Chapter 28

Konoha border, Kumo Ninja Village defense line!

In the dense jungle, a group of about a dozen swift and agile figures darted through the undergrowth with practiced ease.

Among the group, both men and women were easily recognizable by their dark skin and the sophisticated ninja swords strapped to their backs. Their attire and demeanor marked them as the elites of the Kumo Ninja Village.

"Damn it, what is the Raikage thinking, compromising with Konoha like this?" one of the men suddenly grumbled, his tone dripping with dissatisfaction.

Judging by his voice, it was clear that he was not pleased with their leader's decision.

"Exactly! After all this time and fighting, how can a mere agreement erase the hatred between us?"

"I agree! Those Konoha ninjas deserve to die!" another added angrily, his voice full of venom.

Several other ninjas in the team nodded in agreement, their expressions dark.

"Enough!" The man leading the group, a ninja named Shai, interrupted with a stern voice. "I know some of you lost family to Konoha, but Raikage-sama gave us orders, and we must follow them."

"Tch, I know," one of them grumbled, "but before we leave, we're going to have one last bit of fun on this battlefield!"

"That's right! We can at least kill a few more Konoha dogs before we retreat!"

"Exactly! I hope we meet some...."

"Hold on!" Shai, now crouched on a tree branch, raised his hand abruptly, signaling the group to stop. Everyone immediately halted in their tracks, their movements disciplined and silent.

"What's wrong, Captain Shai?" one of the ninjas behind him asked.

With a wicked grin, Shai responded, "It seems we've found ourselves a little mouse."

"Oh?" The ninja who had spoken returned the grin. "Kai, sense anything?"

The ninja named Kai, a wiry man, nodded and knelt to the ground, placing two fingers lightly on the soil. He closed his eyes, concentrating deeply.

"How many can you sense?" Shai asked, his voice tense with anticipation.

"Nine people," Kai answered confidently, his eyes still closed.

It was clear that Kai was the team's sensory ninja, and in the dense forest where visibility was limited, it was often these perception-based abilities that determined victory in battle. By identifying the number and positioning of enemies, a proper strategy could be devised.

"Only nine?" Shai smirked, glancing at his own group of twelve. "Seems like we've got the advantage. I'll take two of you with me to lure them out. The rest of you, lie in wait for the right moment to strike."

"Understood!"

---

Whoosh!

Ding ding ding!

Three Kumo ninjas appeared in the clearing, and Konoha's group immediately launched an attack. Several shurikens were hurled in quick succession.

The three cloud ninjas, who had anticipated the ambush, easily deflected the projectiles.

"Hah! You Konoha cowards, come out and fight us!" one of the Kumo ninjas shouted mockingly, his voice full of contempt.

"Hahaha, did you really think you could ambush us?"

As they taunted their enemies, the Kumo ninjas skillfully dodged the attacks while throwing kunai equipped with explosive tags in return.

BOOM!

The explosions rocked the Konoha team's hiding spots. Hiruzen, watching the unfolding chaos, narrowed his eyes. "Their sensory ninja is quite skilled... Eagle, stall them for as long as you can!"

"Understood!" the ANBU ninja known as Eagle responded. He quickly formed hand seals and slammed his hands to the ground.

"Earth Release: Rock Attack!

Immediately, sharp, jagged rocks shot up from the earth, hurtling toward the Kumo ninjas like a volley of bullets.

Hiruzen glanced back at his three young students. "Orochimaru, Tsunade, Jiraiya just fight as you normally would, but be cautious."

"Got it!" all three responded in unison.

Hiruzen then turned to the rest of the group. "Everyone else, come with me to engage the enemy!"

"Yes, sir!"

In a flash, Hiruzen's form blurred into an afterimage as he led the charge toward the battlefield.

---

The battle began in earnest, and chaos erupted as every Konoha ninja found themselves face-to-face with an opponent. Hiruzen himself was quickly engaged by three Kumo ninjas, their combined attacks forcing him to stay on the defensive.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya watched the scene unfold, his eyes wide with fear. He swallowed hard, clearly unnerved by the intensity of the battle. Just as he was about to speak, Orochimaru grabbed him by the collar and yanked him forward.

"Stop daydreaming," Orochimaru's cold voice cut through the noise as he dragged Jiraiya to safety.

BOOM!

A massive explosion rocked the ground right where Jiraiya had been standing just moments ago.

"That was close!" Jiraiya gasped, clutching his chest in relief.

He was about to thank Orochimaru when...

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Three Kumo ninjas suddenly landed in front of the trio two men and one woman.

"Oh? What do we have here? Just three little brats?" one of the men sneered.

"Hahaha, shouldn't kids your age still be sucking at their mother's tits?" the other man mocked.

The female ninja, however, was less amused. "Quit fooling around. They may be kids, but they're still our enemies. Let's finish this quickly."

On the battlefield, age didn't matter. If you wore the forehead protector of the enemy, you were a target to be eliminated.

With a cold smile, the female ninja drew her sword and leapt into the air, shouting, "Since you're here on the battlefield, don't blame me for being ruthless! Die, little brats!"

Her blade glinted under the sunlight as she performed a powerful move Cloud Style: Crescent Moon Slash!

Whoosh!

The crescent-shaped sword energy sliced through the air, speeding mercilessly toward Orochimaru and the others.

The Kumo ninjas, well-versed in close combat and known for their mastery of lightning-based jutsu and sword techniques, believed that once they closed the distance, victory was assured. Most Konoha ninjas were weaker in melee combat, and only the Uchiha and Hyūga clans had the power to reliably counter such direct attacks.

For these three Kumo ninjas, it seemed like an easy win.

CLANG!

The sound of metal clashing rang out as the female ninja's attack was blocked.

Her eyes widened in shock. "What?! Blocked? By this brat?!"

"Nani...?!"

Orochimaru, his face expressionless, had intercepted the strike with his own blade. Without a word, his left sleeve suddenly burst open, and countless snakes shot out from his arm.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

The snakes lunged at the Kumo ninjas with terrifying speed.

"Jiraiya!" Orochimaru shouted.

"Got it!" Jiraiya finally snapped out of his daze, quickly forming hand seals. "Ninja Art: Needle Jizō!"

Spikes of hardened hair shot out from Jiraiya's head, creating a defensive barrier as sharp as steel.

"Watch out!" one of the Kumo ninjas yelled.

But before they could react, Tsunade, with a battle cry, charged forward and slammed her fist into the ground.

BOOM!

The earth cracked under her punch, sending tremors rippling through the battlefield.

Amidst the chaos, one of the Kumo ninjas shouted, "Your opponent is me! Let's see if you can survive this!"