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Early the next morning.
The three left the cave and carefully moved through the forest.
The sound of swift movement on the ground caught Jin's attention. He glanced down and saw a team of three Sunagakure ninjas rushing by.
If they had just looked up, they would have spotted the three of them hidden in the trees.
But they passed by quickly without noticing.
The three stayed still on the branches, waiting until the Sunagakure ninjas were out of sight before moving again. Jin and Sakumo both used their respective techniques, Jin with Shunpo and Sakumo with Shave, to move to another tree.
Their pace was much slower than when they first entered the Land of Rivers.
Now, they were advancing inch by inch.
This was mainly because the Sunagakure ninjas were so densely packed.
Sakumo, who was leading the way, raised his hand, signaling them to stop again as faint vibrations reached their ears.
If it were just a small team of ninjas, it wouldn't make such a noise; it could only be caused by a large group.
The three of them used concealment techniques, blending into the trees as if they were part of the foliage.
Soon, a large contingent of Sunagakure ninjas passed through the forest.
They only swept the area with their eyes before moving on.
Once all the Sunagakure ninjas were gone, the three revealed themselves and continued cautiously forward.
"They're searching for us."
Jin had already come to this conclusion.
Sakumo nodded and suddenly asked Jin, "Do you have any jutsu that could increase my combat power? I'll trade you for Hatake Kenjutsu."
Well, this was unexpected.
Jin hesitated for a moment.
Because Sakumo had practiced his Basic Inner Technique, he not only had the Hatake clan's kenjutsu but also all of Sakumo's knowledge of swordsmanship theory.
However, survival in this situation heavily depended on Sakumo.
"Alright."
Jin agreed with a nod.
He thought carefully.
Rokushiki was what made him stronger than others, and since Sakumo had already mastered the Six Styles, the Spirit Gun remained his trump card.
Techniques like the Thousand Spiders, Ten Thousand Poisons Hand, which was created for Tsunade, wouldn't suit Sakumo.
He had already exchanged Zantetsu Flash for merit points, so Sakumo probably knew that technique too.
That left the Breathing Techniques.
"Sakumo-sama, what are your chakra natures?"
"My primary attributes are lightning and wind, but I also have earth, water, and fire."
Sakumo responded.
"For now, I won't teach you any specific techniques."
This wasn't the best time to practice new moves.
"What I want to teach you is a jutsu called 'Thunder Breathing.'"
"Although it's rated as only a D-rank jutsu, when combined with sword techniques, it can reach B or even A rank."
Jin had long developed several Breathing Techniques, but since he specialized in Fire Release, he mostly used Flame Breathing.
"Tell me, I'm listening."
Sakumo listened to Jin's explanation while keeping an eye on their surroundings.
Though Mushihime was on guard with her insects, he didn't let his guard down.
As Jin demonstrated and explained the breathing technique, Sakumo's breathing began to change, and a faint arc of lightning flickered across his skin.
"Breathing that forms seals—impressive."
Sakumo glanced at Jin in admiration.
The idea of forming seals through breathing was truly remarkable.
And while Thunder Breathing was only a D-rank jutsu, its power grew with the user's strength.
It reminded him of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode used by Kumogakure. Though it was only rated as B-rank, in the hands of the Raikage, it could rival S-rank jutsu.
Thunder Breathing was a similar type of jutsu.
Sakumo pulled out a scroll containing the Hatake Kenjutsu and tossed it to Jin.
"This has been passed down through my family for generations. Don't share it carelessly."
Although Jin didn't need it, he still tucked the scroll away.
The three continued forward, taking a route that avoided the scouting troops. Fortunately, all three were adept at concealing their presence, allowing them to remain undetected.
And whenever they were discovered, Sakumo would quickly deal with the threat.
They continued moving until they reached a mountain, finally leaving the enemy's scouting range.
From their vantage point, they could see a sand fortress built by Sunagakure.
"This is another defense line."
This route had been specifically scouted by Mushihime under Sakumo's instructions.
"If we break through here, Sunagakure's defenses will be compromised, giving Konoha a chance to launch an attack."
"Stay hidden."
Sakumo instructed the other two.
Mushihime nodded and dissolved into countless insects, disappearing from sight.
Jin quietly hid in the bushes.
He felt like he was the one most at risk in this team.
Sakumo had the strength, Mushihime's true body was unknown, but Jin—at best a jōnin—was fully exposed.
And along the way, they had passed numerous Sunagakure jōnin.
Sakumo didn't waste any time. He drew his sword, and his breathing began to change.
A faint arc of lightning flickered across his forehead.
In just a short time, he had already mastered Thunder Breathing.
Even without a specific sword technique, Sakumo was a master of kenjutsu.
His body transformed into a flash of white light as he charged toward the sand fortress.
Another powerful explosion followed, sending countless projectiles flying toward Sakumo.
But he dodged them all with his swift movements.
A large number of ninjas then rushed out.
This time, the Sunagakure ninjas had learned their lesson, with the front line engaging Sakumo in close combat while puppets assisted from the sides.
The number of Sunagakure ninjas here was clearly much higher than at the entrance.
But numbers made little difference to Sakumo. The white crescent moon swept through the crowd, leaving behind lifeless bodies.
Several ninjas hastily unleashed their jutsu.
A powerful whirlwind formed into a tornado, carrying countless weapons toward Sakumo, but they couldn't even touch his cloak.
Flames, earth spikes, and all sorts of attacks followed, but Sakumo moved through the jutsu as if they were nothing but smoke.
His speed was simply too fast.
However, the sheer number of enemies did slow him down compared to the last time. Jin hadn't even managed to react before, and now Sakumo was still cutting down enemies.
Just as Jin was observing Sakumo's battle, he heard a voice beside him.
"Watch out!"
Suddenly, an iron box appeared from the ground, enclosing Jin inside.
With a "boom," white smoke filled the iron box.
"So there was someone else."
Two figures stood on the treetops, looking up.
"We've been discovered. This is bad."
Jin slowly drew the long sword at his waist.
The enemies seemed to be two jōnin.
One of his teammates was missing, the other was slaughtering enemies up ahead, and he was left alone with a 0-0-0 record.
The situation was dire.
"Why is Sakumo still revealing his position?"
Jin glanced toward the distant battle, where the Sunagakure ninjas were desperately attacking Sakumo.
He looked down at the two enemies.
Aren't these two being a bit too laid-back?
In the next moment, Jin's figure appeared beside the masked kunoichi, whose chakra threads indicated she was a puppeteer.
Puppeteers were the most dangerous among Sunagakure ninjas.
The battle began at that moment.
(End of Chapter)