"Are you... the pursuit squad?"
In the forest, a person with sharp teeth looked at the figure not far away wearing the mist anbu ninja mask, then glanced at several half-hidden figures, his voice trembling.
The masked man slowly took off his mask, revealing another mask.
Seeing this unfamiliar mask, Usugaki realized and said in a deep voice, "You're ANBU from Konoha?!"
"Rustle~"
A pale yellow figure flashed by, Tatsuma landed next to Minato, looking at Usugaki who had been successfully lured out, and said, "Jonin Usugaki of the Hidden Mist Village?"
Usugaki saw the pale yellow cloak and immediately knew this was the leader. He spoke, "I have never killed Konoha ninjas, nor have I ever committed acts of harm against the Land of Fire. Coming here was only because I couldn't continue to survive in the Land of Water. I'm sure you all understand that in recent years, the Hidden Mist Village—"
Before he could finish, Tatsuma interrupted, "Yesterday morning, you infiltrated an underground gambling den during daylight, killing the owner couple, their two children, and seven followers. In total, you killed eleven people, resulting in fourteen deaths, and stole approximately seven hundred thousand ryo from the Land of Fire. Is this what you mean by never committing acts of harm against the Land of Fire?"
"The ones running gambling dens are trash that ruin families and lives!"
Usugaki stared at Tatsuma. Just as he expected Tatsuma to refute him, Tatsuma nodded and said, "Thank you very much for your contribution to creating a civilized society.
This underground gambling den, along with its operators and maintainers, are indeed trash and should be eradicated early. On this point, I personally appreciate your actions. You've done a great job in combating gambling."
Tatsuma's sudden gratitude and praise caught Usugaki, who was prepared with his defense, off guard. He stood there with his mouth open, unsure of what to say. Before he could come up with a response, Tatsuma continued:
"But trash is still trash in our Land of Fire. They are criminals running illegal underground gambling dens, but their punishment is not for you to decide. What you did, that's murder and robbery."
Usugaki pursed his lips and said, "Less than 48 hours have passed, and your investigation seems quite thorough. Also, earlier you mentioned I killed eleven people, how did it result in fourteen deaths?"
"Because you were too nervous, you left three survivors. Trash like them, if not completely cleaned up at once, will breed more trash. No need to thank me."
Even through the mask, Usugaki could still "see" the smirk on the ANBU from Konoha in front of him. He realized and said, "So you didn't just find me today?"
"If you hadn't committed any crimes within the Land of Fire, I wouldn't be standing on moral high ground accusing you today," Tatsuma replied.
After Tatsuma's words, Usugaki could no longer suppress his anger. He realized that his survival in the Land of Fire wasn't due to luck in evading detection but because he had been under surveillance all along?
Was Konoha playing him for a fool?! This was beyond deceit!
Usugaki understood now. He can't escape these Konoha ANBU through non-combative means. He quickly formed hand seals, almost instantly activating Ninjutsu.
"Water Release! Mist Rain!"
Instantly, the surrounding moisture became abundant, the air heavy with humidity, and the ground slightly muddy. Beside Tatsuma, Minato frowned beneath his mask. He didn't possess water nature chakra, and his other elemental chakras became sluggish in this moment.
Mist Rain Jutsu is a technique capable of severing chakra and ninjutsu other than Water Release. This technique, along with Hiding in Mist Jutsu, is a signature ninjutsu of the Hidden Mist Village ninjas. However, there are not many practitioners of Mist Rain Jutsu due to its demanding nature, but those who excel in it gain significant renown for their achievements.
After all, most Mist Village ninjas excel in Water Release, and their strength is greatly enhanced in environments where only Water Release can be used.
Unless they encounter a ninja who is even more skilled in Water Release.
"Water Release! Great Waterfall Jutsu!"
Tatsuma formed seals with both hands, the intricate patterns of which Usugaki could barely decipher. As Tatsuma completed the seals, moisture in the air suddenly condensed, forming droplets that quickly grew and expanded like rapid multiplication. In an instant, water surged over several people's bodies. Usugaki, trapped underwater, furrowed his brow, preparing to leap out of the water.
Suddenly, several water streams resembling long whips appeared around Usugaki. They lashed at his limbs and torso, entangling him, attempting to pull him back into the water.
"Water Release! Instant Water!"
At the same time, Tatsuma didn't rise above the water surface like Minato. Instead, he started running directly underwater. Despite his legs not touching the ground and only stepping on the water, he seemed to have a solid foothold, running at a speed comparable to being on land, even faster.
The water surrounding Tatsuma didn't seem to hinder him at all. As he swiftly approached Usugaki underwater, Usugaki grew anxious. He forcefully broke free from the entangling water streams, flipping upside down with one hand propped on the water's surface.
"Water Release! Water Prison Jutsu!"
The chaotic water began to spin, entrapping Tatsuma within. In that moment of being sealed in the Water Prison, a kunai suddenly emerged from the water's surface, aimed directly at Usugaki's face.
Usugaki could only twist his head to evade it. Any sudden movements would break the newly formed Water Prison, but in dodging the kunai, his cheek was grazed by it.
Usugaki didn't let it bother him. He had restrained the leader of this ANBU team, so he should be able to negotiate some terms, right?!
Suddenly, Usugaki noticed that the Konoha ANBU who had been trapped in the Water Prison had disappeared. At the same time, a chill ran down his spine. With a single-handed push and a roll on the water's surface, he narrowly dodged Tatsuma's kunai strike.
"Nice reflexes," Tatsuma casually praised.
Usugaki stared solemnly at Tatsuma. He didn't understand how Tatsuma had escaped just now. Was it a Shadow Clone attacking him from the water's surface at the beginning? Or was it some technique he didn't know about?
Half crouched on the water's surface, Usugaki didn't retort verbally but instantly began forming hand seals.
"Hiding in Mist Jutsu!"
Thick mist rapidly spread across the battlefield, reducing visibility to just one or two steps. Every breath felt sharp due to the excessive moisture.
Similarly crouched on the water's surface, Tatsuma lightly rested his five fingers on it. In an instant, he gathered information from the entire water area.
"Minato, behind you to the right."
Tatsuma spoke softly. Upon hearing Tatsuma's warning, Minato didn't hesitate for a moment. He sidestepped to evade, simultaneously gathering chakra in his left hand, striking towards the spot where Usugaki had been standing.
Bang!
Minato's palm collided with Usugaki's abdomen. Usugaki grimaced but managed to escape without serious injury. Minato muttered, "Even non-elemental ninjutsu can be countered? What a remarkable technique."
"At least within this water area, only Water Release can cause harm," Tatsuma explained. He swiftly rolled forward to evade Usugaki's counterattack, continuing, "Like Caterpillar and Vulture, you should retreat."
Minato nodded. He lacked proficiency in Water Release, and even techniques like Rasengan and Perception Technique were heavily countered. Faced with a Jonin like Usugaki, he couldn't contribute much.
Instead of using Flying Thunder God to leave, Minato opted for Body Flicker. Usugaki had just faced Tatsuma's Flying Thunder God. Though unsure of what technique it was, judging by his swift evasion, Tatsuma was indeed an agile ninja.
Using it too frequently might allow Usugaki to see through it, so it's better not to reveal it unless necessary.
Upon Tatsuma's reminder, Minato evaded two more attacks from Usugaki and successfully exited the water area. Outside the water, Earth-Style Walls surrounded Tatsuma's Great Waterfall Jutsu, transforming it into a pool.
Although Caterpillar and Vulture weren't actively involved in combat, it didn't mean they were only handling corpses. Their on-the-spot coordination was seamless.
After a brief exchange with the two, Minato looked back at the water and asked, "Do we need Wind Release to dispel the mist?"
Caterpillar shook his head, gesturing calmly like a farmer patting the soil. He replied, "It seems Leader hasn't thought of attacking yet. Let's wait a bit longer. He's just an ordinary Jonin."
Three years ago, Caterpillar witnessed the Leader easily defeating a Jonin with his signature techniques. Given Leader's age, the past three years had been a period of rapid development. Dealing with an ordinary Jonin like this would be straightforward for the current Leader.
Apart from those seasoned Jonin who have already gained renown and ninjas with Secret Jutsu or Kekkei Genkai, there are very few who can threaten their Leader.
Leaders and even Squad Captains within ANBU have mentioned that if not for the constraints of being in ANBU, this talented Leader might have been the youngest Jonin in Konoha, or even in the entire ninja world.
Therefore, when Caterpillar and Vulture heard that the Hokage intended to have Tatsuma replace Mandrill as their new Leader, they had no objections deep down because Tatsuma was more than qualified.
Through the eyes hidden beneath the water's surface, Caterpillar knew that his Leader did not overly prioritize mission efficiency, seemingly changing his combat habits. His movements became more concise, and his body was always ready to switch between offense and defense, perhaps preparing for that familiar technique.
Indeed, Tatsuma within the mist shared this sentiment. Taking on missions was about honing himself; focusing too much on efficiency might not cultivate a combat style truly suitable for him, only one that suits his role within ANBU.
However, Tatsuma couldn't remain in ANBU forever, so he needed to prepare in advance.
Usugaki also knew that Tatsuma was a Sensing-type ninja. Despite not dispersing the mist, Usugaki didn't overly conceal his own presence because no matter how he hid, once in contact with water, Tatsuma would sense him.
Even the moist air around his foothold made him like a lantern, especially noticeable in Tatsuma's sensing.
Finally, due to excessive physical exhaustion and prolonged mental concentration, resulting in a decrease in both physical and mental reaction speeds, Tatsuma also planned to wrap things up.
He threw a Kunai engraved with a complete Flying Thunder God technique at Usugaki, and at the same time, a Rasengan appeared in his hand, infused with water attribute chakra to prevent it from being nullified by Mist Rain Jutsu.
It wasn't the technique used against Hanzo, but the second usage of Water Release Rasengan.
"Spiral! Light Water Permeation Jutsu!"
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