78-79

Chapter 78 – Air Superiority "Impossible!" 

Two instructors from the Ninja Academy shouted in disbelief. 

Kazama Yue, a jōnin specializing in Wind Release, was a master of elemental manipulation—second only to the headmaster in strength among the academy’s shinobi. 

That Wind Release slash he just used could have sliced hardened steel clean in two. 

And yet, it didn’t even break the enemy’s skin. 

Sitting on the back of a massive bird, Sawada Fūka breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the Kumo-nin unharmed. 

So this is the legendary Lightning Release Chakra Mode? 

Totally broken... 

"Raiton no Yoroi (Lightning Armor)," Kazama Yue muttered through clenched teeth, blood vessels creeping into his dark green eyes. 

He’d never forget. 

That flickering lightning-cloaked figure was a nightmare he’d sworn never to relive. 

Bloodlust surged out from him, thick like it was being wrung from a soaked cloth. 

"You know your stuff." 

Yorugetsu Yū, bathed in lightning, grinned as the killing intent poured from Kazama. The electric light around him flared even brighter. 

High offense, high defense, high speed, and incredible stamina—Lightning Release Chakra Mode, also known as the Lightning Armor, was considered the strongest taijutsu-enhancing technique in the world. 

"Take the kids and get out of here. Leave this guy to me," Kazama ordered. 

"Yes, sir!" 

The two instructors quickly regrouped with Hinata and her team. 

Whoosh! 

A sudden burst of lightning flashed through the air. 

Yorugetsu Yū’s massive body blinked forward, his hand glowing with Lightning Release as it formed a lethal knifehand strike aimed directly at one of the instructors’ face. 

The killing intent was unmistakable. 

He was too fast. The instructor had no time to dodge—his body simply couldn’t keep up. 

All he could do was stare in frozen fear, waiting to be cleaved in two. 

Fūton: Shinkūha! (Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!) 

Kazama Yue, ready for this, formed hand signs in a flash. A blade of invisible wind slashed forward—not at Yorugetsu Yū, but at the giant elephant bird in the distance. 

"Ahh!" 

Sawada Fūka screamed in panic as the wind blade came straight at her. 

Yorugetsu Yū's expression changed instantly. 

With a thunderous stomp, he launched himself at the incoming vacuum blade. 

Boom! 

Thanks to the incredible speed granted by Lightning Chakra Mode, he intercepted the deadly wind slash with his own body just before it could strike the bird. 

"You trying to die?" 

The wind blade shattered against him. 

Yorugetsu Yū was seething. 

Kazama’s jutsu couldn’t break his defense—but that wasn’t the case for the giant elephant bird. 

If the bird died... 

The entire Kumogakure mission would be ruined. 

Their plan to capture the Byakugan would be reduced to a meaningless terrorist attack. That was unacceptable. 

"Go!" 

Both Kazama Yue and Yorugetsu Yū shouted at the same time. 

The two surviving instructors, rattled but alive, took Hinata and her teammates and fled as fast as they could. 

"Kazama-sensei! The enemy’s lungs are seriously injured—that’s his weak point!" 

Hinata, who had been using her Byakugan the entire time, finally overcame her fear to relay crucial intel before leaving. 

"Got it." 

Kazama turned to Yorugetsu Yū, whose bare chest revealed a massive scar over his lungs. 

Whoosh! Whoosh! 

The elephant bird flapped its wings powerfully, lifting Sawada Fūka into the sky. 

"Beast, go find the Kyūbi Jinchūriki and that girl. Stall them. Once I’m done with this guy, I’ll join you!" 

"Understood." 

The elephant bird soared into the sky, blending into the red clouds above. 

Hinata and her team, along with the instructors, disappeared into the forest. 

Rustle rustle... 

A breeze stirred the trees. The chaotic forest suddenly fell silent. 

The sun dipped below the horizon, leaving only the faintest afterglow. 

Kazama Yue and Yorugetsu Yū locked eyes, their killing intent clashing in the air between them. 

Storm versus Thunder. 

A destined battle was about to begin. 

Zero Training Ground – Central Area 

"Watch out!" 

Ino shouted, panic in her voice. 

Suddenly, a strange powder descended from above, enveloping the five of them in a mist. 

Whoosh! 

A gust of wind swept through. 

The mysterious dust was blown away, revealing all five of them unharmed. 

Using Water Release chakra to filter air through a water membrane in their noses, they neutralized the drug-laced mist and breathed clean air again. 

Hikari looked up at the sky. 

Her Byakugan contracted as she zoomed in. 

A giant gray bird hovered far above them. Perched on its back was a beautiful woman holding a small spyglass, peering down at them. 

She looks familiar... 

Where have I seen her before...? 

Try as she might, Hikari couldn’t remember the woman’s name. 

Must be some minor side character from the original story... 

Judging from the falcon on the woman’s shoulder, this had to be the one who’d been spying on them—likely the mastermind behind the unrest in the training grounds. 

"Cough, cough—What the hell was that?" 

Naruto clutched his mouth and nose, coughing uncontrollably. 

Shikamaru, Bun’ya, and Chōji weren’t faring much better. 

Despite Hikari dispersing much of the powder with Wind Release, what remained still made it hard to breathe. 

"There’s a giant bird in the sky. Someone’s riding it—probably the one behind all this," Hikari reported. 

"Forget them for now—we need to move!" 

Shikamaru had recovered and glanced warily at the bird above before making a quick decision. 

The airborne powder clearly affected the forest creatures, driving them into a frenzy. That meant the substance likely had an animal-attracting effect. 

If he was right, then this massive dust cloud would draw every wild beast in the entire Zero Training Ground straight to them. 

Hikari might be strong, but her chakra was limited. 

If they got surrounded by a beast horde, she might survive—but the rest of them were toast. 

"Agreed!" x2 

Bun’ya and Chōji had no objections to Shikamaru’s command. 

The classic Ino-Shika-Chō combo was still going strong: Nara for strategy, Yamanaka for sensing and communication, and Akimichi for brute force. 

Hikari hesitated. 

The beasts posed no threat to her, but the information that spy had gathered could prove dangerous. 

She didn’t want to let the enemy slip away now that they had finally exposed themselves. 

Her brain quickly calculated the bird’s altitude. With no obstacles in the open sky, her Byakugan range stretched farther than usual. 

Judging by her estimate, the enemy was over two thousand meters up. 

The bird could likely fly even higher, but had lowered its altitude to keep her in sight. 

Even so— 

Hikari had no way to attack from that far. None of her jutsu could reach thousands of meters, and regular attacks were useless against such a massive beast. 

Her bird transformation technique hadn’t been refined enough to combine with Wind Release. 

The enemy held total air superiority. And as a taijutsu specialist, Hikari had no way to fight back. 

"...Let’s fall back." 

She glanced one last time at the bird soaring high above, then nodded in agreement with Shikamaru. 

Chapter 79: Sunset 

The powerful Hikari and the ever-cunning Shikamaru had finally come to an agreement—no more disagreements within the squad. 

The five of them charged south without hesitation. 

The southern edge of Training Ground Zero was the closest point to Konoha’s center. There had to be a sensei stationed nearby. 

But they hadn't gone far— 

The roars of wild beasts echoed all around them. 

Shikamaru's heart sank. “Not good.” He immediately led the group to change direction. 

GRAAAHHH! 

A giant bird swooped overhead, seemingly guiding the beasts through the forest below. 

ROAR! 

Grrrrrr... 

It was impossible to tell exactly what kind of monsters they were, but the howls came from all sides. They were surrounded. 

"Hikari, is there another way out?" 

Shikamaru asked, knowing Hikari had incredible sensory abilities. 

Before he could even finish, Hikari had already activated her Hyaku-me—the Hundred Eyes Technique—and scanned the area. 

With the bird in the sky directing them and the beast-attracting powder laced into their clothes, the creatures in the jungle had gone berserk and fully encircled them. 

“No way out,” she said, shaking her head with regret. 

Every beast in Training Ground Zero seemed to have been drawn here—and more were arriving by the second. 

Hikari could escape alone if she wanted. These wild beasts’ claws and fangs couldn’t penetrate her sub-dermal bone armor. A well-placed Wind Release would carve her an exit path easily. 

But taking Naruto and the others with her? That might be too much, even for her. 

Ino's face turned pale. 

There were far more creatures than she imagined—some even fighting each other amidst the chaos. 

She hadn’t yet mastered her clan’s sensory ninjutsu, but her trained spirit was sending wave after wave of danger warnings. 

The situation was spiraling fast. 

SWOOSH! 

A fist-sized rock flew through the air—straight at Ino’s head. 

“Ino, look out!” Shikamaru shouted, panicked. 

“Baika no Jutsu!” — Expansion Jutsu! 

At the crucial moment, Choji’s body rapidly expanded. In seconds, he grew over two meters tall, his broad back shielding Ino. 

THUD! 

The rock hit Choji’s back but bounced off harmlessly, deflected by his tough, muscular frame. 

“Thanks, Choji,” Ino said, finally snapping out of her shock and quickly thanking him. 

“We’re completely surrounded,” Hikari said, scanning the treetops. 

Troops of monkeys glared down at them from the branches, scratching and chattering. That rock earlier? Definitely their doing. 

SKREEEEE! 

The giant bird screeched again. 

As if receiving commands, the beast horde finally homed in on its target—drool dripping from snarling mouths as they closed in around the group. 

At the front, a tiger licked the ground where the powder had fallen—still trailing the scent from the skies. 

The creatures were momentarily distracted by the lingering powder, delaying their attack. But that wouldn’t last long. 

The group stood back-to-back. 

Naruto clenched his fists, overwhelmed. 

Enemies above and below—he couldn't even count them all. 

How were they supposed to fight this? 

“Shikamaru, what do we do?” Ino’s desperate voice made sweat pour down Shikamaru’s brow. 

They were hopelessly outnumbered and trapped in the dead center of Training Ground Zero—farther from the heart of Konoha than even the first perimeter. 

Reinforcements weren’t coming anytime soon. 

And if no sensei had shown up despite all the noise, it could only mean the Academy instructors were caught up elsewhere—maybe rescuing other students. 

They couldn’t run. 

With the bird above directing the beasts, escape was impossible—except maybe for Hikari. 

But staying… 

That would only drain Hikari’s strength. If no one came, someone who could’ve survived would die with them. 

Two clear choices. 

And Shikamaru couldn’t choose. 

He had no right to ask Hikari to stay and die. But he also couldn’t abandon Ino, Choji, and Naruto. 

Was there no way to save everyone? 

He clutched his head in frustration. His usually brilliant mind stalled under the weight of his comrades’ lives. 

“I’ll stay and defend,” Hikari finally said, making the call for him. 

“No—that’s not fair to you!” Shikamaru instinctively objected. “You’re strong. You could get away if you went alone!” 

Even though they were terrified, Ino and Choji shook their heads firmly: 

“Hikari, go on without us!” 

“Don’t worry about us.” 

They were trembling, but still wouldn’t let her sacrifice herself. 

Hikari couldn’t help but be moved. 

This... was Konoha. 

Even as children, in moments that mattered—they didn’t hesitate to give everything. 

Sacrifice and protection. 

The Will of Fire—though abstract—was etched deep in their bones, passed from generation to generation until it became real. 

But— 

Hikari had no intention of dying here. 

“We kill the bird first,” she said quickly. “Without guidance, the beasts will turn on each other. Once that happens, we break through.” 

“But the bird’s flying so high—how do we even hit it?” Naruto looked up. 

The creature circled far out of reach. 

“I have a long-range ninjutsu,” Hikari said. 

“It can hit something a thousand meters up?” Shikamaru asked, hopeful. 

“Nope.” Hikari shut that down immediately. “If I could, I wouldn’t still be waiting.” 

“Look.” She pointed to the ground. 

They followed her finger— 

In the glow of the setting sun, the bird’s shadow stretched across the earth. 

“Shadow Possession Jutsu!” Ninpō: Kagemane no Jutsu! 

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio caught on instantly. 

“Exactly. Shikamaru catches it using its shadow. When it’s pulled down to the right height—I finish it with a killing blow.” 

Hikari laid the plan bare and looked at Shikamaru. 

“No good,” he replied, face grim as he stared at the massive shadow. “It’s too big. My chakra would only hold for three seconds, max. The plan won’t work.” 

“Yes, it will!” Ino stepped forward confidently, drawing everyone’s eyes. 

“I’ll use Shintenshin no Jutsu—Mind Transfer Technique. Shikamaru, just lock it down for one second. I’ll take care of the rest.” 

“Your Mind Transfer can go that far?” Hikari asked, stunned. “That bird’s over a thousand meters up.” 

Ino’s blue eyes burned with certainty. “Between hearts, there’s no such thing as distance.” 

Hikari blinked. 

She was trying to talk physics—and Ino gave her philosophy. 

Fine. 

If it failed, she wasn’t the one dying anyway. 

“How long can you control it?” 

“At this range? Ten seconds, max,” Ino replied after a moment’s thought. 

“In ten seconds of freefall, it’ll drop about 500 meters,” Shikamaru quickly calculated. He looked at Hikari. 

“That’s enough,” she nodded, meeting their hopeful stares. 

“Awesome!” Naruto punched the air. 

The trio let out a breath of relief. 

“Then let’s begin,” Shikamaru and Ino said, forming seals in perfect sync—faster than usual. The threat of death had drawn out their full potential. 

“Wait—one more thing.” 

Hikari held out a hand to stop them. 

“What now?” Shikamaru frowned, sensing something was off. 

“That long-range ninjutsu of mine?” Hikari smiled sheepishly. 

“I haven’t actually learned it yet. Gotta pick it up... real quick.”