Death operatives and intelligence

Killer B cut off a small section of the Eight-Tails' tail and handed it to the Sealing Squad, grinning. "Yo, idiot big brother, now this looks real."

He knew how meticulous Minato was. Without genuine tailed beast chakra fluctuations, the bait would have a hard time fooling his senses.

At the sight, Dodai showed a rare look of approval. "B, you've got a good head on your shoulders."

After nightfall, Dodai screened candidates for the suicide mission inside his tent.

A Special Jōnin from Kumogakure stepped forward of his own accord and dropped to one knee. "I volunteer for this assignment."

Dodai studied him for a moment, then nodded slightly. "Iwakichi, you've spent years undercover in the Land of Fire. You know how Konoha operates... remember, once you encounter combat, you may abandon the intelligence and escape. Staying alive comes first."

"Understood," Iwakichi answered gravely.

He accepted the forged intelligence scroll, personally prepared by the Sealing Squad. Aside from its contents, it could not have been more authentic.

Dodai gave one final instruction. "Move at dawn tomorrow. Make sure Konoha's Hyuga Byakugan discovers you by chance."

Early the next morning, a scout from the Hyuga Clan hurried over to report. "Lord Minato, we've spotted a Kumogakure ninja two kilometers northwest of camp. He appears to be carrying important intelligence!"

Minato frowned slightly. Team Kakashi had not returned from patrol, and the only person he could deploy right now was...

He turned toward Yūto, who was yawning. "Yūto, could I trouble you to investigate?"

Hearing that he would be acting alone, Yūto instantly perked up. He straightened his back and declared, "Leave it to me!"

Minato gently added, "If the enemy is stronger than expected, retreat immediately. Don't push yourself."

"Understood!" Yūto agreed readily, but inwardly rejoiced.

Finally, a chance to go get myself killed alone!

If the enemy's strong enough, I'm definitely going to die a heroic death!

After leaving camp, Yūto quickly located his target.

The Kumogakure ninja was sneaking through the woods, less than three kilometers from Konoha Camp.

Doubt stirred in Yūto's mind. Carrying intelligence, yet coming this close? That's far too unusual...

Just then, the man abruptly turned, his sharp gaze meeting Yūto's.

The Kumogakure death operative looked him over and scoffed. "Has Konoha run out of people? Sending a brat to his death?"

Yūto rejoiced inwardly. Here's my chance!

He deliberately provoked him. "Kumogakure scum, you dare come stir up trouble in Konoha?"

The operative sneered and instantly formed hand seals. "Lightning Release: Lightning Snake!"

Dazzling lightning shot straight toward Yūto.

Seeing Yūto easily evade Lightning Release: Lightning Snake, a flicker of surprise crossed the operative's eyes. "You've got some skill, brat!"

No longer underestimating him, he rapidly formed hand seals, gathering lightning in both hands. "Lightning Release: Lightning Tiger Massacre!"

Several streaks of lightning took the shapes of ferocious beasts and lunged at Yūto with a roar.

Yūto's Two-Tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly. He dodged like lightning while flinging three shuriken backhanded, precisely interrupting the operative's next hand seals.

"Tch!"

Forced to cut off his ninjutsu, the operative instead closed in, sweeping a vicious roundhouse kick toward him.

Yūto turned sideways to block, using the force to leap backward as his hands rapidly formed seals. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

A blazing fireball roared forth. The operative hastily rolled aside, but the flames still singed the hem of his clothing.

The operative steadied himself, the killing intent in his eyes growing stronger. "An Uchiha brat with the Sharingan... I absolutely cannot let you grow up!"

His chakra suddenly erupted. Lightning Release Chakra Mode covered his entire body, and his speed surged. In an instant, he closed on Yūto, driving a lightning-wreathed punch straight at his face.

Yūto hastily raised his arms to block and was driven back several steps, his arms numb.

Seeing the operative's gaze suddenly sharpen, Yūto was overjoyed.

He's finally getting serious!

He held nothing back, his Two-Tomoe Sharingan spinning rapidly as he rushed forward.

The operative formed hand seals, lightning bursting in his palms. "Lightning Release: Lightning Snake!"

Several winding streaks of lightning struck toward him.

Yūto leaped into the air, fire release chakra gathering in his throat. "Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Claw Crimson!"

Blazing fireballs wrapped around shuriken rained down, swallowing every lightning snake.

The operative scrambled to dodge, but several fireballs still hit him.

"Is that all you've got?" Yūto deliberately taunted him, twirling a kunai between his fingers. "Are all Kumogakure ninja as useless as you?"

Veins bulged on the operative's forehead. Lightning release chakra covered his body, and he charged straight at Yūto with a sudden burst of speed.

Yūto's Sharingan predicted his movement precisely. He sidestepped the punch and drove a backhand elbow hard into the man's ribs.

The crack of breaking bones was clearly audible. The operative staggered backward, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

He reached for the fake intelligence scroll inside his clothing, remembering Dodai's instruction to prioritize survival, only to suddenly clench the scroll.

If I flee in defeat too easily, Konoha will surely grow suspicious!

"Lightning Release: Lightning Tiger Massacre!" The operative wrung out the last of his chakra, turning lightning into ferocious beasts that lunged forward.

Yūto excitedly went to meet them, secretly rejoicing.

That's it!

Fight with the resolve to die!

He deliberately left an opening, letting the lightning graze his arm. Blood instantly soaked his sleeve.

"Hahaha!" Stained with blood, Yūto laughed wildly. "Watching you struggle on the brink of death is much more interesting than before!"

The operative's eyes bulged with fury. Thoroughly enraged, he charged again, completely disregarding his injuries.

This was exactly the fight to the death Yūto had been looking forward to!

The operative knelt on one knee, gasping for breath. His chakra had long since run dry, and his arms trembled slightly from overusing ninjutsu.

He stared fixedly at the relaxed Yūto opposite him, inwardly horrified. This brat's stamina is actually this terrifying!

"Kumogakure trash, is that all you can do?" Yūto deliberately sneered, his Two-Tomoe Sharingan spinning contemptuously. "You can't even give me a warm-up."

His figure flashed as he used the Body Flicker Technique to reach the operative's left side, sweeping out a roundhouse kick.

Gritting his teeth, the operative rolled aside, but the lingering force still clipped his shoulder. Intense pain immediately spread through it.

Enduring the pain, the operative suddenly surged forward, driving his right fist straight at Yūto's face.

Yūto easily leaned back to evade it while driving his knee hard into the man's abdomen.

The operative grunted and staggered back several steps, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

"You Uchiha brat..."

The operative wiped away the blood, the killing intent in his eyes surging.

He realized something: the Yūto before him was a genius. If Yūto grew up, he would certainly become a formidable enemy of Kumogakure!

The intelligence will look more authentic if it's found on a corpse. Today, I have to take him down with me!

The operative suddenly bit through his finger, forcibly squeezing out the last of his chakra. "Lightning Release: Lightning Tiger Massacre!"

His hands, which should no longer have been able to form seals, actually forced distorted lightning to gather, shaping it into an incomplete lightning beast that lunged at Yūto.

This ninjutsu went completely beyond what his body could bear. His skin cracked inch by inch under the backlash of Lightning Release.

The lightning struck Yūto squarely in the chest, sending him flying several meters.

A savage smile crossed the operative's face, only for him to hear a sudden rush of air from within the smoke.

Yūto had actually escaped using the Substitution Technique!

The next second, searing pain pierced his chest from behind. He looked down and saw a bloodstained arm protruding from his chest.

Before his consciousness faded, the operative used the last of his strength to stuff the fake scroll into his torn Ninja Tool Pouch.

A bitter smile touched his lips. At least the mission was complete...