Battle with the Cloud Ninja

"What happened?"

When Anko woke up, she noticed the dirt beneath Muzan's clothes and assumed he had gone out to investigate while they slept.

Muzan recounted what had happened the previous night. Their plan needed some adjustments, especially regarding the Cloud Ninja's supply transports ahead.

"We can now confirm that Cloud Ninja are active ahead, but we don't know whether there's a supply convoy or merely shinobi scouting the area. Still, the enemy is very strong."

Based on the information from that corpse, the weakest enemy was an Elite Chunin. That was not particularly troublesome for Muzan, but Anko and Mari needed to be extremely careful.

"Our route remains unchanged. Mari, stay on full alert. The enemy could appear at any time."

"Okay!"

What they did not know was that the Cloud Ninja had already taken precautions. After encountering Konoha Ninja, they changed their strategy and began sending shinobi to search for them. Quite a few Konoha Ninja had already been discovered.

Unfortunately, those capable of carrying out such missions possessed a certain degree of willpower. Dead or alive, they refused to reveal their mission's objective.

Muzan had just reached a patch of mud when he suddenly spotted a layer of footprints on the ground.

"Be careful. The enemy isn't far from us."

"From here on, avoid walking through mud whenever possible. It'll leave footprints."

There were protruding rocks nearby that could serve as footholds. Moving this way could reduce the risk of exposure.

As they advanced over the muddy ground, Mari, who was in front, lightened her steps and pressed an ear to the ground. Feeling wave after wave of vibrations, she confirmed their location before saying,

"Captain, I hear footsteps. Two people are slowly approaching us."

"Slowly approaching? It seems they haven't found our trail. Find somewhere to hide first. It'd be best if we can finish them quickly. And don't use Explosive Tags!"

Explosive Tags made too much noise and could easily draw unnecessary trouble. He had no desire to be chased down by a crowd swinging blades at him.

Before long, they saw two men arrive near the Stone Forest. Blood still stained their bodies, and their presence suggested they had only just been in a battle.

"What rotten luck. Why do these exhausting jobs always fall to us brothers?"

"Let's hurry and keep chasing. I don't want to suffer Lord Killer B's demonic singing just because we failed to catch anyone!"

A group of shinobi had been discovered the previous night, and afterward they began investigating whether there were any more Konoha Ninja in the surrounding camps. They had heard that quite a few people from Konoha had infiltrated this time, and Lord Killer B had even been reprimanded over it.

Hidden behind the Stone Forest, the three of them heard their conversation. Anko and Mari did not know who Killer B was, much less what the name represented, but Muzan inwardly cursed.

Killer B was unquestionably a Kage Level powerhouse, capable of perfectly controlling the Eight-Tails' power. More importantly, the A-B Combo never separated. This Konoha battlefield had at least two Kage Level powerhouses present.

Muzan did not kill the two men, because their mission was to investigate the enemy's transport route, not assassinate their shinobi.

There was no ruling out the possibility that the Cloud Ninja had Ninja Dogs as Ninja Beasts. If a Ninja Dog caught the scent of blood and tracked them down, it would only create more trouble.

They did not want to clash with the Cloud Ninja, but the enemy search party had no intention of letting Muzan go.

Not long after they left, someone found the place where Muzan had stood moments earlier. Yun Zhi'anshang was an Elite Chunin, and he sensed that something was wrong here.

"Look here! There's a faint layer of mud marks, and the mud hasn't dried yet. Chase after them immediately!"

This region had already been sealed off by the Hidden Cloud Village. Any Konoha Ninja who entered it were like mice in a game of cat and mouse, with Konoha playing the role of the mice.

Muzan was the first to notice that something was wrong. Because the wind was blowing in their favor, the enemy had appeared where they had passed earlier. Judging from their position and the changing wind direction, Muzan caught their scent in the air.

"Someone's following us.

"The moment she turned her head, she happened to see Mari lying on the ground. Mari suddenly raised her head and said anxiously,

"Their speed is very fast. Judging from the vibrations and their direction, we're their target."

"Prepare for battle."

His gaze fixed on the distance, where their figures were already visible. As expected, their position had been exposed again, and there was likely a sensory shinobi in the enemy team. Shaking them off in a short time was impossible.

As an Elite Chunin, Yun Zhi'anshang was the fastest. The group had five people, all at Chunin level, and they directly surrounded Muzan.

"Huh? That black outfit?"

Muzan, dressed in black, stood out among them. Yun Zhi'anshang noticed that the Genin on either side were unconsciously edging closer to Muzan, which showed that he was the captain.

"Hatake Muzan! Sakumo Hatake's son!"

Who cared about some scouting mission? If Yun Zhi'anshang captured Muzan, he could rise through the ranks and get rich!

"Quick, quick, quick! Surround the kid in black! The ones beside him must die, but Muzan must be taken alive!"

The White Fang of Konoha was responsible for fighting the Hidden Cloud Village this time. If they captured his child alive, they could use Muzan to threaten Sakumo!

Whether it worked or not, it would be a devastating blow to Konoha. Yun Zhi'anshang was also convinced that Sakumo would never stand by and watch his son die. It would drive a wedge between them.

"Just as I thought, Muzan. In those black clothes, you attract attention wherever you go."

Anko was extremely displeased. Why was Muzan the only one allowed to live while Mari and she had to die?

That's not fair!

I, Anko, am worth over a hundred million too!

Hearing Anko's complaints, the crimson eyes beneath the black robe revealed killing intent. Muzan drew the ninja sword concealed under his robe and made a throat-slitting gesture.

"Then let's give them a lesson they'll never forget!"

The Hatake Sword Technique, renowned throughout the Shinobi World, made the five people around them shudder with fear. No matter how strong an opponent was, meeting that blade meant dying with resentment.

"Crack!"

A streak of white light flashed past. The shinobi blocking the way sensed deadly danger and immediately used the Substitution Jutsu, switching places with a rock behind him.

"That attack was so fast..."

The extended slash still reached him even after he changed positions. Seeing Yun Zhi'anshang's grave expression, he suggested,

"Captain, I don't want to clash head-on with the famed Hatake Sword Technique. Use ninjutsu to wear them down!"

They assumed the Genin did not have much chakra. Unfortunately, they did not possess the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan, or they surely would have regretted that decision today.

The Hidden Cloud Village was best at Ninja Body Technique, but their basic ninjutsu was not weak either, especially when five Chunin performed the same technique together.

"Water Release: Water Wall!"

The combined Water Release surged downstream. With Muzan's group positioned amid the muddy shoreline, a towering wave came crashing down upon them.

"We can't beat this, Muzan!"

"We can't hold it back! Should we use Explosive Tags to blast it apart?"

Kurenai and Mari were facing a Chunin squad for the first time. Against the enemy's attack, they felt utterly helpless.