Although Qi had seen what the ninja of the Five Great Nations looked like in the anime of his previous life, he had to admit that there was a huge difference between two-dimensional and three-dimensional worlds. Things that were easy to recognize in an anime weren't necessarily so in real life. Otherwise, he wouldn't have failed to recognize these people as Sunagakure Ninja.
People in real life were far more complicated than the simple sketches in two-dimensional worlds...
The Land of Wind was a desert country. Following the customs of their homeland, these Sunagakure Ninja wore thick headscarves. At first glance, they really did look like the Arabs he'd seen on TV in his previous life.
The difference was that these people were a hundred times more savage than the so-called desert dwellers of his previous life. Compared to them, even the so-called terrorists of his old world were nothing but pure, docile sheep...
"Rest here. Stay alert."
The apparent leader of the Sunagakure Ninja looked around. Qi and the others were lucky: the waist-high weeds concealed them well, and the Sunagakure Ninja seemed too mentally exhausted to be as alert as usual.
But there was no telling how long their luck would last. The distance between the two sides was dangerously short. Qi suspected that even the slightest movement on their part would give them away...
"Lord Tsang Yeh, we haven't seen a sign of our target all this way. Could the intelligence be wrong?"
After the group sat down, a burly-looking Sunagakure Ninja straightened up and asked the leader. His serious expression was at odds with how eagerly he offered his canteen.
The gesture was perfectly calculated, just the right amount of flattery...
"Don't worry. They wouldn't dare deceive me."
The Sunagakure Ninja called Tsang Yeh took the canteen from his subordinate, took a small sip, and handed it back.
"The old men in the village have been a huge disappointment. Since when did the mighty Sunagakure become the sort to bow down to its enemies?"
"I heard the target is extremely powerful. I hope we can succeed. That way, the people in the village might come to their senses."
Another Sunagakure Ninja nodded.
"So many of our comrades have died. How can we just let it go? That's an insult to our ancestors!"
"Well said!"
Tsang Yeh gave a cold laugh.
"That man's been getting stronger and stronger lately. Given time, he could become another White Fang. We absolutely can't let him live. It's for the future of the village..."
"Lord Tsang Yeh, didn't you once fight the White Fang of the Leaf? How does this man compare to him?"
The Sunagakure Ninja who had offered him water suddenly flashed a strange smile.
"How does he compare? White Fang was a peerless talent, the kind you only saw once in a thousand years. I've never seen a ninja like him. But he failed to kill me that time, even though I lost..."
Tsang Yeh's smile grew even stranger.
"Damn it! That bastard actually killed himself! But... good riddance! If he hadn't died, who would've dared to go to war with Konoha, huh?!"
He spoke so casually, but the four people hiding in the distance were drenched in cold sweat. They nearly started shaking...
The White Fang of the Leaf!? This man had fought the White Fang of the Leaf and lived to tell the tale! And they were saying their target would become another White Fang in time. Wasn't the person they wanted to kill obviously Minato!?
"Run! This guy's an elite Jonin!"
Kakashi shouted. Obito and Ling jumped up at almost the same time, and the four of them turned and ran!
Would an elite Jonin really fail to notice four people of Chunin rank? That was ridiculous!
"So you brats finally know to run? Heh... too late... Bring them back!"
Tsang Yeh laughed loudly as he watched the four try to flee, his eyes filled with amusement.
He had spotted them long ago. As one of the strongest people in Sunagakure, he considered the hiding skills of Qi and the others little more than a joke.
"Let's go!"
"Hey, kid, stop right there!"
As the four sprang into motion, the Sunagakure Ninja who had been sitting around them all rose to their feet at once. Amid their shouts, several figures had already leaped over the four and blocked their escape route!
Damn it! Just from the level of their chakra, even the weakest was probably an elite Chunin. A few of them were clearly Jonin!
Was this a joke? Since when did ninja of this caliber travel in packs!?
Qi felt a chill run through him, nearly choking the breath from his lungs. They'd run into serious trouble—the kind they couldn't possibly survive!
Could they escape? Never mind the elite Jonin still sitting on the ground. Even the weakest person here could match him and Kakashi!
Obito and Ling were in even worse shape. Obito hadn't awakened his Sharingan yet; at best, he had the strength of an ordinary Chunin. Against these people, he was as good as dead...
They might be an elite squad, but if they were elite, then this group was a genuine army. What was the point of fighting them...?
"You old geezer! Have you no shame? Picking on kids!"
Qi decided to throw caution to the wind and cursed Tsang Yeh.
"If you're so strong, go to Konoha and challenge the Sannin to a duel! Jiraiya, Orochimaru—pick whoever you want!"
"I'm not looking for any of them. I'm only after the Yellow Flash."
Tsang Yeh snorted and shot to his feet. Before Qi could react, he was already right in front of him, raising a hand to slap him!
"Bang!"
Qi finally understood what it felt like to be a kite with its string cut... because that was exactly what he was! Tsang Yeh's slap nearly shredded the clothes across his chest. Even the chain mail underneath broke into scattered pieces, and Qi was sent flying a long way...
Now he knew the kind of power a Jonin could unleash with a wind-nature transformation...
"Pfft!"
A mouthful of blood burst from his mouth, soaking the skin on his chest red!
"Qi!?"
Kakashi, Obito, and Ling were horrified. They rushed over and caught him. Otherwise, even if the slap hadn't killed Qi, the fall would have...
Kakashi looked even worse. Seeing Qi, whose strength was about the same as his own, go down with a single slap made him give up on fighting back. This wasn't fighting to the death; it was just asking to die...
"Brat, consider this a lesson. Don't run your mouth when you're up against someone stronger than you."
Looking at Qi, who had temporarily lost the ability to fight, and the three others beside him who had clearly given up resisting, Tsang Yeh finally looked satisfied.
"You might be elite ninja compared to ordinary shinobi, but to a Jonin, you're nothing but trash. If you want to live, sit tight and do as you're told!"
He waved to his subordinates and ordered them,
"Tie them up. Treat the brat's injuries; don't let him die. I'm very interested in him. The way he talks makes me wonder whether he's even a Konoha ninja."
"Yes!"
The Sunagakure Ninja answered in unison. They came forward, disarmed the four, and tied them up. Qi, who had been beaten nearly to death, was spared the ropes and even got to lie on a stretcher, though he wasn't exactly happy about it...
After all, anyone who was happy about being beaten this badly would be a real pervert. He wasn't that much of a masochist...