"Captain, we've got the intelligence."
"Where?"
" Hasegawa in the western suburbs."
"Depart immediately, and send someone else to inform the Anbu."
"Hi!"
Before long, Hayama Shirakumo led a group of people out of Daimyo Prefecture and arrived near Hasegawa, about ten kilometers away. It was already late at night.
The moonlight was exceptionally bright, Fire Fly swirled and danced in the forest, their chirping filling the air.
Following the information provided by Hoshisame, the group searched along the canyon and soon found a cave entrance leading into the depths at the foot of the mountain wall.
" Shitō and Suzaku, you two stay outside and search the surrounding area to see if there are any other exits. Tokuma and Yusuke, come in with me."
The three of them, including Hayama Shirakumo used his Byakugan Tokuma Hyuga check for traps, but found nothing.
They descended about a hundred meters underground and arrived at the location of the main hall, a cavern.
"The efficiency is quite high, much faster than I expected," Aoki Tsuki said.
Hayama Shirakumo gripped his longsword tightly and asked, "As far as I know, the Jashin Cult is active in the Land of Hot Water. What exactly is their purpose in coming to our Land of Fire?"
The Third specifically transferred his team from the northern border to carry out this mission.
This shows that the enemy is extremely powerful, and even Konoha must take them seriously.
The other party knew they were coming, yet they sat there calmly, clearly emboldened.
"Purpose? If I had to say... I've been ambushed twice by your people from Konoha, and I have to get my revenge."
"How arrogant!"
"If the Yellow Flash and Body Flicker Shisui were still alive, I wouldn't dare to speak presumptuously. By the way... does Konoha still have anyone worth mentioning?"
" Konoha is full of talented people. Even if those two are gone, they are not people you can provoke. You won't escape today."
"Hmph, we weren't prepared last time, this time let's see who comes up with the best methods."
Clang!
Hayama Shirakumo had been preparing for an attack for a long time. He drew his long sword, and the air currents in the empty hall were suddenly chaotic, with countless wind blades flying around.
Vacuum Sword - Chaotic Blade Slash
Puff puff puff...
The surrounding stalactites were as fragile as tofu in the sharp wind blades, and in this confined space, the power of the wind blades was fully unleashed.
"A swordsman? I think I know who you are."
The only person capable of killing more than 20 Iwagakure Ninja in one move, besides Minato Namikaze, is this seemingly ordinary passerby in front of us.
In fact, he was a top-level swordsman who incorporated Wind Release Ninjutsu into his swordsmanship.
Ding ding ding...
The Futsunomitama in his hand precisely intercepted each attack of the wind blades.
Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave
Rumble...
A massive amount of water gushed out, quickly turning the hall into a reservoir, and spreading along the entrance and exit passages.
Hayama Shirakumo immediately guessed Aoki Tsuki's purpose and hurriedly said, "Get out of here quickly!"
" Earth Release · Earth-Style Wall "
Yusuke, one of the team members, quickly used Earth Release to raise a wall to Shisui from spreading, buying time for Hayama Shirakumo and Tokuma Hyuga to evacuate.
The narrow passage made it impossible for all three members of the team to escape at the same time; someone was destined to stay behind to cover their retreat.
Sizzle... Sizzle...
Sure enough, after the water waves impacted the surface, an electric current began to spread.
"Ah... Ah..." Yusuke was completely paralyzed by the electric shock.
At the critical moment, Hayama Shirakumo pulled a rope from his ninja tool pouch, wrapped it around Yusuke's body, and tried to pull him away.
He was upside down, clinging to the side wall of the passage, thus avoiding the lightning strike.
Pfft...
The Earth-Style Wall was pierced through from behind with a single slash, and blue lightning extended several meters, piercing through Yusuke's body and killing him instantly.
"Let's collect interest first..."
" Yusuke!"
"Captain, let's go! Fighting here is disadvantageous for us," Tokuma Hyuga urged.
Left with no other option, Hayama Shirakumo had to evacuate.
"What a pitiful person."
Aoki Tsuki glanced at the corpse lying on the ground and guessed that the other party was most likely a commoner ninja. In the ninja world, teams usually combine members of Kekkei Genkai clans with commoner ninjas.
The purpose is to have someone cover the rear in critical moments, increasing one's chances of survival.
Just as they were about to continue their pursuit along the passageway, the passageway suddenly shook violently.
Earth Release: Rock Collapse
Upon seeing that Hayama Shirakumo and Tokuma Hyuga had escaped, the people outside immediately launched an attack, destroying the exit and, ideally, burying the enemy alive inside.
Rumble...
An underground cave collapsed, causing debris to fall.
The cave certainly has more than one entrance and exit; it's just that another location is more hidden and has been blocked by Aoki Tsuki with a huge rock.
Hayama Shirakumo and the others outside could guess that this was the case, so they did not let their guard down.
As expected, Tokuma Hyuga quickly spotted Aoki Tsuki's figure with his Byakugan, who appeared in Crescent Moon Valley not far away.
"Over there!"
Hayama Shirakumo quickly led his team to give chase. When they arrived, the other party was standing on a boulder, waiting for them.
" Ring of Wind "
Two massive, arc-shaped wind blades were unleashed by Hayama Shirakumo. The wind blades crossed and swept horizontally, increasing the attack area and creating a cumulative effect.
Faced with this high-speed Wind Release attack, Aoki Tsuki chose to counter it head-on, using a similar slashing technique.
" Moon Shadow!!"
Thud...
The two wind blades were cut off in succession, and the Chakra on the blade was instantly activated, creating a huge phantom image of a blade in the void.
A vacuum was ripped out of the air, accompanied by a piercing explosion.
Hayama Shirakumo's expression turned serious. His opponent's speed and strength surpassed his own. Just as he was about to dodge, he realized that the attack was aimed at the others behind him.
This forced him to take the hit head-on.
"Empty Cicada· Wind Cutter "
Within a very short time, it unleashes several wind blades in completely opposite directions, using differences in height, direction, and pressure to create vacuum faults, thereby achieving the purpose of defense.
puff!
As the crescent blade brushed past the fault line, it miraculously folded, as if a knife had been forcibly broken.
Their attack rhythm was immediately cut off, and they lost their power.
"What kind of technique is this?!" Aoki Tsuki exclaimed in surprise, raising her alert level for Hayama Shirakumo once again.
Hayama Shirakumo did not pause. As a swordsman, his fighting style differed from that of a ninja. He did not need to Hand Seals, and his attack rhythm was very tight.
call...
As the sword flipped, a Tornado Hurricane quickly formed and, under his Chakra control, swept towards Aoki Tsuki.
"Hmph, that trick won't work on me. Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique."
They deliberately chose this place as the battlefield because they wanted to use the river in the canyon to create a massive water dragon that rose from the river and plunged into the opening above the tornado.
Puff puff puff...
The tornado kept churning the water dragon's body, and the wind speed dropped rapidly until it disappeared.
Hayama Shirakumo's mouth dropped open at the sight; it was the first time he had ever seen someone use the weight of Water Dragon Bullet to break Wind Release.
"His use of Water Dragon Bullet is so ingenious... He's truly a formidable fellow."
His repeated probing made him realize that ordinary attacks would not be effective against the enemy, so he decided to unleash his trump card directly.
The air around him spun rapidly, and as Wind Release Chakra was continuously poured into the sword, the air swirled around the blade at high speed.
"Is Captain Hayama going to use that move?!"
Tokuma Hyuga hid behind a boulder, veins bulging around his eyes, constantly observing the battlefield.
Especially when scanning Aoki Tsuki's body, they would always pause unconsciously. No one understands the human body's meridians and acupoints more intuitively than the Hyuga Clan.
"This person's meridian system seems much more complex than others. Is it innate... or...?"
Hinata Tokuma secretly noted down this question, intending to return to his clan to consult relevant materials and conduct some research. Tokuma Hyuga turned and glanced around.
"What are those guys in the Anbu up to? Are they using us to deplete the enemy's Chakra? Ha... as despicable as ever."
Just then, a cold voice suddenly appeared in his mind.
"As per Danzo's orders, you shall now follow my commands..."
"Yes!" Tokuma Hyuga quickly composed himself, afraid that the other party would discover his true thoughts.
Just focus on being the other person's visual puppet.
At this moment, Hayama Shirakumo's long sword was already poised to strike. Suddenly, he flashed and used the Body Flicker Technique to launch a high-speed attack.
"Heroic Sky - Storm Burst"
"Damn it! Try that trick with me..."
Aoki Tsuki also realized that his opponent was using Wind Release to create a vacuum zone, combined with a high-speed collision, to generate explosive pressure.
If you were to get hit, you would instantly turn into a pile of minced meat.
" Body Flicker Technique "
Rumble...
Aoki Tsuki's body turned into a puddle of clear water and dispersed, leaving a huge circular collapse area on the mountain wall behind where he stood.
The hard rock was blasted into dust and fell away, with a long sword embedded in the center, only the hilt sticking out.
"Huff... Huff... Is this... Water Body Flicker?! No wonder it lured us here to fight, so that's why."
Hayama Shirakumo was panting heavily; the enemy was extremely skilled in Water Release, making the fight here very disadvantageous.
Just then, the airflow behind him rippled slightly, and he almost instinctively activated the Body Flicker Technique.
" Cloud Piercer!"
Sizzle...
A blue current pierced through several leaves, and the afterimage of Hayama Shirakumo slowly disappeared.
Konoha Body Flicker Technique!
"You've got some skills..."
At this moment, Hayama Shirakumo appeared dozens of meters away, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "I absolutely cannot fight alone again, or I will die."
With a wave of his hand, the squads that had been waiting around immediately coordinated to hold the area back.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
Shuriken, Kunai, and Explosive Tag were all thrown at Aoki Tsuki.
Boom boom boom!!
Aoki Tsuki used Water Body Flicker to quickly dodge, but he didn't stray too far from the river. His opponent was trying to lure him away, but he wouldn't fall for it.
Everyone has a habit of doing things, and after several tests, he had figured out Konoha's tactics.
It involves using the advantage of numbers to first consume enemy Chakra by sacrificing lives.
When the time is right, those hiding in the shadows will jump out and precisely reap the rewards, securing final victory.
Where there is light, there is also darkness!