84-85

Chapter 84: The Battle of Taijutsu Ninja 

In the massive crater, sparks flew. 

Yagetsu Yū, eyes blazing with ferocity, pinned Hikari’s red-clad arm beneath his heel.  

Chakra surged wildly within him, transforming into crackling lightning.  

Hikari didn’t back down. Her chakra core trembled slightly, deep blue chakra morphing into an eerie black-red energy, countering the lightning’s assault.  

Red and blue clashed fiercely.  

In the end, Yagetsu’s chakra proved stronger. The lightning overwhelmed the red, creeping toward Hikari’s body.  

As the blinding bolts neared her skin, Hikari’s eyes narrowed.  

Ping! Crack! Pop! 

Sparks exploded from the lightning armor.  

Invisible vacuum blades erupted from Hikari’s pores, tearing at Yagetsu’s body, slashing his Lightning Release armor with a sound like ping-pong balls ricocheting.  

At the same time, a fierce gust whipped through, her silver hair dancing wildly in the air.  

A single strand, almost unnoticed, grazed the prominent scar on Yagetsu’s chest.  

His expression shifted abruptly. He yanked back his right leg, then unleashed a lightning-fast whip kick toward Hikari.  

Whoosh! 

The kick sliced through the air with ruthless precision.  

Facing the terrifying strike, Hikari’s muscles tensed instantly, channeling strength to her legs in a unified force.  

Her tailed beast cloak enveloped her legs.  

She raised her leg.  

Konoha Gōriki Senpū! (Leaf Strong Whirlwind!) 

Boom! 

One large leg and one small collided in midair.  

Then came a furious barrage of kicks clashing in the sky!  

Boom, boom, boom! 

Red and blue cloaks collided violently, lightning and crimson flames eroding each other.  

Shockwaves rippled outward.  

Both fighters staggered back several steps, locking eyes from a distance.  

The beast horde whimpered, encircling them. The drug’s control over their minds seemed to be fading, restoring some semblance of reason.  

Roar… 

The beasts’ roars grew subdued.  

They hovered, surrounding the two, but none dared approach.  

Crackle! 

Yagetsu’s lightning-clad hand sliced through the hair on his chest, pulling out the strands that had burrowed into his flesh, wrapping them around his fingers.  

Staring at the seemingly childish blind girl, the pain in his chest fueled his rage.  

He’d rushed as fast as he could, but he was still too late.  

The beasts and the giant bird had been killed by this girl with some unknown ninjutsu.  

Without the bird—their living transport—the plan to seize the Nine-Tails had failed. He, who’d infiltrated Konoha alone, would likely die here.  

He didn’t care about life or death.  

Entering Konoha solo, he’d never planned to leave alive.  

The plan’s final piece was clear: if Konoha’s reinforcements arrived, the “beasts” would escape with the Byakugan and the jinchūriki, while Yagetsu stayed behind to cover their retreat.  

But now, everything was ruined.  

A spy who’d been undercover for years, with unique talents.  

Three speed-focused taijutsu Jōnin.  

A rare giant bird, practically a legend in the Land of Lightning.  

Kumogakure had invested so much in this plan, only for it to be obliterated by this girl’s single strike!  

“You. Must. Die!”  

Yagetsu glared at Hikari, spitting each word with venom.  

The Nine-Tails could revive if killed.  

But Konoha’s geniuses? Kill one, and they’re gone forever.  

Knowing his death was certain, Yagetsu abandoned the mission. He wanted to crush this girl with lightning.  

Hiss! 

Hot steam poured from Hikari’s nose and mouth as her muscles repaired the damage from her earlier exertion. She didn’t know where his killing intent came from or why it was so intense.  

But she didn’t care to find out.  

The best enemy was a dead one. Reasons were the least important thing in the world.  

Her Byakugan peeled back his skin, revealing the bones and flesh beneath.  

Data flooded her mind:  

Only three kunai on him, tattered clothes, a wind-release cut on his chest, and burns from lightning or fire—clear signs of a recent battle.  

The charred flesh was completely dead, unable to be reactivated by Lightning Release chakra, creating the only flaw in his lightning armor.  

Analysis complete.  

Shikamaru and the others escaping was good news. They’d only get in her way, and their presence limited her ability to use her hidden techniques.  

Like…  

The Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse), a kekkei genkai shared by only two people in the world!  

Crack! Snap! 

Under the moonlight, on blood-soaked ground, Hikari’s pale skin split open.  

Pop! Pop! 

Bones laced with blood burst from her body in Yagetsu’s shocked gaze.  

Grind! Creak! 

The bones grated with a teeth-aching sound, growing like twisted tree branches, casting grotesque shadows on the ground.  

Click! 

Bones at her joints morphed, those along her chest and abdomen bending and interlocking.  

A mechanical, ivory exoskeleton armor encased her body.  

Yagetsu frowned at the bone-covered girl.  

The black-red chakra that rivaled Killer B’s, the hair that burrowed into his flesh like parasitic worms.  

She was human, yet not.  

Like an alien trying to masquerade as human, but failing to capture the essence, becoming something neither human nor ghost.  

Disgust, repulsion, fear—primal emotions stirred in his genes, challenging his rationality.  

“What are you?”  

Hikari ignored his question, continuing her transformation.  

The second stage of Shikotsumyaku, bone manipulation, was an exceedingly rare ability, akin to the Sharingan’s Mangekyō form.  

Even Kirigakure’s people didn’t fully understand it, let alone outsiders.  

Every time she used Shikotsumyaku, someone questioned her humanity. Over time, even she started to feel less human.  

Crack! 

The exoskeleton formed a helmet, shielding her vulnerable head.  

The tailed beast cloak was too chakra-intensive. Her vacuum cannon had already consumed a third of her chakra, making the cloak unsustainable.  

Her face was covered by a diamond-shaped mask, her arms morphing into sharp bone blades.  

Clang! 

The gleaming dual blades extended from her sides like wings.  

Winds climbed the blades, making the already razor-sharp weapons hum ominously. With her bone armor, Hikari looked like a weapon crafted solely for slaughter.  

Finally, Yagetsu’s lightning eradicated the invading chakra in his chest.  

Without wasting a second, a blue streak cut through the night as he flashed toward Hikari with Lightning Release.  

He raised his hand.  

His bulging biceps, harder than tungsten steel, gleamed.  

Raiyaku Suimei Chiyomai! (Lightning Tyrant Horizontal Thousand-Year Dance!) 

His hand-chop descended like a giant axe.  

Hikari’s pupils constricted, her heightened perception slowing the attack slightly.  

Her right bone blade swung upward.  

Her left blade, infused with Wind Release, thrust at his chest!  

Takigiri-ryū: Sōtō: Gō no Mai! (Bamboo-Taking Style: Dual Blades: Dance of Karma!) 

Clang! 

The upward bone blade met his hand-chop precisely.  

Yagetsu’s full-force attack overwhelmed Hikari’s single-handed strike. His black hand-chop, carrying terrifying momentum, smashed her bone blade against her shoulder.  

Crack! 

Her steel-like bone armor cracked under the blow, her right blade snapping entirely.  

The immense force sank into her shoulder, her feet digging two deep pits into the ground.  

Even her thrust aimed at his chest veered off from the impact, grazing his right rib.  

Wind and lightning sparked against each other!  

Crackle! 

Lightning flared around Yagetsu.  

Electric arcs surged toward Hikari.  

But—useless!  

The terrifying current gathered in her bone blade but couldn’t reach her body.  

“Let me teach you some physics!” Hikari snapped, her temper flaring under his relentless assault. She raised her left blade again, despite the pressure.  

“Bones don’t conduct electricity!”  

Her Wind Release-infused blade stabbed toward his chest again!  

Zap! 

Lightning gathered in Yagetsu’s legs, fully activating his muscles.  

His reflexes heightened, and with his vast combat experience, he calmly sidestepped half an inch—just beyond the blade’s reach.  

The lightning in his legs wasn’t wasted.  

His left leg braced for balance.  

He twisted, delivering a side kick.  

Lightning gathered in his right foot, its dazzling glow illuminating the forest.  

Hikari’s lips curled into a cold smirk.  

Snap! 

Her left blade extended two inches, piercing Yagetsu’s chest!  

“Guh!”  

Blood sprayed.  

Caught off guard, Yagetsu’s experience kicked in. Ignoring the wound, he clapped his hands, catching the bone blade like a sword between bare hands, preventing it from piercing deeper.  

Hikari tried to push twice but couldn’t budge it.  

Gritting her teeth, she sent Wind Release chakra through the blade, aiming to shred his lungs.  

Crackle! 

Lightning flared in his hands, blocking the Wind Release.  

Yagetsu’s eyes burned with killing intent.  

His hands shifted from clamping to gripping the blade tightly. His interrupted side kick morphed into a straight thrust.  

Danger! 

Hikari’s instincts screamed.  

She yanked her legs from the ground to counter, but Yagetsu’s taijutsu flowed like water, honed a thousand times.  

His thigh muscles exploded like springs, giving her no time to react. The lightning-fast kick slammed into her abdominal armor!  

Boom! 

Her bone armor cracked instantly.  

Hikari’s mind buzzed, feeling like an elephant had kicked her. The searing pain and impact sent her airborne, her taijutsu stance shattered, her body nearly paralyzed.  

Opportunity! 

Decades of combat let Yagetsu seize the moment.  

Not letting her go, he yanked the bone blade, pulling her airborne body forward. His right leg rose again, charging for another kick.  

Unable to brace in midair, Hikari couldn’t dodge this one!  

Yagetsu’s eyes gleamed blue, his seven-tenths-power kick surging to full force.  

Trapped by her arm and airborne, Hikari watched the lightning grow closer, adrenaline surging.  

Time seemed to slow.  

His combat experience was terrifyingly vast.  

She’d found his weakness first, but his superior experience turned the tables, putting her in danger.  

He wouldn’t let this chance slip.  

This kick was just the appetizer. If she couldn’t break free, he’d unleash a relentless combo until she was incapacitated.  

With no way to brace, even severing her blade wouldn’t dodge this kick.  

Hikari’s mind raced.  

The lightning closed in.  

His ruthless kick targeted her shattered abdominal armor, like a spear aiming to pierce her frail body.  

Ohhh! 

Chakra flooded her bone-forming cells.  

The blade extended again, pushing her body back.  

The sure-hit kick fell two inches short, lightning halting before her as she landed.  

Crack! 

The blade snapped itself in half.  

Freed from his grip, Hikari leaped back the moment she touched the ground, her restored right blade sweeping horizontally, unleashing a wind-infused sword aura.  

The Wind Release and sword aura fused into a wide vacuum slash, tearing through the air toward Yagetsu’s face.  

His lightning armor flared blue again.  

Clang! 

The slash didn’t break through, but its impact halted his pursuit, letting Hikari widen the distance.  

Whoosh! 

A breeze whistled.  

Thud, thud. 

Heavy footsteps echoed in the battlefield’s center.  

The two circled each other, searching for openings.  

Yagetsu gritted his teeth, pulling the broken blade from his chest.  

Another bloody wound joined the scars on his chest.  

The intense pain ignited his fighting spirit, his entire being like a blazing fire.  

“Huff, huff—” 

His left fist pressed the wound, his right palm raised like a blade, aimed at Hikari. Staring at the ivory figure, the carved wrinkles at his eyes radiated cold ruthlessness.  

This girl’s abilities were too versatile, too tricky.  

Byakugan-like perception and dynamic vision; an eerie cloak rivaling Lightning Release chakra mode; invisible wind aura around her; transforming, extensible bone armor;  

Even her hair could harm!  

Her taijutsu was her strongest asset.  

Aside from slightly slower speed and less combat experience, she had no clear weaknesses.  

How do you fight an enemy like this?  

Yagetsu felt a headache coming on.  

His vast experience had limits. In all his years across the ninja world, he’d never faced someone like Hikari.  

But there was no time to probe her weaknesses.  

He had to end this quickly.  

If Konoha’s reinforcements arrived, Kumogakure’s Byakugan theft plan would become a joke, and his death would be meaningless.  

Only one move left!  

Chakra gathered in his four fingers, locking onto Hikari’s body.  

The frosty moonlight bathed the battlefield.  

Lightning converged at his fingertips, bursting with brilliance brighter than the moon above.  

Killing intent surged, Hikari’s skin prickling, her survival instincts blaring warnings of his danger.  

But it was redundant.  

Her Byakugan never left him—she knew he was about to unleash a trump card.  

His iconic taijutsu stance gave it away: the Third Raikage’s ultimate spear—Jigoku Tsuki: Yonhon Nukite! (Hell Stab: Four-Finger Piercing Hand!)  

Who was this guy?  

To wield the Third Raikage’s signature technique?  

Why not just become Raikage yourself!  

Hikari’s eyes widened, the move catching her off guard.  

Veins bulged at her temples, nearly reaching her cheeks.  

Chakra surged like a tide into her eyes.  

She’d already suffered against his lightning-fast speed, so she stayed on high alert, muscles tensed, Byakugan tracking his every move.  

Crack! 

Her shattered abdominal armor finally repaired itself in the brief standoff. Her broken left arm regrew, not as a blade but as a diamond-shaped shield.  

Her speed couldn’t match his Lightning Release, but her strength and defense were nearly on par.  

She raised the shield before her.  

With her bone armor and subcutaneous bone membrane, she was armed to the teeth with three layers of defense.  

But she didn’t dare underestimate the legendary Hell Stab.  

Three green chakra points—brain, chest, and another—aligned in a straight line, igniting the fourth point below her collarbone along her meridians.  

Eight Gates, Fourth Gate: Dumon! (Gate of Pain!)  

Open! 

Chapter 85: The Terrifying Ultimate Spear 

Four emerald-green light points aligned in a straight line, as if every cell in the body was being pushed to its limit, bursting with vitality. Under the power of the Hachimon Tonkō (Eight Gates Technique), energy surged into the core of the heart's seed. 

Hikari felt a flash before her eyes. 

It was as if a door had opened in her mind. 

Her heart transformed into a mountain spring, endlessly gushing deep indigo chakra, flowing along her meridian channels. The once-empty pathways were instantly filled to the brim with chakra. 

Gulp! 

Gulp! 

Translucent chakra bubbles slowly rose, floating lightly into the sky. 

A faint, demonic red cloak crept over her bone armor like vines. 

The stark white exoskeleton seemed to gain flesh, becoming fuller and more robust. Excess chakra gathered at her tailbone, forming an illusory, fiery red tail. 

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! 

A fierce wind roared. 

Her silver hair danced like serpents in the breeze. 

With the fourth gate fully opened and the Bijū (Tailed Beast) cloak unleashed at full force, Hikari revealed her ultimate form in the tennis world for the first time. 

Beneath the bone armor, her skin flushed faintly red. The burning of her life force fueled an immense surge of chakra, sustaining the high-energy Bijū cloak. 

An overwhelming power coursed through her body. Hikari had never felt so invincible. 

The swelling chakra raced through her, threatening to break free from her physical form, as if it could destroy everything around her. 

Even her Byakugan struggled to keep up. 

The flame-like cloak rippled, sending out bubbles of energy. 

The moisture in the air gathered under its influence, as if ready to trigger an artificial rain. 

“Bijū cloak!? Are you a Jinchūriki (Tailed Beast Host)?”  

Yazuki Yū, a veteran player from the Kumo (Cloud) team, instantly recognized the ability Hikari was using. 

He had been part of the Kumo team’s pursuit of the infamous criminal brothers Kinzaku and Ginzaku, witnessing firsthand the Third Raikage’s one-on-one duel with the rampaging Hachibi (Eight-Tails). He knew both generations of Hachibi Jinchūriki, Bubi and Kirabi, the latter being a classmate and close friend. 

The Bijū cloak, a signature skill of a Jinchūriki, was something he understood better than some hosts themselves. 

Now, he was certain: the red chakra that had blocked his Raiton (Lightning Release) earlier was indeed Bijū power. 

Could the rumors about the “beast” be wrong? Was the monstrous boy from Konoha, shunned by all, just a decoy? Was this girl, who seemed normal on the surface but was anything but, the true Kyuubi Jinchūriki (Nine-Tails Host)? 

Or perhaps she was a pseudo-Jinchūriki, like Kinzaku and Ginzaku. 

Seeing how effortlessly she wielded the Bijū chakra without showing any signs of instability, Yazuki Yū, with his vast experience, began to piece together her true identity. 

To control Bijū chakra so freely, she was either a pseudo-Jinchūriki like the brothers or the legendary perfect Jinchūriki. 

If she were a perfect Jinchūriki, she wouldn’t have fought him this long—she could’ve crushed him instantly with Bijū power. 

That left only one possibility: a pseudo-Jinchūriki. 

“A pseudo-Jinchūriki who consumed Bijū flesh?”  

Though phrased as a question, Yazuki Yū’s tone was confident. 

Having seen through his opponent’s identity, he didn’t dare underestimate her. 

His Jigoku Tsuki (Hell Stab) shifted from four fingers to three, boundless lightning condensing at his fingertips into a blade. No matter her secrets, she was destined to fall to his Jigoku Tsuki. 

Hikari raised an eyebrow, gripping her left shield and right blade, cautiously positioning herself behind the shield. 

Being exposed as a pseudo-Jinchūriki the first time she used this ability in a match left her a bit embarrassed. 

This old guy knew techniques from both the Third and Fourth Raikage, even casually mentioning the secret of pseudo-Jinchūriki formed by consuming Bijū flesh. He had to be a core figure in Kumo. 

Why would a player of his caliber come to Konoha to face her in a life-or-death tennis match? 

Unable to make sense of it, Hikari could only chalk it up to bad luck, hiding herself more securely behind her shield. 

Her shield wasn’t just for boosting defense. 

More importantly, it blocked her opponent’s line of sight. Not everyone had Byakugan’s x-ray vision, and obstructed vision increased the chance of errors, preventing perfectly precise shots. 

The Jigoku Tsuki was so fast that even its creator, the Third Raikage, couldn’t easily change its trajectory mid-serve. She didn’t believe Yazuki Yū could either. 

With the Kaguya clan’s self-healing abilities, as long as she avoided fatal hits, she could recover slowly with chakra. 

This old guy’s life might not be worth much, but hers was priceless. 

No need to go all out against him. 

She just had to stall until Konoha’s backup arrived. 

If it weren’t for Raiton’s blazing speed, which she couldn’t outrun, Hikari would’ve already made a break for it. 

The air fell silent. 

Hikari focused entirely, locking Yazuki Yū’s figure in her mind. 

The ultimate spear, fully charged, seemed to tame the wild Raiton, resting calmly at his fingertips. Yet the gathered chakra grew increasingly terrifying. 

Time ticked by. 

The blue and red figures facing off under the moonlight seemed to freeze into statues. 

Even their breathing seemed to stop. 

Sweat dripped from both their foreheads. 

Roar! 

The surrounding beastly crowd let out roars. 

But both players ignored them, focused solely on each other. To ordinary people, these ferocious beasts were deadly, but to them, they were no different from overgrown weeds. 

Even a casual rally between them could shred the beasts to pieces. 

Suddenly. 

A massive chakra signature, bright as the sun, appeared in Hikari’s vision. Her Byakugan’s 360-degree sight instinctively glanced toward it. 

Oh no! 

The moment she got distracted, Hikari knew she’d made a mistake. 

She raised her left shield to protect her face. 

Zzt! Zzt! 

Arcs of electricity flared. 

Yazuki Yū, fully charged, let out a roar, transforming into a bolt of lightning and shooting toward her. 

The ground cracked under his step, and the Jigoku Tsuki: Sanbon Nukite (Hell Stab: Three-Finger Pierce) aimed ferociously at her head, intent on ending her with one strike. 

At that moment, Yazuki Yū, in his Jigoku Tsuki state, pushed his speed to new heights. 

Hikari’s vision blurred. In an instant, Yazuki Yū, dozens of meters away, closed the gap, lightning roaring as he reached her. 

His thick, muscular arm tensed. 

The blinding lightning at his fingertips filled her vision. 

A needle-like pain stabbed at her forehead, her instincts screaming a warning. Her mind felt as if it were filled with lead, her thoughts slowing in the face of his speed. 

Boom! 

The moment the lightning spear touched her shield, it pierced through with no resistance. 

Shattered bone fragments flew outward. 

Like bullets, they tore through nearby beasts, riddling them with holes. 

The spear broke through the shield and collided with the Bijū cloak covering her bone armor. But how could a cloak spread across her body match the concentrated power of the ultimate spear? 

In less than half a second, the Jigoku Tsuki shattered the Bijū cloak. Hikari’s chakra surged wildly, and the precious time bought by the cloak finally gave her a chance to react. 

She couldn’t face this unstoppable spear head-on. 

With difficulty, she twisted her body, dodging the lethal strike aimed at her head. 

The spear grazed her face, slicing through a few strands of hair, then crashed through countless trees before finally stopping. 

Boom! 

Only then did the sound of Yazuki Yū’s earlier step echo from the distance. 

His speed had long surpassed sound. 

Drip! 

Drip! 

Blood slid down under gravity, staining the white bone armor red. Hikari raised her head. Half her helmet was gone, her delicate profile marred by torn, bloody flesh, exposing the white teeth beneath. 

Blocking out the pain, she stared expressionlessly at the towering figure in the distance, lightning gathering at his fingertips once more. 

The Third Raikage’s ultimate spear was indeed formidable. Its supersonic speed was impossible to react to, and its piercing power rendered her steel-like bones nearly useless. 

Her helmet had only been grazed, yet it shattered instantly. 

The impact of the broken bone fragments had torn half her face apart. 

Thankfully, the subdermal bone membrane had protected her, stopping the fragments from piercing further. 

Otherwise, her own bones would’ve punctured her brain. 

Drip! 

Drip— 

The flowing blood suddenly transformed into threads, reversing course and returning to the wound on her face. The torn flesh wriggled, pushing out the broken bone fragments as countless tendrils of tissue wove together to heal. 

Hiss! 

Steam rose from her face as the ruined flesh regenerated into smooth, pink skin. 

“Blood control and ultra-fast healing,” Yazuki Yū muttered, observing her closely. 

He grinned, aiming his fingertips at the monstrous girl again. Each exchange revealed a new trick from her arsenal. 

But her limits had been exposed in their last clash. 

Her abilities were numerous but lacked the strength to counter his Jigoku Tsuki. She couldn’t dodge or defend against it. 

Her defeat was only a matter of time. 

Yazuki Yū had already signed her death warrant in his mind. 

Hikari knew it too. 

Despite her many techniques, none could match the Jigoku Tsuki. 

Her Isshiki Rekkū (One-Style Sky Splitter), specialized for breaking defenses, had a chance to pierce the Raiton no Yoroi (Lightning Armor), but going head-to-head with the Jigoku Tsuki was suicidal. Her newly developed vacuum cannon required too long to charge, unsuitable for facing a high-speed Raiton player like Yazuki Yū. 

Suiton (Water Release) was too slow and conducted electricity, while standard Fūton (Wind Release) couldn’t break through his defense. 

Her Kaguya bone techniques and Bijū cloak were insufficient for protection. 

Despite her arsenal, Hikari found herself out of options. 

Talk about bad luck. 

Against an average elite Jōnin-level player, her Fūton could tear them apart if they got too close. But she’d run into a master of Raiton no Yoroi and Jigoku Tsuki. 

As they say, overwhelming force trumps all tricks. 

Without a way to counter the blazing-fast Jigoku Tsuki, reacting was nearly impossible, let alone fighting back. 

She’d spotted the weakness of the Jigoku Tsuki, though. 

No ninjutsu could hide its secrets from the Byakugan. 

The Jigoku Tsuki worked by concentrating all chakra into the hand to form a Raiton spear. With a fixed amount of chakra, the more that gathered in the hand, the less remained elsewhere, weakening the Raiton no Yoroi’s defense. 

The ultimate spear that pierced everything and the ultimate shield that defended everything couldn’t coexist due to their contradictory nature. 

But even a weakened Raiton no Yoroi wasn’t something ordinary attacks could break. 

Unless she stopped dodging and traded blows with Isshiki Rekkū, risking her life, she’d never find an opening to attack. 

Hiss—what do I do? 

Her mind raced, searching for a way to break through. Her Byakugan’s 360-degree vision soon locked onto a youthful figure radiating immense chakra in the distance. 

That was the one who’d distracted her earlier—the culprit! 

But now, it might be her lifeline. 

There wasn’t much time to think. Yazuki Yū, clutching the wound on his chest, raised his right hand, once again gathering brilliant lightning. 

Whoosh! Whoosh! 

The Bijū cloak reappeared. 

The chakra from the Hachimon Tonkō was still sufficient for now, and with the Bijū cloak to slow the Jigoku Tsuki, her life was relatively safe. Maybe she could take a risk. 

Hikari’s gaze hardened, her resolve set. 

On her body, the ferocious exoskeleton rapidly dissolved. 

A fierce wind flattened the grass. 

A terrifying explosion, accompanied by a shockwave, rippled outward. 

Watching the fiery red figure in the center of the court being overwhelmed by the blue, seemingly powerless, Echizen Naruto clung to a tree trunk. His fingers anxiously dug into the bark, his blue eyes fixed on the wolf-fox figure glowing with red light. 

He was back. 

Shikamaru and the others, slowed by injuries, couldn’t break through from the training court or find a coach for help. 

In this critical moment, Naruto thought of a plan—one he wasn’t even sure would work. 

Boom! 

In the distance, lightning, sharp as a razor, pierced through the fiery red chakra again. 

Hikari, in her wolf-fox form, rolled to dodge the stab. Blood poured from an unseen wound, soaking her clothes. The red defense, pierced multiple times, dimmed. 

The scene screamed one truth to Naruto: 

His best friend from tennis school was nearing the end of her life. 

No more hesitation. 

Naruto pushed himself up and leapt from the tree. 

If Hikari died, there’d be one less person in the world who didn’t hate him—and he couldn’t accept that reality. 

Step… Step… 

Crunching through dry leaves, Naruto summoned his courage and walked toward the blue figure dominating the court’s center. 

Yazuki Yū, clutching his chest and panting slightly, felt the wound worsening. After multiple Jigoku Tsuki uses, his stamina and chakra were running low. 

But the girl in front of him was in far worse shape. 

Her cloak was tattered, blood staining her body, and the Bijū cloak was reduced to a thin layer, nearly gone. Her chakra was clearly almost depleted. 

One more Jigoku Tsuki would end this monster. 

His fingers glowed with chakra. 

Suddenly, an orange-yellow figure darted between them, arms spread wide to shield the bloodied girl. Bright blue eyes locked onto Yazuki Yū with fierce determination. 

No words were needed. 

Those outstretched arms spoke of the newcomer’s resolve. 

Hikari, drenched in blood, looked at the back marked with the Uzumaki spiral, feeling a flicker of relief. 

Her effort to suppress her healing and let herself bleed had paid off. 

Naruto—or rather, the Kyuubi—had finally joined the match! 

He was still young, so even if he unleashed the Kyuubi’s power, it wouldn’t be overwhelming. 

Hikari didn’t expect the Kyuubi to defeat the enemy outright. All she needed was for Naruto to distract Yazuki Yū, giving her Isshiki Rekkū a chance to hit his vital points. 

If she could unleash Fūton inside his body, no matter how terrifying his Raiton chakra mode was, he’d be done for. 

It was her only shot at turning the game around.