Most of the Bone Hell had already been swallowed by miasma. The Swamp Hell on the other side was not much better.
Thick purple fog spread from the edge of the swamp, already closing in on the central region.
Clang, clang, clang!
The foul-smelling swamp sounded like a blacksmith's forge. A chain of metallic clashes echoed above the marsh.
Between the shackle-like reddish-brown stone pillars, atop massive vines as thick as bridges, two slender figures wrapped in lightning were weaving and colliding wildly.
Hiss!
Two sharp currents of electricity clashed like needles meeting blades. Ninja tools struck each other, bursting into brilliant sparks that looked especially vivid in the dim swamp.
Bang!
After another collision, Karui leapt into the air, stepping on the back of the blade Ringo Ameyuri swung toward her, then flipped backward to avoid the vicious upward slash.
She landed sideways on a thin stone pillar, her body horizontal like a nimble swallow.
Her pretty face and body were covered in blackened scars. Those were wounds left by the enemy's blades, then burned shut by Lightning Release attached to the edges.
The scorched flesh saved her from losing too much blood, but it also meant the wounds would be extremely hard to heal after the battle. Especially in the Death Paradise, where there were no medical supplies. If she could not find medicine within two days, she would have to say goodbye to this absurd Chunin Exam.
So she had to kill them.
Karui glanced at the giant supply container in the distance, packed with medicine and food. Killing intent surged in her eyes, and the lightning around her body grew brighter and brighter.
Crackling arcs of electricity coiled madly around her blade, wrapping around her body as well. Lightning flickered across her dark skin, making it seem as if she were wearing armor of thunder.
Lightning Release: Lightning-Cutting Flash!
By converting a long-lasting Lightning Release armor into an explosive technique, she gained a slash of impossible speed. It was a secret nin-taijutsu said to be capable of cutting lightning from the heavens.
And she was not the only one preparing a killing move.
Seeing her opponent suddenly open the distance, Ringo Ameyuri, whose injuries were much lighter than Karui's, bared her sharp teeth in a grin. She held both blades in a reverse grip, their tips pointing downward.
Lightning gathered at the sharp tips, making them look like the venomous fangs of a snake. The electricity dripping from the blades resembled venom sliding down those fangs.
Lightning Blade Art: Explosive Thunder Fang!
Whoosh!
Both figures turned into afterimages and slammed into each other. In an instant, the flash of lightning illuminated everything around them.
Omoi observed from the corner of his eye.
The condensed twin fangs bit and tore wildly like maddened beasts, while the high-speed slashes, almost impossible to see with the naked eye, flashed like streams of light, carrying an extreme sharpness.
The battle between the two women was gorgeous and deadly. Just watching it made one's heart pound and hair stand on end.
"Hey, hey, don't get distracted!"
Suigetsu Hozuki, who was enjoying the fight, saw Omoi turn his head and immediately looked annoyed.
The muscles of his right arm swelled in a grotesquely unbalanced way. He gripped the huge cleaver-like blade and brought it down hard. His technique did not look like swordsmanship. It looked more like someone swinging a giant axe.
Water Release: Great Water Arm Technique.
By concentrating the water in his body into his right arm, then bringing down his blade with a heavy strike, he could generate enough monstrous strength to cut through iron gates and stone walls.
Omoi was distracted by Karui's condition and had no time to dodge. Suigetsu cleaved him in half with one blow.
Crack!
The heavy blade bit into the stone pillar beneath them, lodging itself so deeply that it could not be pulled free immediately.
Crackle.
At that moment, the Omoi that had been cut apart on the ground dissolved into electricity and vanished into the air. His real body appeared strangely behind Suigetsu.
With his single blade in the air, Omoi launched a horizontal slash at Suigetsu's waist. Electricity mixed with blade light, curving like a crescent moon.
My Style: Crescent Moon Slash!
Clang!
The moonlike slash was extremely fast. Suigetsu's great blade was still stuck in the stone pillar. Either he had to abandon his weapon and retreat, or he would be cut in half.
This was Omoi's fighting style. He did not seek one-hit kills. Instead, he gradually ate away at the enemy's combat power, steadily pushing them toward death.
As a taijutsu-type ninja skilled in swordsmanship, once the enemy lost his weapon, his combat strength would fall by at least half. After that, Omoi only needed to press the advantage and kill him in one stroke.
Whether the enemy dodged or not, he had already fallen into a dead end.
"Your fighting style is disgusting."
Facing that difficult choice, the muscle lines in Suigetsu's right arm swelled even more. He gripped the hilt with one hand for support, then suddenly flipped upside down in midair, successfully avoiding the incoming blade light.
Omoi's expression did not change. His blade followed through and slashed toward the arm Suigetsu was using to support himself. He was determined to take away the enemy's weapon.
"Heh. Bye-bye!"
Suigetsu, upside down with one hand gripping the hilt, made a mocking face. His left hand, hidden inside his sleeve, suddenly stretched out in the shape of a gun. His finger was already aimed at Omoi's abruptly changing expression.
Water Release: Water Gun Technique!
Shoo!
A spinning droplet bullet shot from his fingertip, speeding toward Omoi's head like a sniper round.
Omoi had just changed moves. His old strength was spent, and his new strength had not yet formed. The Water Gun was also unbelievably fast, leaving him no time to dodge. He could only watch the bullet fly toward his skull.
Am I really going to die here?
Facing this sudden, shameless Water Release technique, Omoi's life began flashing before his eyes.
He had been guarding against that illusion technique that made allies kill each other, but he never expected the opponent to use an extremely sinister no-hand-seal Water Release instead.
What an impure swordsman.
Just like me.
Shoo!
The speeding water bullet scraped past Omoi's cheek. He only felt a chill across his face.
Drip.
Drip.
The tender flesh of his cheek was torn open by the high-speed bullet. Blood covered his face and flowed down his chin without stopping.
But Suigetsu, upside down on his blade, had gone stiff. His left hand, still shaped like a gun, trembled as it was forced outward.
Behind him, Shikamaru carried the unconscious Ino on his back, his gaze icy. He knelt on one knee, and the shadow beneath his feet had merged with Suigetsu's inverted shadow. His left hand was also shaped like a gun, adjusting the angle of Suigetsu's shot.
Shoo, shoo, shoo.
The spinning bullet shot through the air, passed through the dense vines, and finally aimed precisely for Chojuro's temple.
"Grab him!"
Ino's voice rang inside Choji's mind. Covered in blood, Choji enlarged both hands until they were like door panels. His fingers clamped down tightly on the edges of the twin blades, Hiramekarei, pinning Chojuro in place.
Hearing the sound of rushing air near his ear, Chojuro felt the hair on his back stand up. He no longer cared about continuing his contest of strength with the fat ninja who could expand and shrink his size at will. The chakra stored inside his ninja sword erupted at once.
"Hiramekarei, Release!"
Boom!
Blinding blue light burst forth.
Along with Choji's scream, his enormous hands returned to normal. His body was blasted backward by the giant chakra sphere.
"Human Boulder!"
Choji's durability was extremely high. Even taking Hiramekarei's release at point-blank range only added several frightening-looking flesh wounds to his body.
As he flew through the air, he quickly curled into a ball, bouncing between the thick vines like a rubber ball to disperse the force, before finally landing in the rolling swamp.
Using Hiramekarei's release to break free, Chojuro had no time to turn around. He forcefully twisted his wrist at a bizarre angle, placing Hiramekarei horizontally in front of his face.
Clang!
The Water Gun bullet struck Hiramekarei and knocked it aside, smashing the blade into Chojuro's head. His forehead split open, and blood immediately flowed.
Sticky crimson soaked his hair. Even his square glasses became smeared and blurred. The shy, scholarly Chojuro shook his head. When he raised his eyes toward the battlefield again, his gaze carried a trace of iron-blooded ferocity.
A warrior who had come out of the Bloody Mist would never fear slaughter or death.
Clang, clang!
At that moment, Karui and Ringo Ameyuri, who had been colliding with lightning wrapped around them, finally decided the winner.
The venomous thunder blades curved and bit down like two huge iron hooks.
Karui failed to dodge in time and was caught by the shoulder. Crimson blood splashed, and the muscles around her scapula were torn open.
Her black bodysuit turned even darker. If not for the protection of her Lightning Release armor, her entire body would already have been split in two.
"Ahhh! My arm! You bastard! Ameyuri, watch out!"
Just as Ringo Ameyuri was about to swing her blade and seize victory, she heard the sound of wind behind her head. She dropped backward at once, performing a dangerous bridge.
Whoosh!
A moonlike blade passed right against her cheek. Following it was Omoi, wrapped in lightning, his eyes cold.
In that moment, the scene seemed to freeze.
One above, one below. Their eyes met. The killing intent in their gazes burned like oil poured onto fire.
Clang!
Venomous fangs and moonlight collided viciously, then separated almost instantly.
Omoi flew past, caught the badly wounded Karui around the waist with one arm, and retreated madly. Ringo Ameyuri suddenly straightened and turned to attack Shikamaru, who had used the Shadow Imitation Technique.
"Damn it!"
Shikamaru, who had originally restrained Suigetsu, widened his eyes. He had not expected the situation to reverse so abruptly, throwing him straight into danger.
He immediately released the Shadow Imitation Technique and drew a kunai in front of himself, but Ringo Ameyuri, carrying thunder, crashed into him directly. The instant his body was launched into the air, she kicked him hard in the chest.
"Ugh!"
Taijutsu had never been Shikamaru's strength. After taking such a heavy blow, he felt a dull pain in his chest. Seeing that terrifying woman, wrapped in lightning and holding both blades downward with thunder flowing like venom, his expression changed drastically.
"Ino!"
"Here!"
Hearing Shikamaru's tense shout, Ino, who had been lying on his back and conserving her strength, suddenly opened her eyes. Her hands formed a special heart-shaped seal aimed at Ringo Ameyuri.
"Mind Body Switch..."
Crackle!
A sharp Lightning Release screech like birdsong flashed past.
With Lightning Release accelerating her reflexes, Ringo Ameyuri flickered aside, easily avoiding Ino's lock-on. Only an illusion-like afterimage remained in place.
Her real body had already regrouped with Suigetsu and Chojuro.
"Bastard."
Suigetsu, sweating coldly, broke free from the shadow binding. He gripped his remaining stump of a left arm tightly with his right hand. The severed wound was not a glaring red, but a pale pink spring.
That was the color of blood mixing with the clear water from his Hydrification Technique.
Because Omoi's Lightning Release carried paralysis, he could not fully liquefy. After being controlled by Shikamaru, he had also lost an arm to Omoi, who was desperate to save Karui. He had become disabled.
However, for the Hozuki clan, with their Hydrification Kekkei Genkai, this was not an especially terrible wound.
He picked up the severed limb Omoi had cut off and pressed it against the wound. The broken area of his arm instantly liquefied, slowly reconnecting.
Hydrification Healing Technique.
A secret technique of the Hozuki clan. By discarding the destroyed solid parts of a severed limb and turning the remaining intact flesh into clear water to connect with the wound, then healing it with this technique, a miraculous reconnection could be achieved.
Of course, the reattached arm could not be used in battle. It needed time to recover, so it was basically no different from being crippled for now.
On the Konoha side.
Ino, who had wanted to launch a sneak attack, aimed for a long time but never found a suitable chance. She had no choice but to withdraw the Mind Body Switch Technique, into which she had gathered all her mental energy.
Shikamaru, who had been kicked away by Ringo Ameyuri, grabbed a vine and swung himself onto it, landing on one knee. His left hand clutched his chest, his face drenched in sweat from the pain.
Choji crawled out of the swamp with difficulty, shaking off the yellow-green sludge on his head. He climbed onto a stone pillar on all fours like a huge bear.
Crackle.
The lightning gradually faded. Omoi held his blade in his left hand while carrying the heavily wounded Karui with one arm, retreating to a stone pillar.
Atsui, covered in blood, clutched his chest and lay nearby. The three of them panted heavily, watching the regrouped Mist and Konoha teams warily.
The paralysis effect of Lightning Release did not last that long. Atsui had already awakened.
He and Choji had fought Chojuro together, only to take a direct hit from Hiramekarei's release and lose combat ability on the spot.
At this point, among the Cloud team, Karui and Atsui were severely wounded and had basically lost their ability to fight. Omoi alone still had combat power. Their team had become the weakest on the field.
On the Mist side, Suigetsu had lost the use of one arm. Ringo Ameyuri had been cut all over by Karui. Chojuro, the strongest of them, had depleted the stored chakra in his ninja sword and had also suffered a heavy blow to the head. His condition was not especially good either.
As for Konoha, which had seemed the weakest, Choji had already been badly injured, then had gone on to face Chojuro, the strongest enemy with Hiramekarei. Although he endured it with the Akimichi secret techniques, he was also seriously hurt.
Shikamaru had been caught off guard by Ringo Ameyuri's ambush and kicked hard from a distance. His sternum was likely cracked. Only Ino's condition could still be considered decent.
In this three-way melee, no one had gained any advantage.
"Cough, cough. Damn it, I told you Konoha was behind it, but none of you believed me!"
Seeing Ino, who had been unconscious, suddenly awaken and form a very special secret technique hand seal, Suigetsu cursed. His newly reattached right arm hung limply. With his left hand, he pulled the great blade stuck in the ground free.
Ringo Ameyuri, who only looked somewhat disheveled on the surface, panted heavily. Her chest had already been soaked with blood. Karui's blade speed was incredibly fast. Even she could not block every strike.
If she had dodged even a little slower, that slash would have opened her chest.
"Konoha... bastards!"
Karui forced herself to stand, looking at Shikamaru and the others with anger in her sharp brows.
They had been tricked by Konoha.
The tragic scene of allies killing each other had all been part of the enemy's carefully designed act. That blonde woman was the true culprit who had controlled Atsui.
"All is fair in war."
Shikamaru, supported by Ino, said in a low voice. He did not deny what he had done.
Beside him, Choji took out a small square box. Inside were three pills of different colors: the green Spinach Pill, the yellow Curry Pill, and the red Chili Pill.
The Spinach Pill could increase his physical potential by thirty percent. The yellow Curry Pill greatly amplified his chakra. As for the red Chili Pill, it could increase his strength one hundredfold.
Shikamaru had long expected that their deception would not last very long.
And this was their final trump card to bury both the Mist and Cloud teams in this swamp.
They had to risk their lives now.