Naruto:The System's Shadow

"Quacking"

A flock of crows scattered in all directions, coalescing in the distance to form Kaito's figure, watching the Hyuga jonin with a serene gaze.

What kind of ninjutsu is this? Genjutsu? Clone technique?

Staring at the drifting crow feathers, the Hyuga jonin was taken aback. He had carried out numerous missions over the years, encountering shinobi from various clans, but this was the first time he had witnessed such a bizarre technique.

"Do we Uchiha have this kind of ninjutsu?" Uchiha Madara was also somewhat bewildered. He found himself increasingly unable to comprehend his cousin. He had thought he had concealed his strength, securing his position as the foremost prodigy of the new generation, but now it seemed that his cousin was unfathomable.

"Madara, stop dawdling! Let's take him down together!"

After manifesting his form, Kaito instantly formed hand seals, commencing with a B-rank ninjutsu: "Fire Style: Flame Severing!"

A massive sword of condensed chakra flames was unleashed, cleaving downward, creating a deafening roar that demolished a large section of the meeting hall's roof.

"When fighting the Hyuga clan, avoid engaging them in taijutsu! Use long-range Fire Style to kite him!" Kaito roared, his Sharingan fixed on the opponent as he leaped high into the air. He once again completed a series of hand seals, "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

"Avoid close combat? How naive..." The Hyuga jonin sneered. While airborne, he suddenly accelerated, transforming into several afterimages as he evaded the Great Fireball Technique. In an instant, he was upon Kaito, his narrow katana already nearing his neck. Before the blade even made contact, the wind it generated left a bloody gash on his neck.

Clang!

At the critical moment, a longsword materialized out of nowhere, parrying the lethal strike. It was Uchiha Madara, who had arrived just in time.

Although they had never coordinated before, the two now displayed remarkable teamwork. As Madara blocked the opponent's katana, Kaito ducked his head and lunged at the opponent, his left hand behind his back, his right hand wielding a kunai, aiming straight for his throat.

"Hmph!" The Hyuga jonin scoffed. He exerted force to push Uchiha Madara back, then instantly swung his katana to stab Kaito in the back. The blade pierced his body, but it did not feel like it had struck a solid object. With a puff of smoke, Kaito's body transformed into a log.

Substitution Jutsu? When did he form the hand seals?

The thought flashed through his mind, but there was no time to dwell on it. Kaito had already appeared behind him, gripping a kunai and thrusting it toward his spine with incredible speed. At the same time, Uchiha Madara completed his hand seals in the distance, "Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"

Beset from both sides, the Hyuga jonin suddenly spun around, activating "Rotation!" A massive chakra barrier manifested, and Kaito grunted as he was knocked backward. The Great Fire Annihilation collided with the Rotation but was equally nullified.

"He's quite strong, not even in the same league as the Elite Jonin," Kaito said with a touch of admiration as he glanced at Uchiha Madara, who had joined his side. Had he not realized the danger and swiftly withdrawn, he would have collided directly with the Rotation. In that case, even if he used the Crow Clone, he would have sustained at least minor injuries.

"Of course, or how could he have pushed me to this state? But that's what makes it a challenge," Madara grinned, his eyes burning with battle lust.

The chakra aura of the Rotation gradually faded, revealing the Hyuga jonin once more. However, this time his breathing was noticeably heavier than before. It was clear that the combined assault from Madara and Kaito had placed him under considerable pressure.

"Boy, I have a question for you. When did you form the hand seals for the Substitution Jutsu? With your strength, you shouldn't be able to perform it without hand seals," the Hyuga jonin asked.

Kaito snorted, prepared to mock him—no one in their right mind would reveal their trump card in the midst of battle. However, to his surprise, Uchiha Madara spoke first.

With a hint of ostentation, he said, "As expected of the Hyuga clan—such an inferior family. You haven't seen this before, but my cousin invented the one-handed hand seals. He's the only one in the entire Uchiha clan who can use it. You might as well kill yourself now while you still can."

Kaito stared blankly at Madara, inwardly screaming, "Are you doing this on purpose? You must be doing this on purpose! Are you getting revenge for me making you hold out for five more minutes and for those six explosive tags? That must be it! Otherwise, why would you sell out your teammate like that?"

"One-handed hand seals, you say? I didn't expect that!" The Hyuga jonin nodded, before transforming into a puff of white smoke and reappearing behind the two.

"Too naive, after all! You couldn't even see through such a simple clone! Gentle Fist: Double Lion Fists!" Two lion-shaped chakra blasts roared towards the two, leaving no room to evade at this close range.

"Tch! Who's too naive here?"

Kaito and Madara simultaneously wore sardonic grins. Their bodies transformed into wooden logs, each bearing an explosive tag, which detonated the moment they were struck by the lion fist.

That wasn't all. In the instant the explosive tags detonated, threads of chakra, as fine as silk, appeared. Kaito and Madara materialized on either side, simultaneously tightening their chakra threads, binding the opponent and preventing him from using Rotation.

"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Technique!"

Flames surged along the threads, consuming the restrained jonin and turning him to ash.

"These two kids...are they really children?" A metallic taste rose in his throat as blood trickled from his lips. Unable to use Rotation, he could not avoid the damage from the explosive tags. Coupled with the rapidly approaching heat, he finally felt a sense of crisis.

"Ha!" With a clear shout, the Hyuga jonin dared not underestimate his opponents any longer. He unleashed his chakra, severing the chakra threads before instantly using Body Flicker Technique to escape.

Kaito and Madara felt the resistance on their hands vanish, indicating that their opponent had broken free. They simultaneously focused their attention, their Sharingan scanning the surroundings.

"Madara, he's on your side!"

Kaito's Sharingan, having reached three-tomoe, possessed observational capabilities far surpassing Madara's. He swiftly warned him.

The instant Kaito spoke, Madara instinctively swung his sword to the left. A powerful impact reverberated through him, sending him flying backward. The tear in the web of his hand split open further, adding a new stroke of crimson.

"Taking down one! Eight Trigrams Lion Assault!" The Hyuga jonin delivered a punch, condensing his chakra to its peak, transforming it into a roaring lion that devoured Uchiha Madara. Being airborne, Madara had no means of dodging the attack.

"A-rank ninjutsu, damn it!" Kaito exclaimed furiously, but he was too far away to provide any assistance.

"A-rank ninjutsu, is it? I know those too!" In mid-air, Madara rapidly formed a series of complex hand seals, "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Release Song!"

With a draconic roar, three fire dragons appeared, meeting the lion head head-on. A violent blast erupted, and the fire dragons suppressed their opponent. One dragon collided with the lion head, while the other two roared towards the Hyuga jonin.

"Having someone like that as a teammate can be reassuring at times. A good opportunity!" Kaito thought, rapidly charging forward. The tomoe in his Sharingan spun wildly, sending waves of pain through his eyes. He had prepared a genjutsu and was determined to seize this chance to finish off his opponent for good.