Inside the temporary command center at four in the morning, Team One appeared relaxed but was already on high alert.
With her Byakugan active, Nayou raised four fingers toward the trio, signaling that four enemies lay beyond.
"Hey Nawaki, wanna test your luck?" Shen instantly activated his Sharingan.
"You're on! Like I'd ever be scared of someone like you!" Nawaki released the seal of the Strength of a Hundred Seal on his right hand and immediately began gathering power.
"Just don't start crying!"
"Fearless Nawaki himself shall prevail!"
Indeed, these two—who had originally been engaged in their usual bickering—realized their argument might confuse the enemy. So Team One quickly decided to stage a sting operation.
"The chakra reserves of those four aren't ordinary jonin-level," Nayou whispered, reporting what she could see with her Byakugan. "They must be the enemy leaders."
"You call that tough? Why don't we do a quick round of guessing fists?" Shen tapped his index fingers together four times, suggesting each one take one opponent.
Orochimaru shook his head slightly, then raised four fingers with both hands, indicating that teamwork would be necessary—that all of Team One should work together against these enemies.
"Guessing fists? You scared of my right hand or something?" Nawaki nodded in agreement.
Nayou raised her left hand into a fist. The enemies she saw were now less than ten meters away.
The four Kirigakure Captains silently pressed half their bodies against the walls of the command center, listening to the playful noises coming from within, all exchanging quiet smirks.
After exchanging glances, they began forming hand seals, preparing to launch surprise ninjutsu attacks.
[Nawaki's Superhuman Strength Unrivaled Fist!]
Hearing the over-the-top name of that move, the four didn't even flinch and continued forming their respective seals.
It seemed they planned to use high-difficulty ninja techniques to finish off Team One inside the room in one fell swoop.
But very soon, they realized their mistake.
Boom!
A loud noise comparable to the previous underground explosion erupted from the wall they were leaning against.
The explosion blasted the entire wall outward in an instant.
"Lightning Release: Chidori!"
In midair, the eyes of the flying Kirigakure Captain suddenly lit up with a flash of blue light. Unaccustomed to the sudden glare after the darkness, he instinctively squinted.
The immense surge of electricity pierced effortlessly through the captain's body.
But he wasn't going down so easily.
"What incredible numbness—I'll claim those eyes of yours as compensation, brat!"
At that moment, the captain's right arm became fluid like liquid and accurately clamped onto Shen's left wrist—the same wrist used to pierce through his chest.
Then he swiftly raised his other hand, aiming straight for Shen's eyes.
"Kaido clan? Fine, I'll crank up the power!"
Shen brought his left five fingers together tightly, increasing the lightning chakra output. As the Chidori transformed into Pseudo Lightning Cutter, the blue electrical currents also changed to white.
The Kaido clan possessed a unique Kekkei Genkai. Their bodies could transform into fluid-like forms.
The only way to stop them was to use powerful Lightning Release techniques to paralyze their bodies. The liquid conductivity of their forms could greatly amplify the power of lightning attacks.
Even if you chopped the Hozuki clan into pieces, you still couldn't kill them.
After all, this slimy "slime" could move on its own and reassemble its body. Powerful lightning techniques could only slow down their healing speed.
[Crackling sound]
Like slicing through butter with a smooth sensation, Shen's left hand sliced horizontally across his opponent's chest.
Once he confirmed the enemy temporarily had no ability to fight back, he pulled his left hand free and used a Shadow Clone in midair.
"Snake Uncle!"
The clone grabbed his legs and swung him forcefully toward another opponent.
[Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!]
Orochimaru glanced sideways, already binding the Kumogakure Captain who had just landed.
Quickly, Shen approached his opponent. The Pseudo Lightning Cutter glowing white had become extremely impressive in piercing power after accelerating through the air.
"Pa!"
Yet his left wrist was seized by the enemy's large hand coated with Lightning Nature chakra.
"What the heck? We're both jonin, yet why's Uncle Geri such a pushover?" Shen quickly made a sarcastic comment in his mind but didn't delay his movements for even a moment.
His free hand rapidly formed a single-hand seal and spat out a Great Fireball toward the enemy's face.
The Kumogakure Captain was greatly alarmed. He hadn't expected a child could actually perform one-handed seals and successfully release a ninjutsu.
Even if it was just the simplest C-rank technique, it still sent shockwaves through his mind.
"Just some basic Fire Release technique!"
While leaning his head backward, he seemed intent on taking the Great Fireball head-on while simultaneously launching a headbutt attack.
Through Shen's Sharingan and superior dynamic vision, he saw clearly how his opponent deliberately chose to withstand the fireball before attempting a headbutt against him.
"If I got headbutted by this big dark-skinned brute, wouldn't that mess up my face?" He quickly turned his head aside to dodge the attack.
He sure as hell didn't want anything messing with his good looks.
"You can take out those annoying Mist ninja. You really do have some skill!" The complimenting Kumogakure Captain exerted pressure on his feet and broke free from Orochimaru's control.
"Don't think I'll be as careless as that guy!"
After saying this, the Kumogakure Captain immediately threw a punch laced with strands of blue lightning.
"Is this man from the Yagami clan?"
Shen dared not directly block this punch. Instantly, his legs entered Lightning Nature Chakra Mode and he flashed backward ten meters.
"Oh? So you, this little Uchiha brat, also know how to activate cells using Lightning Release. Too bad for you, I can do that too!"
Immediately sensing the danger approaching, Shen stepped forward and rapidly retreated backward.
The faint white electricity remaining at his previous position was instantly sliced through by something incredibly sharp.
When the Kumogakure Captain missed with his first strike, he quickly pursued. He was fully confident in his own speed.
It's no wonder Shen managed that, given the Yagami clan's physical strength is famously robust throughout the shinobi world.
Moreover, this clan has ruled over Kumogakure Village for generations.
All past Raikages have come from this dark-skinned lineage. Kumogakure operates like a mafia state, ruled with an iron grip by the Yagami clan. Besides possessing exceptional physical traits, they're also highly skilled in Lightning Release techniques.
For them, forcibly activating their cells is second nature—effortless and routine. Using their clan's powerful physique, their offensive capabilities are just as formidable as their defenses.
However, compared to the two most powerful clans in the shinobi world—the Senju and the Uchiha—the Yagami clan falls short. The Senju's tremendous regenerative powers and the Uchiha's genjutsu can effectively suppress them.
Realizing this, Shen turned his crimson gaze toward the opponent relentlessly chasing him. Ever since developing Elemental Chakra Mode—a truly formidable technique—he hadn't relied on genjutsu much at all.
"Kai!"
The Kumogakure Captain broke free from the illusion in less than a second.
Smirking, he raised his blade-shaped hand and slashed straight for Shen's chest.
"Clang!"
As Orochimaru watched anxiously, Shen raised his bracer-clad arm with sleeve blade drawn, blocking the fatal strike.
It wasn't that Orochimaru didn't want to help—it was just that these two moved far too fast for him to react.
"Looks like you've got quite a few tricks to keep yourself alive," the Kumogakure Captain remarked, sensing the resistance of Shen's wind-based chakra barrier before suddenly increasing the force of his strike.
"Crack!"
Before Shen's surprised eyes, the protective barrier slowly began to shatter.
Feeling a sharp pain in his wrist, Shen realized that if he didn't act quickly, he'd soon be remembered in the shinobi world as the "legendary skewered hero."
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