Attack from the Hidden Cloud

It was around noon.

Yin Jie finally arrived at his destination.

He immediately took out the map Root had prepared from his ninja tool pouch. After carefully comparing it, he confirmed the designated location where the scroll was to be temporarily stored.

However, at that very moment, Yin Jie suddenly realized that his senses were frantically issuing warning after warning. His instincts were also constantly telling him that deadly danger was approaching.

"Not good!"

Yin Jie inwardly cursed as his lowered right hand instantly formed a seal.

"Body Flicker Technique!!!"

Immediately afterward.

"Thud, thud, thud!"

The instant Yin Jie vanished from where he stood, several kunai wreathed in faint arcs of lightning and gleaming with chilling sharpness shot toward him. Their intended target had disappeared, however, and they buried themselves deeply in a large tree ahead.

"Whew..."

Yin Jie appeared farther ahead, having used the Body Flicker Technique to evade in time, and let out a long breath.

That had indeed been dangerous. It would not have cost him his life, but if he had taken a few of those hits, he would have been left seriously injured.

The attacker had not only concealed their killing intent perfectly, revealing it only at the very moment of attack, but had also thrown the kunai at tremendous speed. On top of that, they had infused them with Lightning Release chakra, granting them further acceleration and formidable destructive power.

It could be said that if his strength had not been somewhat "abnormal," any other Root chunin assigned to this mission would likely have died on the spot.

Yin Jie's thoughts raced. His face beneath the mask was solemn, and his two-tomoe Sharingan silently activated.

A grave look filled those scarlet eyes. Kunai attacks of that caliber were likely beyond an ordinary chunin. It might be a special jonin—or perhaps a jonin...

Yin Jie silently speculated, but he felt no fear. Instead, his fighting spirit surged continuously, and the battle-loving genes dormant in the bloodline of the Uchiha Clan boiled at that moment.

"Little rat from the Hidden Leaf's ANBU! Your reactions are pretty quick, huh!"

At that moment, a rough voice brimming with killing intent rang out, though it had mistaken Yin Jie for an ANBU operative.

As the voice fell, a burly figure appeared within Yin Jie's field of vision.

Looking at the cloud-shaped symbol formed from three clouds on the other's forehead protector, the white one-shouldered armored vest paired with a black combat uniform, and his dark skin, Yin Jie's pupils narrowed behind his mask.

"Hidden Cloud?"

Though it was phrased as a question, Yin Jie's tone was utterly certain.

After all, forehead protectors and combat uniforms could be forged, but dark skin was a defining trait of the Hidden Cloud Village. Moreover, under the Sharingan's insight, Yin Jie was certain this was not a Transformation Technique.

Unless he was White Zetsu.

But judging by the standard of that earlier attack, this man was most likely a genuine Hidden Cloud ninja.

"You crossed the border!"

Yin Jie immediately rebuked him.

Although the ninja world had entered a period of peace, ninjas from other villages were not permitted to enter the Land of Fire without authorization.

Not to mention that this Hidden Cloud ninja had just launched an attack on him, a member of the Hidden Leaf's Root!

And judging by the situation, the Root operatives who had originally been carrying out a mission here were likely already doomed.

"Hmph! Brat! Aren't you afraid the wind will split your tongue?"

The Hidden Cloud ninja mocked Yin Jie's "frail, small" figure, a faintly derisive smile curling at his lips.

The Hidden Leaf had truly fallen. Even any stray cat or dog could become ANBU now. A brat like this, no matter how talented, could at most be a chunin.

And he was a jonin of the Hidden Cloud Village. Even if he was merely average among jonin, he was still a jonin. There was an insurmountable gulf in strength between jonin and chunin!

But the Hidden Cloud ninja's smile froze in the next instant.

Because he saw the scarlet light shining from the eyes beneath the mask, as well as the tomoe slowly rotating within them.

"Sharingan!!!"

The Hidden Cloud ninja was startled at first, but a burst of uncontrollable delight immediately followed.

He was unbelievably lucky!

The Hidden Cloud Village had always been the most enthusiastic about collecting all kinds of secret techniques and bloodline limits.

That was precisely why he was here. He had come to receive three companions who had infiltrated near the Hidden Leaf Village, deep within the Land of Fire, and ensure their safe retreat after completing their mission.

Yet he had never expected that after merely killing an ANBU gathering intelligence to prevent any complications, then moving to intercept another ANBU who appeared to be delivering a message, he would encounter a lone Uchiha who looked quite young.

Then!

Excellent!

Those Sharingan would belong to the Hidden Cloud!

The Hidden Cloud ninja's face shifted between savagery, mockery, and delight. "Uchiha brat, I'll break all four of your limbs, then take you back to the village!!!"

The next second.

As his words fell.

Blue lightning instantly began to crackle all over the Hidden Cloud ninja's body. Then, like a humanoid tyrannosaur carrying overwhelming momentum, he charged at Yin Jie at terrifying speed.

So fast!

Yin Jie was inwardly startled. This was the first time he had encountered an opponent so proficient in Lightning Release.

Stimulated by Lightning Release chakra, the opponent's body had clearly been activated to the extreme.

However, Yin Jie did not panic. His expression remained unchanged as he rapidly retreated to buy time, his hands forming seals at high speed.

With the Sharingan's insight, Yin Jie had complete control over the rhythm of the battle.

And against a Hidden Cloud ninja highly suspected of being a jonin, Yin Jie no longer held anything back. He went all out!

Snake—Tiger. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!!!"

Yin Jie used the Uchiha Clan's classic opening ninjutsu. A blazing, massive fireball roared toward the rapidly approaching Hidden Cloud ninja and slammed into him.

He would test the opponent's abilities first.

"Boom!"

A dull impact rang out. Thick smoke rose as the fireball collided head-on with the Hidden Cloud ninja. Yet in less than a breath, the burly figure broke through the fireball amid crackling lightning and continued charging toward Yin Jie.

"Lightning Release Chakra Mode? No, it should only be a weakened version..."

As the tomoe spun rapidly, Yin Jie analyzed the situation inwardly. He had sufficient knowledge of this secret ninjutsu passed down through generations in the Hidden Cloud Village. He had even consulted his teacher, Orochimaru, about it, attempting to replicate the effect of using Lightning Release to stimulate the entire body.

However, he had never succeeded, because the Hidden Leaf Village's research into Lightning Release had not reached that depth.

But today, he had finally seen an opportunity. Though the other man might not have brought out the true effects of Lightning Release Chakra Mode due to his body or some other reason, it was already enough for Yin Jie, who only wanted to use it as a reference.

"Crack!"

A crisp sound of breaking bone rang out. After closing in on Yin Jie, the Hidden Cloud ninja had brutally twisted one of Yin Jie's arms and broken it.

However, the next instant.

A smile appeared on Yin Jie's face. Then, amid a series of hissing sounds, his body erupted in a violent explosion.

It turned out that in the brief instant when the fireball had blocked the Hidden Cloud ninja's vision, Yin Jie had created a Shadow Clone to remain in place in his stead. He had also casually attached several explosive tags to it!

Thus, by the time the Hidden Cloud ninja sensed something was wrong and tried to evade again, it was already too late.

The chained, point-blank explosions of several explosive tags blasted him directly away. Only after crashing through several large trees did he finally come to a miserable stop, with traces of blood clearly appearing at the corners of his mouth.