"…" Shino's gaze remained hidden behind his dark shades, but the stillness of his body was answer enough. He stood like a shadow unmoved.
Kankurō clicked his tongue. "If you don't attack…THEN I WILL!!"
With a violent tug of his fingers, chakra strings snapped taut, and Crow shot forward with a burst of speed, its limbs rattling like steel joints grinding against bone.
"Hah!" Kankurō barked as his palms twisted. The puppet's arm whirred, a hidden compartment snapping open with a metallic clank! A needle as long as a kunai blade slid out, gleaming under the arena's light.
Whoosh!
The weapon shot straight at Shino, a blur of steel cutting the air.
"Hn." Shino's head tilted. His body shifted in a smooth sidestep, and the weapon hissed past him.
Boom!
The ground behind him cracked as Crow's poisoned needle drove itself deep into the earth, leaving the stone smoking faintly where it had struck.
Shino's shaded eyes narrowed slightly. 'Looks like… it's coated with poison.'
"Hmph!" Kankurō yanked his fingers again, and Crow's arm snapped back with the needle retracting.
The puppet lunged forward once more, joints clattering like snapping bones.
"Shit!"
For the first time, a bead of sweat traced down Shino's temple. His expression didn't change, but his thoughts sharpened.
"Hah!" Kankurō's chakra threads glowed faintly as his fingers danced. Crow's mouth split open with a jagged creak.
Whoosh!
Two gleaming needles spat out of its maw, cutting a deadly arc straight for Shino's chest.
'Got him!' Kankurō smirked, eyes narrowing in triumph. His fingers twitched, sending two more chakra threads lashing after the needles. The wires attached mid-flight, halting the projectiles in midair with surgical precision.
The sharp tips hovered just an inch away from Shino's jacket.
"Give up right now!" Kankurō declared, his voice filled with confidence.
"Hmph…" For the first time, Shino's lips curved faintly upward. His voice was calm, almost amused and then his entire body unraveled.
Chhhrrrk!
Thousands of kikaichū insects burst apart where Shino had stood, scattering in a living swarm that dissolved into the air like black smoke.
"Insects?!" Kankurō's smug expression faltered as his eyes widened.
Whoosh!
A shadow moved behind him.
Shino's voice, low and unhurried, came from just behind Kankurō's ear. "You underestimated me."
"Shit!" Kankurō cursed inwardly, reacting on instinct. With a sharp pull of his chakra threads, he made Crow whirl around, its arms flaring wide as he leapt back several meters, putting distance between himself and the Aburame.
His breath came sharper now as he glared. "To think you'd make a clone out of insects… and use them as a distraction while you sneak up on me…"
His tone was frustrated, but beneath it there was a note of respect.
Shino adjusted his glasses with a single finger. His calm voice cut through the arena like a blade of logic. "Your reach encompasses medium to long distance. You rely on your puppet. I didn't expect you to fare well in close combat. Puppet masters focus on their chakra control… leaving the caster exposed."
The words were not mocking but sharp diagnosis.
Kankurō clenched his teeth, then smirked. "You're very aware of the weakness of a puppet master… but you're still underestimating me."
His grin widened, sharp as the blade of his puppet. "From here on out… I'll show you the essence of this fighting style!"
He tugged violently on the chakra strings.
Crow's arm snapped wide open, its mechanisms clicking into place with a metallic scream. Panels shifted, compartments spread, and hidden weapons began to bristle along its frame.
"The real terror of Crow…" Kankurō's eyes gleamed as the puppet's monstrous silhouette expanded before him. "…my puppet of warfare!!"
With another vicious pull, the compartments launched open, the whir of gears filling the arena.
Shino's swarm tightened around him in anticipation, the buzzing growing so loud it sounded like a storm about to break.
"The battle…" Shino muttered beneath his breath, his calm voice unwavering. "…is only beginning."
Bang!
The mechanism in Crow's arm snapped open with a metallic scream, launching a ball-shaped object that spun through the air with vicious speed.
Whoosh!
Shino didn't flinch. His sleeves rippled as a surge of kikaichū burst outward, forming a black, writhing shield in front of him.
Poof!
The ball detonated midair. A thick cloud of dark smoke erupted, spreading in a suffocating wave across the battlefield.
'This scent… Poison?' Shino's shaded eyes narrowed. He jumped back immediately, cloak fluttering, his insects following like a storm cloud. But a faint burning clawed at his throat.
Cough! Cough!
"Did I… inhale a little bit?" His usually steady voice carried the faintest rasp.
From across the field, Kankurō laughed sharply, tugging Crow's strings so it rose like a sinister shadow behind him. "Haha! You're correct! This is a poison smoke bomb!"
His voice carried through the haze.
Shino's jaw tightened. "Damn it…"
Kankurō twirled his fingers, chakra threads flashing. With his free hand, he raised a small vial high into the air, its liquid glinting in the light. "Give up now… and I'll give you the antidote!"
But instead of fear or panic, Shino's lips curved ever so slightly. A low, muffled chuckle escaped him.
"Hehe…"
In the stands, Kiba and Hinata shot to their feet in shock.
"THAT'S… IMPOSSIBLE!" Kiba's voice cracked through the noise.
Lee, Ino, and Chōji looked at him, startled. "What happened?"
"Shino…" Kiba's voice dropped into an eerie whisper, each word carved out slowly. "…never laughs."
Back on the field, Kankurō's brow furrowed. "Why are you laughing?"
Shino tilted his head ever so slightly. His voice was calm, even playful. "Look at your hands."
"Huh?"
Kankurō instinctively glanced down. His pupils shrank.
Bugs!
Dozens of them were crawling across his fingers, skittering up the chakra threads, already invading his body.
His gaze snapped upward and he saw Crow stood stiff, its joints stuffed, its mechanisms clogged, kikaichū squirming within every seam and gear. The puppet twitched uselessly, no longer obeying his strings.
"B-Bugs?!" Kankurō's face twisted in horror. "Crow!!"
Shino adjusted his sunglasses with one finger, his voice cool as ever. "I remove my bugs… for the antidote. What say you?"
Kankurō's teeth ground together. 'Damn it!'
Both shinobi raised their hands at the exact same moment, their standoff undeniable.
Up in the arena's shadowed balcony, Genma's senbon shifted slightly between his teeth as he smirked. His voice rang out, clear and final:
"THE FIRST BATTLE BETWEEN KANKURŌ AND ABURAME SHINO… ENDS IN A DRAW!!"
WWHHOOOOAAHHHHH!!!!!!!
The crowd erupted, the stands shaking with the roar of voices.
The very air buzzed with the thrill of the first clash and amidst the cheers, two shinobi lowered their arms, both knowing this fight was far from meaningless.
---- ✦ ✦ ✦ ----
Spoilers for the next five chapters!
Chapter 261: Wind Vs Sound
Chapter 262: The Second Battle
Chapter 263: The Next Match
Chapter 264: The Lazy Genius
Chapter 265: The Lazy Genius (2)
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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