"My Rinkaichu will go in ahead to clear out the Chunin and Genin," Shiguro said simply, pressing his hands to the ground. "You'll coordinate to take down the Jonin."
A dense black mass spread from his palms. His Rinkaichu were too small to be seen as individual insects, at a glance, they resembled a dark cloud, becoming nearly invisible once they scattered. Shiguro's Parasitic Insect Jutsu was far more potent than his son's.
From his vantage point in the treetops, Takeshi watched as ninjas fell wherever the cloud passed. A typical squad had a Jonin leader, and just as the insects washed over one group, a figure burst from the earth and hurled a kunai, drawing the Jonin's attention.
A Root ninja using Earth Release.
Then, a flash of black. Flying Thunder God.
Before the enemy Jonin could react, the black cat was there. An ice spike shot out, piercing the man's throat.
Fast, accurate, ruthless.
"Meow~" The black cat turned his head and let out a soft call.
'...' 'Kill-stealing bastard.'
Minato paused for a fraction of a second, then offered a slight smile. He wasn't bothered. He'd learned that if he didn't rise to the bait, Takeshi would eventually get bored. It was a pattern he'd picked up on.
'Damn his good nature,' Takeshi complained silently. Just as he thought, the same trick was useless on a ninja like Minato. Earning points off him was proving to be a real challenge.
"Meow~ Pleasure working with you," he chirped, turning to the Root ninja.
The Root operative, true to form, was all business. He just gave a slight nod and submerged back into the earth, ready for the next target.
The toad was sent back to Mount Myoboku.
With the outer patrol squads dealt with, the team moved into position. Shiguro took the center, his insects sweeping forward, while the four Root ninja guarded the flanks. Takeshi, Minato, and Hiashi held back, ready to provide support.
The Rinkaichu were devastatingly effective against the regular shinobi, annihilating nearly eighty percent of the enemy forces. But suddenly-
"Careful," Hiashi warned, his Byakugan active. "Some from Kaguya clan. And two from the Yuki clan."
*BOOM!*
The ground cracked open and eight figures emerged.
Mirrors of ice rose to form a dome, trapping them on the small island. In the center stood four men with the wild, bloodthirsty eyes of the Kaguya clan. Seeing the Konoha shinobi, they spread their fingers wide.
"Enemies... all of you, die!"
*Whoosh~* A hail of bone bullets shot from their fingertips.
'Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets.'
At the same time, two figures emerged from the ice mirrors, unleashing a storm of projectiles.
'Water Release: A Thousand Needles of Death Jutsu.'
"Meow!"
At Takeshi's sharp shout, the Konoha team gathered close. He slammed a paw on the ground, and a wall of ice erupted around them, shielding them completely. The attacks hammered against the barrier, but even the bone bullets, with their immense impact force, couldn't break through.
"Huh?" one of the Yuki said from within a mirror. "An Enemy? Is that the cat?"
They were wearing masks, but their voices carried their bewilderment. They'd read the intel from Kirigakure about a cat in Konoha who could use Ice Release, but seeing it firsthand was still a shock.
The four Kaguya drew swords of bone from their own bodies, the opening stance of their clan's deadly taijutsu. The next moment, they charged with lightning speed.
Duy's entire body tensed. He'd killed plenty of men on the front lines, but this was his first true high-level mission. He was still debating whether to open the Eight Gates when the ice wall exploded.
It shattered into a cloud of razor-sharp ice spikes, and through the glittering storm, two lights, one black, one gold, flashed forward.
*BOOM!*
With two thunderous impacts, Minato and Takeshi each slammed a Rasengan into a Kaguya, sending them flying. The other two opponents bristled with bone spikes, deflecting the follow-up weapon attacks.
'Damn, these bones are hard.'
Takeshi couldn't be bothered with a direct fight. He could already see Shiguro preparing to work his usual tricks, and those nano-sized Rinkaichu could be a danger to allies as well. He wasn't getting mixed up in that. Venom was a far better tool against the Kaguya anyway.
'First things first... break the ice.'
He swelled to an enormous size, then curled into a ball. His fur stood on end like steel needles, turning him into a giant, spinning sphere of destruction. The spiked ball rumbled forward, gaining speed.
With a tremendous roar, it crashed through the ice mirrors. The dome shattered, and the two Yuki ninja fell from the air.
Before they could recover, a gold light flashed past them.
Blood sprayed. With their defenses gone, the Yuki were easy prey.
"Pleasure working with you," Minato said, giving the now-shrunken cat a thumbs-up from across the battlefield. Taken on its own, it was a simple gesture. But given their earlier exchange, Takeshi suspected he was being mocked.
'So annoying. Even Minato's picking up bad habits,' he sighed, turning his attention to the remaining enemies.
Just then, the two Kaguya clan members began to scream, their bodies convulsing. A moment later, Shiguro and the Earth Release ninja rose slowly from the ground.
The Rinkaichu had done their work.
"It seems we weren't needed," Hiashi said, surveying the scene with a self-deprecating chuckle. He'd hoped to make a strong showing, but the fight was over before he could even join in.
But it didn't matter. As head of the Hyuga main house, his primary duty was to protect himself and contribute where he could. Merits were secondary, no one could erase the Hyuga clan's contributions to Konoha.
Duy felt differently. He had still been hesitating, and in that moment, the others had dealt with every threat, leaving him no chance to act.
'I shouldn't have hesitated,' he sighed inwardly.
On reflection, though, he realized that rushing in might have been a mistake. Both the Yuki and the Kaguya had abilities that countered his straightforward taijutsu. Unless he opened the Fourth Gate or higher, he might not have been able to harm them at all, and would likely have been injured himself.
He was still too weak. Or rather, he lacked versatility.
Duy understood the problem, but he had no idea how to solve it. He wasn't a creative ninja, if he were, he wouldn't have spent years practicing only the Eight Gates, and he wouldn't still be a Genin.
With the battle over, it was the Yamanaka's turn. The Rinkaichu hadn't killed the Kaguya instantly, which meant their minds could be read while they were still "warm."
Takeshi was starting to see the full picture. Aside from Minato, Hiashi, and Duy, the other four were a complete Root squad, working in perfect sync. Shiguro was the core, with the others acting as support. He just wondered about the fourth member he hadn't identified.
'Probably Nara clan,' Takeshi speculated.
"We found it," the Yamanaka reported. "They have ten campsites in total. The Mizukage's location is on the large island about ten miles southeast of here. It's heavily guarded."
"How many, specifically?" Shiguro pressed, but the Yamanaka shook his head, unable to pull an exact number from their fading minds.
"Meow! Straight to the main camp!"
Minato instantly understood. "We'll create a diversion," he declared, looking at the others. "Takeshi and I will handle the Third Mizukage."
After a few days of fighting alongside the cat, Minato's confidence had grown beyond that of a typical Jonin. With their combined strength, taking on a Kage didn't seem so impossible.
"You two are going after the Mizukage?" Hiashi hesitated, then nodded slowly after a few seconds of thought. He looked at Shiguro. "I think it's feasible."
"Understood."
Honestly, neither Shiguro nor Hiashi had even considered targeting the Mizukage. The original plan was to deal with the remaining four of the Seven Swordsmen and use them as leverage to force Kirigakure's retreat.
But if they could capture the Mizukage himself, why bother with the swords? The swords were valuable, but taking them would only lead to a peace treaty and their eventual return.
Konoha couldn't just keep them, Kiri would fight to the death before accepting that. It was always best not to back an enemy into a corner.
Though, capturing the Mizukage wasn't exactly a move that 'left room' either.
--**--**
"Third Mizukage-sama, Kumogakure began a full withdrawal yesterday. As of this morning, not a single one of their ninja remains in the area."
Ten miles southeast, on the main island, the Third Mizukage and his subordinates were still trying to understand what had happened.
"Have you discovered the reason?" he asked.
The Kirigakure ANBU hesitated before lowering his head. "It is said... that the Third Raikage was captured by Tsunade."
The Third Mizukage's eyes, normally narrowed in thought, shot wide open. He stared at the Anbu for several long seconds, then took a deep breath to regain his composure.
After a moment, he shook his head. "Impossible. Tsunade is strong, but she couldn't defeat the Raikage unless he fought her with one hand tied behind his back. His Lightning Release Armor is monstrous."
Unpleasant memories surfaced. During the Second Great Ninja War, Kumo and Iwa had been at each other's throats. Kiri hadn't even considered attacking Kumo for fear that the Third Raikage would come for revenge. The man's defense and attack power were monstrous. Tsunade couldn't match that. It made no sense.
'If not Tsunade, then who?'
Given the old man's stubborn personality, he never would have ordered a retreat, especially not one so decisive, unless he was either defeated or utterly convinced.
Had he overlooked something?
As he was pondering, a commotion erupted outside. The Third Mizukage extended his senses-
'Konoha ninja? This is bad!'
His mind raced. Konoha. They must have been tracked back from the outpost. He knew their methods well from past wars. Give them one loose thread, and they would unravel everything until they found their way straight to the heart of the operation. But to attack the main camp directly... were they trying to capture him?
"Send up a flare," the Third Mizukage commanded, rising to his feet. "I'll assess the situation myself."
He stepped out of his tent into a chorus of screams. Kiri squads were already engaging the enemy as an Anbu rushed to his side to report.
===============
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