Chapter 34

AN : You can read chapters published ahead by supporting me (3$) on my p@treon account - p@treon.com/noviceauthor777

Currently published 26 extra chapters with 46K words in P@treon.

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The air was filled with the sharp sound of shuriken slicing through it. Amid the trees, the galloping Toshiro lowered his head to dodge, narrowly avoiding a pair of branches reaching out beside him.

Without lifting his head, he leaped on the spot, his body rotating and adjusting mid-air to meet the next shuriken attack at the smallest angle.

"Whew! Shou! Shou!"

Three shuriken flew past him, barely missing their mark. Just as he thought he had escaped, another shuriken cut a large arc through the air at a subtle angle, striking one of the three shuriken that had just passed him.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

The crisp sound of metal striking resonated three times in a row as the three shuriken redirected, now aimed at his heart, throat, and head. Mid-air and with no leverage, he was unable to avoid them.

The sound of shuriken piercing flesh echoed through the woods. Still airborne, Toshiro's head, throat, heart, and abdomen were hit, and he fell to the ground, blood splattering from his wounds.

Uchiha Toshiro was down.

"Let's see how clever this kid thinks he is," muttered Satoshi, who had been tracking him. He remained indifferent to his student's fall, a smirk of satisfaction on his face.

"Peng!"

An explosion of smoke erupted where Toshiro had fallen. As the smoke cleared, only four shuriken remained. Toshiro's figure had vanished, as had Asuka, who had been running ahead.

"Of course, it was a shadow clone," Satoshi thought. "But it was enough to give that kid a hard time!"

The combination of shadow clone, substitution, and transformation jutsu to lure him had not surprised Satoshi. He had suspected something was off when he heard the rustling in the woods. Seeing his students' tactics were decent, he decided to play along.

For Satoshi, the outcome of this test was predetermined. If they performed well, they might secure one or two bells. However, if they performed poorly, they would face harsh consequences.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Toshiro, who was setting a trap, suddenly gasped.

"Shit!"

"It hurts! Is this what it feels like to be killed as a shadow clone?"

"What's wrong, Toshiro? Is it over there?" Asuka, nearby, heard the noise and asked.

"Yes, it's over! But sensei is ruthless! The three shuriken hit the head, heart, throat, and abdomen!"

Seeing the corners of Toshiro's mouth twitching slightly, Asuka couldn't help but panic. The sensei conducting this test was someone she knew well. She hadn't taken the test seriously, thinking it wouldn't be too difficult to pass. However, Toshiro's words shattered her confidence, making her realize the severity of their situation.

"What's wrong? Is Satoshi-sensei coming over?" came a loud inquiry from Kirishima.

It turned out that Satoshi, who had just entered the woods, was chasing a shadow clone. Toshiro and Asuka, hiding in the canopy, quickly jumped out and ran to the field to wake up Kirishima, who had been sleeping soundly.

The three of them quickly discussed and planned to set up a trap in the woods to counter Satoshi's formidable strength.

"Everyone, be ready. sensei could appear at any moment. Don't be careless, or you'll suffer!" Toshiro warned sternly, though he doubted his warning would be effective.

He was still dwelling on the blow he had just received from the teacher. He knew that when a shadow clone is dispelled, the pain is transferred to the original body. This first experience of the pain of being killed left him uneasy.

As he recalled the memory that returned when the shadow clone was dispelled, the shuriken stabbing into his vital parts caused him to shudder again. No wonder this technique was classified as forbidden. If all shadow clones were killed simultaneously, the resulting pain would be unbearable.

"Ooooh! Here we go again! Leave everything to me!" As Toshirou expected, the brash voice of Kirishima rang out.

'How did this guy get chosen for special training by the family?'

'With such boastful talk, is he really an Uchiha?'

'And his name, 'Kirishima', such a meaningful name, has been utterly wasted on him. I don't even know how to express my frustration.'

Silently criticizing in his mind, Toshirou quickened his pace, glancing over at Asuka.

"Look at your husky, he's full of surprises!"

Catching Toshirou's gaze, Asuka understood the implied meaning. She felt helpless about her childhood friend's behavior. Ever since she was little, she loved playing pranks on people, and nearly all her peers had been victims of her at some point. Many were tricked without realizing it.

As the pranks increased, her friends grew more cautious, and tricking them became harder. But Kirishima Uchiha was the exception. This guy was gullible and fell for her tricks almost every time. Once, when he was only eight, she told him she wanted honey. In response, this fool poked a hornet's nest in the middle of summer to find it for her.

Seeing him with a swollen head and a goofy grin, something shifted inside her. Although she continued to tease him, his silly smile gave her a unique sense of warmth.

On the other hand, Toshirou was the one she hated the most in this regard. Every time she tried to prank him, he saw right through it. Early on, she even ended up being tricked by him in return a few times.

This must be what they mean by "same poles repel"!

**In the Grove**

"Fool, when you attack later, don't rush forward! Pay more attention to me and Toshiro's positions and cooperate with us!" The girl's scolding voice rang through the forest like a silver bell, adding a touch of vitality to the grove that had been ravaged by countless Uchiha during the years.

The forest no longer looked so dilapidated and lifeless.

"No problem, I've got it covered!" came the familiar, faint voice of Kirishima, filled with a trace of bravado, reaching the minds of Toshiro and Asuka.

'As expected!'

It seemed to be the anticipated response from Kirishima. Toshiro, feeling a mix of frustration and resignation, tore off the vines he was holding, his forehead veins bulging as if ready to burst. In the end, he could only sigh and put his hand on his forehead.

'This guy looks like the type to get himself killed early!'

'It's fine for now, but when the war breaks out, he probably won't last a month!'

'Are these two destined for a tragic end?'

The dynamic of the love between them left him feeling a bit melancholic. Still, watching these two young ones in their budding romance would provide some entertainment.

Given Kirishima's character, their relationship might evolve. It wouldn't take more than two or three years and a few combat missions for him to face the harsh realities.

Even though the evolution of the Sharingan feeds on negative emotions and the loss of companions, the grim prospect of such events was hard for his modern sensibilities to accept.

"Okay, the trap is almost set. Everyone, hide. When sensei steps into the trap, we attack according to plan!" Toshiro instructed calmly, pushing aside his thoughts. Any longer, and Satoshi's figure might appear directly in front of them.

On their way here, they made no attempt to conceal their presence. Given sensei's strength, trying to hide would have been futile.

The sound of air being sliced accompanied their high-speed movements, creating almost a continuous whir. They quickly settled into their prearranged hiding spots, quietly waiting. For a moment, the grove was completely silent.

The sound of deliberate footsteps soon broke the silence. Through the gaps in the leaves, the figure of Satoshi Uchiha gradually came into view.

"Hmmm! These kids are well hidden!" he muttered as he traced their path. Within minutes, he arrived at their ambush site, his eyes scanning a few suspicious spots.

As he stepped onto what appeared to be normal ground, a 'whoosh' accompanied the tightening of a rope. The rope, attached to a branch above, was connected to a curved cypress tree. The trap was triggered. The cypress tree, bent like a bow, rapidly returned to its original state, pulling the rope tight. If not for his quick reflexes, he would have been caught and hung upside down, immobilized.

Remaining calm, he pushed off the ground, leaping five or six meters into the air to avoid the simple trap. A 'whoosh' sound then pierced the air as something heavy sped towards him. A thick log, three or four meters long and covered in sharp wooden spikes, hurtled through the air.

Demonstrating his elite skills, Mr. Satoshi pulled a kunai from his back. With a powerful swing, he struck the log. The force caused the log to veer off course, its spikes missing him entirely. The log, cut cleanly by the kunai, revealed a smooth cross-section.

He landed gracefully on the log's flat end, using it as a platform to propel himself back towards the ground. Just then, a wave of shuriken flew towards him. Mid-air with no cover, he gathered chakra in his palm and deflected the shuriken.

"Fire Style: Pheonix flower jutsu!"

Just as he deflected the shuriken and was about to land, more than a dozen football-sized fireballs arced gracefully towards him. Although he avoided them one by one, the fireballs formed a semicircle just before he hit the ground, enveloping him and restricting his movement.

Before his feet touched the ground, a piercing sword light swept in a graceful arc, aiming for his neck—a critical strike. This was part of the elaborate trap and strategy devised by the three of them.

The pre-arranged rope nooses and other traps forced Satoshi into the air. Asuka then seized the moment to release the log while simultaneously launching a shuriken attack to distract him. Following this, Kirishima employed the Fire Style: Pheonix flower jutsu to send fireballs towards Satoshi. Even if the fireballs missed, they created a semicircle to limit his movement.

At this point, Toshiro used the Body Flicker Technique to swiftly approach and take advantage of Satoshi's unstable position, executing a meticulously planned slash.

"Got it!" a slightly excited voice exclaimed.

Kirishima, who had been hiding in the tree canopy after performing the fire jutsu, revealed himself, shouting with a face flushed with excitement. However, Toshiro, who had executed the slash, felt no such excitement. The moment his blade made contact, something felt off. Without hesitation, he did a one-handed seal and vanished.

As expected, just as he disappeared, the Satoshi he had supposedly struck dissolved into smoke, leaving a halved wooden log behind. It was the Substitution Jutsu.

AN : You can read chapters published ahead by supporting me (3$) on my p@treon account - p@treon.com/noviceauthor777

Currently published 26 extra chapters with 46K words in P@treon.