"Wait." Iraka waved his hand, signaling his two teammates to stop.
"What's wrong?" Beroka asked, puzzled.
"Look over there." Iraka pointed in a direction.
Beroka looked and saw a Ninja who looked about eight or nine years old, wearing a Konoha Ninja uniform and two peers asking something from the residents.
"There are actually Konoha Ninjas here, but why is only one person wearing a forehead protector and a uniform?" Beroka was somewhat puzzled.
Either they all hide their identities by not wearing them together, or they agree to wear them together. What does it mean if two of them don't wear it while one does?
Noticing the gaze, Kakashi also looked in the direction of Beroka's group. Seeing the complexion of the few, Kakashi instantly became vigilant; their tanned color reminded him of Cloud ninjas.
"Be careful, we might have encountered the Ninjas who injured the giant eagle. They're not wearing forehead protectors," Kakashi quietly reminded Guy and Obito.
"Are these also people from the Hidden Cloud Ninja we ran into last time?" Although Kakashi didn't specify the direction, Obito quickly noticed the three Hidden Cloud Ninjas with different skin tones.
"If there's no mistake, they should be," Kakashi replied.
He didn't speak with absolute certainty. Last time, the Hidden Cloud Ninjas disguised themselves as Hidden Rock. This time, it could also be Hidden Rock disguised as Hidden Cloud.
Seeing that Kakashi and the others had noticed them, Iraka immediately drew the sharp sword strapped to his back. The Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire were currently at war. Seeing Ninjas from an enemy village who didn't look very strong, naturally, they had to engage.
"Let's lure them to the nearby mountain. Fighting here could affect the residents," Obito said, looking around.
The area was full of wooden houses. If any of them were hit by his Fire Release, they would definitely burn down.
"Obito makes a good point," Guy agreed, giving a thumbs-up.
"Yeah, if we fight on the mountain, the noise from various Ninjutsu will be more noticeable, making it easier for Yumi-sensei to be aware of the situation," Kakashi thought for a moment and nodded in agreement with Obito's strategy.
If the enemy turned out to be too strong and used Fire Release to burn the mountain, Mutsuki would definitely know something was wrong.
The three didn't hesitate, immediately exerting force with their legs, jumping onto the houses, and then moving towards the mountain.
"Chase them!" Iraka immediately ordered, then jumped onto the nearby house, pursuing Obito and the others.
During this time, the two sides engaged in a bout of Ninja Tool Throwing on the rooftops. However, the skill level of the three from Hidden Cloud was mediocre compared to Kakashi and Obito who easily dodged the incoming Shuriken while chasing.
When they reached halfway up the mountain, Obito, Kakashi, and Guy stopped together.
"Why did you stop running?" Beroka clenched his fist, then touched the fresh cut on his face from a Shuriken, his expression becoming somewhat ferocious.
He was very angry at this moment, having been injured by a bunch of kids who hadn't even grown all their hair yet.
"I'll take on the one with the sword. Guy, handle the sturdier Hidden Cloud Ninja. Obito, you stop the remaining one," Kakashi calmly and quickly assigned tasks.
Iraka, who held the sword, looked like the leader and might be the strongest. Ideally, Guy, their strongest, should deal with him. But since Iraka seemed proficient in Kenjutsu, Kakashi worried Guy might be at a disadvantage. So, he decided to handle Iraka himself, given his expertise in sword techniques.
"It sounds like I'm going against the weakest one," Obito couldn't help but complain, feeling that he was left to stop the remaining one.
Of course, he was just talking. His eyes were already fixed on Haruo.
The enemy's strength was still unknown, so it didn't really matter who fought whom.
"At this age, they shouldn't have graduated for more than two years ago. Let's deal with them quickly. There might be a stronger Konoha Ninja nearby," Iraka said, gripping the sharp sword in his hand.
Usually, small squads like this, which look young, have an experienced Ninja leading them, possibly acting separately.
"How long could it take to handle a bunch of kids? Three minutes to take them out, then we can hunt down their leader," Beroka said harshly.
Iraka nodded, holding his sharp sword and charging forward first.
The moment Iraka moved, his two teammates also charged.
Kakashi quickly drew his White Fang short blade and clashed with Iraka.
Obito swiftly threw several Shuriken to restrict Haruo's movements.
Meanwhile, Guy entered Stone Breathing mode and rushed towards Beroka.
"Konoha Whirlwind!"
Guy's speed surprised Beroka, and in his carelessness, Beroka was kicked hard, crashing into a tree.
"Beroka, what are you doing? Don't be careless!" Iraka, noticing his teammate being kicked into a tree in an instant, frowned and angrily rebuked him.
However, Iraka soon had no time to worry about his teammate because he realized that the child in front of him, who was under ten years old, had incredibly sharp sword skills. This wasn't as easy as he had imagined; he needed to give it his all.
"Damn, that was so quick," Beroka cursed, his face turning red.
He wasn't blushing from embarrassment but from anger. After talking big before the fight, he hadn't even made contact before being kicked away, which was utterly humiliating.
"Quick, you say? My youth is just beginning to burn!" Guy laughed, then swiftly attacked Beroka.
Not to mention the Eight Inner Gates, he hadn't even used Total Concentration Breathing yet.
After suffering once, Beroka realized that the Konoha Ninja in front of him was no simple opponent and that he couldn't judge him by his age.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The two continued to engage in close-quarters combat, exchanging blows.
Although Beroka looked taller and more muscular, Guy had undergone extensive physical training for a long time and had augmented his physique with the strongest Stone Breathing technique. For a moment, the two were evenly matched.
"Did this guy start training from the womb? His physique is incredibly strong!" Beroka was utterly shocked.
Despite regularly training in Lightning Release NinTaijutsu, which made him stronger than a typical Taijutsu Ninja, he couldn't overpower a child under ten years old.
Unable to stay calm, Beroka unleashed his Chakra and used lightning attribute Nature Transformation, his lightning-infused fist striking towards Guy.
Seeing that Beroka still had a hidden move, Guy didn't panic; instead, he became even more excited.
A stronger enemy was more worth defeating, making his youthful spirit burn even more fiercely.
Whoosh!
Guy used Soru to swiftly dodge Beroka's Lightning Release NinTaijutsu.
Boom!!
Beroka's lightning-infused fist struck a tree, causing it to break apart.
"Stone Breathing, Total Concentration Breathing! Eight Inner Gates, Gate of Opening, Open!"
After gauging his opponent's strength, Guy immediately went all out. His physical abilities significantly increased as he prepared to take down his enemy in one go.
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