"What should we do if we run into any survivors from Kumogakure or Kirigakure?"
Nawaki turned to look at Kakashi.
"As a ninja, you have to learn to make different choices depending on the situation. The question you just asked is something we'll definitely face.
After all, that's exactly why our team exists.
But when we encounter survivors from Kumogakure or Kirigakure, there are two possible scenarios."
As he spoke, Nawaki slowly raised two fingers toward Hatake Kakashi.
"You mean…?"
Kakashi paused for a moment before asking.
"If we run into a small group, there's nothing much to discuss—we take them out immediately."
Nawaki glanced at Kakashi as he spoke.
"Of course, if possible, keeping one alive for information is always a good idea.
Ryuri, that should be something you're good at, right?"
With that, Nawaki turned to Ryuri.
"No need to keep anyone alive. We can get the information we need with Genjutsu before the fight even starts."
Ryuri answered without hesitation.
As a member of the Uchiha clan, Ryuri had studied Genjutsu seriously and knew exactly where his strengths lay.
Especially after unlocking the Three Tomoe Sharingan.
On top of that, he was surrounded by elders skilled in Genjutsu. Whether it was his grandmother, Uchiha Matsuri, or his father's subordinate, Kurama Yun, they were all masters of illusion techniques.
Light, sound, touch—any medium that could create a mental connection, Ryuri had mastered them all.
The Senju clan's bloodline also allowed him to use Shadow Clones for intense training.
It was exhausting, but seeing visible progress every day made it all worth it.
"Ryuri, I won't deny that you're a genius. But even geniuses need to keep a low profile.
Your father is a good example of that. Before he reached the top of the ninja world, no one really knew his true limits."
Nawaki frowned slightly as he spoke to Ryuri.
Something about Ryuri's tone just didn't sit right with him.
It felt… too confident.
And that was dangerous—especially for a ninja.
A ninja has to endure.
Until you've secured victory, you have to hold back.
"Got it," Ryuri nodded, but deep inside, he was amazed.
How did my father manage to hold back all this time...?
"The second possibility is that we run into an enemy force that far outnumbers us. And in that case, to make sure our team doesn't suffer any unnecessary casualties…"
Nawaki paused, then slowly reached into his cloak.
"Obviously, we call for my dear brother-in-law to bail us out!"
Nawaki pulled out a Flying Thunder God kunai from his pocket.
Hatake Kakashi: "…"
Uchiha Ryuri: "…"
Why did this suddenly feel so embarrassing?
Meanwhile, Uchiha Obito's eyes lit up. Did this mean… he might actually get to see Raijin in person?!
For Obito, who wasn't yet qualified to attend clan meetings, Raijin was already a legendary figure in the Uchiha clan—someone he deeply admired.
Especially since Raijin had even acknowledged his potential.
Just thinking about it made his blood boil with excitement…
---
Late at night, the forest was silent.
Sanada Genichiro moved cautiously, scanning his surroundings.
Konohagakure really lived up to its reputation. It had only been a few days since the fighting started, and his side had already suffered heavy losses.
Sometimes, they didn't even have the resources to take care of their wounded comrades.
To prevent information from leaking, they had no choice but to deal with injured allies themselves.
Now, even something as crucial as scouting had to be done alone.
But there was nothing to complain about.
Scouting missions were assigned in rotation.
It didn't matter if it was Dou or anyone else—everyone had to do them.
The only difference was… he just wasn't as strong as Dou.
But that was his own problem, wasn't it?
Now that he thought about it, the sound of insects chirping tonight was unusually clear…
Hiding in the grass, Sanada Genichiro moved forward slowly.
Once he was sure there were no Konohagakure ninja nearby, he finally relaxed and started heading back to his main unit.
But at that moment…
---
Sitting on a thick tree branch, Nawaki watched as Sanada Genichiro wandered in circles like a headless fly, crawling around the same spot dozens of times.
He rubbed his chin and clicked his tongue.
As expected of Raijin's child—his Genjutsu skills had already surpassed most Konohagakure ninja.
"He's heading in the exact same direction he came from," Uchiha Ryuri said, watching as Sanada Genichiro got up and rushed forward.
"Yeah," Nawaki nodded.
After thinking for a moment, he turned to Uchiha Ryuri.
"Everyone, use the Transformation Jutsu to disguise yourselves as ninja tools and follow him back."
Honestly, in Nawaki's opinion, Uchiha Ryuri's Genjutsu was impressive, but it still wasn't as convenient as the Yamanaka clan's secret technique, which could directly read an enemy's memories.
But it didn't matter.
No matter how many enemies were waiting for him, Nawaki wasn't afraid.
After all, as long as he appeared in the middle of them, everything around him would crumble.
"Understood!"
The group responded immediately.
In an instant, all five of them transformed into ninja tools and slipped into Sanada Genichiro's tool pouch.
---
"This is Ryuri's first mission. Kinda makes me worry a little."
In Konohagakure, at the Raijin household, Tsunade sat slumped on the tatami mat, looking at Raijin beside her.
"What are you worried about? Do you not trust your daughter, or do you not trust your brother?"
Raijin chuckled at her words and asked in return.
In truth, through his sensory abilities, he could feel that the Flying Thunder God mark in Nawaki's direction was moving at a steady pace.
From the speed alone, Raijin could tell that it was about the same as the average Jonin during the Second Great Ninja War.
"I've never trusted Nawaki."
Tsunade scoffed and replied to Raijin without hesitation.
"But he completed ten S-rank missions on his own in just one year."
Raijin calmly pointed out.
That kind of record was remarkable, even by Konohagakure's current standards.
Just how strong was Nawaki now?
To put it in perspective, he was slightly stronger than Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Although he didn't know as many jutsu as Sarutobi, his taijutsu skills were exceptional.
With Senju blood running through his veins, Nawaki had chosen a path similar to the Raikages of Kumogakure—
Lightning training to forge his body, Senjutsu to heal, and Lightning Release armor combined with swordsmanship.
Right now, Nawaki was truly powerful.
"That still doesn't change the fact that he's unreliable."
Tsunade pursed her lips stubbornly.
"Yeah, he's definitely unreliable."
Raijin nodded casually, still focusing on the movement of the Flying Thunder God mark.
He had a feeling that Nawaki and his group were in the middle of something.
And whatever it was, they were about to make a move.
"What are you thinking?"
Sensing Raijin's half-hearted response, Tsunade frowned and asked.
"Your unreliable brother seems to be carrying out some kind of plan."
Raijin answered.
Tsunade blinked but said nothing more.
Even if her brother was annoying and unreliable, she still wanted him to outlive her if possible.
Especially since among his subordinates was her own daughter.
"Take me with you when you go."
Tsunade said to Raijin.
"Alright."
Raijin nodded in understanding.
…
~~
"Are there any Konohagakure ninja nearby, Genichiro?"
Dou watched as Sanada Genichiro swiftly appeared in front of him and asked,
"Dou-sama, there are no Konohagakure ninjas nearby."
Hearing this, Genichiro turned to Dou and said,
"Good. Then get some rest."
Dou nodded and patted Genichiro on the shoulder.
"Alright."
Genichiro nodded in response and found a spot nearby to rest. There were people assigned to keep watch at night, so there was no need to worry about safety.
Leaning against a rock, Dou slowly closed his eyes.
Konohagakure was much stronger than he had expected.
He never thought they would react so quickly.
It seemed like Konohagakure wanted to sweep through the entire ninja world.
Was it really worth it just for the sake of a few hundred rogue ninjas?
Not only that, but their ninjas were much stronger than before.
Even when they launched a sneak attack while Konohagakure was off guard, they still suffered some casualties.
Now, with Konohagakure's forces spread throughout the ninja world, it had become nearly impossible to deal any real damage to them.
As soon as they reacted, his group was immediately put at a disadvantage.
The only advantage they had now was their small numbers, making them harder to track down.
Konohagakure wouldn't be able to locate them so easily.
"Father."
A voice rang out.
Dou opened his eyes and saw his son, Yukito, standing in front of him, handing him a soldier pill.
"Hmm."
Dou smiled slightly and reached out to take it.
He was very satisfied with his son.
Yukito had inherited both his Shikotsumyaku and Ice Release, making him the only ninja in their group with two bloodline abilities.
To be honest, even Dou himself found it hard to believe that his son had awakened the Shikotsumyaku.
After all, based on the records, in the past several hundred years, fewer than five members of the Kaguya clan had been able to awaken it.
And perhaps because of the combination of Shikotsumyaku and Ice Release, some new changes had occurred.
A black diamond-shaped mark had appeared on Yukito's hand.
It seemed like he could use it to perform techniques beyond normal understanding.
To Dou, his son Yukito might be the key to defeating Konohagakure.
"Boom!"
Just then, a loud noise rang out.
Dou instinctively turned toward the sound.
It was a noise he was all too familiar with—the sound of the Transformation Jutsu being undone.
"Rip!"
Bright blue lightning flashed as a figure rushed toward him at high speed.
"So fast!"
Dou's eyes narrowed slightly, and in an instant, a layer of hard bone armor covered his body.
Yukito, standing nearby, was about to step in to help, but the moment he moved, he quickly stopped himself.
In that split second, a streak of blue blade light flashed past him.
"Your opponent is me."
A pair of crimson Three Tomoe eyes gleamed eerily in the dark night.
Uchiha Ryuri glanced at Yukito with a cold expression.
To be honest… Ryuri didn't think much of him.
In Ryuri's eyes, Yukito was just an outdated ninja, one abandoned by the shinobi world.
An old warrior who hadn't even mastered Senjutsu—nothing but a relic of the past.
Besides, they were around the same age.
How could a ninja like that possibly be his match?
Growing up surrounded by powerful figures, Ryuri had become extremely confident once he was no longer under their watchful eyes.
"You think you can take me on?"
Yukito chuckled, and two bone swords smoothly emerged from his palms.
He had to admit, this Uchiha was fast.
That strike just now—it was impressive.
But if that was all… it wasn't enough.
…
"You sure took everything from Kumogakure."
Dou stared at Nawaki and spoke coldly.
He had to admit—this unknown ninja, despite having no real fame in the shinobi world, was undeniably strong.
That last strike had almost been too much for him to block.
And he knew very well that today, he might not be able to make it out alive.
But Yukito absolutely could not die here.
Even if it cost him his life, he had to ensure Yukito escaped.
He had to get to the Land of Waves and regroup with Yuki.
"The Second Shinobi War—Kumogakure started it first," Nawaki scoffed, twirling his blade before launching another attack on Dou.
There was nothing to discuss with these people.
They were enemies with no room for negotiation. Words were pointless.
…
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
The sound of a long blade clashing against bone swords echoed.
Uchiha Ryuri was surprised to realize that this ninja in front of him… was actually pretty strong.
There's no way! He had been training in Senjutsu since he was six, for ten years now. How could this guy keep up with his speed?
It didn't make sense! But the reality was right in front of him. Ryuri could only adjust his mindset and switch to a more defensive approach to stall Yuki.
Meanwhile, Hatake Kakashi and Might Duy had already entered their unstoppable mode.
Only Uchiha Obito...
Well... he was struggling.
---
Sukunahikona!
Yukito stared at the blade heading straight for his throat.
He deliberately took a stance as if he were willing to trade blows.
At the same time, a bone sword shot toward Uchiha Ryuri, and he activated his ability.
(End of Chapter)
---
-----
Read +20 advanced chapters on my patreon
patreon.com/GustinaKamiya
---