Must Beat Him Up!

Before Shiba Seika contracted Tama, Ajisai had been the reconnaissance ace of the Akatsuki Organization.

The bird flock she summoned possessed high-altitude vision and a wide cruising range; back then, her solo reconnaissance efficiency often matched that of a four- or five-man ninja squad.

This was the specialty Ajisai had always prided herself on.

But this time, her bird flock was outdone by a single Ninja Cat.

Tama had not only located the enemy but also obtained a fairly complete set of intelligence.

"That group is hiding on a hillside five kilometers southwest, nya~ There are quite a few of them, nya~ At least ten or more ninja, nya~

They have a ninja skilled in Earth Release who hollowed out the hillside and hid their base underground, nya~"

Shiba Seika nodded.

That explained why Ajisai's high-altitude reconnaissance birds had found nothing.

Because the enemy chose to dig holes.

Hiding a base underground—that fit Root's modus operandi.

"Any other information?" he asked Tama.

Tama tilted her head, thought for a moment, then added, "In the woods near there, the number of bugs is abnormally high. It's really annoying, nya!"

"Bugs?" Shiba Seika repeated, instantly on alert. "The Aburame clan of Konoha?"

Unexpectedly, Tama was also a well-traveled cat and immediately followed Shiba Seika's train of thought. "Now that you mention it, Master, it's possible, nya! But I didn't detect any ninja controlling the bugs. Either they're outside my perception range, or that Aburame is really strong, nya!"

Shiba Seika nodded, his expression slightly grave.

After these days of getting used to each other, he had a good understanding of his cat's abilities. Tama's perception range was by no means small. The possibility that the Aburame controlling the bugs happened to be outside her range was, frankly, slim.

Moreover, when making decisions, one should never rely on such wishful thinking.

"So, to summarize the current intelligence: the enemy is a team of over ten people, and there is at least one highly skilled Aburame Jonin." Shiba Seika made his judgment.

His stance was already clear: he had defined this group as the enemy!

None of the team members present objected.

Karasuba cut straight to the point. "Captain, what's the plan?"

Shiba Seika tapped the table lightly, thought for a moment, and laid out the strategy. "The enemy's numbers and strength are not to be underestimated. Don't act rashly. Maintain surveillance first, keep constant watch on the main routes up and down the mountain, and see if the enemy has any backup or reinforcements.

Ajisai, don't let your role go to waste. Have your bird flock continue patrolling the entire forest, but remember—never let them land in the woods, or the bugs might discover them!"

Seeing that her role hadn't been completely replaced, Ajisai nodded vigorously. "Got it! I'll make sure the mission is complete!"

For the next several days, Shiba Seika kept close watch on the movements of Yūno Ryōma's team.

During this time, Hanzo the Salamander's reply also arrived.

In the letter, Hanzo first synchronized information with Akatsuki, stating that no one from Konoha had notified him of their entry into the country. But the rest of the letter was more interesting.

Masuda Ikki scratched his head blankly, looking confused. "What exactly does that Demi-God mean? On one hand, he praises us for doing well and not tarnishing his reputation, but on the other, he says Konoha is strong and that the Sannin and Minato Namikaze are not to be trifled with. Does he want us to fight or not?"

Shiba Seika chuckled lightly, remaining calm as if he had expected this.

"It's normal. Hanzo is old. Old people tend to be indecisive and overthink things.

He doesn't want to lose his face and reputation as a Demi-God, but he no longer has the guts and responsibility to stand up to the pressure of a major ninja village like he did in his youth.

He's conflicted himself, so how could he possibly give a clear answer in his letter?"

Shiba Seika said this deliberately.

He used this harsh critique to slowly shatter the filter his teammates had for the Demi-God of the Land of Rain.

Regardless of what Hanzo wrote in his reply, it wouldn't shake his resolve for this operation.

Root—he was definitely going to crush them!

The only value of this reply to him was that it removed one layer of concern—

Hanzo was still willing to reply normally, which at least meant that at this point in time, he probably hadn't yet colluded with Danzo.

Shiba Seika no longer had to worry about being caught in a two-front battle.

Their surveillance operation did not stop because of this letter.

Over these days, they had accurately determined the exact size of the Root squad: Root had sent a total of twelve people this time!

The movements of one of them had also been caught by Tama and Ajisai's bird flock!

So that night, the first probing action began!

The targeted Root ninja was still unaware of the hidden surveillance around him.

He had spent the entire day scouting around the Land of Rain, gathering intelligence on the Akatsuki Organization and inquiring about the mysterious "Shimura Taiga."

After a full day's work, he thought he had gained quite a bit. Under the moonlight, the face hidden behind the white mask still wore a faint smile.

Who knows if he was dreaming of a promotion and raise or an early vacation.

But as he walked, suddenly, a flock of birds startled from the roadside to his left.

The Root ninja, walking alone at night, was startled. He instinctively gripped a Kunai, turned around, and faced the left side with a tense, crouched stance.

"Hah, just a flock of birds."

Finding nothing amiss, he unconsciously let out a sigh of relief.

But just as he thought it was a false alarm and his nerves were at their most relaxed, a fierce gust of wind suddenly roared from the road on his right!

"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"

The one using Wind Release was Masuda Ikki, and the technique he now employed was one Shiba Seika had acquired from the Uchiha clan through trade.

The Root ninja whipped around in alarm, but the moment he turned, an orange-red blaze of scorching fire ignited in the wind.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Since it was a deal with the Uchiha clan, this classic fire technique was naturally part of the package!

Karasuba exhaled the fireball, and it merged with the Wind Release Masuda Ikki had cast in advance. In an instant, the wind fanned the flames, and the searing heat blasted straight into the Root ninja's face!

His mask shattered on the spot, and his hair was swept back by the gale, slicked into a pompadour.

The young Root ninja, now unable to care about his exposed face, caught a faint glimpse of a pair of scarlet eyes amidst the sudden burst of flames—eyes filled with malice and murderous intent, locked onto him!

An Uchiha!

In that moment, fear, panic, hatred, and loathing surged like a tidal wave, overwhelming the young Root ninja and forcing a guttural roar from his throat!

"Uchiha! You inherently evil clan! So it's you again, scheming behind Danzo-sama's back! You pests of Konoha!"

Meanwhile, Ajisai, standing on a nearby tree branch, watched the scene unfold. She couldn't help but turn her head toward the man who hadn't moved an inch yet had orchestrated everything before her eyes. In a voice tinged with both admiration and awe, she murmured.

"Seika, your Genjutsu has improved again."