Under Kakashi's deliberate verbal guidance, the atmosphere seed to point toward having Naruto and Satsuki abandon the firmly trapped Sakura and prioritize chasing those clones carrying the bells.
However, Naruto understood in his heart that this exercise wasn't a contest to snatch bells, but a test of teamwork and comradeship.
Naruto ford hand seals as well.
"Puff puff puff puff puff..."
The next instant, a series of identical white smoke explosions burst around Naruto. A full twenty shadow clones identical to Naruto's real body appeared, instantly filling the open space before them.
"So then, how about this, Kakashi-sensei?"
Twenty Uzumaki Narutos spoke in unison, their challenging gazes full of vigor all turning toward Kakashi who was guarding beside the earth pit.
This scene made Satsuki's breathing catch slightly in the back. Looking at so many Narutos before her—though she knew they were only clones—her heart still traitorously began racing.
She forcibly cald her sowhat flustered emotions, then did sothing completely unexpected—she swiftly and silently pulled out that small cara from a side pocket of her ninja tool pouch. While everyone's attention was on the standoff, she activated silent mode, aid the lens at those twenty spirited Naruto figures ahead, and continuously pressed the shutter with "click" and "click" sounds.
Her movents were astonishingly fast. With the hand speed and stability trained through seal formation, she captured dozens of photos from different angles in an extrely short ti, then quickly tucked the cara back like a magic trick. The entire process was smooth as flowing water without making any extra noise.
Just as she completed this series of small actions, Naruto's real body happened to turn and say to her:
"Satsuki, listen. I'll stay here and try to defeat this clone of Kakashi-sensei—or in case he was lying and this is actually the real body—anyway, I need to find a way to rescue Sakura first. You and all my clones, imdiately enter the forest and search for Kakashi-sensei's real body with full effort to snatch the bells!"
Satsuki imdiately nodded to show she understood. Though she couldn't be 100% certain whether the Kakashi guarding by the pit was the real body, combined with the previous behavior of clones scattering, the probability of the real body hiding among the large group in the forest was obviously higher.
Only by splitting up like this would she have a chance to personally win the bells for Naruto.
Without any hesitation, Satsuki moved and leaped into the nearby forest. Those twenty Naruto shadow clones imdiately followed closely, quickly and orderly dispersing into the dense woodland.
In the blink of an eye, only Naruto's real body remained in the central clearing of the training ground, confronting that Kakashi of unknown authenticity, along with Sakura who was buried in the earth with complicated feelings.
"For ninja who need to efficiently execute missions, Sakura who has lost mobility at this mont not only cannot provide any assistance, but would beco a burden, delaying or even sabotaging the important objective of snatching the bells."
Kakashi looked at Naruto who chose to stay, continuing his "misleading" guidance in a flat tone. "Naruto, are you certain you want to waste precious, remaining ti to save her?"
Sakura, who had originally felt moved and hopeful because Naruto hadn't abandoned her, heard this cold and realistic statent from Kakashi. Her eyes dimd again as she silently lowered her head.
"Kakashi-sensei, save the divisive nonsense!" Naruto loudly interrupted him. "Here I co!"
Before his words finished, he had already rushed forward, swinging his fist at Kakashi. Watching Naruto attack without hesitation, persistently refusing to abandon his weakest teammate, Kakashi's mouth curved into a barely perceptible smile beneath his mask, inwardly nodding in approval.
But on the surface he maintained an expressionless appearance, quickly raising his hands to block and engaging Naruto in taijutsu combat. However, his positioning cleverly kept the buried Sakura behind him well protected, obviously to prevent possible friendly fire if Naruto used wide-range jutsu.
---
In the forest at this mont, chaos had erupted. Large numbers of Naruto shadow clones were frantically combing through the area with extrely high efficiency.
They parted dense bushes, leaped onto thick branches, carefully checking every possible hiding spot, even unceremoniously using kunai to tap suspicious-looking rocks or tree trunks.
It seed those scattered Kakashi clones had perfectly blended into the environnt, using camouflage techniques to hide completely.
Naruto knew very well that Kakashi was currently testing the most basic tracking and reconnaissance skills... but unfortunately for the current Naruto, he had absolutely no need to practice such inefficient thods step by step.
"Found you! Kakashi-sensei!"
A Naruto shadow clone suddenly stopped, shouting at a nearby tree that looked perfectly ordinary and identical to all the others. Before his words finished, he rcilessly delivered a side kick, violently striking the trunk!
Just as his foot was about to touch the bark, that "tree" knew it had been discovered and instantly released its transformation technique.
Kakashi's figure appeared out of thin air, nimbly jumping back to avoid the kick.
However, before his form could stabilize, several shuriken cutting through the air had already precisely blocked his retreat route, striking directly at his back.
Kakashi imdiately twisted and dodged sideways. The shuriken grazed past his vest and embedded deeply in the tree behind him. But just as he avoided the shuriken and his gaze shifted, the corner of his eye seed to catch an extrely subtle, almost imperceptible transparent glint in the air.
The next mont, powerful binding force suddenly struck. Over ten nearly transparent tough threads ca alive, instantly wrapping around his limbs and torso, violently pulling him backward and binding him solidly to the thick tree behind him!
Kakashi followed the threads with his gaze to see Satsuki standing quietly in the tree shadows not far away. Her crimson Sharingan still emitted an eerie glow.
Her fingers moved nimbly, manipulating the threads, and she even held several additional lines in her mouth to enhance control over them.
"Manipulating Shuriken Technique... combined with the Sharingan's insight, the timing was quite good." Though bound, Kakashi's tone carried faint appreciation.
However, just as Naruto's clone was excitedly about to rush forward to snatch the bells, Kakashi revealed a slightly cunning smile.
"Too bad, you guessed wrong."
The next second, the Kakashi firmly tied to the tree disappeared in a "puff" of white smoke—sure enough, this was still just a clone.
Similar scenes played out continuously throughout the forest. Kakashi clones using transformation techniques to beco trees, rocks, or hiding underground, even lurking at lake bottoms, were found one by one by the Narutos.
Then the Narutos relied on absolute nurical advantage to surround them, while Satsuki used the Sharingan's precise prediction and manipulation techniques for key captures. Though every target they caught ultimately turned into dispersing white smoke, the process appeared efficient and oppressive.
Of course, Kakashi was undoubtedly holding back, controlling each of his clones' individual strength within a certain range.
Naturally, he also didn't know that the Naruto currently commanding this large-scale manhunt was similarly not using full power, carefully controlling the level of strength he displayed.
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