In the mountain forest, where the Sealing Squad was stationed.
Whoosh!
With a rush of air, the Sealing Squad members leaped up and hurled kunai and shuriken at the enemy ahead, only for a massive blade to block them with ease.
The Sealing Squad leader soon recognized the enemy's weapon as Kirigakure's Kubikiribōchō.
Barely dodging a slash from the Kubikiribōchō, the Sealing Squad leader snapped, "You Kirigakure ninja have entered the Land of Fire. Are you trying to start a war?"
Juzo Biwa stopped swinging his blade. Looking at the Sealing Squad leader, he helplessly pointed at his forehead protector and said, "I'm already a missing-nin. Why would a missing-nin care about starting a war?"
"True, you have a point!"
The Sealing Squad leader nodded instinctively, finding the missing-nin's words quite reasonable. A missing-nin indeed could not represent his shinobi village.
The talkative Juzo Biwa said, "There you go. I'm just a bounty hunter taking a job."
While Juzo Biwa spoke, the Sealing Squad members had already surrounded him. They knew their enemy was an elite jonin wielding a ninja blade, but they were ANBU, and no pushovers themselves.
Yet even after surrounding Juzo Biwa, the Sealing Squad leader's expression remained grave.
Although Juzo Biwa's attack had killed no one, they could no longer maintain the barrier sealing off the area.
Seemingly sensing the barrier weakening, Juzo Biwa withdrew his gaze from the distance and turned his attention to the Konoha ANBU before him.
In truth, he had accepted no bounty mission. He was here only at the request of another member of his organization.
Apparently, some idiot in their organization had gone out of his way to provoke Konoha, the strongest shinobi village, and ended up surrounded.
Not far from the barrier.
An ANBU Squad was battling a missing-nin.