After sorting through the spoils of battle, Uchiha Kiyo nodded in satisfaction.
Even though a ninja from Root doesn't typically carry money or valuables during missions, they always have high-grade equipment.
The biggest gain? Hundreds of explosive tags, easily worth half a million ryo!
Not to mention the customized katana from the tall ninja—exceptional craftsmanship, high durability, and razor-sharp edges. That alone could fetch around a million ryo. Of course, selling it openly was out of the question; he'd have to find a black market for that.
The rest of the miscellaneous loot amounted to roughly 500,000 ryo.
In total, about two million ryo in earnings.
Sure enough, "No risk, no reward."
A B-rank ninjutsu only costs around 200,000 to 300,000 ryo—this haul was equivalent to completing ten B-rank missions.
Of course, B-rank missions weren't just about money; they also brought recognition and merit within the village.
Uchiha Kiyo had won the battle with relative ease, primarily due to his mastery of the Body Flicker Technique.
It wasn't that his strength vastly exceeded his opponents', but rather that his high-speed movement was devastating against unaware enemies.
Preparedness was key—lack of intelligence on an opponent's abilities was often fatal.
The battle of shinobi always revolved around information. Knowing an opponent's techniques and devising counters could turn the tide, even in an otherwise unwinnable fight.
Uchiha Kiyo was about to continue his journey back to camp when he suddenly sensed an enormous chakra eruption, followed by three slightly weaker but still formidable chakra signatures.
"Wait… that's Hanzo of the Salamander! And those three… that's my teacher and his team."
"This must be the legendary battle where the Sannin earn their name!"
"Damn it… I'm completely unprepared for this!"
Hanzo was a man revered as a Demi-God, arguably the strongest living shinobi at the time.
(At least, on the surface…)
Though Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru hadn't yet fully matured, they could temporarily unleash Kage-level combat power. With their combined efforts, even an ordinary Kage-level opponent would struggle.
Still, their battle was something Uchiha Kiyo had no intention of interfering in. He wasn't foolish enough to get caught in the crossfire of a battle between top-tier shinobi.
As for seeking out Nagato at this moment?
Yeah, no way in hell.
There was no guarantee of survival in a battlefield teeming with shadow-level combatants.
Instead, Uchiha Kiyo turned his focus toward the camp.
Using both his memories and present observations, he deduced that the Rain ninja forces were preparing for a decisive strike.
A final battle.
Or perhaps a prelude to one? A sudden assault?
If the Sannin had all appeared together, it meant they had an important mission, likely accompanied by a large force of Konoha shinobi.
But now, the four chakra signatures were moving rapidly. That meant one of two things: either the large force had already been wiped out, or the Sannin were deliberately leading Hanzo away from their troops.
The Konoha army was likely ambushed. That meant Hanzo's notorious poison had probably come into play. A surprise attack without using poison would make no sense.
"Good. If the entire Konoha force has been poisoned, that's my chance to gain some major merit."
"Tsunade isn't here, which means my medical ninjutsu is probably the best available."
"Looks like I've just been handed an opportunity!"
"In that case, Hanzo, I have to admit—you're quite the ally."
In just a short time, Uchiha Kiyo sensed that the four powerful chakra signatures had already moved at least ten kilometers.
This… is the strength of true elites.
In a matter of minutes, the battlefield had shifted ten kilometers.
Even assuming that the Sannin were deliberately moving the battle to a safer location, their speed was astonishing.
"That was, what? Five minutes?"
"That's a hundred meters every three seconds, even while fighting?"
Uchiha Kiyo knew his limits—getting involved in that battle was out of the question. The Sannin had their hands full already; if anything happened to him, they weren't about to risk their lives to save him.
Instead, he redirected his focus to the place where the initial chakra eruptions had occurred.
That was where the Konoha forces should be.
Though the previous battle hadn't drained much of his stamina, Uchiha Kiyo didn't take any chances.
As he traveled, he popped a soldier pill into his mouth and activated his self-developed chakra recovery technique.
Although its recovery speed wasn't as fast as other medical-based chakra recovery methods, it was enough. By the time he reached the battlefield, his chakra reserves were back to full.
---
Battlefield
On a vast, open plain, dozens of Konoha shinobi were struggling against a rapidly growing force of Rain ninja.
Their movements were sluggish—their condition, grim.
Some had already collapsed, their faces pale and tinged with blue.
Among them, the two strongest Konoha jōnin were barely holding the line. But with the combined assault of three Rain jōnin and three special jōnin, they were nearing their limits.
If those two fell, the battle would be over.
Just as Uchiha Kiyo arrived, he saw a Konoha jōnin make a critical misstep—an opportunity that his Rain ninja opponent instantly seized, a kunai flashing toward his neck.
Kiyo could have saved him.
But then… he recognized the man.
Shimura Toshiro.
A shinobi from the Shimura clan.
The same clan as Danzo Shimura.
He wasn't sure exactly how closely this man was tied to Danzo, but given the reputation of the Shimura clan… it was safe to assume he was an ally.
Danzo Shimura.
The Shimura clan had been a powerful force since the Warring States Period, long allied with the Sarutobi clan. While Sarutobi Hiruzen had risen to the Hokage seat, the Shimura name remained deeply intertwined with Konoha's power structure.
Shimura Toshiro, however, was more loyal to Danzo than his actual clan leader.
Many of the Shimura clan members followed Danzo over their own patriarch—just as Koharu and Mitokado Homura were technically of the Sarutobi clan but held more sway than their family heads.
If Danzo's ambitions hadn't been set on the Hokage title, the Shimura clan leadership would have changed long ago.
So… Uchiha Kiyo made a choice.
He did not save Shimura Toshiro.
The Konoha jōnin who saw him fall despaired—until they saw Uchiha Kiyo arrive.
And then, hope reignited in their eyes.
Kiyo had built a reputation as a relentless warrior, never failing a mission.
More importantly, his medical ninjutsu skills had saved many Konoha shinobi.
Most of them recognized him more as a medic than a Uchiha.
But make no mistake—Kiyo was a warrior first.
With a swift set of hand seals, he launched a devastating jutsu.
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"
A massive stream of fire roared from his mouth, forming a colossal flaming dragon that charged straight toward one of the Rain jōnin.
The sheer heat from the flames scorched the earth, leaving a charred trench in its wake.
Though the Rain ninja tried to dodge, the fire dragon relentlessly pursued him, forcing him into a defensive stance.
"Boom!"
The jutsu collided against a defensive Water Formation Wall, vaporizing a significant portion of it and blanketing the battlefield in thick steam.
As the Rain ninja emerged, burned and weakened, Kiyo struck.
Two kunai—precise, lethal—pierced into his back.
One enemy down.
Time to clean up the rest.
Ten minutes later.
With Uchiha Kiyo's intervention, Konoha turned the tide.
The Rain ninja were annihilated.
And as Kiyo began treating the poisoned Konoha troops, the legendary battle between the Sannin and Hanzo raged on.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCE 65+ CHAPTERS
patreon.com/HACKDWORLD