บท 118: Chapter 118
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"He went alone to intercept the Two-Tails Jinchuriki?"
Upon hearing this, Sakumo was initially shocked, instinctively grabbing the White Fang's tanto, intending to support Yoichi.
However, he quickly realized that even if he went now, he wouldn't be able to find Yoichi, and the Hidden Leaf camp needed him.
"Why didn't you persuade him to come back? Moreover, the mission has already overrun by seven days."
"Sorry, Sakumo-senpai, but we couldn't persuade Captain Yoichi."
Daiki explained somewhat helplessly, indicating that if Yoichi had been that easy to persuade, they would have returned to the Leaf on the eighth day of their mission instead of well past the deadline.
Sakumo asked, "What has your squad been doing this time? Report in detail."
"In the past few days, we've been clearing out Cloud ninja in our assigned area. After killing five Cloud ninja squads, there weren't many left, so Captain Yoichi wanted to push deeper."
Daiki recounted their squad's activities in detail, which essentially boiled down to taking initiative beyond orders, but they had achieved significant results.
They had killed a total of forty-one Cloud ninja, including several jōnin, which was considered an exceptional contribution. Moreover, upon their return, their ninja tool bags were still fully stocked, Daiki even brought back two extra explosive tags, akin to stocking up supplies.
Normally, other clearing squads would need a long rest after killing one Cloud ninja squad and must return to camp for supplies after two.
However, no squad in the entire camp had managed to eliminate ten Cloud ninja squads like Yoichi's team, maintaining full readiness after multiple engagements, a rarity even among elite teams.
Sakumo speculated that it wasn't that they couldn't persuade him, but rather that after a few attempts, they felt continuing deeper wasn't an issue, so they simply followed along.
"Since Yoichi-kun is confident, then let's wait for his return. I am somewhat confident in his abilities; he wouldn't do something that risks his life unnecessarily."
Sakumo remembered Yoichi's Lightning Release Chakra Mode, considering that if Yoichi decided to escape at full strength, fewer than five people in the Cloud Village could catch up to him.
"You've done well with the information on the Two-Tails. Gather all the jōnin here; we need to adjust the camp."
Although many surveillance and patrol ninjas were deployed around, if the Cloud ninja managed to infiltrate and locate the camp, it could spell disaster.
Once all the jōnin had arrived, Sakumo relayed the news, and everyone was startled, not expecting the Cloud to stake everything on bringing both Jinchuriki to wage war against them.
Aren't the Stone ninja guarding?
"Adjust the camp, start spreading out more from today, protect the logistics and medical units well, and pass this information back to the village to relay to the Stone Village."
Sakumo ordered, figuring that since the Cloud was concentrating such forces near the border with the Land of Hot Springs, their defenses against the Stone Village must be weaker. Provoking an attack from the Stone could put pressure on the Cloud.
After issuing his orders, Sakumo could only wait in the camp, hoping for good news from Yoichi.
Elsewhere,
Kira's analysis was correct; the Cloud wouldn't rely solely on one method of communication. While messenger ninjas could more accurately convey the Third Raikage's intentions, they had other ways to send messages.
When the message from a falcon arrived but the messenger ninja did not return, Doroi realized something might have happened to the messengers, and the enemy could have intercepted the information.
Continuing with the original plan might lead to an encounter with the enemy, but not sending Yugito to the frontline could delay the Third Raikage's plans.
After some thought, Doroi decided to continue sending Yugito to the frontline.
This area was a Cloud supply line; the enemy wouldn't be numerous, and since they just intercepted information, the Leaf wouldn't have much reinforcement; by dispatching more personnel and informing A and B, who were searching for the Leaf's Sakumo outside, everything should be fine.
Doroi guessed that the one who intercepted the messenger ninja could be Sakumo of the Leaf, capable of acting so brazenly behind their lines and possessing the strength to kill a messenger ninja; few in the Leaf could match that.
Perhaps using Yugito as bait could lure Sakumo in, killing two birds with one stone.
Once Doroi made up his mind, he immediately went down to make arrangements, selecting several elite Cloud squads to escort Yugito.
Once everything was arranged and it was time to depart, Doroi informed the leading jōnin of his plan.
They nodded gravely, facing the man who had severed the Third Raikage's arm, none underestimating him, and prepared to confront him with full force.
The group left the village, heading towards the Cloud frontline in the Land of Hot Springs.
It was Yugito's first time leaving the village, and she was curious about everything, looking around even while they hurried.
"Yugito, don't look around; stay alert."
A Cloud jōnin cautioned, "We might encounter the enemy this time; always be on your guard."
"I understand."
Yugito immediately responded, then curiously asked, "Lan-senpai, are so many people needed to go to the frontline?"
"Only you are going; we are here to escort you."
Lan of the Cloud responded, "We might face a very powerful enemy this time. If an enemy appears, you must immediately hide behind us; they are targeting you!"
"I understand."
Though she agreed, Yugito was somewhat defiant internally, thinking, how could the enemy do anything to her with so many fellow villagers protecting her?
And in a critical moment, Matatabi could still help her.
After traveling for a while, the seventeen-member team had just left the Cloud village's patrol range.
Suddenly, a flash of lightning burst from the woods, followed by intense thunder.
A flash of lightning, the sharp Raikage instantly pierced the heart of the leading Cloud ninja, then in less than 0.4 seconds, he withdrew his blade and with a forceful step, rushed towards the second person.
"Enemy!"
The second Cloud ninja quickly reacted, his face showing shock and anger as he leapt back to avoid, but his eyes suddenly met the blood-red three tomoe Sharingan, plunging him into darkness.
"Gale Style: Razor Whirl!"
A series of sharp, water-like lasers were instantly released by another Cloud ninja, attacking Yoichi.
However, Yoichi didn't even dodge, just raised his Lightning Release Armor, and his blade continued its trajectory, slashing down.
Squelch.
The blade flashed, a head flew up with blood spurting.
And the Gale Style attack, hitting the Lightning Release Armor, seemed ineffective, all blocked by the lightning wrapped around Yoichi.
However, it was a bit numbing, after all, it was Gale Style, a mix of lightning and water chakra properties.
"Leaf's Uchiha Yoichi!?"
Cloud's Lan gritted his teeth, two of their companions lost in an instant; that speed and the powerful lightning armor made him feel as if he was facing the Third Raikage.
"Attacking us near the Cloud Village, you're seeking death!"
"Seeking death? With just you?"
Yoichi looked at the bodies on the ground, then at Lan who had spoken.
His action made all the Cloud ninja angry, and they took up a defensive formation.
"I guessed you would send reinforcements, and probably also inform the Cloud ninja at the front. But you probably didn't expect me to intercept you so close to the Cloud Village, and why didn't you watch the sides?"
Squeak, squeak, squeak!!
Suddenly, a more intense thunder sounded from both sides of the woods, causing the Cloud ninja to hastily check the noises.
Lan also glanced sideways, and when he saw two Yoichi's thrusting with one hand and extending three fingers, he couldn't help but shout in alarm, "Be careful, that's the Third Raikage's Triple Piercer!"
And in the instant Lan looked away, Yoichi sheathed his blade and formed a seal, chakra gathering at his throat while his body rapidly heated.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Massive flames burst forth from Yoichi, rapidly expanding into a sea of fire thirty meters wide, the blistering wave of heat rushing forward.
"Water Release: Water Encampment Wall!"
Lan used a Water Release and quickly leaped back, warning, "Get away, I can't block this Fire Release."
His Water Release dried up into steam before the Great Fire Annihilation, barely lasting a few seconds.
The blazing inferno sent all the Cloud ninja scrambling, which gave Yoichi's shadow clones an opportunity.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Two shadow clones using the Triple Piercer instantly killed four Cloud ninja, but the shadow clones stopped after killing two each.
This gave other Cloud ninja a chance to use jutsu and explosive tags to drive them back.
In almost an instant, Yoichi had killed six Cloud ninja, his terrifying strength causing Lan of the Cloud to clench his teeth in anger.
"Take Yugito and leave this place! Osai, Zaparo, follow me to stop him."
After speaking, Lan moved forward to use jutsu.
"Gale Style: Razor Whirl!"
The other two Cloud jōnin also followed Lan, trying to hold Yoichi in place.
"Lightning Release: Raiton Barrier."
"Lightning Illusion: Flash Pillar."
The powerful light from the Lightning Illusion attempted to block Yoichi's vision, but the other side's shadow clones, as Yugito and others tried to escape, immediately followed, one using Fire Release: Dragon Flame Singing Jutsu.
Four fire dragons swiftly blasted towards Yugito and her group, blocking their escape route.
The other shadow clone, wrapped in lightning, charged directly at Yugito.
Yoichi's target was clear: the Two-Tails Jinchuriki.
"Damn it, don't underestimate the Cloud!"
One of the Cloud jōnin drew a short knife, also using cellular activation, wrapping the blade with swirling lightning; many Cloud ninja knew this technique, and this jōnin was one of the best.
"Die!"
This Cloud jōnin, face full of anger, faced the charging shadow clone of Yoichi without flinching, ready to trade lives to stop him.
But to his surprise, at the moment of clash, his knife stabbed directly into Yoichi's shadow clone, and the clone showed no reaction.
"Die, ha"
Boom.
The shadow clone vanished, but a shuriken fell from it.
Just as the Cloud jōnin puzzled over this, Yoichi suddenly appeared in front of him, then flicked his blade like a flash of lightning, swiftly slicing across the Cloud jōnin's throat.
"Who did you just say was going to die?"
As his vision darkened, the last thing the Cloud jōnin heard was this question, but he had no time to ponder as his head fell.
The shadow clone carrying the Flying Thunder God seal vanished in an instant, allowing him to teleport there, bypassing the earlier group of Cloud ninja.
The reason he didn't have the shadow clone catch up immediately was to let Yugito run a bit further, so that when Yoichi's real body teleported over, he had enough time to kill them all.
Those who had just stopped him were jōnin; it would take Uchiha Yoichi a minute or two to kill them all, so he simply bypassed this barrier and headed straight for his target.
The remaining Cloud ninja around Yugito had no jōnin left, and they couldn't react to Yoichi's speed.
Once close, his blade flashed, blood splattered, and heads flew.
"Damn it, stop!"
Yugito, seeing her companions slaughtered before her eyes, became enraged, her emotions resonating with Matatabi, causing red tailed-beast chakra to emerge, as she rushed to attack Uchiha Yoichi.
But after killing the last Cloud ninja, Yoichi instantly appeared behind Yugito, knocking her out with a hit from the hilt of his blade.
"The Two-Tails is captured."
A smile appeared on Yoichi's face, although it was risky, the objective was achieved.
"Damn it, put down Yugito!"
At that moment, Cloud's Lan, Osai, and Zaparo arrived, surrounding Yoichi on three sides.
Five Cloud ninja squads, besides them, everyone else was dead; their comrades' deaths fueled their anger, but Uchiha Yoichi's strength made them feel powerless.
Facing Yoichi, they could feel the despair the Cloud felt against the Third Raikage.
"Fine, I'll kill you all before I go then."
Yoichi still had over half his chakra left, creating a shadow clone to hand Yugito off to, then he slowly raised his Raijin.
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"Lan, Osai!"
A and B arrived ahead of schedule, discovering a battlefield with traces of a fire jutsu and blood on the trees and the ground strewn with bodies of their villagers.
And they saw a Leaf ninja removing flesh from Lan's body, beside him lay a girl, their village's Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito.
"Damn it, let go of Yugito."
A immediately recognized the Uchiha clan symbol behind the Leaf ninja, knowing all this was his doing, and shouted angrily.
"Kill him, B!"
"Right, big brother!"
The two rushed at Yoichi, their anger urging them to kill the Leaf ninja before them, their rationality demanding they rescue Yugito quickly, so they charged.
"Next time I'll play with you guys."
But Yoichi didn't plan to tangle with them any longer, having already gained enough from this mission. He pulled out a smoke bomb, threw it at his feet, and teleported away using the Flying Thunder God Technique just as the smoke began to billow.
Boom!
In the instant Yoichi teleported away, several enormous tentacles from a tailed beast swept through, dispersing the smoke with their violent motions.
A looked around, his anger palpable as he realized the enemy had vanished. "Where is he?"
(End of Chapter)
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