"Here you are, more dango and tea." The old man brought another tray of tea and dango skewers.
"Thanks." Sarutobi Domoto reached out to take it.
The moment his hands touched the tray, the old man's hands suddenly flipped over, sending the tray flying into the air. His hands, which had been hidden beneath it, were now gripping kunai!
"Wh—?!"
Sarutobi Domoto's face contorted in shock. Years of combat experience made his body react before his mind could, and he instantly dodged back. But the old man lunged forward, the kunai in his hands slashing two deep gashes across Domoto's shoulders.
"Now!" Hagoromo Masanari, hidden in the shadows, barked a low command.
*Shing! Shing! Shing!*
Dozens of dark figures shot out from the woods, converging on the posthouse.
Shimura Ri and many of the other Jonin reacted instantly, reaching into their ninja tool pouches. "Ambush!"
In a flash, the air was filled with a storm of shuriken and kunai clashing mid-flight. After a shower of sparks from scraping metal, the two sides found themselves in a standoff.
"Hagoromo Masanari!" Shimura Ri's face drained of color when he saw the leader of the enemy forces. *Why is he here?*
"Shimura Ri, second only to your clan head, Shimura Keizo." Masanari's gaze then swept over Sarutobi Domoto, who had been caught off guard. "And a high-ranking member of the Sarutobi clan, Sarutobi Domoto..." Masanari gripped his katana and licked his lips with a bloodthirsty expression. "The Sarutobi and Shimura clans have really gone all out, sending not only twenty Jonin but also high-ranking leaders. It seems you were dead set on taking us down."
"Unfortunately for you, you're all going to die here today. To lose twenty Jonin in one go... not even the Sarutobi and Shimura can afford that loss, can they? Hahahahaha!" Toward the end, Hagoromo Masanari couldn't help but laugh maniacally. Not only was he, the clan head, leading the attack personally, but he had also brought nearly every Jonin from his clan.
A cold sweat trickled down Shimura Ri's back. He was, after all, facing a Kage-level opponent.
"Dammit, was our intelligence leaked? How could..." A Shimura Jonin stood back-to-back with Ri, warily watching the Hagoromo clan members who had surrounded them. "Lord Ri, what do we do? We're heavily outnumbered."
Shimura Ri's mind raced. After two seconds, he decided. "All units, prepare to retreat! We must get this information back to the clan heads!"
"You think you can run?!" Hagoromo Masanari roared, forming hand seals himself. "Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"
A massive surge of chakra erupted. The ground swelled up, turning into a muddy slurry that rushed toward Shimura Ri and his men like a tsunami.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!" Shimura Ri countered with his own hand seals, unleashing wind blades from his mouth that sliced the mud wave into several sections. He then leaped through one of the gaps and into the air. "All units, engage the enemy! Look for an opportunity to retreat!"
Not to be outdone, Hagoromo Masanari also leaped into the air. With a loud *clang*, their swords collided, sending sparks flying. Shimura Ri's arm felt slightly numb. As they both landed, Masanari grinned savagely and pointed the tip of his blade at Ri. "Don't even think about escaping. I won't say it a third time. All of you are dying here today."
"Hagoromo Style Sword Technique: Heaven's Blade!"
"Wind Release: Wind of the Second Moon!"
In the same instant, Shimura Ri formed a one-handed seal, infusing his blade with wind-style chakra from his mouth. The two of them became blurs that the naked eye couldn't follow, clashing their swords several times in mid-air.
On another part of the battlefield, the Hagoromo clan, with twice the numbers, engaged the Sarutobi and Shimura. Both sides were composed of Jonin, and the resulting battle was incredibly fierce. But after a short time, the disadvantage became apparent.
The Sarutobi and Shimura were in a dire situation. They were outnumbered, had been ambushed, and their morale was lower than their opponents'. The Hagoromo, led by their clan head, had soaring morale. Their enemies were the rats who had schemed with the four clans to backstab them. Their eyes turned red with bloodlust, their only thought to annihilate the enemy.
Although Sarutobi Domoto had been successfully ambushed by the Hagoromo ninja disguised as an old man, his wounds were not deep. He was now fighting the Hagoromo clan's number two, Hagoromo Naoyasu.
"How did you know we allied with the four clans? And how did you know our transport route?" Sarutobi Domoto couldn't help but ask amidst the clash of blades. This was all top-secret information; he himself had only learned of it the day before yesterday. Even if the Hagoromo had investigated, how could they have found out so quickly? Unless they had clairvoyance...
"If you want to blame someone, blame your own people!" Hagoromo Naoyasu sneered. *Serves you right for having someone in your clan who wants to stage a coup.* The Hagoromo were now completely convinced that "Tobi" was part of the opposition against Sarutobi Furukawa and Shimura Keizo, and that he was working with them to seize power.
*Our own people?* Sarutobi Domoto's heart skipped a beat. *Could it be? Is there a traitor in the clan? But who? Only Jonin-level ninja and above knew about this.*
*Clang!*
Another clash of blades sent Sarutobi Domoto flying back more than ten meters. With his back to Shimura Ri, he said in a low voice, "We'll cover you with everything we've got. Find a way to escape and get reinforcements from the four clans. They're closer."
Although the Hagoromo held an absolute advantage, it didn't mean victory was assured, especially when their opponents were also highly skilled. In the future, Might Guy's father, Might Duy, would take down four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist with just the Eight Gates. It showed just how terrifying a powerful ninja could be when they were fighting for their life.
Hearing Sarutobi Domoto's words, Shimura Ri asked with narrowed eyes, "Can you turn this situation around?"
"No time to explain," Domoto said in a low voice. "I can only buy a little time. There's only one chance."
"What are you two muttering about!" Hagoromo Naoyasu charged toward them. "Lightning Release: Earth Charge!"
Lightning shot into the ground, pulverizing the soil as it raced toward Sarutobi Domoto's feet.
"Earth Release: Earth-Shaking Core!"
Domoto dropped into a crouch, pressing his hands to the ground. The earth trembled and shattered, dispersing the lightning attack. However, Naoyasu's sword was already descending.
Domoto dodged the blow and retreated while forming hand seals, shouting, "Kawakami, Tenya, prepare to use that technique!"
The two Sarutobi Jonin whose names were called turned to look at him, their expressions changing. After a moment of hesitation, they gritted their teeth and shouted back in unison, "Understood!"
"What are they planning?" An ominous feeling crept into Hagoromo Masanari's heart. He ordered, "Take those three out! Quickly!"
Instantly, the other Hagoromo ninja shifted their attacks to Sarutobi Domoto and the other two.
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