Chakra stirred the water, lifting it into the air to form a thin layer of white mist that covered an area of a hundred meters. Ino's figure vanished from Sasuke's sight amidst the fog.
The observing high-level ninjas and the Third Hokage, who had just arrived, showed little reaction. They were well aware that the Yamanaka clan had amassed a vast collection of ninja techniques, many of which were from hostile villages like the Hidden Mist and Hidden Stone. The Mist Concealment Technique was merely a D-rank Water Release technique that even a Low Ninja could learn, so it was nothing particularly impressive.
However, the students of the Ninja Academy were thoroughly amazed. In this era, ninjas didn't have the habit of writing down their life's learnings on scrolls they carried around, only for enemies to loot and study after their deaths.
Most civilian ninjas could only learn the Transformation Technique, Substitution Technique, and Clone Technique—commonly known as the Three Body Techniques—at the Ninja Academy. Those with talent might be recruited into the Anbu by the Shadow of Fire, where they could learn the Body Freezing Technique, Body Flicker Technique, and Invisibility Technique, collectively referred to as the Advanced Three Body Techniques.
Beyond these, the best options for civilian ninjas were to join the medical team to learn medical ninjutsu, or enter the code, intelligence, or interrogation teams to learn corresponding professional techniques. Outside of these paths, it was difficult for civilian ninjas to access more advanced techniques. The Mist Village technique Ino was using now was something many civilian ninjas who hadn't participated in the Third Great Ninja War had never even heard of.
Sasuke had never seen the Mist Concealment Technique either. His Sharingan had awakened unconsciously on the night of his clan's massacre, but it wasn't until his battle with Haku that he truly activated it. At this moment, he didn't have his Sharingan.
He looked around, his brow furrowed. The thick fog made it impossible to tell where Ino was.
The observing students couldn't help but whisper among themselves. Naruto, who had his hands on his head, was confused and turned to Sakura beside him. "Uh, what are they—"
Sakura, her eyes wide as she tried to help Sasuke locate Ino, was annoyed by Naruto's interruption. She punched him. "Shut up! Be quiet!"
Sasuke had no shortage of admirers, and many girls shared Sakura's sentiment. A crowd of them racked their brains, all wanting to help Sasuke defeat the "demon" Ino.
The children from ninja clans were also deep in thought. Kiba Inuzuka quietly asked his Ninja Dog if it could locate Ino in the thick fog, while Shino Aburame conversed with the parasitic insects inside his body.
They all had ways to counter the Mist Concealment Technique.
Hinata Hyuga activated her Byakugan and quickly found Ino's location.
For a moment, Sasuke was at a loss against the dense fog. After a few seconds of initial discomfort, he calmed down. Since he hadn't been attacked immediately, he reasoned that the technique must affect both sides equally—if he couldn't see Ino, she likely couldn't see him either.
He moved lightly, inching toward the edge of the fog, hoping to escape its range. Even if he couldn't, he couldn't just stand still and become a target.
Inoichi, watching the battle, chuckled. "Heh, this Uchiha kid is actually quite good. He's calm and has a clear combat strategy. His approach is sound."
Shikaku understood his old friend's thoughts and quickly took over the role of the straight man: "Ino is also quite impressive. She knows how to make reasonable use of the terrain and ninja techniques. Although the thick fog obscured vision, combined with her sensory abilities and the Yamanaka clan's Secret Technique, victory was a foregone conclusion."
Inoichi waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, she's still far from it. This child lacks both talent and willpower. Ah, it worries me to death."
While the jonin were casually chatting and the students were utterly confused, Ino had already "seen" Sasuke, who was sneaking toward the edge of the thick fog like a thief, through her sensory abilities.
The Hidden Mist Technique had a significant flaw: both allies and enemies lost their vision, which was quite troublesome.
Sensory ninjas' offensive methods were generally weak. Even if they detected an enemy in the thick fog, it was difficult to deliver a fatal blow. Notifying teammates? That would definitely expose their own position, which was practically suicidal.
A month ago, Ino had discovered that the Hidden Mist Technique and the Yamanaka clan's sensory abilities, along with the Mind Body Switch Technique, were a perfect match. The Hidden Mist Technique obscured vision, sensory abilities located the enemy, and the Mind Body Switch Technique could inform teammates of the enemy's position. After that, it was time to act!
Now, she didn't have teammates, but she possessed the ability to deliver a fatal blow. Ino leaned against a tree, shifted her center of gravity backward, and then raised both arms, forming a "heart" seal, aiming at Sasuke.
"Ninja Art: Mind Body Switch Technique!" Her body leaned against the tree as if she had fallen asleep, while her chakra, carrying her will, shot toward Sasuke like an invisible arrow.
Just before the crisis hit, Sasuke had a brief moment of danger premonition. He slightly shifted his body, thinking it was something like a shuriken or kunai.
If it had been a basic Mind Body Switch Technique, it would have missed. Fortunately, Ino's Yin Release had been strengthened to the second level, making the technique more flexible. It curved slightly and hit Sasuke from the side.
"Bang!"
Sasuke felt his mind go blank, and then a powerful consciousness suddenly invaded his brain like a robber, pushing him aside and taking control of his body.
Was this the Yamanaka clan's Secret Technique?!
Encountering such a bizarre situation out of the blue, even though he prided himself on being calm-headed, he was still a bit panicked. After all, he was only twelve years old.
Without any mental preparation, he had lost control of his body.
He wanted to counterattack, to resist, but he had no means to do so.
Calm down, calm down, he kept encouraging himself, but there was simply no way.
"Get out!"
"Get out of here!"
"Ugly woman! Get out!"
He roared furiously in his mind, but Ino completely ignored him, instead focusing on studying the Uchiha clan's Kekkei Genkai.
Whether it was the Sharingan, the Mangekyō Sharingan, or the Rinnegan, they were all essentially an extreme form of spiritual energy represented by Yin Release.
Fundamentally, the Sharingan and the Yamanaka clan's Secret Technique were no different—both were creations born from nothing, with spiritual energy as the source of Yin Release.
The difference lies in the fact that the Uchiha clan has the bloodline of the Otsutsuki, an alien race, while the Yamanaka clan does not. Their ancestors were bandits, pure natives of the blue planet. Even if the Yamanaka clan were to develop Yin Release to its utmost limit and possess incredibly powerful spiritual energy, they still wouldn't be able to awaken the Sharingan. It simply isn't in their genes.
"What the hell are you doing?! Get out of here!" Sasuke was furious, though deep down, he was starting to feel a bit panicked.
"Don't rush, don't rush. I'm just curious, is your spiritual energy really that strong?" Ino didn't mention the Sharingan, worried that Sasuke might explode on the spot. She wanted to buy some time to observe the level of spiritual energy the Uchiha clan had inherited from Indra. This would be an important reference for her future "friendship" with the likes of the Shinigami, the Evil God, and the King of Hell.