Kirigakure Anbu

At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared behind Miao. Sensing movement behind him, Miao spun around sharply, and his expression changed the instant he saw who it was.

The newcomer was a black-haired handsome middle-aged man—Miao's father, Hayato. He had changed out of his usual kimono and into a black high-collared robe. White bandages were wrapped over his black ninja pants, and a ninja tools pouch hung at the small of his back. He was clearly dressed for battle.

However, Hayato was not in good condition. He bore several wounds, his face was paler than usual, and the exhaustion on his face was unmistakable.

Hayato slowly walked over. When he saw the corpses and blood scattered across the Snowfield, as well as Haku's mother lying dead, his expression changed. He let out a deep sigh and said to Miao in a low voice, "There is no true peace in this world. Even a place covered in white can be tainted. That is the sorrow of this era. The dead cannot be brought back to life."

"I know!!!" Miao took a deep breath, his tone filled with sorrow. He had never expected something like this to happen today. Such a kind person had suffered such a terrible misfortune. Scenes of Haku's mother helping his family could not help but surface in his mind.

Hayato stepped forward, took out a Sealing Scroll, and sealed Haku's mother inside it. After putting away the scroll, he said to Miao, "I just went to Clean Up some Kirigakure Ninja around the village. I never expected the Fourth Mizukage to be so insane that he would not even spare such remote villages. This place has already drawn the attention of the Kirigakure Ninja. Kirigakure reinforcements will probably find us soon. We need to leave immediately."

"Mm! Let's find a place to bury Aunt Shunzi. In the future, I'll bring Haku to visit her," Miao said softly. Hayato nodded at his words and was about to say something when his expression suddenly changed. He shouted, "Miao, get out of the way!!!!"

Miao reacted instantly as well. The two of them leaped fiercely in opposite directions. Just as they left their original positions, several Kunai with Exploding Tags shot like lightning toward the ground where they had been standing.

Boom!!!! Boom!!! Boom!!! Violent explosions resounded through the silent village, and flames shot into the sky.

Miao and Hayato slid a distance across the Snowfield before slowly coming to a stop. With Haku on his back, Miao stared coldly at a Big Tree not far away. Several figures in tight black combat outfits, Tachi on their backs and strange masks on their faces, had appeared on the Tree Trunk at some point.

"This is bad!! They're Kirigakure Anbu!!!" Hayato's expression changed the moment he saw their attire. He recognized their identities at once.

"Anbu!!!" Miao's face changed as well. Of course, he knew what the Anbu were. Every village among the Five Great Nations had such an organization, one specifically tasked with carrying out covert, unsavory missions—assassinating enemy leaders, gathering intelligence, hunting Rogue Ninja, and cleaning up traces. They were also known as the Assassination Tactics Special Unit, and every Ninja selected to join the Anbu was an Elite Jonin among elites.

Kirigakure in particular enforced an elite policy upon ordinary Ninja. Its ninja examinations were already brutally harsh, let alone the Anbu. Every one of them was an elite, every one of them a butcher who killed without batting an eye. If one spoke solely of the overall quality of its Anbu, Kirigakure, located in the isolated Water Country, was undoubtedly the strongest among the Five Great Nations.

"I didn't expect them to come so quickly!!!!" Hayato's expression turned cold. Then, as if making some decision, he said to Miao, "Miao, take Haku and leave first!! I'll hold them back!!!"

"Father, do you think I would listen to you? If we leave, we leave together!!" Miao said emotionally. "Miao!!! Don't be reckless!! They are Kirigakure's elite Anbu!! They aren't opponents you can handle right now!!!" Hayato said anxiously.

"Father!! I won't run away alone!!! I know your condition very well. My strength may be limited, but I can at least share some of your burden!!!" Miao shouted, his gaze firm and utterly unwavering.

"Heh. We were only cooperating with the Ninja dispatched by the village, responsible for covert cover and support. I never expected spies from another country to be hiding in this little village!! Those pieces of trash were useless indeed. It was fine that they died. I'm actually rather grateful to you for that. But now that we're here, don't even think about escaping!!!" The leading Anbu, tall and strong, spoke in an icy tone. When he mentioned the Kirigakure Ninja Hayato had killed, he showed not the slightest sympathy or pity, even mocking them outright.

"How cold-blooded!! He was completely unmoved by the deaths of his own Companions and even spoke ill of them!! Is this what Kirigakure's Ninja are like?" Even Miao, a super assassin who had killed countless people in his Previous Life, could not help but feel shocked. He was cold-blooded too, but not so cold-blooded that he would mock dead Companions without a trace of pity. Moreover, after years of peaceful life in this world, his personality had changed considerably.

Fire Style—Great Fireball Jutsu!!!!! Hayato did not waste another word. His hands rapidly formed seals before he forcefully exhaled a massive fireball nearly six meters in diameter, sending it hurtling toward the five Kirigakure Ninja.

In truth, the Great Fireball Jutsu unleashed by an Elite Jonin like Hayato should have been far more powerful than this. However, this was the Water Country, where the air was far too humid, and snow was still falling. The power of Fire Style had therefore been severely restricted.