Encounter with the Hidden Cloud Village

At the beginning of Konoha's forty-seventh year, the bitter chill of winter had yet to fully fade. Yet along the northeastern border of the Land of Fire, where it met the Land of Hot Water, the atmosphere was colder still. The clouds of war had fully taken tangible form in flashing blades and clashing steel, and small-scale skirmishes erupted frequently along every stretch of the border.

The temporary squad Uchiha Kyohaku belonged to had received another increase in mission rank. They had been dispatched to this sensitive region to carry out border reconnaissance and early-warning duties. Furukawa, the chunin, was no longer leading them. Their captain was now a special jonin named Jing Liang, renowned for his steady Earth-Style techniques and extensive combat experience. Besides Kyohaku and the genin Kenta, the team had gained another chunin skilled in tracking and setting traps.

The four-man squad moved silently through the border's dense forests and rolling hills, the atmosphere grave. Jing Liang was highly experienced, constantly signaling warnings and reminding his teammates to stay concealed. A barely perceptible tension hung in the air, as though an enemy could be lurking behind every patch of shadow.

"Stop!" Jing Liang abruptly raised a fist, lowering his voice as his expression turned incomparably grim. He slowly crouched down and brushed his fingers over an extremely faint footprint nearly concealed beneath fallen leaves. His eyes sharpened. "Hidden Cloud Village boot tread... very fresh. Be careful. There are enemies nearby."

The moment he finished speaking—

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several kunai wrapped in lightning shot toward them from different directions at astonishing speed! In an instant, they sealed off every possible route of escape!

"Earth-Style Wall!" Jing Liang reacted swiftly, slamming both hands against the ground. A thick earthen wall rose with a roar, blocking most of the kunai. Yet several exceptionally penetrating kunai wrapped in Lightning Release chakra still pierced through the edge of the wall, grazing past the team members' bodies by a hair's breadth!

"Enemy attack! Prepare for battle!" Jing Liang roared, instantly drawing his short blade.

At the same time, four figures flashed out from behind the surrounding trees and rocks like phantoms, encircling them. Every one of them was tall and dark-skinned, dressed in Hidden Cloud Village ninja attire. Their gazes were vicious, and dangerous Lightning Release chakra flickered across their bodies. The leader in particular radiated an immense, threatening aura. A savage scar crossed his face, and his hawk-like eyes locked onto Jing Liang.

"Konoha rats. Your noses are quite sharp." The Hidden Cloud Village jonin spoke in a low voice steeped in killing intent. "Unfortunately, this is as far as you go!"

Jing Liang's expression instantly turned terrible. From the opponent's undisguised chakra and presence alone, he could tell that this was a genuine, battle-hardened elite jonin! On their side, there was only himself, a special jonin, along with two chunin and one genin—he had no idea of Kyohaku's true strength!

"Retreat! Split up and retreat immediately!" Jing Liang gave the order without hesitation. Faced with such an absolute gap in strength, fighting head-on meant certain death.

"Trying to run? Too late!" The Hidden Cloud Village jonin sneered as lightning instantly engulfed his body!

"Lightning Release: Lightning Body Flicker!"

Boom! His figure nearly transformed into a blue bolt of lightning, appearing before Jing Liang in an instant as a fist wreathed in violent lightning smashed down!

"Earth-Style Spear!" Jing Liang defended with all his strength, covering both arms in hardened rock.

Bang!!

With a deafening crash, Jing Liang was sent flying. The rocky armor on his arms shattered inch by inch. He spat out a mouthful of blood and slammed heavily into a large tree, sending leaves rustling down.

In a single exchange, Konoha's strongest fighter had already been injured!

"Captain!" Kenta and the other chunin were horrified beyond words.

The other three Hidden Cloud Village chunin attacked at the same time. Lightning flashed as their fierce assault instantly forced Kenta and the other chunin into peril, leaving them completely at a disadvantage. Their defeat was only a matter of time.

The instant the attack began, Uchiha Kyohaku had already withdrawn and concealed himself within the shadows, calmly observing the battlefield. His Sharingan silently opened, its nearly three-tomoe form spinning rapidly as it captured every detail.

The situation was critical! Captain Jing Liang was utterly no match for the enemy jonin. He would be defeated and killed within a few moves. Once the captain died, the entire squad would face annihilation!

There was no time to hesitate!

Kyohaku's mind raced, calculating the one slim chance of turning the battle around. Facing an elite jonin head-on was suicide. Their only chance lay in an unexpected ambush, and it had to be lethal in a single strike—or at least create an opening for Captain Jing Liang to counterattack!

His eyes remained fixed on the Hidden Cloud Village jonin, who was attacking with wild ferocity. The enemy was incredibly fast, his attacks broad and powerful, brimming with force. Yet perhaps because he held an absolute advantage, he seemed insufficiently wary of threats from underground.

Now!

Just as the Hidden Cloud Village jonin transformed into lightning again and threw a punch at Jing Liang, who was struggling to rise—

The ground beneath the Hidden Cloud Village jonin's feet rippled like water without warning! A faint yet extremely unusual chakra fluctuation flashed and vanished!

"Hm?" The Hidden Cloud Village jonin had immense combat experience. Though he had not detected any specific threat, instinct made him sense that something was wrong. His attack hesitated for one ten-thousandth of a second, and the lightning around him briefly stalled.

To an ordinary person, such a hesitation would have been negligible.

But to Uchiha Kyohaku, whose Sharingan was active and who had been prepared all along, it was an opening that felt more than long enough!

He did not attack directly from underground—that would have been too easy to detect and defend against. Instead, he used the Mayfly Technique to travel swiftly beneath the earth. In the instant the Hidden Cloud Village jonin hesitated, he silently surfaced halfway from the ground several meters behind and to the side of him!

His hand seals had long been completed!

This was not a large-scale genjutsu requiring lengthy preparation. Rather, he highly condensed his immense spiritual power and the ocular power of his Sharingan, then explosively blasted it into the enemy's mind the moment their gazes met!

"Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique!"

It was not a complex illusionary construct, but the most direct and brutal mental impact, intended to create a split-second daze and opening!

The Hidden Cloud Village jonin felt his vision blur abruptly. It was as though he saw countless comrades who had died horrific deaths coming to demand his life—a terrifying illusion Kyohaku had subtly guided based on psychological weaknesses Hidden Cloud Village ninja might possess. His mind felt as though it had been struck by a heavy hammer. His body instantly stiffened, and the lightning around him fluctuated violently!

"What?!" The sudden development horrified the Hidden Cloud Village jonin, and he desperately tried to break free from the strange genjutsu.

But for Jing Liang, this less-than-half-second stiffness was a heaven-sent opportunity! He had no idea what had happened, but his ninja instincts seized the fleeting chance!

"Earth-Style: Rock Fist Technique!" He roared, ignoring his injuries as he poured all his remaining chakra into his right fist. A massive rocky fist smashed fiercely into the stiffened Hidden Cloud Village jonin's chest!

Bang!!!

A heavy, muffled impact rang out! The Hidden Cloud Village jonin took the blow head-on. The crack of his breastbone shattering was clearly audible. His lightning dispersed completely, and he flew backward while spraying blood, crashing heavily to the ground. After struggling a few times, he stopped moving.

Everything had happened too quickly! The remaining three Hidden Cloud Village chunin had not reacted at all. How had their invincible captain suddenly been defeated?!

In the instant they froze in shock at their captain's abrupt defeat—

Kyohaku's figure appeared behind one of the Hidden Cloud Village chunin like a ghost, his kunai slicing precisely across the man's throat.

At the same time, Jing Liang endured his injuries and lunged at another chunin.

Kenta and the other Konoha chunin also seized the opportunity and counterattacked with everything they had.

The tide of battle reversed in an instant!

Without the jonin's command and intimidation, the remaining Hidden Cloud Village chunin were swiftly wiped out under the desperate counterattack of the Konoha team and Kyohaku's elusive, unpredictable ambushes.

The battle was over. The forest clearing was a mess, and the stench of blood permeated the air.

Jing Liang leaned on his blade and gasped for breath, his face pale and his injuries severe. He looked toward Kyohaku as he emerged from the shadows, his eyes filled with complicated emotions—shock, lingering fear, and a trace of disbelief.

"That just now... was that you?" he asked hoarsely. That strange genjutsu interference had undoubtedly been the key to reversing the battle.

Kyohaku's pale face remained calm. He merely nodded. "The situation was critical. If we hadn't seized the chance, we'd all be dead."

Jing Liang took a deep breath and did not press for details. Everyone had their own secrets, especially on the battlefield. Staying alive was what mattered most. He looked at the Hidden Cloud Village corpses scattered across the ground, still shaken.

"Clean up the scene and withdraw immediately! A Hidden Cloud Village squad won't operate alone for long!" Suppressing the churning blood in his chest, he gave the order decisively.