The sudden flash of movement left Kusuo blinking.
"What...what was that, Shigure? How did you suddenly appear right beside us?"
"Yeah," Hyūga Akane added, her pale eyes widening. "It was like you teleported in an instant."
Uchiha Shigure smiled, catching his breath. "That's more or less what it is. The Second Hokage's Flying Thunder God technique—it lets me move instantly between marked places. I also managed to secure six Ninja Cards just now."
Kusuo whistled appreciatively, while Akane gave an approving nod.
"In that case," Shigure continued, "our odds of getting through this stage just went up. I'll hold onto them for now. Once we reach the Central Tower, I'll distribute them evenly among us."
No one objected. Trust had already been forged between the three of them through countless trials.
They pressed forward at a swift pace, Shigure navigating confidently. Before long, their team circled around the eastern flank of the Tower of Columns and angled toward the southern cliffs of the great Central Tower—the Tower of All.
It was the single most advantageous location in the entire map. Being central, it ensured that no matter how the barrier field shrank, they could always retreat to a safe zone. From the cliffs overlooking the southern approach, they could observe any enemy drawing near while remaining completely hidden.
There, on the jagged cliffs, Kusuo and Akane crouched beside Shigure. With his Sharingan attuned to movement and her Byakugan stretched across the terrain, reconnaissance came easily. They had already set countless traps along the precarious road—shuriken channels, spring-snapped kunai lines, hidden trigger wires, and of course more than a few explosive tags.
Now, all that remained was to wait.
And soon enough, prey appeared. A trio of figures sprinted toward the winding path that led to the Tower.
"They're close," Akane murmured, veins flaring around her eyes as her vision extended. "One Chūnin...and two Genin. Their movements look seasoned. Veterans."
"Not Uchiha," Shigure noted. "Good. We don't need to kill them, but we do need their cards. Get ready."
His voice dropped as he issued quick commands. "Kusuo—when I form the Rat sign, pull the chakra line in your left hand down. When I form the Boar sign, pull the one in your right. Akane, once both lines are activated, cut the hemp rope with your kunai. Our trap should fall into place."
"Understood," Kusuo said firmly.
"Got it," Akane added.
Shigure crouched lower, his eyes fixed on the incoming team. The three weren't just approaching blindly—they were conversing as they went.
"Hey, Nobunaga!" one of the Genin, a girl with sharp features, spoke breathlessly. "I have to admit, your plan is clever. Using the Tower itself as an ambush site...but aren't you worried? If other squads attack from both sides, we could be surrounded."
The tall man at their lead, Nobunaga, chuckled dismissively. "Foxfire, you think too small. The exam's only been underway half an hour. There's no way another team has already reached the Tower of All."
He smirked with a swagger that grated on Shigure's ears even from afar.
"Besides, this place is the heart of all nine towers. Most will avoid it, thinking it suicide to contest here. But that is exactly why this place is ours. By the time others recognize the advantage, we'll already have set our ambush."
"But..." the other Genin, a boy called Yukimura, frowned. "That Uchiha kid—the one who got full marks on the written exam. Didn't he enter the forest first? What if he's already here?"
"Bah!" Nobunaga barked a laugh. "You can't be serious. Full marks on paper mean nothing in real combat. That boy just graduated. Do you really expect him to have the courage or skill to pull an ambush here? I'm a Chūnin!" He puffed his chest out arrogantly.
Foxfire still looked uncertain. "What if he's laying low and waiting for the right moment?"
"That brat's probably eliminated already," Nobunaga spat. "Besides, didn't he shout at the start for everyone to come to the Tower to find him? Empty bravado. He's not here."
He gestured theatrically toward the narrow road carved along the cliffside. "Look at this! A defender's paradise. I'd stake my life that if I were the ambusher, I'd hide along both slopes here. Once someone walked halfway..." He mimed slashing through imaginary prey. "It would be child's play to wipe them out."
Shigure smirked faintly from the shadows. For once, the fool speaks truth. The timing of an ambush determines victory. Too early and the prey escapes. Too late, and the moment is lost.
He waited until Nobunaga's team stepped into the narrowest point of the mountain pass. Then his hands blurred.
"Now!"
The Rat sign formed. Kusuo yanked the chakra line on his left wrist. With a chorus of metallic clinks, dozens of shuriken slashed out from both slopes, raining toward the enemy.
"It's an ambush!" Foxfire shrieked.
Nobunaga merely grinned. "Ha! Finally! About time some idiot tried. But shuriken alone won't stop us!" His kunai flashed, deflecting the blades with practiced movements.
"You children think this is combat?" His laughter echoed off the cliffs. "Pathetic!"
Then Shigure's fingers shifted again, flashing into the Boar seal.
Kusuo snapped the line connected to his right wrist. This time, the barrage was deadlier—rows of kunai cascaded down like a steel storm, sharper and heavier than the earlier shuriken.
Yukimura yelped, barely fending some off, while Foxfire stumbled back from the torrent. Even Nobunaga was scratched along his arms despite blocking desperately.
Yet, unbelievably, he laughed again.
"Wahahahaha!" His voice boomed. "Fools! Kunai are stronger, yes, but useless without explosive tags! If you'd had the sense to tie even one tag to those barrages, we'd be finished! But no—you wasted your chance. Brats!"
From their vantage point, Kusuo groaned. "This guy's either fearless or just brain-dead."
Yukimura and Foxfire exchanged looks of utter disbelief. "Why...why did we even follow him?"
But Shigure was already moving on to the next phase.
Akane's white eyes followed Kusuo's completed movement. Without needing further orders, she flicked her kunai and sliced clean through the rope coiled behind them.
With a rolling thunder, a heavy oil barrel tumbled down the slope straight toward Nobunaga's position.
The barrel clattered, sputtering flames touched by the single explosive tag Shigure had carefully planted. The hiss of igniting paper filled the narrow gorge.
Below, Foxfire's eyes went wide in horror. Yukimura froze in disbelief. Both turned on their leader at once.
"Nobunaga—you're cursed!"
"It's over! What do we do now?!"
Shigure's Sharingan glinted in the shadow of the cliffs, his voice quiet, cold, and certain. Checkmate.
And then, with a roar, the barrel burst into flames.
--
Unlock 50 exclusive advanced chapters for just $10 – don't miss out! Check the synopsis/description for the link! 🚀
Loved this fic? 🔥 Then you'll absolutely binge my other hits — "Douluo Dalu: Ten Thousand Years Early System!" & "Douluo Dalu: The Godly Drunkard System" — don't miss out!