painful kick

"Hokage-sama, thank you for your hard work. For the final circle, it's better to experience it firsthand."

"..."

After saying that, Kyōichi immediately slipped away.

Sandaime was left speechless.

This kid...

So shameless!

When he needed something, his attitude was impeccable. But the moment he didn't need it anymore, he just ran off.

The others quickly followed.

Sandaime could only grumble in his heart.

Everyone arrived at the predetermined "Point A" in the Forest of Death.

Reality wasn't a game.

The map couldn't be shared in real-time, so Kyōichi had designated two points, with "Point A" being the location of the final circle.

Now, the two sides faced off.

On one side were the remnants of defeated teams.

On the other...

Two fully intact teams, their morale high. Thanks to their recent victory, they had obtained all the supplies and tools from Asuma's team.

Each of them had a soldier pill, which they immediately consumed, along with various weapons and ninja tools.

This wasn't a fair fight.

Genma Shiranui pulled out a shuriken, ready to use a ninjutsu, when he saw a barrage of shuriken flying toward him from the other side, dense and seemingly endless.

He was stunned for a moment.

Then, Genma exchanged a glance with Might Guy and whispered, "Guy, we can't win against them."

"Huh?"

Might Guy was confused.

Can't win?

Shouldn't they still fight?

"Ahem, look, the top five will advance. Why don't you go and kick them..."

Genma coughed lightly.

They couldn't win.

The only option was to backstab to secure a spot.

The main reason was...

He could tell that Nara Enji had no intention of charging forward, and on their side, Might Guy was the most reckless, likely to be eliminated first.

So...

Better to eliminate them first.

Secure the spot, then fight properly!

"Isn't that a bit underhanded?"

Rin Nohara was shocked.

Weren't they just talking about teaming up?

How could they be discussing betrayal the next moment?

Might Guy didn't pay attention to her.

Compared to Rin, he clearly trusted Genma more, so...

As Nara Enji moved closer to avoid the shuriken, he suddenly lashed out.

Activation Technique, Shadow Dance.

Then.

A kick.

Nara Enji was sent flying, crashing into the middle of the battlefield.

The next moment, attacks from both sides rained down on him. Before he could react, Minato had already used the Body Flicker Technique to carry him away.

"Shikaku-senpai, your clan's kid is still a bit naive."

Kyōichi feigned regret.

Teaming up?

With only one spot left, there was no way they could trust any alliance.

"Don't blame him. He didn't have much of a choice."

Shikaku smiled.

Enji was indeed naive, but he didn't have many options.

Out of the three sides, they were the weakest. Even without this incident, they were the most likely to be eliminated.

Teaming up was their best chance.

But.

With everyone having their own agendas, how could they truly unite?

Nearby, Kakashi seemed deep in thought.

He thought of Yahiko.

The situation Genma and the others were in was no different from the relationships between small villages.

Teaming up was indeed the strongest option.

But.

Five people, four teams.

Only three spots.

This meant that one team would inevitably be eliminated.

Who could guarantee that teaming up would align with their own interests?

Kyōichi's earlier words had truly come to pass.

Then, Kakashi thought back to what Kyōichi had said earlier.

Failures.

Worse than failures!

"But if comrades are more important, then what does that make my father?"

He clenched his fists.

Hadn't his father been driven to suicide because he saved his teammates and abandoned the mission?

Kakashi's mood darkened.

Kyōichi noticed, but he didn't say anything. He could guess Kakashi's thoughts without even trying. This wasn't the right time or place for that kind of conversation.

With Nara Enji's team eliminated, there were now five teams left, forming three small groups.

At this point, the three sides had already begun fighting—Shisui and Kurenai had stopped cooperating.

At this stage, there was no need.

Might Guy still hadn't used the Eight Gates, only employing the Breathing Activation Technique taught by Might Dai, which enhanced his cell activity and partially opened the first gate.

However.

Even so, his taijutsu was still incredibly powerful!

His target—

Kurenai's team, Ebisu!

Ebisu was completely outmatched.

Genma and Rin also took action, not targeting Kurenai but instead focusing on restraining Shisui's team.

Might Guy severely injured Ebisu.

Even though they had been teammates earlier, he didn't hold back!

As he turned to deal with Raidō Namiashi, he suddenly felt something was off—both the distance and the environment seemed wrong.

Genjutsu?

When did that happen!

Might Guy was horrified and immediately dispelled the genjutsu.

But.

When he broke free, what he saw shocked him—

Kurenai was right in front of him.

She raised her leg...

*Boom!*

The ground cracked, forming a small crater.

Might Guy was sent flying.

A green blur rushed in and caught him.

Might Duy!

"Father, I can still—"

"Guy! You idiot!"

Might Duy punched his son, leaving the barely conscious Might Guy dizzy.

Then, he hugged Guy and cried, "Guy, you did well! You gave it your all!"

"..."

Hagane Kotetsu covered his face, speechless.

He had always wondered why Guy's personality was so bizarre, constantly crying and spouting nonsense about passion and youth.

Now he understood!

Like father, like son!

The others, however, were stunned by Kurenai's kick.

Who would have thought...

The seemingly delicate Kurenai had mastered Tsunade's Strong Fist Technique!

And.

The most devious part was that Kyōichi had taught her to combine it with genjutsu.

Even if the genjutsu didn't fully take hold, the momentary disruption of chakra would leave the target severely injured.

It was terrifying!

This was an absolute trump card.

"Kyōichi, this is a bit reckless."

Sandaime frowned.

If that kick had landed directly on Might Guy's head, he would have been dead.

Moreover.

This technique wasn't something just anyone could learn.

Tsunade could master and use it freely because of her exceptional physical strength. Kurenai clearly couldn't, and for her, the Strong Fist Technique was undoubtedly a forbidden-level jutsu.

He was about to say more.

But the next moment, he saw Raidō Namiashi bringing the severely injured Ebisu to Kurenai's side. Kurenai formed hand seals, and chakra gathered in her palm as she began healing herself first.

Raidō stood guard with his sword.

Clearly.

Kurenai was well aware of her condition.

"Sandaime-sama, I believe forbidden techniques aren't inherently bad. It's about knowing when to use them and when not to."

Kyōichi understood the Sandaime's concern.

But.

He didn't agree!

Sandaime's thinking was too conservative.

If forbidden techniques were truly useless, why would Tobirama Senju have created so many of them?

Sandaime remained silent.

Kurenai had used the Strong Fist Technique and was now using the Mystical Palm Technique to recover, ensuring her combat ability. She immediately began healing Ebisu.

A "forbidden technique" had turned the tide!

Wasn't it worth it?

On the battlefield, absolutely!

Besides.

Kurenai's condition wasn't too bad. With her teammates protecting her, she would quickly regain her combat strength—though she definitely wouldn't be using the Strong Fist Technique again anytime soon.

Recovery had its limits.

Her recently healed ligaments and muscles were still fragile. Using the technique again would likely cripple her.