Chapter 53: The Three-Man Squad’s Stealth Mission

Early the next morning, the three-man squad emerged from the cave, moving cautiously through the forest.

The ground below them echoed with the swift movement of feet. Jin glanced down and saw a three-man Sand shinobi squad swiftly passing by. If they had just looked up, they would have spotted the three hidden in the trees. However, the Sand shinobi passed by without noticing.

The group paused briefly before continuing to move, Jin and Sakumo using their respective speed techniques—Flash Step and Swift Step—to leap to the next tree. Their progress was much slower than when they first entered the Land of Rivers. Now, they moved forward inch by inch.

The primary reason for this cautious approach was the overwhelming presence of Sand shinobi in the area.

Sakumo, leading the group, raised his hand, signaling them to stop again. A faint tremor could be felt up ahead. A small squad wouldn't cause such a disturbance, meaning there was a large number of enemies nearby.

The three of them used camouflage techniques, blending in with the trees.

Soon, a large group of Sand shinobi passed through the forest. They barely glanced at the area before quickly moving on.

Once the Sand shinobi had left, the three revealed themselves and resumed their careful advance.

"They're searching for us," Jin concluded.

Sakumo nodded and suddenly asked Jin, "Do you have any techniques that could increase my combat strength? I'll trade you the Hatake clan's sword techniques."

Jin hesitated.

Because Sakumo had learned his basic internal energy technique, Jin already possessed not only the Hatake clan's sword techniques but also all of Sakumo's insights on swordsmanship.

However, their survival in this situation depended on Sakumo's strength.

"Alright," Jin agreed after some thought.

The key to Jin's strength was the Six Paths of the Celestial Thief. Sakumo had already learned the Six Forms, and Jin's Spirit Ball was his trump card. Techniques like Thousand Spiders Poison Hand, which he had created for Tsunade, weren't suitable for Sakumo. And Sakumo had likely already mastered the Steel Flash, which Jin had exchanged for merit points.

That left him with only one option: Breath Techniques.

"Sakumo-sama, what's your chakra nature?" Jin asked.

"My primary affinities are Lightning and Wind, but I also have Earth, Water, and Fire," Sakumo replied.

"I won't demonstrate any specific moves right now," Jin said, considering the current situation. "I'll teach you a technique called the Breath of Lightning. Although it's only rated as a D-rank jutsu, combined with sword techniques, it can reach B or even A-rank in effectiveness."

Jin had already developed several breath techniques, but since he specialized in Fire Release, he primarily used the Breath of Flames.

"Go ahead, explain it to me," Sakumo said, listening to Jin's instructions while keeping an eye on their surroundings. Even with Aburame Mushi's insects keeping watch, he remained vigilant.

As Jin explained the breathing method and demonstrated it, Sakumo's breathing began to change. Lightning arcs flickered across his body.

"Using breathing as a hand sign substitute, huh? Not bad," Sakumo praised Jin.

The idea of using breathing as a form of chakra control was intriguing. The Breath of Lightning, while simple, had the potential to grow in power alongside its user's strength. It reminded Sakumo of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode used by the Cloud Village, a B-rank jutsu that, when wielded by the Raikage, could rival S-rank techniques.

He pulled out a scroll containing the Hatake sword techniques and handed it to Jin.

"This is our family's legacy. Don't spread it around."

Jin didn't need the scroll, but he accepted it anyway out of respect and tucked it away.

The three continued forward, skillfully avoiding the search parties. Luckily, all three of them were adept at concealing their presence, which allowed them to avoid detection. If they were discovered, Sakumo quickly dealt with the enemies.

Eventually, they reached a mountain where they finally left the enemy search teams behind.

From their vantage point, they could see a Sand Village fortress.

"Another defensive line," Sakumo noted.

The route had been chosen specifically by Mushi at Sakumo's request.

"If we can take down this fortress, the Sand Village's defense will be compromised, giving Konoha an opportunity to strike."

"Stay hidden," Sakumo warned.

Mushi-hime nodded and dissolved into countless insects, disappearing from sight.

Jin, feeling increasingly like the weakest link in the squad, silently concealed himself in the bushes. He couldn't help but feel that he was the one most at risk. Sakumo had the strength, Mushi had her mysterious abilities, and Jin... well, his strength was decent, but he wasn't invincible. As they had progressed, they had passed numerous Sand shinobi, many of whom were jonin-level.

Sakumo wasted no time. Drawing his sword, his breathing shifted. A faint arc of electricity crackled on his forehead.

In just a short time, he had already mastered the Breath of Lightning.

Although he hadn't yet incorporated it into his sword techniques, Sakumo was one of the best swordsmen in Konoha.

In the blink of an eye, his body became a streak of white light as he dashed toward the fortress.

Another massive explosion rang out, followed by a barrage of projectiles flying toward Sakumo. He deftly dodged them all with his high-speed movements.

More Sand shinobi rushed out to engage him, and this time, they had learned their lesson. The ninjas attacked directly while puppeteers supported them from a distance.

There were significantly more enemies this time than at the previous outpost.

But numbers didn't make much difference to Sakumo. His sword flashed, leaving behind corpses in his wake.

The Sand shinobi released ninjutsu in desperation—tornadoes filled with shuriken, flames, earth spikes—but none of it could touch Sakumo. He weaved through their attacks as if they were nothing more than wind.

However, the sheer number of enemies slowed him down compared to last time. Before, Jin could barely react before the battle was over, but now Sakumo was facing a more drawn-out fight.

While Jin was observing the battle, he suddenly heard a voice.

"Watch out!"

The ground below him erupted, and a metal box snapped shut around him.

A puff of smoke billowed out from the box.

"Figures there were more," Jin muttered, drawing his sword as he sensed two figures standing on the treetops above.

"Damn, we've been spotted," one of them said, glancing at the battle below.

Jin pulled out his long blade, recognizing that he was now facing two jonin-level opponents.

One ally was busy with a large group of enemies, another was nowhere to be found, and Jin himself hadn't even scored a single victory yet.

"Why does Sakumo keep drawing more enemies?" Jin wondered, glancing at the ongoing battle.

Looking back at his two opponents, he felt they were taking things far too lightly.

In the next moment, Jin's figure appeared beside the female ninja wearing a half-mask. A chakra thread in her hand revealed her identity as a puppeteer.

Puppeteers were always the most dangerous in Sand Village.

The battle had now truly begun.

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