Naruto: All My Targets Are Ninjutsu.

Kurenai Yuhi's eyes revealed admiration, and her attacks became increasingly fierce.

As a master swordsman in Konoha, he had sparred with Hatake Sakumo and naturally realized that Mikami Yu was using the Hatake family's swordsmanship, and his skill was quite remarkable. Although he couldn't compare to Hatake Sakumo in his lifetime, he was definitely a master.

"Then... let's try this one!"

In the instant when their blades clashed and their figures were slightly separated by the recoil,...

Kurenai Yuhi quickly and discreetly formed a hand seal, her lips barely moving: "Illusion: Tree Binding Kill!"

Without any warning, the solid ground beneath Mikami Yu's feet suddenly became soft like mud. A thick tree burst forth from the ground, and thorny vines, like giant pythons, quickly coiled around his legs and rapidly spread upwards!

"untie!"

While dodging, Mikami Yu cast a spell to dispel the illusion.

The image of giant vines and trees peeled away like pieces of a shattered mirror, revealing the true ground beneath.

However, Yuhi Shinku's next illusion technique immediately followed: "Naraku-Seeing Technique!"

This time, instead of a giant tree, a dark and deep abyss appeared, from which countless hideous, blood-stained faces of the dead emerged, emitting mournful howls that assaulted Mikami Yu's mind! Accompanied by fear and despair, they attempted to break his will!

Mikami Yu decisively bit his lip, and under the stimulation of pain, he restored his disordered chakra. Immediately afterwards, he saw Yuhi Shinku's figure split into dozens of clones, using a technique similar to "Oboro Clone".

Ok.

It seems that Yuhi Shinku's skill level is quite high. Among all the enemies that Mikami Yu has encountered so far, this illusion technique can be called the strongest!

It is estimated that there are not many people in the Uchiha clan who can defeat him.

If we continue to passively react to each move as it comes, it will become an endless cycle.

(The essence of illusion is to disrupt another person's chakra, thereby affecting their five senses and causing them to see false illusions, so... give that move a try!)

Yu Mikami took a deep breath, and as Kurenai Yuhi lunged at him again, he shouted in a low voice: "Instant Hell Shadow Killing Formation!"

Om-!

In an instant, Mikami Yu's figure split into two, then four, transforming into seven or eight identical clones that appeared out of thin air, facing Yuhi Shinku. Each phantom clone emanated an almost realistic chakra fluctuation, and the short swords in their hands possessed a sharp and fierce intent, making it difficult to distinguish between the real and the fake!

Even though Yuhi Shinku was a Jonin who was proficient in genjutsu, she was briefly thrown into confusion.

then.

Mikami Yu's true form was mixed among these illusions. He took a deep breath: "Eight Gates..."

"First door opens!"

"Second Rest Gate - Open!"

"The Third Gate of Life - Open!"

- Exactly.

Yu Mikami's plan to break genjutsu is to open the "Eight Gates." The principle of the "Eight Gates" is to open the body's energy channels, causing chakra to become violent. In this state, genjutsu that relies on disrupting the opponent's chakra flow will become useless.

Although he has only mastered the first three gates of the Eight Gates Formation, and may not be completely immune to the effects of illusions, a little while is enough!

No sooner said than done.

As Mikami Yu used the Eight Gates seals, the chakra within his body surged violently and intensely like a lit powder keg! In the most ruthless manner, it instantly overwhelmed the chakra that had been disturbed by Yuhi Shinku!

Tree-bound killings, the abyss of despair, wailing souls... all the sounds and effects vanished without a trace before Mikami Yu's eyes, like smoke scattered by a raging wind! The real moonlight once again shone through the forest, carrying the cool scent of grass and trees, instantly clearing his vision.

At this moment, the true form of Yuhi Shinku was also clearly revealed in Mikami Yu's line of sight.

"caught you!"

A sharp light flashed in Mikami Yu's eyes, and with a "bang," the ground beneath his feet exploded, creating a small crater. His figure vanished instantly, leaving only a fading afterimage in his place!

"?!"

Kurenai Yuhi's pupils constricted sharply, a chilling sense of crisis rising within him. He didn't even have time to think about tactics; relying solely on the instincts honed through countless life-or-death battles, he abruptly held his longsword horizontally in front of him, making a blocking motion!

"clang--!!!!!"

The clanging of metal was like the resounding tolling of a great bell! The ear-piercing sound waves almost transformed into tangible ripples, exploding outwards in concentric circles, causing the leaves around them to fall in a rustling sound!

"impossible!"

Yuhi Shinku was shocked. He felt as if he had been hit head-on by a charging giant rhinoceros. The force from the blade made his hands go numb. The fine steel longsword, which was of decent quality, hummed under the strain and almost slipped out of his hand!

Before he could catch his breath,

Mikami Yu pounced again like an arrow released from a bow, his short sword transforming into streaks of white light that tore through the air, slashing towards Yuhi Shinku.

Ding ding ding—!

A series of collision sounds exploded like popping beans!

The enhancement effect of the three gates is actually slightly lower than that of "Overload Pulse", but when combined with [Heart Blade Domain], it still unleashes considerable destructive power.

After blocking seven or eight moves, Yuuki felt her arm go numb. Finally, Mikami Yu seized an opening and struck the weakest point of the blade with his sword. Her hand loosened, and the long sword slipped from her grasp.

after that,

Yuhi Shinku reacted swiftly, using the Body Flicker Technique to dodge to the side and rear. Then, while retreating to absorb the force, she drew kunai and shuriken from her person, throwing them in a triangular formation in an attempt to block Mikami Yu's pursuit.

"This is... the Eight Gates Formation?"

Amidst a series of crisp clanging sounds, Mikami Yu cut down all the shuriken thrown by Yuhi Shinku, then stopped, twirled his sword, and slowly sheathed it in a rather aesthetically pleasing manner.

At this moment, he was surrounded by visible light green chakra steam, and the veins on his forehead were throbbing, clearly a sign that his body was working overtime after the Eight Gates were opened.

but……

Compared to the Eight Gates technique used by Might Guy and his son, the Eight Gates used by Yu Mikami are slightly different—

【Characteristic - Damage Pre-Storage: You have a good understanding of the mechanism of the "Eight Gates" technique, and can pre-store the damage and pain suffered during the release process in your body. You can then gradually release the damage over a period of time, thereby reducing the physical burden in the Eight Gates state and dulling the pain sensation (Note: It may become ineffective if the damage exceeds the limit)】

That's right.

The unique properties of the "Eight Gates Formation" have now been activated, and their function is to reduce the burden during the opening of the gates.

While it doesn't directly enhance explosive power like "Super Strength" or "Neuron Activation Technique," reducing side effects indirectly increases endurance. After all, the original Eight Gates technique has quite strong side effects; even Rock Lee suffered a bone fracture when he first opened the fifth gate, let alone others.

After a brief standoff.

Yuhi Shinku let out a long sigh of relief and stood up straight: "You... pass."

Although the current situation is barely a draw, there is still a chance to fight if the battle continues. On the surface, Kurenai Yuhi has a higher chance of winning, after all, he was a bit careless just now, and he still has a lot of chakra left and a few trump cards that he hasn't had time to use.

Can……

As a Jonin, having your sword knocked away in close combat by a junior who is taking the Chunin Exams is already considered a loss. If you were to pull out your trump card and continue fighting as if facing an opponent of equal strength... even if you win in the end, it wouldn't be honorable; it would only make you seem petty.

Therefore, Kurenai Yuhi has decided to end this here.

"Yu Mikami, Rin Nohara, you two have passed this round of testing."

"...Wait, what about me? I'm in this squad too!"

Having broken free from the illusion, Obito pointed at himself and asked loudly.

"..."

Kurenai Yuhi didn't even glance at Obito. She took a few steps forward, picked up her sword, and then gave Mikami Yu one last look: "You're really good. No wonder Kurenai... Go rest in the tower and wait for the next round. I have to go assess the other candidates. I'm leaving now."

Chapter 160: Reunion with Asuma's Team, Kurenai Yuhi's Hidden Thoughts

After Yuhi Shinku left, Mikami Yu and the others did not rush into the tower, but waited in place for a while, hoping to catch a "buyer".

Although the number of hostages has decreased from four to three, it is still two more than the expected target, meaning that theoretically, two more deals can still be made.

Unfortunately, after waiting for a long time, the customer still didn't show up.

Instead, several familiar figures appeared—

"Huh, Yu, Rin, Obito? You've arrived already?"

Sarutobi Asuma pushed aside the bushes and emerged from a grove of trees, looking at Mikami Yu and the others with some surprise.

Behind him, Kurenai Yuhi and Raido Namiashi appeared, along with a seemingly listless "hostage." The latter two looked surprised upon seeing Yu Mikami and his group: "Why did you bring so many people? Four hostages?"

There are three.

Yu Mikami responded, "The other one was a Kusanagi ninja prisoner captured along the way."

"what?"

Asuma and Kurenai were both taken aback: No, what kind of hidden gameplay is this? Does capturing ninjas from other ninja villages earn extra points?

At that moment, Nohara Rin spoke up from the side, "Asuma-kun, Kurenai, did you run into Shinku-senpai when you came over just now?"

"You mean my father? I haven't seen him. Did he come too?"

The crimson sunset remains unsolved.

Afterwards, Nohara Rin explained what had just happened, leaving Asuma and the others completely bewildered. They seemed utterly unaware that the examiner team was hidden among the hostages.

Hmm... it's hard to say whether it was luck or something behind the scenes, but the direction that Yuhi Shinku left in was indeed different from the direction that Asuma and the others appeared in. It's possible that they just happened to miss each other.

The "examiner team" consists of a maximum of four people, so which team they encounter is truly a matter of chance. If Mikami Yu and his group enter the tower before the six-hour bell rings, they can probably avoid this battle.

the other side.

When Asuma and the others heard that Mikami Yu had passed Yuhi Shinku's "test" and had won a move in the physical duel, successfully knocking the sword out of her hand, they couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. Yuhi Shinku was even more incredulous, as if she was seeing Mikami Yu for the first time.

She admired and adored Mikami Yu to some extent, and knew he was very strong and had made great contributions on the southwestern battlefield, but...

Is he even stronger than his father?

It's worth noting that Kurenai Yuhi was a well-known figure in the Jonin class. Although she couldn't compare to the Legendary Sannin or Minato Namikaze, she was no less capable than Shikaku Nara and others. Yet, she lost to Yu Mikami by a single move, which was completely beyond Kurenai Yuhi's expectations.

Asma was equally astonished.

Facing the gazes cast at him, Mikami Yu said casually, "Shinku-senpai didn't go all out; it was just a test exchange. If it were a life-or-death battle, I wouldn't be able to win."

"……Yeah?"

Asma remained noncommittal.

Even if it was truly a "test," to knock a senior Jonin's weapon out of his hand is something even a genin wouldn't be able to do. From his perspective, even if Mikami Yu wasn't a Jonin, he at least possessed the strength of a Special Jonin.

"By the way, since you've already completed the test, why haven't you gone to the tower yet?"

"Well... because we rescued two more hostages, we were thinking of seeing if there were any teams that failed in their rescue missions and selling two to them. But it seems that the teams that can get here don't lack hostages, and those that do lack hostages won't be here. Continuing to wait is just a waste of time."

Yu Mikami said.

"...6."

Asuma was speechless. It was the first time he'd ever heard of "selling hostages," and it didn't feel like something out of the Will of Fire. However, it was quite reasonable for Mikami Yu's team to do it, given their tendency to defy expectations…

Of course, the thought of how hard his team had worked to snatch a hostage, only to almost be ambushed by another team of Rain Ninjas along the way, was quite disheartening.

The Konoha ninjas who were disguised as hostages were equally heartbroken.

Just now, Mikami Yu said in front of Yuhi Shinku that their acting was "bad," and they tolerated it, since there were indeed flaws. But... why are they muttering about selling them off like this? If this deal actually goes through... would it be against the rules?

"that……"

Nohara Rin suggested at the opportune moment, "Since it's getting late, let's hurry up and go to the tower? It should be safer there, and we can get some rest."

"Alright."

The two teams reached a consensus.

So, the group of six, along with five prisoners and hostages, marched in a grand procession toward the tower in the center of the Death Forest. As a heavy wooden door was pushed open, a musty but dry smell wafted out.

The tower's interior was more spacious than expected, with a huge circular hall at the bottom, its dome high and several pillars adorned with burning torches. Several doors on either side of the hall led to lounges and storage rooms, and books were stored in cabinets in the corners.

Upon arriving, the hostages dropped their pretense. One of the Chunin stepped forward and said to Mikami Yu and Asuma, "Congratulations, you two. You are the first group to arrive here. There are beds and recliners in the surrounding rooms. Please make do with them for the night."

"Based on past experience, the list of those who advance from this round of exams should be confirmed by this time tomorrow."

"it is good."

Mikami Yu nodded, then turned his gaze to the Grass Ninja, raising his chin: "By the way, you can take this Grass Ninja with you. I think the Hokage and the other senior members of the village will be very interested in the information he has."

"……it is good."

The Konoha ninjas exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

After they left,

Asuma and the others relaxed. Asuma took out some food and water to share with Yu Mikami's team, while Yu Mikami also took out "raw cola" that Mikami Tajima had helped prepare, which surprised Asuma and the others, who quickly raised their glasses and drank it.