The sudden attack caught Haori and the others off guard.
But all three were competent ninjas. The instant the explosions began spreading, they leaped away in different directions.
The blasts forced them apart, and in a flash, the distance between them had widened.
A series of explosions filled the area with smoke. To avoid the blasts, Haori had to keep weaving through the forest.
"Damn it, we've been ambushed."
Haori cursed under his breath. He'd expected Iwagakure to make a move, but he hadn't thought they'd act so quickly.
He'd also noticed something else: all the explosions had been caused by Explosive Tags. That meant—
"Iwagakure already knows where we're planning to strike!"
No one was a fool, especially not those in charge of a village or commanding a battlefield.
The situation was probably no better for Namikaze Minato's group.
But what was happening over there had nothing to do with Haori. His eyes had turned crimson, and three Tomoe slowly spun within them.
Through the smoke, he spotted a figure rushing toward him. Before long, the figure had cut him off!
"Never thought I'd run into an Uchiha."
The newcomer saw Haori's eyes and immediately turned his head slightly, making sure not to meet his gaze.
"You are..." Haori frowned.
The slender figure before him seemed vaguely familiar.
But for the life of him, Haori couldn't remember who the man was.
"I am Hunt, of Iwagakure's Explosions Unit."
The thin man's expression was cold, but his manner was impeccable. His name, though, made Haori pause.
Haori remembered who he was now. Hunt was the Explosion Release expert who would later be brought back with Impure World Reincarnation by Yakushi Kabuto alongside Pakura.
"So it's you." Haori nodded.
"Surprised?" Hunt's expression remained indifferent. "You making it all the way here and causing such a commotion is what surprised us."
"Actually, we should thank Kumogakure." Haori knew a fight was inevitable, and he didn't mind getting under Hunt's skin. "Without them, we wouldn't have gotten such a good opportunity."
As expected, Haori's words made Hunt's already grim face darken further.
"What's your objective, and how many of you are there?" Hunt asked, forcing down his anger.
"You've already figured out our objective. Otherwise, you wouldn't have set an ambush here. As for how many of us..."
Haori shook his head. He'd noticed movement in the distance, too.
There was no doubt that Might Guy and the others had run into enemies as well. Each of them was caught up in a fight.
"And you still have time to worry about everyone else?" Hunt said scornfully, noticing Haori's distraction.
"Forget it. You're not going to tell me anyway. But no matter how many of you there are, you'll all meet in the Pure Land."
"Before you say that, have you ever considered one thing?"
Haori turned his gaze back to Hunt, a hint of disdain on his face.
"Do you really have the guts to face me? Or are you afraid of my Sharingan?"
The moment he finished speaking, the ground beneath Haori's feet burst open, and a figure shot up from below.
He was incredibly fast. Through his Sharingan, Haori could see chakra flowing around the man's fist!
It was clearly Explosion Release.
Though he'd been caught by surprise, Haori didn't panic. He could see Hunt's attack trajectory clearly.
At the very last instant, just as the fist was about to hit him, Haori shifted his body slightly. The movement was fluid and effortless, allowing him to dodge the punch with ease.
As Hunt's attack missed, his body stiffened for a moment. Haori quickly drew a Kunai.
The Kunai shot straight toward Hunt's chest and plunged into it in the blink of an eye!
But Haori raised an eyebrow. He'd clearly seen Hunt run off.
The figure left behind was no different from the earlier one—it was just an Earth Clone.
"Is this how you Iwagakure ninjas fight?"
Haori's words were dripping with scorn, though he remained extremely vigilant.
Once Iwagakure's shinobi burrowed underground, they were naturally hard to detect. Even with his Sharingan, Haori couldn't lock on to them immediately.
Hunt also had the mindset of a typical ninja: if his first strike failed, he'd take advantage of his strengths and immediately hide.
That was completely different from the way he'd acted after being brought back with Impure World Reincarnation, when he'd let himself go.
"What a coward. Looks like your Tsuchikage will live a long time, since you're all turtles."
Seeing that Hunt still hadn't made a move, Haori continued to search for him while keeping up his taunts.
Unfortunately, Haori had overestimated his talent for insults.
Maybe he could just about match Naruto when it came to giving pep talks, but he was clearly nowhere near Sasuke's level when it came to taunting people.
If Sasuke were standing here, he might not even have to say a word before someone came out to beat him up.
"Since you don't seem interested in fighting, let's not waste each other's time. I'll be on my way."
Haori thought for a moment, then said it casually. He really did start walking forward.
But the moment he took a step, he sensed movement behind him.
He quickly turned around and fixed his gaze on the spot behind him. The three Tomoe spun rapidly.
His face showed a moment of surprise, then broke into a smile.
"Got you!"
He rushed forward, one hand tucked behind his back while the other gripped a Kunai and plunged it fiercely into the ground!
The Kunai sank into the earth, but Haori's expression changed.
The ground hadn't bled as he'd expected, and the sensation of the Kunai sinking into it was completely different!
"I'm the one who got you, Uchiha brat!"
In that instant, the ground behind Haori split open, and Hunt finally appeared.
He swung his right fist hard. The chakra-wreathed punch slammed toward Haori.
He'd been holding back all this time, waiting for this moment!
But when he saw Haori standing perfectly still, as though he had no intention of dodging, Hunt grew wary.
He didn't pull his punch, but he did hold back a little.
Boom—
The instant his fist struck Haori, a violent explosion erupted from his body.
But instead of shattering, Haori's body melted away, transforming in a flash into surging currents of electricity!
"A Lightning Clone? When did he—?"
Hunt's face darkened. Fortunately, he'd held back a little, so there was still a chance to escape.
He stomped hard against the ground, using the surface and the massive explosion from his punch to propel himself away. Before the electricity could spread to him, he quickly leaped clear.
Not long after he'd moved, a huge fireball tore through the smoke and slammed into the ground.
The surrounding grass caught fire, and the flames began to spread. Haori's figure emerged silently from the shadows of the blaze.
"How ignorant."
Several Kunai appeared in Haori's hand. He calmly watched Hunt, hiding in the distance, and gave him a mocking smile.
In the firelight, his crimson eyes looked especially cold.
"Granted, hiding underground can help you evade the Sharingan to some extent.
But don't forget: the moment you make even the slightest move, these eyes will lock onto you.
In the face of these eyes, you have nowhere to hide!"