Matsumoto Ryohei was about to order everyone to stay hidden when the ninja in the middle, wearing a green Jonin vest, suddenly turned his head. Even from a hundred meters away, Uchiha Mo could clearly see the red markings painted on the man's cheeks. His entire head was wrapped in white cloth, with one strip hanging down from the right side of his face.
Since they had been discovered, Matsumoto Ryohei could only abandon the idea of a sneak attack and shout instead, "Begin the operation!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he closed in while rapidly forming hand seals.
Rat—Ox—Tiger—Snake—Horse—Rooster
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
A massive torrent surged up from Matsumoto Ryohei, taking the form of a dragon in midair before charging furiously toward the Sunagakure ninja ahead!
However, the distance between them was too great. The three Hidden Sand ninja quickly scattered, and the Water Dragon Bullet struck the ground directly, leaving behind a puddle.
But Matsumoto Ryohei had already achieved his goal. He charged toward the Sand Ninja in the middle while shouting, "Leave the other two to you!"
Kakashi nodded, drew White Fang from his back, and took the lead in rushing toward the Sand Ninja on the right. Inoue Shoji immediately followed.
The remaining Sand Ninja was naturally left to Uchiha Mo. However, Mo was in no hurry to attack. He merely held the Sand Ninja back while keeping an eye on the battle nearby.
That man... should be Baki. Matsumoto can't possibly be his match.
At the same time, Mo's attention settled on the panel.
Blue Baby Fusion Rate: 10.52% + 0.21% (Both attributes have reached 10%; ability unlocked: Invisibility)
Mission & Companions?
Baki was an Elite Jonin of Sunagakure, a trusted confidant of both the Fourth and Fifth Kazekage, and one of Sunagakure's future high-ranking officials.
In the original story, Gekko Hayate, jokingly called the protagonist of Shippuden, had died at Baki's hands. The strength Baki displayed at the time had astonished countless viewers, though he later faded into obscurity.
Even so, it was enough to prove that his strength was far beyond what Matsumoto Ryohei, a Special Jonin, could contend with.
With that in mind, Uchiha Mo dodged the attacks of the Chunin before him while watching the battlefield to the side.
Sure enough, in less than half a minute, the battle took a turn.
"Kunai... Looks like the opponent is a Taijutsu-type ninja."
Seeing Baki holding a pair of kunai, Matsumoto Ryohei immediately came to that conclusion.
In that case, I'll use Water Release ninjutsu to exploit the range advantage.
"Why are Hidden Leaf ninja attacking us?"
Baki's face darkened as he raised his two kunai in a reverse grip before his chest.
"Why? Heh~ Don't you know perfectly well yourselves?"
"..."
Baki's expression turned cold. "Then I suppose there's nothing left to discuss."
"What do you think?"
Matsumoto Ryohei snorted and rapidly formed hand seals. "Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Water rose from thin air, coiling backward into the shape of a dragon as it charged explosively toward Baki.
"You're courting death!"
A cold, cruel curve formed at Baki's lips. He suddenly tossed both kunai to the ground, then formed a sword hand with his right hand and shouted:
"Wind Release: Wind Blade!"
"Bzzz~"
Ripples spread from his fingertips, and a buzzing, circular, paper-thin wind blade condensed into existence. Baki flicked his right hand, raised his left hand to form another, and hurled it out at high speed as well!
Wind Release: Wind Blade was an A-rank ninjutsu. Gekko Hayate had died to this very move. Its cutting power was formidable, and it was so fast that the databook described it as "absolutely impossible to evade."
"Bzzz~ Splat—!"
The first sharp wind blade traced a straight line and instantly cut through the Water Dragon. The dragon collapsed into falling water, while the wind blade dissipated into the air.
But immediately afterward, the second wind blade shot toward Matsumoto Ryohei with a hum like beating insect wings! At the same time, Baki kept flinging out a third, fourth, and fifth wind blade!
"How is that possible?!"
Matsumoto Ryohei's pupils shrank, his face twisting with terror as he hurriedly formed hand seals again.
"Water Release: Water Wall!"
The wind blades were incredibly fast. They crossed the distance of more than ten meters in the blink of an eye and arrived before Matsumoto Ryohei.
Fortunately, the Water Wall rose successfully just before the attack arrived...
"Splash!"
The Wind Blade plunged into the wall of water, sending spray flying. Matsumoto Ryohei, sheltered behind it, let out a breath of relief while reassessing his opponent's strength.
What he did not see was the cruel expression spreading across Baki's face...
"Splash!"
Water splashed as another wind blade plunged in. Before the water could settle, however, the third wind blade shot toward the exact same spot!
The fourth... the fifth!
A narrow, transparent hole suddenly appeared in the wall of water amid the violent splashing. Before Matsumoto Ryohei could make it out, a Wind Blade instantly passed through the hole and slashed viciously toward his neck!
An unbelieving expression appeared on Matsumoto Ryohei's face. He raised a hand as though to touch his neck, only to realize that his body had long since slipped beyond his control...
"Thud!"
His head slid from his neck and hit the ground, raising a cloud of dust. The cruel smile on Baki's face deepened.
"Ah-oh~ Little ones, it seems your situation is looking rather grim..."
Uchiha Mo withdrew his peripheral gaze, completely unsurprised.
In this world, ordinary Jonin were already considered the top combat power of a ninja village. But from a broader perspective, if ninja were classified like athletes, reaching Jonin-level strength merely meant one had truly entered the field.
Most so-called Chunin and Genin were just cannon fodder who knew a few ninjutsu and would not run from war.
The gap between one Jonin and another was scarcely smaller than the gap between a human and a dog. Take Kakashi before the Fourth Ninja War and Kurenai Yuhi, for example. As the strongest tier below Kage level, Kakashi fighting an ordinary Jonin was no different from fighting a Chunin.
Their chakra quality was not even on the same level, and the power of their ninjutsu naturally differed as vastly as heaven and earth. That was without even mentioning combat awareness and other hard strengths.
The same was naturally true of Baki and Matsumoto Ryohei—one an Elite Jonin, the other a Special Jonin.
Uchiha Mo was about to cut down the cannon fodder before him and face Baki when Kakashi suddenly made an unexpected move.
He drove back the Chunin before him with a slash, then turned and charged directly toward Baki, leaving Inoue Shoji standing there in stunned disbelief.
"Mo! Quickly capture someone alive and escape! I'll hold this man off!"
White Fang slashed diagonally, erupting with a fierce blade light. Baki twisted aside to evade it, then caught a kunai in hand and flung it toward Kakashi's forehead.
"Kakashi? Then that blade must be White Fang, right? If I bring you back, Granny Chiyo will surely be pleased."
Seeing the distinctive white hair and short sword, Baki recognized Kakashi instantly. Although Kakashi's reputation was only beginning to emerge at this point, White Fang held special significance for Sunagakure, so Kakashi's appearance was no stranger to its ninja.
Just as his words fell, a shrill scream suddenly sounded from nearby. Uchiha Mo glanced sideways and saw the Chunin wearing a cruel smile as he drove a kunai into Inoue Shoji's neck...
"Bang!"
He threw Inoue Shoji's corpse to the ground, raised his kunai, and charged toward Uchiha Mo.
Kakashi knew full well that he was not yet a match for this man. He could only keep swinging his short sword, desperately maintaining control of the initiative.
Baki's gaze was solemn as he swiftly evaded Kakashi's attacks. White Fang's reputation was too fearsome; Baki did not dare use two small kunai to clash head-on with that ninja blade.
Nearly ten seconds passed. Several shallow sword wounds had appeared across Baki's body, yet Kakashi's stamina had already run dry under his all-out assault.
Baki narrowed his eyes. Seeing Kakashi's breathing grow more and more labored, he realized his opportunity had come.
He suddenly crossed his kunai to block White Fang's downward slash. Kakashi's pupils shrank, and before he could react, Baki's cheeks bulged as he abruptly expelled a cloud of purple smoke.
"Poison Mist Technique!"
In his urgency, Kakashi quickly shut his eyes, bent his knees, and leaped backward. But the battle-hardened Baki would not let such an opportunity slip away.
He raised his hands again, and wind blades as thin as cicada wings condensed at his fingertips.
"Wind Release: Wind Blade!"
"Bzzz~ Splat!"
The first Wind Blade sliced across Kakashi's shoulder, bursting open a huge spray of blood! Kakashi staggered, and the second wind blade was about to cut open his head when a flash of lightning suddenly burst into the battlefield!
Uchiha Mo kicked Kakashi away. The second Wind Blade grazed past his neck, and three more wind blades came flying immediately afterward.
Mo's expression hardened slightly as scarlet filled his eyes and two tomoe began to spin into view. With a twist of his wrist, fierce flames burst from his blade as he swept it forward!
"Boom—!"
A massive blaze surged backward. The wind blades whipped the flames into an even more violent inferno before being devoured in an instant.
Kakashi sat on the ground, gasping for breath. A trace of fear still lingered on his face as he turned to look. A headless corpse and an unconscious Sand Ninja lay quietly there.
He gritted his teeth and looked up at the expressionless boy. Not only did he fail to offer thanks, he snapped angrily:
"Why did you save me?! Didn't I tell you to take someone and run? Why are all of you like this?! Don't you know..."
Before he could finish, Uchiha Mo suddenly interrupted him in a calm voice.
"Don't misunderstand. I saved you only because I'm strong enough. Only the weak fall into the dilemma of difficult choices; whatever the strong choose is right. Since you value the mission so much, then take that Sand Ninja and flee in disgrace like a stray dog. I'll kill Baki!"
Uchiha Style
As soon as the words fell, Kakashi clenched his teeth, his face hardening. He darted over, hoisted the unconscious Sand Ninja onto his back, and turned to flee at full speed!
Baki frowned but did not stop him. His gaze remained fixed on Uchiha Mo's face.
"Blood Ninja? I know you. The greatest genius of the Uchiha Clan since Hidden Leaf was founded."
Uchiha Mo had never attended the Ninja Academy. In his eyes, that would have been a complete waste of time. His abilities needed to be tempered in blood to grow rapidly.
Thus, from the age of five, he had stubbornly pestered Uchiha Clan elders to take him on missions. That was how, at only ten years old, he had reached Jonin-level strength—even Kakashi, his peer, was no match for him.
"Blood Ninja" was the title he earned because of his cold-blooded habit of never leaving survivors during missions, regardless of an opponent's strength or identity. Although Uchiha Mo did not care what others thought of him, the title had indeed made his name known throughout the current Ninja World.
Uchiha Mo did not respond. He met Baki's gaze expressionlessly, calculating how to cut open his throat.
Baki was strong, but battles between ninja were not merely contests of raw strength. Intelligence and compatibility were equally important.
After being enhanced by Green Child's ability, Uchiha Mo's Fire Release not only possessed some traits of natural flame, but its power was also astonishing. Combined with Fire Release's restraining effect against Wind Release and his near-heaven-defying control, Baki's ever-victorious Wind Blade could not cause him much trouble. Moreover, Baki's abilities were practically open intelligence to Uchiha Mo.
That was where Uchiha Mo's confidence lay.
Kakashi's footsteps gradually faded until no echo could be heard. Mo suddenly took a step forward and struck first!
His long blade swept horizontally. Baki immediately crouched low and slipped beneath it toward Uchiha Mo's chest, thrusting the kunai in his hand toward Mo's heart.
However, Mo's wrist deftly turned in midair, shifting from a forward grip to a reverse grip as he stabbed the blade tip toward Baki's back.
"Clang!"
Sparks burst from the blade tip, and cold sweat trickled down Baki's temples. If he had not reacted quickly and pulled back his kunai to block behind his back, he would have been a corpse by now.
So this is Uchiha Style Swordsmanship? Unlike that White Fang brat, this boy is stranger and more vicious.
Uchiha Mo used his ninja blade to pin Baki down, then raised his knee toward Baki's head.
Baki's pupils shrank, and he hurriedly raised his other arm in front of him.
"Bang!"
The knee struck his arm with a dull thud and could advance no further. Normally, the strength in one's legs far exceeded that of one's arms, but Mo was only ten years old and still growing, while Baki was a ninja at the peak of his physical prime. There was a considerable gap in their strength. Even Mo's blade could suppress Baki only because of the advantage of his weapon and Baki's awkward position, which made it difficult for him to exert force.
However, Mo seemed to have anticipated this. Before his raised knee even landed, he had already swung his other fist forward.
Before you continue