63. Vacuum Jutsus

(Guys, Let's aim for the top 10, Only 24 hours till reset, and we only have 8 days before we are kicked out of the less than 30 days section, So, Let's Go out with a bang! Give me your Powerstones)

The Jounin's eyes narrowed. "Flattery will get you nowhere, brat. Though I must admit, you've given me more of a workout than I expected. But playtime's over now."

With blinding speed, the Jounin closed the distance between them. His wind-coated kunai sliced through the air, catching Sora off guard. The blade passed through the clone's body like butter, dispelling it instantly.

"One down," the Jounin muttered, his eyes scanning the area for the remaining clone.

The last Earth Clone, realizing the dire situation, quickly burrowed underground. "Oops, I think I should escape," it thought to itself but blurted that out.

But the Sand Jounin was already one step ahead. His hands flew through a series of signs, and in the next instant, a Vacuum Ball was hurtling towards the spot where Sora's clone had disappeared.

Underground, the clone's eyes widened as it sensed the approaching danger. The Vacuum Ball was cutting through the earth like it was nothing more than warm butter. In a last-ditch effort, the clone used most of its remaining chakra to create another Earth Clone a few meters away.

This new clone quickly surfaced, knowing it would be caught off guard if it remained underground. As it emerged, it found itself face-to-face with the approaching Jounin.

Just as it seemed the Jounin would finish off this last clone, a new figure intercepted him. A kunai flashed in the sunlight as Kurenai appeared between Sora's clone and the Sand Ninja.

"Aren't you embarrassed to pick on a kid?" Kurenai asked, her red eyes narrowed dangerously.

The Jounin smirked. "Miss, aren't you a bit overconfident?" Without warning, he exhaled a powerful Vacuum Jutsu directly at Kurenai.

At such close range, it seemed impossible for Kurenai to dodge. The Jounin watched with satisfaction as his jutsu pierced through Kurenai's heart... only for his vision to suddenly go black.

When his sight cleared, he found himself immobilized, a very real and very sharp kunai pressed against his throat. The Kurenai he thought he had killed shimmered and disappeared, revealing it to be nothing more than a genjutsu.

"H-how?" the Jounin stammered, realizing he had been caught in an illusion from the start.

Kurenai's voice was cold as she replied, "A lesson for you: never underestimate a Konoha ninja, especially not a genjutsu specialist." 

Sora's clone, who had been watching the exchange with wide eyes, suddenly spoke up. "Um, don't we need prisoners instead of killing him?"

Kurenai glanced at the clone, her expression softening slightly. "You're right, we do need prisoners. But this one," her gaze hardened as she looked back at the captured Jounin, "clearly didn't deserve to live. He was far too eager to kill a child."

With a swift movement, Kurenai slit his neck killing him instantaneously, she then turned her attention back to Sora's clone. "Speaking of which, why were you fighting a Jounin again? Didn't Kakashi tell you to avoid direct confrontation with high-level opponents?"

The clone frantically waved its hands. "Hey, I'm just a clone! I was trying to buy time and didn't want that guy to leave unchecked. Didn't you see that he could use Vacuum Jutsus? He could have sneak-attacked a lot of our ninja!"

Under Kurenai's intense gaze, the clone fidgeted uncomfortably. After a moment, Kurenai sighed. "Well, fine. But don't let the main body do something this reckless again, understood?"

The clone nodded vigorously. "Yes, ma'am!"

With that, Kurenai disappeared in a puff of smoke, revealing that she too had been a clone - a shadow clone. Sora's clone stood there for a moment, a stupefied expression on its face as it processed what had just happened. A clone had taken down a Jounin, but it was clear that the element of surprise had been the deciding factor. For genjutsu users like Kurenai, that moment of surprise was often all they needed to complete the job.

Shaking off its amazement, the clone refocused on its mission. There were still civilians to rescue and Konoha ninja to assist. With renewed determination, it set off once more, ready to face whatever challenges the invasion might throw its way.

Meanwhile, back at the village walls, the original Sora was still perched atop Gamahiro, facing off against the remaining giant snakes. The massive toad had just finished off another serpent, its blade gleaming with reptilian blood.

"You know, kid," Gamahiro rumbled as he turned to face their next opponent, "when Jiraiya-sama left you in charge, I had my doubts. But I've got to hand it to you, you're not half bad."

Sora grinned up at the giant toad. "Thanks! You're pretty impressive yourself. I've never seen anyone wield swords that big with such precision."

Their banter was cut short as another enormous snake lunged at them, its fangs dripping with venom. Gamahiro leapt high into the air, avoiding the attack by mere inches. As they sailed over the snake's head, Sora saw his opportunity.

"Gamahiro, can you get me closer to its eyes?" he called out.

The toad glanced at him sceptically but nodded. "Hold on tight, kid!"

With a mid-air twist that defied his massive size, Gamahiro repositioned himself, bringing Sora within range of the snake's enormous yellow eye. Without hesitation, Sora formed a rapid series of hand seals.

'Heavenly Weeping'

A hail of razor-sharp water needles shot from Sora's mouth, peppering the snake's eye. The serpent let out an ear-splitting shriek of pain, thrashing wildly as it was blinded.

"Now, Gamahiro!" Sora shouted.

The toad needed no further prompting. With a powerful swing of his blade, he decapitated the disoriented snake, its massive head crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact.

As Gamahiro landed, Sora took a moment to catch his breath. Despite his impressive chakra reserves, maintaining his clones across the village while simultaneously battling giant snakes was starting to take its toll.

"You alright there, kid?" Gamahiro asked, concern evident in his gravelly voice.

Sora nodded, wiping sweat from his brow. "Yeah, just need a second to recharge. How many of these oversized worms are left?"

Before Gamahiro could answer, a chilling laughter echoed across the battlefield. Both Sora and the giant toad turned to see a figure standing atop one of the few remaining snakes. It was a kunoichi from Otogakure, her eyes gleaming with malicious glee.

"My, my," she called out, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "What do we have here? A little boy playing hero with his pet frog? How adorable."

Gamahiro bristled at the insult. "I'm a toad, not a frog, you ignorant serpent-lover!"

Sora patted Gamahiro's head reassuringly. "Don't let her get to you, big guy. She's just trying to rile us up."

The kunoichi's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Oh, you're a clever one, aren't you? Let's see how clever you are when you're being squeezed to death!" With a series of hand signs, she commanded her snake to attack.

The massive serpent shot forward with surprising speed, its coils aiming to wrap around Gamahiro and crush him. The toad leapt back, barely avoiding the strike, but the snake's tail whipped around, catching Gamahiro's leg and sending him tumbling.

Sora was thrown from Gamahiro's back, plummeting towards the ground. Thinking quickly, he formed the hand seals for his Shape-Shifting Jutsu, reducing his weight to that of a feather. His descent slowed dramatically, allowing him to land safely on a nearby rooftop.

"Gamahiro!" Sora called out in concern, watching as the giant toad struggled to regain his footing.

The Oto kunoichi laughed maniacally. "Aww, did the little boy lose his ride? Don't worry, I'll send you to join him soon enough!"

Sora gritted his teeth, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a plan. He was tired, low on chakra, and now separated from his powerful ally. But as he watched the kunoichi gloat atop her snake, an idea began to form.

"Hey, snake lady!" he called out, putting on his best scared-kid voice. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

The kunoichi raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Oh? And I suppose you think you're my size, little boy?"

Sora shook his head, forcing tears to his eyes. "N-no, I'm too scared to fight you. You're way too strong for me!"

A cruel smile spread across the kunoichi's face. "Well, well. At least you know your place, brat. But don't worry, I'll make your death quick."

As the kunoichi directed her snake towards Sora, the young ninja continued to play up his fear, backing away and letting out convincing whimpers. Just as the snake's head loomed over him, ready to strike, Sora's demeanour changed in an instant.

His hands blurred through a series of signs, and he called out, "Earth Style: Mud Wall!"

A thick wall of earth shot up between Sora and the snake, catching the serpent off guard. Its head slammed into the wall with a sickening crunch, dazing it momentarily.

Not wasting a second, Sora leapt over the wall, his hands already forming new seals. 'Water Style: Water Colliding Waves'