As the third Root ninja's corpse fell, the joint pursuit team in Konoha completed its final assembly.
Kakashi stood in the center of the training ground and checked the accompanying personnel once more.
Might Guy, Kurenai Yuhi, Hinata Yota.
Besides them, three more ninjas stood in the field.
Torifu Akimichi was a towering figure, his arms folded across his chest. Shikaku Nara crouched beneath a tree, holding the mission files that had just been delivered. Yamanaka Inoichi stood beside them, his expression stern.
After arriving, the three had neither trained nor asked about the mission details.
They had clearly received their orders in advance.
Kakashi's gaze swept over the three of them.
"Ino–Shika–Chō?"
Kurenai Yuhi was somewhat surprised as well.
"The Third Hokage sent them too?"
Hinata Yota said quietly, "This isn't ordinary reinforcements."
The Ino–Shika–Chō clans had worked together for generations.
The Yamanaka Clan handled mental control and intelligence transmission, the Nara Clan bound enemies with shadows, while the Akimichi Clan possessed formidable frontal suppression capabilities.
Taken individually, none of them might have counted among Konoha's absolute strongest.
But together, they could unleash strength far beyond that of an ordinary ninja squad.
They were especially suited for surrounding and killing speed-type enemies.
Shikaku Nara closed the files and looked up at Kakashi.
"Looks like you understand already."
Kakashi nodded.
"Lie Yang's threat isn't just his speed."
"What's truly dangerous is that he can make judgments, change direction, and attack while moving at high speed. The moment ordinary restraining ninjutsu activates, he can rush out of its range."
"To catch him, we need to seal off his movement routes in advance."
Shikaku Nara rose to his feet.
"My Shadow Imitation Technique will restrict his movements."
"Inoichi's Mind Body Switch Technique will disrupt his mind."
"Torifu will compress the battlefield."
Kakashi continued.
"As long as Lie Yang pauses for even an instant, Guy can get close."
Might Guy raised a thumb, but his face lacked its usual exaggerated grin.
"Leave it to me."
"No matter how fast he is, once he's restrained, I won't give him a second chance to accelerate."
Torifu Akimichi glanced at Might Guy.
"The Eight Gates?"
"If necessary, I'll open them."
"How many gates?"
Might Guy fell silent for a moment.
"That depends on how strong the opponent is."
Everyone present understood.
Konoha's current intelligence could no longer accurately assess Uchiha Lieyang's strength.
If he was merely Kage-level, opening the first few gates might be enough.
But if he had hidden even greater power, Might Guy could only keep breaking through his limits.
The price would grow increasingly severe.
Kurenai Yuhi spoke up. "Did the Hokage send Ino–Shika–Chō because he believes the original lineup isn't enough?"
Shikaku Nara shook his head.
"It's not that it isn't enough."
"It's that we can't afford another mistake."
"Konoha has already lost several squads in succession. This is no longer about assessing Uchiha Lieyang's strength. We fight at the highest danger level."
Hinata Yota felt his heart sink.
The original pursuit team had already been an extravagant lineup.
Kakashi, who possessed the Sharingan.
Might Guy, proficient in the Eight Gates.
Kurenai Yuhi, one of Konoha's finest Genjutsu ninjas.
Along with a Hyūga jonin capable of long-range reconnaissance and seeing through Chakra flow.
And now, the Ino–Shika–Chō Team, which had worked together for years, had joined them.
This lineup was no longer meant to capture an ordinary rogue ninja.
Even if the target were a Kage-level powerhouse from another hidden village, Konoha would struggle to mobilize so many elites at once.
Yet Kakashi did not relax because of it.
The stronger the reinforcements, the more it proved how wary the higher-ups were of Lie Yang.
The mission files only contained the abilities Lie Yang had already exposed.
Five Chakra natures.
Lightning Body Flicker.
One-handed seals.
Swordsmanship.
Genjutsu.
A special Shadow Clone Technique.
Information on the Mangekyō Sharingan had not yet been sent back to Konoha. The higher-ups knew even less about the Gene Lock and Hyperintuition.
Konoha had assembled the team according to the highest standards.
But what they faced might still be only the portion of Lie Yang's strength he was willing to let them see.
"Let's confirm everyone's combat role once more."
Kakashi looked over the group.
"Yota will keep the Byakugan active throughout, locking onto the real body, Shadow Clones, and underground Chakra."
"Yuhi will handle Genjutsu interference. Do not make eye contact with the Sharingan on your own initiative."
"Shikaku, Inoichi, and Torifu will handle control."
"Guy will lead the frontal assault."
"I'll work with Guy to contain Lie Yang's speed."
"If anyone detects an abnormality, report it immediately. No one is to pursue alone."
Yamanaka Inoichi nodded.
"What about the Root team?"
"They're waiting for us outside the village."
Kakashi looked up at the sky.
"Move out."
Eight figures leaped onto the treetops at once and quickly crossed Konoha's walls.
No one spoke along the way.
Might Guy was usually the least able to endure silence.
But today, he merely followed to Kakashi's right, checking their surroundings at regular intervals.
The sense of danger weighing on his heart had not faded since he accepted the mission.
Instead, as they moved farther from Konoha, it grew clearer and clearer.
When they reached the designated location, only one Root ninja stood in the forest.
He wore a mask and leaned against a tree trunk, his body utterly motionless.
The instant Kakashi landed, he noticed something was wrong.
"Where are the others?"
The Root ninja slowly raised his head.
His voice was devoid of inflection.
"The advance reconnaissance squad has been wiped out."
Everyone froze at once.
Kurenai Yuhi frowned tightly.
"When?"
"Not long ago."
The Root ninja took a scroll from his robes.
"After discovering Uchiha Lieyang's trail, they maintained their distance as ordered and prepared to send the intelligence back."
"The scheduled contact was not completed."
"Based on the memories of the Shadow Clone left at the outpost, all three made contact with the target and died within a short time."
Yamanaka Inoichi asked, "No one escaped?"
"No."
"What about the bodies?"
"They have not been recovered."
Hinata Yota looked into the depths of the forest.
"The target actively attacked the reconnaissance squad?"
"Unable to confirm."
The Root ninja's tone remained cold.
"In the final memory obtained by the Shadow Clone, the target never appeared within their field of vision."
"The first member was killed by a Shadow Clone."
"The second attempted to locate the real body."
"The third died while retreating."
"Uchiha Lieyang possesses extremely powerful sensory abilities. He likely detected the reconnaissance squad before they discovered him."
Those words silenced the group that had just finished assembling.
The Root squad that had departed ahead of them had been tasked with locating Lie Yang's trail.
They were not responsible for direct combat, only for tracking from afar and transmitting information.
Yet the moment the two sides came into contact, all three had died.
They had not even caught sight of Lie Yang's real body!
Shikaku Nara took the scroll from the Root ninja and rapidly read the intelligence inside.
"Did they identify the target's approximate location?"
"They did."
"How far from here?"
"One hundred and seventy li."
"Has Lie Yang changed direction?"
"Unable to confirm."
The Root ninja paused briefly.
"The higher-ups have issued an additional order."
"The danger level of this mission may exceed the highest S-rank standard currently on record."
"No one is to leave the team."
"If the encirclement fails, prioritize sending the latest intelligence back to Konoha."
Torifu Akimichi asked in a deep voice, "Are you telling us to prepare in advance for mission failure?"
"It is an order."
Kakashi looked at Might Guy.
Ever since arriving at the meeting point, Might Guy had not spoken.
His fists were tightly clenched, the muscles across his shoulders and back taut, while his gaze constantly swept the surroundings.
"Guy?"
Might Guy slowly let out a breath.
"Kakashi."
"My body has been warning me that what lies ahead is dangerous."
Kurenai Yuhi asked, "Stronger than when we carried out S-rank missions before?"
"It's not the same feeling."
Might Guy lowered his head to look at his palm.
"When facing powerful enemies before, I would get excited. I'd want to fight them immediately."
"Not this time."
"Ever since leaving the village, all I've felt is danger."
"The closer we get, the stronger it becomes."
Might Guy raised his head, his expression more serious than ever before.
"This is the first time I haven't even seen the enemy, yet my body keeps urging me to stop."
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