Chapter 546: Combination Jutsu
In all her years with Team Three, aside from the thick skin she developed for dealing with awkward situations, the area where Tenten had grown the most was undoubtedly her taijutsu.
Team Three had already learned the enemy's identity from Aoba Yamashiro: Madara Uchiha!
The name was both strange and familiar. Strange because it belonged to a bygone era; a figure from sixty years ago suddenly appearing before them created a strong sense of unease. Familiar because Ino had fought Madara before. According to Ino's own account, various circumstances at the time had prevented a clear winner from emerging.
The person on Team Three most familiar with Ino was Tenten. Previously, with the mindset of broadening her horizons, she had asked Ino to go all out against her just once. Sage Mode, Flying Thunder God Technique—whatever Ino could use, she wanted to see the full extent of the gap between them.
The result was a crushing blow to Tenten's confidence. She couldn't even block a single move. Ino's fingers had stopped like a sharp sword just two centimeters from her throat, while she had barely managed to draw her weapon.
After a period of grueling, secret training, she now faced Madara Uchiha's fierce attack. Gripping a staff with both hands, she flicked it, and the weapon struck out like a venomous snake toward Madara's glaring Sharingan eyes.
Her opponent's speed suddenly increased. As he dodged her attack, he threw a palm strike at her face. Seeing her attack miss, Tenten gritted her teeth and, in a split second, performed an extreme rotation. Twisting her waist and legs, she spun to the side. With a sharp jolt, her staff separated into a three-section staff, the head of which whipped toward Madara's temple. At the same time, she divided her focus, her right fingers hooking two ninjutsu scrolls from her waist pouch.
She unsealed the scrolls with one hand. A chain of refined steel wrapped around Madara's waist while two massive iron balls, controlled by her chakra threads, smashed toward his head.
She caught him!
But before a triumphant smile could grace her lips, Tenten felt her chain wrap around empty air. The enemy's figure vanished in an instant. Was it a Body Flicker? Or a clone?
Madara's grim voice echoed, "Nothing but a child's toy."
In her peripheral vision, Tenten caught a flash of red behind her. A powerful gust of wind was aimed at the back of her neck, but she had no time to turn.
"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms." Neji took a diagonal step back with his left foot, positioning himself perfectly between Madara and Tenten. With his left hand forward and his right back, he lowered his center of gravity and unleashed a flurry of palm strikes, each aimed at Madara's vital points.
"This Gentle Fist has some skill." In Madara's view, Neji was slightly stronger than Tenten, but only marginally so.
Neji's Gentle Fist had no openings, but his lack of strength and speed was his greatest flaw.
Madara first retreated two steps, saw through his attack pattern, then dashed forward into the range of the Sixty-Four Palms. Before Neji could change his move, Madara used his height advantage to punch him in the face. Neji, with great difficulty, managed to block the blow with a Mountain-Shattering Strike.
Tenten, given a moment to breathe, leaped into the air and hurled a vast number of ninja tools at the red-armored Madara, including kunai, shuriken, senbon, sickles, and spiked iron balls.
Thanks to their long-term coordination, Neji instantly understood his partner's intent.
He shifted his feet, twisted his waist, and spun his body, changing from the Sixty-Four Palms to Rotation.
"Eight Trigrams Palms: Rotation!"
"Manipulated Tools: Hidden Weapon Strike!"
Tenten, airborne, unsealed all her scrolls, raining down a torrent of ninja tools. Madara was the primary target, but Neji was also within the attack range of her weapons.
The numerous tools struck the defensive iron wall of the Rotation. Neji's spinning speed increased, and relying on the perfect synergy honed through countless training sessions, his palms deflected, pushed, or struck, redirecting the weapons' flight paths.
These ninja tools, re-launched with a second acceleration, now attacked from even more unpredictable angles.
"Certain-Hit Hidden Weapons: Rotation!"
This was the combination jutsu that Neji and Tenten had painstakingly developed!
An even denser barrage of ninja tools flew toward Madara.
Unwilling to reveal that he had been revived, and with the Uchiha Gunbai still in Obito's possession, Madara could only defend against the onslaught with the skeletal arms of his Susano'o.
"Lee!" Tenten shouted from above.
Far below, Lee set down the ailing Might Guy.
Having been without his training weights recently, he was ready for battle at a moment's notice.
Just as Tenten was about to run out of ninja tools, he shot forward, opening the fifth of the Eight Gates in mid-air. Tenten gave him a powerful boost from his feet, launching him even higher.
Lee built up his power to the maximum, then dove headfirst, his wrist bandages tightly wrapped around Neji's waist, using his formidable taijutsu to accelerate the Rotation.
"Eight Trigrams Palms: Rotation" and "Front Lotus" merged into one.
This was Neji and Lee's combination jutsu: "Accelerated Rotation!"
The spinning speed of Neji's Rotation surpassed the limit he could achieve on his own. His Byakugan could no longer keep up with his speed. He felt his muscles tearing, and a series of cracks echoed from within his bones.
Neji gritted his teeth and pushed on. Dirt, rubble, and scattered ninja tools were all swept into the sky as he shot like a spinning top toward Madara.
The skeletal arms of the first-stage Susano'o were nearly shattered by the "Accelerated Rotation."
Madara, thinking they had an even stronger move in reserve, watched patiently for a moment before laughing arrogantly. "Such flowery moves. You're a far cry from that Yamanaka girl. Allow me to teach you how adults fight!"
Despite his scornful words, Neji and Lee's combined attack posed some threat to him. He had to activate his Mangekyo Sharingan to track the speed of the "Accelerated Rotation."
His crimson eyes locked onto Neji. In less than half a second, he dropped the Susano'o's defense and rushed into the inner circle of the Rotation. Facing Neji's horrified gaze, he delivered a powerful whip kick to his chest.
With a cry, Neji spat out a mouthful of blood.
His will was strong enough that he endured the immense pain in his chest. Disregarding his own safety, he straightened his palm and, with his five fingers held together, chopped at Madara's throat.
"You're courting death!" Madara disdained killing the weak, but that didn't mean he wouldn't kill.
Neji's determination to take him down with him had offended Madara's pride. Mutual destruction was one thing, but you? You think you're worthy?!
A vicious glint appeared in Madara's eyes. He had decided to kill this young Hyuga ninja.
He reached for Neji's wrist. Neji used a Gentle Fist technique to deflect his hand to the side, but he couldn't move it. Instead, Madara seized his wrist with ease.
He looked up and saw the savage smile on Madara's lips.
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