"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive fireball spewed from the mouth of a Konoha ninja, forcing the opposing Cloud ninjas to scatter.
"Damn it! We agreed on a seven-day buffer. This is just the first day, and they're already invading!"
Clang!
A Cloud ninja's long sword came crashing down, only to be blocked by a nearby Konoha ninja, who quickly withdrew and shouted, "We anticipated this! That's why we came early to keep watch!"
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter!"
A massive scythe-shaped blade of wind formed in the air and shot toward three Cloud ninjas.
Whoosh!
A large tree was sliced in two, but the Cloud ninjas evaded the strike.
"No more talking! The distress signal's been sent back, just hang in there until backup arrives!"
Just as the words fell, a figure dropped from the sky.
"Lightning Release: Falling Thunder!"
As the attacker's long sword crackled with electricity, a bolt of lightning struck down in an instant.
Boom!!
"Okada!!"
As the dust settled, the Cloud ninja's blade was already plunged into a Konoha ninja's heart, with residual lightning still crackling along the steel.
Splurt.
The sword was pulled out, and a fountain of blood erupted.
"Konoha ninja, this is the price you pay for killing our envoy."
He raised his sword and pointed it straight at the remaining Leaf shinobi.
"You bastard…!"
Fueled by rage, a Konoha ninja charged with his blade.
Clang!
Sparks flew as the swords clashed.
The Cloud ninja sneered, "Are you angry? Weaklings like you have nothing but anger left."
"You arrogant scum, how dare you speak so shamelessly?!"
The Konoha ninja jumped back, quickly forming hand signs.
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter!"
Whoosh!
The slicing wind hit the enemy's blade, sending him flying over ten meters.
On the other side, another Konoha ninja also repelled an enemy and fell back to stand back-to-back with his comrade.
"There were eight of us in the recon unit. Okada's dead. Just the two of us left, no chance of winning."
"Damn it! If only we had one more day, the outpost would've been fully staffed! Bastards!"
Cloud ninjas began to surround the two. Their squad captain stepped forward and gave a hand signal.
"Konoha refuses to trade the Hyuga clan head for peace? Then we'll just kill them all."
Just as the order fell, the two Konoha ninjas exchanged a look.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu."
"Wind Release: Gale Palm."
The wind fueled the fire, instantly doubling the size of the fireball.
The blazing flames engulfed the Cloud ninja surrounding them, until…
"Water Release: Water Wall!"
A torrent of water clashed with the fire, creating a massive cloud of steam.
"Run!!"
Using the steam as cover, the two Konoha ninjas broke through in a specific direction.
"Heh… you think you can run? This mist won't save you, it'll be your death!"
The voice from the mist was followed by:
"Lightning Release: Grateful Wave."
Massive electric currents surged through the water from the Water Wall, arcing outward into the mist.
Crackle…
Their bodies went numb, paralyzed by the current.
"Told you so, Konoha rats," the Cloud ninja taunted before his blade fell once more, straight into the chest.
"Aaagh!!"
Seeing his comrade killed, the final Konoha ninja roared and broke free of the paralysis.
His arms trembled from the current, but he still formed hand signs at lightning speed.
The Cloud ninja's mocking smile vanished, this hand sign…
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
An advanced jutsu the ninja hadn't yet mastered exploded from his hands, an ultra-dense vortex of wind chakra.
Screeeech!
The Cloud ninja tried to block with his sword, but the wind kept slicing through.
BOOM!!
The vortex exploded, sending hundreds of fine blades of wind into the enemy, shredding his body with tiny cuts.
The other Cloud ninjas couldn't get close due to the flying blades.
As the dust settled, the heavily breathing Konoha ninja collapsed beside his fallen comrade.
Lifting his head slightly, he looked at the enemy. "Hah… guess I still haven't mastered it… even after pulling it off, I couldn't rip you to pieces…"
The Cloud squad captain stood like a blood-soaked demon, blood dripping from dozens of cuts.
Cloud ninjas rushed in to stop the bleeding; any slower and he'd have passed out from blood loss.
The captain staggered to his feet, looked at the collapsed Konoha ninja, and said:
"If you just hand over Hyuga Hiashi, this war could end. Just one life for peace, isn't that worth it?"
He sighed, "You're strong. A jutsu like that deserves a name. Tell me, what's yours?"
The ninja, barely conscious, weakly looked up. "A name, huh…? Who would've thought someone like me, ignored by my own clan, would be acknowledged by the enemy…"
"My name… is Shimura Ken."
'Shimura clan…?'
After stemming most of the bleeding, the Cloud captain approached.
"So you're from the Wind Release–specialized Shimura clan? No wonder."
"As recognition, I'll give you a dignified death. That… is war!"
He raised his sword, lightning chakra pulsing through it.
BOOM!!
A massive explosion erupted as a skeletal blue chakra structure appeared in front of Shinmura Ken, blocking the lightning-charged sword.
"Sorry, I don't have the speed to do twelve hand signs a second… so I had to block with Susanoo."
Uchiha Yun's voice rang out. He slowly looked at the stunned Cloud captain holding the blade.
"You're the leader of this Cloud assault team? We agreed on seven days. And you're already stirring trouble on day one? Got too cocky after growing for a few years?"
His Mangekyō Sharingan spun rapidly in his eyes.
In that instant, the Cloud captain froze as if falling into a bottomless abyss. At the bottom of that darkness, a Mangekyō Sharingan watched him in silence.
"It's the Uchiha's genjutsu! Disrupt the captain's chakra!"
Panicked shouts erupted as Cloud ninjas charged in.
But-
Splurt!
The chakra skeleton of Susanoo vanished, and a sword burst through the Cloud captain's chest, straight through the heart.
"You're all… too slow."
Uchiha Yun's cold voice cut through the air. As he lifted his head, the glowing Mangekyō forced all nearby Cloud ninjas to retreat instinctively and lower their heads in fear.