The four Anbu squads quickly followed the trail left by the enemy. Now that they had a rough idea of where to go, tracking down the intruders became significantly easier.
Along the way, several Anbu members glanced at Kazuya with newfound respect. This new division captain had kept a low profile until now, but his keen insight had quickly exposed the Hidden Cloud's plan.
He's impressive, no wonder he's a division captain while I'm just a regular Anbu.
The difference is clear!
"Kazuya-kun is as sharp as ever," Kurenai thought with a gentle smile as she moved.
The team advanced in a triangular formation, swiftly moving through the trees. Kazuya and a Hyuga ninja stayed at the center, while Sarutobi Shinnosuke and Jiraiya led from the front, ready to engage the enemy at the first sign of trouble.
Meanwhile, a group of elite enemy ninjas sped through the forest.
"Heh!" A dark-skinned, muscular man sneered. "The dogs of the Leaf have sniffed us out already, huh?"
"Good thing we have your Byakugan…"
"Isn't that right, Ao?" He cast a sideways glance at a Mist Village ninja wearing a headband, his expression darkly amused.
"Lord Raikage," the ninja known as Ao replied sternly. "Right now, the Leaf is our common enemy. You wouldn't want this mission to fail, would you?"
"Of course not."
The dark-skinned man, none other than the Fourth Raikage, A, snorted.
That Byakugan will be ours someday, anyway, he thought.
But just then, Ao's expression shifted as he focused on his Byakugan. "Bad news! A thousand meters away—the Leaf's ninjas are closing in!"
The atmosphere in the elite squad immediately tensed. They halted and took defensive positions, ready to engage.
With only a kilometer between them and the pursuers, evading wasn't an option. They'd have to take out the Leaf Ninjas to move forward.
Elsewhere in the forest, Jiraiya frowned. "How many are there?"
The Hyuga Jonin at the center of their formation responded, "A thousand meters ahead! I see ten of them. Their Chakra levels are high—most are at least Jonin. But one of them…"
The Hyuga's voice trembled as cold sweat dripped down his face. "One of them… their Chakra is monstrous! It's as powerful as a Tailed Beast's!"
"Chakra like a Tailed Beast?" Sarutobi Shinnosuke's expression tightened.
"Nine Jonin, plus one more… A Kage-level?" Jiraiya murmured, his face turning serious.
All the Anbu members remained silent, waiting for further orders.
"Yugao, Hayate—stay away from the front lines when the fighting starts," Kazuya commanded coldly.
"But—" Uzuki Yugao started to protest, but Kazuya cut her off sharply.
"That's an order!"
"…Yes, sir." Yugao lowered her head, but her frustration was evident.
At only twelve years old, she was already part of the Anbu—a clear testament to her talent. Facing an elite enemy force, it pained her to feel like a burden, undermining her pride.
If I survive this… she vowed inwardly, I'll train twice as hard so Captain Kazuya never looks down on me again!
"Something's off!" the Hyuga suddenly exclaimed in alarm. "It's the Byakugan! The enemy has a Hyuga ninja too—they've spotted us!"
What?! The Hyuga's voice wavered.
How could their enemies have a Byakugan user? Was there a traitor from the Hyuga clan? This could be a massive crisis!
"Move in!" Jiraiya's voice cut through decisively. "Leave the Kage-level opponent to me—you focus on containing the others. If they're too strong, don't get drawn into a prolonged fight."
"Our priority is to complete the mission and gather intelligence!"
In a blur, Jiraiya vanished, leaving a gust in his wake.
"Kazuya, what's your plan?" Sarutobi Shinnosuke asked, turning toward him.
"I fully agree with Jiraiya's approach," Kazuya replied without hesitation, sidestepping any further responsibility.
"Very well." Sarutobi Shinnosuke nodded in agreement. With their group's strength—Jiraiya's presence and their numerical advantage—they held the upper hand. A cautious approach to minimize casualties made perfect sense.
In the blink of an eye, the Leaf's Anbu squads followed suit, leaping forward into the trees.
Kazuya glanced in the direction Jiraiya had gone, a smirk hidden behind his mask.
As expected, he mused. Only weaklings rely on strategy. True Kage-level fighters just go straight in for the kill!
It's all about overpowering your opponent!
Real men!
It's all about being tougher than the other guy!
He sighed inwardly. Too bad… later on, he ran into someone even tougher—Pain—and got smacked down.
Maybe it's true that character shapes destiny, Kazuya thought philosophically. No matter how strong you are, you can't outlast a cheat-code character!
Meanwhile, Jiraiya's Body Flicker carried him swiftly through the trees until he reached the area where the enemy was hidden. He landed atop a high branch, scanning the surroundings.
No one in sight?
Jiraiya's gaze sharpened as he let out a cold huff. Trying to hide? I'll just smoke you out!
He formed a series of hand seals at high speed.
"Fire Style: Giant Flame Bomb!"
In the next moment, a massive wave of flames shot from his mouth, pouring down like a river of fire, engulfing the area below.
BOOM! BOOM!
The roar of flames echoed through the forest.
The oil-infused Chakra intensified Jiraiya's flames, turning the fire into an inferno with terrifying heat. Once it touched something, it was nearly impossible to extinguish, reducing anything in its path to cinders within moments.
This was one of Jiraiya's signature techniques. During the Great Ninja War, countless enemies had met their end in this sea of flames.
"Enemy attack!"
"It's the Leaf ninja!"
"Watch out for the Fire Style!"
Jiraiya's sudden attack caused a wave of panic among the enemy ninja. But their reactions were swift. The moment the flames appeared, they scattered, each one dodging out of harm's way.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"
A sharp, commanding voice cut through the chaos, and in an instant, a towering wall of water surged up, rising over ten meters high to block the advancing flames.
BOOM!
The fire collided with the water, producing a deep, rumbling roar. A cloud of scalding steam billowed out, filling the air.
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!
The steam was so hot it melted through the nearby trees like molten iron. A few wild boars, caught in the blast, were cooked instantly.
"Smells pretty good… no wonder wild boar meat is so pricey," Kazuya muttered from the shadows, watching the scene unfold. "No, wait… it's not the boar—it's that Water Style user who's got some serious skills!"
Kurenai shot him a sidelong glance, clearly thinking she'd just heard something absurd.
Meanwhile, the battle raged on. The tension was palpable. But while everyone else seemed on edge, Kazuya remained calm, watching the glowing orbs of golden light as they flew toward him.