Escort Mission

Dark underground base.

Danzo received the intelligence handed over by a Root ninja and read it through carefully.

"Hmph, Senju Nawaki."

"No, perhaps I should call you Zi Yu."

"You just wait for me. You have forced me to truly live like a rat."

"Go and send word to Orochimaru. Tell him to speed up his research progress. I want to see results, and I will provide him with double the materials."

To avoid Li Yu, Danzo used a Shadow Clone combined with the Transformation Technique whenever he had to contact the Konoha high command, conducting all his business in secret.

Li Yu's assassination attempt had scared Danzo half to death, indirectly causing Danzo to become the darkest existence in Konoha, with no one knowing his true hiding place.

After being baptized by so many days of D-rank missions, Li Yu's squad had also completed five C-rank missions, without encountering any ninja combat as seen in the original plot.

Kakashi's Team 7 had encountered two Chunin and two Jonin on their first C-rank escort mission to the Land of Waves.

Jonin like Momochi Zabuza and Haku were the types of opponents usually reserved for A-rank missions; for a C-rank mission, one would at most encounter bandits, not engage in ninja combat.

It was no wonder that the protagonists, Naruto and Sasuke, were so formidable; the first monsters they fought upon leaving the village were already that powerful.

This time, Li Yu's squad had received another C-rank escort mission.

Konoha Gate.

"Everyone is here. Prepare to depart."

The four of them followed closely behind the merchant caravan as they set off for the Land of Hot Water.

"Teacher, escort missions are so boring. We haven't even seen a single ninja."

"Yeah, we train so hard every day, yet there isn't even a place to test our skills."

Li Yu glanced at Sarutobi Asuma, who was walking on the other side of the carriage with a listless expression.

"Oh? So you want to test your strength that badly?"

"Didn't you handle those hundred or so bandits on the last escort mission quite easily?"

"The major nations have been making frequent moves lately. Once we leave Konoha Village, you must remain vigilant."

"Understood."

After several days of travel, the caravan moved in fits and starts, the journey remaining calm and peaceful.

"Honorable ninjas, we will be entering the territory of the Land of Hot Water soon. There will be a bonus for you when we reach our destination."

Li Yu gave a perfunctory response and continued walking forward.

"Huh? Someone is coming."

"Eight people, two squads. They're moving quite fast."

Having sensed the situation ahead, Li Yu remained silent and continued to follow the group, turning his head to look at his three students with a mysterious smile.

With his hands tucked in his pockets, he performed hand seals, using an Earth Clone and the Body Replacement Technique to slip away from the group unnoticed, hiding in the bushes on the side of the road.

Sigh, leading students is like this. Even though I could resolve this easily, I have to put on a show to train them.

He placed his hand on a tree and expanded his sensory range.

"One Jonin leading the team, one elite Chunin leading the other, three Chunin, and three Genin."

"Looks like I'll have to slack off a bit once the fighting starts."

The Earth Clone of Li Yu walked among the group with his hands in his pockets, looking relaxed, until the enemies were close enough.

Suddenly, he shouted, "Everyone, pay attention! Ninjas are approaching. Prepare for battle!"

"Yuhi Kurenai, sense the area one kilometer ahead, in the woods on both sides of the road."

"Yes, Teacher."

As a genjutsu and sensory-type ninja, Yuhi Kurenai's sensory abilities were quite impressive.

"There are eight enemies approaching rapidly ahead. Two of the leading ninjas have very strong chakra."

Sarutobi Asuma leaned in and said, "Kurenai, are you sure? How could there be so many ninjas?"

Uzuki Yugao drew the sword from her back and asked nervously, "Exactly, exactly. This is just a C-rank escort mission. Could they be bandits?"

"No, they are ninjas. Yuhi Kurenai is correct. Two squads led by one Jonin and one elite Chunin."

Hearing Li Yu's confirmation, the three of them grew tense. This was their first time facing ninjas from an enemy nation, and they were immediately confronted by a whole group.

"Teacher will handle them."

"Get ready for combat. Asuma, Yuhi Kurenai, Yugao, protect them."

Upon hearing that there were several ninjas, the merchants followed the three of them into the woods.

In the distance, several figures could already be seen sprinting toward them at high speed.

"Ninjas from the Cloud Village. Their taijutsu is truly impressive, and they are so fast."

He watched as the eight enemies split up, with four of them darting into the woods to pursue Sarutobi Asuma and the others.

"Not bad, there's even a sensory ninja among the Chunin squad."

The four ninjas who had rushed to the front surrounded Li Yu.

"A Konoha Jonin? Who are you?"

"There's no record of this guy in our intel. He must be a newly promoted Special Jonin."

"Konoha is nothing special. Let's start by carving up this Special Jonin."

Li Yu ignored their chatter, his gaze fixed on the jungle until the four ninjas from the Cloud Village were out of sight.

He turned his eyes back to the men around him and sighed.

"Are you done? If so, you can go die now."

His gaze sharpened. He lunged, bent his waist, and drew three custom kunai, poised to throw them.

Seeing this, the four Cloud Village ninjas immediately greeted him with a wave of shuriken and kunai before forming hand seals.

Whoosh.

Li Yu activated the Flying Raijin, vanishing from the center of the encirclement and firing the three custom kunai at them from the side.

"Flying Raijin Slash!"

Thwip, thwip, thwip.

The three ninjas who had just realized their target was gone were struck through the neck by the kunai mid-seal.

Li Yu then hurled the blood-stained kunai at the Cloud Village Jonin, condensed a Rasengan in his left hand, and drove it toward the Jonin's face.

The Cloud Village ninja dodged the kunai, gripped his samurai sword wreathed in purple electric arcs, and grinned as he slashed toward the Rasengan in Li Yu's hand.

"Flying Raijin: Level 2!" Just as the blade was about to strike the Rasengan, Li Yu instantly appeared above his enemy. He gripped a kunai in mid-air, twisted his waist, and slammed the Rasengan into the man's back, driving him into the ground.

BOOM.

Circular cracks radiated outward, sand and dust sprayed, and the earth shuddered. The Cloud Village Jonin was punched through from the back, dead beyond a doubt.

He had mimicked the cool move Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato used against Obito during the Nine-Tails incident.

Li Yu's movements were as fast as lightning; in just a few breaths, he had dispatched one Jonin and three Chunin.

He flicked the blood off his kunai, adjusted his forehead protector, and looked in the direction the second squad of Cloud Village ninjas had left. With his hands in his pockets, he strolled after them.

Sigh, the side effects of upgrading my Mangekyo Sharingan have finally passed. It's so much more comfortable to fight with both eyes.

I wonder how Kakashi manages to adapt to it.

Meanwhile, on the other side, four ninjas had encountered Sarutobi Asuma and his two companions and were already engaged in battle.

"A few Konoha Genin brats. Finish them off quickly."

Clang, clang, clatter.

Asuma deflected a few shuriken and quickly formed hand seals.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Sarutobi Asuma spat a torrent of flame from his mouth, shooting it toward the four men.

The lead Cloud Village Chunin, his ninja blade crackling with yellow electricity, slashed through the flames, scattering them. He threw a few shuriken and engaged Sarutobi Asuma in taijutsu.

Sarutobi Asuma held his Chakra Blades, their wind-natured edges razor-sharp.

The hilts featured four small holes to accommodate his fingers, excluding the thumb, and the blades were integrated with the hilts, featuring serrated, sharpened edges.

Clang, clang, clatter.

He fought the two Cloud Village ninjas skilled in taijutsu single-handedly.

Oh, Asuma's taijutsu is quite good. He's already at a Chunin level. He truly lives up to his reputation as a future Guardian Ninja.

The other two Genin charged toward Uzuki Yugao and Yuhi Kurenai.

Uzuki Yugao stepped forward, blocking the path with her blade, while Yuhi Kurenai, standing behind her, formed hand seals. A red light flashed in her eyes.

"Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!"

A dark-skinned Cloud Village Genin clutched his throat, his expression twisted in agony.

Uzuki Yugao began trading blows with the other ninja.

"Can those kids really handle this?"

"Exactly, exactly."

"I hope the ninja lords will spare us when this is over."

"We'd better run!"

The merchants and their guards looked nervous, their legs trembling as they prepared to turn and flee.

A figure blocked their path—it was Li Yu, hands in his pockets, looking completely relaxed.

"Everyone is fine. Go back to where you were; it's all been taken care of."

The group scrambled, turning tail and sprinting back the way they had come.

"Thank you, honorable ninjas. We will be sure to reward you handsomely."

Watching the backs of the commoners as they departed, Li Yu shook his head and sighed, "The world of ninjas is truly a world of fire."

"The Third Shinobi World War is not far off."

Turning his gaze back to his students' battle, he saw Sarutobi Asuma still holding off the assault of a ninja single-handedly.

Uzuki Yugao and Yuhi Kurenai were flustered and had sustained minor injuries. After taking down two genin, the chunin realized the situation had turned against them and quickly tossed several smoke bombs, preparing to retreat.

"You Konoha brats are quite capable. Just you wait!"

Bang! Bang!

As Li Yu stepped out from the smoke, he took down the two fleeing ninjas instantly with a single strike of taijutsu in each hand.

"Teacher, are you alright?"

"Teacher!"

Although Sarutobi Asuma had been fighting two opponents at once, he had still sustained some injuries. It seemed Sarutobi Hiruzen, that old Third Hokage, had been giving him plenty of private training.

Having guidance from a great clan certainly increased a ninja's survival rate on missions and bolstered their mental fortitude compared to ordinary ninjas.

Li Yu evaluated them with satisfaction. "I am very pleased with how you all performed."

"Clean yourselves up, treat your wounds, and follow me back to the caravan."

They encountered no further danger for the rest of the journey, arriving in the Land of Hot Water a day later.

"Honorable ninjas, thank you so much for this time."

"This is a small token of our gratitude; please do not refuse it."

Li Yu did not stand on ceremony, accepting the twenty thousand ryo. He took his three students, intending to relax in the Land of Hot Water rather than rushing back to turn in the mission.

In the capital of the Land of Hot Water, he took his three students to unwind and experience the local hot springs.