Manipulation

Chapter 53: Manipulation

Now is not the time to think about it!

Muzi Kiko wiped the blood from her face. Hirohiko had already knocked most of the shurikens out of the way, and with just two more swings, he could clear them all.

Suddenly, Muzi leaped high into the air, flipped, and quickly flung four kunai from her hand.

Above!

Hirohiko's Sharingan captured Muzi's movement of reaching into her ninja bag to take out kunai almost the moment she jumped, and he was prepared.

The instant the kunai were thrown, Hirohiko swiftly threw three shurikens from his ninja bag, simultaneously sweeping his right hand with a kunai.

"Ding ding ding!"

The three flying shurikens were first shot down by Hirohiko's shuriken, and at the same time, the sweeping kunai also knocked down the last shuriken. Using the momentum of his sweep, Hirohiko turned and shook his hands, sending his kunai flying through the gaps of the four thrown kunai, heading straight for Muzi in the air.

At the same time, Hirohiko swayed his shoulders and shifted sideways, avoiding the four kunai by a narrow margin. The kunai scraped past his body and struck the ground at his feet.

Perfect dodge!

In mid-air, Hirohiko's kunai flashed past, and blood trickled down. Muzi groaned slightly in pain, accompanied by the sight of blood.

"Muzi!" her teammate, Nozawa Souta, nearly cried out.

Hyuga Yutaka also showed surprise, thinking: Is this Uchiha Hirohiko? This is the power of the Sharingan? Such a powerful insight ability—Muzi's offensive was completely deciphered. Is this the Uchiha clan who opened his eyes? Sure enough, my strongest enemy is him!

"Is it over? That was amazing..." The ninjas were dazzled, this series of defensive counterattacks was so exciting, comparable to the earlier physical combat!

No, not yet!

Uzumaki Kushina, Kiba, and Yukina all had similar thoughts.

Muzi, who was hit by the kunai, turned over and landed on the ground, clenching her teeth tightly as blood streamed from her left shoulder. However, her landing posture was strange; her hands seemed to be holding something, and a thin wire glinted slightly between her clenched teeth.

This is!

Hirohiko's heart tightened.

At that moment, Hirohiko felt a fine thread rub against his hands when Muzi pulled, causing a hot and painful sensation. And just when the pain began, the four kunai at his feet suddenly flew up and circled his arms twice.

Then, he felt his hands tightly bound, and even lifted forward like a puppet being controlled.

Steel wire!

It's steel wire!

Hirohiko's pupils contracted slightly, and what was reflected in his blood-red eyes was Muzi biting the steel wire with both hands in her mouth and then beginning to form seals.

Subconsciously, Hirohiko tried to dodge backward, but Muzi's steel wire was tightly wrapped around him, preventing any movement. The row of shurikens on his arm jingled with the tension.

"The skill of manipulating tools? I didn't expect her to have mastered this," Uzumaki Kushina remarked.

Kiba looked at the field and narrowed his eyes slightly.

I can't afford to be careless, like in the previous battle with Gai when I hadn't removed the weighted props. Such a situation can't happen again, and any ninja here can't be underestimated!

Hirohiko possessed the Sharingan, yet he was still so passively caught off guard by Muzi Kiko, who had no bloodline limits.

Never be careless again! Hirohiko, you mustn't lose!

Kiba was on high alert.

Hirohiko, come on!

Yukina silently cheered Hirohiko in her heart.

At that moment, Muzi finished forming her seals.

Lightning Release: Snake Flow!

"Zizi..."

A series of electric arcs swam out from the end that Muzi was biting and flashed along the steel wire instantly, moving like a snake, swift as lightning. The moment it touched Hirohiko, it exploded suddenly, engulfing him.

"Ah--"

A cry of pain came from Hirohiko, who was covered in lightning.

Muzi spat out the steel wire in her mouth to avoid being affected by the lightning, and at the same time, Hirohiko's figure struggling and screaming in pain was reflected in her eyes.

It's over...

"No way! This is the genius Uchiha Hirohiko! Lost like this?"

"Impossible, am I dreaming?"

"Muzi, when did you become so powerful!"

The ninjas in the arena looked at each other, some were shocked, some began to pinch their faces, clearly disbelieving that the genius of the Uchiha clan would lose to an unknown Muzi, and a girl at that!

"Chi Chi..."

The thunder and lightning dissipated slowly. Hirohiko's eyes turned white, his whole body seemed scorched by electricity, and traces of scorched smoke slowly floated from his body.

It's over? Hirohiko lost?

Kiba found it hard to believe. But looking at it like this, Hirohiko seemed to have really lost. The power of this lightning release was strong; Muzi must have put in a lot of effort.

No, it's impossible! Hirohiko is not that weak!

Kiba immediately rejected the idea.

Uzumaki Kushina and Yukina had similar thoughts.

As if to confirm their thoughts, there was a "bang" on the field, and the scorched Hirohiko suddenly exploded into a cloud of white mist, and a piece of burnt wood entangled by steel wire fell from the mist.

Substitution technique!

When?

Muzi's eyes widened slightly. She was about to look back subconsciously, but perhaps because she turned too quickly, coupled with the weak state of chakra exhaustion in her body and the horror in her heart, her vision blacked out, and she began to fall.

At that time, Hirohiko behind her was holding a kunai and was about to place it around her neck. Unexpectedly, Muzi fell suddenly, the tip of the kunai poised toward her temple.

"Muzi!" Nozawa Souta almost yelled out, climbing up the railing, ready to jump off. Hyuga Yutaka also showed slight concern.

"Oops!" The Sannin also shouted, ready to step forward.

Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina, and five Jonin also stepped forward to intervene.

At that moment, Hirohiko threw away the kunai and opened his arms to catch Muzi.

"Thump..."

Muzi fell into Hirohiko's arms.

"Whoa..."

The Sannin, Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina, including Kiba, Yukina, and other ninjas, all let out a long breath of relief.

Then...

"Slap!"

A crisp sound interrupted everyone's exhalation.

Everyone stared.

A slap had landed fiercely on Hirohiko's face, the force so great that his entire face turned sideways, and even his eyes flickered slightly.

Kiba's eyes widened, watching the situation on the field.

Wow, such a thing actually happened!

That slap... looks so painful!

Hirohiko, are you okay?