"Secret Technique: Insect Arm!"
The swarm formed a huge black hand and reached for Aoki Tsuki.
An Explosive Tag carried by a Kunai met it.
Boom...
When the explosion cleared, two drenched figures stood in the rain, covered in mud and looking thoroughly battered.
Both sides had used up a great deal of Chakra.
This mission concerned Mieko's promotion assessment.
Also, when they accepted the mission, Takenaka Osamu had instructed Aoki Tsuki to do everything he could to destroy the other shinobi villages' bases in the Land of Rain.
This was also a test from the village.
To become Lord Hanzō's bodyguard, he needed results. This purge was his chance to prove himself.
For Aburame Shinobu, this was one of Root's important supply bases in the Land of Rain. If it were destroyed, Konoha's subsequent plans would be affected.
He, too, had a reason he had to fight.
What annoying bugs. Good thing I prepared plenty of Explosive Tags before setting out.
He had spent all fifty thousand ryō issued for the mission on Explosive Tags in one go.
He could afford to keep this up.
If only he could learn Hanzō's signature move, Fire Release: Exploding Flame Formation.
Explosive Tags could only unleash their tremendous power when used in large numbers. Using them one at a time was less effective.
When he saw Aoki Tsuki take out another Explosive Tag, Aburame Shinobu felt like breaking down.
Just how many Explosive Tags does this guy have? He's used at least twenty-odd since the fight started.
Ninja generally carried only a few Explosive Tags in their tool pouches as spares. It wasn't that they weren't useful; they were expensive.
They couldn't bear to use them.
Many of the Kikaichū had been killed by the Explosive Tags, so Aburame Shinobu could only use his own Chakra to activate Secret Technique: Insect Cocoon, accelerating their reproduction to replenish their numbers.
That consumed a great deal of his Chakra.
His opponent was the exact opposite. He had mostly fought with Explosive Tags and was in far better shape.
I can't let this drag on. Once his companions join him, things will get troublesome, Aburame Shinobu thought.
As for the rogue ninja under him, he automatically ignored them.
He had recruited them at random as a cover in the first place. They weren't much good in a fight, and he couldn't rely on them.
Let's settle this in one blow.
Aburame Shinobu released all the Chakra he had left, using every one of his Kikaichū in this attack.
"Secret Technique: Insect Devouring!"
Countless Kikaichū gathered into a black torrent and closed in from every direction, sealing off every escape route.
"It's no use. You can't dodge this."
After dodging a few times, Aoki Tsuki decisively gave up and immediately formed Hand Seals with both hands.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A circular curtain of water rose from the ground, enclosing and firmly protecting him at its center.
Seeing this, Aburame Shinobu sneered. "I told you, it's no use. You can't defend against it, and you can't dodge it."
Kikaichū devoured Chakra and could also track it, so the Substitution Technique wouldn't work either.
After some of the Kikaichū were blocked by the water curtain, they immediately turned and tried to attack from above, only to find that the top was sealed too.
Aoki Tsuki had shaped the Water Formation Wall like a horn.
The Kikaichū immediately changed tactics, gathering in one spot to try to break through, but it had little effect.
The two sides remained locked in a stalemate.
The corners of Aburame Shinobu's mouth curved up. His insects would carry out an order once given.
But Ninjutsu had a time limit. Even in the rain, the Water Formation Wall couldn't last long.
Aoki Tsuki definitely couldn't outlast him.
Sure enough, before long, the Water Formation Wall collapsed to the ground, and the Kikaichū swarmed in.
"Hmph, I win, you little brat."
Bang...
A cloud of thick black smoke erupted from the center.
Damn it! Aburame Shinobu's heart leaped.
Sure enough, after the Kikaichū charged into the smoke, they began to wobble as if drunk, dropping to the ground one after another.
A figure wearing a gas mask stepped out of the smoke and greeted him.
"Hi..."
"Pfft... you bastard."
Aburame Shinobu was so furious he spat blood. He had never expected his enemy to pull this on him.
"Body Flicker Technique!"
Aoki Tsuki vanished from where he stood, drew his blade and charged at Aburame Shinobu.
Bang, bang...
With his Chakra exhausted, Aburame Shinobu was no match for Aoki Tsuki. Within a few exchanges, both his arms were injured, and he was kicked to the ground.
He guessed that Aoki Tsuki wanted to capture him alive. His heart hardened, and he said, "Don't even think about it."
He gently clenched his teeth, and his throat moved as he swallowed.
Aoki Tsuki hurried forward and grabbed his mouth, but it was too late. Aburame Shinobu's face quickly turned black.
In just a few seconds, he stopped breathing without leaving a word.
"What a ruthless man."
He had won this fight through a trick, relying on Explosive Tags and a surprise attack with poison smoke.
But ninja fought using differences in intelligence to begin with, so he couldn't be blamed.
After sealing the corpse in a scroll, Aoki Tsuki immediately entered the shrine and began searching it. He soon found a secret underground chamber.
When he reached the chamber, he saw it piled high with Shuriken, Kunai, soldier pills and Explosive Tags.
He was genuinely shocked.
"This... really is a supply depot."
Without another word, he hurriedly packed the supplies into separate scrolls, naturally setting aside a portion for his own use.
When the time came, wouldn't he be the one to say how much there had been?
Just then, he heard a noise outside and hurried out of the basement.
"Captain, are you all right?"
Aoki Tsuki waved a hand. "As you can see, things went smoothly here. I killed the leader of the Araki rogue ninja and found some supplies in the basement."
"Things went smoothly for us too. In the end, we used smoke bombs to confuse the enemy and killed the main rogue ninja. The others ran when they saw that," Mieko replied.
"Good. The mission is a complete success. We shouldn't stay here long. Let's return to the village at full speed."
Seeing how serious their captain was, Mieko and the other two realized the enemy had been difficult to deal with.
The group raced back.
Less than an hour after Aoki Tsuki's squad left, more than a dozen figures wearing animal masks appeared at the shrine's entrance.
"We're still a step too late."
"Captain, all the supplies in the basement have been taken. They probably haven't been gone long. Should we pursue?" a squad member asked.
"No need. Judging by the traces, the enemy used Water Release, so they were probably Rain Ninja. Amegakure sent people to kill Kareki and Hachinosu one after the other. This place has been completely exposed.
Move to the backup base immediately. Also, contact our intelligence agents and find out who did this."
"Yes, sir."
After Aoki Tsuki's squad returned to the village, they immediately reported the mission complete.
He gave special praise to the important role Mieko's poison gas bombs had played in the mission, and reported that she had led the squad in eliminating a group of rogue ninja.
She had independently handled intelligence gathering, tactical planning and execution.
After Jōnin Takenaka Osamu had heard the details, he nodded. "The village is in need of capable people right now, so there shouldn't be any problem with Mieko's promotion to Chunin.
As for her transfer to become a medical ninja, I'm afraid she'll have to wait a while."
"Is it because we're short of people?"
"That's right. The number of missions has surged during the war, and the village has lost quite a few people in the fighting along the border. I'm afraid we'll have to trouble you all to keep running around."
Aoki Tsuki promptly said with a serious expression, "It's our honor to ease the village's burdens."
"You did very well on this purge. You eliminated a potential threat to the village and brought back important supplies. Rest assured, I'll put in a word with Lord Hanzō when I report."
"I only had a chance to prove myself because you thought highly of me, Lord Osamu. If there's anything I can do for you, please just say the word."
"Heh heh... you know how things work. No wonder even Jōnin Satō, who's always so exacting, couldn't help praising you."
Takenaka Osamu was very pleased with Aoki Tsuki's attitude. Who wouldn't like a subordinate who was both capable and ambitious?
"Given your squad's outstanding performance, I do have a special mission for you. It'll be good for you."
"Please give us your orders, my lord," Aoki Tsuki replied promptly.
"At present, the Five Great Shinobi Villages are at war with one another. Because of its location, our Land of Rain can hardly avoid being dragged into the conflict.
Recently, Kyoto has been attacked repeatedly by unidentified ninja. The daimyō has asked us to reinforce his guards. Your squad has a sensory ninja, and you're quite capable in combat,
so I intend to recommend you to Lord Hanzō for the assignment. It'll also give you a chance to gain some experience as guards in advance."
"Yes, sir. We guarantee we'll complete the mission." Aoki Tsuki happily agreed. This was clearly a chance to build up their credentials before a promotion.
"Mm, go back and rest for now. You'll leave in three days."
Once outside, he told the others that Mieko had passed her assessment and about the Guardian Ninja assignment.
"Guarding the daimyō should be much easier than patrolling the border. Everyone can use this time to improve their strength."
Aoki Tsuki decided to give his squad members some pointers, because as their strength increased, there would be few chances for them to continue taking missions together.
Chunin could already go out and lead their own squads, or transfer to an internal position like Mieko.
He himself was also thinking of transferring to guard duty.
"Mieko, your foundation should be solid enough. You can try learning another Medical Ninjutsu. If you're short on money, I can give you some support."
"I was just thinking of doing that."
Aoki Tsuki then looked at Shinichi. "You have enough Senbon-type concealed weapons now. Next, you need to make your attacks more varied.
You can try channeling Chakra into your Senbon to increase their speed and penetration."
Three mechanical umbrellas were about enough. A few more wouldn't help.
Shinichi nodded. He was currently exploring how to use Chakra to control the direction of his Senbon attacks. Speed and penetration would come later.
"By the way, what was your primary Chakra nature again?"
"Earth."
"Oh, the village doesn't seem to have many Ninjutsu of that nature. We'll have to find a way later."
No wonder Shinichi had chosen to specialize in concealed-weapon Ninjutsu.
"And Ryōta, both of us are Taijutsu ninja. It's hard for us to improve dramatically in a short time, so we can only keep working at it. We can spar more often when we get the chance."
"Thank you, Captain. I'll definitely train hard."
"All right, come find me in a couple of days to collect your pay for this mission. We leave in three days. Dismissed."
Aoki Tsuki walked home alone at a leisurely pace.
All four members of the squad, including him as the captain, were ordinary people. Not one of them had a Kekkei Genkai.
Even so, he had to manage things well.
If everyone was lucky enough to survive and grow up, they could support one another in the village and live a little more comfortably.