After Miwa Masayo eliminated the Sand jōnin, she froze for a full three seconds.
Her mind went completely blank.
The combat method she used had been designed by Yoru.
Its main reference was the "Yellow Flash," Minato Namikaze, with a secondary inspiration from Haku.
Flame Leap corresponded to Flying Thunder God.
Pure White Claws corresponded to Rasengan.
Her lightning-fast reflexes mirrored Minato's speed.
Yoru called it: Spatial Instant-Kill Tactics.
And today, in real combat, the combination of Flame Leap, Pure White Claws, and her extreme reaction speed proved its terrifying effectiveness.
A Sand jōnin—an experienced elite—had no time to react before being defeated.
In the current era, this tactic was almost like a "bug."
As long as there was fire behind the enemy, their life was essentially in Miwa Masayo's hands.
Even if the enemy tried to extinguish nearby flames, it didn't matter—
Because Yoru could turn the entire battlefield into a sea of fire.
And within that battlefield, she could move between flames like reflections in mirrors, striking or retreating instantly.
Her strength wasn't just powerful—it was systematic.
In some ways, nearly impossible to counter.
Perhaps only a future version of Minato Namikaze could match her in speed-based combat.
Even then, it would come down to reaction speed.
But right now—
Minato hadn't reached that level yet.
Which meant—
Miwa Masayo was unstoppable.
The ease of that kill stunned her for three seconds.
Then, just like Yoru—
Her confidence surged.
She immediately rushed toward the next target.
By the time the previous jōnin's body had even fallen, the surviving genin—who had barely escaped the flames—were already overwhelmed.
From the moment Yoru launched his combined wind-fire attack—
Only twenty seconds had passed.
Two full Sand squads were wiped out.
Only three remained.
One fire-style jōnin.
The veteran jōnin Fusha.
And the puppet master, Hayano Keisuke.
The speed of the battle left all three shaken.
This wasn't a fight they could win.
Their opponent wasn't someone they should even be facing.
Faced with overwhelming strength—
They lost all will to fight.
Only one thought remained:
Escape.
The fire-style jōnin was the first to run.
He knew he couldn't match the enemy.
Even if returning to the village meant punishment—
At least there was a chance to survive.
So he turned and fled without hesitation.
But under Yoru's subtle genjutsu influence, his sense of direction was distorted.
Instead of escaping—
He ran straight toward Yoru.
If not for Fusha reacting in time and launching a wind technique to interfere—
Yoru's blade would have ended the fight instantly.
Instead, the attack only wounded him.
The pain briefly snapped the jōnin out of the illusion, and he turned to flee again—
Only to be intercepted by Miwa Masayo.
This time—
He never even saw her.
The result was decided instantly.
The second jōnin's fall ended any hope of escape.
Fusha and Hayano Keisuke immediately understood—
Running was pointless.
Their opponent's speed was too fast.
And his companion could move through space itself.
There was no escape.
Then there was only one option left—
Fight with everything.
Hayano Keisuke unrolled a scroll behind him.
Three puppets appeared, forming a defensive formation around him.
Fusha's eyes lit up.
"You can already control six puppets?"
Hayano smiled faintly.
"Not six. Eight."
Two more scrolls opened—
Revealing two additional puppets.
One was bulky, its armor unfolding layer by layer as Hayano stepped inside, fully protected.
The other was slender, unfolding a pair of translucent wings before taking flight above the battlefield.
A flying puppet.
Fusha nodded in approval.
"Impressive. Worthy of being his son."
"Looks like I can't hold back either."
He removed his outer robe, revealing a muscular body.
Then he took off his head covering—
Exposing intricate tattoos spreading from his head down across his torso and arms.
Dark scorpions.
Gray weasel-like patterns.
Clearly not decoration.
These markings were part of his hidden techniques.
Without forming hand seals—
Wind began to gather around him.
It carried faint traces of unusual energy.
Hayano immediately noticed something off.
But he quickly injected an antidote and steadied himself.
The battlefield had shifted again.
Now—
It was a true all-out fight.
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