Battle of Takigakure

To tell the story from two sides: in the direction of Takigakure, flames soared into the sky, the orange-red glow illuminating half the horizon. The sounds of explosions came in waves, accompanied by the faint cries of battle and screams of agony.

"Mother, has it started over there?" As soon as Uchiha Sasuke saw Uchiha Mikoto return, he jumped off the bed to ask.

"Yes." Mikoto nodded, signaling for the two to follow, then turned and walked away. "Pack your things; it is time for us to go."

Sasuke stuffed his clothes and ninja tools into his backpack in a flurry of movement, his actions nimble. Karin, standing nearby, had already finished packing and was waiting in place.

"Remember, do not speak once we are out, and follow me closely." Mikoto tucked a Kunai into her waistband. "We are entering under the guise of anonymity; do not draw anyone's attention."

The two children nodded.

Mikoto pushed open the door; the hallway was empty. The innkeeper and the guests had likely been frightened by the distant explosions and were hiding in their rooms, afraid to come out. The three of them slipped out of the inn without a sound and followed the street toward Takigakure.

The streets were chaotic. Panic-stricken villagers were everywhere; some clutched bundles as they ran toward the outskirts of the village, while others stood at their doorsteps, their faces filled with terror.

"War is coming again..."

"Run quickly, don't get caught in the crossfire!"

"My shop... what will happen to my shop..."

Mikoto walked against the flow of the crowd, with Sasuke and Karin following on her left and right. The three moved quickly but steadily, without making any unnecessary noise.

Once they left the small town, the woods on both sides of the road grew denser. The distant fire dyed the sky a dark red, and smoke rose like a black pillar.

After traveling for about an hour, Takigakure was already in sight, but Mikoto stopped. She crouched behind a large tree and raised her hand to signal Sasuke and Karin to halt. The two children immediately crouched down, holding their breath.

"Listen," Mikoto whispered.

Sasuke pricked up his ears; the sounds of ninjutsu explosions drifted from the village, louder than before. Interspersed were shouts, screams, and the sound of collapsing buildings.

"Boom—!"

A fireball rose from the village and exploded in the air, sending sparks flying in all directions.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!" someone shouted, followed immediately by a violent "splash," as if something massive had smashed through a wall.

"They are using Fire Style over there, and Earth Style over there." Mikoto pointed in different directions, her voice kept very low. "The one using Fire Style might be from the Sarutobi Clan; that jutsu just now was our Uchiha Clan's Fire Style, though it seems to have become a technique used by other families now. As for the Earth Style, that should be people sent by Iwagakure."

"Mother, how many people are fighting?" Sasuke looked in the direction of his mother's finger, struggling to distinguish the sources of the fire and sound.

"At least several dozen," Mikoto said. "But there aren't many true experts. Judging by the sounds, most are Chunin and Genin; those at the Jonin level have yet to make their move."

She leaned out from behind the tree to carefully observe the situation on the outskirts of the village.

"Let's go, we are changing positions."

The three hunched over and moved along the edge of the forest toward the side of the village. Mikoto walked with great care, placing each step where it was unlikely to make a sound; Sasuke followed behind her, mimicking her gait; Karin followed the two quietly, her footsteps even lighter than Sasuke's.

After about a quarter of an hour, Mikoto stopped again. This position was higher than the last, allowing them to see a portion of the village's interior.

Takigakure was not large, built along a river. The administrative building sat in the center, surrounded by residential areas and various shops. Now, these places were all billowing smoke.

The battle was mainly concentrated on the east and south sides of the village.

On the east side, several ninjas in gray clothing were locked in a standoff with the Takigakure garrison. They used a variety of ninjutsu—Fire Style, Lightning Style, and several were engaged in close-quarters combat. The Takigakure ninjas were few in number but held the geographical advantage, hiding behind buildings to fire projectiles and occasionally throwing shuriken.

The south side was even more intense. At least four factions were locked in a melee: one group wore blue vests and appeared to be from Kirigakure; another wore earth-yellow clothing, likely from Iwagakure; and several other groups wore plain clothes, making their origins unclear, though their skills were formidable.

"So many people..." Sasuke whispered.

"The Seven-Tails Jinchuriki of Takigakure is the easiest to obtain in the ninja world right now, so naturally, many have come." Mikoto pointed to a rooftop on the south side. "Do you see that person? The one in white."

Sasuke followed her gaze. A man in white stood on a roof, his hands weaving seals rapidly, and a massive water dragon erupted from behind him, crashing into the crowd opposite.

"A Water Style expert," Mikoto said. "Looking at his seal-weaving style, he should be from Kirigakure. Kirigakure ninjas are all strong in Water Style because the Land of Water is surrounded by the sea, and their chakra affinity leans toward water. If you encounter Kirigakure ninjas in the future, try not to fight them near water."

Sasuke nodded, learning earnestly.

"Over there, do you see the one using Lightning Style?" Mikoto pointed in another direction: a tall man held a blade in his left hand, while his right hand was wreathed in blue electricity. He cut down a Takigakure ninja with one strike, then turned and threw a punch, sending sparks flying and blasting two people behind him away.

"Lightning Style: Lightning Fist," Mikoto said. "A signature technique of Kumogakure. Kumogakure ninjas excel in Lightning Style and swordsmanship, and their taijutsu is also very strong. If you encounter them, do not engage in close combat."

"Then how do we fight them?" Sasuke knew this was a rare learning opportunity and did not pretend to understand; he asked directly, while Karin, standing to the side, also tilted her head to listen intently.

"Use ninjutsu to restrain them from a distance, or use genjutsu." Mikoto looked at the two as they studied seriously, nodded inwardly, and explained, "The Uchiha's Sharingan is exactly what they fear most. If you control them with genjutsu from afar, they won't be able to get close. Or, use Fire Style or Wind Style to force them back so they cannot close the distance. Karin, you can also use the Adamantine Sealing Chains to restrain them."

Sasuke and Karin nodded, seemingly enlightened.

"And over there," Mikoto pointed to the center of the village. "Those ones tearing down the houses are Iwagakure ninjas. They excel in Earth Style and love to alter the terrain to create an advantage. If you encounter Iwagakure ninjas, watch your footing and don't get trapped by terrain they suddenly change."

Karin listened from the side, occasionally pushing up a pair of glasses that weren't there—a habitual gesture, even though she had long since stopped needing them.

"Aunt Mikoto, when are we going to make our move?"

"No rush," Mikoto said. "Let them fight first. By the end, someone will inevitably be unable to hold on and will retreat. That is when we will go in."

The three continued to observe. The battle grew increasingly intense; buildings in the village collapsed one after another, and the firelight grew brighter. Some were shouting, "Have you found it yet?" while others yelled, "No, it might be hidden!"

Mikoto heard these cries, and the corners of her mouth twitched slightly.

"They are looking for the Jinchuriki," she whispered. "It seems they haven't found it yet."

"Then we..."

"Continue to wait."

About half an hour later, the battle gradually reached a fever pitch.

The ninjas of Takigakure suffered heavy losses, but they were desperately stalling for time, seemingly waiting for something. The attacking side was not faring much better; several smaller factions had already suffered over fifty percent casualties and were beginning to retreat in secret.

Behind a ruin at the village entrance, several groups hid behind crumbling walls, watching one another. No one wanted to be the first to charge in, because whoever did would become a target for everyone else.

"See those people?" Mikoto pointed behind the ruins. "Those are the ones waiting to be the mantis stalking the cicada. They won't make a move themselves, waiting instead to pick up the spoils once others have finished fighting."

"Then are we the mantis too?" Karin asked.

"We are the hunters," Mikoto said. "The mantis only picks up what is ready-made; a hunter judges when to strike and when to withdraw."

She checked the sky, stood up, and flexed her wrists. "It's about time. If we wait any longer, the jinchuriki will truly be found by someone else."

"Sasuke, Karin, stay close to me. Don't stray too far, and if you encounter someone you can't beat, run toward me. Don't push yourselves, and don't get bogged down in a fight."

"Understood," the two children said in unison.

Mikoto flashed out from behind the tree and moved rapidly along a small path leading to the side of the village. Sasuke and Karin followed on her left and right, the three of them forming a triangle, moving as swiftly as three cats.

Once inside the village, there were ruins and corpses everywhere. The air was thick with the stench of blood, the smell of burning, and the lingering chakra signatures of ninjutsu. Fires still burned in some places, licking at wooden houses and crackling loudly.

Mikoto led the two children through the ruins, trying to avoid areas with too many people.

Sounds of fighting came from ahead.

The three stopped and hid behind a broken wall to observe. In the small plaza ahead, three Takigakure ninjas were battling two people dressed in gray. The Takigakure ninjas had the numerical advantage, but the two in gray were clearly stronger, forcing the three to retreat step by step.

"Sasuke, Karin," Mikoto whispered. "Those two in gray are yours."

Sasuke's Sharingan activated instantly, the Three Tomoe slowly rotating within his blood-red pupils.

Karin nodded. She flexed her fingers, a cold glint flashing in her emerald eyes.

"Go." Sasuke charged out from behind the broken wall.

His speed was astonishing. The three months of special training were paying off; his body's reactions were faster than his brain, each step landing at the perfect angle, every breath synchronized with the contraction of his muscles.

One of the men in gray sensed the movement behind him and turned to block, but Sasuke didn't close the distance directly. Instead, his Sharingan spun rapidly, and an invisible wave of genjutsu rippled out from his eyes.

The man locked eyes with Sasuke for a split second, and his body stiffened violently.

Sharingan Genjutsu—within his field of vision, Sasuke suddenly split into three, lunging from three directions simultaneously. He slashed wildly in a panic, but hit nothing but air.

Sasuke seized the opportunity to close in, his right-hand kunai sweeping upward from below, slicing the man's throat. Blood sprayed out, and the man collapsed with wide eyes, dying without ever knowing what he had been swinging at.

The other man in gray saw his companion killed and roared in anger, abandoning his Takigakure opponent to charge at Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun, move!" Karin's voice came from behind.

Sasuke sidestepped.

Karin didn't use ninjutsu; she met the man head-on. Her taijutsu was unexpectedly good; her body was extremely flexible, and her footwork was agile, like a cat.

The man swung his blade, but Karin dodged to the side, grabbed his wrist with her left hand, and slammed her right fist into his elbow joint. With a "crack," the man's arm bent at a gruesome angle, and he let out a shrill scream.

Karin didn't give him a chance to breathe. She drove a knee into his abdomen, causing him to double over like a shrimp, vomiting bile. Karin followed up with a shoulder throw, slamming him heavily into the ground before stomping down to shatter the wrist holding his blade.

The entire process took less than three seconds—clean and efficient. As the man lay on the ground wailing, Karin crouched down, a green glow of chakra lighting up her hand—a Chakra Scalpel. She wasn't trying to save him; she used the technique to sever his nerves, ending his life instantly.

The three Takigakure ninjas saw this and turned to flee in terror.

"Don't chase them." Sasuke wanted to pursue, but Mikoto called him back as she stepped out from behind the wall. "They aren't the target."

Sasuke stopped and wiped the blood off his kunai. His hands were trembling slightly—not from fear, but from excitement.

"Well done." Mikoto inspected the two corpses on the ground and retrieved several scrolls from them. "Sasuke's genjutsu was perfectly timed, and his follow-up with the kunai was lethal. Karin's taijutsu has also improved significantly, and her medical ninjutsu is proficient."

Karin smiled and retracted the green chakra from her hand.

The three continued deeper into the village. Along the way, they encountered several groups of people fighting. Mikoto didn't intervene in every skirmish, only letting Sasuke and Karin practice when they encountered suitable opponents.

A lone Iwagakure chunin hid in a corner using Earth Release. Sasuke first forced him out with a Great Fireball, then pinned him with a Sharingan genjutsu, finishing him off with a single kunai.

Two Kirigakure genin surrounded Karin. She swept the legs of one to knock him down, then knocked him out with a punch. As the other charged with a blade, she dodged, grabbed his wrist, disarmed him with a grapple, and used a Mystical Palm Technique chakra blade to strike his neck, knocking him unconscious.

After walking through most of the village, Mikoto's expression grew grave.

"Something is wrong."

"What is it?" Sasuke asked.

"The jinchuriki isn't here." Mikoto stopped and closed her eyes, releasing her senses.

She carefully felt for every strand of chakra in the village. There were strong ones, weak ones, fire-natured ones, water-natured ones... but none felt like the presence of a Tailed Beast jinchuriki.

A jinchuriki's chakra was different from that of a normal ninja—they had a Tailed Beast sealed within them, and their chakra carried a wild, violent aura. This aura was unique; any sensory-type ninja could detect it.

But in this village, Mikoto felt no such aura.

"They were moved." She opened her eyes, her brows furrowed. "Takigakure must have guessed the jinchuriki would be targeted and moved her ahead of time."

"Then we came for nothing?" Sasuke asked.

"Not entirely," Mikoto looked at Sasuke and Karin. "At least you got to practice. Sasuke's genjutsu and kunai techniques are becoming more refined, and Karin's taijutsu and medical ninjutsu have been put to use. It's much better than practicing in the courtyard."

An explosion echoed in the distance. The battle was still ongoing, but the sounds were no longer as intense as before.

"Let's go," Mikoto turned around. "There's no point in staying any longer."

"Just like that?" Sasuke felt somewhat unwilling.

"What else?" Mikoto looked at him. "The jinchuriki isn't here; continuing to fight will only draw more attention. There are only three of us, and there's no need to take that risk."

Sasuke gritted his teeth, but ultimately nodded.

The three began to move toward the village outskirts. Mikoto walked in the lead, with Sasuke and Karin following behind. They did not take the original path, but instead circled around to exit from the west side of the village.

They encountered several groups of people along the way; some were fighting, some were looting corpses, and others were rummaging through boxes and cabinets for valuables. Seeing Mikoto and the others, most chose to ignore them—a brat and a woman were not worth wasting time on.

However, there were those who lacked foresight—a burly man with a scarred face blocked their path, holding a blood-stained blade as he looked Mikoto up and down.

"Yo, bringing two brats along? Is this a sightseeing trip?"

Mikoto ignored him and continued walking forward.

The man grew angry and swung his blade at her.

Mikoto dodged to the side, smoothly drawing a Kunai from her waist and stabbing it into the man's wrist with a backhand motion. The man let out a miserable shriek, and his blade dropped to the ground. Mikoto kicked him in the knee, forcing him to one knee; before he could react, Mikoto's Kunai was already pressed against his throat.

"Ugh..." The man clutched his throat, from which blood was spraying continuously, wanting to say something, but he could no longer utter a sound.

Sasuke watched this scene, silently memorizing his mother's movements—clean and efficient, not wasting a single ounce of strength, with every strike hitting a vital point.

This was likely experience; a true ninja would not play around with flashy techniques. If one strike could solve it, they would never use two.

The three continued toward the village exit. Just as they neared the gate, a rush of footsteps came from behind. Mikoto stopped and turned around.

Several figures darted out from the ruins, blocking their path. The leader was a middle-aged man with one eye, wearing the blue flak jacket of Kirigakure, with a short blade tucked at his waist.

"Stop." His voice was hoarse. "Who are you people?"

"Just passing through," Mikoto said calmly.

"Passing through?" The one-eyed man sneered. "This is Takigakure, and you're passing through with two brats?"

"We are just traveling," Mikoto said, her expression unchanging. "We saw the fire here and wanted to see what was happening."

The one-eyed man stared at her for a few seconds, his gaze lingering on her face before sweeping over Sasuke and Karin.

"Which village are you from?"

"No village," Mikoto glanced at him, still speaking without expression. "Civilians."

"Civilians?" The one-eyed man laughed again. "Civilians who use Fire Release? Who use genjutsu? Who use taijutsu? My men saw that brat use genjutsu and a Kunai to kill someone, and that red-haired brat's taijutsu isn't bad either."

Mikoto did not answer; her hand rested on her Kunai, ready to strike at any moment.

"Go," the one-eyed man said after watching her for a long time, finally waving his hand. "Don't let me see you again."

Mikoto withdrew her hand and led Sasuke and Karin past him.

After walking a dozen steps away, Sasuke asked in a low voice, "Mother, why did he let us go?"

"Because he knows we aren't civilians," Mikoto said. "But he doesn't want to invite unnecessary trouble at this moment. The situation here is already chaotic, and he doesn't want to add another enemy. Besides, he can't gauge our background and doesn't dare to act rashly."

Sasuke nodded, looked back once at the direction where the figures had disappeared, and then turned to continue following the group.

Once out of Takigakure, the three followed the path they had come from. The firelight behind them grew more distant, and the sounds of explosions grew fainter. After walking for about an hour, Takigakure had become nothing more than a dark red halo on the horizon.

"Hiruzen, you will regret this!" While the battle raged in Takigakure, an argument also erupted in the Hokage Building of Konoha.