Dealing with the A-Bee Duo

Inside a forest in the Land of Fire, at the Konoha encampment.

"I hear the Sunagakure vanguard suffered a crushing defeat at your hands, Jiraiya."

Orochimaru sat at the head of the table, his hands clasped together. His tongue, resembling a serpent's, flicked across his lips, and his voice sounded dark, as if it were striking directly at the soul.

Jiraiya scratched his head and gave an awkward laugh. "It wasn't that exaggerated. The only thing worth mentioning is a single Sunagakure captive."

Just as the two were reminiscing, Yamanaka Inoichi and Nara Shikaku pulled back the tent flap.

"That Sunagakure captive is a Scorch Release ninja from Sunagakure. This is the intelligence Inoichi gathered from her mind."

Nara Shikaku unfolded the scroll and handed it to Orochimaru.

"What is her condition?"

Orochimaru licked the corner of his mouth and spoke slowly.

"The intelligence leaked, and she bit her tongue to commit suicide."

Yamanaka Inoichi shook his head and reported the current state of Pakura.

"What a pity, such a fine research specimen."

Orochimaru nodded, thinking to himself, then waved his hand to signal that they could leave.

After the two departed, Orochimaru handed a scroll to Jiraiya and said, "This mission is for the Anbu who accompanied you earlier. Also, the old man wants you to stay and assist me in dealing with Sunagakure."

Jiraiya took the scroll, stood up, and said, "I will deliver the mission to him. In that case, I'll be going."

With that, Jiraiya turned, waved his hand, and walked out after lifting the tent flap.

Inside a tent in the logistics department, Uchiha Shisui slowly opened his eyes, shaking his still-dizzy head.

"You're awake? You were too exhausted last night and collapsed outside the camp. It was Lord Orochimaru and Lord Jiraiya who brought you in."

A female ninja wearing a medical armband handed a cup of water to Uchiha Shisui and spoke softly.

"Thank you!"

After Uchiha Shisui consumed a few Military Ration Pills, he drank the water in the cup in one gulp.

"You're welcome. Get some rest."

The female ninja tidied up her things and walked out of the tent.

"Lord Jiraiya!" The female ninja bowed hurriedly upon seeing Jiraiya walking toward her.

Not long after, Jiraiya lifted the tent flap and walked inside.

"Yo! Shisui, you look quite spirited!"

Jiraiya greeted him, then handed the scroll to Uchiha Shisui and said, "A new mission from the old man. I must say, you Anbu really have it rough."

"Understood."

Uchiha Shisui scanned the scroll briefly, then stood up to put on his gear. He strapped his ninja blade to his back, intending to depart immediately.

"What a rude brat, not even a 'thank you'."

Seeing Uchiha Shisui's hurried demeanor, Jiraiya couldn't help but curl his lip.

"The mission is urgent, you know that."

Uchiha Shisui said over his shoulder, then used the Body Flicker Technique to leave the camp, heading straight for the Land of Fields where the Kumogakure ninjas were gathering.

After several days of trekking, Uchiha Shisui paused on a tree branch. Below, on the road, was a Konoha supply transport squad.

"A mission for Team 7?"

Uchiha Shisui muttered to himself upon seeing Kakashi, Rin Nohara, and Obito within the transport squad.

"The mission requires me and Namikaze Minato to intercept the A-Bee Duo from Kumogakure, but why isn't Namikaze Minato in the squad?"

Uchiha Shisui suppressed the doubts in his heart, jumped off the branch, and landed steadily in front of the transport team.

"Who goes there!?"

Upon seeing the figure suddenly appear, Kakashi of the transport squad immediately halted the team and assumed a defensive stance, his mind already calculating the next tactical move.

"Don't be nervous, I was sent by the Hokage."

Uchiha Shisui held out his hands to show he was unarmed, then tossed the mission scroll to Kakashi.

Kakashi created a Shadow Clone. The clone received orders from the original, opened the scroll to verify it, and nodded at the original Kakashi.

"So it's reinforcements."

Rin Nohara leaned in toward Kakashi, and upon seeing the contents of the scroll, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Rin! Don't worry, I'll protect you well on this journey!"

Obito suppressed the tension that had just flared up and spoke to Rin Nohara.

Following the brief interlude, the transport convoy resumed its journey.

After Kakashi returned the scroll to Uchiha Shisui, he explained the bait mission to him.

Uchiha Shisui nodded after hearing Kakashi's mission briefing and said, "Rest assured, with me here, this mission no longer holds any danger."

"Tch, another self-righteous guy. I heard we're about to face thousands of Kumogakure ninjas, not to mention the powerful and perfectly coordinated A-Bee Duo. Save the big talk for after you've survived."

Uchiha Shisui paid no mind to Obito's mockery. At this stage, Obito hadn't even awakened his Sharingan, so he wasn't worth the expenditure of his energy.

The convoy traveled the entire way with Obito mocking him the whole time.

Just as the convoy entered a forest, over a dozen Cloud Ninja lunged out from the bushes.

"Brothers! It's a Konoha transport squad! Looks like we've got another payday!"

One of the Cloud Ninja, carrying a Fuma Shuriken on his back, grinned, his eyes filled with undisguised greed.

"It's the enemy! Obito! Protect Rin! Everyone else, with me!"

Kakashi drew his White Fang short blade, his gaze locked tightly onto the surrounding Cloud Ninja.

"I know that! Kakashi, you don't have to tell me, I'll protect Rin!"

Obito gripped his Kunai, ready to deal with any Cloud Ninja who might charge at them.

Uchiha Shisui scanned the area but did not move; those who had arrived were merely small-fry Cloud Ninja, and he had no desire to lift a finger.

"That guy is actually still sitting leisurely on the cart!"

After deflecting a few shuriken, Obito looked at Uchiha Shisui on the cart and said angrily.

Kakashi was tactically brilliant, and the only Chunin from Kumogakure in this group soon had his heart pierced by the White Fang short blade.

Seeing their captain dead, the remaining Genin from Kumogakure naturally dared not linger and hurriedly retreated into the depths of the forest.

Not long after the battle ended, hundreds of Cloud Ninja emerged around the resting transport squad.

"This is trouble!"

Kakashi scanned the surroundings, thinking to himself that things looked grim.

"Damn it! Rin, when the fighting starts, you run first. Kakashi and I will definitely hold them off!"

Obito also knew that their chances of survival were slim this time.

"No, if we are to die, we die together!"

Rin Nohara's eyes were firm, though they held a trace of despair.

"Oh my! Relax, these are all just small-fry."

Uchiha Shisui slowly stood up and said to the group with a smile.

"Who are you calling small-fry!?"

"Yo! Big brother is angry! You guys are finished! Yeah!"

A pushed through the crowd, his body crackling with lightning, while Killer B followed behind him, twitching rhythmically.

Just as the two sides stood in a standoff, a peculiar Kunai plunged down from the sky. The moment the Flying Thunder God kunai hit the ground, a figure appeared out of thin air, clutching that very blade in his hand.

"Am I late?"