Chapter 48.4- One Thousand Hands

She actually allowed the genjutsu to ensnare her for a second and looked towards the left where an illusory version of the man was rushing at her with a blade raised. He came from the right instead. And he didn’t come alone. He had a clone by his side. A shifting of her eyes told her it was a lightning clone from the chakra nature she could see making it up as they stepped up to her as one. She feigned being caught in the illusion until the very last moment. She stepped backwards to dodge and illusory swipe of a blade and as her back foot touched the ground she formed half a seal.

Two spikes rose from the ground immediately. One popped the lightning clone, sending the electricity flowing into the ground harmlessly, while the second impaled the man on the foot. He had been too sure of having her trapped. He gasped in pain, avoiding a scream as she turned around to face him. Without struggle, his eyes met hers, and they were gone.

“Welcome to the world of torment” Her genjutsu self announced.

She watched dispassionately as the man began to scream in front of her, being slowly driven insane by the tortures she was putting him through. It was a slow victory, as time passed just the same in genjutsu as it did in the real world— messing with one’s perception of time in a genjutsu was nearly impossible and even if she was good enough to do it, it would have cost too much in concentration for her to focus on it while fighting as she was now.

The man’s failed attack had drawn more attention to her position and so she was left cutting down Kumo shinobi one after the other. When she finally used a genjutsu to distract one while stepping behind him and cleanly breaking his neck with one strike and ended the rushing tide, she returned her concentration to Uraume’s fight.

Shorirama’s cousin wasn’t losing anymore. She’d lost. Good, that meant Uzume could step in now. She body flickered between them and placed her gunbai in the path of the sword that had been about to decapitate a kneeling Uraume. The Hyuga had two cuts down her legs and one deeper gash along her fingers that bled worryingly. Missing those fingers would be death for a gentle fist user with little ninjutsu or genjutsu talent to speak of.

“I will be your opponent now” She said with a smirk on her face that must have been familiar for the twinge that appeared on the woman’s face.

“Then die” Was all she said in reply before moving at what must have been a blur to most others. Uzume simply stepped into her guard neatly with some deft footwork and tapped her once on the wrist with her chakra acting as a knife in an inelegant facsimile of the gentle fist. She dropped her sword, unable to keep a hold of it with a paralyzed hand and then Uzume tapped her on the chest next.

“I was just about to say the same” She said as the girl fell backwards, dead.

“Wh-what?” Uraume’s voice sounded out behind her.