Just as Renya and the others ducked into the bushes, three Sunagakure shinobi came running from the distance.
They slowed down as they approached.
"Captain, did you find anything?"
The lead Suna-nin said in a low voice, "I just heard something from this direction. Maybe I misheard."
From within the bushes, Renya made hand gestures to Danzo and Koharu.
[Only three of them. Take them out quietly. Don't cause a scene.]
The two nodded instinctively in response.
Renya gripped the hilt of his blade. Three black tomoe spun into view in his eyes.
Just as the three Suna-nin turned to leave, Renya suddenly burst from the underbrush, his blade slicing through the air.
Shimura Danzo and Koharu followed closely behind, tossing several kunai aimed straight at the enemies' backs.
The three of them had a clear division of roles—one enemy each.
Hearing the sound behind them, the Suna-nin turned around and saw the incoming attack. Their expressions changed instantly.
Reacting on instinct, they quickly leapt back to create distance.
The captain saw the blade coming down at him, and just as he tried to dodge, he met a pair of crimson eyes.
Before he could react, the blade slashed across his neck, cleanly separating his head from his body.
The other two, having just dodged the kunai, paled at the sight of their captain's brutal death.
"Damn Konoha shinobi!"
They hadn't expected Konoha's ninja to be lying in wait in the bushes, ambushing them like this.
They had been careless. Had they known, they would've checked all possible hiding spots beforehand.
Danzo and Koharu didn't waste any time. With kunai in hand, they launched their attack.
The two Suna-nin narrowed their eyes as a sly glint flashed across their faces.
They drew kunai from their waists and engaged in close combat.
Renya immediately noticed the shift in their expressions and frowned.
Why would two Chūnin facing two Jōnin look so confident?
Instinctively, he glanced at their kunai. A faint bluish-green residue clung to the black blades.
Renya instantly understood—they'd coated their weapons in poison.
If they were planning to trade their lives for a kill, then Danzo and Koharu might actually get hit...
His expression turned slightly odd. Why did this strategy seem so familiar?
"Danzo, Koharu—watch out. Their kunai are poisoned."
Renya gave a sharp warning. He didn't want either of them accidentally getting hit.
It'd be a hassle to detox them afterward.
At first, the two were puzzled. Why were the Suna-nin fighting so recklessly, ignoring their own injuries just to land a strike?
After hearing Renya's warning, it all made sense.
So the kunai were poisoned after all...
They immediately pulled back to put some distance between them and their opponents. The Suna-nin glared at Renya with fury.
If it hadn't been for him, they would've succeeded!
To them, exchanging their own lives to take down a Jōnin was more than worth it.
Their plan during the fight had been simple—keep attacking and defending just long enough to create an opening.
The poison had been crafted by the village's genius poison maker.
Once it entered the body, not even a Jōnin could resist!
Now that Danzo and Koharu had backed away, they had no follow-up.
"Damn it—die!"
The two Suna-nin, unwilling to accept failure, hurled their poisoned kunai straight at Renya.
To them, it was this guy who had ruined everything.
If they were going to die, then at least they'd drag him down with them.
They both targeted Renya in unspoken agreement.
The moment they flung their kunai, Danzo and Koharu also threw theirs—each one landing with deadly precision.
The two Suna-nin collapsed to the ground, eyes still fixed on Renya.
They hoped he hadn't dodged. That way, at least someone would die with them.
Unfortunately for them, that hope was in vain.
Renya easily sidestepped the flying kunai.
Seeing this, the Suna-nin's expressions turned bitter. With regret on their faces, they died.
...
Once the battle ended, Renya picked up one of the fallen Suna-nin's kunai. He examined the faint greenish poison on the blade and sneered.
"Is that all there is to it?"
"Absolute garbage."
He'd actually been worried that the poison might be potent enough to leave no time for treatment.
Turns out he'd overestimated them.
Renya could tell at a glance that this poison wasn't immediately lethal. It would cause muscle spasms and prevent chakra circulation.
After a while, the wound would start to fester.
As time passed, the toxin would spread throughout the body, causing large-scale tissue necrosis and eventually a painful death.
"Sunagakure sure loves cooking up these disgusting little tricks."
Renya stabbed the kunai into the ground, disdain flashing in his eyes.
In his opinion, this kind of poison was nothing more than a cheap gimmick.
Real poison should act without a sound, killing instantly. By the time you realized something was wrong, you'd already be a corpse.
It shouldn't give the victim time to react, let alone make a desperate counterattack.
Suna's poisons didn't kill immediately.
Even if poisoned, a shinobi could still take their attacker down with them.
And once they realized they were poisoned, they had nothing left to fear.
If they were going to die anyway, they might as well take someone with them.
That just led to mutual destruction.
Unless, of course, your strength completely outclassed your opponent...
But if you were that strong, whether or not you used poison didn't really matter.
Shimura Danzo picked up a poisoned kunai and asked, "Renya, is this poison stronger than what you can make?"
Koharu looked at Renya with curiosity, eager to hear his answer.
Sunagakure was infamous for its poisons, especially their puppet masters who were known for their deadly concoctions.
They were both wondering—between Renya and the Suna-nin, whose poison was deadlier?
Renya gave the two of them a cold glance.
"Poison like this doesn't even qualify to be compared with mine."
In his eyes, Suna's poison was child's play. Not even worth mentioning in the same breath.
Hearing this, the two instantly understood.
They'd thought Suna's poison tactics were already dirty.
They hadn't expected Renya to be even dirtier...
Shimura Danzo subtly edged away from Renya.
As expected of an evil Uchiha!
Looks like he'd have to stay on guard around Renya from now on. Who knew when the guy might poison him?
And with Renya's skills, he definitely could pull it off!
...
Renya took out the map again and began navigating according to its directions.
After running into Sunagakure shinobi, Danzo and Koharu no longer questioned Renya's judgment.
With Suna-nin around, this had to be the southwestern battlefield.
They were both surprised—Renya really had learned how to read a map!
Noticing their expressions, Renya wore a smug grin.
"Now do you believe me? I really can read a map."
"Renya-kun, you're amazing!" Koharu praised.
Renya's smile widened at her words.
Shimura Danzo, on the other hand, looked speechless. This was something even a basic academy student could do. What was there to brag about?
Still, he only complained in his mind. He didn't dare say it out loud.
As a team member, it was best not to offend the squad leader.
Yeah... That's definitely why.
It absolutely wasn't because he was afraid Renya might poison him!