Chapter 33
"Do it quickly," Fugaku commanded. "Explosions will soon attract more enemies."
Two silhouettes rushed towards the four Iwa Shinobi, one after another, with hidden weapons, completely surrounding the group of four.
"Breakout," Aoi Masawa assessed the situation. "Send a distress signal. One of us must survive."
Aoi Masawa exhaled a powerful gust of wind, blowing away most of the hidden weapons in a diagonal direction through the air.
On the other side, a wall of earth rose up, blocking the remaining hidden weapons.
The four individuals quickly fled, retreating in the direction of Yamada Shinji and his team of three. It seemed that the three individuals were all Chunin, making it impossible for them to block the four Iwa Shinobi.
Escaping was their only option. If they were caught, they would be overwhelmed by the enemy's forces.
"Let them go," Fugaku ordered.
With four teams against three, and the opponents having two Jounin, forcibly blocking them would not only be ineffective but could also lead to the deaths of two of their own team members.
Fugaku swiftly appeared with several shuriken in his hand and hurled them forward.
Sensing the movement behind him, one of the Iwa Shinobi Jounin turned his head, only to see a black shadow darting through the air. Suddenly, a short blade made a tightly choreographed dance, striking all around him.
"This person is a skilled knife expert," Fugaku thought to himself, recognizing the enemy's proficiency.
Meanwhile, Inuzuka Maru transformed into his human-dog form, creating two whirlwinds in midair. They crossed the rainy battlefield and swiftly passed in front of the Iwa Shinobi, launching continuous attacks that forced them to stay in place.
Using the Body Flicker Jutsu, Fugaku leaped over a group of Konohagakure Shinobi and lunged straight at Aoi Masawa. The two engaged in combat. Hyuga Tazumo and Inuzuka Maru teamed up against another Iwa Shinobi Jounin.
The remaining nine individuals formed a team to confront the two Iwa Chunin.
Observing the situation, Aoi Masawa could only lament the overwhelming odds. Staying there would only result in a futile death. Launching two rapid attacks consecutively, Fugaku was forced to retreat and quickly distanced himself from the battle.
Fugaku pursued him closely, aware that the enemy possessed valuable information. If that information were to reach the Iwa Shinobi, their situation would become extremely dangerous.
Without any pause, Fugaku continuously unleashed a barrage of shuriken, launching them one after another towards his target.
Aoi Masawa had no choice but to stop and quickly formed hand seals. A wall of earth emerged from the ground, blocking the incoming projectiles.
Fugaku knew that most Shinobi generally started by condensing Chakra of only one attribute, typically their dominant one. As they grew stronger and gained a deeper understanding of Chakra, they could attempt to condense a second attribute.
Some individuals possessed special physiques, allowing them to naturally possess dual attributes or even three attributes.
Fugaku, born with the Fire Attribute, considered it a reflection of the Uchiha tradition. He had not yet had the opportunity to condense a second attribute.
When Aoi Masawa was momentarily halted, the battle turned into a one-on-one confrontation.
Observing his surroundings, Aoi Masawa smiled and taunted, "Now, only you remain. It's uncertain who will emerge victorious. Your defeat will compensate for your past mistakes, a Uchiha's life."
Fugaku calmly looked back at him. The more he spoke, the more information he might reveal. Some enemies were not worthy of Fugaku wasting his breath on.
With his Sharingan eyes rapidly spinning, Fugaku launched a Genjutsu, swiftly incapacitating his opponent.
Blood spurted from Aoi Masawa's shoulder as Fugaku attacked once again. His hands moved like a blur, striking with deadly precision. Under the insight of Sharingan, Fugaku anticipated and effortlessly dodged Aoi Masawa's attacks.
Taking advantage of a gap in Aoi Masawa's assault, Fugaku's left hand swiftly penetrated, grazing the opponent's left rib.
Both combatants fought at an astonishing speed, but Fugaku appeared calm and composed. He skillfully blocked the opponent's throat strike and counterattacked, striking the opponent's chest with a backhanded blow.
Aoi Masawa clutched his wound; his eyes filled not with the previous confidence but with a hint of despair. He realized that he might meet his end today.
Uchiha's Sharingan was more troublesome than the legends suggested. The intelligence Aoi Masawa possessed couldn't be transmitted back to the Iwa Shinobi headquarters. Aoi Masawa had believed that severing Fugaku's left arm with his attack would leave him crippled, only capable of fighting with his right arm.
"Can I know your name?" Aoi Masawa asked. "Before I die, let me know who killed me."
Fugaku's eyes remained calm, showing no inclination to answer. The villain's downfall often stemmed from excessive talk, and Fugaku would not provide the opportunity to prolong the encounter.
Continuing his assault, Fugaku relentlessly attacked, leaving a trail of blood on Aoi Masawa's body. The continuous injuries exhausted the opponent, and a final strike pierced through Aoi Masawa's chest, ending his life.
Examining the lifeless body, Fugaku responded to the dying man's question. "I am Uchiha Fugaku. More Shinobi will meet their end under this name in the future. You won't be lonely."
An Explosive Tag was affixed to the fallen enemy's body, and Fugaku turned away.
The other Iwa Shinobi had already been taken care of, their bodies lying scattered on the ground.
"Deal with the corpses," Fugaku commanded. "Let's return to the Vanguard Camp for resupply."
The members of Team 009 skillfully attached Explosive Tags to each Iwa Shinobi's body, forming a deadly trap.
Not all Shinobi had experienced war and its brutality. These Explosive Tags would serve as a grim reminder of the harsh reality of the battlefield.
The Vanguard Camp remained busy, with people coming and going. The Three Countries of wind and Rain had no precise knowledge of the camp's exact location due to the intelligence capabilities of Konohagakure.
However, since there were many Konohagakure Shinobi in the Vanguard Camp, any attempts to mobilize many troops for a hidden attack would be futile. Konoha's intelligence network was too formidable for other countries to conceal such a mobilization.
Konoha's spies had done an excellent job infiltrating various countries, making it impossible for large-scale operations to be kept secret from the other Three Countries.
Attempting to mobilize excessive forces would leave the rear vulnerable, resulting in a disadvantageous outcome.
From Fugaku's perspective, the Vanguard Camp was a well-defended stronghold designed to cover certain covert operations. He knew that not all the Shinobi sent by Konoha to the Land of Rain had their bases in the Vanguard Camp.
A shrewd individual always had backup plans, especially since Konoha had consistently dominated the war.
The twelve team members entered the camp and headed to the logistics office to collect supplies for their operations. Satōmaru and Aburame Nozawa proceeded to the tent to rest.
Fugaku made his way directly to Uchiha Homura's tent. It had been a while since he last used the Summoned Beast for messaging, so Fugaku expected his father to have new letters for him.
Yan's tent was tightly closed, indicating that he hadn't returned from his mission yet or had been assigned a new one. Fugaku hoped that nothing untoward had happened.
Among the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Homura was among the few elite individuals Fugaku knew. Not only was he exceptionally skilled and powerful, but he also possessed an open-mindedness rarely found within the Uchiha Clan.
Turning towards Uchiha Kon's tent, Fugaku noticed Jin. Jin's eyes were not as sharp as before, but he remained one of the few friends Fugaku could confide in.
"Fugaku," Jin greeted him before he entered the tent. "I figured you'd be back soon. I've come to collect supplies."
Fugaku nodded and replied, "Yan hasn't returned yet. I wanted to check with my father if there's any news."
Jin's expression turned cautious as he said, "Based on the timing, he should be returning to the camp soon. You've had a few days off this time."
"Two days," Fugaku confirmed. "We depart in two days to continue our missions."
Jin's eyes grew serious as he added, "It's nearly time. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he should return to the camp on the second day."