Chapter 131

[500PS REACHED!! Next Goal: 1000PS!]

"Lee's teacher... is really this strong??"

On Katsuragi Mountain, Sasuke glanced back at the intense battle between Gensou and Guy, his face full of disbelief.

When Guy had broken through the sea of flames from the Great Fire Annihilation and kicked at incredible speed, Sasuke had been shocked.

Even though his Sharingan could see the attack coming, he didn't have time to react. If Gensou hadn't thrown him aside, Sasuke might have been seriously injured, which had already surprised him at the time.

Now, seeing Guy holding his own against Gensou, Sasuke was even more astonished.

Others might not know, but Sasuke was well aware of the true identity of his "clan member."

Even though Gensou wasn't using his full strength, Guy's performance was still something to be proud of.

Sasuke recalled the first time he had seen Guy during the Chunin Exams, thinking how ridiculous the man seemed. He shook his head now, realizing the truth in the old saying, "You can't judge a book by its cover."

But...

"Is Lee's teacher really a Jonin of Konoha?"

"And Kakashi considers Lee's teacher his lifelong rival? Is that really not a joke?"

Watching Guy's current performance and recalling Kakashi's past abilities, Sasuke felt there must be some misunderstanding.

But there was no time to think further.

Having opened four of the Eight Gates, Lee, now a miniature version of Guy, charged forward with a powerful gust of wind.

"Leaf Whirlwind!"

A spinning high kick with tremendous force came toward him.

"Eight Gates..."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his Sharingan spinning as he swiftly dodged the attack.

Compared to Guy, Lee was still much more inexperienced.

Clang! Sasuke drew his sword, a blade crafted in the style of the Kusanagi sword by the founder of the Craft Ninja Village, Seimei.

Infused with chakra, the sword was immediately activated with the power of lightning. With one slash, Sasuke forced Lee back and then swept the blade around him.

Clang, clang, clang! A barrage of thrown weapons from TenTen was deflected and knocked down by Sasuke's sword.

Buzzing noises! The sound of countless insects buzzing drew closer.

"Secret Technique: Insect Sphere!"

Shino spread his arms, releasing a massive swarm of kikaichū from his body, forming a black cloud that surged toward Sasuke.

Sasuke frowned, quickly forming hand seals before opening his mouth and saying:

"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu!"

A massive flame erupted from Sasuke's mouth, transforming into a giant fire dragon that incinerated the approaching swarm of insects. The fire then turned toward the other advancing ninjas.

Boom! The raging flames formed a barrier in front of them, separating both sides.

Taking advantage of the brief respite, Sasuke reached into his ninja pouch for a soldier pill, intending to consume it.

Although his strength had increased significantly, his chakra reserves hadn't grown as quickly. After the series of intense battles, his chakra was running low.

Just as Sasuke was about to swallow the soldier pill...

"Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!"

Suddenly, he found himself tightly bound by a large tree.

Kurenai, who had been silent and out of sight for a long time, emerged from the tree, her slender fingers reaching toward the back of Sasuke's head.

"Genjutsu?" Sasuke scoffed.

Back when he was in Konoha, even though his Sharingan had evolved to the three-tomoe stage, without the proper training from the Uchiha Clan, he might have fallen victim to Kurenai's genjutsu as a Jonin.

But now, having filled in his shortcomings during his time in Locks Village, Sasuke activated his Sharingan.

"Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change!"

In an instant, the tree binding Sasuke vanished, replaced by the image of Kurenai herself being bound by the tree.

"For genjutsu specialists, the Sharingan is truly a source of sorrow," Kurenai sighed calmly, despite being bound.

Facing Itachi could be explained by the power gap due to the Mangekyō Sharingan.

But now, facing a younger shinobi with the three-tomoe Sharingan, having her genjutsu reflected again was a clear reminder of the Sharingan's dominance over genjutsu.

However, no matter how powerful the Sharingan is against genjutsu, it's not an absolute counter.

Just like now, Sasuke instinctively looked at Kurenai.

In that moment, Kurenai's figure dissolved like a bubble.

Having already witnessed the power of the Sharingan against Itachi, Kurenai was not about to make the same mistake twice.

Demonic Illusion: Naraku Substitution.

The target of Sasuke's counterattack was only her genjutsu clone.

Not only that, but as the clone dissipated, a cascade of beautiful cherry blossoms scattered from where it had been.

Falling Petals Genjutsu!

Kurenai, who had earned her promotion to Jonin, was not to be underestimated.

In an instant, the roles of attacker and defender were reversed. As Sasuke saw the cherry blossoms, he felt an overwhelming fatigue, a deep desire to sleep immediately.

"Another genjutsu!"

Although Sasuke quickly broke the genjutsu, the moment of delay allowed a hand to reach up from the ground, grab his ankle, and pull him down forcefully.

"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"

Boom!

Sasuke's entire body was pulled underground, leaving only his head exposed.

Kakashi, who had been hiding underground, emerged.

"Sasuke, when you return, you should reflect on your actions," Kakashi said, spreading his fingers to perform a sealing jutsu, intending to seal Sasuke's chakra.

Sasuke looked at Kakashi calmly.

The next moment.

A violent tremor shook the ground.

As Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise, Sasuke's head quickly sank into the ground, and he disappeared completely.

Soon, a large hole appeared in a nearby clearing, from which emerged a large orange cat, holding a drill in its paws and wearing a golden abacus around its neck, along with the previously missing Sasuke.

"Meow~~Thank you for your patronage, one digging job, 200,000 ryō please."

The plump orange cat, its eyes sparkling like gold coins, held out a paw to Sasuke, asking for payment.

"I'll pay you when we get back," Sasuke replied, knowing the cat's obsession with money, while swallowing the soldier pill he had been holding.

The fat orange cat tilted its head, reluctantly nodded, and said, "Considering your good credit, Little Sasuke, I'll take the risk and agree this time. Remember, no more than seven days, or the interest doubles, meow."

With that, the fat orange cat waved goodbye in a beckoning cat gesture before disappearing in a puff of white smoke.

Opposite them, noticing the scene, Kakashi frowned and said, "A ninja cat? When did Sasuke sign a summoning contract with them?"

While it was known that the ninja cats were once the Uchiha Clan's source of intelligence, the Uchiha Clan was no more.

In Kakashi's memory, Sasuke had never signed a summoning contract with the ninja cats.

This oversight had caused his plan to falter, allowing Sasuke to escape again.

"Also, when did Sasuke use the summoning jutsu? Was it when he used the Dragon Fire Jutsu to obscure our vision?"

The only time Sasuke was out of sight was during the Dragon Fire Jutsu.

That must have been when it happened.

(End of Chapter)