In Pursuit
A gust of wind slashed straight at me.
Even before arriving, my skin could already feel a stinging sensation.
The Sand Ninja were risking their lives. Even if you couldn't sense the changes in their Chakra like Katsuki, the changes in their appearance were already noticeable enough.
With Katsuki's advance warning, Otome cleverly retreated, while Nawaki reacted a beat slower. However, he showed no signs of panic; his skin, including his fingers, forearms, and neck—every exposed part of his body—had turned ashen.
Bending over, arching his back, and bending his knees, Nawaki slid his left leg back more than half a step, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed into an old pine tree with deep roots, a giant rock that stood firm against wind and rain.
The wind blades struck Rope Tree like waves crashing against Nawaki, tearing his clothes and leaving only a shallow wound. This level of injury caused him some pain but had little impact.
Both the Senju and Uzumaki clans are notorious for their incredible durability.
Nawaki was unharmed, and Katsuki was also safe and sound. He braved the two wind blades and went against the current, inevitably leaving several hideous wounds, but this did not shake him in the slightest.
Not a drop of blood flowed from the wound, because Katsuki had controlled the muscles at the site of the injury the moment he was wounded, and the wound was already slowly healing. Rather than worrying about his own injuries, he was now only thinking about killing this damned Sand Ninja expert.
The already short distance was covered in an instant.
A long, silvery shadow trailed behind the blade. In that instant, Katsuki unleashed all her power, her arm muscles bulging and thickening. She pressed her short sword against a Wakizashi wielded by a Sand Ninja, then plunged it into the Sand Ninja's stomach with lightning speed.
The short sword churned inside the Sand Ninja's stomach, Chakra gushed out like a waterfall. A large amount of Chakra instantly transformed into destructive lightning, which ran rampant in the Sand Ninja's abdomen. A blinding white light flashed, and a hole the size of a large bowl was blasted into the Sand Ninja's abdomen, surrounded by scorched burn marks.
The familiar stench of burning filled the air, and the Sand Ninja collapsed weakly to her back.
"Too slow."
Fugaku appeared suddenly like a shadow, displaying a skillful use of the Body Flicker Technique. He stood beside Katsuki, glanced at the large hole in the Sand Ninja's stomach, and his brow twitched.
Ninja combat is extremely efficient; if a strike is fatal, a second strike will never be used. If a vital point can be struck, no effort will be wasted.
"I had to jump to reach his neck."
Katsuki sighed helplessly and sheathed the short sword on her back.
That's just how unfortunate things are. His height is always a major disadvantage. Even though he ate the Hito Hito no Mi, he couldn't immediately evolve into a Saiyan. His height would still grow little by little over time, and compared to an adult, he would still appear very short.
Fugaku fell silent, his eye twitching slightly. He hadn't expected such a simple reason, one that left him speechless.
"Captain Fugaku, it's all burned."
Kamiya Ren walked over. The supply station was completely engulfed in flames, with orange-red flames flickering in the wind and rain, burning everything in the place.
Kikuchi and Koizumi were collecting the bodies; the two who died in this battle belonged to their respective squads.
"Let's rest for a while. This is just an appetizer; our main course hasn't even arrived yet! Everyone, stay alert!" Fugaku's expression was grave as he watched Kikuchi and the other man collect the corpses. They had only attacked a small supply depot, yet two of his men had already perished. This mission was far more difficult than anticipated, and he truly didn't know if they would make it back alive.
He pondered silently, worried about the perilous future ahead, but his face remained expressionless. After all, he always had a fierce look on his face, so it was difficult for others to discern his true intentions.
As the captain, he also had to boost morale to continue the operation. With this in mind, he suppressed his frustration and directed his men to clean up the battlefield.
The supply depot's buildings and warehouses were all engulfed in flames, and the people sat or stood in the cave to recuperate.
For ninjas, digging caves is a piece of cake, especially with experts in Earth Release like Katsuki and Nawaki in the team.
Although they successfully destroyed a Sand Village supply depot and burned all its supplies, they also paid a considerable price. Two people died in battle, and the remaining few were either wounded or exhausted. Although ninja combat time is short, the intensity is high, and not everyone has the stamina of Katsuki and Nawaki.
Fugaku was eager to continue his journey, but he had to rest for a while to conserve his energy.
"This is······."
The Sand Ninja, braving the wind and rain, clung to the steep cliff face, their eyes wide with horror as they looked down at the supply depot engulfed in smoke and flames.
"Let's go down and take a look."
Another Sand Ninja ran down the cliff, calling out to his companion as they reached the supply station. They quickly searched the surrounding area, while the rest of the group wandered around the hilltop, looking for any remaining traces.
Within two or three minutes, the eight of them gathered again outside the supply station. The orange-red Kakkō cast a crimson glow on the faces of the Sand Ninja, but it couldn't hide the unpleasant expressions on their faces.
"Not a single person was left alive; all the bodies were disposed of."
One of them spoke up and revealed the information he had found.
"Damn it, it's definitely those damned green-skinned bastards from Konoha, they're all kind-faced but black-hearted scum."
"No mistake, it's someone from Konoha. Look at this..." A man held a blackened stone and pointed to a deep dent on it, clearly carved by a sharp weapon. "Judging by the depth and size, it's undoubtedly Shuriken used by Konoha Ninja."
All eight Sand Ninja were sensory ninjas, meaning they were experts at tracking and tracing. What appeared indistinguishable to ordinary people were as conspicuous to them as candlelight in the dark.
"What should we do? If we chase after them now, we should be able to catch up. The bloodstains on the ground haven't been completely washed away yet. These guys are still a bit inexperienced; they're probably newcomers from Konoha."
Another person spoke, holding a clump of dark red soil in his hand, his nose sensitive enough to detect a very faint scent of blood.
To pursue or not to pursue?
This question caused everyone to fall silent.
They were a supply transport unit, not a team tasked with capturing Konoha spies. Even if they managed to eliminate Konoha's forces, it would only bring them minor merits. However, if anything went wrong with the transported supplies, they would lose their heads.
They were merely a detection unit, lacking decision-making authority, but they were unwilling to let the opportunity to track them slip away.
"What to do?"
"Should we pursue them or not?"
As time passed, the two leaders' expressions became increasingly uncertain, unable to make up their minds. They both questioned each other, hoping the other could make a decision, but unexpectedly, they bumped into each other again.