Conflict: Scorch Release

Shuichi didn't explain much about his teammates' lack of understanding; this was a traditional incense-offering practice from their Hokage lineage.

For example, if Obito dies, Kakashi, who inherited his Sharingan, must use it to defeat the enemy, even if his family's heirloom sword is broken, he still has to show it off.

Or perhaps, after Jiraiya's death, Naruto defeated Pain using an even more advanced Sage Mode.

In short, those who are alive will have a better tomorrow. I have inherited what you left behind, so rest in peace...

After eliminating the enemies of Leaf Ninja Village, Shuichi had Akiha use her Byakugan to quickly search the entire village to see if there were any other discoveries.

The reason we didn't use Clay Bomb to flatten them was because doing so would be too destructive and might cause us to miss some important intelligence and information.

Besides, these small-scale wars are a great opportunity for ninjas to make money. These enemies either keep their money on their person or hide it in their houses. If it is destroyed by an explosion, it will be a huge loss!

After using the Spiral Flash Super Wheel Dance Roar Three Forms, most of the opponents were directly hit in vital points by Shuichi, leaving the corpses mostly intact and neatly arranged in the center of the field, making it easier for them to loot the bodies.

"Nearly three million taels in total!"

The three of them first cleared out all the supplies inside the building, and then searched through all the enemy's clothes. Food, weapons and the like were of little use, but there was a lot of banknotes and silver, a large pile of them scattered around.

Shuichi and his group immediately divided the spoils. According to tradition, the captain took 50%, and the rest split it equally, making them a windfall.

"Let's hurry up and set off; the next destination isn't far away." Hyuga Akiha seemed expressionless, but surprisingly, she spoke up first, Aburame Shihei also seemed eager to try.

"... They're so damn materialistic, a bunch of money-grubbers." Shuichi little puzzled. Had he been using the wrong methods to motivate them before?

After cleaning up the mess using Earth Release, the three quickly disappeared from the spot, turning into black shadows and traversing the mountains and rivers of the Land of Rivers.

In a region some distance from the destroyed "Land of Leaf," a great battle is also taking place, on a scale far larger than the Shuichi's squad.

"Kill!"

"Kill them!"

Several dozen ninjas, under the command of a Blue-haired Youth, charged towards the other side. Their opponents outnumbered them, but they were full of confidence. The two forces clashed with a loud bang.

In that instant, the larger force suffered heavy losses, with several ninjas being killed in just a few rounds, clearly demonstrating a significant difference in elite status compared to the enemy.

"This is bad, we need to act quickly!" Seeing the situation was turning against them, the leaders immediately stepped forward, shouting, "Water Release: Water Wave!"

"Earth Release: Earth Mound Dumpling!"

Perhaps due to their long time together and excellent teamwork, the various elemental Ninjutsu, though not particularly powerful individually, were unleashed almost simultaneously, attacking from above, below, and both sides, completely covering the opponent's area of activity.

The team that was initially on a winning streak was immediately halted, and several team members ended up in danger.

At this critical moment, the Blue-haired Youth at the back rushed to the front of the group in a flash. Facing the overwhelming attack, he raised his hands, and a powerful airflow appeared in the field. All kinds of Ninjutsu, such as water, earth, and lightning, were changed direction by the huge suction force and were eventually sucked into the youth's hands and disappeared.

"How is this possible? Our Ninjutsu had no effect?"

The people opposite were extremely shocked. One of them, with a grim expression, said, "Is he the infamous Meiton Haiga, who has been famous in the black market in recent years? It's said that he can absorb all Ninjutsu, I didn't expect it to be true."

The ninjas opposite them all wore eerie smiles, and one of them even shouted, "Lord Haiga is invincible! You can die in peace!"

The Blue-haired Youth with Haiga felt extremely pleased after being flattered by his underlings, then his face twisted into a ferocious grin. "Attack them all! Take them all out! This place is our territory from now on!"

With their leader's Dark Release technique providing cover, the entire force became unrestrained, charging fearlessly into the enemy's formation in an instant. By this time, the enemy's resistance had begun to weaken, and many fell down like wheat being harvested.

"Damn it, you forced me into this." Seeing that his side was about to be defeated, the leader gritted his teeth and fired Signal flare without much hesitation.

Seeing the fireworks light up the sky, Haiga was also somewhat surprised and uncertain. As far as he knew, the enemy's numbers should only be this many; there couldn't possibly be any other reinforcements...

His underlings seemed equally confused about what was going on, and for a moment they dared not make any rash moves. The two sides were completely frozen in the small valley.

But the answer soon came to light. A series of swift footsteps rang in everyone's ears. Experienced people could tell at a glance that there were quite a few people coming, and that each of them was a master.

Before anyone could be seen, several large, crimson fireballs hurtled toward Haiga's group at incredible speed. The terrifying heat distorted the surrounding air, making it clear at a glance that a direct confrontation was not an option.

"Get out of the way!"

Upon seeing this, Haiga shouted and, without attempting to absorb the Ninjutsu using Dark Release, jumped aside first.

The more quick-witted underlings followed suit, but these fireballs seemed to be equipped with tracking devices, nimbly tracing arcs before striking the ninjas leaping in mid-air. "Ughhh..."

A chorus of screams erupted from the field, and everyone who looked at those who had been hit gasped in horror.

These people were charred black all over, their bodies emaciated, almost like mummies. Even their screams only lasted a short while before stopping, clearly indicating that they had lost their lives in a short time.

After the fireballs finished their attack, they didn't immediately dissipate. Instead, they seemed to be controlled and moved to a certain place. Everyone immediately looked over and saw a scantily clad female ninja with long orange bangs hanging on both sides of her forehead.

"Is that Scorching Release: Pakura from Sunagakure?"

Haiga's expression was grim; the other side had actually asked Sunagakure for help.

Many factions in the Land of Rivers understand that hiring the Five Great Ninja Villages isn't impossible, but regardless of success or failure, they'll be ripped off, which is practically like inviting a wolf into the house.

Because they are not an official force, even if a major ninja village commits murder and robbery, it won't affect the mission's credibility. They can use the pretext of threatening national security to take action.

"Swish swish..."

Not long after Pakura arrived, several more figures descended. Each of them was dressed in the traditional attire of Sunagakure, with white bandages wrapped around their heads. They all had resolute expressions and imposing auras, making them clearly not to be trifled with.

"Captain Shinnosuke, you're too slow." Pakura said calmly without turning his head.

Shinnosuke, one of the veteran Jonin of Sunagakure, didn't take her words to heart. The village had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Konoha in the Third Shinobi War, and if they were to fight amongst themselves, they would be doomed.

Pakura is considered one of the most promising geniuses in recent years, so it's understandable that she might be a little arrogant.

Therefore, he didn't care at all. "How powerful is Haiga's Dark Release? The village is quite interested in him. At most, we can capture him alive, and the other small fry can be easily wiped out."

"I think he's nothing special; at least he can't handle my Ninjutsu." Although Pakura was confident, she wasn't a simple-minded fool.

"That Dark Release actually absorbs the chakra from Ninjutsu. The reason he was afraid of my Scorch Release earlier is simply that he couldn't absorb the high-intensity chakra of his Kekkei Genkai, or his body couldn't handle too much."

Hearing these analyses, the somewhat youthful-looking young man from Sunagakure, Baki, said, "Let's attack together. If this Ryoma for him, he'll definitely reveal his resources; otherwise, we'll just kill him."