The chaotic footsteps of several people rang exceptionally loud in this empty valley.
Tsk, the secret technique has been exposed. Does he want to kill these people? Mirai stared expressionlessly at the three of them, thinking to himself.
No, there was someone in the darkness!
Suddenly, Mirai's expression changed, and his heart seemed to stop beating.
With a swoosh, Mirai leaped up and vanished into the hazy mist.
The rogue Mist ninja was dead, and the Hidden Mist Jutsu had been dispelled, yet the surrounding fog remained dense.
That meant the concealment within this vast mist was not the female ninja's doing; most of it was the valley's natural fog.
Having realized this, Mirai suddenly let out a breath of relief.
This group of bandits should have come from the Land of Water, with the middle-aged man as their leader.
They might have some ninja among them, but it was not enough to cause concern.
Moreover, Mirai had noticed many faint yet powerful presences within the mist.
Especially near Asuma—he always felt as though several chilling auras had locked onto him.
Good thing I didn't act rashly just now... Mirai licked his dry lips. How could the new generation of Konoha ninja be taken lightly?
The brief battle had lasted less than three minutes, yet Mirai had expended most of his strength.
Sure enough, he was still too weak!!
This intelligence-gathering assignment was enough. The strongest enemy was a chunin. Though it was only a judgment, Mirai trusted his own assessment.
There was no need to determine the enemy's exact numbers. Once Mirai learned that someone was secretly protecting them, it ceased to matter.
As for the rest...
Only the baptism of fresh blood remained!
Reid and Guy waited anxiously behind a low boulder in a concealed corner of