Discovery of Iwagakure Ninja

A few months ago, if he had sensed these unfamiliar presences, Uchiha Feiyu would probably have retreated long ago. But now, he could be considered highly skilled and bold. After hesitating briefly, he rushed toward the place where he sensed the unfamiliar souls gathering.

"Uh... what's going on? Invisibility?"

When Uchiha Feiyu arrived at the location where he had sensed something unusual, he found no one in sight. Yet his soul perception could sense four unfamiliar souls hiding within a patch of bushes.

As Uchiha Feiyu focused his gaze there, he vaguely sensed that something was off. The Two-Tomoe in his Sharingan spun continuously, and he finally noticed that the outline there seemed somewhat strange.

"This is—Camouflage Concealment Technique!?"

The Ninja Academy also taught a few simple concealment methods that did not involve Chakra, including using camouflage cloth to hide one's body. However, such concealment could only deal with people looking from dozens or hundreds of meters away. At close range, the flaw would be spotted immediately.

But in the Shinobi World, there was a Wind Release jutsu called the Camouflage Concealment Technique, a semi-invisibility jutsu developed from this principle.

By using Wind-nature Chakra to finely control the invisible water molecules dispersed through the air and wrap them around one's body, it could produce an effect nearly like optical invisibility. Though it was a Wind Release technique, it was a jutsu unique to Iwagakure.

If Uchiha Feiyu had not possessed soul sensory abilities, he might have overlooked these ninjas even with his Sharingan activated.

"This is only two or three kilometers from Konoha Camp. Iwagakure Ninja appearing here... are they preparing a surprise attack?"

Once he made up his mind, wind and thunder already roared around Uchiha Feiyu's body. With a whoosh, he charged straight at the invisible Iwagakure Ninja!

Hearing the wind and thunder behind them, the concealed Iwagakure Ninja immediately reacted and scattered in all directions. The Camouflage Concealment Technique shattered at once under their high-speed movements, revealing the figures of four Iwagakure Ninja.

Directly in front of Uchiha Feiyu stood an exceptionally tall Iwagakure Ninja. With an angry roar, his entire body turned jet-black. At the same time, Uchiha Feiyu's blade had already slashed down.

"This guy reacted well... He actually noticed my attack in time. He's at least Special Jonin level!"

With a flash of blade light, Uchiha Feiyu immediately felt resistance against the short sword in his hand. If the White Fang Sword Style cutting through an ordinary person's body was like slicing tofu, then right now, Uchiha Feiyu felt as though he had cut into rotten wood.

The tall Iwagakure Ninja had used the Hardening Technique, one of the easiest Earth Release techniques to learn but hardest to master. An ordinary Hardening Technique was roughly equivalent to a layer of iron armor; the stronger the user, the greater its effect.

For instance, the Earth Spear developed by the immortal ninja Kakuzu in the manga was also a type of Earth Release hardening technique. It could completely withstand ordinary A-Rank Jutsu, only being penetrated by A-Rank Lightning Release and S-Rank Jutsu.

Of course, Kakuzu was undeniably a Kage-level Ninja. Uchiha Feiyu was only facing an ordinary Iwagakure Jonin, so when his blade came down, it merely met some resistance. There was no question of failing to break through the defense.

The tall Iwagakure Ninja grunted. Relying on the Earth Release Hardening Technique to block the blade for an instant, he hastily retreated. In the end, he was not cleaved in two, though a bone-deep wound was left across his chest.

Just as the tall Iwagakure Ninja retreated, the other Iwagakure Ninja charged without another word. The fastest were two similar-looking ninjas. One on the left and one on the right, they each drew a long sword and slashed down in an instant.

White light surged from Uchiha Feiyu's short sword. He easily blocked their sword techniques, then slashed back and forced the two away. Yet inwardly, he was shocked.

"To be able to exchange blows with Hatake Sakumo, these guys... are all formidable Jonin-level fighters!"

But upon thinking about it, it was perfectly normal. These were ninjas preparing to raid Konoha Camp. Iwagakure would naturally send the elite among elites. Anyone below Jonin level would only be dead weight.

As he thought, Uchiha Feiyu raised his hand and threw out a Signal Flare. As it exploded in the sky, the entire Konoha Camp seemed to awaken like a colossal beast.

"Damn it!! The plan has failed. Prepare to retreat!"

The Iwagakure Ninja standing at the rear, who had not exchanged blows with Uchiha Feiyu, changed expression drastically. At the same time, Uchiha Feiyu's gaze locked onto him completely.

That Iwagakure Ninja should have been the one who used the Camouflage Concealment Technique just now. Judging from their positions, he was likely the leader of this group.

Ordinary Camouflage Concealment Techniques could only conceal the user's own body. But when this ninja used his jutsu just now, he had directly included an area several meters around him in the camouflage, forcibly turning a single-person invisibility technique into a group invisibility technique. With that skill alone, he was likely no ordinary Jonin.

"Trying to run? Can you?"

A cold smile appeared on Feiyu's face. At that moment, the two Iwagakure Ninja who appeared to be brothers charged forward again, swinging their long swords as they did everything they could to hold Feiyu back.

The Iwagakure Ninja who had nearly been disemboweled extended a hand glowing with faint green light and began treating himself. Meanwhile, the final Iwagakure Ninja squad leader decisively formed hand seals.

"Earth Release—Light-Weight Rock Technique."

"Earth Release—Fissure Earth Turning Palm!"

The ground rapidly cracked apart, forming a massive chasm between Uchiha Feiyu and the Iwagakure Ninja. The pair of Iwagakure Ninja brothers who had just held Uchiha Feiyu back also withdrew at the last moment, though each now bore a bone-deep wound.

The Fissure Earth Turning Palm was originally an offensive jutsu that used such ground fissures to attack. However, this Iwagakure Ninja had clearly used it as a means of retreat. The squad leader spoke.

"Konoha truly deserves to be called the cradle of geniuses! At such a young age, you possess this kind of strength. You're practically already Kage-level... Young man, can you tell me your name?"

Uchiha Feiyu sneered. This man simply looked at the chasm in the ground, thought himself safe, and wanted to gather information.

A month or two ago, Uchiha Feiyu, as a close-range fighter, truly would not have had much of a way to deal with them. But now...

Slowly raising his head, the two Tomoe in Uchiha Feiyu's Sharingan spun continuously, making the Iwagakure Ninja squad leader's expression change at once.

"Sharingan! Not good!"

Unfortunately, by the time he reacted, he had already fallen into an illusion. At that moment, Uchiha Feiyu swept his short sword horizontally. A blade of wind condensed from Wind Release instantly surged forth like a massive crescent moon!