sliding back over ten meters.
"Captain Shima!!"
The Hidden Stone ninjas not far away looked at this scene, almost all showing expressions of disbelief.
They clearly saw that Shima's body was covered in wounds and blood. Clearly, in that instant of close-quarters combat, he failed to block the attack from the short blade in Shin's hand!
How was this possible?!
Shima was extremely powerful in both Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. How could he have suffered multiple injuries from Shin's short blade in a single close-quarters exchange?!
"As expected of a Jonin, even stronger than I imagined."
Shin looked at the horrified Shima, who had retreated over ten meters, and mused, "To still be able to block my attacks like this. In that case..."
As the words fell.
Shin formed a single hand sign with his left hand, flickering rapidly like an afterimage. A surge of chakra flowed, transforming into crackling lightning arcs that converged on the blade of the ninja sword White Fang, accompanied by a multitude of crisp chirping sounds.
Lightning Style - Chidori!
After asking Orochimaru about the key points of Lightning Release Chakra Nature Transformation, Shin had developed the Chidori jutsu in less than ten days!
"..."
Shima's face changed dramatically.
Whether from the chakra fluctuations or the form, the jutsu Shin used was undoubtedly a highly threatening one!
With Shin's almost bizarre speed, coupled with a highly destructive Lightning Release ninjutsu, it was undoubtedly extremely dangerous. He absolutely could not let Shin get close!
"Earth Style! Mountain Earth Jutsu!"
Shima clasped his hands without hesitation, then roared loudly.
This was one of the highest-ranked ninjutsu he had mastered, an A-rank Earth Release jutsu, and also his strongest ninjutsu, combining both offense and sealing.
Boom!!
The next moment.
The ground suddenly roared, and Shin's footsteps abruptly halted. His legs were sucked into the ground, while the earth on both sides, like opening lids, formed two massive hemispheres, closing upwards from the center of Shin's feet, intending to squeeze Shin in the middle.
"Shin!"
"Hold on!"
Might Duy's face changed again upon seeing this scene. He roared in anger, and the Sixth Gate of the Eight Inner Gates in his body suddenly burst open. He then directly charged towards the other side of the river.
The three remaining Hidden Stone ninjas were already on high alert. Seeing Might Duy charging, they all simultaneously threw out a large volley of shuriken and kunai wrapped with explosive tags, attempting to stop Might Duy.
However, Might Duy, with the Eight Inner Gates opened to the Sixth Gate, merely swung a single punch, and the force of the punch swept away all the shuriken and kunai.
The three Hidden Stone ninjas were somewhat horrified by this.
This level of taijutsu was somewhat terrifying!
However.
Might Duy, having rushed to the other side of the river, suddenly stopped at the bank and did not continue to charge towards the area where Shin was sealed by the earth mountain.
He saw that in that direction, Shin, who was about to be sealed and suppressed, showed no panic, his gaze incredibly calm. He simply swung the ninja blade White Fang, which he held in his right hand.
Whoosh!!
A visible white arc of light flashed, like a crescent moon.
The incredibly thick earth mountain that was closing in instantly froze. A clear crack appeared in its center, extending to both sides, and then it crumbled downwards.
It had been instantly split in two with a single slash!
"This..."
Shima, his hands still in the hand sign posture, showed extreme shock in his eyes.
Such a jutsu reminded him of past records he had seen, and it brought to mind a title that had shaken the ninja world in the previous Great Ninja War—the White Fang of Hidden Leaf!
Whoosh!
Shin's figure burst out of the shattered earth mountain, instantly appearing before him, the ninja blade White Fang trailing a crescent moon.
After training Chidori, his body's speed had improved further. In his three-times speed state, he could use Moon Flash without even needing to open the Third Gate of the Eight Inner Gates!
Their figures crossed.
Thwack!
Shin appeared to Shima's right, paused, his ninja blade White Fang held in the posture of a finished swing.
Shima froze in place, his two sleeve blades still in a parrying stance, but a clear bloodline extended from his brow all the way to his abdomen.
"...Wh-White Fang of Hidden Leaf?!"
His eyes held a hint of disbelief.
Shin slowly retracted the ninja blade White Fang, turned to look at Shima, and calmly said, "That's my father."
So that's it.
Hearing Shin's words, Shima murmured to himself, regret and unwillingness flashing across his mind. His consciousness ultimately plunged into darkness, and accompanied by gushing blood, he collapsed to the ground.