"They are here," Tsunade murmured, and Akane nodded at her words. Beside them, there were four Shadow clones, transformed into different people, and the white Zetsu who had turned into Masao.
Two Jonins, 5 Chunins and 8 Genins, a total of fifteen people, had rushed towards Akane and Tsunade while one Jonin and three Chunins were going roundabout to look around to see if there were other enemies around.
As for the Genins, they were left in the camp because of the supplies, and if someone else came, they were supposed to release the signal while acting as cannon fodder for enemies.
"How many will you take down?" Tsunade asked with a thoughtful face, and Akane looked at her.
"Don't know, let's see how they are," Akane replied with a grin as he wanted to try to subdue them by himself.
Looking at his grin, Tsunade shook her head. She understood what he was thinking, and after thinking for a moment, she decided to let him be the lead while supporting him from behind.
It didn't take them long to reach their place, and the Iwa ninjas looked at several people gathered together. They couldn't infer where they were from since no one was wearing any outfit that would give information about them.
"Who are you all?" Senior Jonin asked while he positioned himself. Since there were more people, the others positioned themselves around him and tried to cut off their escape route.
Looking at them, Akane had no change in expression. It was the same for Tsunade and the Shadow clones, who just looked around to keep an eye on and make plans for the fight.
"Why are Iwa ninjas near borders? And also have made a camp here?"
Akane asked, but no one said anything. Neither of them said anything and kept staring at each other while looking for an opportunity to make a move.
'Those ninjas, for some reason, seem strong, but at the same time, they look weak.'
The Iwa Senior Jonin thought while looking around. He only felt a sense of danger from the man and the woman who were at the centre, while from others, he had very vague feelings.
"Well, I don't really need you 'alive' to get answers from you," Akane murmured with a grin, and he rushed at the Senior Jonin. Noticing him attacking, the Senior Jonin also rushed forward while the other ninjas followed his command to attack.
The fight between the groups started with Akane fighting with the Senior Jonin, and the other two Jonins rushing at Tsunade as per the Senior Jonin's instructions.
The battle had erupted with a huge force. As Akane and the Iwa Senior Jonin clashed, their chakra flared through the woods, shaking the air around them. Every strike from Akane's chains was countered by the Jonin's solid Earth Release techniques, but the older ninja was slowly being overwhelmed—not by brute force, but by unpredictability.
Akane grinned in the middle of the fight. His chains didn't just bind or attack—they adapted. He focused on Jonin's movement, one chain lashed from behind the Jonin while another formed a spear, forcing the enemy to constantly shift between defence and retreat.
Even though the Iwa Senior Jonin was shocked by the unfamiliar yet heard method of Akane's fighting, he didn't get time to think about it. Akane's attacks were fast and unpredictable, making him focus on only Akane, unlike what he had expected, i.e. taking control of the overall situation.
Elsewhere, Tsunade met the charge of the two Jonins with a calm, calculating gaze. As one of them closed in with a mid-air kick, she sidestepped and slammed a palm into his chest, the ground beneath him cracking from the force. The second Jonin tried to take advantage of her distraction, only to be met by a paper bomb from one of Tsunade's clones exploding near his leg, disrupting his balance just enough for Tsunade to strike.
For Tsunade, their movements were predictable and slow. She had already fought with Iwa Ninja before, and with her practising against monsters like Akane, Mito and other simulations in Akane's dreams, the fight was a piece of cake for her.
"They aren't too bad," Tsunade muttered, blocking a flurry of attacks. "But they're too predictable and slow."
Her words weren't low, and the opposing two Jonins, who were about to attack her, huffed and rushed at her.
Meanwhile, the Shadow Clones were holding off the Chunins and Genins, with traps and seals slowing down enemy movements. One clone exploded mid-battle, taking down a Chunin with it, while another drew a line of enemies into a narrow choke point filled with explosive tags Akane had left behind.
BOOM!
A fireball erupted into the sky, and smoke filled the clearing.
Inside the haze, Akane's silhouette flickered forward like a shadow of death. His chains spiralled, capturing the Senior Jonin by the legs and throwing him down. Without waiting, Akane drove his palm into the Senior Jonin's chest, delivering a blast of raw chakra that knocked the wind out of him.
"Third Jonin, down," Akane said, voice calm, almost bored. He knew that the fight was easy because Tsunade was taking care of the two, and even though he had thought of taking care of all of them before, the situation seemed better from a logical and rational perspective.
The moment Akane's words sounded in the middle of the battle, Tsunade kicked away her second opponent, who now had blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"Only one left."
Just as Akane moved to join her, the fourth Jonin, the one who'd circled with three Chunins, emerged from the trees with two others. Their faces were twisted in rage and confusion. They had seen the wreckage on the path.
"No more games," the fourth Jonin growled. He performed a series of rapid hand signs, summoning a massive earthen golem from the ground.
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Of course. An elite hidden behind the 'Senior',"
"Let's take him 'seriously'," Akane muttered, a funny look in his eyes. "Zetsu, prepare to capture."
The Zetsu hiding underground confirmed, the mud below them shifting subtly.
"Here comes the fun part," Tsunade said, leaping into action with Akane flanking her from the other side.
As the golem charged, Tsunade met it head-on, her fist glowing with chakra. She punched straight into its chest, cracking it halfway down the middle. The enemy Jonin tried to capitalise on her commitment, only for Akane to rush at a very fast speed, i.e. using Lightning Release Chakra Mode and slamming a sealing tag on the Jonin's back.
"You're done," Akane whispered, his gaze from behind felt like death's gaze, staring at the 'hidden ace' of Iwa from behind.
A pulse of chakra sealed the Jonin's movements, and Tsunade followed up with a blow to the neck, knocking him out cold.
Within a few more seconds, the last Chunin was subdued by the clones and captured by the Zetsu.
Silence fell over the battlefield, broken only by the smouldering remains of talismans and the occasional groan of the unconscious Iwa-nin.
"Four Jonin captured, one dead," Tsunade noted.
"Five Chunin down, four captured. Genins… mostly unconscious or restrained."
Zetsu emerged with an eerie smile. "Want me to clean up?"
Akane nodded. "Wipe the blood, remove tracks, but let the field as it is. We'll interrogate and decide who's worth handing over."
As they moved to gather their captured enemies and regroup, Tsunade looked over the battlefield with a hint of satisfaction.
"You know," he said, "this will shake Iwa to the core."
Tsunade looked at him, her expression unreadable. "It needs to."
Akane paused. "And if it triggers a war?"
Tsunade looked at Akane at his words. She didn't answer at first as she knew the fact that he was aware of these things, and the only reason he was asking was because he wanted to hear her words and resolve. Finally taking a deep breath, she replied, "If they choose war, we give them a reason to regret it."
There was steel in her voice, not hate, but certainty.
Akane simply nodded at her words. He understood that she had already made up her mind and accepted the fact that another war was going to start soon.
'Well, the reasons are very complex, but at the same time, simple too. She will slowly understand more as she gets aware of talks between Village Leaders and Country leaders.'
'I don't think I need to mention anymore, as it could become a hinge to her growth.'
"Let's go. The night's still young."
Tsunade nodded at his words, and she created a Shadow clone. The Shadow clone nodded at Tsunade while Akane shot her a confused glance.
Shaking her head, she disappeared from her place, and Akane followed her while the Shadow Clone started to follow the orders Tsunade had given to her.
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