Terumi Mei

"Two standing in the trees, two hiding in the brush. Judging by their Chakra levels, there is one Jonin. I have confirmed there are no sensory ninja; we have not been exposed."

Receiving this intelligence from Hyuga Hane, Kushina was the first to charge straight ahead.

The others followed close behind.

Under the Byakugan, the positions of the Mist ninja were clearly visible.

With a Jonin present, why were they being so cautious?

A golden figure flashed by. The Jonin didn't last more than a few seconds before being ensnared by the berserk Kushina's Adamantine Sealing Chains, slammed into the ground, and silenced forever.

His three subordinates watched their superior get killed in an instant. Without a shred of hesitation, they scattered and fled in three different directions, praying that Kushina wouldn't target them.

"Three o'clock, ten o'clock."

After Hyuga Hane called out the two coordinates, his figure vanished from the spot to finish off the one running the fastest. Kakashi charged toward one of the remaining targets with his blade drawn, while Yakumaru had already finished weaving his hand signs.

Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique.

As if walking straight into it, the Mist ninja was engulfed by the massive fireball, turning into a charred corpse.

"First time I've seen a ninja get taken out directly by a Great Fireball. Must be a Genin, right?" Yakumaru clicked his tongue, feeling somewhat speechless.

A complete crushing victory; it was boring for the Shadow Guard to fight such weaklings.

"One Jonin, one Chunin, two Genin."

Hyuga Hane returned, dragging the surviving Mist Chunin, and tossed him to Yakumaru. "Use Genjutsu to interrogate him. We should be able to get some intelligence on this sector."

Yakumaru gave him a surprised look before thoughtfully carrying out the order.

This must be experience. Hyuga Hane and the Uchiha clansmen must have coordinated many times on the Mist Village Battlefield. They went for the kill immediately, but because the team included an Uchiha, they had left one alive.

"..." Kushina blinked, looking at the Jonin she had just finished off, then at the Genin killed by Kakashi and Uchiha Yakumaru. She nodded nonchalantly. "Hane is very thoughtful."

In a situation where they were outnumbered, the one with the problem certainly wasn't her!

Kakashi touched his left eye, watching the Chunin controlled by Yakumaru, his gaze flickering.

"The person commanding the troops in this sector is Lord Yagura. The Jonin include Hozuki... and Jonin Terumi Mei."

"Terumi Mei, Yagura."

Muttering these two names, Uchiha Yakumaru used a Kunai to finish off the Chunin. "I recall they are both elite Jonin of the Mist, right?"

"Correct. And Yagura has quite the reputation in the Mist; he is very likely the next Mizukage," Hyuga Hane said in a low voice.

Yagura, huh...

"Sounds like two decent opponents," Yakumaru laughed.

"Alright, clean up. Let's continue the mission."

Seeing that the Chunin had actually known some intelligence, Kushina—feeling a bit guilty about killing the enemy Jonin outright—gave a light cough. She let Kakashi and Yakumaru go ahead while she slowed her pace, falling back with Hyuga Hane.

Once Kakashi and Yakumaru were at a distance, Kushina spoke up:

"If we encounter enemies later, you can give me some suggestions beforehand."

"Did you not serve as a Jonin instructor? Understanding the abilities of each team member and mentally rehearsing scenarios where they can perform at their best is basic..."

Watching black lines appear on Kushina's forehead and her Chakra begin to boil, Hyuga Hane's mouth twitched, and he stopped talking.

Understood. Her time as a Jonin instructor was likely just a casual stint, or she hadn't met the average standards for an instructor.

Seeing Hyuga Hane stop talking, Kushina curled her lip.

She had served as a Jonin instructor, but with Anbu guarding her at all times, did she ever have the mood to ponder such things?

Striking first to wipe out the enemy was her habit...

She was so excited today precisely because there were no Anbu watching her!

For the first time in over a decade!

As Hyuga Hane and his team continued their operations, the Mist forces in this sector dwindled rapidly. Once the Mist side sensed something was wrong, the two teams crossed paths unexpectedly.

"Six ninja ahead, all Jonin! There is a sensory ninja, and they are approaching us," Hyuga Hane suddenly accelerated, landing in front of the group.

"An elite squad, then." Yakumaru grinned. "Looks like we can have a real fight. Give me two of them."

Ignoring him, Hyuga Hane looked at Kushina. "The leader is Terumi Mei. The Kekkei Genkai she possesses are Boil Style and Lava Style. Her offensive power is extremely high."

As he spoke, several custom Kunai appeared in his hands, which he fired into the surrounding area.

"Leave them to me," Kushina laughed, her entire body radiating the glow of her golden form.

With both sides possessing sensory ninja, the speed of their encounter was rapid; the one-kilometer distance vanished in an instant.

Not long after Hyuga Hane had informed the others, the enemy was only three hundred meters away, and they could see each other's figures.

"Red hair, that intense Chakra... and there are Hyuga and Uchiha ninja with her..."

Terumi Mei's pupils constricted as she saw the team approaching from afar.

The Uzumaki Clan? The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?

With this in mind, she said solemnly to a ninja beside her:

"Launch the distress signal immediately!"

Her subordinate did not hesitate and fired the signal flare straight into the sky.

"How cautious. I need to end this quickly."

Kushina frowned, and chains erupted from her back, lashing out directly at the opposing ninjas.

They had already pushed too deep, and there was no backup here.

Although they had Hyuga Hane's Flying Thunder God as a safety net and didn't actually need reinforcements, this was the biggest catch they had encountered yet, and they had to secure it.

"The Adamantine Sealing Chains of the Uzumaki Clan?"

Retreating backward, Terumi Mei's expression turned grave.

A Tailed Beast Jinchuriki, and the legendary Nine-Tails at that... how many rounds could she possibly last against such an opponent in her current state?

Boil Style: Skilled Mist Technique!

Without dwelling on it too much, Terumi Mei's face quickly returned to calm as white, acidic mist spewed from her mouth, gradually spreading outward.

The others did their best to stay away from the area. Kushina lingered for a moment, relying on the power of the Tailed Beast, but she soon retreated from the zone shrouded in acidic mist, her expression turning serious.

In that brief instant, the golden Chakra Cloak covering her body had been eroded by the mist; if she stayed inside any longer, her physical body would be under attack.

This acidic mist possessed an incredibly potent corrosive ability.

Only glancing at that side for a moment, Hyuga Hane turned his focus toward the five Jonin opposite him.

Terumi Mei had not yet reached her peak, and her chances of winning against a prime Kushina were slim, so there was no need to worry.

"Clear them out as quickly as possible. We don't have much time."

Hearing this, Uchiha Yakumaru stopped talking about dividing up the enemies and immediately pulled out a scroll, unfurling it to reveal various shuriken and Kunai connected by steel wires.

Kakashi also opened his left Sharingan.

"Huh? Finish us off? Just based on you three brats..."

The Jonin couldn't finish his sentence; his body stiffened, and he collapsed limply to the ground.

The four remaining Mist Village Jonin stared at Hyuga Hane, who had appeared behind their comrade at some unknown moment, and retreated in disbelief.

Hyuga Hane silently picked up the Flying Thunder God Kunai from the ground, and his figure vanished once more.

It was difficult to set up effective traps in such an unexpected encounter, but the Flying Thunder God was a different story.