An unexpected encounter!

A remote town on the border of the Land of Earth.

After several days of hurried travel, the Konoha group evaded the Iwagakure reconnaissance teams stationed on the border. Ibiki decided to stay in town for a good night's rest.

After a simple meal, everyone went back to their rooms to rest.

Lying on the bed, Tōka's mind kept flashing back to the intelligence report, which detailed the abilities of each member of their four-person team.

He was pondering...

This intelligence was most likely intended for Kakuzu and Hidan. Was Black Zetsu worried that they would snatch the Two-Tails Jinchūriki back?

Does Black Zetsu not believe me anymore? Or has he never believed me at all?

"Now that the Two-Tails 'Jinchūriki has been captured, they should be performing the Phantom Dragon Nine Seals to seal the Two-Tails' chakra within the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path."

Tōka rested his head on his arm and looked up at the ceiling. Although the Phantom Dragon Nine Seals take several days, from the time the Two-Tails Jinchūriki was kidnapped until the news came out...

From the time the Great Nations have sent small teams to infiltrate the Land of Earth for reconnaissance, the Jutsu Formula has likely been completed by now.

The silver moon hung high outside the window, and the chirping of insects among the rocks went on and on. The vast night seemed to be filled with frost.

Having not slept all night, the group set off to leave the town before dawn the next day.

Just as I left the Town and was walking on the cobblestone path, two figures dressed in Red Cloud Black Cloak slowly approached me.

"Kakuzu, what are we going to do next?" Hidan asked leisurely as he carried the Blood Scythe.

"The Two-Tails has been sealed, so there's nothing more for us to do now." Kakuzu pulled out a stack of bounty posters from his pocket and flipped through them one by one.

"Tch, another round of hunting down wanted criminals, how boring!" Hidan said, pursing his lips in annoyance.

"What are you muttering about?" Kakuzu glared at Hidan with a stern face.

"Uh... no, it's nothing." Hidan quickly waved his hand.

As the two were talking, Tōka and his group approached one after another, and they bumped into each other on the narrow path.

However, Tōka noticed the two in advance and immediately slipped to the back of the group, using the figures of the three people in front of her to block her view.

Kakuzu, naturally didn't see Tōka.

As the two sides drew closer...

"Huh? Kakuzu, could this guy be that monkey with a bounty of over 30 million ryo?" Hidan's gaze suddenly fell on Asuma's face, and he exclaimed in a low voice.

"A monkey worth over thirty million taels?" Kakuzu was slightly taken aback and looked up at Asuma.

Kakuzu probably had some recollection of the bounties exceeding ten million taels. Upon seeing Asuma's face clearly, he immediately lowered his head and flipped through the bounty posters one by one.

Snap!

A moment later, Kakuzu slapped a wanted poster.

"Sarutobi Asuma, one of the Twelve Guardian Shinobi, with a bounty of 35 million ryo!" Kakuzu stared at Asuma with burning desire after comparing the photo on the bounty poster.

His slightly trembling eyes looked like those of a lustful demon seeing an unparalleled beauty.

Sensing the hostility emanating from Kakuzu and Hidan, Ibiki, Asuma, and Guy immediately became alert.

As soon as Tōka Hidan, Dongge used a Body Flicker Technique to disappear into the rocks outside the path.

"Red Clouds on a Black Background, could it be..." Ibiki murmured to himself, staring at Kakuzu and Hidan.

Itachi recently appeared in Konoha, and his Red Clouds on a Black Background Coat and straw hat with Wind Chime were too eye-catching.

These two are members of that organization, and they're said to be all S-rank Rogue Ninja!

A somber atmosphere filled the air, and the mood suddenly became heavy.

"Kakuzu, you're not allowed to lay a hand on them! I'll take care of them all!" Hidan's shoulder twitched, and with a bang, the Blood Scythe slammed to the ground.

Kakuzu looked expressionlessly at the spot where Tōka was hiding, then his gaze returned to Asuma.

Why not have free thugs and make money at the same time?

Kakuzu stood there with his hands at his sides, seemingly having no intention of making a move.

Ibiki also noticed that Tōka had hidden in the shadows. In this situation, Tōka hiding and using Genjutsu to support him was the best option.

He quickly assessed the situation and devised a plan. "Kay, keep an eye on the other one. Asuma and I will deal with him."

Swish!

Hidan, unable to contain himself, flipped his large hand, dragging his long, Blood Scythe backward, and charged forward, the sharp scythe leaving three clear marks in the air.

Ibiki leaped up, narrowly dodging the attack, and as he fell backward, he nimbly flipped over with one hand and leaped several meters away.

Hidan's Blood Scythe attack enveloped Ibiki and Asuma.

Ibiki skillfully dodged, but the Blood Scythe slashed straight at Asuma.

Buzz!

With the sharp Wind Blade amplified by the Flying Swallow, Asuma's body sank slightly as he gripped the Flying Swallow tightly, directly blocking the oncoming Blood Scythe.

Hidan grinned menacingly. Seeing Asuma's intention to take his attack head-on, he unconsciously increased the force of his swing on the Blood Scythe.

Clang!

The two collided violently, their weapons sparking as they Kakkō together, before passing each other.

A burst of bright red blood shot out like a blood arrow!

Asuma gripped the Flying Swallow tightly with his hands crossed, half-squatting on the ground to dissipate most of the force.

Hidan's attacks were even more direct and fierce, completely ignoring Asuma's Flying Swallow, employing a strategy of trading injury for injury.

"Such powerful strength." Feeling a tingling numbness in his arm, Asuma immediately became extremely alert.

Hidan casually wiped the bloodstains from his chest, stretched out his Ape Arm, gripped the scythe in his hand, and revealed a sinister look on his ferocious face.

Asuma's expression changed slightly as he glanced at the gash on the other's chest, cut open by the Flying Swallow, from which bright red blood was gushing out.

Doesn't he care about his injuries at all?

This guy... he's insane!

The brief calm is only brewing a more violent storm!

"It's not over yet!" Hidan, twisting his Blood Scythe and flipping over to deliver another vertical slash.

Asuma, not to be outdone, turned and charged forward, unleashing a torrent of Wind Release chakra. The Flying Swallow in his hand hummed softly, like the furious roar of a ferocious beast.

Just then, Illusory Feathers, resembling snowflakes, suddenly floated down from the sky, completely covering the narrow path in the Valley.

Genjutsu: Phantom Feathers Flying Snow.

This is a hypnotic technique with an extremely wide range; the victim will instantly fall into the illusion created by the caster.

The illusion has no offensive capabilities; it merely confuses the enemy and is a type of Genjutsu that attacks a large number of people with mental energy.

Pfft!!

As the Illusory Feathers drifted down, Hidan brushed past Asuma, and the Blood Scythe with three blades sliced Asuma in half at the waist.

The severed lower body remained stationary, while the upper body flew forward due to inertia.

It rolled into the dust, until it reached Kakuzu's feet, where he stomped on it.

"Didn't I tell you not to mutilate the body?" Kakuzu frowned in displeasure; he would have to put the body back together after it was broken in two.

However, Hidan, who should have roared and shouted upon hearing this, surprisingly remained silent today.

Kakuzu, being an old monster who had lived for decades, possessed an immense wealth of combat experience. His sharp gaze fell upon Hidan, who was not far away...

Was that a feather that just fell?!

Genjutsu?!

The next moment, Hidan, who was not far away, swayed and then suddenly transformed into Asuma's appearance.

But the half-corpse of Asuma that Kakuzu was stepping on was...

He turned into Hidan!!

"What are you spacing out for? Get my lower body back!" Hidan, who had been split in two, was not dead at all, but instead roared with great vigor.

Ibiki, Asuma, and Guy stared in disbelief at Hidan, who was being trampled by Kakuzu.

He was cut in two and still wasn't dead?

There are people who are still alive even with only half a body remaining, but they act like nothing's wrong...

They're still clamoring for their bodies to be put back in place?

This is absolutely bizarre!

"Hey, get your stinky feet off me first!" Hidan braced himself with his hands to lift his head, only to find Kakuzu's foot still on him, and immediately roared in annoyance.

"How pathetic, Hidan." Kakuzu glanced coldly at Hidan beneath his feet, but didn't continue stepping on him.

Finally, he couldn't resist making a sarcastic remark.

Didn't you tell me not to get involved?

"Uh..." Hidan, his face turning red and then pale. He had no choice but to bow his head when he was under someone else's roof, and he had to get his lower body back first.

"It was my fault. Please, just put my lower body back together!"

"Kakuzu!~"

In order to reconnect his body, Hidan deliberately disgusted Kakuzu.

Sure enough, this trick always worked.

"Shut up!" Kakuzu's gaze darkened, and his imposing aura erupted, along with a speed that was imperceptible to the naked eye!

Whoosh! A powerful punch lands!

The powerful Fist Force transformed into a gust of wind.

Asuma, who was shocked by Hidan's vitality, was slow to react because of this momentary lapse in concentration.

"Watch out!" Ibiki, who was not far away, changed his expression and shouted loudly.

Kai, who was responsible for keeping an eye on Kakuzu, rushed out, but was still a bit too far away.

At that moment, Kakuzu had already appeared beside Asuma, and no matter how fast Gai was, he couldn't stop his heavy punch.

"So fast!" Asuma only saw a blurry figure flash by and instinctively raised his hands to cross in front of him.

Bang!!

Immediately afterwards, Asuma felt a tremendous force coming from his arm.

His body was lifted straight up, his feet off the ground, and he fell backward as if he were Big Tree uprooted.

Sand and gravel flew everywhere, and dust billowed.

Asuma rolled more than ten steps on the ground before he could dissipate the terrifying impact.

"That was a heavy punch, even stronger than the other guy." Asuma's fingers loosened; his numb hands could no longer grip Flying Swallow tightly.

The Flying Swallow was simply hooked on the bent finger, and the Wind Release chakra that had been imbued with it gradually dissipated.

Ibiki quickly approached Asuma and flung three kunai with Explosive Tag Kunai the air.

Rumble!!

The Explosive Tag detonated in front of Kakuzu, engulfing him in Kakkō and obscuring his vision with thick smoke.

At the same time, Kai, who was staring at Kakuzu, plunged headfirst into the smoke.

"Konoha Strong Gale!" A powerful kick swept across, creating a strong gust of wind that instantly dispersed the dust that had blurred the view.

Whoosh! A dark figure burst out of the thick smoke; Kakuzu was Kakuzu, who was holding Hidan by the waist.

After retrieving Hidan's lower body, he immediately chose to leave the Battlefield, refusing to engage Guy who was closing in on him.

It was expected that Kai's sweeping attack would be dodged by the Kakuzu.

Kakuzu calmly retreated to Hidan's side, loosened his grip, and casually tossed Hidan's lower body to the ground.

A black line peeked out from his sleeve...

Like sewing clothes, it passed through the part where Hidan's waist was severed.

"Sorry, this guy is fast!" Kai didn't pursue after his attack missed, but instead flashed to stand with Ibiki and Asuma.

Ibiki shook his head slightly; he hadn't expected the bear-like Kakuzu to be so swift.

Glancing at Tōka hiding in the distance, a subtle glint One Flash in Ibiki's eyes, as if Tōka was on their side.

However, Kakashi...

This time you've misjudged the enemy's strength.

In the Land of Grass, an Anbu of dozens of ANBU members wearing animal masks swiftly passed through, heading straight towards the Land of Earth.

"Lord Kakashi, there's trouble ahead." An Anbu One Flash past, landing in the damp grove.

"What did they discover?" Kakashi, as the Anbu Captain, personally led the eight Elite Squad that came from the Land of Fire.

"The Code left by Ibiki's Squad," the Anbu Ninja replied.

"Oh? Take me there quickly." Kakashi's eyes lit up. Ibiki and the others were just outposts who had infiltrated the Land of Earth to gather information.

It was precisely because Ibiki's Squad opened a breach in the Stone Ninja border that Kakashi and the others were able to infiltrate more easily.

Even if things go wrong, it will only expose the Ibiki's Squad.

Following the Anbu Ninja, Kakashi quickly approached the location where the Code had been left.

The border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Grass is also where forests meet Forest and rocks. The emerald green and the yellow of the rocks are clearly distinct, the mountains are towering and majestic, Forest are as shady as the sea.

Kakashi discovered the Code behind a rock.

"It's definitely Code unique to Konoha."

Ibiki was the captain of the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force and possessed a unique set of Code, Kakashi, as the Anbu Captain, naturally recognized at a glance.

Kakashi quickly found the Scroll hidden in a cave beneath the mountain rocks.

This Scroll contained information about the Ibiki's Squad that Tōka had found on White Zetsu.

Kakashi scanned the Scroll quickly, finding it clearly listing the abilities of the four members of Ibiki's Squad.

Ibiki, the commander of the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force, is skilled at understanding people's hearts and uses the Secret Technique of Sorrowful Dark Nether Lightning. He is also the Torture Chamber.

Asuma, wind and fire element...

Kai...

Suddenly, Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he spotted the last person.

"Tōka..."

Tōka, Konoha Chunin in Ninjutsu, All-Killing Ash Bones technique, a one-hit kill, Genjutsu, Six Harmonies Divine Technique.

They even have information about Tōka? And in such detail at that.

Kakashi closed the Scroll again and put it away in his pocket.

This time, the Lord Hokage seems to have misjudged the situation.

Kakashi knew that the Third Hokage wasn't concerned about the Two-Tails Jinchūriki being kidnapped, but rather about using this opportunity to probe the true strength of Iwagakure.

At the same time, he also took the opportunity to test Tōka.

Iwagakure and Kumogakure have always coveted Konoha. Although the Third Hokage hoped for peace, he was still a Fox, constantly on guard against the two villages.

The intention behind mobilizing a total of nine Elite Squad into the Land of Earth is self-evident.