Wok Shadow Ninja

Chapter 88: The Illusion Maze

Ino felt confident in her advantage, quietly pondering her strategy. Shikamaru, being the clever type, was also deep in thought.

Shikamaru didn't know much about the Second Mizukage. In fact, not only him, but many ordinary ninjas from Kirigakure were also unaware of the Second Mizukage's abilities. They only knew the title First, Second, Third, Fourth, and now the Fifth Mizukage. That was it! As for what specific abilities the Second Mizukage possessed, no one really knew.

With so little information, Shikamaru could only let his imagination run wild. The Second Hokage of Konoha was skilled in Water Release, so surely the Second Mizukage of Kirigakure wouldn't specialize in Fire Release, right?

Sasuke sneered. He wasn't afraid of any challenge. Hearing that his opponent this time was Haku, he was even more eager to face him again and settle their unfinished business.

The three of them were all calculating their opponents, thinking about the enemies they might encounter in the maze. The other three, however, didn't seem as confident.

To be fair, no one could deny that Naruto would become incredibly powerful in the future.

But in his early days, before learning the Rasengan, Naruto's combat abilities were often negligible.

Before learning the Rasengan, he was just Naruto. After learning it, he became a completely different beast.

The Rasengan, in Minato Namikaze's hands, had only one form. In Jiraiya's hands, it had three forms: normal, Great, and Super Great. But in Naruto's hands?

Normal, Great, Super Great, and then all sorts of variations like Chaos Rasengan, Multiple Rasengan, and even elemental versions like Wind, Lightning, Earth, Water, Fire, Magnet Release, and Scorch Release. Add prefixes like Nine-Tails Mode, Sage Mode, Kurama Mode, and Six Paths Mode, and you get techniques like "Sage Art: Super Great Rasengan Barrage." The combinations were endless, easily numbering in the hundreds!

And if you include the Rasenshuriken, the number skyrocketed even further.

Naruto's development of the Rasengan was unparalleled, surpassing even the so-called "Professor of Ninjutsu" with ease.

At this stage, however, Naruto only knew the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique and, at best, the Harem Technique that left Kaguya speechless and Sasuke in tears. Beyond that, he was pretty much useless.

Naruto looked confused. He wanted to ask Kakashi for advice, but as someone who barely knew about his own village's Second Hokage, let alone Kirigakure's Second Mizukage, he didn't even know where to start.

Sakura wasn't feeling too confident either, while Choji was busy stuffing his face with whatever food he had left.

After some preparation, the Konoha team followed Ao to a valley southwest of Kirigakure.

Entering a passageway, they descended deeper, the mist growing thicker as they went.

They arrived at a relatively spacious cavern. The Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumī, still hadn't shown herself. Instead, the elders of Kirigakure elder, Homura, and Ao were quietly waiting for the Konoha team. Behind them stood a somewhat shy young ninja carrying the twin swords "Hiramekarei," Chōjūrō.

Chōjūrō, wearing glasses, quickly lowered his head when the group's gazes fell on him.

Beside him were their old acquaintances: the beautiful boy Haku and Ranmaru.

Ino was surprised. She took a closer look at Haku, who was now dressed in samurai attire, his face carrying a hint of newfound vigor. Wow, had this guy changed his entire look after surviving death?

Noticing her gaze, Haku gave a slight nod. Ino raised her right hand in a casual greeting.

On the other side, Ranmaru completely ignored Team 10. After all, it was they who had severed Raiga is arm, effectively ending his ninja career from the day they first crossed paths.

Ao glanced at the enthusiastic Konoha genin Ino, Sasuke, and Shikamaru each with their own unique traits. Then he looked at his own genin: Chōjūrō, Haku, and Ranmaru. To be fair, the latter three were, well, a bit too delicate.

This wasn't a sports event. There was no "friendship first, competition second" mentality here.

The Kirigakure trio was well-prepared, while Konoha was at a significant disadvantage due to their lack of intel.

Homura, standing beside elder, stepped forward to play the good cop: "You all can rest for another half hour. The maze is long, and you'll need plenty of stamina."

Naruto raised his arm confidently. "We don't need to rest mmph?!"

Sakura quickly covered his mouth, forcing an awkward smile at the group before dragging him to a corner and giving him a good beating.

Shikamaru pulled his two teammates closer and whispered, "Our opponents are those three. Ino, do you have a way to counter Ranmaru's sensory-blocking ability?"

Ino shook her head. "Nope."

Ranmaru's ability was a Kekkei Genkai. At best, she had some sensory skills. How could she compare? Even the Byakugan of the Hyūga clan would be hard-pressed to counter it. How was she supposed to come up with a solution on such short notice?

"Alright then," Shikamaru said. "His blocking range can't be too large. Once we enter the maze, we'll use our sensory abilities to regroup. In battle, Choji will hold off the glasses-wearing kid with the swords. Ino and I will take down Haku and Ranmaru first, then we'll all gang up on the glasses kid."

Choji blinked. "What if we get separated?"

Shikamaru shrugged casually. "I'll find a spot to take a nap and cheer you on from there."

Asuma quietly reminded them, "Remember, you're Konoha ninjas. You're competing with Team 7, but you're not enemies."

He then gestured toward Haku. "That boy isn't just an Ice Release user. He seems to be skilled with a blade too. Be careful, especially you, Ino. He's already seen your techniques, so he'll definitely have countermeasures prepared."

"Got it, Asuma-sensei," the three replied in unison.

On the other side, Kakashi was giving Team 7 their final instructions. Naruto and the others listened intently.

Half an hour later.

The elderly elder, looking as though he might keel over at any moment, gave a slight nod.

Homura, as elder is trusted aide, took out a dazzling gemstone. After performing several hand seals and channeling his chakra into it, the entrance ahead was soon enveloped in thick mist. The already blurry entrance vanished completely, leaving only a vast, white, unknown space.

The group strained their ears. Despite being in an underground cavern, faint sounds seemed to echo from beyond the mist.

Naruto squinted, trying to peer inside. "Is someone in there? I think I hear voices."

Sasuke scoffed. "Idiot, that's genjutsu."

Seeing that this place was filled with illusions, he felt even more confident about his chances of winning.

Ino also examined the mist. Was this the work of the Second Mizukage's summon, the "Mirage"? Or perhaps a clone of the summon? Or maybe the real thing was lurking at the bottom of the cave?

If she could bring the Second Mizukage's summon back to Konoha, would the Third Hokage be able to handle the pressure?

While Ino was lost in thought, the ever-reckless Naruto strode straight into the mist, followed by Sasuke and then a very nervous Sakura.

Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji exchanged glances before stepping into the mist as well. Finally, the Kirigakure trio followed as the hosts.

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