Traversing the Battlefield (1)

"Slug Sister, how's the battlefield looking?" Hyuga Ao asked the small slug perched on her shoulder.

The little slug closed its eyes in communication.

"Ao-sama, both sides are now packed into the front lines in a chaotic melee, split into small skirmish groups."

"Because of the ambush, the Sand Ninja have the upper hand. Konoha has numbers, but the Sand Ninja are elites too—they cancel each other out. So Konoha is relying on Tsunade-sama's healing to keep fighting."

"The Sand Ninja can wound, but they struggle to kill. Dragged out, Konoha will win, but Tsunade-sama's situation isn't good either—the jonin squad in front of the barrier is barely holding on."

"Moreover, Konoha's morale is entirely tied to Tsunade-sama's healing. If that healing stops, Konoha will collapse instantly."

Hyuga Ao understood.

"So I'm Konoha's only high-level combat power right now?"

"Yes, Ao-sama."

"Alright." Hyuga Ao picked up the sword gifted by the Sand Ninja, gave it a couple of casual swings, and found the feel acceptable.

Wind Cloak extended, coating the long blade.

"Slug Sister, I'll trouble you to relay enemy positions along the way!"

Hyuga Ao suddenly accelerated, charging forward.

Ahead were two reconnaissance squads led by the Inuzuka and Aburame clans, facing off against two pairs of Sand Ninja brothers.

Normally, Kikaichū could devour Chakra, making them a strong counter to puppets, but one pair of Sand Ninja brothers used Wind Style and Fire Style in tandem, forcing the Aburame's bugs to keep their distance.

The other pair had one brother controlling three puppets, constantly squeezing the reconnaissance squads' space, while the other brother wore them down with combined Wind-Fire ninjutsu.

If not for the reconnaissance squads' agility and Tsunade's healing providing a safety net, they'd have been in trouble already.

But it was close. The Sand Ninja puppet brothers could cover each other's puppet mistakes, and with the wind and fire scorching everything, the reconnaissance squads were having a rough time.

Hyuga Ao knew that to break this pair's combination, she had to take out one puppeteer first.

She'd observed them from afar—the older brother commanded, the younger brother assisted. So this first burst of aggression had to kill the older brother puppet master.

Closer, closer.

Hyuga Ao gripped the sword with both hands, holding it across her chest.

Wind Cloak output maxed for acceleration.

In moments, she was within visible range.

"Someone's coming!" the Sand Ninja wind-fire brothers shouted in warning.

The puppet brothers tried to recall their puppets for defense, but saw Hyuga Ao's speed was terrifying, and cried out:

"Too fast! Block her!"

The wind-fire brothers clasped hands in seals.

"Fire Style: Flowing Fire!" "Wind Style: Divine Wind!"

A ring of flame shot out, followed by a strong gust, forming a high-speed pillar of fire.

Inuzuka Tsubaki was about to warn Hyuga Ao to be careful—each brother's individual jutsu was weak, but combined, they rivaled an A-rank Fire Style.

But he immediately saw Hyuga Ao charge straight into it, sword in hand.

Hyuga Ao thrust forward, using the sword's excellent material as a medium to condense a massive Wind Style blade.

The fire pillar surged, its heat warping the surrounding air.

Hyuga Ao's expression didn't change. She drove the giant blade ahead, cleaving straight through the fire pillar, pressing onward.

The fire pillar scattered. Hyuga Ao's hair tips curled slightly as she closed in on the Sand Ninja who'd used Wind Style.

"What?" He couldn't believe someone could push through the fire pillar. Before he could react, Hyuga Ao swept past him, taking his head with a casual slash.

Another Empty Palm strike sent the Fire Style Sand Ninja flying. Hyuga Ao's blade pointed straight at the older puppet brother.

Six puppets rushed in. Hyuga Ao spun and slashed, the blade carrying a gale that sent the puppets flying, reaching the older puppet brother.

She kicked him away, flipped the blade, and stabbed it into the ground. Chakra surged, and a Wind Blade shot up. The kicked puppet brother burst with a "bang," reverting to a wooden puppet.

"Nii-san!!!" A mournful cry came from the younger puppet brother. "How dare you..."

Before he could finish, Hyuga Ao turned her head and met his eyes. Those inorganic white pupils instantly extinguished every flame in the younger puppet brother's heart.

Hyuga Ao paid him no further mind and pressed on. The remaining two were more than enough for the reconnaissance squads to handle.

The two squads were left staring in shock at Hyuga Ao's retreating figure, unable to fathom how that long-haired, graceful figure could have pushed through a fire pillar to kill two men.

"Gulp." A swallow broke the silence.

"Captain, did she just... cut through the fire pillar, smash the puppets, and kill two like that?"

He looked down at his own sword, utterly incredulous.

"Ahhhhh! I know, I know her—she's Orochimaru-sama's new disciple! No wonder she's so strong!" the only female ninja among the six shrieked.

"Alright, the battle's not over yet." The Aburame clan captain cut off his subordinates' chatter.

He looked at the younger puppet brother frozen in place, and the Fire Style Sand Ninja lying nearby coughing up blood, and smiled bitterly. This scene really did challenge his worldview.

Hyuga Ao naturally had no idea what was happening behind her—to her, all of that was in the past. Now she needed to focus on the enemy ahead.

She broke through three or four of those small skirmish groups in the blink of an eye, nothing worth paying attention to.

"Ahead is a Sand Jonin, just finished a fight. He specializes in Wind Style and Taijutsu," the little slug said in her soft, childish voice.

"Mm." Ao acknowledged she understood.

Strange, really—Manda and Bunta both had mature voices, yet the oldest slug of them all sounded the youngest. Was that just how Tsunade's summon beast rolled?

Tsunade felt personally attacked.

"Hm?"

True to a Jonin's sharp senses, the moment Ao's killing intent solidified, he felt it immediately.

Ao came rushing in, wind swirling around her—clearly not someone to mess with.

Sand Jonin Sakyōichi had just finished a grueling battle. His eyes flickered, a hint of retreat in them.

But a Jonin's pride demanded he at least gauge the enemy's strength.

"Wind Style: Wind Killing Array!"

A vacuum of air spiraled toward Ao, hiding Wind Blades within its currents, wrapping her in a vortex of sand and stone.

Ao let the vacuum pull her in. From inside came a clatter of metallic sounds, like someone parrying the Wind Blades with a blade.

Sakyōichi's face lit up with hope. This fool had actually charged straight into his jutsu. He poured more Chakra into it and tossed in a few Shuriken, letting the currents drive them to slice and dice, aiming to trap and kill her.

But he didn't know that, off to his side and behind him, Ao had suppressed her presence, her expression blank and emotionless. She looked at Sakyōichi like he was nothing more than a human-shaped rock.

Ao stepped up to that rock and delivered a palm strike so seamless it left no trace. Sakyōichi stumbled forward as if shoved from behind, then collapsed face-first to the ground, silent.

The Ao inside the Wind Killing Array burst into white smoke with a "poof," leaving only a katana lying on the ground.

Ao picked up the blade and was about to leave.

Just then, the little slug called out to her: "Wait, Ao-sama, please bring my companions along."

Ao looked over at the Konoha ninja's corpse nearby and saw seven little slugs crawling out of it one by one.

Seven palm-sized little slugs stared at Ao with hopeful eyes.

"Hiss." Driven by some primal instinct, Ao shuddered. She thought it over—nothing seemed wrong with it—so she crouched in front of the little slugs and let them crawl up her hand.

The seven slugs lined up, climbing from her palm to her wrist, up her arm, and finally onto her shoulder and neck.

But these slugs weren't as well-behaved as the first one.

A cold, slimy sensation spread across her skin.

"Ah!" Ao yelped. "Slug Sisters, can you all go to my back? Don't slide around everywhere!"

"Ah, that tickles—stop, stop! If you keep moving, I'm not taking any of you!" Ao said, flustered and embarrassed.

But the slugs ignored her, each finding a comfortable spot on their own.

Finally, the first slug spoke up, acting like the big sister and directing the others where to settle.

"So sad—that spot had the smoothest skin."

"Yeah, yeah, mine was soft and just right—felt great to stick to."

"What do you two know? I had a place to brace myself, but I couldn't stay there."

All kinds of chatter came at her, turning Ao's pretty face dark with anger. Only today did she realize that split slugs each had their own personality, and plenty of them were mischievous little troublemakers.

Ao's image of the big slug sisters was shattered.

After a bit of a ruckus, the big sister slug gave orders for all the slugs to shut up, and Ao was finally able to move on.