Kurenai Yuhi moved first.
Her movements were clean, decisive—far different from the hesitant girl she had been just a few months ago.
Thanks to Ren's guidance and the strict training from her father, Shinku Yuhi, her taijutsu had improved significantly. She hadn't undergone some miraculous transformation, but she had become… reliable.
At the very least—
She could now hold her own.
Even against someone like Might Guy.
Guy's attack came like a storm.
Fast.
Direct.
Overwhelming.
But this time—
Kurenai didn't panic.
She stepped in.
Dodged.
Blocked.
Her kunai flashed, intercepting his strikes just enough to redirect his momentum.
She couldn't defeat him.
That much was obvious.
But—
She could stall him.
And that was enough.
---
Seeing Guy temporarily tied down—
Ren didn't hesitate.
Standing atop the high platform, his gaze swept across the battlefield.
Asuma—left flank.
Nara Shinen—slightly behind.
Hyūga Homon—frontline pressure.
Formation.
Intent.
Timing.
Everything clicked together in his mind instantly.
---
Then—
Ren moved.
His hand flicked.
Several wooden kunai shot outward, scattering in different directions.
Substitution Jutsu—activate.
Swish—!
In the next instant—
Ren vanished.
And reappeared—
Mid-air.
Directly in front of Hyūga Homon.
---
His leg lashed out like a whip.
"Konoha Great Whirlwind!"
BOOM!!
The air exploded with force.
Hyūga Homon's pupils shrank slightly—
But he wasn't surprised.
He had already heard about this technique.
The strange, almost teleport-like use of Substitution.
He had been warned.
Without hesitation, he lowered his stance.
Centered his weight.
Raised his arm.
Bang!
---
Leg met elbow.
The impact echoed sharply.
Ren flipped backward smoothly, landing lightly.
Homon slid back two steps before stabilizing himself.
His eyes locked onto Ren.
Shock flickered beneath his calm expression.
His strength…
It increased again?
There was no time to think.
No time to analyze.
Only instinct.
---
"Watch closely!"
Homon stepped forward again.
His palms blurred.
His entire body moved like flowing water—
---
"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams—Thirty-Two Palms!"
The assault came like a storm.
Relentless.
Precise.
Unforgiving.
Ren retreated.
But not blindly.
His eyes tracked every step.
Every shift in footing.
Every breath.
---
Then—
Something changed.
---
His body straightened.
His muscles tightened.
His frame subtly expanded.
Transformation Technique—Partial Transformation.
Might Guy's Physique.
This was one of Ren's prepared "templates."
A form optimized for close combat.
Raw power.
Explosive movement.
He didn't transform fully.
Only his torso.
That alone demanded precise chakra control—but it saved energy.
And right now—
Efficiency mattered.
He had to end this fast.
Homon pressed forward—
Then—
A flicker.
A pause.
---
An opening.
---
Ren's eyes sharpened.
---
He moved.
---
A single punch shot forward.
---
Homon reacted instantly—
Crossing his arms to block.
---
Impact.
---
But before Homon could counter—
Ren had already shifted.
---
His body dipped.
Twisted.
---
An elbow slammed into Homon's ribs.
---
A familiar move.
A repeated mistake.
---
The same technique that had defeated him before.
---
Homon tried to adjust—
But it was too late.
---
His momentum collapsed.
---
Ren didn't stop.
---
He pressed forward.
---
Punches rained down.
Fast.
Heavy.
Relentless.
---
"Too slow."
---
Homon struggled to keep up.
At first—
He managed to parry.
Redirect.
Endure.
---
But the pressure kept increasing.
---
The blows were heavier.
Faster.
Sharper.
---
Then—
A mistake.
---
Crack.
---
His wrist twisted unnaturally.
Dislocated.
---
Pain shot through his arm.
---
And in the next instant—
---
Boom!
---
A punch landed squarely on his chest.
---
"Ah—!"
---
Homon's body flew backward.
He hit the ground hard—
Sliding several meters before stopping.
---
He didn't get up.
---
For now—
He was out.
---
Ren stepped forward—
Ready to finish—
---
Then—
His instincts screamed.
---
A shadow flickered beneath his feet.
---
Without hesitation—
---
Substitution Jutsu!
---
Swish—!
---
Ren vanished again—
Reappearing over ten meters away.
---
"Shadow Possession Jutsu!"
---
Nara Shinen stood in the distance, hands locked in a seal.
A dark shadow stretched across the ground—
Reaching.
Grasping.
Trying to bind.
---
At the same time—
---
"Asuma!"
---
From the side—
Asuma Sarutobi burst forward.
---
A storm of kunai and shuriken filled the air.
---
Ren clicked his tongue.
---
"Seriously…?"
---
He had seen it.
The positioning.
The coordination.
---
But even so—
---
Three against one?
---
He almost laughed.
---
Then—
He glanced back.
---
His teammates.
---
Still busy.
---
Specifically—
Being completely overwhelmed by Might Guy.
---
"…Of course."
---
Ren sighed internally.
---
Fine. I'll handle it myself.
---
His feet hit the ground—
Sliding backward.
---
His hands moved.
---
Seals formed.
---
Fast.
Precise.
---
Nara Shinen's voice cut through the air.
"Don't let him use Substitution again!"
---
Asuma accelerated.
Closing in.
---
"Wind Release—!"
---
His chest expanded.
Air surged.
---
"Great Breakthrough!"
---
A violent gust exploded forward.
---
At the same time—
---
Ren exhaled.
---
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
---
A massive sphere of blazing fire erupted from his mouth.
---
The two jutsu collided.
---
Wind.
And fire.
---
But—
---
Fire consumes wind.
---
The flames surged.
Expanded.
---
The Great Fireball grew larger—
Brighter—
More intense—
---
It swallowed the wind.
---
And surged forward—
---
A blazing inferno.
---
The battlefield lit up.
---
Heat spread instantly.
---
And more importantly—
---
The shadows vanished.
Nara Shinen's Shadow Possession Jutsu—
Collapsed.
"Wait—what?!"
Shinen's eyes widened.
Asuma reacted instantly.
Using Body Flicker—
He retreated.
Just barely avoiding the flames.
He landed—
Slightly disheveled.
Then—
He looked up.
At Ren.
At the fading firelight.
And at the battlefield that had just shifted.
Slowly—
His expression changed.
The casual confidence—
Gone.
Replaced by something else.
Seriousness.
Beside him—
Nara Shinen also narrowed his eyes.
They exchanged a glance.
Silent.
Understanding.
Then—
Almost at the same time—
A single thought echoed between them—
"Who… released that Great Fireball?"
--------------------------------
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