----
"Eight Gates Released Formation—Sixth Gate: Gate of View… OPEN!" ×3
All at once, Gen, Daiki, and Jiro exploded with raw chakra, their faces flushing red as an eerie green aura radiated around their bodies.
A moment later, the three-shot forward like green streaks of light, launching off the ground with such force that the terrain cracked beneath their feet, forming deep web-like fissures.
Asuma, watching the craters they left behind, was dumbfounded.
I know the Eight Gates, but isn't this supposed to be a last-resort trump card used only after gauging an enemy's strength?
Shouldn't you at least probe your opponent first before going all in?
Asuma sighed in frustration but still drew his weapon, Flying Swallow, ready for anything.
What he didn't realize was that Gen, Daiki, and Jiro had already researched the Akatsuki.
They knew that every member was an elite shinobi, so they figured, why waste time? Going all-out from the start was the best strategy.
After all, the Hokage was still fighting six even stronger enemies.
In an instant, Gen's kick slammed into Afei's chest, sending him hurtling backwards.
Before he could react, Daiki delivered a follow-up kick to his back, changing his trajectory midair.
Jiro, positioned directly beneath him in a perfect triangle formation, launched an uppercut kick, sending Afei flying straight into the air.
Then—
The three leapt into the sky, their fists a blur as they unleashed their next attack.
"Morning Peacock!"
A barrage of fiery punches rained down—
On the ground.
Because the Afei in the air was a fake.
The moment Gen's first kick landed, Afei had already realized what was happening.
However, he only managed to swap himself out just before the third kick connected, replacing himself with a decoy.
His real body had already burrowed underground, using Earth Release a speciality of his.
But even the best escape techniques were useless against…
Three pairs of Sharingan.
So, while they pretended to aim for the fake Afei, they were actually targeting the ground below.
"HAAAH!"
With a synchronized battle cry, they released a massive barrage of flaming shockwaves, hammering the terrain with relentless force.
The ground sank inward, fracturing and burning, until—
By the time they landed, the entire 30-meter radius around them had been reduced by an entire meter, leaving behind nothing but scorched blackened earth.
Asuma, feeling the tremors beneath his feet, wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Reflexively, he reached into his pocket, only to find—empty space.
"…Right. My smokes got stolen."
---
Meanwhile, underground Afei was not doing well.
The first two kicks had already compressed his body, leaving him in a ridiculous state his chest and back had caved inward so much that he was literally pressed flat.
If not for his mask and cloak, he would have been instantly exposed.
Even worse, though he had escaped underground, he hadn't completely avoided the force of three Morning Peacock attacks.
If he were a regular White Zetsu, he would've been dead already.
"…Geez. What's with these brutes? Is this what modern ninja battles are like?"
Afei sighed dramatically, then ripped open his cloak, scratching his bald, spiralled head.
Grabbing a nearby White Zetsu clone, he merged with it, using its biomass to repair his own body.
Then—
He laughed.
"Wait. Those three green beasts were Uchiha?!"
"…PFFT! HAHAHAHA!"
Madara would love these guys.
Afei adjusted his outfit, morphing back into his Tobi persona the black cloak, red clouds, and spiralled mask.
He ran a hand over his mask, muttering,
"Well, time to put on a show. If I'm gonna 'die,' might as well do it with style."
Logically, the first ones to attack were usually the weakest.
The strongest and highest-ranking stayed back, observing before acting.
So, in Afei's mind, Asuma must be the strongest.
Thus, he decided...
He would 'die' by Asuma's hands.
Honestly, with his personality, Afei and Naruto's Shadow Clones would probably get along very well.
POP! POP! POP!
Suddenly, dozens of sharp, two-meter-long wooden spikes erupted from the ground, aiming to skewer the Konoha shinobi.
Gen, Daiki, and Jiro were still in the Sixth Gate, their Sharingan fully active.
The instant they detected movement, they dodged barely before impact.
The spikes pierced nothing but air.
Asuma, however, was slightly slower, and one spike grazed his leg, leaving a shallow wound. But his concern wasn't the injury.
His concern was...
This guy just used Wood Release.
Only one person in the entire village could do that Yamato.
Did that mean…?
Was this another Orochimaru experiment?
As Afei emerged from the ground, Asuma infused his Flying Swallow with Wind Chakra, ready to strike.
"Who are you?" Asuma demanded, his voice low and serious.
"Hmm… Who knows?" Afei replied, his tone playful and mocking.
Then, his hands clapped together.
"Wood Release: Tree Bind Eternal Burial!"
Thin vines and branches erupted from the earth, swiftly coiling around Asuma's legs and crawling upwards, trying to restrain him completely.
Asuma twisted his wrist, activating the Wind Chakra blades of his Flying Swallow, then slashed through the vines effortlessly severing them.
By this point, Gen, Daiki, and Jiro had already closed in.
Three spinning kicks came from three different directions—
"Leaf Triple Whirlwind!"
But before they could land a hit, Afei sank into the ground again.
Asuma flashed a hand sign, signalling the Uchiha trio.
They… blinked at him in confusion.
"…Right. My team was way more coordinated."
Sighing, Asuma quickly gestured a new signal.
This time, the three grinned, flashing big white smiles and giving him a thumbs-up message received.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The Uchiha trio continued slamming the ground, trying to force Afei out.
Hiding deeper underground, Afei listened carefully.
He noticed one spot had never been attacked.
That must be where Asuma was standing.
Or… was it a trap?
Well, why not take the risk?
Afei shot up from the ground, hands forming seals, locking onto Asuma's position.
"Wood Release: Thorn Binding Jutsu!"
Four thorn-covered wooden tendrils snapped out, wrapping tightly around Asuma and restricting his movements.
And then—
"Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!"
A deep male voice echoed behind Afei.
A black cloud of ash engulfed him, along with the "Asuma" he had just trapped.
As Afei watched his captive dissolve into a puff of smoke, he couldn't help but exclaim—
"What?! That was a Shadow Clone?!"
----
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