"AHH!"
"UGGH!"
BANG!
The display window shattered.
Several rogue ninjas let out a series of miserable cries, then crashed through the store's window and ran outside.
"Teacher Kurenai is amazing! Just one genjutsu scared that whole bunch away!", Yakumo naturally cheered for Kurenai.
"Hmph! Just a bunch of rogue ninjas, and yet they dared to target our Konoha shinobi," Kurenai snorted softly, but the corners of her mouth curled upward.
She finally had a chance to show off as a teacher. She hadn't done much along the way, and all the spotlight had gone to Aoba.
If this kept up, Kurenai's team would end up becoming Aoba's team.
'And Yakumo, this child, is quite sensible too.'
"Being targeted like this isn't ideal. Let's gather some intel, buy some supplies, and then leave," Aoba gave his opinion.
The Uzushiogakure region was currently in chaos.
Even this city, where Aoba and the others had stopped to rest, the largest city in the area, was still extremely chaotic.
Fights would erupt on the streets from time to time.
Though the Konoha forehead protectors saved them a lot of trouble, most rogue ninja here didn't dare to attack shinobi from the major villages, there were still quite a few blind fools picking fights.
Just like the scene at the beginning.
However, Aoba vaguely sensed something else.
Those constantly picking fights with them, eight or nine out of ten were probably sent by some local forces to test them.
Otherwise, one or two attempts would be normal.
But if people kept coming even after knowing they weren't to be messed with, there had to be something fishy going on.
Kurenai nodded as well, she had noticed this too.
"From now on, we move together. No one acts alone."
After saying that, they left the restaurant together.
———
"That woman is probably their leading jonin. Looks like she's skilled in genjutsu," A pale-skinned, dark-skinned man whispered to another golden-haired, dark-skinned man.
They had started tailing Aoba's group not long after they entered the city.
They'd been watching for some time now.
Those earlier troublemakers were all sent by them.
Their goal was to test the group's strength.
"But that red-haired one hasn't made a move yet, so we still don't know her abilities."
As for the three children with Aoba, they were naturally ignored.
If those three brats really had strength, there'd be no need for the jonin leader to act just to drive off rogue ninjas.
"Hm~", The golden-haired dark-skinned man just nodded, showing little emotion.
"So what should we do now, boss? Since they're always moving together, it's hard to find a chance to catch one alone," The pale dark-skinned man continued asking.
"Then we don't need to find one. Keep watching. When they reach a less populated area, we'll strike and take them."
The reason they wouldn't strike in crowded places wasn't fear of causing damage.
It was that chaos might make the targets escape.
"Understood. I'll go gather our people now and follow them!"
The pale dark-skinned man responded and turned to leave.
"Wait a moment," The golden-haired man stopped him.
"Did you receive word from the Raikage?"
The pale one nodded, "Yes. The Raikage ordered us to bring back the Uzumaki clan and the Byakugan at all costs. He's already sent an ANBU squad to rendezvous with us on the road."
"The Raikage won't come personally?"
"If the Raikage acted, it would change the nature of this mission. The village isn't ready for war with Konoha yet."
"Fine. Then go gather the men. Just to deal with a few Konoha shinobi, our current strength is enough."
"Mm!"
After responding, the pale dark-skinned man left.
At this time, a golden-haired fair-skinned man in the back hesitantly spoke.
"Boss, if we rashly attack Konoha shinobi, won't it provoke conflict between our villages? What if it leads to war?"
"Heh. Atsui, you're overestimating Konoha."
The golden-haired man sneered, "Konoha is just a village of cowards. If we weren't worried about Iwagakure stabbing us in the back, we'd have attacked long ago."
"This…"
"Enough. Get ready. Once this mission succeeds, we can return to the village. Don't you want to see your sister again?"
———
After purchasing supplies and gathering intel, Aoba's group left the city.
Following Kasui's directions, they headed into a forest.
Being watched constantly was making them uncomfortable.
Finally, once they were far from the city, And surrounded only by the dead silence of the woods, Aoba and Uzumaki Kasui suddenly stopped walking at the same time.
"Kurenai-nee," At the same time, Aoba called out to Kurenai.
"Aoba, did you sense something?", Kurenai also signaled everyone to halt.
She too could sense they were being followed, but wasn't skilled at sensing and couldn't tell the exact situation.
Aoba nodded, "Looks like they're ready to act."
Upon hearing this, Kurenai and the others immediately became alert, scanning their surroundings.
"Konoha shinobi, is this all you've got?", Just as Kurenai looked around warily, a cold and disdainful voice suddenly sounded behind her.
Accompanying the voice was the chirping-like sound of a short blade.
A sudden thrust.
The short blade wrapped in Lightning Release chakra pierced toward Kurenai's lower back in the quiet forest like a thunderbolt.
"You're…"
Kurenai had no time to react, the blade stabbed straight through her body.
Blood sprayed outward.
"Didn't even notice the enemy approaching, Konoha's jonin sure are getting worse," The pale dark-skinned Kumogakure ninja who ambushed her wore an arrogant, disdainful expression.
Zzz zzz~
After pulling the blade out of Kurenai's waist, he recharged it with Lightning Release chakra.
"Looks like from now on, Kumogakure will be the strongest ninja village."
"You're a Kumogakure ninja? Why would a Kumo ninja be here?"
Clutching her wound, Kurenai's expression turned to sheer terror.
"Can't even figure that out? Konoha shinobi really are hopeless, weak in strength and terrible at intel."
Continuing to mock Kurenai, the Kumo ninja didn't hide his intentions.
"Our targets are the Hyuga and Uzumaki clans. You can go ahead and die."
The pale Kumo ninja expressionlessly thrust his blade into Kurenai's heart.
Kurenai collapsed to the ground.
"So weak… huh?"
Perhaps the ambush was too smooth, the Kumo ninja finally realized something was off.
Even if the female Konoha jonin had been taken down, why was no one else reacting?
When he looked up, the surroundings were already empty.
Even the Kurenai who had fallen had vanished.
Suddenly, a large tree sprouted behind him, vines binding his limbs. Kurenai emerged from the tree,
A kunai in hand.
"This is genjutsu?"
"When did—"
Before he could finish, Kurenai's kunai stabbed through his throat.
Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!
———
[Back to Reality]
The ambushing pale Kumo ninja had already collapsed unconscious in front of the five of them.
He wasn't dead, just unconscious.
Aside from Yakumo's special kekkei genkai, the other genjutsu only affected consciousness.
"Looks like you noticed us long ago," The golden-haired Kumo ninja, face cold, stepped out of the forest with ten other Kumo shinobi.
There was still blood at the corners of their mouths, they had used pain to break the genjutsu.
Unlike the ambusher, they didn't take Kurenai's genjutsu head-on.
They had only been slightly misled.
The Konoha group's position was a bit ahead of what they'd seen.
What they saw had been an illusion.
Kurenai looked grim. She hadn't expected to encounter so many Kumo shinobi in the Land of Whirlpools.
"You're Kumogakure shinobi. Attacking us, are you trying to start a war between our villages?"
"Ha! You really think Konoha's bunch of cowards would go to war with us over you?", The golden-haired Kumo ninja sneered. He remembered Konoha's cowardice vividly.
"But I'm the Hokage's student. If you act, it might actually start a war," Aoba revealed his identity.
"What?", The blond Kumo ninja's eyes widened, but not out of fear.
A grin spread across his face—
"An unexpected bonus, huh."
"Capturing you alive, when we negotiate with Konoha, we'll profit big," He didn't take them seriously at all.
Including himself, they had three jonin. Though one was instantly taken out by Kurenai due to a trap, he still didn't see Kurenai as a threat. Genjutsu users had obvious weaknesses.
And the rest were all chunin.
Even if their side had a Hokage's student, he looked young, and three of them had just graduated.
Plus they had more people, just send more to hold them off.
In short, the current battle was eleven versus five, their side had the advantage.
"..."
"So you're not afraid we'll kill him," Aoba pointed to the unconscious Kumo ninja on the ground.
All the Kumo shinobi's faces darkened.
"The Raikage said, complete the mission at all costs."
"But I advise against it. If you kill our comrade, I'll make your lives worse than death."
"Well, that's rather unfair…", Aoba raised an eyebrow.
"Hmph! What fairness? The strong should trample the weak," The Kumo shinobi was brazenly arrogant.
Aoba shook his head. Since the words were already laid bare, he had no intention of talking further.
Zangetsu quietly slid from its sheath.
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