Chapter 61: Breaking Through!

"Attack!"

Seeing the retreating Sand Shinobi squad, Minato Namikaze gave the order.

Shūichi and the other two immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to pursue. As they closed in, they hurled Minato's Flying Thunder God kunai with all their might.

The retreating Sand Jonin glanced back, adjusted his position, and easily dodged one of the kunai.

But in the next instant, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a figure appearing right in front of him.

"What?!"

The Sand Jonin was shocked, but before he could react, Minato's Rasengan was already crashing down, striking its mark with precision.

Boom!

The Sand Jonin's body was sent flying, crashing into the ground and creating a massive crater, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Leader!"

The remaining three Sand Shinobi cried out in shock and immediately halted.

Shūichi Hoshita and his companions rushed forward.

Body Flicker Technique!

Crescent Moon Dance!

Demonic Illusion - False Surroundings Technique!

With Kurama Sanyo's assistance, they used a group Genjutsu to disrupt the enemy.

Shisui Uchiha used the Body Flicker Technique to overwhelm the enemies, swiftly eliminating them.

Shūichi Hoshita, although slightly slower, also managed to defeat his opponent in a single strike.

"Retreat!"

Minato ordered, leading Shūichi and the others out of the town to rest temporarily on a nearby mountain.

They consumed soldier pills to replenish their stamina and drank water to rehydrate.

The four rested silently, without any conversation.

Shūichi lowered his gaze, reflecting on today's battle.

His Blue Flame Sky Blade was as sharp as ever, its intense heat capable of melting steel in an instant.

"But my speed was lacking," Shūichi acknowledged his shortcomings.

Or rather, compared to the level of a Jonin.

He had an extraordinary reaction time, with dynamic vision that gave him a significant advantage in close combat.

But it wasn't everything.

Even Uchiha Sasuke, with his Mangekyō Sharingan and powerful insight, could clearly see Killer Bee's movements but was still suppressed by Killer Bee's swordsmanship.

This was because Killer Bee's attack speed was fast and relentless; even though Sasuke's eyes and mind could keep up, his body couldn't move fast enough.

Against Chunin, Shūichi could use the chakra-enhanced strength technique he learned from Tsunade to overcome any gaps in speed or power, along with his highly responsive nerves giving him a huge advantage.

But against Jonin, his speed wasn't fast enough.

Or rather, his attack speed wasn't fast enough!

If it weren't for Shisui Uchiha earlier, he wouldn't have been able to take down that Sand Jonin by himself.

"Speed... Apart from training and pure chakra bursts, Lightning Release can also enhance it."

The first thing Shūichi thought of was the activation of all the body's cells through Lightning Release.

Thanks to his fast reaction time, his attack speed was already exceptional among Chunin, even comparable to some Jonin in Tsunade's eyes.

But people are never satisfied.

Moreover, on the battlefield, Chunin don't always face only other Chunin! Shūichi naturally hoped that even if he couldn't defeat a Jonin, he would at least have the ability to escape.

"Can Fire Release enhance speed?"

Shūichi's thoughts quickly shifted back to Fire Release.

Among all the various techniques, he had the highest aptitude in Fire Release, making it the easiest for him to achieve results.

"Fire Release also has the characteristic of causing explosions. The shockwaves from an explosion could indeed create propulsion..."

Shūichi brainstormed.

An hour passed in the blink of an eye, and their rest came to an end.

Under the cover of night, Shūichi and the others headed to the third town.

From this point on, Minato Namikaze changed his combat strategy.

Instead of infiltration and annihilation, they switched to hit-and-run tactics—striking swiftly and retreating before moving on to the next target.

Over the course of the night, Shūichi's team hit four towns in the northern region of the Land of Rivers, throwing the area into chaos.

However, the forces of the Sand Village were also mobilized, leaving them unable to focus on the towns of Hegu Town and Shanliao Town, both of which were closer to the Land of Fire.

These two locations were successfully occupied by the follow-up Konoha squads, becoming the rear support for Minato's team.

Additionally, as Minato's team continued their raids, drawing numerous Sand Shinobi squads into the fray, many small towns and villages in the northern Land of Rivers were left defenseless, allowing Konoha's forces to quickly infiltrate.

Undoubtedly, their tactical objectives had been initially achieved.

As dawn approached, Shūichi Hoshita opened his eyes inside a cave.

After three hours of rest, he had fully recovered.

Not far away, Shisui Uchiha also woke up.

The two exited the cave, found a nearby spring, and washed their faces, then took over the watch from Minato Namikaze and Kurama Sanyo.

Without Minato's exceptional sensory skills, Shūichi and Shisui had to expand their vigilance range.

Two hours passed in a flash.

Standing atop a tree, Shūichi spotted Shinobi approaching from downstream.

The Sand Shinobis were here!

Shūichi immediately retreated and regrouped with Shisui, only to discover that Sand Shinobi were also coming from the west.

They returned to the cave to wake Minato and Sanyo. Minato quickly used his sensory jutsu and, after a moment, said, "It's not just the south and west—there are enemies to the north and east as well."

Shūichi wasn't surprised.

Although Minato had the Flying Thunder God Technique, his chakra wouldn't allow him to teleport the entire team recklessly.

And since they had left traces, it was inevitable that they would be tracked down.

Not to mention, this was all part of the plan.

Their squad's mission was to disrupt the Sand Shinobi's formations and force them to mobilize their forces. The Sand Shinobi likely realized this, but they had no choice but to encircle and eliminate Minato's team.

If they didn't neutralize Minato's squad, they wouldn't be able to focus on Konoha's reinforcements, especially given the impressive combat power and destructive capability Minato's team had demonstrated.

"Sensei, our mission objectives have been achieved. Should we break through to the east next?" Sanyo asked.

Minato Namikaze replied, "Based on my current sensory readings, the forces to the east do appear to be weaker."

"But is it that the Sand Shinobi want to force us back, or are they trying to trap us?" Shisui Uchiha interjected. "If I were the Sand Shinobi commander, I would definitely aim to keep this squad here."

"Not only as revenge for their fallen comrades but also to make an example for the Land of Rivers," Shisui added.

Kurama Sanyo was startled. "Shisui, do you mean there's a trap to the east?"

Shisui shook his head. "I can't be certain."

At this point, Minato asked Shūichi Hoshita, "Shūichi, what do you think?"

After a moment of thought, Shūichi replied, "Sensei, since your sensory abilities can't reach that far, the only way to confirm whether there's a trap is to probe."

"With Shadow Clones!"

"My chakra reserves are still sufficient. I can create three Shadow Clones, two of which can transform into Shisui and Sanyo, and together with your Shadow Clone, they can head east."

"As for how we proceed, that decision should be yours."

Minato, being a decisive leader, immediately responded, "First, we'll follow Shūichi's plan."

"Second, we'll break through to the south. Although this direction appears to have the strongest enemy presence, it also means that after breaking through, we're less likely to face further strong resistance."

Kurama Sanyo couldn't help but ask, "Sensei, what if there isn't a trap to the east?"

Minato smiled. "Then we regroup and provide support!"

Kurama Sanyo nodded.

"The enemy is already on the mountain. Move out!"

Minato ordered.

Shūichi quickly formed hand seals and created three Shadow Clones. Two of them transformed into Shisui and Sanyo, and together with Minato's Shadow Clone, the four figures immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to break through to the east.

It was clear that the Sand Shinobi had sensory ninjas as well, as they did not change the search directions of the enemy forces in the four directions but instead accelerated their approach to the mountaintop.

This sign seemed to confirm something.

"Move out!" Minato commanded once again.

The four of them exited the cave and began descending the mountain to the south. Minato Namikaze led the way, Kurama Sanyo took the middle, while Shūichi Hoshita, holding a senbon in his mouth, and Shisui Uchiha covered the rear, one on the left and the other on the right.

By the time they reached mid-mountain, the enemy was already within sight.

Shūichi and Shisui simultaneously accelerated, overtaking Kurama Sanyo, and moved up to align with Minato, one on each side.

As Shisui accelerated, he started forming hand seals and then unleashed a massive fireball, sending a torrent of flames forward. On the left, Shūichi performed a symbolic three-seal sequence, releasing his own Great Fireball Technique.

Minato, in the center, completed his hand seals as well, unleashing Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!

Boom!

The fireballs merged into a roaring sea of flames, engulfing the forest ahead.

On the other side, three Sand Jonin, who were leading the charge, completed their own jutsu—all Wind Release techniques—forming a terrifying storm that kicked up sand and debris, tearing through the forest.

The fire and wind collided, causing the air to violently crash and grind against itself, erupting in a deafening roar.

The scorching heatwave that followed swept out in all directions.

Both Shūichi's team and the Sand Shinobi halted their movements, taking cover behind large trees.

As the heatwave subsided, Shūichi and the others launched a barrage of shuriken and kunai, their hands moving in unison.

Clang, clang!

The weapons were either blocked, intercepted by the enemy's own shuriken and kunai, or evaded entirely.

This round of projectile attacks achieved nothing.

But in that instant, Minato's figure suddenly vanished.

He reappeared behind the lead Sand Jonin, grasping a Flying Thunder God kunai in his left hand while a Rasengan formed in his right.

Boom!

The Rasengan struck the Sand Jonin squarely in the back, causing the ground beneath to shatter and collapse.

At the same time, Shisui, with his Sharingan activated, employed his unique Body Flicker Technique, creating numerous afterimages that surrounded the other two Sand Jonin in the lead.

Following closely behind, Shūichi unleashed the Dance of the Crescent Moon, using Shisui's afterimages as cover to break into the battle, targeting one of the Sand Shinobi.

Kurama Sanyo, staying back, didn't engage directly but instead used Genjutsu to disrupt the two Sand Shinobi fighting against Shūichi and Shisui.

Meanwhile, ahead of them, after taking out one Jonin with a Rasengan, Minato swiftly retrieved a handful of Flying Thunder God kunai from his tool pouch and flung them in all directions.

In the next moment, Minato's figure vanished again, leaving only flashes of yellow light as he darted among the remaining Sand Shinobi.

The Sand Shinobi barely had time to register Minato's movements, seeing only a streak of yellow—his hair color—flashing past.

A series of agonized screams shook the resolve of the Sand Shinobi still battling Shūichi and Shisui.

As the screams ceased, Minato suddenly reentered the fray, and the two Sand Jonin let out muffled grunts as they were sent flying backward.

Seizing the opportunity, Shūichi activated a burst of chakra in his feet, and the Totsuka Blade in his hand flared with blue flames, lighting up the forest.

The Sand Jonin was quick to react, rolling to his feet and raising his kunai to block, but Shūichi's Totsuka Blade sliced through the kunai, cutting through his flak jacket. The scorching blade slashed diagonally from his right shoulder to his left side, nearly cutting him in half.

At the same time, Minato finished off the other Sand Jonin.

From the start of the ninjutsu clash to the end of the battle, less than three minutes had passed.

It wasn't that the Sand Shinobi were weak; it was that Minato's speed was simply too overwhelming.

Moreover, Shūichi and Shisui possessed extraordinary talents, and with Kurama Sanyo's Genjutsu support, they were able to hold off two Sand Jonin.

The best strategy against Shūichi and Shisui would have been long-range, wide-area ninjutsu, but unfortunately, the Sand Shinobi lacked sufficient intelligence on them.

Once engaged in close combat, the Sand Shinobi had no chance to form seals for ninjutsu, nor did Shūichi and Shisui give them any opportunity to retreat or escape.

With the battle concluded, Shūichi and the others quickly collected the Flying Thunder God kunai and continued southward.

The Sand Shinobi from the north and west were closing in, with the western group especially close.

(End of Chapter)

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