At the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers, Jiraiya led his team forward with difficulty through a rain of arrows. His ninjutsu temporarily held back wave after wave of arrow attacks from the Sunagakure ninja. But the Sunagakure ninja clearly had no intention of stopping. As the arrows ceased, a group of Sunagakure ninja leaped out from behind the dunes and swiftly moved to encircle Jiraiya and his group.
Jiraiya's gaze sharpened as he said to Asuma and Kurenai Yuhi, "Be careful. Aside from being skilled with Wind Style, these Sunagakure ninja are also proficient in close combat and puppet techniques."
Asuma tightened his grip on his Chakra Blade and replied quietly, "Understood." Kurenai Yuhi fixed her eyes on the Sunagakure ninja charging at the front, ready to cast a genjutsu at any moment.
The Sunagakure ninja rapidly closed in, their kunai gleaming coldly beneath the sunlight. One of them took the lead, charging straight at Jiraiya with astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, he was before Jiraiya, thrusting his kunai toward Jiraiya's chest.
Jiraiya remained calm. He sidestepped the strike, seized the man's wrist with his right hand, and twisted hard. The Sunagakure ninja dropped his kunai, and Jiraiya followed through with a kick that sent him flying.
At that moment, even more Sunagakure ninja surrounded them. Asuma shouted and rushed into the enemy ranks. His Chakra Blade whirled like a cyclone, deflecting every attack from the Sunagakure ninja while leaving wound after wound across their bodies.
Kurenai Yuhi found an opening as well. Her eyes glowed red as she softly said, "Illusion: Binding Realm." Several nearby Sunagakure ninja were instantly caught in the genjutsu. Their bodies froze in place, terror spreading across their faces.
However, Sunagakure also had ninja skilled at