Facing Three Stone Ninja!

"Blond hair and blue eyes... that Konoha Ninja looks like the Yellow Flash who's been making such a name for himself in the Shinobi World lately!"

"Whether he's the Yellow Flash or not, we can see for ourselves what that guy can do. Captain Kurogane, was it really wise to split off three Jonin to act separately all at once?"

Faced with his comrade's concern, Kurogane remained expressionless and said coldly, "Follow orders!"

"All right, then we'll circle around to the east. But with just the three of us, there's not much point even if we do infiltrate the Land of Fire. If we go too deep and run into Konoha's main force, we'll be in even more trouble. Captain Kurogane..."

"Follow orders!"

Kurogane's unyielding manner and his complete refusal to explain drew his comrades' attention. After all, the other two were both Jonin, and they weren't so easy to fool.

"Captain Kurogane, what's wrong with you?"

Kurogane gave him an icy look. "Are you trying to disobey Lord Tsuchikage's orders?!"

"No... that's not what I mean. I just feel this mission is really suspicious." With such a damning accusation thrown at him, he didn't dare admit to it and could only voice his objection tactfully. After all, they were all Stone Ninja Jonin. Although Kurogane was the unit captain, they were equals in rank.

Faced with his comrade's doubts, Kurogane continued to ignore him. But in the hand he kept hidden behind his back, he gripped a sharp kunai.

The latter was about to press him further when the other man suddenly shouted, "Watch out! The enemy's nearby, and they have a sensory-type ninja!"

"What? Why are there Konoha Ninja here too?" The other man's warning diverted the Stone Ninja's attention from his doubts about Kurogane. Whatever else was going on, nothing was more important than dealing with the enemy. "We didn't bring a sensory-type ninja. The enemy can see us, but we can't see them."

"Don't worry. Since I was able to detect the fluctuations of their mental energy, their Sensory Technique clearly isn't much. By that reasoning, their strength shouldn't be above Chunin level either. The three of us are Jonin; we have more than enough power to crush them." All three Stone Ninja here were Jonin, and neither their individual strength nor their wits could be faulted. Although they had no means of sensing, they could still use the details to deduce that the Konoha Ninja lying in ambush here weren't very strong.

For a Genin sensing Jonin, simply detecting them was already quite an achievement. To demand that Shunren also remain undetected would be far too harsh.

"Whew..." Shunren breathed out deeply. After detecting the enemy, he immediately released Mind's Eye. There was no need to lock onto the targets or anything; that was preparation for an attack.

Even from that glimpse through a bamboo tube, he could dimly make out how terrifying the enemy's strength was. To be thinking about an ambush now would truly be like lighting a lamp in the latrine-looking for shit, or rather, death!

Shunren changed his hand seal. "Ninja Art: Mind Transmission Technique!"

He connected to Shizune and Kakashi.

"One kilometer away, across the river. Three Jonin!"

"Understood," Kakashi's calm voice replied.

Shunren thought Kakashi truly deserved his reputation as Konoha's foremost genius of the current generation. Even facing three enemy Jonin, he could remain composed.

"Execute battle plan C."

"..." Kakashi sounded calm, but Shunren felt he was talking complete nonsense with a straight face. "Didn't you hear me? The enemy has three Jonin!"

"Didn't you hear my order? I said execute battle plan C," Kakashi said calmly.

They had discussed their battle plans beforehand.

Plan A was for Shizune to drive away any merchant caravans that strayed into the territory.

Plan B was for Shunren to continue monitoring if they encountered invading ninja,

while Kakashi and Shizune came forward to engage them. Plan C was for Kakashi to attack head-on if powerful ninja invaded, while Shizune and Shunren stayed hidden, ready to provide support at any time.

Shunren had made it clear to Kakashi that the enemy had three Jonin, yet Kakashi had called for plan C and intended to take the vanguard alone. Shunren was speechless. Do you think you're a Gundam? A Chunin taking on three Jonin at once?

Shunren transmitted, "Shizune, leave the riverbank immediately!"

Kakashi's face darkened, and he replied, "A superior's orders to a subordinate are absolute. I said..."

"Smack!"

Shunren cut off his technique's connection to Kakashi.

Shizune rose from her ambush point and transmitted, "Shunren, what about Kakashi?"

"If he wants to get himself killed, let him do it alone. Let's go, now! If we don't leave, it'll be too late!" Shunren said urgently. The enemy was only a kilometer away. For Jonin, covering that distance would take less than a few breaths.

Shizune hesitated, but she trusted Shunren, her teammate, more than Kakashi, and prepared to turn and leave.

Just then, however, Kakashi appeared in front of Shizune, blocking her path. "Fleeing on the eve of battle? Are you trying to become a traitor to Konoha?" he said coldly.

"I'm not..." Faced with Kakashi's stern interrogation, Shizune didn't know what to do.

"Fuck your mother, Kakashi!" Shunren shouted the curse from his high vantage point. From there, he could already see the Stone Ninja on the other side of the river! With Kakashi delaying them with this bullshit, they had lost their only chance to escape!

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!" The three Stone Ninja arrived and paused in surprise when they saw Kakashi and Shizune across the river.

"What? Konoha only has these two brats?"

"There should be one more. I heard a voice just now."

"Heh, just a few brats. What difference would a few more make?"

The Stone Ninja didn't take them seriously at all.

"Clang!" Kakashi drew the White Fang Blade from his back and said seriously, "Shizune, Shunren, fight with me! I have a countermeasure!"

"Eat shit!"

A Chunin and two Genin versus three Jonin. Kakashi said he had a countermeasure, but Shunren didn't believe a single punctuation mark!

"Interesting." As though he had heard the funniest joke in the world, one of the Stone Ninja stepped forward and said indifferently, "Captain Kurogane, could you give me one minute to show these brats who don't know the height of heaven or the depth of earth what despair is?"

A sharp light flashed in Kakashi's eyes. "Just as I thought, they've let their guard down! Go, Shunren, use your strongest attack!"

"Damn you, Kakashi, just you wait!"

Shunren now understood what Kakashi's countermeasure was, and he was furious. But faced with the enormous crisis before him, he had no choice but to use his finishing move right away!

"Yin Release: Projection!"

"Arcane Shift!" Shunren appeared in front of the Stone Ninja in an instant. The blue-and-gold amulet on his wrist flashed and vanished, replaced by a pitch-black greatsword!

"Oh? Space-Time Ninjutsu? You've got some skill. No wonder you're so arrogant." The Stone Ninja was clearly surprised by Shunren's move, but the mockery on his face only deepened. To think he could challenge a Jonin with just that was like a mayfly trying to shake a tree!

Shunren said nothing. At this point, there was no other way. He raised the Zanpakuto high in both hands, poured a vast amount of Chakra into it, and swung down with all his strength, without the slightest flourish.

"Getsuga Tenshō!"

"Wha...?! " The Stone Ninja's expression changed drastically!

"Steel Release: Iron Man Technique!" The Stone Ninja had never dreamed that this mere Genin before him could unleash such a terrifying attack. Caught off guard at such close range, he could no longer dodge, so he could only cloak himself in a layer of steel-like, blackish-brown Chakra and raise his arms in front of him.