Yuta clicked his tongue in soft appreciation as Uzumaki Ashina relayed the battlefield intelligence.
'This level of sensory ability… it would be monstrous on a large-scale battlefield,' he thought.
From beside him, Osamu muttered, his voice thick with disbelief, "Are the Uzumaki ninja really this… weak?"
This was the clan of the First Hokage's wife. 'Weren't they supposed to be legends?'
"Enough commentary," Yuta cut in, his tone sharp. "We move to support them, before their defenses completely collapse."
No sooner had he spoken that Jiraiya, practically vibrating with pent-up energy, burst through the doorway. Orochimaru followed, gliding behind him with a serpent's calm.
"We'll stop the killing in the village center," Tsunade declared, her decision swift. Her eyes flickered with surprise as she glanced at Yuta, taking in the distinctive markings that now etched the skin around his eyes—an unmistakable sign of Sage Mode. But she didn't question it. "As for you, Yuta… you have free rein. Don't worry about us."
With that, she, Osamu, and Meyuri shot off after their teammates.
—
The village center was pure chaos. Though the Uzumaki ninja had reacted with commendable speed, they were hopelessly outmatched by the well-prepared, ruthless forces from Kirigakure.
By the time Tsunade's group arrived, three masked Kiri-nin had cornered a single Uzumaki shinobi.
One of them had already driven a tantō deep into the Uzumaki's chest. Instead of delivering a final blow, however, he was slowly, sadistically twisting the blade, savoring the victim's agony. Though his face was hidden, his body language radiated a sick pleasure.
"Damn it!" Jiraiya roared, his hands flying through a sequence of seals.
Fire Release: Fire Ball Jutsu!
A sphere of orange-red flame, trailing scorching heat, blasted toward the Kiri-nin.
The attackers were ready. The ninja on the far left formed a single hand sign, and a wall of water erupted from the ground to intercept the fireball.
The two techniques collided with a violent hiss, exploding into a massive, billowing cloud of steam.
"Konoha reinforcements?" one of the Kiri-nin sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "Just a bunch of brats."
"Enough games," another ordered, his tone cold and professional. "Eliminate them quickly. We retreat as soon as the other two teams are done."
On cue, a Kirigakure ninja burst from the dissipating steam, his short sword a silver blur as he lunged straight for Jiraiya.
"Osamu!" Jiraiya barked.
"On it!"
Sarutobi Osamu's hands moved in a flash.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
Two sturdy walls of earth erupted from the ground in front of Jiraiya, blocking the attacker's path.
Simultaneously, Kurama Meyuri flickered to the side, a hazy, purple glow igniting at her fingertips.
In the next second, one of the Kirigakure ninja crumpled to the cobblestones without a sound, his body hitting the ground with a heavy thud.
"It's a Genjutsu! Damn it… when did she—?!" the lead Kiri-nin gasped. His words were cut short as his own vision swam and then went completely black, plunging him into unconsciousness.
—
Under the cover of the chaos sown by the other two squads, the team of Kirigakure operatives tasked with stealing the Uzumaki clan's Sealing Techniques had reached their destination in silence.
But breaching the vault's defenses presented an unexpected problem.
Contrary to their intelligence, there were no heavy guards stationed outside the Sealing Technique repository.
The only thing standing between them and their prize was a single, shimmering sealing barrier.
This left Kaguya Takehiro and his team standing uselessly outside the barrier, utterly stymied.
During the mission briefing, everyone had unanimously agreed that the Uzumaki clan's Sealing vault would be the most heavily guarded location, requiring the most brutal, head-on assault to breach.
That was precisely why Kaguya Takehiro was leading this team.
It was well known that the Kaguya clan were a bunch of battle maniacs. Kaguya Takehiro, a renowned madman even among his own kind, leading a squad of lesser Kaguya madmen, was fully expected to simply smash, claw, and bite their way through any guarding shinobi
The reality, however, was that this band of berserkers was completely baffled by the intricate sealing barrier. They could only stare at it in dumb frustration.
"Damn it all! We should have brought that Hōzuki Gengetsu bastard instead," Kaguya Takehiro growled under his breath.
Under normal circumstances, he would have already led his subordinates to find a proper fight elsewhere.
But this operation was different. The Third Mizukage himself had taken a personal interest. Antagonizing the village leader was not in the Kaguya clan's best interests.
—
'This must be the team sent to loot the Sealing Techniques,' Yuta observed from his concealed position. 'But why the half-hearted disguises?'
The Kiri-nin had covered their faces, but the ubiquitous Hidden Mist Jutsu they employed was a dead giveaway to their origin. And more puzzlingly, why were they just standing there at the vault's entrance?
Yuta had planned to ambush them the moment they began working on the seal, but the group seemed to have no idea how to proceed. They just stood there, staring stupidly at the barrier.
'Could they have detected me?'
Yuta frowned. But as the Kiri-nin continued to show no signs of action, he decided his wait was over. His Sage Mode had a strict fifteen-minute time limit. It wasn't short, but it wasn't time to waste, either.
Swish—
The blue sphere of a Rasengan materialized in Yuta's palm. Amplified by the power of Sage Mode, he became a blur, appearing directly in front of one of the Kirigakure ninja.
BOOM!
The sudden, concussive blast of the Rasengan impacting the man's torso instantly snapped Kaguya Takehiro to attention.
Despite watching one of his subordinates die in the surprise attack, a wave of pure excitement washed over Kaguya Takehiro's face. A wide, manic grin split his features.
'They're here! They're here!'
'Finally, a real fight!'
His eyes locked onto Yuta, his body trembling with barely contained bloodlust. A low, guttural laugh escaped his lips.
"A Konoha brat, huh?" he sneered, his voice cracking with anticipation. "Better than nothing."
"Come on!" he roared, thrusting his hands forward.
Shikotsumyaku: Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!
With a series of sharp, piercing whistles, the bones from all ten of his fingers shot forward like high-velocity bullets, streaking directly toward Yuta.
Seeing the bone projectiles, Yuta's pupils contracted in recognition.
'Shikotsumyaku… a member of the Kaguya Clan.'
After a brief moment of surprise, the pieces clicked into place.
'So, these guys hadn't detected his ambush. They were just completely stumped by the sealing barrier and had no idea how to get past it.'
It made perfect sense!
A squad of pure brawlers, not a scholarly mind among them, completely helpless against an intellectual puzzle like a sealing barrier. It fit perfectly.
Their foolish stance outside the barrier now made sense. He couldn't even blame them for it.
'Alright then,' Yuta thought, a wry smile touching his lips.
He clicked his tongue once, then narrowed his eyes, his full focus settling on the raging Kaguya Takehiro. The real fight was just beginning.
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