Kill the Enemy, See Blood

Rin then gave a detailed description of the distances between them and the hidden Iwagakure ninja, their exact locations, even pinpointing specific patches of grass.

Everyone understood the situation.

Shuomo decided to take out two of them with Yan first.

Both were ninja skilled in assassination and speed. With the advantage of intelligence, they would disable two enemies first, then Rin would charge in and start killing head-on.

Yayoi was responsible for hanging back and picking up the scraps. He had no objections; it was not that he was unwilling to contribute, but killing just two Genin was far too easy for him.

A simple tactic was also the most effective tactic.

The squad gradually approached the hiding place of the Iwagakure ambushers ahead.

Shuomo focused all his attention on the Jonin.

The enemy was carefully hiding amid the shrubs, looking ready to use Earth Release to burrow underground at any moment.

Even though an ordinary Jonin was vastly weaker than him, Shuomo had never been careless.

Even a lion used its full power when hunting a rabbit.

He poured Chakra into the White Fang in his hand, and in an instant, the blade was coated in a layer of silvery white.

A flash of white light—and the instant the Body Flicker Technique activated, a streak of blood appeared.

The Iwagakure Jonin did not have time to counterattack before a bloody line was slashed across his throat.

A single fatal strike.

Meanwhile, in the grass not far behind the Iwagakure Jonin, two Chunin immediately realized something was wrong when they saw that fleeting flash of silver and prepared to use Earth Release.

But before they could move, it was as though a gust of wind brushed across their cheeks.

A pair of scarlet eyes suddenly appeared in front of them.

"Damn it, it's the Sharingan!"

Before the two Chunin could say anything else, one of them was directly caught in the Genjutsu of Yan's Two Tomoe Sharingan.

His hand signs halted, and his eyes turned dull and vacant.

Yan then ended his life with a single slash. Blood sprayed through the air as her pupils constricted, and she took a deep breath.

She was adjusting her mindset. On the battlefield, besides great strength, one also needed a calm state of mind.

The true purpose of this mission was also to give them the composure to remain unruffled in danger.

The other Chunin, meanwhile, fled in panic.

"Earth Release: Fish in Mud Technique!"

Using his companion's death to buy time, the Iwagakure Chunin performed the ninjutsu and rapidly burrowed into the ground.

But after killing one Chunin, Yan paid no further attention to him.

This was a trial.

With Teacher Shuomo present, even a Jonin could not hurt them, let alone when they themselves possessed Jonin-level strength.

"Soft Fist!"

Rin drew her Twin Swords, and the Chakra within her body surged into the blades in an instant.

She activated her Byakugan and spotted the Iwagakure ninja tunneling through the earth in an attempt to escape. With a leap, she jumped onto a tree branch and gave chase.

In Yayoi's line of sight, Rin pursued through the trees while the Iwagakure ninja ran underground.

But how could a mere Chunin compare to Rin?

After completing her Hyuga Gene, Rin's physical abilities had been comprehensively enhanced, and she had fully entered the ranks of Jonin.

In barely ten seconds, Rin caught up to the Iwagakure ninja.

After confirming his location, Rin gripped her Twin Swords in reverse, leaped, and viciously plunged both blades into the ground.

Chakra blades extended from the sword edges, piercing through the earth and impaling the Iwagakure ninja below.

Blood slowly seeped up from the ground. Only after confirming his death through her Byakugan did Rin pull out her Twin Swords.

Because he had been pierced by Chakra blades shaped from Chakra, the Twin Swords were not stained with blood.

"Only I'm left. Rin and Yan really move fast."

Yayoi watched the two of them swiftly finish off their opponents and helplessly spread his hands.

The next second, he charged cleanly toward the remaining two Genin.

He drew out the mirror and aimed it at the two Genin.

"Dragon Flame Song!"

He formed hand signs for show. The mirror contained ninjutsu that had been analyzed before.

Under the replication of the Mirror Eye within, Chakra assembled according to its circulation route. At last, a fire dragon soared into the air and pounced on the two.

"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"

The two Genin panicked and hastily formed hand signs, using one of the few ninjutsu they knew.

After the fire dragon slammed into the earthen wall with a deafening explosion, Yayoi used the Body Flicker Technique to appear beside the two men and cut down one Genin with a swing of his sword.

Blood flowed, but he was no stranger to it. He did not hesitate in the slightest.

"You bastard!"

Seeing his companion killed, the other Genin immediately threw a Shuriken.

Yayoi raised his sword to block it, then continued his slash toward the Iwagakure Ninja.

"Join us in death, Konoha Ninja!"

The Iwagakure Ninja pulled out a Kunai and blocked Yayoi's blade. Just as Yayoi was about to kill him with another strike, the man suddenly produced three Explosive Tags.

Yayoi tried to evade, but the Iwagakure Ninja had gone mad. Ignoring the blood pouring from his hand, he desperately clutched onto Yayoi.

"I was careless. Next time, I'll make sure you die without a sound."

Yayoi sighed helplessly as a light breeze swept past.

"Taking a genius down with me is worth it."

Having lost too much blood, the Iwagakure Ninja was already delirious.

At that moment, the Explosive Tags detonated. Yayoi kicked the Iwagakure Ninja away.

Then a gust of Wind Flow swept through, forming a Wind Barrier that blocked the blast's aftermath.

"You all did very well."

Seeing that Yayoi had dealt with the last enemy as well, Shuomo stepped in to offer his assessment.

"Rin and Yan performed perfectly. You took down your opponents in a single strike."

"Yayoi, you were careless this time. Remember, never give the enemy a chance to get close to you."

"Yes, Teacher Shuomo."

Yayoi humbly accepted Shuomo's advice.

His combat experience truly was lacking. Or perhaps some subconscious arrogance had caused him to misjudge battles between Ninja.

"All right, no need to feel bad. You're a medical Ninja—Rin and Yan will protect you."

Shuomo added.

"I don't feel bad. I'm just reflecting on it."

"That's good. The mission deadline is to clear all the Iwagakure Ninja from this area. The Sunagakure Ninja are no exception."

"You'll have plenty of chances to practice. Strive to grow quickly."

Shuomo spoke casually, perhaps because he was confident in his ability to protect them.

Thus, he did not place any demands on them, only telling them to train without worry.

Late at night.

A campfire rose beside a quiet forest stream, its brief glow soon extinguished once more.

Beside the fire lay the remains of a meal, with nothing left but fish bones.

Rin activated her Byakugan around the area to lure out enemies. After keeping watch for a while, she Began to relocate.

Yan and Rin slept in the tent, while Yayoi and Shuomo kept watch beside the stream.

"Teacher Shuomo, is it possible for Sunagakure and Iwagakure to form an alliance?"

After thinking it over, Yayoi asked.

The thought had been lingering in his mind. This was their first mission, and if Yayoi wanted to adapt to the battlefield environment as quickly as possible, he needed to think more.

"No. Before Tsuchikage Ōnoki has a clear grasp of Konoha's strength, he won't form an alliance with Sunagakure. But taking advantage of the chaos is unavoidable."

Shuomo shook his head, rejecting the idea.

"But since Iwagakure Ninja are lurking along the border, Sunagakure may be doing the same. At the very least, here, they may join forces against Konoha."

"You have a point. We'll be more careful from here on."

Yayoi's reasoning was sound, and Shuomo nodded in acknowledgment.

Judging from Yayoi's analysis, it was not impossible—indeed, the odds were quite high.

However, when the time came, the two groups of Ninja might disguise themselves as each other and frame the other side.

Deception was also part of war. If they killed everyone who knew the truth, then without concrete evidence, Konoha would have no way to punish Iwagakure.