Behind Enemy Lines

Uchiha Iori hurried to the rendezvous point, only to find the other three had been waiting for quite some time; he was the last to arrive.

"Apologies, I am late," Iori said.

"It is fine. Is everything prepared? You are the captain this time, so the decisions rest with you," Gekko Nobuhiko reminded him with a faint smile.

"Senior Kosuke, Senior Shibi, if you are ready, let us depart."

"Our target is an enemy stronghold storing war supplies, which should be protected by a team led by the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, Han."

"When we arrive, Senior Shibi will conduct reconnaissance first, and then we shall decide how to destroy the supplies."

"If we can infiltrate stealthily, we will use Explosive Tags to blow them up."

"If we need to lure away the Five-Tails Jinchuriki Han, I will handle it."

Uchiha Iori laid out the plan; the risk of facing the Five-Tails Jinchuriki head-on was too great.

If it could be avoided, he would prefer not to engage in a direct confrontation.

If it came down to it, however, he was not without a chance of winning against the Five-Tails Jinchuriki.

"Understood. I will follow the plan," Maruboshi Kosuke nodded.

Aburame Shibi nodded in silence; ninjas of the Aburame Clan were always taciturn, known for being low-key and reliable.

Gekko Nobuhiko had no objections either, even though the task Iori had taken on was excessively dangerous.

He believed that Iori was a ninja who would one day support Konoha just like the Sannin.

All he had to do was trust Iori.

Three days later.

Land of Grass.

Night fell.

Uchiha Iori and his team of four moved slowly through the dark forest.

After three days of investigation, they had basically grasped the movements of the Iwagakure Ninja.

The closer they got to the Iwagakure stronghold, the more patrolling ninjas there were.

Although the squad could easily kill the enemies in an instant, they were unsure of the opponent's defensive mechanisms.

Acting rashly could very likely lead to their own exposure.

"Thanks to the Kikaichū of Jonin Shibi, they are truly amazing."

Throughout this journey, tasks like erasing tracks and scouting enemy intelligence had been entirely handled by Aburame Shibi's Kikaichū.

Although these bugs looked a bit repulsive, the power and functionality of the Kikaichū were formidable.

Aburame Shibi did not reply, merely nodding slightly.

"Stop. We cannot get any closer; the intersection and density of the patrols do not allow for infiltration," Aburame Shibi said suddenly and calmly.

"Then I will go capture a tongue," Uchiha Iori said, activating his Sharingan to observe the movements ahead.

Soon, he discovered a four-man Iwagakure squad patrolling from the right.

Iori slowly crept up behind them; mere Chunin were completely unable to detect his movements.

Using the Body Flicker Technique, Iori quickly knocked out three of the ninjas before locking eyes with the final one.

Genjutsu: Sharingan.

Scarlet tomoe appeared in the Iwagakure ninja's eyes, and he instantly fell into the genjutsu.

How could a mere Chunin resist the genjutsu of a Three Tomoe Sharingan?

Uchiha Iori quickly interrogated the ninja about the layout, and after extracting the intelligence, he finished him off.

He repeated the process with the remaining three, cross-referencing the information he had obtained.

"It seems there is no way to bypass them; I will have to be the one to lure away the Five-Tails Jinchuriki Han," Iori said calmly.

He had a premonition that if he could survive this, he would inevitably awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Although he was walking a path similar to Indra's and had no inherent need to awaken the Mangekyō, he could not abandon the immediate boost in combat power that the Mangekyō Sharingan would provide.

"Then I will leave it to you," Maruboshi Kosuke said. Although he wanted to help, he ultimately decided to follow orders.

After causing the deaths of his teammates years ago, he had sworn never to be greedy or reckless again.

He decided to trust his captain.

Aburame Shibi and Gekko Nobuhiko both nodded: "We will handle the burning of the supplies."

Uchiha Iori hesitated for a moment: "Are you confident? Even if the Jinchuriki is lured away by me, the remaining forces of the Iwagakure Ninja should not be underestimated."

"If the situation becomes impossible, do not force it; there will be other opportunities later."

"You're too arrogant, Iori. Don't treat us like dead weight; we are Jonin, after all." Gekko Nobuhiko sounded somewhat irritated.

Although he knew it was well-intentioned, this attitude wounded their pride; it was a slight against their strength as Konoha Jonin.

To have their teammate take on the most dangerous task, only to then doubt their ability to handle the remaining work, was insulting.

As elites of the Ninja World, they found such a thing difficult to accept.

"My mistake. Then, I'll leave the burning of the supplies to you." Uchiha Iori admitted his fault decisively.

In an era before combat power had inflated, elite Jonin were still the T1 tier.

Aside from the handful of Kage-level individuals, they were the strongest combatants and would not fail easily.

Circling halfway around the Iwagakure camp, Iori stepped out from the forest.

Swish... swish... swish...

With a few Body Flicker techniques and low-level Sharingan genjutsu, Iori easily dispatched a patrol of Iwagakure ninja.

He walked openly toward the camp, as if it were his own.

"Enemy! Sound the alarm!"

The Iwagakure sentry raised the alarm, signaling an incoming attack.

"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame."

Uchiha Iori concentrated chakra in his throat, exhaling a sea of fire as turbulent as a tsunami.

The flames surged like a raging ocean, sweeping toward the Iwagakure camp.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!" N

The Iwagakure troops reacted swiftly, unleashing defensive ninjutsu in unison; a continuous line of earthen walls successfully held back the sea of fire.

"Boil Style: Unrivaled Strength."

At that moment, a man radiating steam charged out from the Iwagakure camp.

He paid no heed to the intense heat brought by the Majestic Destroyer Flame.

Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, had arrived.

He was a tall man wearing a conical hat, a red mask over his mouth, and red armor.

He utilized steam to unleash immense power in battle, earning him the title of "Steam Ninja."

"So you're the Five-Tails Jinchuriki? You don't look like much." Uchiha Iori sneered, attempting to provoke him.

"Ōnoki is getting old, too. It seems Iwagakure really has no one left, hahaha."

Han's gaze was as cold and stern as rock. Unlike the Four-Tails Jinchuriki Roshi, he remained steadfastly loyal to Iwagakure and the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki.

Facing Iori's provocation, he remained unmoved, merely watching his opponent calmly. "Don't bother trying to enrage me. I will suppress this battle with a body like a giant rock and an unwavering will."

As he spoke, steam erupted from Han's body. "Boil Style: Unrivaled Strength."

Like a high-speed train with steam billowing from his back, he charged fiercely toward Iori.

Iori flickered away, a cold smirk playing on his lips. "This speed is nothing special. It seems the Five-Tails isn't so impressive after all."

He retreated while continuing his taunts, attempting to lure Han away from the camp.

Han likely understood this, but he also trusted the comrades he had left behind.

He also understood the danger of having a powerhouse operating within his own backyard.

He decided to kill Uchiha Iori before returning to provide support.

As a Jinchuriki capable of skillfully controlling a portion of a Tailed Beast's power and fully transforming when necessary, he had few rivals in the Ninja World.

"Now, prepare to die!"

Han began to borrow the Five-Tails' chakra, and a single tail extended from his back.