Ambush Kill

"Katsuki?"

After listening to everyone's opinions, Fugaku remained expressionless and noncommittal, only calling out Katsuki's name.

Large raindrops slanted and pounded on the edge of the straw hat, splashing water everywhere. Glistening water droplets clung to the crimson hair at her temples. Katsuki opened her eyes at the sound, but did not loosen the seal in her hand.

"Eleven more men followed in pursuit."

Under Mind's Eye of the Kagura, nothing within a five-kilometer radius could be hidden; the actions of the Sand Ninja were impossible to conceal.

"Eleven people?"

"Including the four in front, that makes a total of five squads."

"Damn it, have the Sand Shinobi gone mad? Five squads, where did all these people come from? A supply depot having more than a dozen people is already incredible."

Kamiya couldn't hold back his words and cried out in surprise.

"Don't be so jumpy. Just shut up and no one will think you're mute."

A cold, sharp voice rang out, and her icy gaze was like two sharp swords. Kamiya clicked his tongue, not daring to confront Otome head-on. A good man doesn't fight with a woman, and besides, this woman was from the same clan as the captain, so he couldn't afford to provoke her.

"Captain, shall we fight?" Nawaki looked at Fugaku, eager to try, his fighting spirit surging.

Fugaku closed his eyes, lost in thought and remained silent. His straw hat hung down, obscuring most of his face, making it impossible to see his expression.

Katsuki pursed her lips, stood straight as a tree stump, and showed little interest in the choice she was about to make.

He knew his own limitations well; he was good at fighting, but his talent in battle command was truly limited, and he had no interest in such matters. Therefore, he offered few suggestions along the way, simply adhering to his reconnaissance duties.

"We have to fight another battle eventually, otherwise having those Sand Ninja scum hanging over us will be like a thorn in our side, making it difficult to carry out the next mission."

Fugaku opened his eyes, his blood-red pupils radiating murderous intent. After much deliberation, he made up his mind to ambush the Sand Ninja.

"Damn Konoha Ninja! What are you doing running around in this heavy rain? You're making us suffer in these Yamanaka. If we catch these bastards, we'll teach them a lesson!"

The Sand Ninja struggled to keep up the pursuit in the torrential rain. One of them never stopped cursing, not only at the Konoha ninjas, but also at the weather of the Land of Rain, cursing everything he could.

"Alright, stop yelling. The target has stopped; it's probably looking for a place to rest. Be careful, don't let your guard down."

The leader of the four grew impatient. Just then, the target ahead stopped moving, so he gave him a few words of reprimand. The group then slowed down, concealed their presence, and crept towards the target.

"One, two... eleven, twelve... fourteen, so many people? What is Konoha planning to do? Gathering so many people together all at once, without any holidays or festivals..."

The Sand Ninja lay sprawled on the protruding boulder, letting the torrential rain drench them, soaking them to the bone. They looked even more miserable than drowned rats, but the four of them paid no heed to such details. Gazing at the staggering figures in the cave ahead, their minds were in turmoil.

According to their initial calculations, the attack on the supply depot should have been carried out by spies sent by Konoha. Most of the Fifth Rank agents who specialize in sabotaging the rear are small teams, or combinations of two teams. They are not many in number, but they are likely all elites, otherwise they would not have been able to take down the supply depot.

However, the fact that there were roughly five small teams involved was quite puzzling. With so many people moving together, it would be difficult to conceal their movements. Had the Konoha Ninja lost their minds?

"Damn it, no wonder there are so many people. Boss, if we go up there, we'll probably just be food for the enemy. Let's wait for reinforcements!"

One of the Sand Village ninja couldn't help but whisper.

"Nonsense, I'm not stupid. Who would rush in to provoke a tiger at this time? You're asking for trouble. Hide yourselves, and we won't move until reinforcements arrive."

The leader cursed irritably, and the Sand Ninja curled up, trying their best to blend into the boulder beneath them, praying that reinforcements would arrive soon.

Prayer did not bring good news, but death.

Just as things quieted down, the Sand Ninja felt a blur before their eyes.

"What... person?"

The Sand Village leader turned his head with difficulty, his gaze only catching a wisp of crimson hair that flew past his eyes, a red even more vibrant than blood.

The four sensory ninjas were completely unaware that their attackers had gotten so close. While part of the reason might be that they were too focused on the activity in the cave ahead and overlooked the unusual movements around them, it must be said that the attackers were formidable and their stealth skills were absolutely top-notch.

Their pupils widened, the Sand Ninja remaining bewildered until their deaths. How had the Konoha ninja managed that? They had been intently watching the cave; not a single fluctuation of Chakra should have escaped their notice. Their lifeless eyes widened, as if demanding an explanation.

Blood beads dripped slowly down the blade, and rain poured down, washing away the bloodstains on the blade. Katsuki stuck the gleaming short sword into the stone, took out a scroll, and collected the four corpses at her feet one by one.

"Are these people with big headscarves blind?! A perfectly healthy person is right in front of them and they can't see him..."

Kamiya shrank back as he watched Katsuki busily collecting the corpses. This guy was ruthless; he stood inside the cave without moving an inch.

The entire battle was witnessed by everyone. From the very beginning, Katsuki stayed close to the side of the boulder. It should be said that wherever there was a place nearby where people could hide, there were Katsuki's Shadow Clone hiding there, all for the sake of this vanguard of the Sand Ninja.

He dared to do this because of the Hito Hito no Mi, which allowed him to suppress his Chakra fluctuations to an extremely subtle degree. He even slowed his breathing and heartbeat to the extreme. When the opportunity came, he did not use his Chakra, but simply unleashed his pure physical power. Sure enough, he succeeded before the Sand Ninja could react.

"They've got some skills; they certainly live up to the once-great reputation of the Uzumaki Clan."

With bloodshot eyes and a black Tomoe slowly turning, Fugaku did not step forward. He stood in the cave, his arms crossed over his chest, silently watching Katsuki's actions.

Not everyone is as composed as Fugaku. Seeing Katsuki's success, Nawaki couldn't contain himself and rushed out first. "Katsuki, you should rest for a bit. Leave the next wave of Sand Ninja to me. Don't let them wipe us out again, or it'll look like we came here on a spring outing. Wouldn't that be embarrassing if we went back?"

"What nonsense! You think I'm made of iron? You think I've got everything covered?" Katsuki shook her head, picked up the short sword from the ground, and held it in her hand. "These few headscarves suffered because they weren't on guard. If we faced them head-on, it wouldn't be so easy to succeed. Nawaki, don't be impatient. You won't have time to relax later."