Is My Kidney Spicy?

After completing several D-rank missions in a row, Hyuga Satoru and the others were summoned by Aburame Shibi to a training ground one day.

After briefly explaining the mission requirements, Aburame Shibi spoke in a deep voice.

"Do you all understand the requirements of this mission?"

"We understand." Anko raised her hand hesitantly. "But Teacher Shibi, isn't it too difficult for our first outing to be a B-rank mission?"

Leaf Village scouts had discovered signs of Stone ninja activity along the border of the Grass Country. They seemed to be searching for supplies, and their mission was to stop them from bringing those supplies back.

Any mission involving a clash between ninja from two nations started at B-rank at the very least.

"The strongest enemy is only a Chunin. If I were alone, I could finish this instantly. This is training for you."

"How blunt." Anko's lips twitched slightly.

Hyuga Satoru's eyes flickered. Stone ninja activity had been discovered at the border—this was a sign that war was approaching. It seemed the brutal Third Shinobi World War from his memories was not far off.

With the composition of their team, the strategic value of his Byakugan, and Aburame Shibi's versatility, the mission they were carrying out was certainly not a simple one.

Uchiha Rin, on the other hand, did not think that much about it. She was simply eager to get started.

"Then it's decided. You have half an hour to prepare supplies. Gather here again in half an hour."

After several days of travel, Hyuga Satoru and the others finally arrived at the location marked in the intelligence report. Looking out from the tree branches, they could see a lush green plain.

"According to the latest intelligence, that group of Stone ninja will be transporting a batch of supplies through here. Our mission is to stop them from bringing those supplies back."

Hyuga Satoru hid in the bushes and silently observed the changes around them.

Searching for supplies at a time like this was undoubtedly preparation for war. Cutting off the Stone ninja's supply preparations might delay the arrival of the Third Shinobi World War. What he lacked most right now was time.

His Byakugan had been activated to its limit. After more than a year of training, its range had expanded to three kilometers.

Before long, a disguised merchant caravan appeared within his field of vision. Through the Byakugan's perspective, he could clearly see the substantial chakra flow within their bodies.

"They're here!" Hyuga Satoru said in a low voice. "At three o'clock, three kilometers away. There are five of them—four Chunin and one Genin."

"Five ninja?" Anko instinctively swallowed.

"With Teacher Shibi here, we shouldn't need to worry too much, right?"

When she turned around, goosebumps immediately rose across her skin.

Huh? Where was Teacher Shibi?

He had clearly been here just now. How had he disappeared?

The bushes where they had been hiding were completely empty. Aside from the three of them, there was no one else.

"Forget it. Don't worry about Teacher Shibi. He must have hidden somewhere else to watch the battle. For now, we'll have to rely on ourselves."

Hyuga Satoru took a deep breath, calming his emotions as he looked at the two girls.

"At this distance, they should pass through here in ten minutes. Let's make a battle plan in advance. First..."

Anko and Rin listened silently.

Yantu walked at the front of the group. Their five-man convoy looked like an ordinary merchant caravan, but a closer look would reveal shuriken, kunai, and other ninja equipment beneath their dusty cloth robes.

This supply handoff had gone exceptionally well. As long as they transported the supplies back, they would surely receive a reward from Lord Tsuchikage.

Yantu thought happily to himself. Their team had set out from the Land of Crafts, passed through the Grass Country, and was now getting closer and closer to the Land of Earth.

As they passed beside a thicket of bushes, a sudden change occurred!

A kunai suddenly shot out from the bushes, flying straight at him.

An attack?

Did they think an attack of this level could hurt him? Yantu's eyes turned cold.

He raised his kunai to block its path, but just as the incoming kunai was about to be intercepted, its trajectory abruptly changed. It curved in a bizarre arc and embedded itself firmly in his throat.

His pupils suddenly contracted. Yantu opened his mouth, his face filled with disbelief. He wanted to say something, but his mouth was full of crimson bubbles overflowing with blood.

"Captain Yantu!"

"Damn it!"

"Enemy attack!"

After seeing their captain's miserable collapse, the Stone ninja team quickly calmed down after a brief moment of panic. They tore off the cloaks used for disguise, revealing standardized ninja gear beneath them.

Since they had already fallen into an ambush, their identities had clearly been exposed long ago. Maintaining their disguises would only make the battle more inconvenient.

At the instant they tore away their disguises, three figures burst out of the grass, charging at the Stone ninja with kunai in hand.

"Byakugan? Three little brats actually managed to kill Captain Yantu..."

The tall Stone ninja gritted his teeth. Looking toward the cart, he shouted, "Haito, guard the supplies. Leave these three brats to us."

"Yes!" the lean Chunin shouted.

When Hyuga Satoru saw that one of the remaining Stone ninja had not rushed over but had instead chosen to guard the supplies, he was delighted. This made it a perfect three-on-three, drastically reducing their pressure.

"Rin and I will deal with those two Chunin. Anko, stop that Genin."

"Got it!"

The one facing Hyuga Satoru was the tall Stone ninja. His muscles were knotted, and in terms of size, Hyuga Satoru only came up to his waist.

Hyuga Satoru threw several shuriken in succession. While they flew, their trajectories suddenly shifted, but his opponent blocked them with a kunai, suffering only a few superficial wounds.

"Brat, are you the one who killed Captain Yantu with that ability?"

The tall Stone ninja clenched his teeth as he stared at the bloody cuts carved across his body by the shuriken.

"Controlling shuriken—what a strange ability. No wonder Captain Yantu fell for it! But it's useless now."

Hyuga Satoru's expression did not change. Using Electromagnetic Force to alter the shuriken's trajectories was certainly strange, but its greatest use was catching enemies off guard the first time. Once an opponent was prepared, its effectiveness dropped sharply.

Exposing this ability in exchange for the life of their strongest fighter was profitable no matter how he looked at it!

On the other side, Uchiha Rin's expression was somewhat grim. She held a kunai in each hand, blocking the rapidly slashing ninja blade.

"A swordsman? What a pain."

She performed a backflip to avoid the ninja blade sweeping toward her waist and abdomen, then spat disdainfully.

It had to be said that swordsmen were rather effective against her type. Kunai had too short a reach for her to gain an advantage in close combat, while using ninjutsu would allow them to rapidly close the distance. For a moment, the battle fell into a stalemate.

The situation on Anko's side was equally dangerous. The Genin fighting her had far more combat experience and had her completely suppressed.

Hyuga Satoru withdrew his gaze and thought to himself, I can't drag this out any longer. I have to end this quickly and support them.

The tall Stone ninja facing him seemed to see through his thoughts and laughed. "As long as I'm here, you'll never successfully support them."

"We've dragged this out long enough. It's time to end it."

"Secret Technique! Rock Armor Technique!"

The Stone ninja suddenly formed hand seals. Dense rocks spread over his entire body like armor, and his already towering frame abruptly grew even larger, making him look like a rock giant.

The giant opened his mouth, producing a rumbling sound like wind blowing through a mountain valley.

"Byakugan brat, you're a ninja of the Hyuga Clan, aren't you? I avoided close combat because of your Gentle Fist, but in this state, your Gentle Fist can never break through my defense."

He charged toward Hyuga Satoru, his pot-sized stone fist aimed directly at his head.

"Who told you I use Gentle Fist?"

Hyuga Satoru raised an eyebrow, lowered his body slightly, and slammed his palm into the man's side.

With a dull boom, intense pain made the Stone ninja's pupils contract. He looked down and saw that the entire section of his side abdomen where Hyuga Satoru's palm had struck was gone, leaving behind a horrifying crimson cavity.

Huh, is my kidney spicy?