18. Show Off Your Amazing Talent!

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Swish, swish, swish...

The Iwagakure Shinobi's heart sank inexplicably as the sharp whistling of weapons cutting through the air reached his ears. In his line of sight, multiple lines of fire streaked toward him, sealing off all escape routes—above, below, left, and right.

All of this happened in an instant. However, the Iwagakure Shinobi found himself suspended mid-air, with no leverage to change his position.

He was on the verge of death, but being a Jōnin of Iwagakure with a wealth of battle experience, he didn't panic. In that critical moment, he twisted his body, quickly forming hand seals and spitting out sharp stones from his mouth.

"Earth Release: Hundred Stone Barrage!"

The stones resembled enlarged Senbon, razor-sharp and shrieking as they flew. Twisting his body, the Iwagakure Shinobi precisely aimed at the lines of fire, striking them to create an opening and narrowly escaping the deadly trap.

Yet Ishigami Hara's expression remained unchanged. He merely flicked his wrist, causing the fiery lines to surge like waves.

At the forefront of the fire lines, kunai tied with wires seemed to respond to some unseen force, their trajectory shifting. They clashed with one another, producing a faint clinking sound.

The Iwagakure Shinobi flinched at the sound, an ominous premonition creeping over him. His instincts screamed of impending danger.

Just as he feared, the kunai, which had initially passed him, suddenly veered back, now flying directly toward him.

This... Uchiha Shuriken Jutsu!?

As a battle-hardened veteran, the Iwagakure Shinobi instantly recognized the technique. It was the same Uchiha Shuriken Technique he had faced on the battlefield before!

In mid-air, he instinctively glanced at Ishigami Hara, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Ishigami Hara didn't possess the Sharingan.

Which meant... this wasn't an Uchiha technique!

But how could that be!?

There was no time to dwell on the thought. His battle experience kicked in, and in a split second, he reacted.

Without hesitation, and with no time to evade properly, the Iwagakure Shinobi pulled off his vest, using it as a shield, swinging it fiercely behind him.

Thud, thud, thud!

Several muffled sounds followed as the kunai were easily deflected, the impact surprisingly light.

Having survived countless battles, the Iwagakure Shinobi knew exactly how to avoid injury.

For now, the immediate threat had passed. Landing gracefully on the ground, he used his toes to propel himself forward, accelerating threefold. His target: Ishigami Hara and Nawaki.

Orochimaru, still over ten meters away, watched as the situation shifted dramatically, with danger now looming over Ishigami Hara.

Orochimaru's pupils contracted slightly, anxiety flickering in his usually calm demeanor.

Just as Orochimaru thought the two were in grave danger and the Iwagakure Shinobi believed he had secured his victory, something unexpected occurred.

Or rather, it wasn't an accident—it was a turn of events that Ishigami Hara had been planning all along.

The Iwagakure Shinobi's expression grew increasingly savage, murderous intent burning in his eyes. But in the next moment, he caught sight of Ishigami Hara's smirk and the two fingers he raised in the air.

That ominous feeling returned, stronger than before, and this time, the Iwagakure Shinobi had no chance to react.

"Ha!"

With a light shout from Ishigami Hara, the ground where the Iwagakure Shinobi had just stepped erupted into flames, roaring like a torch as fire shot upward.

"Ahhhhhh!!!"

A blood-curdling scream echoed through the air, filled with agony.

In mere moments, the Iwagakure Shinobi was engulfed by the flames, his entire body set ablaze.

Orochimaru arrived just as the flames reached their peak.

At the same time, Nawaki had finally regained his senses, staring at Ishigami Hara in utter shock.

In that moment, admiration for Ishigami Hara welled up within him.

No one understood why Nawaki hadn't acted sooner, but he knew the truth. Faced with the enemy's deadly skill and unrelenting ferocity, Nawaki—who had never truly experienced battle—was frozen in fear.

The intensity of the enemy's attack had shaken him, leaving him unable to react.

However, Nawaki never expected Ishigami Hara to handle the situation so decisively. With just two jutsu and a few well-placed ninja tools, he had effortlessly dealt with the enemy.

Orochimaru quickly formed hand seals and spat several invisible air blades into the flames, producing a faint hissing sound as they extinguished parts of the fire.

The screams stopped abruptly.

With the immediate threat neutralized, Orochimaru didn't focus on the ongoing battle. Instead, he turned his attention toward Ishigami Hara.

"Hara-kun, your performance is truly remarkable. Exceptional combat instincts combined with flawless execution of ninjutsu—a perfect display of battlefield mastery!"

Orochimaru licked his lips and let out a low, hoarse laugh. "If I'm not mistaken, you executed two techniques when you made those hand signs earlier, right?"

Ishigami Hara remained composed, unaffected by Orochimaru's praise. He was a bit surprised that Orochimaru had discerned his strategy from such a distance. That, in itself, was impressive.

Without hesitation, he nodded and said, "Yes, I used the Water Dragon Bullet Technique. It typically requires forty-four hand seals, but I've refined it down to six."

Orochimaru cut him off before he could continue. "Before you threw those kunai, you had already completed another jutsu."

He paused, eyes gleaming. "If I'm not mistaken, it was the Flame Rush Technique."

Orochimaru glanced at the now-dying flames.

"You triggered the Flame Rush just after the Water Dragon Bullet, concealing it underground and waiting for the perfect moment to activate it."

In the smoldering embers lay the remains of the Iwagakure Shinobi, his body in pieces, burned beyond recognition.

"So, Hara-kun, you predicted the enemy's movements from the very beginning, calculating his possible responses. The kunai and wires were merely bait, traps set well in advance for him to fall into."

Orochimaru chuckled. "What a terrifying combat genius you are."

Nawaki stood frozen, his eyes wide as he listened to their conversation.

Only now did he fully comprehend the gravity of what had just transpired. The entire fight had been handled by Ishigami Hara in the blink of an eye.

Realizing this, Nawaki turned to Ishigami Hara, his lips trembling slightly before he finally spoke.

"You... you're a monster!"