Hidden in the dense forest near the Kaguya clan's territory, Hibari and his group held their breath, concealed behind a massive rock. Hitenn had his Byakugan activated, continuously observing the situation within the Kaguya clan's compound through the giant stone.
After a long while, he spoke, "I'm not sure what's going on, but there aren't many people inside. Most of them are women and children, with only a few adult males present."
Hibari stroked his chin upon hearing this, then said, "Although the Land of Water hasn't started fighting the Land of Earth yet, there have been many skirmishes. The Kaguya clan members are all battle maniacs; maybe they all went out to cause trouble?"
"Then what should we do? Should we change targets? Wait here? Or go in and kill women and children? Isn't that a bit too much?" Kagami asked after a moment of thought.
"Don't underestimate these women and children. The Kaguya clan is one of the rare clans where everyone is a shinobi. Who knows, some of them might be even stronger than you..." Hibari said with a chuckle.
Kagami was stunned for a moment, then said, "If they're shinobi, then that's indeed a different story. I won't hold back when I act."
Hibari, after some thought, said, "Perhaps, but if we charge in, it wouldn't align with our previously established 'secret Iwagakure operation.' Since this situation is a bit unexpected, let's change targets. Let's leave here first, find a place to properly consider what our next target should be..."
After Hibari finished speaking, the others nodded in agreement. However, just as they were about to leave, Hitenn suddenly spoke, "New development..."
"What is it?" Hibari stopped and asked.
"I pushed my Byakugan to its strongest extent and can clearly see everything within a radius of about two kilometers. On the small path past this hill, some Kaguya clan members are returning..." Hitenn said, rubbing the corners of his eyes after deactivating his Byakugan state, where his blood vessels were visibly bulging.
As the young patriarch of the Hyuga clan's main branch, Hitenn possessed a very high purity of Byakugan. Not only that, his strength and aptitude were also formidable, so his ability to see things within two kilometers with his Byakugan didn't surprise Hibari.
If one considers Neji Hyuga in the future, at sixteen, his Byakugan could see at least eight hundred meters. Perhaps in other aspects, the Byakugan isn't as powerful as the Sharingan, but in this regard, it is unparalleled.
"Returning? Well, that's good; it saves us from running around. We'll just go and take them all out," Hibari said, grinning.
However, Hitenn wasn't as relaxed; instead, he said, "It's a bit different from what we expected. There are five people approaching... They can be considered a small squad, and they're a Kekkei Genkai squad."
Hearing Hitenn's words, everyone's expressions turned serious. Hibari also stroked his chin, lost in thought. After a long moment, Hibari said, "Then we'll slightly alter our plan. Originally, we were supposed to appear as if we were accidentally discovered, but now we'll switch to an ambush operation. Don't hold back; use your strongest states and quickly take them out. But there's one thing to remember: absolutely do not let any of them escape alive. Afterward, completely destroy the scene and leave no trace that could lead to our true identities. Understood?"
As Hibari's words fell, a killing intent flashed across the bodies of all the Anbu squad members, and they collectively responded in a low voice, "Understood!"
"According to your squads, move out!" Hibari snapped his fingers.
The next second, the members of the three squads all disappeared using the Body Flicker Jutsu, with only Hitenn remaining by Hibari's side.
This was their three-squad operational mode: although Hitenn and Hibari were also responsible for two of the squads, for ambush missions, Kagami would lead the other members, including Sakumo, to the 'front line' to set up the ambush. Hibari and Hitenn would observe from the rear.
Their division of labor was simple: Hitenn was responsible for gathering information about the surroundings, and Hibari was responsible for making judgments based on that information and issuing operational commands.
It was like this when they ambushed Kinkaku, and it was the same now!
Then, Hibari and Hitenn also quickly left and waited at a suitable location.
A few minutes later, near the path on the other side of the hill, Kagami and his team had suppressed their presence, blending into the environment, and were lying in ambush.
At the same time, on a slope not far behind them, Hibari and Hitenn were also hidden.
"Not here yet?" Hibari asked softly.
"Almost here. They look very relaxed, not vigilant at all, as if they're on a picnic," Hitenn said softly, observing the situation with his Byakugan activated.
"After all, this is within the Land of Water's territory, not far from their home. It's reasonable for them to have their guard down under normal circumstances. But that's good; it makes it easier for us to act," Hibari said with a smile.
After a slight pause, Hibari asked again, "Can you tell how strong they are?"
After hearing Hibari's words, Hitenn turned to look at Hibari, then said, "Deputy Commander, in terms of chakra volume, yes, I can tell. One of them has much more chakra than an average elite Jonin, but not to your excessive extent. The other four are inconsistent, but they're all standard. As for their actual strength, it can't be measured by chakra volume, so our Byakugan can't do that."
Hibari scratched his head awkwardly, then said, "I just asked casually; you don't need to explain it so clearly..."
After a brief pause, Hibari asked again, "Who has the most chakra? Which direction are they walking in? I'll strike first and take that guy out later."
"The one currently leading is... they're almost here!" Hitenn said in a low voice.
Then, within Hibari's line of sight, five figures slowly emerged from the end of the path. The leader was an older-looking man, while the other four were younger males, seemingly his bodyguards. They wore no forehead protectors or similar items, only clothing adorned with their Kaguya clan's emblem.
It must be said, the Kaguya clan members looked somewhat abnormal. They all had the same hairstyle and two red dots on their brows, combined with their slightly wild gazes, which made one feel a bit uncomfortable.
"No wonder they live in such a remote corner. If it were me, I wouldn't want to be neighbors with these seemingly problematic guys either..." Hibari licked the corner of his mouth and said.
"Deputy Commander, Kagami's team is preparing to move," Hitenn said softly.
Hibari also lightly stretched his wrist, then formed a Summoning Jutsu hand sign, placing his hand on the ground to summon three heavenly scrolls.
Then, Hibari opened the scrolls and took out two smaller scrolls. He handed one to Hitenn and said, "Hitenn, a technique is sealed inside this one. I'll take this scroll to the other side of the path later. Watch for my hand signal. At that time, I can activate this sign to instantly deploy a simple barrier that will cut off all sound and movement here, to make things easier for us. After all, this place is too close to the Kaguya clan's territory; it wouldn't be good if we made too much noise."
Hitenn took the scroll and asked, "Deputy Commander, do I just need to unseal it? What kind of barrier is sealed inside?"
"You just need to unseal it. I'll handle the activation of the technique. As for this barrier, it's nothing high-end. As I said, it's a simple even-numbered barrier called the 'Dual Formation: Sound-Muffling Barrier.' Aside from muffling sound and reducing shock, it's not of much use," Hibari said very casually.
Hitenn nodded and said, "I understand."
As his words fell, Hibari's figure had already vanished from beside him. Then, within Hitenn's 360-degree Byakugan vision, Hibari appeared on the hill on the other side of the path in a few flashes and made an 'OK' gesture to him.
Seeing this, Hitenn didn't hesitate. He swiftly unsealed the small scroll in his hand with simple hand signs. As soon as he laid the small scroll on the ground, the technique and hidden text spread out from the scroll, covering two meters of the ground.
Watching this, Hitenn softly murmured, "He said it was simple, but I think it's quite complex..."
As his words fell, Hibari had also laid his small scroll on the ground. Similarly, complex techniques and hidden text spread out from the scroll, and a connection was established between the two techniques.
Seeing this, Hibari's lips curled into a smile. Then, he began to observe Kagami's actions.
At this moment, Kagami, watching the five approaching Kaguya clan members, slowly began forming hand signs. There was nothing innovative; it was still the hand signs for the B-rank Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique.
This was already an unspoken understanding among their Anbu squad members before acting. Kagami Uchiha would release the fire, and the others would use Wind Release to augment it. A B-rank ninjutsu would instantly achieve A-rank power. At the same time, using the flames as cover, they could seize the opportunity to quickly strike and eliminate their targets.
When the final 'Tiger' hand sign was completed, Kagami took a deep breath, his chest slightly expanding. Then, standing on a treetop, he looked down at the five individuals and roared, "Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
As his words fell, a dragon of fire instantly spewed from his mouth. Simultaneously, several Wind Release ninjutsu from all directions augmented it, and the fire, fueled by the wind, grew even stronger in moments.
"Who's there?! Disperse!" The Kaguya clan leader instantly shouted.
As his words faded, a surge of chakra erupted from Hibari's hand. He slapped it onto the scroll laid on the ground. The next second, an invisible force spread out from the small scroll, and in just an instant, it linked with Hitenn's scroll, forming a transparent circular barrier around them, encompassing everyone.
Only then did Hibari stand up, a glint of killing intent in his eyes, and softly murmured, "The hunt has begun..."
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