Chapter 404: Being Fooled!

Reiki's plan had gone more smoothly than expected. He hadn't anticipated that the daimyo and his entourage would take his request for Yucun Village so seriously.

But it made sense: the daimyo and his associates lacked neither money nor power. What they did value were solutions to personal problems, and Reiki had presented them with exactly that. In return, asking for a small, insignificant border village was no issue.

With the banquet concluded, the group left the Daimyo's residence.

"Brother Minato—no, I should call you Yondaime-sama now," Reiki teased with a smile. "Ready to take on the challenge?"

Minato chuckled. "Hearing you say that makes me feel the weight of it even more. But I'll do everything I can to make the village stronger."

"Well, let's get back to Konoha. There's plenty waiting for us there," Minato said, leading the way.

The group set off, moving quickly to return to Konoha. After all, this trip was meant to be short, allowing them to address pressing matters back in the village without delay.

A few hours later, as they entered a dense forest, an enormous explosion suddenly erupted around them.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The sound of detonating tags filled the air, with explosions cascading one after the other. The sheer number of explosive tags was staggering, clearly part of a well-laid trap.

"Careful, these aren't ordinary traps," Reiki said, noting the lack of chakra signatures. "Professionals must have set this up. There are likely hundreds of them."

The six of them moved swiftly, avoiding the brunt of the explosions. The traps, though powerful, were no match for their combined skill.

Reiki glanced at his system panel, spotting hundreds of names marked in white—indicating targets nearby.

"A big group," he muttered. "Probably hired by the black market."

"Hundreds of enemies? They've gone all out this time," Tsunade said, flexing her wrist with a look of anticipation.

"Reiki, can you pinpoint their locations?" Jiraiya asked, exuding confidence.

"Of course." Reiki pulled a scroll from his ninja pouch, activating his unique scanning ability. A map materialized on a piece of paper, with precise markers showing the enemies' positions.

"Here's where they are," he said, handing the map to the group. "But don't rush in. Let's prepare first—there's no need to get careless and risk a surprise."

Reiki distributed potions to everyone, ensuring they were fully prepared for the battle ahead. Then, after taking several potions himself, he dashed into the fray.

"Well, this feels like overkill," Jiraiya said, collecting his potions.

Minato smiled. "Let's move. We've got work to do."

Minato disappeared in a flash of light, with Kushina hot on his heels. Tsunade cracked her knuckles and launched herself forward with incredible speed, her strength shattering the ground as she moved.

Jiraiya and Orochimaru summoned their respective beasts, Gamabunta and Manda.

"Manda, no sacrifices this time. You're getting something better," Orochimaru said, tossing a bottle of origin potion to the giant snake.

Manda's eyes lit up as he consumed the potion, his aura intensifying. "This... is acceptable," Manda said, slithering off eagerly with Orochimaru.

Meanwhile, Gamabunta glanced at Jiraiya. "What was that about? What did he give to Manda?"

"Don't worry. Fight first, and I'll explain later," Jiraiya replied, gripping his blade.

As the Konoha team advanced, their enemies—a large group of professional mercenaries—stood stunned.

"They're coming straight for us?" one of the hired sensors exclaimed, shocked by the boldness of their targets.

His shock deepened as his sensory scan revealed the identities of their pursuers.

"The Legendary Sannin? The Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki? Why are they here?!"

Before he could give further instructions, a voice echoed through the air:

"Room! Slaughterhouse!"

Suddenly, the leading members of the mercenary group vanished, reappearing in an open clearing.

As the group tried to orient themselves, Tsunade appeared in front of them. Her figure loomed large, her fist already mid-swing.

BOOM!

Her punch collided with the ground, creating a massive crater and instantly incapacitating several enemies caught in the impact.

"Konoha's Medical Sage—Legendary Sannin, Tsunade!" the leader stammered, frozen in fear.

Their intel had suggested their main target was Reiki, with Minato being the only real threat. No one had prepared for the full force of Konoha's finest.

Nearby, Orochimaru and Manda tore through the remaining enemies. Manda's fierce presence paralyzed weaker-willed ninjas with fear, leaving them easy prey.

"Stop struggling," Manda hissed as he devoured an unfortunate mercenary.

Jiraiya and Gamabunta were equally ruthless, their teamwork carving through the opposition like a storm.

"Are these guys serious?" Gamabunta asked, flicking an enemy aside with his massive blade. "They don't stand a chance."

"They'll regret taking this mission," Jiraiya replied, unleashing a Rasengan on another group.

Meanwhile, Minato and Kushina moved like blurs through the battlefield. Minato's Flying Thunder God technique and Kushina's Nine-Tails chakra made them an unstoppable pair.

Reiki, on the other hand, used his unique abilities to manipulate the battlefield itself. His Room ability allowed him to control the space, relocating enemies and allies with precision. His aura radiated calm confidence, unnerving even the most battle-hardened mercenaries.

The battle was over almost as quickly as it began. Within moments, the once-formidable group of hired ninjas was reduced to nothing more than incapacitated bodies.

The leader of the mercenaries, still conscious but unable to move, looked up at Tsunade in disbelief.

"This... this wasn't supposed to happen..." he muttered, his voice trembling.

Tsunade smirked. "Next time, think twice before underestimating Konoha."

The battle had been decisive, and the message was clear: Konoha was not to be trifled with.