Ambush

Following Senju Toka's orders, the Third Unit used misdirection against the enemy and showed no mercy to anyone they could Qian. However, these Kumogakure ninja were all elite fighters, while only a handful of the Third Unit possessed formidable combat strength. The others merely had unusual ninjutsu at their disposal, so there were very few enemies they could defeat head-on. Most could only use genjutsu or other secret techniques to confuse them and delay their advance.

The Kumogakure Ninja soon noticed something strange. Although they sensed that something was wrong, resolving it would take time, so their first response was to pass the intelligence to their commander and await orders.

The commander of this Kumogakure Ninja unit was named Hahn. He had served alongside First Raikage A for years and was a companion A deeply trusted. Although this route was not the main one, it still served an important purpose, so Hahn had been assigned to lead it.

Hahn was experienced and did not simply send his troops charging forward. Even during a surprise attack, he never forgot the importance of intelligence. He instructed the squads to keep watch over their surroundings at all times and report any abnormalities immediately.

After receiving the squads' reports, Hahn immediately realized that their opponents were from Konoha Ninja Village. That was only natural. As the first ninja village ever established, Konoha could hardly have remained oblivious until now. It was their method of fighting that gave him a headache.

At the same time, Hahn noticed another anomaly. While the other squads had all sent reports, the squads in one direction had sent nothing. He did not believe it was because they had encountered no attacks. Konoha Ninja Village should not have overlooked that area.

He therefore ordered a nearby squad to investigate. Before long, a warning flare rose from that direction. They had clearly come under attack by Konoha ninja.

Looks like the ones over there are no pushovers, Hahn thought.

The enemies the other squads encountered could only hold them off with genjutsu or secret techniques. Yet the squads over there had initially been unable to send even a signal. After his warning, they had only managed to fire a flare, without conveying any concrete information. Their opponents clearly had some real strength.

Hahn issued orders for the other squads to break through the genjutsu's influence as best they could and slaughter the enemy. Those Konoha ninja could only buy time with genjutsu and could not even prevent reports from getting through. They posed little threat. The Konoha ninja on this side, however, could wipe out their squads one by one. They were the real danger.

Hahn therefore decided to lead his own men over and face those Konoha ninja himself. Fighting powerful enemies was a desire deeply rooted in the men of the Land of Lightning. He had no interest in battling weaklings who could only resort to delaying tactics.

Hahn beckoned to his subordinates and hurried toward those Konoha ninja—Senju Toka's squad.

The moment he saw his signal flare launch, the dying Kumogakure Ninja sighed in relief. His eyes lost focus, and his breathing gradually stopped.

Senju Toka glanced at the flare signaling danger and said, "That's the end of fighting in silence. Now we'll have to face the Kumogakure Ninja unit head-on."

"Lady Toka, a squad of Kumogakure Ninja is heading this way. Judging by their chakra, they should be very powerful opponents." With his Byakugan active, Hyuga Qi stared at the Kumogakure Ninja who had entered his one-kilometer field of vision.

"They're quick," Senju Toka said. That was only natural. Although the ninja unit had split up to advance covertly, its squads would not stray too far apart. Once they realized something had gone wrong somewhere, swift reinforcements were inevitable.

Senju Toka immediately led everyone away, changing positions to avoid being located while considering their next move.

"Lady Toka, what should we do next?" someone asked.

"What should we do? Fight them, of course. If Qi is right, they may be key members of this unit. It would be ideal if we could Qian them." Senju Toka gave a faint smile.

Senju Toka was not a beauty who made hearts flutter. If anything, her appearance was rather cold, calling to mind a thorn-covered flower. She also had a ruthless streak. With another squad, she might have adopted delaying tactics, but everyone here was among the Third Unit's best fighters. There was no reason to flee without even putting up a fight.

"Qi, are they pursuing us now?" Senju Toka asked Hyuga Qi.

"They don't seem to have a competent sensory ninja. They're still searching for our position, but it won't take them long to find us," Hyuga Qi said as he watched their movements.

"Looks like we have some time to consider how to deal with them," Senju Toka said.

"I have a suggestion. Since they don't know our position yet, why not ambush them?" Kazemori Masaki said.

This was a traditional ninja combat tactic, and no one objected. Senju Toka said, "Masaki, since you brought it up, I assume you have something in mind. How do you think we should ambush them?"

"I've heard that people from the Land of Lightning excel at swordsmanship. Even in an ambush, we should avoid close combat at the outset. So I'd like Lady Toka to confuse them with genjutsu first. Then we'll strike from a distance with ninjutsu and close in while the attacks throw them into disarray," Kazemori Masaki said.

Senju Toka nodded. "A good approach. Then we'll be counting on you and Danzo. Wind Release is what can threaten them. Everyone else should prepare to provide support."

"No, Lady Toka. I think the others can use their elemental techniques as well. Even different elements can produce tremendous power together," Kazemori Masaki said.

Hearing this, Danzo immediately said, "You mean Combined Ninjutsu?"

"Exactly." Kazemori Masaki nodded.

Senju Toka remembered now. Combined Ninjutsu had seen use during the Warring States Period, but few people could cultivate multiple chakra natures to begin with, and fewer still could use several simultaneously in combination. As far as she knew, the one who had truly used that method was Sasuke Sarutobi.

Danzo had seen Combined Ninjutsu used by Hiruzen Sarutobi. Hiruzen had inherited his father's aptitude and mastered multiple chakra natures. He had also made effective use of the Shadow Clone technique learned from his teacher, and his use of Combined Ninjutsu was already beginning to take shape.

Kazemori Masaki had naturally seen Hiruzen Sarutobi's Combined Ninjutsu as well. This time, he had happened to realize that Konoha's ninja units were exceptionally well suited to it. The other ninja villages had very distinct styles: Iwagakure Ninja Village excelled at Earth Release, while Kumogakure Ninja Village excelled at Lightning Release. Even if their ninja could train in a second nature, virtually everyone in each village excelled at the same element. Konoha Shinobi Village, however, had no clearly defined elemental specialty.

Although this meant Konoha Ninja Village could not readily field a unit sharing one chakra nature like the other villages, it could potentially assemble a unit containing all five natures within the same formation. The other Shinobi Villages might not be able to do that. It practically provided ideal conditions for Combined Ninjutsu.

"All right, we'll use that method." Senju Toka considered it and said, "Masaki, do you have any combinations in mind?"

"First, I need to know which chakra natures everyone here specializes in," Kazemori Masaki said. He soon learned that the others excelled at Earth Release, Fire Release, and Water Release.

"Then we'll use Danzo's and my Wind Release to amplify the Fire Release, and add the impact of Earth Release," Kazemori Masaki said after a moment's thought.

"What about me?" Satomi quickly asked. Her specialty was Water Release.

"Using Water Release in this environment would consume too much chakra. Besides, the enemy specializes in Lightning Release, so Water Release might put us at a disadvantage. Lightning can travel through water and cause trouble for us," Kazemori Masaki said.

Satomi frowned and gave a somewhat dejected hum of acknowledgment. Although Kazemori Masaki's explanation made sense, it left her feeling as though she was of no use.

"Satomi, in that case, help me set up the genjutsu," Senju Toka said, noticing her expression.

"Okay!" Satomi perked up.

Once the battle plan was settled, everyone immediately got to work. Under Hyuga Qi's Byakugan, Hahn and his men's movements were completely exposed, giving them ample time to prepare.

Meanwhile, the Kumogakure Ninja squad led by Hahn was struggling to track its opponents. They were clearly pursuing them closely, yet the enemy seemed to know which way they were going, and they simply could not catch up.

Growing irritated, Hahn ordered his squad to pick up the pace rather than let the enemy toy with them. His squad members felt the same way and answered his call, surging forward.

As they passed through a stretch of woods, Hahn saw figures appear ahead. Certain they were his targets, he was delighted. Powerful chakra immediately surged throughout his body, gathering over his skin like armor. This was the Lightning Release Chakra Mode developed by Darui. It not only stimulated the muscles and increased strength, but also provided armor-like defense.

Hahn pushed off hard and shot toward someone lagging behind, smashing a fist into their back. Under that tremendous force, the victim's body folded and plunged downward. Even if they survived, they would surely be crippled.

Yet Hahn sensed something odd. The scene before him seemed to waver, and the impact had felt wrong.

Hahn hastily turned around and saw subtle changes in his surroundings. He had not left his squad. The others had turned toward different directions, their expressions equally bewildered as their eyes met his.

—This is genjutsu!

While Hahn realized the truth, Senju Toka, concealed nearby, was puzzled. How had these men escaped her genjutsu so quickly? Then she noticed the cloaks of lightning gathered around them. Her gaze sharpened slightly, and she seemed to understand the reason.

Genjutsu worked by disrupting an opponent's chakra and thereby affecting their senses. Conversely, disrupting one's own chakra again could restore those affected senses to normal.

Genjutsu was cast through the five senses, but it was the caster's own chakra that actually disrupted the target's chakra. In other words, if her chakra could not disrupt the chakra inside her opponent, she naturally could not place them under genjutsu. Although she did not know what ninjutsu these Kumogakure Ninja were using, it seemed to stimulate their cells with powerful Lightning Release chakra. The chakra flowing within them was clearly unusually active, making it difficult to influence.

Fortunately, Senju Toka's skill with genjutsu was considerable. Even without anticipating Lightning Release Chakra Mode, she had still managed to make them perceive an illusion. The time she bought was not ideal, but it was not bad either.

The moment Kazemori Masaki and the others saw the enemy's expressions, they knew the plan had changed and they had to act immediately. Without hesitation, Kazemori Masaki and Danzo unleashed Wind Release: Pressure Damage, followed by Fire Release and Earth Release from the others. Driven by the powerful wind, the flames expanded at an astonishing speed before crashing into the rising earthen wall and shattering it. Countless fragments hurtled toward Hahn and his men, wreathed in fire.

It all happened too quickly. Hahn and his men hastily dodged when they noticed the attack, but even Lightning Release Chakra Mode could not let them evade it completely. The flaming rocks rained down, triggering violent explosions throughout the area as great masses of flame spread in every direction—

As the ninjutsu attack scattered the enemy, Kazemori Masaki and the others immediately charged, seeking to inflict serious injuries before their opponents could recover.

As Kazemori Masaki leaped out, he happened to see someone rush from the raging winds. He had no time to choose an opponent and charged straight at them.

Once he drew close, Kazemori Masaki realized his opponent was a fair-skinned, blond woman. People in the Land of Lightning were either dark-skinned or fair-skinned, a very noticeable contrast. He would not show mercy simply because his opponent was a woman. The Short Blade in his hand slashed out swiftly.

The woman was clearly no weakling. Although she had hastily darted clear, she raised her blade to block as soon as she saw Kazemori Masaki's attack coming.

Impressive, Kazemori Masaki thought. Among his fellow disciples, his attacks were exceptionally fast. Blocking one under these circumstances proved her skill, but his attack was not over.

The moment their blades collided, the blond woman saw what looked like a distortion over the surface of Kazemori Masaki's blade. She froze briefly, then felt a swelling blast of wind pressure that hurled her backward.

Wind Release Chakra was naturally suited to coating weapons, and Kazemori Masaki's inherited secret technique used precisely this method of combat. His family's Short Blade was made from chakra-absorbing metal. Once it absorbed chakra, the properties of Wind Release Chakra became even more pronounced.

After learning sage arts, he had taken this method a step further. Imitating the Gunbai's Uchiha Reflection, he coated the blade's surface with compressed Wind Release Chakra. This not only increased its sharpness, but also allowed him to detonate the compressed chakra while fighting, producing a counterattack similar to the Gunbai's.

It sounded simple, but without the greatly enhanced control he possessed while using sage arts, he could not have managed it easily. Even if he could, he would not have been able to make it as imperceptible as it was now. Judging by the result, it was highly effective.

Kazemori Masaki pursued without breaking stride. By the time the explosive gust slammed the woman into a tree, he was already beside her. His blade traced a streak of white light as he thrust toward a vital point.

The woman's eyes widened. She had no way out now. Even with Lightning Release Chakra Mode, she did not possess particularly powerful chakra. Her armor could not stop a Wind Release ninja of this caliber.

—To think I'd die so pathetically.

She seethed with resentment, but could only watch the blade's tip approach. Just then, a figure rushed over, shielding her with his body and taking Kazemori Masaki's thrust head-on.

Kazemori Masaki froze. Although his blade had pierced the newcomer's lightning armor, it left only a tiny wound on his skin. A single bead of blood seeped out, then evaporated amid the active lightning release chakra.

Even as he endured the thrust, the man raised an arm and swept it backward. He struck nothing. Kazemori Masaki had already withdrawn after seeing his attack fail.

Kazemori Masaki's gaze sharpened as he looked at the burly man. Although he had only seen him in the manga, the distinctive features of his body still allowed him to recognize the person before him. He did not know the man's real name, but the name he would bear in the future was Third Raikage A!

(End of chapter)