Chapter 59: Repelling Forces

A sudden whistling sound cut through the air!

In the forest, Hitsugaya swiftly ducked to avoid a branch protruding from the side.

Without raising his head, he leapt up. His figure spun in mid-air, adjusting to meet the incoming shuriken attack at the smallest angle.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Three shurikens grazed his body, cutting through the air. Before he could celebrate narrowly avoiding them, another shuriken curved in a large arc with a precise angle, striking one of the three shurikens that had just passed him.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

Three successive metallic clashes sounded, and the three shurikens that had moved ahead now, along with the fourth one, sped towards his heart, throat, and head.

The sudden chain reaction from the last shuriken colliding with the first three altered their trajectories, sending them directly towards him. Mid-air and depleted of energy, he had no way to dodge.

A series of 'thuds' sounded as shurikens pierced flesh. Still in the air, Hitsugaya's head, throat, heart, and abdomen bled profusely, and he fell to the ground.

Uchiha Hitsugaya, dead.

Behind him, Uchiha Juzo, who had been in pursuit, smirked disdainfully at his own nonchalance, indifferent to killing his student. He looked pleased, as if he had achieved something satisfying.

"Bang!"

Where Hitsugaya had fallen, a sudden explosion scattered a smoke screen, leaving only four shurikens on the ground, with no sign of Hitsugaya. Even Uchiha Homura, who had been running ahead, vanished in a puff of smoke after a few flickers.

"As expected, shadow clone bait. But this will give that kid a good lesson!"

"Not bad for tactics, using shadow clones, clone jutsu, and transformation jutsu to lure the enemy!"

Juzo had already suspected deceit upon hearing the rustling when entering the forest. Seeing his students decent tactical usage, he played along. For him, the outcome of this test had been destined from the start. If the students performed well and satisfied him, he didn't mind letting them take one or two bells. If they performed poorly, they would have to suffer.

At that moment, in another part of the forest, Hitsugaya, who was setting traps, suddenly gasped in pain.

"Ouch! So this is what it feels like when a shadow clone gets taken out?"

"What's wrong, Hitsugaya? Is it over there?" Homura asked, having noticed the disturbance.

"Yes, it's over! But Juzo-sensei is really ruthless! Four shurikens aiming at the head, heart, throat, and abdomen!"

Hearing this and seeing Hitsugaya still twitching slightly, Homura's hands faltered in her movements. She was used to dealing predominantly with her family elders, so this worried her.

"What's wrong? Is Juzo-sensei coming over?" asked Uchiha Tetsu loudly, catching Hitsugaya and Homura's attention.

When Juzo had chased the shadow clone into the forest, Hitsugaya and Homura had quickly emerged to wake Uchiha Tetsu, who was asleep on the field. The three had then hurriedly devised a plan to set traps in the forest to counter Juzo-sensei's overwhelming strength.

"Everyone be prepared. Juzo-sensei could show up any time. Don't be careless or we'll pay the price!" Hitsugaya warned Tetsu sternly, albeit with little hope for it working. He was still reeling from the pain transferred from the shadow clone upon its dismissal—a significant impact that made him dread the pain from the forbidden technique.

Thinking about the pain delivered by the shurikens piercing his vital points brought another shiver, affirming why this technique was classified forbidden.

"Oh! Is he coming again? Leave it to me!" Tetsu's confident voice, as Hitsugaya expected, resounded.

"How was he chosen for special training?" Hitsugaya thought to himself disdainfully. "With such foolish remarks, is he really an Uchiha?"

His internal criticism of Tetsu—who had such a profound-sounding name—remained unsaid. Hitsugaya accelerated his actions while glancing at Uchiha Homura.

"Take care of your husky. He startled me!" ⊙﹏⊙|||

Noticing Hitsugaya's glance, Homura understood his sentiment but felt helpless regarding her childhood friend's behavior. She always enjoyed pranking people, leading many of her peers, including himself, into confusion and frustration.

Yet, each time she picked on Tetsu, his naive smiles ignited a sense of security within her. That warmth, she suspected, might be what Hitsugaya referred to as "cultivation."

Oppositely, Hitsugaya was annoyingly perceptive, thwarting her pranks more often than not and even tricking her on a few occasions. This stark contrast perhaps reflected the saying "like poles repel."

(End of Chapter)