Using the attack on the "Peace" Supermarket as a feint to lure Akatsuki members out for a rescue.
This operation plan was a huge success nearly a month ago.
The Amegakure Shinobis successfully eliminated several Akatsuki members and came upon an unexpected bonus-Konan.
In this battle, the Amegakure Shinobis successfully inflicted serious injuries on Konan and infected the Akatsuki leader with the Salamander's potent venom!
It was foreseeable that Konan would certainly die in the near future!
The facts indeed seemed to confirm this.
The Amegakure squad assigned to monitor the "Peace" Supermarket saw Konan collapse outside the supermarket door.
After she was carried inside, she never reappeared; the clerks all looked grief-stricken;
and the manager remained calm and composed as usual, showing deep composure, truly worthy of an intelligence post leader.
All the details confirmed that Konan could not withstand the Salamander's potent venom, and the Akatsuki members were powerless to help.
Lord Hanzo had successfully eliminated another major threat! The Amegakure Shinobis were overjoyed, cheering and celebrating their victory.
As for the "Peace" Supermarket itself, it was irrelevant and not worth much trouble.
After all, the "Peace" Supermarket was located in Kouun City, and the Amegakure Shinobis could not launch a large-scale Shinobi attack in the busy area of the Tetsu no Kuni.
Hanzo the Salamander, as the ruler of Amegakure, had to consider international implications and could not act recklessly without restraint.
Thus, after the ambush on Konan, the Amegakure units stopped their mission and all returned to headquarters to recuperate.
The two small squads lurking in Kouun City, however, remained still, continuing to monitor the "Peace" Supermarket.
Today, the "Peace" Supermarket's relocation was naturally observed clearly by the Amegakure Shinobis.
They were pleasantly surprised to find that the manager of the "Peace" Supermarket was separated from her group!
The importance and value of the top leader of an intelligence post were self-evident.
The Amegakure squad was very tempted.
Megumai's strength was considerable. This, they knew.
The scene of Megumai instantly killing a Taijutsu Shinobi on the street that day was vivid in their minds.
The Amegakure squad deeply understood the difference in one-on-one strength.
However, they were also very clear about their own advantages!
First, they had superior numbers. If a one-on-one fight was unwinnable, they would gang up!
The target was skilled in the Body Flicker Technique, so they should use large-scale attacks as much as possible!
Two fists are no match for four hands. As long as there were enough people, they could always win.
Second, the target had a liability today-a two-year-old infant! Moreover, this liability was the target's son, whom the target would surely be reluctant to abandon.
They could use this to their advantage in the actual fight!
Finally, the Salamander's potent venom bestowed by Lord Hanzo!
No matter how strong the target was, their power would be greatly reduced once poisoned!
After this analysis, the Amegakure squad confidently realized that the advantage was on their side, and there was no possibility of losing!
So, they tailed her all the way.
Finally, they found an unguarded moment for Megumai and brazenly launched a sneak attack!
...
Kunai rained down, tearing through the curtain of snow.
The massive, continuous explosions shook even the mountains, and the snow on the tree branches scattered down.
Under the effect of the violent wind, the snow mist mixed with stone dust, forming a fierce storm.
The Salamander's potent venom spread with the wind, permeating the canyon.
In the blink of an eye, the tranquil, beautiful snowy landscape was gone, leaving behind only a terrifying mess!
The Amegakure squad, hidden in the shadows, felt relieved.
To deal with the unguarded Megumai, they did not take it lightly, unleashing a full-scale barrage of firepower at the start, giving Megumai no room to use the Body Flicker Technique.
As for capturing her alive to extract intelligence, that was not important. The first priority was to ensure the safety of their own personnel.
If Megumai somehow managed to escape, only then would they consider capturing her alive while she was gravely injured.
However, the likelihood of this was minimal.
Just think, what kind of Shinobi could survive an explosion that covered the entire canyon?
It would have to be the Yellow Flash who excelled at the Flying Thunder God Technique, or the deceased Third Raikage who possessed the Strongest Shield, or another master with absolute defense.
In contrast, this manager was only in charge of a mere intelligence post. How could she be such a master!
Nevertheless, even with this thought, the Amegakure squad did not lower their guard.
On a towering ancient tree, the sensory Shinobi was always focused, observing the storm for any signs of chakra.
Suddenly, he shook, exclaiming, "Watch out, someone's coming!"
The other Amegakure Shinobis heard the voice over the wireless and immediately braced themselves.
The next moment, the ancient tree was struck by a tremendous force and snapped, crashing down.
The sensory Shinobi lost his balance and fell from the tree, too late to use chakra adhesion.
A Kunai shot out and accurately pierced his head.
At the same time, the other Amegakure Shinobis hidden on the cliff face were also attacked.
The rock wall vibrated with a soul-piercing impact, cracking in countless lines.
Broken stones rained down.
The Amegakure Shinobis felt a chill run down their spines.
Could that small manager really be a terrifying master comparable to a Kage or a Raikage?!
The situation was urgent, allowing no time for deeper thought.
In an instant, the Amegakure Shinobis lost their fighting spirit, abandoning all discretion, scattering and fleeing, only to be defeated one by one by someone employing exquisite Taijutsu!
...
The snow continued to fall, silently burying several lives.
Tsunade, her face calm as a still lake, stood with her arms crossed on a protruding ledge of the cliff face.
Beside her was a beautiful girl in her mid-teens. The two quietly looked down at the dusty canyon path below.
Since recognizing Uchiha Megumi that day, Tsunade had been paying attention to her movements.
Today, the "Peace" Supermarket relocated, and Uchiha Megumi left. Only then did Tsunade follow her.
She didn't expect to run into Uchiha Megumi being ambushed!
As a fellow Konoha Shinobi, and with Uchiha Megumi being an 'deceased' combat hero, how could Tsunade simply ignore this?
Thus, she and her apprentice, Shizune, eliminated the Amegakure Shinobis.
"Tsunade-sama, will Megumi-senpai be, okay?" Shizune was worried. The scene below gave her every reason to be concerned.
"Don't worry," Tsunade reassured her. "She is someone who survived the purgatory of Takamagahara; she won't easily die in a small explosion."
"But how could Megumi-senpai have escaped this disaster?" Shizune hesitated.
Tsunade said calmly, "She has the Ryuchi Cave summoning technique; she shouldn't lack the skill to use snakes to save her life."
"Ryuchi Cave!" Shizune was slightly surprised.
"Mhm."
Tsunade nodded slightly and explained.
"Megumai stayed in Orochimaru's lab for a period, independently researching life sciences related to genetics, and she has quite the accomplishment. Orochimaru didn't have much to teach her in this area, so he had her sign a summoning contract with Ryuchi Cave and gave her snake summoning and reverse summoning as compensation."
"Compensation?" Shizune was puzzled. Why would she need compensation for a good reason?
Tsunade explained, "There was a trade relationship between Orochimaru and Megumai.
Orochimaru wanted to study Megumai's Shinobi blade, and Megumai wanted to study life science aspects of genetics.
Orochimaru couldn't teach her, so he could only make up for it in other ways."
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