The Same Choice

"Enemy spotted!!"

The sudden turn of events caught the Konoha side off guard. The members of the Barrier Team hurriedly halted the activation sequence of their sealing jutsu, while Kakashi dispersed with three chunin, staring vigilantly at their surroundings in an attempt to locate the enemy.

However, after the enemy took that Barrier Team ninja, they seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Kakashi looked toward the Hyuga ninja in his squad, who shook his head. "My perception is spread across a radius of several miles, yet I cannot find a trace of the enemy.

The enemy must be using some kind of space-time ninjutsu."

Kakashi held the same suspicion. He adjusted the forehead protector on his head, the tomoe in his eyes spinning as his gaze swept back and forth across the control room, hoping to find even the slightest clue.

Even the Flying Thunder God of the Fourth Hokage left traces behind; Kakashi did not believe that anyone in the ninja world possessed space-time ninjutsu superior to that of his teacher, Minato.

Yet, even with the observational prowess of the Sharingan, he could not discern any anomalies.

Consequently, Kakashi issued a cold order to the Barrier Team: "You, continue to activate the fortress's defensive barrier."

He intended to use this to force the enemy to strike again.

It was true that Kakashi valued his comrades, but he did not reject certain methods; at this moment, using the Barrier Team as bait was the optimal solution. If he were to be held back by hesitation, he might as well abandon his identity as a ninja.

The members of the Barrier Team had no objections, though their movements during the activation process slowed slightly, and they diverted some of their attention to observe their surroundings, their eyes filled with vigilance.

And as they acted, the enemy indeed made a move. Within Kakashi's field of vision, the air twisted into a vortex, and an arm reached out from within.

"Watch your back!"

Kakashi issued a warning, his teeth gritted. He inhaled a large amount of air in a short span, his chest swelling entirely, and shouted, "Silver Fang Flash!"

Grasping his short blade, he lunged toward the enemy like an arrow released from a bowstring.

However, as the blade swept across the arm, this strike—which possessed speed not inferior to the Chidori—missed its mark.

"What?!"

Kakashi was struck with inexplicable shock. His blade had clearly connected, yet he felt no physical resistance, as if he had slashed through thin air.

The enemy and Kakashi crossed paths; the enemy grabbed a Barrier Team chunin who couldn't dodge in time, and their figure vanished into the air.

Having been toyed with by the enemy once more, the Konoha personnel present had no time to feel anger before flames suddenly ignited in the air.

Kakashi immediately realized it was a bundle of explosive tags and shouted, "Fall back!!"

While issuing the order, he quickly performed hand seals: "Earth Style: Multiple Earth-Style Wall!!"

In an instant, four sturdy, towering earth walls rose within the control room, enclosing the explosive tags.

Boom, boom, boom...

The explosions were continuous. The explosive tags thrown by the enemy were clearly custom-made, possessing power a cut above the standard variety.

The earth walls Kakashi had hastily erected barely managed to block the blast, and dust and smoke spread throughout the control room, obscuring everyone's vision.

"Watch out, he's coming again."

The Hyuga ninja issued a warning, but it was already too late.

Although the Barrier Team ninjas were also chunin, compared to average ninjas, they spent the vast majority of their energy on the research of techniques. They usually stayed in safe positions and were not adept at combat; faced with a sudden situation, they couldn't react in time.

In just a moment, another Barrier Team ninja vanished into the air, and the enemy's target was now the final survivor.

"Damn it!!"

At the critical moment, Kakashi let out a cold shout. The tomoe in his eyes spun rapidly, and the short blade in his hand suddenly erupted with lightning.

The floating dust in the air served as the perfect medium, and the blue electric arcs enveloped the body of the last Barrier Team ninja.

The enemy's arm trembled, clearly paralyzed by the lightning, and they were forced to retract into the void, abandoning this attack.

As the lightning faded, silence returned to the control room, and the Konoha ninjas all wore grave expressions.

They hadn't even seen the enemy's face, yet they had lost three Barrier Team ninjas—no, it should be said, four.

The technique Kakashi had used in a flash of inspiration hadn't just attacked the enemy; the last ninja of the Barrier Team had also been caught in the electric discharge, nearly being charred to a crisp.

It could be said that he had hurt the enemy by eight hundred while damaging his own allies by a thousand.

And in his current state, it was clear that for the time being, he could no longer continue the task of activating the fortress's defenses.

"We're leaving. We must get out of here immediately."

Kakashi hesitated for a brief moment before declaring the mission a failure, intending to lead his squad back to the main force.

A Hyuga ninja was stunned for a moment. "But there is still a chance to complete the mission."

Giving up on a mission was a major taboo for a ninja, especially since this was a critical task in the war between the two villages.

"No, we have already failed."

Kakashi shook his head. The Barrier Team ninjas needed time to recover, and time was the greatest enemy of this mission to begin with.

Moreover, would the enemy from just a moment ago give them such an opportunity?

Kakashi was not confident that he could protect a wounded comrade from an enemy with such bizarre methods.

Kakashi understood the thoughts of his squad members; as ninjas, they should fight until the very last moment. But given the current situation, it was meaningless, other than resulting in the death of yet another comrade.

No, perhaps there was some meaning to it after all.

The death of the last member of the Barrier Team meant the mission was a one hundred percent failure, and even others in the village could not cast blame.

However, Kakashi only wanted to have a clear conscience.

The Hyuga ninja opened his mouth as if to say something, but upon thinking of Kakashi's status and the rumors surrounding the White Fang, he felt a chill in his heart and could not help but shut his mouth.

The group took the wounded and left the control room decisively.

Just then, a figure stepped out from a twisting vortex, glanced in the direction where Kakashi had disappeared, and let out a cold sneer.

Boom, boom, boom...

The crimson barrier emitted dull thuds under the impact of the cat's claws.

Shisui gritted his teeth to hold on, a trace of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

This kind of head-on collision was not a fighting style he was accustomed to.

Due to his age, he was still far from reaching his peak and could not withstand such consumption.

Fortunately, the opponent's state was not perfect either; it seemed she had sustained injuries before the battle, which was the only reason he could barely hold on.

Suddenly, a ninja from the Barrier Team rushed out from the fortress and reported, "Captain, Kakashi's squad has sent word that they encountered an unknown enemy and the mission has failed."

"What?" Shisui was startled, but the current situation did not allow for deep thought, so he immediately ordered, "Prepare to retreat."

The Uchiha jonin nodded in agreement; with the mission failed, they had lost the reason to continue fighting, and they would take the opportunity to disengage from the battlefield the next time Yugito Nii rested.

At this moment, a squad of Kumogakure jonin suddenly arrived from a distance, and the leader shouted at the Two-Tails, "Lady Yugito, the Raikage has ordered you to retreat immediately."

"How could this be?"

Her cat-like eyes flashed with intense unwillingness, but she dared not defy the Raikage's order, so she condensed several Scorch Release fireballs and bombarded the Uchiha Flame Formation in a fit of frustration.

The barrier, which had been teetering on the edge of collapse, shattered in response.