Chapter 31: Effortless Pass, the Genjutsu Counter

Chapter 31: Effortless Pass, the Genjutsu Counter

“What a powerful combo technique. It seems the top three were hiding their true strength all along,” muttered Shino Aburame, perched in the tree canopy as dust clouds billowed across the clearing and through the forest.

At the same time, he dispatched a swarm of insects, using the dust as cover to silently infiltrate Kurenai Yuhi’s vicinity, aiming to snatch the bell at her waist while she was distracted.

Unfortunately, Hinata had already tipped her hand.

As a sensory specialist jōnin, Kurenai’s sensory skills were top-notch. Startled by Hinata’s combo, she’d immediately activated her perception the moment the dust engulfed her. She’d already detected the positions of Izayoi and his teammates—and the approaching insects.

Pop! A balloon-burst sound echoed through the clearing.

When the dust settled, only a wooden log surrounded by a buzzing vortex of insects remained.

Substitution Jutsu!

The eighth squad wasn’t surprised.

Hinata, her temple throbbing, scanned the area. Her Byakugan’s pale eyes locked onto Shino hiding in a distant tree, Kurenai’s chakra signature obscured by white smoke as she flash-stepped into the woods, and Izayoi’s retreating figure already streaking toward Kurenai.

Watching Izayoi materialize before Kurenai and launch his attack, Hinata’s Byakugan caught something invisible to others. A slight smirk tugged at her lips.

She retrieved a cloth, nodded toward Shino’s direction, and vanished.

The hum of insects followed immediately.

Elsewhere in the forest, the clang of clashing metal rang out.

Zooming in, a young man and woman—barely an inch apart in height—locked in close-quarters combat, their reversed grips on kunai creating a deadly dance of slashes and parries.

Aiming for Kurenai’s vital points, Izayoi’s kunai carved a relentless pattern of strikes. His speed and precision forced Kurenai onto desperate defense.

Initially, the seasoned jōnin remained calm.

But soon, her eyes suddenly constricted in disbelief.

“How?!” she gasped aloud.

Izayoi’s lips curled upward.

Pop! His form dissolved into white smoke.

Simultaneously, three shouts erupted from the forest.

“Katon: Gōka Messhitsu!”

Three four-meter fire dragons erupted from the trees, converging in a triangular formation. Orange flames blazed like sunset.

Kurenai couldn’t evade—her genjutsu useless against literal fire. Her hands flashed seals. “Suiton: Suijinheki!”

A torrential waterspout erupted from her mouth, twisting with her body to intercept the infernos.

Steam explosions roared as fire met water, engulfing the battlefield in blinding mist.

Cough! Kurenai burst from the fog, her clothes damp.

Suddenly, realization froze her mid-step.

Jingle…

The soft bell chime approached.

A gust dissipated the mist, revealing squad eight emerging from the trees.

Izayoi, twirling the bell, grinned. “Sensei, does this count as passing?”

“Brilliant. I was watching you the whole time, yet still got outmaneuvered,” Kurenai chuckled, eyeing their pristine uniforms versus her disheveled state. “A strong team, excellent tactics. I lost.”

“Actually,” Izayoi shook his head, “our easy win came from your own openness. Your teaching style gave us free intel. In a real fight, we’d struggle without your… generosity.”

Hinata and Shino, lingering slightly behind Izayoi, exchanged glances.

‘Tenth… Izayoi-kun sure knows how to flatter.’
‘Is this… brown-nosing?’

Kurenai’s smile widened. “Such a smooth talker!”

She clapped Izayoi’s shoulder, then wrapped an arm around Hinata’s. “Let’s celebrate! Dinner’s on me!”

As they walked the forest path to town, Kurenai glanced at Izayoi. “How did your Shadow Clone break my genjutsu? Breaking free from illusions is taught in the academy, but executing it mid-battle…”

She trailed off. Normally, disrupting chakra flow required precise hand seals—a luxury during combat. Yet Izayoi’s clone had ignored her genjutsu entirely.

Izayoi winked at Hinata, making her blush. “Trade secret! After all—” “A ninja’s battle is a battle of intelligence.”

Kurenai rolled her eyes. “You’re barely a man. Wait till you’re twenty and can drink with me.”

But her mind was racing.

Unmatched chakra reserves. Mastery of Katon. Tactical foresight. And now this…

She finally understood why Izayoi had outshone every clan heir to claim top graduate every year.

The boy wasn’t just a prodigy—he was a genjutsu counter.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end