Bloodline Theory? Just Trash

So the battle ended in the blink of an eye.

Leaving behind three corpses.

A trace of calm flashed through the eyes of the four-man Konoha ninja squad. "Pursue!"

With a hand signal.

The four set off again.

When they passed another corner, they froze for a moment.

Because...

Beyond this corner lay three passages.

Which direction had their target gone?

"Summoning Technique!"

The Silver-haired Konoha Young Ninja formed hand seals. In an instant, white smoke rose, and a small Shar Pei Dog appeared on the ground.

"Kakashi, what do you need me to do?" the Shar Pei Dog asked in human speech.

"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 granddaughter of Amegakure Village Leader Hanzo of the Salamander, and cut off her escape route.

As long as they captured Hanzo's Granddaughter Asuka alive.

Or even killed her.

Then the last shred of will in the heart of this Amegakure leader, whose son and daughter-in-law had both died in battle, this era's Demigod, would be extinguished.

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, victory in the Third Shinobi World War would belong to Konoha.

The war had lasted far too long...

Too many people had died...

Obito, Rin... both had become sacrifices of the war...

Kakashi was tired.

If the war could end quickly, peace would descend once more, and there would be no more sacrifices...

Ninja Dog Pakkun sniffed around, then frowned in a human-like manner. "That scent split into two..."

He glanced at the pitch-black passages.

The middle route was ruled out.

Only the left and right remained.

"Two scents? Shadow Clones? Or..." Kakashi pondered briefly before looking at his three subordinates.

"Captain Kakashi, the three of us can chase her while you enter one passage alone. How about it?"

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, the Nara Clan was known as Ino-Shika-Cho, one of Konoha's prominent ninja families.

The Nara Clan had passed down the Shadow Secret Technique for generations. It was not Bloodline Theory, yet it was better than Bloodline Theory.

They often served as strategists, tacticians, advisors, and the like.

Even the Konoha Jonin Squad Leader was held by the young Nara Clan Head.

Ordinary people naturally would not casually offer opinions to their captain.

But the Nara Clan was usually responsible for brains.

Their arrangements were always the optimal solution.

"Mm... then be careful." Kakashi nodded and, together with Pakkun, pursued into the right-hand passage.

"Get the antidote 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 her surname.

It was because she had implanted a venom sac into her body from childhood.

Thus, her breath carried poison.

Her granddaughter, Asuka, was the same.

Using the Nara Clan's intelligence, they had previously successfully tested that Asuka possessed the same trait. She had likely implanted an Ibuse venom sac into her body since childhood, gaining 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 developed an antidote for Salamander Toxin.

Though Princess Tsunade had been away for many years.

The antidote formula had continued to be passed down.

The three gripped their antidotes, nodded, then entered the dark passage on the left together...

Not long after.

Asuka stopped in the passage.

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 kept his Left Hand in his Ninja Tools pouch, gripping an antidote.

His eyes stared fixedly at the beautiful Girl. A flicker of amazement still passed through his gaze.

But the discipline of a ninja and his sharp mind made him immediately discard those distracting thoughts.

A ninja was nothing more than a tool.

Only those who completed their missions could be called ninjas.

Those who failed... look at Kakashi's father, the Konoha White Fang. Those were called dead men.

For the mission.

No matter how beautiful the other party 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 fame had soared.

Ever since last year's Kannabi Bridge Battle.

After obtaining Obito Uchiha's Sharingan, Kakashi had copied all kinds of ninjutsu and, using the Sharingan's abilities, completed multiple dangerous missions.

On top of that, he himself was the disciple of Minato Namikaze, the strong candidate for Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure...

So his reputation naturally began spreading throughout the Ninja World.

"Though you are the Demigod's granddaughter, you are not the Demigod after all... You already have... nowhere 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 gazes tensely fixed on the beautiful, mysterious Amegakure Girl from a foreign land.

Demigod... that title was still extremely intimidating.

Therefore, 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 her granddaughter.

"Surrender..."

Shikahide Nara sighed.

"The war has already killed too many people. There's no point in continuing... 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 exceptional intellect.

Shikahide Nara tried to persuade Hanzo's Granddaughter and spare her a needless sacrifice.

"Also, if you intend to use 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 the antidote formulated by our Konoha's Princess Tsunade. Your poison is useless against us..."

He shook it, then drank the medicine in front of her.

Such an action, along with his reasoning.

Might have persuaded an ordinary person.

However...

After suffering through invasion, the deaths of her parents, the sacrifices of her comrades... how could the Amegakure Girl possibly surrender?

"Amegakure... will never surrender!"

The Girl, who had fought bitterly for days and was visibly exhausted, raised her Kunai, preparing for one final struggle.

Shikahide Nara's eyes darkened. "You've even lost your proper weapon... and you still want to fight us? I'll give you one last chance. We of Konoha..."

"Ko... noha...??!!"

A low voice suddenly sounded from the dark passage.

It was like a question, yet also like the murmur of an evil ghost.

"!!"

All four people present were startled.

For some reason, an unprovoked chill rose in their hearts, as though those words just now had been some terrible mistake.

The next moment.

A figure emerged from the darkness.

Four. Prosperity?

"Who's there?!"

The three immediately became alert.

Could there be another ambush here?!

Soon, Mingren walked before both groups.

Asuka, Shikahide Nara, and the others all turned to look at him.

"An ordinary person?" The Chestnut-Haired Young Ninja in the squad spoke. There was a clan crest on his armband, and Mingren noticed it.