Encounter Battle

"Tenki?"

As the commander, Akimichi Motoyasu looked grimly at the Hyuga Clan chūnin named Tenki.

"Motoyasu-senpai, fifteen massive Chakra signatures are rapidly approaching our position from ahead. Among those leading them, there are at least two—no! More than three Jōnin-level presences!"

Hyuga Tenki's Byakugan bulged with veins.

He pushed his sensory abilities to their absolute limit.

Even though they were still quite far apart,

Tenki could already clearly gather information about their opponents.

Before an elite scout of the Hyuga Clan,

unless they were exceptionally unusual beings or possessed strange techniques such as space-time ninjutsu, even Kage-level experts could not escape the Byakugan's detection.

Were they prepared? No, perhaps we merely happened to run into them. But since we've met here, avoiding them will be too difficult. Three Jōnin should still be manageable!

In an instant,

Motoyasu made his decision.

Their Raiding Squad not only outnumbered the other side by several men, but also had one more Jōnin. With the Byakugan's formidable insight and their advance detection of the enemy's movements, every advantage of timing, terrain, and manpower was on their side. If they wanted to eliminate the Kumo Ninja outpost nearby,

they had to deal with this batch of Kumo Ninja first.

Moreover, in Motoyasu's estimation, this team of a dozen or so Kumo Ninja was surely a standard harassment and raiding unit. Deliberately avoiding them here would only create trouble for their own rear lines. Akimichi Motoyasu would never make such a choice.

"Shiki, Sansei, in a moment..."

Having swiftly made his decision,

he immediately assigned their tasks.

Based on the intelligence relayed by their scout, the enemy was still some distance from their squad. They had enough time to arrange their forces accordingly.

Fifteen Kumo Ninja,

including three Jōnin.

If they could eliminate them here at the smallest possible cost,

the battle to remove the outpost afterward would become much easier.

Tasks were assigned to each of them.

"Mm!"

"Yes."

"No problem!"

The other three Jōnin in the team, from the Aburame Clan, Gekko Clan, and Shiranui Clan respectively, all voiced their approval of Motoyasu's tactics.

Shōji and the other "chūnin and genin" subordinates could naturally only obey the orders of their Jōnin seniors.

Shōji had no intention of deliberately showing off his strength in a battle like this, either.

He would always remember what his primary objective was.

Battles and such

were almost always merely incidental.

"Then disperse!"

As Akimichi Motoyasu finished assigning everyone's tasks within a single minute,

he suddenly swept his right hand out.

"Yes!"

The Konoha Ninja who had been gathered together

instantly scattered, concealing themselves within the surrounding forest. Then, following their respective routes, they formed a semicircular encirclement and raced toward the Kumo Ninja squad approaching from nearby.

Each concealed their presence.

Their formation quietly unfolded.

Their goal was to surround these dozen or so Kumo Ninja as completely as possible. However, there was evidently a sensory ninja among the Kumo Ninja as well. Though his sensing methods were inferior to the Byakugan and his individual ability was somewhat lacking,

his detection range was far inferior to Hyuga Tenki's Byakugan.

But as the Konoha Ninja gradually drew nearer,

that faint trace of Chakra leaking through the wind

was still caught by this sensory ninja.

Thus, before they had fully entered Konoha's encirclement,

"There's an ambush ahead!"

This sensory-type Kumo Ninja's expression abruptly changed as he suddenly shouted.

"Attack!"

As the leading Kumo Ninja suddenly halted,

from a position not far away,

at Tenki's reminder,

Akimichi Motoyasu's brows filled with intense killing intent.

He shouted sharply,

then charged out first.

"Partial Multi-Size Technique!"

He headed straight for the Kumo Ninja Jōnin captain at the front.

"Boom!"

"Those are Konoha Ninja! Form up! Don't panic!"

This Kumogakure Jōnin reacted immediately as well. While shouting sternly, a powerful surge of Chakra erupted from his body.

Crackle, crackle, crackle!

Amid the sound of thunder,

his figure flashed forward.

"Lightning Release!"

The Lightning Release technique he unleashed at high speed

met Akimichi Motoyasu's attack head-on.

"Bang!"

As they collided,

violent dust erupted,

and roaring shockwaves rose.

At the moment of impact,

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

"Lightning Release: Earth Run Technique!"

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall Technique!"

Throughout the surrounding area,

the Konoha Ninja who had launched their sudden assault

also clashed with the remaining Kumo Ninja.

The Jōnin of the Aburame Clan and Gekko Clan each held back one of the other two Kumogakure Jōnin.

The rest surged forward all at once.

Shōji did not deliberately seek out a Kumogakure Jōnin to show off.

After all, this was Shōji's first real battle since coming to this world.

Even though he had sparred no fewer than ten times over the past six months, including with other clan members and that one time with Shisui,

there was an essential difference between the two.

At this moment,

what he needed to face was a true trial of blood and fire!

The scarlet Sharingan emerged in Shōji's eyes. As its three black tomoe slowly turned,

a chilling killing intent flashed forth.

"Whoosh!"

A cold glint streaked through the air.

Shōji leaped forward

and arrived directly before a Kumogakure chūnin.

His speed was incredibly fast.

"So fast!?"

In that brief instant,

the black-haired Kumo Ninja's pupils abruptly contracted.

He barely managed a response on instinct.

"Clang!"

Their blades met.

A piercing boom rang out from the heavy collision.

The crushing force transmitted through the strike

made the Kumo Ninja's expression change. Unable to resist that force,

he could not alter his move at all.

The next moment,

their eyes met involuntarily.

Upon seeing those black and scarlet Sharingan,

"Not good!? It's the Sharingan!"

The instant he realized he had encountered the Uchiha Clan's most terrifying ability,

the Kumo Ninja tried to immediately avert his eyes and retreat.

However, it was already too late.

Beneath Shōji's blade,

even though Shōji had used only seventy percent of his strength,

this Kumo Ninja could not easily deflect the force.

Not to mention that most fatal exchange of eyes.

"Genjutsu!"

For the Uchiha Clan, who could wield genjutsu through the Sharingan as skillfully and simply as breathing or drinking water,

in less than half a second,

this Kumo Ninja fell into the endless illusion Shōji had carefully prepared for him.