"What a powerful combination technique. It seems the top three are all hiding their true strength."
Aburame Shino, hiding in a tree, muttered to himself as he watched the dust and mist rising from the clearing and the forest.
At the same time, he quickly dispatched a large number of insects, using the cover of the dust to quietly fly toward Kurenai Yuhi, aiming to snatch the bell from her waist while she was distracted.
Unfortunately, Hinata had already alerted her.
As the Jonin Instructor of the Sensory Team, Kurenai's Sensing Technique was equally impressive.
Startled by Hinata's combination technique, Kurenai had already activated her sensing ability after being engulfed by the dust.
The positions of Izayoi and the others, as well as the approaching insects, were all detected by Kurenai.
With a pop, a sound like a balloon bursting echoed through the dust.
When the dust settled, only a piece of wood surrounded by insects remained on the ground.
Substitution Technique! Seeing this, Team 8 was not surprised at all.
Hinata, with veins bulging at her temples, scanned her surroundings. In her black-and-white vision, Shino hiding in a tree, Kurenai using the white mist to conceal herself and flickering into the forest, and Izayoi, who had already flickered into an afterimage and was charging toward Kurenai, were all exposed to her Byakugan's penetrating and far-seeing abilities.
Watching Izayoi appear in front of Kurenai and launch an attack, Hinata's Byakugan seemed to notice something, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly.
Then, she took out a piece of cloth, nodded in Shino's direction, and her figure disappeared.
The buzzing of insects followed closely.
In another part of the forest, the clashing sound of metal rang out.
Zooming in, a man and woman, whose heights differed by only a few centimeters, were engaged in close combat, each holding a kunai in reverse grip.
Aiming for Kurenai's vital points, Izayoi's kunai stabbed, slashed, and cut with incredible speed and decisiveness. Even Kurenai could only defend passively.
At first, the experienced Kurenai wasn't flustered.
But soon, as if she had discovered something unbelievable, her pupils contracted sharply, and her expression changed dramatically.
"How is this possible?!"
She even exclaimed aloud.
Izayoi, knowing what had shocked her, allowed a slight smile to curl his lips.
The next moment, with a poof, he turned into a puff of white smoke.
At the same time, three shouts rang out from the surrounding forest.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
The orange-red flames, like a sunset, enveloped Kurenai.
Three fire dragons, each about four meters long, roared toward her from three directions.
Kurenai had no time to flicker away, and her Genjutsu was useless. She could only quickly form hand seals and shout, "Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A waterfall-like stream of water gushed from her mouth, rotating with her body as it collided with the incoming fire dragons.
With the sound of explosions and sizzling, an astonishing amount of white mist spread out.
"Cough, cough..."
The mist was so vast that it even spread to the clearing.
Kurenai's figure emerged from the mist, coughing as if choking.
Suddenly, Kurenai seemed to realize something and froze in place.
The next moment, a familiar sound reached her ears.
Ding, ding, ding...
The melodious sound of bells approached from afar. A gust of wind dispersed the mist, revealing the figures of Team 8 emerging from the forest.
Standing in the center, Izayoi gently swayed the bell in his hand and smiled at Kurenai Yuhi as he spoke, "Teacher Kurenai, did we pass?"
"Impressive. Even though I was on guard, you still managed to snatch the bell."
Looking at the spotless Team 8 and then at her slightly disheveled self, Kurenai felt a bit embarrassed, but her heart was filled with more joy than anything else.
She smiled brightly and praised generously, "Strong abilities, excellent tactics. The teacher has lost this time."
"No... a ninja's battle is a battle of information."
Izayoi shook his head and smiled, "The reason we obtained the bell so easily is because you revealed your expertise, Teacher Kurenai, and didn't know enough about our information. If it were a life-and-death battle, it wouldn't have been so easy for us. We only succeeded because you went easy on us."
Hearing this, Hinata and Aburame Shino, who had intentionally stayed a step behind Izayoi, both looked at him in astonishment, their thoughts diverging.
'Izayoi-kun... speaks so well.'
'Is this how you're supposed to talk? Wait, is he buttering her up?'
Kurenai was also slightly taken aback, but then her smile grew even brighter, and her gaze toward Izayoi was filled with affection.
"Such smooth talk!"
With her embarrassment dissolved, Kurenai immediately regained her spirited demeanor. She walked over, patted Izayoi on the shoulder, and then wrapped an arm around Hinata's delicate shoulders, saying with a laugh, "Let's go. To celebrate the formation of Team 8, I'll treat you all to a feast."
As they walked along the forest path leading to the central street, Kurenai looked at Izayoi curiously and asked, "Izayoi, how did your Shadow Clone break my Genjutsu during the battle?"
Breaking Genjutsu is something taught in the ninja academy.
All you need to do is disrupt the flow of Chakra within your body.
It sounds easy, but it's incredibly difficult to execute.
Because during battle, it's nearly impossible to disrupt your Chakra.
After all, to disrupt the Chakra within your body, you need to carefully manipulate it, which requires hand seals.
The reason Kurenai had been shocked earlier wasn't because the person she was fighting was just Izayoi's Shadow Clone, nor was it because Izayoi's real body and Shadow Clones were lying in ambush nearby.
Rather, it was because Izayoi's Shadow Clone had completely ignored her Genjutsu.
"That's a secret, Teacher Kurenai."
Izayoi raised his index finger to his lips and smiled, "A ninja's battle is a battle of information. Secrets make a man more charming."
As he said this, Izayoi winked at Hinata, causing the girl to blush and lower her head in shyness.
"You're not a man yet, just a little brat."
Kurenai rolled her eyes and said, "When you're twenty and can drink with me, then you can say that."
Even so, she didn't press further.
However, her evaluation of Izayoi in her heart far surpassed that of Hinata and Aburame Shino, the heirs of their respective Ninja Clans.
His vast Chakra reserves, powerful Fire Release Ninja Techniques, his mature personality, and this level of ninja aptitude...
At this moment, Kurenai finally understood why Izayoi had been able to surpass the heirs of the major Ninja Clans and consistently hold the position of top student.
Izayoi simply smiled without responding to Kurenai Yuhi's teasing.
Of course, he wouldn't tell Kurenai that the reason he could ignore her Genjutsu was not only because his Yin Release Chakra was exceptionally powerful but also because he could perform Signless Casting.
While others needed hand seals to manipulate Chakra, Izayoi required none at all.
He was the natural counter to Genjutsu.
(End of Chapter)