Full of Martial Virtue

Soshi did not ask the mysterious figure about the ninjutsu used to kill the Earth Grudge Fear user.

Just as the other party had never directly probed into the principles behind the boy's bloodline limit.

As potential collaborators, both sides maintained restraint, tacitly avoiding topics that were impolite to one another, as if they had truly reached a state of unbreakable stability.

But in reality, this mode of interaction, which respected each other's privacy, was far from as fair as it appeared on the surface!

And the crux of the problem lay with this elusive messenger...

The mysterious figure acting as a bridge seemed like a neutral tool in this exchange, but in essence, he remained solely responsible to Director Inoue.

He faithfully reported every detail of their interactions to Director Inoue, while the boy had no way to learn of the other party's most authentic and direct reactions in an equal manner.

In the long run, the information-gathering channels of both sides would inevitably become imbalanced over time, and the initiative in negotiations would constantly shift in a direction unilaterally favorable to Director Inoue.

And this situation was precisely what Yamada Soji could not accept.

He could not entrust his life and future to an opportunist like Inoue Hisahide!

Yet, limited by his own status, the boy objectively lacked the ability to follow suit and cultivate his own "black gloves" for counter-measures as the other party had.

Therefore, Soshi had to find another way and choose a more radical approach to solve the problem.

Just imagine...

If the mysterious figure's stance were reversed, the game between the boy and Director Inoue would change completely!

To achieve the ultimate goal of turning him, the first thing Soshi had to do was understand the elusive messenger before him. He needed to "reasonably" break through the social safety line between them in a way both sides could accept.

"My sensory abilities aren't great; besides this guy, are there any other living targets nearby?" Soshi returned his hands to a seal-weaving posture, confirming the situation with the mysterious figure whose form was still unstable.

Facing the boy's question, the mysterious figure gave an answer without the slightest delay: "Please rest assured, no other survivor signatures were detected in the vicinity; this was the last one."

"That's good... at least I haven't failed the trust of Commander Nara."

"You are too modest. A ninja capable of such precise and large-scale lethality on the battlefield can be called elite anywhere—this is indeed a task only you could complete."

The mysterious figure's outline finally stabilized. He habitually stood on the boundary between light and shadow, speaking words of praise without a hint of emotional fluctuation. It was impossible to tell if he was sincere or being sarcastic...

Fortunately, more than half a year was enough for Soshi to get used to the other party's style, so the boy had no intention of taking the bait, instead guiding the conversation in the direction he had pre-designed.

"A ninja's value cannot be judged by one or two actions... I care more about the preservation of immediate combat power than those ethereal evaluations."

Soshi released his seal-weaving hands and took the initiative to approach the mysterious figure: "Although I don't know where you were hiding before you appeared, the secret technique I just used possesses a very specific area-of-effect lethality. To prevent any hidden dangers from accidental injury, I think it would be safer for you to undergo a check-up as soon as possible."

The mention of "accidental injury" was, naturally, just an excuse.

In fact, after Soshi completely mastered the Extracorporeal Transformation Method by taking the Superman Drug, the "Sudden Rain" form of the Rain Woman's Heart Technique had become even more stable than its original state.

After all, the damage caused by glass fibers from the inside out relied on extremely high-precision chakra control...

If the operator couldn't even determine whether a sufficient number of glass wires had been mixed into the target's body, how could he have taken down the Waterfall Ninja lurking nearby all at once?

Soshi's actual intention was to use the check-up as an excuse to confirm the mysterious figure's chakra flow and uncover the true face of that secret killing technique that resembled parasitism.

—Such a distinct style of ninjutsu could not be unknown.

As long as he found credible clues, Soshi was fully confident in using circuitous methods to further lock down the mysterious messenger's true identity.

It was a pity that this seemingly considerate and reasonable request did not receive a response from the other party...

"Thank you for your kindness, but I don't think that will be necessary."

The mysterious figure maintained his appearance as a medical worker, masked and wrapped in a white coat, and as Soshi approached, he once again used that eerie movement method to pull away.

"Rather than my personal safety, it is more important to report the battle situation to the Commander-in-Chief as soon as possible."

"Why, are you not planning to go back and report the work with me?" Sensing the other party's deliberate avoidance, Soshi did not continue to force the issue.

The boy cautiously gauged the scale of his actions, and having long been prepared to test the waters on the edge of alerting Director Inoue, he naturally could not be in a rush.

"Thanks to your timely appearance, the most troublesome enemy was resolved. I wouldn't have been able to explain everything that happened here on my own."

"Please forgive me, but the 'secret operation assignment' I received this time came directly from the Hokage Office. Formally, it belongs to a different task line than Commander Nara Motonari's."

"Although I provided assistance for the safety of the Frontline Support Battalion, it is ultimately inconvenient to be directly exposed to the public."

"Fine, since you insist..." Soshi stepped back, showing his attitude through his actions: "Since we are all here for the mission, it is not my place to pry."

"However, once everything settles down, I still suggest you rule out any injuries—the wounds caused by the Rain Woman's Heart Technique are very special. If not treated in time, follow-up care will be very troublesome."

"I appreciate your concern... In that case, this humble one shall take his leave."

Before the words had even faded, the mysterious figure's outline became blurred again... He was like a drop of ink falling into a pool, disappearing rapidly amidst a ripple.

Soshi, whose sensory abilities were lacking, focused his attention for a moment as usual, but still could not find any traces.

With no other choice, the boy had to hurriedly leave a mark at the scene and rush back to the camp to provide support according to the original plan.

However, because this operation had fallen into Konoha's calculations from the very beginning, by the time Soshi returned to the camp, the confrontation on the main battlefield had already been decided by the hard work of his colleagues.

Excluding Nara Motonari and the three squads responsible for security on the surface, two other full-strength Chunin squads, who had disguised themselves as doctors earlier, provided timely support after the battle began.

And when the numerical advantage was completely wiped out, the blind charge into the Frontline Support Battalion's camp became a reckless decision of a suicidal nature.

The reliable Teacher Motonari and the short-haired female ninja he had met once before worked together to quickly crush the assassins who dared to invade.

...And inside the camp, the Konoha Medical Corps, who also made a living with blades, displayed extremely high tactical literacy!

Not only were they not panicked by the sudden enemy attack, but under the leadership of Director Chosokabe, they did everything that non-combatants could do.

Director Usami Hanbei even took the time to demonstrate his unique Scalpel Draw Technique, personally taking down a spy from the Land of Waterfalls who had attempted to infiltrate in disguise...

From this perspective, compared to the Konoha Village of decades later, which was weakened by long-term internal friction, the ninja group of the Land of Fire in this era could definitely be called militarily robust!