The General in the Field

The decision made by the Konoha High Command reached Orochimaru on the Northern Front within a day.

As he looked at the sternly worded order in his hand, he felt a mix of emotions, and in the end, he could only let out a silent sigh.

However, even if the village doesn't allow him to launch an offensive, as the frontline commander, he still needs to be flexible. At worst, he can stop when he's done his part and just keep going until he drives Cloud Village out of the Land of Hot Water.

With this in mind, Orochimaru quickly summoned his advisors and then issued a series of orders.

The Camp responded quickly, with squads of ninjas heading to the Land of Land of Hot Water with the latest missions. The long-quiet Camp suddenly came back to life, like a lion that had just woken up and stretched out its claws. The prey was the Cloud Ninja in the Land of Hot Water.

Taiichi Squad naturally received a similar mission. They could also vent the anger they had been holding back from the last ambush. After receiving the mission, the three of them rushed to the Land of Hot Water as quickly as possible. The goal of the mission was simple: to wipe out all the Cloud Ninja they encountered.

Taiichi, Yohei, Saori, like sharp blades drawn from their sheaths, plunged straight into the heart of the Land of Hot Water.

Orochimaru's order to exterminate them came a little too late, and the Cloud Village Orochimaru's strategy of retreat was executed thoroughly. As Taiichi Squad rampaged through the Land of Hot Water, they quickly discovered that they encountered minimal resistance.

Even when they encountered a few Cloud Ninja, they were usually Chunin reconnaissance missions. This made Taiichi and his group feel like they were hitting cotton, completely powerless and extremely uncomfortable.

A few days later, the initially enthusiastic Taiichi Squad gradually calmed down, abandoned their impetuousness, and returned to their normal mission mindset.

They slowly traversed the Land of Land of Hot Water, using Shadow Clone to expand their search area. Surprisingly, this led them to uncover several more Cloud Village forward Resupply points, places that Cloud Village had been unable to evacuate during their retreat and had chosen to hide in place.

Take what you can, and destroy what you can't. Luckily, Taiichi and Saori in the team are both skilled in Sealing Jutsu, so as long as there are enough materials, making some Storage Scroll on the spot is a piece of cake.

Thus, after finding five Resupply points, the team alone intercepted Explosive Tag, medicines, and weapons worth tens of millions of taels of silver.

More importantly, at this time, these are truly in high demand but not available. Even if you have real money, you can't buy these strategic materials.

All of this can only be attributed to the fact that the Cloud Village's evacuation was too hasty, and in order to avoid the annihilation of their fighting force, these supplies had to be temporarily abandoned.

Their unstoppable momentum and consecutive victories seemed to confirm their current invincible strength. This made the Taiichi Squad even more confident and bolder in their actions.

Thus, Taiichi and his two companions' route moved from the heart of the Land of Hot Water closer and closer to the Land of Moon. Just as they were patrolling a complex rift valley in the northern part of the Land of Hot Water, they encountered a completely different Cloud Village team.

This squad, like theirs, consisted of only three people. However, when Taiichi detected them through his Chakra Perception, the Cloud Ninja squad also clearly noticed Taiichi's spying, and they immediately disappeared from Taiichi's perception.

The opponent clearly also has Sensor Ninja, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to block Taiichi's senses so quickly.

But based on that fleeting glimpse, Taiichi knew that the other party was no ordinary person.

"Attention, there are three Cloud Ninja 1.5 kilometers ahead. Two of them seem to be Jonin their aura, and the other one is a girl about our age. She seems a bit strange, and we can't be sure of her strength."

Taiichi quickly informed Yohei and Saori of everything he had sensed, and at the same time, the three of them changed their direction of travel and headed towards the three people. At this moment, the three members of the team were truly skilled and daring, and they did not take the two Jonin of the enemy seriously at all.

The battle broke out without any warning. When the two sides, who were both interested in each other, met in the middle of the rift, they didn't exchange a single word before unleashing their Ninjutsu at each other.

Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet.

Lightning Style: Lightning Bind.

The two Ninjutsu collided in the middle of the rift valley, and flames and lightning shot out from the point of impact, instantly igniting the entire valley in a sea of fire.

Taiichi charged out with his Ninjutsu, his Short Sword already stained with Bright Gold flames. He thought he could use the flames as cover to catch his opponent off guard, but instead, he encountered the enemy's ninja in the sea of fire.

As the Short Sword clashed, Taiichi knew he was in trouble the moment they made contact. His opponent's power was far too great, clearly far surpassing his own. Furthermore, the lightning-covered form of his opponent's body was undoubtedly a unique Lightning Style: Body Activation Technique belonging to the Cloud Village.

This is nothing like Saori's half-baked version of Lightning Style: Activation Technique, which she figured out on her own; this is a genuine Kumogakure.

This magnified Taiichi's weakness of being young and weak. He usually relied on his Chakra Enhanced Strength to gain Chakra Enhanced Strength upper hand even though his basic strength was weak.

However, if they encounter Cloud Village master who also possesses Ninjutsu, the difference between them will be negated, and it will come down to a contest of basic strength.

Taiichi's strength attribute was only 23 points at this moment, not even reaching the basic 25 points for Jonin. In close combat, he was immediately suppressed and put at a disadvantage.

After several exchanges of "ping-pong," Taiichi realized that he was at a significant disadvantage in terms of strength. He immediately changed his strategy, no longer engaging in direct confrontations with his opponent, but instead making full use of his superior swordsmanship to entangle with him.

With this change in style, Taiichi gradually regained the upper hand.

"Be careful, these aren't ordinary Jonin, everyone watch out!" Taiichi shouted, mainly to warn Saori that this team was definitely suspicious.

Upon receiving Taiichi's reminder, Yohei immediately upgraded his Three-Tomoe to the Mangekyo level. Thanks to Taiichi's specially made colored contact lenses, he didn't need to worry about the enemy being able to see through his eye condition.

With the Mangekyo's enhancement, Yohei's attack power has been significantly increased, especially the occasional burst of "Susanoo-no-Mikoto," whose suddenly doubled attack power left the Jonin fighting him speechless for a time.

Two Jonin were tied down, leaving only the eleven or twelve-year-old girl behind. But instead of being afraid, she showed an eager expression.

She stretched her arms and legs, hopping around a few times like Raccoon Dog, and then, in a flash, rushed towards Saori with a speed far beyond that of her peers.

Faced with the rapid attack, Saori remained calm. Taiichi was already very fast during their usual sparring sessions, so she was quite experienced in dealing with such a high-speed enemy.

With his hands Hand Seals, he threw out a Lightning Net at the charging ninja. However, the opponent was too fast and agile, like a big cat, leaping and bounding, dodging all the attacks with his agility alone.

Seeing that her opponent was closing in, Saori stopped focusing on Ninjutsu, her whole body crackling with lightning, and she charged forward with a punch.

Saori's Taijutsu are also quite good; she trains in Basic Taijutsu every single day.

The dull thuds of flesh colliding echoed through the ravine, each punch and kick accompanied by a burst of lightning.

Saori's activated Lightning Style Release made her movements swift and fierce, and coupled with her seemingly berserk state in close combat, she was quite formidable.

However, the girl from the Cloud Village reacted even faster. Her slender figure, like a real wildcat, bounced lightly amidst Saori's punches, her tiny arms blocking and striking at unpredictable angles. Each time, she skillfully deflected Saori's attacks.

"Whoosh!"

The girl suddenly ducked, using superhuman flexibility to dodge Saori's sweeping kick, while her right hand swiftly grabbed at Saori's waist.

Saori was startled and twisted her waist sharply to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. She then followed up with a downward elbow strike. However, the girl used Saori's momentum to nimbly flip to the side like Raccoon Dog, even using her toes to lightly leap back several meters by using Saori's supporting leg for leverage.

Saori lost her balance after being kicked, and her pupils contracted slightly after regaining her footing. The opponent's Taijutsu revealed a wildness, which was unconventional yet extremely efficient, more like a wildcat hunting.

Saori looked at the girl not far away, her expression more solemn than ever before.

The girl, however, wore an excited smile. Her azure eyes had transformed from human eyes into cat-like vertical eyes. She arched her back, her hands pressing lightly on the ground like cat paws, her whole body lowered slightly, and she even let out a low "hissing" sound.

This state can hardly be considered a normal human attack method.

"Konoha girl, I'm getting serious now, so please don't die!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he vanished instantly, leaving only a deep footprint in his wake.

"So fast!" Saori exclaimed inwardly, her figure instantly retreating rapidly. Her hands instinctively Hand Seals, and a Lightning Net unfolded in front of her, hoping to use it to hinder the girl's attack.

But things didn't go as planned. A flash of blue light appeared on the girl's body, and she smashed straight through the Lightning Net, attacking Saori without stopping. Her right hand even had long fingernails, like a cat's claw, reaching for Saori's neck.

The speed was too fast; Saori didn't even have time to change her move to defend herself. In that dangerous moment, a Seal Paper that Saori kept close to her body unfolded instantly under her willpower. It was the Sealing Talisman for the Multiple Lamp Array that Taiichi had given her before.

The Sealing Talisman flashed by, and the Cloud Village Girl's movements were inevitably restricted, though she managed to break free in an instant.

But in that brief moment, Saori both hands to defend herself, a massive amount of Chakra enveloping her arms. Then, she was slapped away by sharp claws, and even with the Chakra protecting her arms, four deep bloody scratches were still left on them.

Saori's battle closely from Taiichi distance. With his swordsmanship, he successfully entangled the Cloud Village Jonin. Although he couldn't defeat him easily, he still had the energy to keep an eye on the other two battles.

When Taiichi saw the Cloud Village Girl's fighting stance, Taiichi was puzzled, but when a blue light flashed around her, Taiichi's expression suddenly changed.

"Damn it, you Cloud Village actually sent Jinchuriki to the front lines! Do you really want to fight Konoha to the death?"

As he spoke, Taiichi suddenly channeled his energy, unleashing a slash that temporarily forced the Jonin front of him back. At the same time, several Fireball formed around him and blasted towards the Jonin.

He then used his Body Flicker to quickly reach the spot where Saori had been knocked away.

"Be careful, Yugito! A formidable opponent has passed by!"

The Jonin a warning, and Yugito, who was about to give chase, couldn't help but sneer. If she were given another chance to strike, that Konoha ninja would definitely be dead.

At that moment, from the Yugito body, the voice of the Two-Tails Matatabi rang out. "Kid, be careful, this Konoha brat is no ordinary person."

Yugito then put away his contempt, for to receive such a profound evaluation from Yutaka was rare even in the entire Hidden Cloud Village.

At this moment, Taiichi had already arrived at Saori's side, and two Shadow Clone appeared immediately, one to heal Saori and the other to keep watch over the surroundings.

Meanwhile, Taiichi himself faced the arriving Cloud Village Jonin, who was accompanied by Yugito. He quickly Hand Seals and unleashed Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet.

Unlike the ordinary fire dragons before, this time Taiichi unleashed his full power, with Bright Gold flames carrying intense heat as they rushed towards the two attackers.

The two of them weren't too concerned at first. It was just Fire Dragon Flame Bullet, wasn't it? They had just used it before, and it was nothing special. Although it was stronger than the Fire Style of ordinary ninjas, it was only slightly stronger.

But when they felt the oppressive heat, the two who were rushing forward changed their expressions drastically.

Yugito, just like a cat, landed on all fours and instantly Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, frantically flailing his limbs and kicking up a cloud of dust before retreating at top speed.

That Jonin was also a talent; his entire body crackled with lightning, clearly indicating that he had activated his lightning attribute to the maximum. He spun 90 degrees and rushed past the edge of the fire dragon.

"You're Taichi Matsushita, that genius who's recently risen to fame in Konoha." This was the first thing Cloud Village had said since the start of the battle. "That Fire Style is truly worthy of a genius who could kill Ziina."

At this moment, Yugito had already Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, rushed back, a blue flame tail swaying behind him.

Presumably due to her young age, she was somewhat delirious after her Partial Tailed Beast Transformation. Upon seeing the Cloud Village Jonin her way, she attacked with a cat claw without thinking.

The Cloud Village Jonin was clearly aware of her condition and did not confront her directly. Instead, he used her momentum to retreat further away, allowing the Two-Tails to rush past him.

Taiichi felt a headache coming on when he saw Yugito, who was now in Partial Tailed Beast Transformation. Actually, the best person to deal with the Tailed Beast would have been Yohei with his Mangekyo, but Yohei was a Genjutsu idiot, and his Mangekyo had only been awakened for a short time. Helpless, he had no choice but to take matters into his own hands.

However, both Yohei and my own Genjutsu skills need to be improved in the future.

Composing himself, Taiichi dared not be careless in the face of the Jinchuriki. Phoenix Sage Fire gathered around him, and the Bright Gold Fireball seemed to have eyes, attacking Yugito from all directions.

Not to be outdone, Yugito spat out Fire Mouse Hairball, each of which exploded into a large number of blue flame tracking missiles. Some of them wanted to perish together with Taiichi's Phoenix Sage Fire, while others flew directly towards Taiichi.

However, Yugito or Matatabi underestimated the power of Taiichi's flames; a single blue flame homing missile was no match for Taiichi's Phoenix Sage Fire.

By the time she realized what was happening and tried to use more fire-homing missiles to neutralize the Phoenix Sage Fire, it was already too late. A few scattered Phoenix Sage Fire still managed to hit her.

Suddenly, a shrill meow echoed throughout the entire arena, and towering blue flames instantly engulfed Yugito's entire body, while a second tail appeared behind her in the blink of an eye.

"Damn it, it's Complete Tailed Beast Transformation!" Taiichi cursed, then shouted to Yohei, who was still fighting in the distance, "Yohei, run! It's Tailed Beast!"

At this moment, it wasn't just Taiichi and Yohei who wanted to escape; even the two Jonin from Cloud Village were thinking of getting away immediately.

Yugito is not the Perfect Jinchuriki she will become in the future. After Complete Tailed Beast Transformation, she has completely lost consciousness. The body is now controlled by the Two-Tails, Matatabi.

As for the Two-Tails Matatabi, the people of Cloud Village are not much better than those of Konoha. The Two-Tails Matatabi might even hate the Cloud Ninja more, since it is Kumogakure that has always been in charge of it.