In battles involving chūnin and genin, taijutsu is relied upon far more heavily - not only because of limited chakra.
Slowness is the greatest original sin of ninjutsu.
Only after one's chakra reserves increase, and after mastering techniques such as simplified hand seals, one-handed seals, or using the gaps in an enemy's attacks to weave seals, can ninjutsu truly be applied effectively in combat.
All of these techniques rely heavily on either experience or talent.
That is why, at the genin and chūnin stages, ninjutsu shows its greatest value only in ambushes. In direct combat, ninjutsu-focused shinobi hold little advantage.
It's like football.
Take that useless national team and put them on an empty pitch. Even defenders and goalkeepers could pull off Marseille turns, step-overs, and score nine out of ten shots from fifty meters away.
But once it's an actual match - where the situation changes instantly and opponents interfere - the so-called street legends immediately show their true colors.
Ninjas are the same.
Knowing a technique doesn't mean you can truly use it.
You must be able to apply it during combat, under enemy interference, and extract its full value. Only then can you say you truly know ninjutsu.
Those capable of this are either geniuses - or experienced jōnin.
Kurokawa was a chūnin who leaned more toward ninjutsu. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been selected for the ambush against Tsunade.
Throughout the fight, Kurokawa repeatedly tried to widen the distance to exploit his ninjutsu advantage, only for Uchiha Mai to force the range back into close combat again and again.
They were fighting in a forest. The complex terrain clearly favored taijutsu-oriented shinobi.
Still, Kurokawa hailed from Kumogakure. Even though he leaned toward ninjutsu, his taijutsu was far from weak - arguably excellent.
Likely influenced by the Raikage's lineage, very few Kumogakure shinobi were truly bad at taijutsu. Almost all of them had some skill in close combat.
In the Fourth Great Ninja War, Kumogakure shinobi - this one and that one - excelled in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and kenjutsu alike. Their individual strength was remarkably high.
Tall, broad-shouldered, and powerfully built, yet suppressed in taijutsu - Kurokawa felt utterly frustrated, with no solution in sight.
This little brat was fast, strong, and skilled in every technique. In terms of taijutsu, aside from slightly weaker durability, he had almost no flaws.
Weak durability could be compensated with speed and agility. If the enemy couldn't hit him, then he was durable enough.
"Kurokawa! Why is it taking so long to deal with a brat? Finish him and come support us!" shouted the Kumogakure jōnin on the other side, drenched in sweat and visibly exhausted.
Calling for support!
Master Minato, relying on his godlike Body Flicker Technique, handled the four-man encirclement with ease - finding openings to counterattack as well.
His speed left behind countless afterimages. At a glance, it looked as though Minato alone had surrounded an entire enemy squad.
At this moment, Minato already carried a faint resemblance to a low-budget Senju Tobirama.
Aside from Water Release and forbidden techniques, Tobirama's most prized skill was the Flying Thunder God Slash - Flying Thunder God combined with swordsmanship.
Close in instantly, then kill with a single strike. Madara's brother, Uchiha Izuna - Mai's great-grand-uncle - had been slain by this very technique.
Compared to Tobirama, Minato at this stage was merely a bit slower, and his strikes a bit gentler.
Not a problem. Against mere jōnin and chūnin, even "gentle scrubbing" was enough to scrub them to death.
Narita Daisaku and his three subordinates were under immense pressure being surrounded by Minato. Wasn't Kurokawa, who was being suppressed by Uchiha Mai, in the same situation?
I want to ask for support too…
But Narita Daisaku was the captain - and a jōnin. Kumogakure rules forbade subordinates from talking back to their superiors.
"Yes. I'll finish him shortly," Kurokawa replied through clenched teeth.
As long as I can create distance and unleash a one-hit-kill ninjutsu, everything will turn around.
After another brief stalemate, Kurokawa finally found an opening. Forcing Uchiha Mai back with a move, he immediately retreated about twenty meters and began forming seals rapidly, intending to end the fight with a decisive technique.
"Die!"
This time, I won't be interrupted again.
During the repeated cycles of retreat and pursuit, Kurokawa had already calculated Uchiha Mai's maximum instantaneous speed.
At this distance, if I focus entirely on hand seals, there's absolutely no way this brat can interrupt me!
The humiliation of being suppressed for so long was about to be washed away in an instant.
Brat, this is what a Kumogakure chūnin is capable of. Ninja battles aren't just about brute force - they're about brains too. Do you even have that kind of calculation ability?
Before Kurokawa had even finished two seals, he was already imagining how he'd show off after killing Mai.
"Pretty smart."
Forced back, Uchiha Mai smiled when he saw Kurokawa retreat to such a delicate distance and begin sealing.
You've been waiting for this moment - but so have I.
[Path of Offense and Defense] activated. Cost: 300,000 ryō. Duration: 2 seconds.
Throughout the fight, Mai had kept [Path of Offense and Defense] active, usually set at 50,000 ryō per second - a very cost-effective value that boosted his speed by about thirty percent.
This time, the cost skyrocketed to 150,000 per second. But due to diminishing returns, the speed increase only rose from thirty percent to about thirty-five percent.
What can a mere five percent increase do?
Sometimes, nothing.
Sometimes, everything.
In an instant, Uchiha Mai burst forth at a speed slightly faster than before, weaving through obstacles and closing the distance, appearing directly in front of Kurokawa.
"What?!"
Kurokawa's eyes widened in shock. Why - why was he even faster than his previous maximum speed?
"The one who's really going to die… is you!"
Uchiha Mai roared with laughter as he raised one arm, fingers curled into claws, and slashed downward toward Kurokawa's throat.
Don't ask why he laughed - being unhinged is an Uchiha racial trait. An Uchiha who doesn't laugh maniacally has no soul.
At the brink of life and death, Kurokawa abandoned his seals and twisted his neck desperately to dodge. He failed to avoid it completely - four deep claw marks tore across his chest from left shoulder to right waist, deep enough to expose bone.
After long training in various taijutsu techniques, combined with chakra and [Path of Offense and Defense] enhancement, Uchiha Mai's claws were nearly as lethal as a kunai.
Just as Kurokawa thought he had survived, the slashing hand snapped back instantly, the wrist smashing violently into his throat.
The immense force shattered his laryngeal cartilage and airway. The broken fragments pierced his carotid artery, causing massive hemorrhaging.
Mai-Style Ancient Martial Arts · External Form · Dream Bullet.
This was a technique Uchiha Mai had developed long ago, but never had the chance to use - simply because it was too lethal.
(End of Chapter)