Chapter 60: Trap.

The girl's delicate voice, resembling the sound of silver bells, echoed through the forest. These woods, once devastated by countless members of the Uchiha clan, seemed to come alive with a bit more vitality. It no longer appeared so desolate and decayed.

"No problem, leave everything to me!" A familiar voice, carrying a hint of youthful arrogance, reached the minds of Tōshirō and En. 

[As expected!]

It seemed the girl, having anticipated Toshin Uchiha's response, was now slightly annoyed. She tore the vine she was holding as if ready to explode, but ultimately could only sigh with a hand on her forehead.

[This guy looks like he's destined to die young!]

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

[Is the relationship between these two doomed to end in sadness?]

Although he couldn't witness a thrilling love triangle and felt a bit disappointed, watching the daily romance between these two kids would still make for decent entertainment. But if Toshin Uchiha continued with his current attitude, in just two or three years and a few battle missions, he'd likely be gone.

Although Sharingan evolves through negative emotions, seeing friends die around him was something this person, with modern sensibilities, would find difficult to accept.

"Alright, the traps are almost set, everyone hide. Once the teacher steps into the trap, we'll launch our planned attack!" Tōshirō finally spoke, breaking free from his thoughts. If they delayed any longer, Teacher Shige would likely appear right in front of them.

On their way here, they hadn't tried to conceal their movements. With Teacher Shige's skills, any efforts to hide their tracks would have been futile. He could easily find them.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

The sound of rapid movement merged into one as they each hid in their pre-arranged spots, concealing themselves and waiting silently. The little grove fell into silence.

"Tap! Tap! Tap!"

Tōshirō and his group didn't have to wait long. Distinct footsteps, completely unhidden, slowly approached from afar. Through gaps in the forest canopy, Teacher Shige's figure gradually came into view.

"Hmm! These kids are quite well hidden!"

Following the traces left by Tōshirō and the others, Toshin Uchiha Shige arrived at the ambush spot in just about three to five minutes. His eyes scanned the suspicious areas, offering a light assessment.

With a swift movement and a step forward, he trod on what appeared to be ordinary ground. With a 'swish', the sound of tightening rope was heard. A rope under his feet tightened rapidly, connecting to a branch above his head and tied to a bent cypress top.

Without panic, he exerted force in his legs, leaping about five or six meters off the ground, avoiding the simple trap. Next, a 'whoosh' sound sliced through the air—something heavy must be hurtling towards him at high speed.

A log as thick as an adult's embrace and around three or four meters long, with a series of sharp spikes on its surface, came flying at him. The spikes alone indicated the gruesome aftermath of any contact.

However, Toshin Uchiha Shige, an elite ninja adept at high-difficulty missions from the Hokage, skillfully pulled out a kunai from his waist. With a burst of strength, he threw the kunai with a sound unlike any other, striking the base of the oncoming log.

The imposing log, driven by tremendous momentum, flipped upon the kunai's impact, turning its sharp spike array away and revealing a smooth cross-section. He then stepped onto the log's cross-section, ignoring its forceful approach, and propelled himself towards the ground.

At that moment, a flurry of shurikens shot towards him, leaving him no place to hide in mid-air. He had to gather chakra in his palm to deflect them.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

Just as he deflected the shurikens and was about to land, several fireballs the size of footballs traced graceful arcs towards him. Although he dodged them all, the fireballs formed a semicircle, confining his movements within the trap.

Before his feet touched the ground, a blinding blade light traced a graceful arc, aiming straight for his neck.

This was the trap and tactic prepared by the three. First, the pre-set traps would force Teacher Shige into the air. Then, En would seize the moment to release the log and attack with shurikens to distract him. 

With En creating the opportunity, Toshin Uchiha Zhe would unleash the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique to attack. If it didn't hit, the fireballs would form a semicircle to constrain Teacher Shige's movement. Finally, Tōshirō would use the Body Flicker Technique to approach and unleash a carefully planned draw slash when Teacher Shige was off balance.

"Got him!"

A slightly excited voice rang out.

Uchiha Zhe, hiding in the treetop after executing the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, revealed himself with a flushed face, shouting excitedly. Meanwhile, Tōshirō, who had just struck Teacher Shige with the draw slash, did not share his enthusiasm.

The moment his blade hit, Tōshirō felt something was wrong. Without hesitation, he formed a sword gesture with one hand and disappeared using the Body Flicker Technique.

As expected, once his figure vanished, the beheaded Teacher Shige turned to smoke with a 'puff' sound, leaving behind a chopped log.

The Substitution Technique, the most beloved among the three Clone Techniques (Three Body Techniques), had been used by Teacher Shige to avoid Tōshirō's strike.

(End of chapter)