Haseo unfastened an extra ninja tool pouch from his waist. With one hand, he ripped it open, stretched his chakra-filled fingers inside, tightly gripped something within, and then hurled the pouch behind him.
The pouch landed squarely on the faces of the pursuing enemies, immediately followed by fierce flames and loud explosions.
This caused the eyebrows of Haseo's companions beside him to twitch violently. They had never seen explosive tags used this lavishly before—as if they didn't cost a thing. Well, actually, they didn't, since they were taken from their enemies.
But if Haseo had known what his teammates were thinking, he would've mocked them for being broke in the mind, not in the wallet… After all, there was a technique called Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, and another called Six Hundred Billion Explosives Cluster Jutsu.
So throwing a bag of explosive tags—what luxury is that? Pfft, barely even noticed!
Now, Haseo used seized explosives to counter the enemy's momentum. Truly, using their own weapons against them couldn't be more appropriate.
Apparently sensing the effect of the explosive tags, the other three members of the squad also pulled out their own tags, though their application methods weren't as rough and ready as Haseo's.
Unlike Haseo, who learned through unconventional means, they were professionally trained graduates from the Konoha Ninja Academy. When it came to handling all kinds of ninja tools, they were light-years ahead of their captain… Aside from throwing kunai and shuriken, what else could he truly handle? In some ways, even his shuriken throwing technique wasn't professional.
Moving at full speed, Nagisa Nara and the others quietly planted explosive tags along the path behind them—the very ground the enemy was about to step on. At the same time, to hide these movements and disrupt enemy tracking and judgment, they also deployed smoke bombs.
Unfortunately, the heavy rain ruined the plan—before the smoke could spread, it was washed away by the downpour.
At this moment, the leader of the Konoha squad ahead also let go of the injured teammate he had been supporting, allowing the wounded member to somehow keep up with the group. Then, slightly slowing his pace, the squad leader pulled up beside Haseo.
"Based on those two attacks you launched just now, you shouldn't be some nobody. So tell me—who are you?" He asked directly.
For ninja carrying out covert missions, even when from the same village and working toward the same goal, asking about identities was technically inappropriate—but still, driven by certain reasons, he had raised the question.
Previously, Haseo had first rescued a teammate, then decisively counterattacked while enemies pursued, displaying high-speed taijutsu and Body Flicker Technique far beyond ordinary skill. Therefore, the squad leader believed he faced no ordinary ninja.
Young talents like that should not have gone unnoticed. The leader thought he should already know him—but he didn't. That puzzled him.
Haseo thought, "Sorry to disappoint you, but I really am just a nobody." The question was awkward, but since there was no reason to hide who he was anymore, he went ahead and said, "My name is Haseo Yu. I'm just... a regular ninja."
Telling someone your name alone wasn't a big deal among people from the same village.
At this moment, however, Haseo also noticed something unreasonable about himself. Originally, he had intended to introduce himself as merely a common genin, yet such an explanation lacked credibility and logic. First of all, why would a team made up of genin carry out a dangerous mission to infiltrate the Land of Rain? Secondly, differences in rank could significantly change the power dynamic—although the two team leaders were currently interacting as equals, if he was a genin while the other was a jonin, inevitably it would result in him losing his say.
Would it make sense for a jonin to take orders from a genin?
But what was even more surprising was that after Haseo dropped his name, the other side hesitated for a moment. The jonin seemed to know something and immediately asked, "You mean Haseo who killed Menzuomen in single combat at the start of the last war with Sunagakure?"
"...Yes."
Haseo hadn't expected that he actually had some minor reputation.
He didn't realize one thing—previously, regardless of how much fame and prestige Menzuomen held at Konoha's front line, once he had been defeated directly by Haseo, all that renown had shifted to him instead. For Konoha shinobi engaged in long-term warfare against Sunagakure, he was far from being just someone with minor recognition—he should at least be described as someone whose reputation had reached great heights.
"In that case, things are straightforward." Upon hearing Haseo confirm his identity, the squad leader further acknowledged his strength. "'A genius' was just flattery. But Haseo had real battle records—wasn't that enough proof?"
Even though Menzuomen, aged and past his prime, was no longer the imposing figure he once was at his peak, he was still Menzuomen!
The squad leader continued, "Listen up... here's my idea. We'll separate shortly; my squad will scatter to locate Amegakure's Barrier Unit. Once we discover them, we'll immediately send a signal. Then your squad will step in, deal with them, and break through the Barrier."
"Splitting into smaller groups? That sounds way too risky. And... can you guarantee that the enemy's Barrier Unit is indeed within this Barrier?" Haseo questioned.
Saying "too risky" was putting it politely. After all, they were already at a numerical disadvantage. At a time like this, wouldn't dispersing forces equate to seeking self-destruction?
"There must always be sacrifices when attempting to break through the Barrier. As long as at least one of our two squads successfully withdraws, that can count as our victory. Then you must report back to the Forward Command Post about Amegakure's starting of cleansing operations against our squads. If that succeeds, then everything will be perfect."
"As for your concern about the Barrier Unit's position, if I'm not mistaken, this barrier should be the [Wandering Realm Jutsu], which normally centers around the user when activated. Therefore, there's at least a ninety percent chance the Barrier Unit is inside the barrier itself," explained the squad leader.
Haseo was certainly aware of the dangers and had even considered the worst-case scenarios, but compared to the squad leader, his understanding clearly fell short.
The squad leader had assigned his own team to take on the most dangerous part of the operation—by his own admission, their death rate must be at least ninety percent. But it wasn't out of any sense of sacrifice; they'd only just met. He wouldn't go so far as to sacrifice his men for a complete stranger like Haseo. Rather, he made the suggestion purely based on the likelihood of success.
His squad was already damaged and lacked full combat strength, while Haseo's unit remained intact. Plus, the leader trusted Haseo's abilities—he even suspected that Haseo was stronger than himself. Thus, Haseo's squad had a better survival rate, which led him to offer what was a completely rational—and arguably cold-blooded—suggestion.
If Haseo weren't a known ninja, the roles would've definitely been swapped.
After all, Haseo came to ninjutsu later in life. His mindset just wasn't ruthless enough.
Cold-blooded? Naturally. On the battlefield, lives are just numbers. Losing a tail is just how you survive like a lizard does.
Haseo took a deep breath, the cold air biting into his lungs. After a moment, he nodded and said,
"I understand. We'll proceed as you suggested."
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