Detonating Talisman
[This guy… He's completely overwhelming me. At this rate, only the power of the Sharingan is keeping me in the fight!]
Uchiha Mingjing clenched his teeth, struggling to hold his ground while rapidly thinking of a strategy.
In terms of kenjutsu, the opponent was an exceptional talent. His weapon style was unpredictable, and his physique—at the prime of a seasoned shinobi—was far superior to Mingjing's. Close combat wasn't yielding any advantage.
[I need to find an opening—fast! Fire Release, Wind Release, kenjutsu, genjutsu…]
Mingjing's mind raced. They were still deep in Amegakure territory. The ceaseless rain, muddy terrain, and puddles everywhere provided a natural advantage for Water Release users. If he used Fire Release—his specialty—it would likely be suppressed.
His Wind Release proficiency was still at a basic level—mainly used to augment fire techniques. It wasn't strong enough to be decisive on its own.
As for kenjutsu, the enemy outclassed him.
That left genjutsu as his best option.
However, before Mingjing could initiate his next move, the battle took another turn.
"Aaaah—!"
A shrill scream echoed across the battlefield as a Hidden Rain genin was engulfed by a swarm of Aburame clan insects. One of his comrades flinched in panic and was immediately decapitated by Fengjie Jingtai's blade. The last genin standing lasted only a few more moves against Nami and her team before Inuzuka Zhu's sharpened nails slashed across his throat, ending him.
"Zhu, what now? Should we help Mingjing?" Fengjie Jingtai asked, observing the fierce three-man clash ahead.
Inuzuka Zhu turned to Aburame Nami, who remained silent and still. Her silence was tacit approval—Zhu would take command.
"The Chūnin fighting Mingjing is incredibly strong—even Mingjing's struggling. My suggestion: I'll go with Ita to switch out Tiemen. With his Byakugan, Tiemen can counter the opponent's strange movements. Nami can provide ranged support using her insects. With those three working together, we can defeat their strongest fighter. Once he's down, the rest won't be a problem."
Zhu scanned the battlefield calmly and made his call.
Nami silently directed her kikaichū toward Mingjing's opponent, while Kazesai Ita and Inuzuka Zhu rushed to engage the towering Rain ninja.
"Tiemen! Go support Mingjing—take down that umbrella-wielding Rain ninja first!"
Kazesai Ita called out, then blocked the enemy's escape route with Zhu and his ninken, Kuromaru.
"No need. I'll go with you."
Hyūga Tiemen turned, glancing coolly at the tall Rain ninja before moving forward.
"Hey, brat—are you seriously ignoring me!?"
The Rain ninja shouted angrily, lunging to attack—but his limbs locked up mid-swing.
"…Wha—?!"
"You've been struck by Hyūga clan acupoint techniques," Kazesai Ita explained with a grin. In the next moment, he slashed down cleanly and ended the man's life.
Meanwhile, the middle-aged Rain Chūnin—seeing his comrades fall—grew desperate. He attempted to break through, but Uchiha Mingjing intercepted him.
Clang!
Steel clashed as Mingjing reversed his wakizashi, parrying the Rain ninja's blade before swiftly flipping back to dodge the follow-up combo.
The Rain ninja tried to bolt, but a swarm of Aburame insects blocked his path.
"Damn it!"
Snarling, he activated a mechanism on his umbrella and hurled it into the air.
"Ninjutsu: Thousand Rain Palms!"
A barrage of chakra-infused palm strikes poured down from the umbrella like a downpour, shredding through insects. But just as he prepared to escape—another barrage of strikes closed in on him.
"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
The flurry of strikes from Hyūga Tiemen forced the Rain ninja back—cornered, his retreat cut off.
Across the field, the other Rain ninja Mingjing had initially fought was overwhelmed by Jingtai and the Inuzuka duo, and fell swiftly.
Alone and outnumbered, the Rain Chūnin realized his fate.
"Damn it…"
He slammed his fist into the wet earth.
His umbrella had already been knocked away and retrieved by Tiewan and Kuromaru. Without it, even his Water Release wouldn't be enough to escape.
Despite everything, he recognized Mingjing's strength.
Though the Uchiha youth looked worn down, he had taken no serious injury. For a genin, his skill was elite-level—even among Chūnin. Tiemen, the Hyūga, had also taken out a Chūnin single-handedly.
And the others… all hovered just under Chūnin level.
He was going to die here.
But… if he could take a few Konoha prodigies down with him, it would still be worth it.
His eyes hardened.
Suddenly, he ripped open his flak jacket, revealing an explosive tag strapped to his chest.
But Mingjing and Tiemen—both wielders of dōjutsu—were already moving.
Each grabbed a nearby comrade and leapt back at full speed.
The Rain ninja roared and tried to chase, but Nami's kikaichū swarmed him again, slowing his steps.
He had no choice.
BOOM!
"Secret Technique: Insect Wall!"
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Rampart!"
A thick earthen wall rose up, reinforced by a barrier of chakra insects. The dual defense blunted the full force of the explosion.
The shockwave flung everyone backwards. The barriers crumbled, but they'd done their job.
"Ugh…"
Mingjing groaned, using his wakizashi as a crutch. He staggered to his feet, drenched in rain and mud, scanning the battlefield.