What happened to gaining experience?

The Land of Wind, the only feeling Tōka had was one word: sand!

Besides sand, there was only sand. Everything he saw was yellow, with no other colors to be found.

No, there were other colors besides yellow.

Dark yellow? Poop yellow?

"Captain, where are we going?" Tōka's throat felt dry. Water sources were extremely important in the desert.

He took down the canteen hanging from his hip and shook it by his ear. There wasn't much water left.

Sakumo Hatake's back was always straight, just like his personality – he'd rather break than bend.

Hearing Tōka's weak voice, Sakumo Hatake turned his head and glanced at him.

He said calmly, "Naturally, we're heading to the base along the route."

Sakumo Hatake took out a map. This was the latest intelligence, integrated from information previously scouted by Konoha ninjas and data searched from Pakura's mind.

"Didn't a Sand Ninja escape? Why are we still risking executing the original plan?" Tōka asked, puzzled.

"Since you think we shouldn't continue infiltrating, the Sand Ninja must think so too," Sakumo Hatake said as if it were obvious.

Knowing there's a tiger on the mountain, but heading straight for it?

A line of dark lines appeared on Tōka's forehead. Is this suicidal behavior? Where's the easy experience points we were supposed to get?

"Don't worry, I won't let my comrades get hurt." Sakumo Hatake patted Tōka's shoulder, his eyes filled with seriousness.

"Oh." Tōka nodded cluelessly, indicating he understood.

Swish, swish, swish!!

A black shadow flashed rapidly in the distance, streaking through the air.

Poof, poof, poof! Eight black shadows appeared, and two elite squads materialized, landing on the sandy ground.

Instantly, they surrounded Tōka and Sakumo Hatake.

Well, you hoped for the best, but prepared for the worst.

"See? We're ambushed!" Tōka spread his hands in resignation, a strange sense of ease in his tone.

"It seems Karura's ability to control sand is more formidable than I imagined," Sakumo Hatake muttered to himself, showing no concern for the eight Sand Ninjas.

Yesterday, there was such a huge sandstorm, and Karura was injured, yet she managed to return to the Sand Ninja military fortress under the cover of night.

The configuration was two elite squads: two Jonin and six Chunin.

As Tōka sized them up, they were also sizing him up.

The man with the white short blade and silver hair was practically Sakumo Hatake's trademark, more famous than his name.

"The intel is correct, it's Konoha's White Fang."

"Sakumo Hatake is the highest commander of the Konoha camp. If we kill him, we'll win this war!"

Upon returning to the Sand Ninja military fortress, Karura had immediately relayed the intelligence.

Rasa and Chiyo had dispatched several teams for a thorough search.

If Sakumo Hatake, the highest commander of the Konoha camp, were to die in the Land of Wind, it would undoubtedly deliver a heavy blow to Konoha!

"Be careful, he's Konoha's White Fang!"

"Don't be careless, we bear the heavy responsibility of Sunagakure!"

Only those Sand Ninjas who had participated in the Second Shinobi World War knew the terror of Sakumo Hatake.

That white short blade had accumulated prestige through the blood and lives of countless Sand Ninjas!

Countless blood, countless ghosts, the killing intent of the white short blade seemed to manifest physically.

It was as if he could hear faint, shrill screams, and even see blood-red apparitions before his eyes!

"Don't let the White Fang's killing intent affect your minds!"

"Attack, stop him!"

Sensing that their morale was being suppressed by the White Fang alone, the two Jonin immediately launched their assault.

They charged towards Sakumo Hatake with two swift movements, taking the lead.

The six Chunin were responsible for support. Upon hearing the command, they immediately spread out, retreating ten paces to begin forming hand seals for ranged support.

The shorty standing beside the White Fang, Tōka, was completely ignored by the eight individuals.

"It's really annoying to be underestimated!" Tōka pouted, even though his Chakra level hadn't reached Chunin standards yet.

However, even the Third Hokage didn't dare to underestimate Tōka's attack power!

Sakumo Hatake also knew the terrifying nature of Tōka's attacks.

Even the white short blade needed to hit a vital spot to achieve a one-hit kill.

Tōka, on the other hand, didn't need to. As long as he hit, it was an instant kill!

"All-Killing Ash Bones: Earth Spear Stab!"

Tōka stepped onto the sandy ground. Not far away, the sand beneath a puppeteer Jonin began to shake.

Poof!!

A bone as thick as an arm, filled with deathly stillness, burst from the earth.

A puppeteer's close-combat ability was weak. Tōka's attack was sudden, and he didn't need to form any hand seals.

The Ash Bone pierced directly through the puppeteer's foot, emerging from the top of his foot.

All-Killing Ash Bones: Earth Spear Stab, a simplified version of All-Killing Ash Bones: Earth Spear Pierce, had the advantage of being instant, fast, and consuming little energy. Bursting from underground, it was impossible to guard against.

With his foot pierced, the puppeteer was pinned to the ground.

Just then, a bizarre and terrifying scene unfolded.

The injured puppeteer Jonin's foot didn't bleed; instead, it crumbled apart like shredded paper.

Starting from his foot, it spread upwards to his ankle, then his thigh, and continued up...

Until his entire body disintegrated, turning into a pile of scraps.

Bang! Bang!

Sakumo Hatake forced back the attacking Jonin with two consecutive moves.

He happened to turn his head and witness this scene.

Even though he knew Tōka's abilities from intelligence reports, witnessing it firsthand still caused Sakumo Hatake to be shocked.

In an instant, eight against two became seven against two.

"What in the world happened?"

"How did he just disappear?"

The Sand Shinobi, who hadn't reacted or perhaps couldn't believe their eyes, exclaimed.

"It's that kid!"

"It might be some kind of Kekkei Genkai, everyone be careful."

The Sand Jonin quickly calmed down and shouted.

The terrifying atmosphere eased, and the Sand Shinobi's morale recovered slightly.

"As expected, bringing you along was the right choice." Sakumo Hatake stood beside Tōka, a smile on his face.

Although he wore a mask, no one could see Sakumo Hatake's face.

Tōka, beneath his fox mask, rolled his eyes. He truly didn't want to make this trip to the Land of Wind.

As the two whispered, a Sand Jonin raised his arm, and the other six quickly scattered.

In the blink of an eye, only Sakumo Hatake, Tōka, and the Sand Jonin remained within a hundred-meter radius.

The Sand Jonin didn't retreat, clearly because he was a Taijutsu Jonin.

"Planning to stall for time until reinforcements arrive?" Tōka's brow twitched as he instantly saw through the Sand Shinobi's plan.

Faintly, Tōka sensed several auras locking onto him.

Previously, these guys had completely ignored him.

"I was too impulsive," Tōka cursed inwardly. However, that puppeteer, though only a Chunin, posed the greatest threat to him.

Puppeteers excelled at poison and hidden weapons, and Tōka's Medical Ninjutsu couldn't neutralize poison because he couldn't yet perform the shape transformation of the Mystical Palm Technique.

Even if he could perform the shape transformation of the Mystical Palm Technique, it could only clear most poisons.

Complete detoxification still relied on medical skills, which involved learning about herbs and creating antidotes.

Among the remaining seven, observing their movements and connecting them to the first wave of attacks, Tōka could roughly guess the Sand Shinobi's lineup.

One Taijutsu Jonin, one Wind Release Jonin.

The five Chunin hadn't had a chance to act yet, so Tōka wasn't sure, but there shouldn't be any more puppeteers.

The two sides drew apart and confronted each other coldly.

A strong gust of wind blew, kicking up the desert sand and swirling away into the distance.

The corners of their clothes were lifted by the strong wind, and a killing aura enveloped the entire area.

"You take care of this one, and I'll handle the other six?" Sakumo Hatake said softly.

Yet, everyone present heard him clearly.

The Taijutsu Jonin's face darkened. He felt deeply insulted by Sakumo Hatake.

He admitted he wasn't Sakumo Hatake's match, but he wasn't someone a mere kid could handle!

Even if this kid was a bit strange...

"That's a Jonin!" Tōka tilted his head back, his eyes narrowing beneath the fox mask.

"Their Taijutsu is very strong, their Ninjutsu is probably average, and their Genjutsu is likely not as strong as yours." Sakumo Hatake, worthy of being a Kage-level powerhouse, had seen through the opponent's strengths and weaknesses after just one exchange.

Tōka remained silent. Sakumo Hatake's arrangement was indeed very effective.

All-Killing Ash Bones is simply the perfect counter for Taijutsu ninjas. Tōka could cover himself in Ash Bones, turning into a walking pincushion if he had to.

Besides, the Genjutsu of a Taijutsu Jonin is worse than his own!

"Is three minutes enough?" Sakumo Hatake asked again, seeing Tōka's silence.

"Three minutes? Do you think I'm you?" Tōka roared. "That's a Jonin, that's a Jonin, that's a Jonin! Not some cheap cabbage or tofu!"

"I know, that's why I'm giving you three minutes!" Sakumo Hatake said matter-of-factly.

Tōka's heart felt like ten thousand ******* stampeding through, thick smoke billowing...

Sakumo Hatake didn't give Tōka a chance to say more, appearing a hundred paces away with a Body Flicker Technique.

"So fast!" The Sand Ninjas' hearts skipped a beat, sensing a strong sense of crisis.

"Be careful!" The Taijutsu Jonin grunted, shifting his gaze to Tōka.

He trusted his teammate. Even if he wasn't Sakumo Hatake's match, he could stall him for a while.

Three minutes? The Taijutsu Jonin decided he'd take out this brat in one minute!

He held up a single finger, the meaning clear!

Poof! The Taijutsu Jonin stomped hard on the sand, creating a pit, and his body blurred into an afterimage as he charged at Tōka.

"Pretty fast!" Tōka raised an eyebrow. While he wasn't a match for the opponent in Taijutsu, it wouldn't be his weak point!

Whoosh!!

His fingertips pulsed, and a segment of bone shot out as Tōka raised his hand.

At the same time, Tōka leaped backward, creating a three-step distance.

"Hmph, don't underestimate me!" The Taijutsu Jonin roared, spitting.

He sank his body, and the bone whistled past his head as Chakra surged into his legs.

Bang!

He stomped on the soft sand, unleashing a terrifying force.

Using the rebound, the Taijutsu Jonin's speed doubled instantly.

The three steps Tōka had created were closed in just one breath.

"Not slowing down when dodging is one thing, but he can even speed up?" The small face beneath the fox mask changed slightly, and he cursed, Freak!

Tōka reacted immediately, Chakra surging into his arms.

Crack crack crack!!

The sound of bones twisting echoed.

Tōka crossed his arms in front of him, slightly hunched in a basic defensive stance.

There was no time left to dodge; he could only hope to minimize the damage.

The Taijutsu Jonin suddenly appeared before Tōka.

Bang!

A straightforward, heavy punch landed on Tōka's arms.

A powerful force slammed into him, his body sinking as if a mountain had landed on him.

The terrifying strength pressed down like an endless, monstrous wave.

Thump! Tōka couldn't bear the weight and knelt on one knee in the sand.

"Strong speed and strength!" A thought flashed through Tōka's mind as his rapidly growing hand bones broke through his skin and protruded.

The Taijutsu Jonin was prepared, his arm's strength erupting once more.

Bang! He sent Tōka flying.

The bone segments that made one's scalp tingle pierced through his skin, but the Taijutsu Jonin dodged them.

Tōka felt a powerful force pushing him back, completely out of his control.

Bang!

Tōka's body arced through the air, crashing heavily into a sand dune.

The advantage of the desert was its soft ground; Tōka's landing avoided a second impact.

"Bones?" The Taijutsu Jonin's eyes widened in surprise, as if he had discovered Tōka's secret.

"Are you from the Kaguya clan of Kirigakure?"

"Heh... guess?!"

Ten steps away, Tōka rubbed his numbing arm and climbed out of the sand dune.

Even with reinforced bone strength, his arms were almost shattered by that single punch.

While losing limbs wasn't a big deal for Tōka, being so easily outmatched was too humiliating!

"Hmph, arrogant brat!" The Taijutsu Jonin didn't waste time with Tōka's taunts; he wanted to end the fight quickly.

He thought he could finish this in one move, but unexpectedly, the opponent blocked it.

Suddenly!!

The Taijutsu Jonin's expression turned grim, as Tōka's figure bizarrely vanished like a reflection in water.

"Genjutsu?!"

"This brat knows Genjutsu?"

"When did that happen?"

The Taijutsu Jonin hated Genjutsu ninjas the most. Mastering Genjutsu not only required Yin Release Chakra but also a higher-than-average intellect.

Clearly, the Taijutsu Jonin possessed neither.

Snap!!

The Taijutsu Jonin clasped his hands together, formed a hand seal, and shouted, "Release!"

When he looked up again, he still couldn't find Tōka's figure.

"The Genjutsu isn't broken? Or did he hide?" The Taijutsu Jonin felt a headache coming on. As expected of the kid Konoha's White Fang kept by his side.

Very troublesome!

Whoosh!

A gust of wind sounded, and the Taijutsu Jonin felt a premonition.

"He's here! Behind me?!"

Bending down, the Taijutsu Jonin's body folded in half like a blanket, as if he had no bones.

Sizzle... sizzle...

A Kunai with an Explosive Tag flew past, almost grazing the Taijutsu Jonin's clothes.

BOOM!!

A massive explosion completely engulfed the Taijutsu Jonin.

The power of a single Explosive Tag wasn't enough to kill a Jonin, especially one specializing in Taijutsu.

However, Tōka knew the opponent was injured.

Drip...

Drip, drip...

The Taijutsu Jonin stood up, clutching his bleeding arm. Thanks to Tōka's attack, the Genjutsu was also broken.

"Damn brat!" The Taijutsu Jonin glared coldly at Tōka, wishing he could devour him alive.

"A minute is up!~" Tōka stuck out a finger and wagged it, saying in a way that would surely infuriate anyone. (To be continued)