The Truth Revealed

"Yoru, what do we do?"

Sarutobi Kagejiro's expression began to waver as he watched the Sand Ninja's movements, retreat already creeping into his mind.

He was about to suggest pulling back with the intel first, but Gekko Yoru grabbed him and pulled him over to Umino Sasuke's side—clearly intent on testing the waters with a skirmish first.

"Kagejiro, they're all poisoned. We might still have a chance."

In Gekko Yoru's eyes, this Sentry Patrol Unit captain might only be a chunin on paper, but his combat ability was surely far from ordinary. The tactical skill he'd just displayed was proof enough.

The Sand Ninja before them were poisoned, wounded, and had burned through a massive amount of chakra. They were barely at thirty percent of their full strength. That was enough to downgrade their threat level by a full rank in tactical consideration—while all six of them were still fighting fit.

Three-to-six odds. Advantage: us.

"Hmph!" Sarutobi Kagejiro let out a cold snort through his nose.

He clearly wasn't thrilled about staying behind to hold the line. In his view, they were facing an enemy force with one jonin, one special jonin, and two chunin. Even if they looked depleted, the risk was still real.

A wise man doesn't stand beneath a crumbling wall. He had no intention of taking that gamble.

With that thought, Sarutobi Kagejiro's gaze toward Umino Sasuke unconsciously sharpened with hostility. If that bastard hadn't transformed into a fake Uchiha earlier, he could've already slipped away with the intel. It was all this wretched man's fault—he'd missed the perfect chance to escape this danger.

"Huh? That poor brat from the Umino Clan?"

Sarutobi Kagejiro gave him a long, scrutinizing look and finally recognized Umino Sasuke. Wasn't this the same poor kid who used to deliver fish to his house?

That stinking fish-peddling Umino Clan had produced a ninja?

Impossible. How could a lowborn family of fishmongers raise a ninja this skilled?

"Damn it!" The thought made Sarutobi Kagejiro burn with humiliation. He, the second son of the Sarutobi elder's household, had been saved by some fishmonger's brat—what a slap to his pride.

And on top of that, the brat had transformed into an Uchiha instead of a Sarutobi jonin. Did he think the Uchiha were stronger than the Sarutobi Clan?

And if it weren't for that misleading transformation, he wouldn't be stuck in this dangerous situation now.

To put him in such peril—that alone was unforgivable.

"Huh?" Umino Sasuke caught the growing hostility in Sarutobi Kagejiro's eyes and was baffled. He'd just saved this guy's life.

And sure, the Umino Clan had long split from the Sarutobi, but they were still part of the Third Hokage's faction. They were on the same side. Where was this hostility coming from? Was it just jealousy because he thought Sasuke was stealing the spotlight?

"Kagejiro, watch yourself. I'll take the Sand Hidden jonin."

Gekko Yoru assumed Kagejiro was having another bout of jealousy, so he volunteered for the toughest fight himself, leaving the weaker Dark-Faced Special Jonin for Umino Sasuke.

With that, Gekko Yoru drew his long blade and charged straight at the strongest enemy—the Hedgehog-Haired Jonin.

Umino Sasuke nodded. Gekko Yoru was reliable as always. He quickly assigned the tactical roles: "Tang, the three of you hold off that Bald Chunin. Watch out for his Earth Release. I'll handle the Dark-Faced Special Jonin."

As he finished, Sasuke glanced at the hostile Sarutobi Kagejiro—the implication clear. The remaining Half-Crippled Chunin Puppet Master was his responsibility.

That Half-Crippled Chunin Puppet Master was the weakest of the Sand Ninja now. His puppet was half-destroyed, his combat power likely below a standard chunin. Giving him to Kagejiro, who carried the intel, seemed the most reasonable choice.

"How dare you!" Sarutobi Kagejiro felt insulted. A mere servant's spawn was giving him orders? This disrespectful wretch had no right to command someone from a master household.

Fuming, Kagejiro wanted to just stand aside and watch the show.

But the enemy didn't give him that option. The Sand Ninja seemed to agree with the balanced tactical matchup.

And so, both sides—willingly or not—chose their opponents and clashed.

"Dance of the Crescent Moon!"

Gekko Yoru unleashed the Konoha-Style Secret Sword Technique, splitting into three Shadow Clones that converged on the Hedgehog-Haired Jonin.

"Impressive!" Umino Sasuke praised Gekko Yoru's reliability at the sight of such elegant swordsmanship.

But a pang of bitterness hit him. Gekko Yoru opened with a secret Konoha sword technique, while he could only wield a Tanto and fight with some third-rate Fish-Slicing Sword Style.

His Fish-Slicing Sword Style wasn't some profound technique—just a crude adaptation of his family's basic samurai swordsmanship.

The only thing it had going for it was the killing intent built up from years of gutting fish for the family business. Nothing more.

Seeing that Tanto slicing toward him with such murderous intent, the Dark-Faced Special Jonin gripped a Kunai tightly, treating it like a life-or-death threat. He snapped to full alert.

Clang! Clang! Clang!...

Umino Sasuke clashed with the Dark-Faced Special Jonin, his Fish-Slicing Sword Style meeting the enemy's Kunai.

The Kunai flashed cold light; the Tanto blurred like lightning. Blades crossed midair with sharp, ringing clashes.

Blades danced. Sparks flew.

"Huh?" The Dark-Faced Special Jonin's eyes flickered with doubt. This Konoha Jonin, supposedly a master of Tool Manipulation, seemed... average in taijutsu. Aside from solid strength and decent fundamentals, he was only at standard chunin level.

Was this another Tactical Deception?

No. He couldn't let his guard down. He'd probe further.

So the Dark-Faced Special Jonin grew even more cautious, testing his opponent's limits.

After several exchanges, he finally saw through Umino Sasuke's true strength. Aside from his tactical skill and Tool Manipulation, everything else was pure standard chunin level.

Probing done, the Dark-Faced Special Jonin seized the moment. Using the rebound force from his Kunai, he flipped backward to create distance.

Mid-flip, he hurled the Kunai, then his hands flew through the E and Shin Seals before clasping together.

"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"

Suddenly.

A violent gale, wrapped around a Kunai, shot toward Umino Sasuke's chest at a speed too fast for the naked eye to track.

"Not good!"

Fortunately, Umino Sasuke had activated the Sonic Radar Technique and sensed the Dark-Faced Special Jonin's tactical intent.

Five seals per second, he hurriedly unleashed his life-saving trump card: the Substitution Technique.

Bam!

The violent gale, carrying the Kunai, directly smashed a log into splinters.

But Umino Sasuke had already leaped five meters away, barely dodging the critical blow of the Wind Release: Gale Palm.