A Hidden Leaf four-man squad was patrolling along the coast.
With the approaching great battle with the Akatsuki organization, the Five Great Ninja Villages had successively begun full mobilization. The mobilized ninjas couldn't all be idle, so currently, every village had increased the number of patrol teams, and the tentacles of the Ninja Village Alliance almost reached every corner of the Ninja World.
A Hidden Leaf Genin in the patrol team suggested: "Captain, how about we take a break!"
Another Genin immediately echoed: "Yeah, now in our Land of Fire, we can't even see a rogue ninja, let alone anyone from the Akatsuki organization."
The Chunin captain nodded: "Then let's rest here!"
"Long live the Captain!"
Everyone in the squad cheered in unison.
Their daily patrol missions were very boring and tedious. Plus, on this coastline south of the Land of Fire, the adjacent countries were only the Land of Wind, the Land of Rivers, and the Land of Tea.
Although the Land of Wind was one of the Five Great Nations, the side bordering this area was almost all Gobi and desert. The Land of Rivers and the Land of Tea were small countries. So although this area couldn't be called a remote corner, it was definitely not a strategic location.
Precisely knowing this, the patrol captain indulged his team members like this.
Rumble...
Just then, a roaring sound seemed to come from the distance!
"What's going on?!"
The resting group was startled and hurriedly got up. Immediately after, they felt the ground beneath their feet seem to be shaking gently!
"Earthquake? Tsunami?"
A team member was bewildered.
The Chunin captain pressed his hand on the ground to sense, then his face changed drastically: "Not an earthquake or tsunami, someone is fighting nearby!"
"What!?"
Everyone in the squad was shocked.
They completely dared not imagine what kind of people fighting could cause such a big commotion.
The Chunin captain looked towards the sound. The roar in the distance still came intermittently, faintly sounding like thunder, yet the sky above was clear for miles!
His expression was somewhat conflicted.
According to village regulations, as a patrol team, they must go to investigate. But judging from his experience, approaching such a battlefield, even just peeking from afar, meant significant risk.
After weighing the pros and cons, the Chunin captain pointed to the youngest Genin in the patrol team: "Ren, return to the outpost immediately and transmit the situation here back to the village."
Ren was stunned: "Me?"
"Yes, go!" Pausing, the Chunin captain turned to the others: "The rest of you come with me to scout and determine the two sides fighting!"
Despite knowing the risks, the remaining squad members resolutely followed the captain.
Not long after, searching along the coastline, they passed a corner, and their vision finally opened up, clearly seeing the ongoing battlefield in the distance.
"It's... the Akatsuki organization!?"
"Fox mask, looks like 'B'..."
"Who is fighting 'B'? Looks like an Akatsuki member too! What exactly happened? Are they infighting?"
"Such strong 'Wood Release'!"
While the patrol team members were extremely astonished, they felt an inexplicable horror.
On the battlefield.
Amidst the rumble of loud noises, countless branches rose from the ground, converging into a sea of trees, besieging Karin in the center from all directions!
Going all out, Yakumo abandoned her usual hesitation and activated 'Wood Release' with full force right from the start!
She herself used the cover of the sky-blotting tree sea to shuttle through the gaps between branches, looking for an opportunity to strike.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Facing the surrounding tree sea attack like a tide, Karin was fearless, slowly spreading her hands.
Boom!
Instantly, a huge repulsive force vented towards the surroundings like mountains toppling and seas overturning. Even the branches deeply rooted in the underground rock crevices could hardly resist this sudden repulsive force and were repelled away in an instant.
Looking down from high above, the emerald green sea of trees occupying the coast seemed to be wiped out directly by an invisible big hand.
Yakumo shuttling through the sea of trees naturally couldn't escape the powerful repulsive force of 'Shinra Tensei', and was blown away along with the branches under her feet.
However, being blown away, she didn't panic at all, lightly uttering two words: "Red Dragon!"
Swish!
In the next instant, she flashed not far behind Karin, her right hand holding a kunai thrusting forward fiercely!
"!?"
Karin was startled, sensing danger and turning around hurriedly.
However, when she turned around, the blade tip of the kunai thrust by Yakumo, gleaming with cold light, was already close at hand!
Caught off guard, Karin had to retreat while raising her arms to protect her vitals.
Slash...
The cold light flashed past, bringing up a spray of blood!
Retreating, Karin glanced at her right arm. The blood spray just now splashed from her right arm; Yakumo's thrust was ultimately half a beat slow, only managing to graze her right arm.
And due to her powerful recovery ability, the wound on her right arm had already recovered as before, leaving no trace of injury.
"Space-Time Ninjutsu!?"
At this time, Karin's expression became a few shades more serious.
She didn't expect Yakumo to actually master 'Space-Time Ninjutsu', which was very rare in the Ninja World. She had never heard of it in the village.
Undoubtedly.
Yakumo, who was just repelled by Karin's 'Shinra Tensei', activated 'Red Dragon' to swap space with Ido secretly lurking behind Karin. Taking advantage of the brief moment when Karin's 'Shinra Tensei' was on cooldown, she launched a very sharp surprise attack.
The ability of 'Red Dragon' was space displacement.
This space displacement could be swapping with a blood clone containing the pupil power of the 'Koryugan', or swapping with Ido who also contained the pupil power of the 'Koryugan'.
Compared to a blood clone, Ido in spiritual form was obviously more impossible to guard against. She was equivalent to a space marker of Yakumo that could move freely. To some extent, she was more convenient and harder to guard against than special kunai marked with the 'Flying Thunder God Technique' formula.
If it were another ninja, even a Kage-level ninja, it would probably be difficult to resist Yakumo's 'Space-Time Dojutsu' surprise attack this time. However, she encountered Karin. Karin, who mastered 'Kagura Mind's Eye', sensed her flashing behind instantly and made defensive moves.
Actually, with Karin's current physique, as long as vital parts were not repeatedly hit by kunai, ordinary damage could be ignored. So this surprise attack launched by Yakumo using 'Red Dragon' basically couldn't achieve a decisive effect.
Of course.
Being able to hurt the current Karin and make her bleed, Yakumo's surprise attack this time could already be called impressive.
One must know that previously, Orochimaru, Yakushi Kabuto, plus the three 'Impure World Reincarnation bodies' of the First, Second, and Fourth Hokage besieging Karin failed to make Karin bleed!