Tactics

Beneath the gloomy sky, within the dense mountain forest, five figures sped through the woods.

At the front, a ninja wearing a Konoha Jonin Vest and sporting a bun spoke up. "We'll be companions for some time, so let's get to know each other first. I'm Nara Shikafu, your squad leader. Please take care of me from now on."

"I'm Hyuga Hiyata. I specialize in taijutsu and sensory abilities. Please take care of me."

"I'm Eto Kyosuke. I specialize in Earth Style Ninjutsu. Please take care of me."

"I'm Beichen Haotian. I specialize in swordsmanship, Lightning Style, and I'm decent with Water Style Ninjutsu. I also know a little Medical Ninjutsu. Please take care of me."

"I'm Uchiha Mei. You should already know what I specialize in, so I won't repeat it." Uchiha Mei spoke with a trace of pride.

No one minded Uchiha Mei's arrogance. Anyone with a bit of common sense knew that the Uchiha Clan was proud, even conceited. Uchiha Mei's pride was still within tolerable limits.

"Good. Now that everyone has a basic understanding of one another, as Konoha ninja, I hope you'll cover and support each other on the battlefield. Only then will we have a better chance of surviving!" Nara Shikafu said with a nod.

The group of five traveled through the dense forest for about fifteen minutes before entering the enemy combat zone. This area was a key patrol zone for Sunagakure scouts, as well as a major route for Sunagakure surprise attack forces.

Byakugan!

Veins immediately bulged around Hyuga Hiyata's temples and the sides of his eyes, making him look somewhat fearsome.

"About two thousand meters ahead, there are three Sunagakure scout ninja each at the three, four, and eleven o'clock directions. Chunin level," Hyuga Hiyata said calmly.

Heh, the Byakugan really is convenient. It lets them seize the initiative before the enemy even moves. No wonder the other ninja villages covet it so badly. Kumogakure even resorted to despicable means to steal it, Beichen Haotian thought.

"Good. Hiyata and Eto, clear the way ahead and deal with the enemy's traps and warning devices. After that, we'll strike together and take them down one by one. Use physical methods whenever possible. Understood?"

"Understood!" the four replied in unison.

"Then move out."

As soon as he finished speaking, the five figures flashed and vanished from their positions. Under Hyuga Hiyata's keen Byakugan observation, traps involving Kunai, Explosive Tags, and warning wires were easily neutralized.

"On that tree. The enemy is hiding up there with the Breath Concealment Technique and Invisibility Technique," Hyuga Hiyata said in a low voice.

The other four nodded. Nara Shikafu began forming Hand Seals, and a dim shadow spread from beneath his feet, swiftly creeping toward the tree.

A Sunagakure Chunin was leaning against the tree, motionlessly observing his surroundings, when his body suddenly stiffened. To his horror, he found that he could not move. Just as he was about to shout, four Kunai enlarged in his vision. Pfft... Two pierced his chest, and two plunged into his throat. He died instantly.

Beichen Haotian glanced over and noticed that at some point, Uchiha Mei's pupils had changed. Two tomoe slowly revolved within his eyes, radiating an eerie charm.

The observational power of the Sharingan and Byakugan? Good thing I didn't use Observation Haki, or that guy's neck would probably have been stuffed full of Kunai.

The five jumped down and cleaned up the traces around the corpse to prevent anyone with special tracking abilities from following them. Then they moved toward the next target.

Using much the same method, they efficiently dealt with another three Sand Ninja. Three ordinary Chunin had no chance of surviving against the calculations of one Jonin and four Chunin.

The five then began clashing with Sunagakure's scout forces, surprise attack forces, and even Anbu within this region. Three days passed in a flash. More and more ninja began fighting here, from both Konoha and Sunagakure. The numbers were not large, only four or five hundred combined, but every one of them was an elite among those of the same rank. Thus, the battles were both intense and strange, constantly shifting as both sides fought with wits and courage.

Because Beichen Haotian's squad had gathered elite clan ninja and civilian ninja, their record was the most dazzling. Not a single person had died in three days, and at most they had suffered minor injuries. This attracted the attention of many Sand Ninja, and Sunagakure dispatched three of its few sensory ninja to search for Beichen Haotian and the others.

On the morning of the fourth day, when Beichen Haotian and two others ambushed a three-man scout squad, they were ambushed in turn.

Two Jonin and one Special Jonin had hidden beneath the soil, using a sensory secret technique to deceive Hyuga Hiyata's perception. In truth, Hyuga Hiyata had also been careless and had not used his Byakugan to inspect underground.

"I'm sorry. I was careless and failed to detect the enemies underground," Hyuga Hiyata said guiltily.

"Don't say that. All of us were a little careless. Things have gone too smoothly these past few days. But even though we're surrounded, it doesn't mean we have no chance to escape. Coordinate properly." Rather than blaming Hyuga Hiyata, Nara Shikafu encouraged the other four.

Uchiha Mei and Eto Kyosuke felt somewhat resentful, but after hearing Nara Shikafu's words and seeing the enemy before them, neither said anything.

Naturally, Beichen Haotian would not make any sarcastic or blaming remarks either. He thought he had been somewhat careless too. Still, it did not matter. If he truly could not win, he could run. With Shave and Geppo, these people would have a hard time holding him back. As for sacrificing himself for Konoha or putting others before himself... well, Beichen Haotian did not think he had that kind of resolve.

No matter what the five thought, the two Jonin, one Special Jonin, and three Chunin had no intention of going easy on them.

Wind Style: Wind Blade Technique.

Earth Style: Earth Flow Spears.

Puppet Ninjutsu: Bone-Eroding Senbon.

The two Jonin used Wind Style and Earth Style respectively. The Special Jonin, meanwhile, was a puppeteer who summoned a humanoid puppet that spat dense, pale purple Senbon from its mouth and arms.

The remaining three Sunagakure Chunin hurled Shuriken, Kunai, and Explosive Tags at the Konoha Chunin.

Earth Style: Flowing Wall Earth Style.

Water Style: Water Wall Formation.

Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique.

Beichen Haotian, Uchiha Mei, and Eto Kyosuke each used Ninjutsu to block the attacks. As for Nara Shikafu, the Nara Clan's secret techniques were not suited for direct clashes, while Hyuga Hiyata had no good defensive methods. Not everyone was Neji Hyuga, capable of independently learning the Eight Trigrams Palm and Rotation.

Although the three barely managed to block the Sand Ninja's assault with their Ninjutsu, there was still a difference between Jonin and Chunin. Naturally, their Ninjutsu was less powerful. Their lives were not in danger, but they could not avoid scrambling out of the way, suffering scrapes on their arms and thighs. Fortunately, the injuries were not serious.

In a Ninjutsu bombardment like this, Konoha was clearly at too much of a disadvantage. Therefore, Nara Shikafu and Hyuga Hiyata each moved to attack a Jonin and a Chunin, tying down two Sand Ninja. Split into separate fights, perhaps their Kekkei Genkai and unique secret techniques would allow them to gain the upper hand.

The result was that Beichen Haotian, Uchiha Mei, and Eto Kyosuke found themselves besieged by two Chunin, a Special Jonin-level puppeteer, and a Jonin skilled in Earth Style. Among the three, Beichen Haotian and Uchiha Mei received special attention. After all, one was a Konoha genius, while the other was from the Uchiha Clan.

The battle was extremely difficult. The Sunagakure Jonin put enormous pressure on Beichen Haotian. This Sand Ninja did not seem especially skilled in taijutsu, so most of his attacks came from mid- to long-range. His Substitution Technique and Earth Replacement Technique were incredibly slippery, making him difficult to pin down. With the other Chunin harassing him as well, Beichen Haotian had no way to prevent him from even forming Hand Seals. In terms of Ninjutsu power, although Beichen Haotian was stronger than an ordinary Chunin, he was still no match for a Jonin.

As time passed, Eto Kyosuke began taking injuries, while Uchiha Mei gradually ended up fighting the puppeteer alone. The Uchiha Clan's Sharingan possessed powerful observational abilities that heavily restrained a puppeteer who relied on trickery, exposing many of his methods. However, Uchiha Mei had no good way to deal with the puppeteer either, because this Special Jonin was not only skilled in Puppet Technique, but also in sensory Ninjutsu. The two fought fiercely and remained evenly matched for the time being. No, it was impossible to determine who would live and who would die!

This won't work. I need to find a way to deal with one of those troublesome Chunin first, then force my way close to that Jonin. That gives me the best odds of winning! Beichen Haotian thought as he knocked away two incoming Kunai.

With Observation Haki fully activated, Beichen Haotian dodged the enemy's attacks while considering a viable tactic.

Got it!

Water Style: Hidden Mist Technique.

Beichen Haotian used half the Chakra in his body on this technique, ensuring that the enemy Chunin's Wind Style could not disperse the Hidden Mist Technique in a single blow.

Dense mist poured from Beichen Haotian's mouth, enveloping an area more than five hundred meters wide. The fog was so thick that one could not see their hand in front of their face, and visibility was extremely low.

"Eto, don't move around in the mist. Wait for me to return." Beichen Haotian's voice disappeared into the thick fog. Eto opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something, but ultimately remained silent. From the previous battle, he knew that he had been holding them back somewhat.

Geppo!

After vanishing from Eto's sight, Beichen Haotian immediately used Geppo, stepping on the air to rise into the sky and speeding toward a certain section of the forest.

The Sunagakure Jonin was naturally trapped in the thick mist as well. He was an Earth Style ninja and had no way to disperse the fog. His years as a ninja had taught him not to underestimate anyone. Fearing some kind of trick, he stayed where he was and responded to all changes with stillness. He only needed to wait a while for the fog to disperse.

Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!

One Sunagakure Chunin used Wind Style Ninjutsu, and a gale swept away dozens of meters of fog. After taking a brief rest, he dispersed several dozen more meters.

At that moment, another Sand Ninja emerged from the cleared fog and walked toward the Wind Style Chunin, cursing, "Damn fog. Once it clears, I'll burn him to ashes with Fire Style."

"Haha, Yuanta, stop complaining. I'll disperse all this fog soon enough. Once that happens, with Lord Teng Tiao's help, you'll get your chance."

"True enough. Then work harder. The range of this guy's technique is really huge. His mastery of Water Style isn't weak." The ninja named Yuanta urged him on.

Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!

Another fierce gust swept out, dispersing nearly a hundred meters of fog. The Sunagakure Jonin also began to come into view. This time, the Sunagakure Chunin had clearly increased his Chakra output. Unfortunately, Beichen Haotian possessed far more Chakra than an ordinary Chunin. Half of Beichen Haotian's Chakra was roughly equivalent to two-thirds of an ordinary Chunin's total Chakra. Not everyone had the courage to expend two-thirds of their Chakra at once. Lacking Chakra made it far too easy to fall into danger.

Without Chakra, most ninja were not much different from ordinary people.

"Aoki, watch out!" The Jonin named Fujita turned his head, caught a glimpse of something, and roared.

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

Pfft. A sharp blade pierced through Aoki's chest. Aoki froze, and his Hand Seals immediately stopped. He turned around and opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but with his heart pierced, he no longer had the strength.

"You want to ask how I got around the Sunagakure Jonin, don't you? Too bad. Even if I told you, you wouldn't have the chance to hear it." Yuanta revealed a sinister grin. Poof. A puff of white smoke flashed, and Beichen Haotian's figure appeared...

Thanks to Old Wang Living on the Fifth Floor and Wawa for the recommendation votes! Thanks to Long for the recommendation vote! Thanks to O-Bookooo Bug, Asking About the Nine Swords, Zhuhán Wàndāndàn, and Dreamlike~Meeting for the recommendation votes! Fellow readers, please don't think my updates are too few. I simply have very little time and can usually only write whenever I can squeeze it in. I also don't dare post too much at once, since it would upset the balance and I'm afraid of breaking updates. Please forgive me, and thank you all for your support!