So the battle ended in the blink of an eye.
Leaving behind three corpses.
A trace of composure flashed through the eyes of the four-man Konoha ninja squad. "Pursue them!"
With a hand signal.
The four set off again.
But when they passed another corner, they froze for a moment.
Because...
Beyond this corner were three passageways.
Which direction had their target gone?
"Summoning Technique!"
The Silver-haired Konoha Young Ninja formed hand seals. White smoke rose in an instant, and a small Shar Pei Dog appeared on the ground.
"Kakashi, what do you need me to do?" the Shar Pei Dog asked in a human voice.
"Pakkun, I need you to track the enemy's scent..." Kakashi Hatake's forehead protector covered one eye, his voice gloomy.
This mission was to pursue Hanzo of the Salamander's Granddaughter, the Amegakure Village Leader, and cut off her escape route.
As long as they captured Hanzo's Granddaughter, Asuka, alive.
Or even killed her.
The last shred of will in the heart of the Amegakure leader, the Demigod of this era whose son and daughter-in-law had both died in battle, would be crushed.
At that point.
Having lost her resolve and likely fallen into despair, Hanzo of the Salamander would have no choice but to form an alliance with Konoha under its threats.
She would become an allied buffer against Iwagakure and Sunagakure for Konoha.
Then the victory of the Third Shinobi World War would belong to Konoha.
The war had lasted far too long...
Too many people had died...
Obito and Rin had both become sacrifices of war...
Kakashi was already tired.
If the war could end quickly, peace would return, and there would be no more victims...
Ninja Dog Pakkun sniffed around, then frowned in a human-like manner. "That scent split into two..."
He glanced at the pitch-black passageways.
The middle one was ruled out.
That left only the left and right paths.
"Two scents? Shadow Clones? Or..." Kakashi pondered briefly before looking at his three subordinates.
"Captain Kakashi, how about the three of us pursue her while you investigate one passageway alone?"
A squad member with a pineapple-shaped ponytail spoke.
His name was Shikahide Nara, a Nara Clan Ninja.
Together with the Akimichi Clan and Yamanaka Clan, they were known as Ino-Shika-Cho and were also one of Konoha's prominent ninja clans.
The Nara Clan had passed down the Shadow Secret Technique for generations. It was not Bloodline Theory, but it might as well have been.
They often served as strategists, tacticians, and advisers.
Even the Konoha Jonin Squad Leader was a young Nara Clan Head.
An ordinary person naturally would not casually offer opinions to the captain.
But the Nara Clan was usually the brains of the group.
Their arrangements were always the optimal solution.
"Mm... Be careful, then." Kakashi nodded and entered the right passage with Pakkun.
"Keep the antidotes ready."
Watching Kakashi's retreating back, Shikahide Nara spoke to his two teammates.
Hanzo of the Salamander was called the Salamander not because it was his surname.
It was because he had implanted a poison sac into his body from a young age.
Giving his breath poisonous properties.
His granddaughter, Asuka, was the same.
Using the Nara Clan's high intelligence, they had previously successfully tested that Asuka possessed the same trait. She had likely implanted an Ibuse poison sac into her body since childhood, acquiring characteristics similar to a "Poison Human."
But unfortunately.
She had encountered Konoha's ninjas.
Many years ago, during the Second Shinobi World War, Princess Tsunade, one of the Sannin, had already formulated an antidote for Salamander Toxin.
Although Princess Tsunade had left many years ago.
The antidote formula had continued to be passed down.
The three gripped their antidotes and nodded, then entered the dark passageway on the left together...
Not long after.
Asuka stopped in the passageway.
Seeing the three people closing in around her, she knew she could not escape.
More importantly...
Her three subordinates had already...
"Our captain is the recently renowned hero of the Kannabi Bridge Battle..."
Shikahide Nara had his left hand tucked into his Ninja Tools pouch, gripping an antidote.
His eyes stared straight at the beautiful girl, and a flicker of amazement still passed through his gaze.
But a ninja's discipline and his shrewd mind immediately cast aside those distracting thoughts.
A ninja was a tool.
Only those who completed their missions could be called ninjas.
Those who failed... Take Kakashi's father, the Konoha White Fang, as an example. They were called dead men.
For the mission.
No matter how beautiful the opponent was, they had to capture her or kill her on the spot.
"Kakashi Hatake... You've heard of him, right?"
Over the past year.
Kakashi's reputation had soared.
Since last year's Kannabi Bridge Battle.
After obtaining Obito Uchiha's Sharingan, Kakashi had copied all kinds of Ninjutsu and relied on the Sharingan's abilities to complete numerous dangerous missions.
In addition, he was a disciple of Minato Namikaze, the powerful candidate for Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure...
So his fame naturally began spreading throughout the Ninja World.
"Although you are the Demigod's granddaughter, you are not the Demigod herself... You already have... nowhere left to run."
Shikahide Nara said this.
Naturally because he wanted to take her down without injury.
If she surrendered obediently, that would be best.
If not, they could only use lethal force.
The other two squad members beside him were also on high alert, their eyes tensely fixed on the beautiful, mysterious Amegakure girl before them.
Demigod... That title was still quite intimidating.
So, to complete the mission perfectly and deny Hanzo of the Salamander any chance for revenge.
They had to remain two hundred percent focused.
They needed to completely subdue or kill his granddaughter.
"Surrender..."
Shikahide Nara sighed.
"Too many people have already died in this war. There's no point in continuing to fight... If we capture you, we won't do anything to you. Think about it... If Amegakure and Konoha form an alliance, then the Third Shinobi World War will be a win-win victory for Amegakure and Konoha..."
Using his brilliant mind.
Shikahide Nara tried to persuade Hanzo's Granddaughter and spare her a needless sacrifice.
"Also, if you're thinking of using Ibuse poison, I advise you to forget it..."
As he spoke, Shikahide Nara withdrew his left hand and took out the test tube he had kept in his Ninja Tools pouch.
"This is an antidote formulated by our Konoha's Princess Tsunade. Your poison is ineffective against us..."
He shook it, then drank the medicine in front of her.
Those actions, along with his words.
Might have persuaded an ordinary person.
However...
The Amegakure girl had suffered through invasion, the deaths of her parents, the sacrifice of her companions... How could she possibly surrender?
"Amegakure... will never surrender!"
The girl, who had fought bitterly for days and was visibly exhausted, raised her Kunai, intending to make one final stand.
Shikahide Nara's expression darkened. "You've even lost your proper weapon... You still want to fight us? I'll give you one last chance. We of Konoha..."
"Kono...ha...??!!"
A low voice suddenly rang out from the dark passageway.
It sounded like a challenge, yet also like the whisper of an evil ghost.
"!!"
All four people present were startled.
For some reason, a chill rose in their hearts out of nowhere, as though those words had been some terrible mistake.
The next moment.
A figure emerged from the darkness.
Four. Prosperity?
"Who goes there?!"
The three immediately became alert.
Could there be another ambush here?!
Very soon, Mingren walked before the two groups.
Asuka, Shikahide Nara, and the others all looked over at once.
"An ordinary person?" The Chestnut-Haired Young Ninja in the squad spoke. There was a clan crest pattern on his armband, which Mingren noticed.
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