"Twenty-four men, six full squads?"
Silently counting the Sunagakure Anbu before him, Xia Yan now had a clearer idea of what he faced.
He had already decided to try a technique he had long had in mind but had never used.
Ultimately, he was hardly proficient in that technique. In fact, it could be said that it still existed only in his imagination.
But Xia Yan could certainly give it a try now. Although none of the enemies before him were weak, and indeed, every one of them was very strong.
A Shinobi's strength, however, was not at all proportional to their defenses, unless they had an absolute defense like Gaara's or the Uchiha Clan's Susanoo.
Otherwise, they could only rely on their reflexes to contend with a technique like Flying Thunder God, which passed directly through space.
"You're quite impressive, making it all the way here." At that moment, the Sunagakure Anbu leading the group suddenly stepped forward and said indifferently, "Allow me to introduce myself. Viper, Sunagakure Anbu."
"Oh? I never expected a captain. What an honor." Hearing his words, Xia Yan replied with a smile, "I'm Nightingale of the Konoha Anbu. As it happens, we hold the same rank."
"I know, Nightingale." Viper nodded slightly. "Your name has spread throughout the Land of Wind, especially within the Anbu. How could we not know of your existence?"
"What an honor indeed." Xia Yan chuckled.
"To be remembered by your organization-I'm afraid nothing could make me happier.
"Perhaps you could follow Iwagakure's example with our Fourth Hokage and put my name in a little booklet called 'You may abandon your mission upon encountering them.'"
Xia Yan's words were extremely grating, even angering quite a few of the Sunagakure Anbu present.
Having one's name included in such a booklet was