Engagement

In that moment, some of his teammates actually thought Yuzuru was dead.

However, the reaction speed and body control Yuzuru displayed were nothing like a Genin's. He easily managed to turn the tables and kill his attacker.

Yuzuru, however, only felt his heart pounding. What was this? Training through combat?

The enemies were eight Amegakure ninja. It was clear they had been lying in ambush here, waiting to catch their prey. This Konoha squad had just happened to be the unlucky ones.

After dealing with one enemy, Yuzuru didn't have time to confirm their death before the next one charged at him.

The second enemy was a tall, gaunt ninja with vacant, cold eyes. A sense of numbness emanated from him, and his entire face was obscured by a special respirator, with only the Amegakure symbol on his forehead protector clearly visible.

This person looked like the ideal ninja: devoid of emotion, only knowing how to kill, and unburdened by anything other than the mission.

Clang!

Yuzuru precisely blocked the short sword in the enemy's hand with the Kunai he held. The impact force on his hand nearly made him lose his balance... This enemy had considerable Strength. Shouldn't an enemy of this physique be handled by the captain?

However, Yuzuru had no time to worry about that now. As the enemy swung his sword again, he ducked low, evading the blade that cut through the air with a sharp whistle. He then stepped forward, closing the distance, and with a flick of his wrist, changed the Kunai from reverse grip to forward grip. He thrust it straight forward, embedding the tip into the enemy's ribs.

Blood splashed out again.

The Amegakure ninja possessed a fierce nature. The searing pain in his side didn't disrupt his next attack. With the distance too close, he abandoned his sword and simply raised his arm, attempting to finish off the crouched Yuzuru with an elbow strike.

But in the next moment, Yuzuru's figure suddenly vanished.

After the brief exchange, Yuzuru finally understood. The Taijutsu level he was displaying now was far beyond what his status panel could show...

Chakra erupted from his feet, and Yuzuru's figure appeared at the enemy's side. He then flicked several Shuriken, accurately hitting the back of the enemy's sword-wielding hand. In pain, the enemy's short sword slipped from his grasp.

Using the direction of the incoming Kunai as a reference, the enemy's peripheral vision caught sight of Yuzuru's figure again. But before he could counterattack, the figure disappeared once more.

A hand caught the falling short sword, and then the Amegakure ninja felt his shoulder sink.

Someone had stepped on his shoulder. He instinctively looked up and saw a blade descending vertically... At the moment he looked up, he exposed his neck.

Thus, the long sword slid into his chest from the side of his neck.

"Body Flicker Technique..."

The enemy's life force had been extinguished, but even so, he still tried to counterattack with a desperate throw, attempting to slam Yuzuru.

Yuzuru, with no other choice, kicked the hilt of the long sword. The sharp blade pierced straight through the enemy's body, and the enemy finally ceased all movement, falling from the tree into the muddy water like his companion.

Having dealt with two enemies consecutively, Yuzuru had only used a few Body Flicker Techniques. His Chakra consumption was minimal... Poor ninja fought like this, especially during such deep behind-enemy-lines long-term operations. They saved Chakra whenever possible.

Yuzuru's fight hadn't lasted long, but by now, the rain cloak he wore was almost completely stained red with blood... He had managed to gauge his combat strength. The enemy's combat strength was likely at Chunin or Genin level, yet he, a battlefield novice, had dealt with them in a relatively simple manner.

Indeed, mastering the Body Flicker Technique allowed one to fare well on the battlefield.

However, he had to be careful. The Body Flicker Technique he used was merely a high-speed movement technique, not the Flying Thunder God Technique or any other space-time Ninjutsu. Therefore, as long as the enemy's perception was sharp enough, they could still track his movements... The Body Flicker Technique was reliable, but he couldn't over-rely on it.

"As expected, people die when they are killed, but I don't want to die..." Yuzuru murmured, looking at the two enemy corpses.

After eliminating two enemies, he finally had time to check on his teammates.

Captain Torifu Akimichi had already dealt with the enemies around him. Wielding a black iron staff, he simply struck the three charging enemies once each, finishing them off. His fighting style was unpretentious yet showcased his strength as a seasoned elite Jonin.

Torifu Akimichi stood there, seemingly in complete control of the battlefield, but he didn't continue fighting. Instead, he observed his teammates' combat.

On the other side, an orange fireball appeared with a burst of explosion. A curtain of rain was evaporated by the high-temperature flames over a wide area, and white steam instantly enveloped the forest... This was Uchiha's signature Ninjutsu, the Great Fireball Technique. Hazuki Uchiha's release angle and distance were well-judged, and two enemies were instantly engulfed.

The last one, Kairi Omori, only had one enemy left to deal with, but she didn't attack directly. Instead, she led the enemy around in circles, seemingly fleeing in panic. However, after a few laps, she completed a Binding Technique formation on the ground. The remaining enemy stood in the center of the formation like a puppet and was captured alive.

The team regrouped, and the four of them approached the last enemy.

"Hazuki, see if you can extract any valuable information from him," Torifu Akimichi remembered Hazuki Uchiha mentioning she was skilled in Genjutsu.

"Okay."

Hazuki Uchiha approached the enemy, her Sharingan eyes fixed on his. One with three tomoe, one with two tomoe. Yuzuru saw it clearly.

Judging by the level of their eye development, her skill should be quite good.

The Genjutsu easily manipulated the enemy's thoughts, but there was no valuable information on him.

"These people were just carrying out an ambush mission, randomly attacking any enemies that fell into their trap."

Torifu Akimichi nodded. The overall strength of these Amegakure enemies was weak. They wouldn't be able to carry out targeted missions... A squad composed entirely of Chunin and Genin could only manage ordinary ambushes.

Then, Torifu Akimichi specifically praised Yuzuru, "Yuzuru, your Body Flicker Technique is very good. Who did you learn it from?"

"Captain, I practiced it myself."

"Very good. Your Body Flicker Technique is not Genin level. It will definitely be useful in the upcoming battles."

Yuzuru, for once, spoke the truth. "Captain, I don't know what level my Body Flicker Technique is, actually."

"Hmm... Self-taught? If that's the case, you have great talent in Body Flicker Technique."

Nonsense, that wasn't Yuzuru's talent, it was the Fourth Hokage's talent.

For ninja from commoner backgrounds, the most crucial factor wasn't talent, but whether they had the resources and channels to learn. Many commoner ninja never even knew if they had talent until the day they died.

"Let's leave here quickly. The commotion just now wasn't small."

Actually, the fighting just now hadn't made much noise, except for Uchiha releasing a powerful Fire Release jutsu.

The squad's current mission was not direct combat. Therefore, after casually dealing with the prisoner and briefly scavenging for some valuable supplies, the group set off again.

They hadn't gone far before the bloodstains on Yuzuru's body were simply washed away by the heavy rain.