Renya stood atop a tree, the scarlet three-tomoe Sharingan scanning the area ahead.
Behind him, Danzo and Koharu kept watch in different directions.
Kumogakure shinobi could ambush them at any moment—their movements had to be cautious and precise.
"There's movement up ahead," Renya said softly.
The Sharingan clearly picked out traces of someone having passed through the forest.
Just then, explosions from explosive tags and the sounds of combat echoed from the distance.
Danzo narrowed his eyes, tightening his grip on the kunai in his hand.
"Looks like the enemy was hiding there after all."
"There's a fight going on up ahead," Koharu said. "Must be an encounter between our village's shinobi and Kumogakure forces."
Both of them instinctively looked to Renya, waiting for his command.
"Move out."
Before the words fully left his lips, the three of them dashed across the treetops, heading toward the forest.
Before they could get close, the sounds of battle suddenly stopped.
Renya's face darkened.
"This isn't good. The enemy might be elite jonin from Kumogakure."
And there was definitely more than one!
Danzo and Koharu wore grim expressions, already prepared to engage.
To arrive at the battlefield and immediately run into elite enemies from Kumogakure... was that good luck or bad?
As they drew closer, the scene in the forest came into view.
They saw five Konoha shinobi lying in pools of blood.
"Three jonin, four chunin."
Renya stood on a tree branch, looking down at several Kumogakure shinobi below. His three-tomoe Sharingan slowly rotated.
A few shuriken slipped from Danzo's sleeve.
"Kumogakure shinobi are good at combination jutsu. Don't let them form up."
Koharu's gaze landed on the four chunin.
"Take out the weakest ones first."
Renya didn't respond. He drew the tachi from his waist.
The seven Kumogakure shinobi had naturally noticed the arrival of the three from Konoha.
"Heh, more Konoha shinobi coming to die," sneered the leading jonin.
They were the newly formed squad from Kumogakure.
With their overwhelming strength, they prowled the rear lines, hunting Konoha shinobi.
Three jonin and four chunin—such a lineup allowed them to do as they pleased on the battlefield.
They had only just arrived and had already slain five Konoha shinobi with ease.
And now three more had delivered themselves to their doorstep.
"Shu-shu-shu—"
The shuriken in Danzo's hand shot toward several Kumogakure shinobi at incredible speed.
Combat erupted in an instant!
One of the chunin charged in first, Lightning Release chakra swirling around his kunai as he lunged at Renya's throat.
But before the Sharingan, his movements looked like they were in slow motion.
Renya sidestepped and used the back of his blade to precisely deflect the kunai. In the same motion, he twisted the blade.
"Shlick—!"
A flash of the blade. A head flew.
No flashy swordplay, no unnecessary moves.
Just a basic slash—so fast that even the blood didn't have time to spurt.
Without hesitation, Renya flickered to another nearby chunin.
That chunin hadn't yet recovered from the shock of seeing his comrade instantly killed when he saw a pair of crimson eyes.
And then—nothing.
His head was sent flying, landing with a thud like a watermelon hitting the ground.
As the two corpses dropped, the remaining Kumogakure shinobi hadn't even had time to react.
"W-What?!" one chunin gasped, eyes wide, instinctively stepping back.
Danzo had somehow already appeared behind him, his kunai plunging straight into the man's back.
"Spacing out on the battlefield will get you killed."
Koharu engaged the last remaining chunin in close combat.
The sight of his comrades being slaughtered had filled the chunin with fear. He was quickly overwhelmed, and Koharu slit his throat with her kunai.
In mere moments, all four chunin were dead.
"You bastards! How dare you?!" the leading Kumogakure jonin roared.
Those four chunin had all been his disciples. And now they were killed right before his eyes.
As their teacher, watching them die helplessly filled him with rage.
"Calm down. They were just a few chunin."
At his comrade's words, he quickly suppressed his anger.
Rage in battle was dangerous—it clouded judgment and led to mistakes.
"Don't scatter. They're strong," the lead jonin warned.
The other two nodded, warily watching the three from Konoha.
Renya's three-tomoe Sharingan spun slowly. A cold smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Danzo."
"Got it."
Danzo rapidly formed hand seals.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
The three jonin instantly leapt away, dodging the Wind Release attack.
"Something's wrong! That guy disappeared!" one of them shouted.
Renya's previous position was now completely empty.
They scanned the surroundings warily, when suddenly one jonin shouted,
"Above!"
He swiftly formed seals.
"Lightning Release: xxxx!"
Purple lightning surged upward like a beast, slashing into the air—only to destroy Renya's afterimage.
"How can his Body Flicker be this fast?!"
As he reeled in shock, Renya appeared right in front of him, blade in hand.
The jonin's pupils contracted. At the edge of life and death, he drew out a surge of power and barely avoided the fatal strike.
"Splurt—" came the sound of a blade slicing flesh.
The tachi had only grazed his abdomen, drawing a line of blood.
"Heh... just a flesh wound!" the jonin sneered. "You think that's enough—"
Before he could finish, his expression froze.
Purple-black poison was visibly spreading through his veins. In just three seconds, his abdomen had turned bluish-purple.
"This... this is...!" He stared at Renya in horror.
"You laced your blade with poison?!"
Renya's gaze was emotionless. His voice was cold.
"When dealing with jonin, you have to use other methods."
"Y-You bastard... you..."
Before he could finish, black blood spilled from his mouth, and he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
The two remaining jonin's expressions drastically changed. Another comrade was dead.
"His weapon's poisoned—don't let him get close! Switch to long-range Lightning Release ninjutsu!"
They were part of the Raikage-sama's personally selected squad!
And now, on their first mission, only two remained.
If they wanted to survive, they had to kill the three Konoha shinobi before them.
Staring at the boy with a blade standing not far off, the two jonin simultaneously formed hand seals and unleashed Lightning Release ninjutsu.
Bolts of lightning poured down like a torrential storm toward Renya.
Faced with the overwhelming Lightning Release techniques, Danzo and Koharu didn't hesitate to leap away from the area of effect.
"Are we really okay leaving like this?" Koharu couldn't help but ask.
Danzo glanced at her and replied calmly,
"Believe in Renya."
With Renya's strength, he should be able to dodge the Lightning Release attacks.
Well... he should be able to, right?