Forty-Two: An Unexpected Attacker

In the Land of Claw, eighty-three li east of the border with the Land of Rain.

A squad was making its way along a winding highway.

They weren't moving quickly, but the formation was orderly and disciplined, with no sign of confusion. At a glance, it was clear this wasn't an ordinary convoy.

It was a supply unit belonging to Iwagakure, transporting medicine, food, and other essentials for the front lines.

Most of the transport team consisted of Chunin and Genin, but for safety's sake, Iwagakure had also sent two elite Jonin as escorts.

Besides, this place was quite far from the main battlefield. All things considered, it should have been a very easy assignment.

The expressions on the Iwagakure Ninjas' faces said it all. They looked relaxed, and the two leading Jonin were even sitting in a carriage in the middle of the convoy, with a bottle of sake on the table for them to enjoy.

"Come on, have a drink."

Huang Yan of Iwagakure called to his companion. "Baishi, hurry up and try this sake. It's very smooth."

"Thank you, sir."

Compared to Huang Yan, who looked like he was already middle-aged, Baishi seemed like a young man in his twenties.

He took the cup, had a small sip, then set it down.

"Hahaha, you can't hold your liquor, can you?"

Seeing the flush spread across his cheeks, Huang Yan laughed heartily. "I heard you're getting married soon. If you don't build up your tolerance now, what are you going to do later?"

"She... she doesn't like me drinking."

Baishi lowered his head bashfully.

"Hahaha, you. You're one of the famous Jonin in our village, but you're far too gentle with women."

Huang Yan laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "I've been around the block, so let me teach you. When it comes to women, you've got to hit them if they don't listen. Otherwise, sooner or later, they'll walk all over you."

But I'd heard that you're the biggest henpecked husband in Iwagakure, sir. Just the other day, your wife chased you around and beat you because you glanced at a woman from Amegakure...

Baishi grumbled to himself, but nodded in agreement so as not to embarrass his senior.

"When are you planning to get married?"

Huang Yan poured himself another cup and asked.

"After I finish this mission, I'll go back to the village and get married."

At the thought of the wedding that was just around the corner, Baishi smiled.

"Hahaha, then you'd better make sure to treat me to a good wedding feast."

Huang Yan roared with laughter.

"I will. Once we get back, we'll—"

Boom!

A deafening explosion suddenly erupted outside the convoy, accompanied by the anguished cries of the Chunin on guard.

"Captain, we're under attack!"

"Help me!"

"Argh!"

Along with their cries came a sudden wave of scorching heat.

Huang Yan and Baishi exchanged a glance and leapt out of the carriage. Only then did they see the Ninjas in their convoy being swallowed by flames, their bodies burning like human torches.

"An attack!? Where's the enemy?"

Huang Yan stared around in confusion, but he couldn't see where the attack was coming from. Then, amid a piercing sonic boom, a blazing dragon plummeted from the sky, its monstrous face twisted into a savage snarl.

"Look out, sir!"

Baishi instinctively shoved him aside, but couldn't dodge in time himself. The dragon's jaws clamped down on him, and he was swallowed by flames in an instant, losing his life.

"Baishi!!!"

His companion, who had just been beside him, talking about their bright future, had now been devoured by the fire dragon and reduced to a corpse. Huang Yan's eyes immediately reddened.

"Damn you... damn you! Come out! Show yourself! I'll kill—"

A second fire dragon plunged from the sky, swallowing his contorted face.

In his final moments, he stared blankly into the distance.

A figure slowly came into view.

Red eyes, a handsome face with a hint of boyishness, a massive bow two meters wide in his right hand, and a left arm crimson as fire, shimmering as if unreal.

What? The one who attacked our convoy... was just a fourteen-year-old boy?

What a... joke.

Sakuya landed on the ground, his expressionless face unchanged. As his left arm and the great bow in his right hand vanished, the Tomoe in his eyes gradually faded as well.

After checking the scene, he finally nodded.

"Mission to sever the supply lines of the Rock Ninja and Rain Ninja... complete."

It had been more than two months since the Second Shinobi World War officially began.

Throughout that time, Sakuya had been constantly moving around the rear of the Amegakure-Iwagakure battlefield, cutting off many of the enemy's supply lines. Since his enemies saw nothing but a flash of crimson when he attacked, he had earned the nickname Red Flash.

"So these people only know how to give out nicknames with 'flash' in them?"

Sakuya grumbled as the arm and great bow made of flames dissipated into the air.

Over the past two months, he'd encountered countless powerful Ninjas from other villages.

Through life-or-death battles with them, he had gradually mastered the abilities of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

The fact that he hadn't used Amaterasu just now, instead shaping ordinary flames into a great bow and arm, was proof of that.

This was a simplified version of "You are the Vermilion Light that Burns the Heavens," incorporating the nature transformation of the Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique. Its power was far below that of the Vermilion Arrow, and it couldn't alter the weather to create a rain of fire. In exchange, it didn't require opening the Mangekyō or using Amaterasu, and its chakra cost was far lower.

Moreover, just like the Vermilion Arrow, it required no Hand Seals and had a range of five hundred meters.

Thanks to this technique, he had killed countless enemy Jonin on the battlefield. It was also how he had earned the nickname Red Flash.

Sakuya had named the technique Fire Style: Dragon Flame Raging Dance.

Of course, since it required mastery of Fire Release chakra nature transformation, its difficulty had been rated A, making it the first A-rank Fire Style technique in history. Truly a cause for celebration.

He quickly cleaned up the battlefield and sealed the bodies in a storage scroll.

The scroll could be taken back to base to record his battle merits, and he could also exchange it for rewards.

Most importantly, the corpses could be interrogated by the Ninja in the rear to uncover intelligence and secret techniques, laying the groundwork for victory in the war.

"Anyway, let's see what supplies these Iwagakure escorts were carrying."

He was about to open the wagons when his expression suddenly tightened.

A tentacle suddenly shot out from the nearby woods and lunged at him.

He twisted aside, then saw someone emerge from the trees.

The man looked to be about twenty. His hair was split evenly down the middle, one side white and the other green. His skin was pitch-black, and it was obvious he was no ordinary person—not someone from the lands of Fire, Rain, Earth, or Wind.

The Tomoe reappeared in Sakuya's eyes, and flames once again formed a great bow in his hand.

With that octopus tentacle attacking him just now, the identity of the man before him was obvious.

"What a... formidable guest."