Chapter 64 – The Peacock and the Twin Swords 孔雀与双子剑

Lin Yuan stood on a branch, expanding his sensory range as much as possible. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he struggled to maintain a keen awareness of the surrounding environment. "There's a faint chakra fluctuation about three hundred meters to the left. It seems to be a trap," Lin Yuan said with his eyes closed.

"It's a warning trap," Shikamaru replied in a low voice, quickly making a mark on the map at the same time. "Naruto, go and disable the trap. Be careful not to expose our position."

"I got it!" Naruto nodded and created two shadow clones, dashing towards the designated location.

At the same time, Ino walked up to Lin Yuan nervously and whispered, "Are you sure the thing you sensed is the enemy's trap?"

"Don't worry. I won't be wrong," Lin Yuan replied softly, but there was a hint of reluctance in his tone. "I hope we can all hold our own under the pressure from now on."

Ino lowered her head and fell into thought, feeling that her strength might hold the team back.

Shikamaru led the team and, following the information provided by Lin Yuan, quickly split up to take action. Ino, Shikamaru met the Peacock, the only woman in the Four Celestial Symbols Men. Just then, Temari was fighting her hard.

The Peacock was dressed in the unique ninja attire of the Land of Craftsmen. With a pair of strange twin swords in her hands, she smiled faintly. "The brats from Konoha are butting in too? You really overestimate yourselves."

Shikamaru squinted his eyes and quickly analyzed the enemy's stance and the structure of her weapons. "Don't let your guard down. She's really tough to deal with."

The Peacock immediately launched an attack. Controlling the twin swords with both hands, she formed a deadly chakra net in the air. Temari immediately waved her fan and unleashed a Wind Release. The chakra net was sliced apart by the wind blades. The Peacock lifted her twin swords, slashed at the incoming wind blades, made a Wind Release: Wind Reversal, and charged at Temari with the force of the wind.

"Ino, give support!" Shikamaru shouted.

Ino formed the hand seals, trying to use the Mind Body Switch Technique. However, the Peacock seemed to have anticipated it. She used Wind Release: Wind Slash to counterattack Ino, interrupting her technique. Ino staggered backward and gritted her teeth.

Lin Yuan sensed the Peacock's hidden weakness and quickly yelled at Shikamaru, "Her chakra's in the twin swords. That's how she attacks! Hold her hands and her moves will fail!"

Upon hearing Lin Yuan's reminder, Shikamaru immediately used the Shadow Imitation Technique to engage the Peacock in a fight, attempting to hold her movements in check. However, the Peacock's battle intelligence was obviously beyond expectations. She kept moving backward, maintaining a distance to avoid Shikamaru's Shadow Imitation Technique and Temari's Wind Release ninjutsu.

"This is really troublesome..." Shikamaru's forehead was covered in sweat as he continued to maintain the technique while whispering with Temari.

Moments later, Temari unleashed Wind Release: Great Wind Cutter again. But this time, the Wind Release ninjutsu was aimed slightly upward. The Peacock stepped back to avoid Temari's ninjutsu and said, "Kid, where are you shooting your ninjutsu? It's all over the place... What!?"

The waterfall behind them was destroyed by Temari's previous Wind Release: Great Wind Cutter. The water column shot out, extending Shikamaru's shadow ninjutsu. This time, Shikamaru's Shadow Imitation Technique successfully hit the Peacock, forcefully controlling her movements!

Temari seized the opportunity, waved her huge triple-star fan, and unleashed the powerful Wind Release: Summoning: Dance of the Decapitating Blades. The huge wind blades directly hit the Peacock, severely wounding her. Blood splashed and she slumped to the ground.

Ino saw it all and thought, "I can't seem to be of any use."

Temari put away her fan and calmly looked at the Peacock's corpse. "The ninja from the Land of Craftsmen are indeed hard to deal with."

Shikamaru sighed in relief, sat on the ground and panted. "Ugh, that fight was so tough. Ino, are you alright?" He looked at Ino, his voice a bit comforting.

========================

林远站在树枝上,感知范围尽可能扩大.他的额头冒着汗水,努力保持对周围环境的敏锐洞察. "左侧三百米有个微弱的查克拉波动,像是陷阱." 林远闭着眼睛说道.

"是预警陷阱," 鹿丸低声回答,同时在地图上快速做了个记号, "鸣人,去破坏陷阱,注意别暴露了位置."

"我知道了!" 鸣人点头,分出两个影分身快速前往指定地点.

与此同时,井野有些紧张地靠近林远,小声问道:"你确定感知到的就是敌人布置的陷阱?"

"放心吧,我不会错." 林远轻声回答,但语气中也有一丝勉强,"希望我们接下来能各自顶住压力."

井野低下头,陷入沉思,心中感到自己的实力可能会拖累队伍.

鹿丸带领队伍循着林远提供的情报,迅速分头行动.井野,鹿丸碰到了孔雀,四天象人中的唯一女性成员,而手鞠正在和她苦战.

孔雀穿着匠之国的独特忍装,双手带着奇异的双子剑,微微一笑:"木叶的小鬼也来掺和?真是自不量力."

鹿丸眯了眯眼睛,迅速分析敌人的姿态和武器结构:"别掉以轻心,她很难对付."

孔雀立刻出手,双手操控双子剑,在空中形成了致命的查克拉网.手鞠立刻挥起扇子,发动风遁,查克拉网被风刃割散,孔雀提起双子剑斩向了迎面而来的风刃形成了风遁.风反转,借助风势向手鞠反扑.

"井野,支援!" 鹿丸大喊.

井野结印,试图发动心转身之术.然而孔雀似乎早有准备,用风遁.风斩反向冲击井野,将她的术打断,井野踉跄后退,咬紧牙关.

林远通过感知发现了孔雀隐藏的弱点,立刻向鹿丸喊道:"她的查克拉集中在双子剑上,那是她攻击的核心!限制住她的双手,她的术就会被破坏!"

鹿丸听到林远的提醒,立刻使用影子模仿术与孔雀缠斗,试图牵制住她的动作.然而孔雀的战斗智商明显超出了预料,一直往后,保持距离避开鹿丸的影子模仿术和手鞠的风遁忍术.

"真是麻烦..." 鹿丸额头冒汗,继续维持术,同时和手鞠小声密谋.

片刻,手鞠再次发动风遁.大风斩,而这次的风遁忍术,往上打偏了少许,孔雀再次往后退避开手鞠的忍术,说道:"小鬼,你的忍术在打哪里,简直漫无目的... 什么!?"

后方的瀑布水流被之前手鞠的风遁.大风斩给摧毁了,水柱喷射,延长了鹿丸的影子忍术.这一次,鹿丸的影子模仿术成功命中孔雀,强行控制住了她的动作!

手鞠抓住机会,挥动巨大的三星扇,发动强大的风遁·通灵·斩斩舞.巨大的风刃直接命中孔雀,将她重创,鲜血飞溅,她的身体无力地倒下.

井野在一旁看到了这一切,心里暗道:"我好像帮不到什么忙..."

手鞠收起扇子,冷静地看着孔雀的尸体:"匠之国的忍者,果然不好对付."

鹿丸松了口气,坐到地上喘息:"啧,真是麻烦的一战.井野没事吧?" 他看了一眼受伤的井野,语气中带着一丝安慰的意味.