With just a brief sensory sweep, Umino Yoru grasped the situation.
Fujin and Raijin, with their bottomless stomachs and zero foresight, had devoured over a hundred pounds of fish in less than ten days. Their squad leader, Yamikumo, had been forced to sell their weapons for ration pills—and now, the brothers were starving again, fishing half-heartedly while muttering about when they'd see their "Boss Supreme" again.
"Hmm…" Umino Yoru halted mid-step, stroking his chin.
If I can lure that Sand jōnin away… Fujin and Raijin could crush the remaining Sand ninja in seconds.
The more he thought about it, the more viable the plan seemed.
Treated as two taijutsu-specialized tokubetsu jōnin, Fujin and Raijin could stall the Sand jōnin long enough for him to eliminate the rest with a large-scale Hidden Mist Technique and silent assassination. If things went south, he could always detonate hundreds of explosive tags to signal Konoha reinforcements.
"Perfect."
With a quick Transformation Jutsu, he dashed downstream.
"Boss Supreme!"
"Senpai!"
Fujin, Raijin, and Anma Keion lit up like lost puppies reunited with their owner.
After a quick exchange, Umino Yoru handed them honey-glazed energy bars to curb their hunger.
"Mmm… So sweet. Thank you, senpai."
Anma Keion's crescent-moon eyes shimmered as she nibbled the bar, each bite filling her with warmth. Her gaze at Umino Yoru shifted from admiration to something… fluttery.
"WOW! So good!"
"Boss Supreme, you're the best!"
Even Fujin and Raijin, who usually inhaled food, licked the bars slowly, savoring every crumb.
Seizing the moment, Umino Yoru planted the seed:
"Want more of these?"
"YES!" They nodded like woodpeckers.
"Sigh… Too bad the Sand ninja stole them all."
"WHAT?!"
Their rage spiked instantly. "Where are they?! We'll smash 'em and take our food back!"
"Senpai, you found Sand ninja?"
Anma Keion saw through his ploy but volunteered anyway. "Let me help. Every fighter counts."
Umino Yoru hesitated—but her genjutsu could be a game-changer in group combat. He agreed.
"Kill Sand ninja! Get food!"
"RAAH!"
Fujin and Raijin raised their clubs, roaring.
"Quiet!" Umino Yoru hissed. "If we're loud, the village will take most of the food. Steal it quietly, and we keep it all."
Miraculously, the mention of "more food for them" activated their stealth mode. Guess they've done this before.
"Fujin, Raijin—drop the wooden clubs. Use these."
From a scroll, he summoned two massive steel poles—over two meters long and thick as an arm. Originally for Spiral Hollow Wave training, they were perfect for the brothers.
The moment they gripped the hundred-pound weapons, their movements became fluid, almost graceful.
"Boss Supreme… We won't trade these for food again!"
"Yeah! We promise!"
Ah. So their original weapons were steel poles—until they pawned them for meals.
Now armed properly, their combat prowess skyrocketed. With the poles planted, they looked almost as intimidating as Choji in Expansion Jutsu.
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"Stand still."
Umino Yoru weaved hand signs.
"Water Release: Sticky Syrup Armor!"
A golden, hardened syrup encased Fujin and Raijin.
"Good."
Their offense was monstrous, but their defense relied on brute durability—and their low IQ made them vulnerable. The armor fixed that.
Anma Keion, however, didn't get the same treatment. At her frail size, the syrup's weight might crush her.
"Move out!"
They set off—but within 100 meters, Umino Yoru frowned.
Fujin and Raijin kept pace easily, but Anma Keion's speed was worse than a standard genin's. At this rate, the Sand team would escape.
"Keion, get on."
Trusting Fujin and Raijin to carry her was risky—they might accidentally snap her in half.
"Eh? O-Okay…"
Her face burned crimson as she weakly slumped onto his back.
Umino Yoru hooked his arms under her thighs and blitzed forward with Body Flicker.
Pressed against him, Anma Keion felt a warm, secure sensation she'd never known. Her left cheek tingled where it touched his shoulder, and her scalp prickled as if ants were crawling under her skin.
"Keion, stop squirming."
He adjusted his grip, keeping her steady. At this speed, a single misstep could send them crashing into a tree—and while he'd survive, her fragile body wouldn't.
"Y-Yes, senpai…"
Her whisper was so faint, only his sound-ninja training caught it.