Chapter 63: How to Use Shadow Clones
The water flow was vast. Even though the shadow clone had chosen a relatively high hill as much as possible, the hill's height was only so much. When the water volume grew large enough, the hill became a submerged hill.
The shadow clone stood on the water's surface, sighing somewhat helplessly.
Facing the encirclement of these six jonin who were first-rate even among jonin, trying to delay time was truly difficult. After Suikazan Fuguki made his move to create a battlefield favorable to the Mist shinobi, they immediately formed up and charged into the mist.
With Ao, who also possessed a Byakugan, serving as everyone's "eyes" and "brain," he commanded Suikazan Fuguki and four others to launch attacks on the shadow clone.
"Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!"
Suikazan Fuguki's hair hardened into senbon—long needles—shooting toward the shadow clone.
"Shikotsumyaku: Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!"
The Kaguya clan jonin fired his ten finger bones.
"Water Style: Four Sharks Rain!"
Biwa Juzo struck the water surface with one hand. Four water sharks leaped vertically, rising straight into the air before diving at high speed toward the shadow clone ahead.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Hoshigaki Kisame bit his thumb and performed the Summoning Jutsu, summoning a shark to swim in the water. Under Kisame's guidance, it stealthily approached the shadow clone from underwater.
Ringo Ameyuri didn't attack. Her Lightning Style techniques weren't suitable for attacking in this situation. Water's conductivity wouldn't distinguish them as Mist shinobi and bypass them—it would indiscriminately electrocute all objects in and on the water.
'This truly is troublesome!'
The shadow clone felt extremely stifled.
If the true body were here, it could adopt more aggressive tactics. But he was merely a shadow clone whose chakra could only decrease with use, and would disappear upon receiving a certain intensity of impact.
Therefore, proactive offense was simply not viable.
He could only defend cautiously.
"Eight Trigrams Palms: Rotation!"
The shadow clone stood on the water's surface, assumed his stance, and deployed this strongest defensive technique passed down in the Hyuga clan. Though chakra would only decrease with use, when it needed to be used, he absolutely couldn't be stingy. Otherwise, if he got destroyed before the chakra ran out, that would truly be frustrating.
The high-speed rotating hemispherical chakra barrier blocked all attacks—the senbon needles transformed from hair, the ten finger bones, the diving water sharks—all shattered upon contact with the barrier.
Even the shark underwater didn't escape disaster. Chakra released from beneath his feet rotated at high speed, causing the water to spin rapidly as well, directly forming a whirlpool. It forcibly sucked in the approaching shark, tumbling it around repeatedly in the vortex, thoroughly disorienting it until it clearly had no ability to trouble the shadow clone for now.
After the Rotation was released, the shadow clone hurriedly leaped into the air to avoid being sucked into the whirlpool he'd created himself.
"Something's odd!"
Ao, observing all this, spoke up.
"What's odd?"
Suikazan Fuguki asked.
"This White Yaksha's fighting spirit feels very weak. Up to now, he's either fleeing or defending, without the slightest intent to actively attack."
"What's odd about that?"
Hearing this, the Kaguya clan jonin sneered. "White Yaksha isn't an idiot yaksha. Seeing so many of us, choosing to flee and defend is perfectly normal, isn't it? If he still dared to charge at us after seeing us, he'd either be an idiot or a true monster!"
"But White Yaksha is a monster!"
Ao's expression was serious.
Suikazan Fuguki also nodded. He'd personally experienced Hyuga Ritsu's formidability. Though in that battle with Ritsu, he'd also been worn down by Rotation until he had no temper, Ritsu's offensive will at that time had been clearly very strong!
Not like now, where there wasn't the slightest hint of offensive intent.
While they spoke, they didn't forget to attack. The firepower of their attacks remained continuous. But Hyuga Ritsu just kept fleeing everywhere. When he really couldn't dodge, another Rotation would solve the problem, then he'd continue fleeing.
"Why waste so many words?"
The Kaguya clan jonin displayed his clan's battle-crazed nature to the fullest, saying irritably, "We just need to take him down. Who cares what problems he has?"
Having said that, without waiting for Ao to issue orders, he simply charged forward directly. Sharp white bones protruded from all over his body, transforming him into a professional killing machine. Following the trajectory of Hoshigaki Kisame's Water Style attack, he rushed before the shadow clone.
The shadow clone immediately had a splitting headache.
He most hated this kind of single-minded brute who only knew how to charge forward recklessly. Right now, he didn't want to engage in taijutsu combat at all. But with no other choice, he could only use Rotation for protection again.
"Daizo, retreat quickly!"
Ao's reminder came from behind.
Hearing this, Kaguya Daizo didn't hesitate at all. He kicked off hard and flew backward, while the high-speed rotating chakra barrier rapidly expanded, colliding with the sharp white bones on Kaguya Daizo's body.
With a "crack," the protruding bones snapped clean off. His entire person was flung away by that tremendous centrifugal force, diving headfirst into the water.
But in the next second, Kaguya Daizo emerged as if nothing had happened, shouted "Exhilarating!" and charged at the shadow clone again.
"There really is a problem! Even if White Yaksha's chakra reserves are bottomless, there's no need to keep using Rotation, right? Kaguya Daizo's attacks could be defended against using normal taijutsu. Besides, doesn't he himself also possess the Shikotsumyaku bloodline limit? Why isn't he using it?"
Ao's brow furrowed even deeper.
The more he watched, the more abnormal the situation seemed.
"Hey, Konoha's White Yaksha! I heard you also have my clan's Shikotsumyaku bloodline limit. Hurry up and use it so we can have a proper, satisfying fight!"
Kaguya Daizo's voice was loud. His challenge invitation made all the Mist shinobi roll their eyes in unison, sighing inwardly—truly worthy of being a Kaguya battle maniac!
The shadow clone's mouth twitched.
He could indeed use Shikotsumyaku, but the problem was that his shadow clone body couldn't withstand the impact force of taijutsu combat. Originally, shadow clones were developed to infiltrate deep behind enemy lines to gather intelligence, not to infiltrate deep behind enemy lines for mass slaughter!
When shadow clones fought, they were most suitable as artillery platforms releasing jutsu or throwing ninja tools, not for direct head-on clashes with enemies. These things shattered at a touch!
He ignored the Kaguya battle maniac, still sparing no expense of chakra to use Rotation, time and again deflecting the Kaguya jonin and the others' jutsu.
But using the chakra-intensive Rotation at such high frequency, even though the shadow clone's chakra reserves were extremely abundant, they were still bottoming out!
"Reached the limit?"
Sensing the emptiness within, the shadow clone looked up at the sky. The crescent moon that had climbed to its highest point in the night sky had begun slowly descending. The time was probably around one in the morning.
In the next instant, Suikazan Fuguki's Needle Jizo pierced through the air. But the shadow clone didn't move, allowing the sharp senbon to pierce through his body. With a "poof," he transformed into smoke and disappeared.
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