Aoba was almost certain that if the Cloud Ninja knew he was in the team, they would attack without hesitation. Even the mission objective of destroying the supplies might not take priority over killing him.
And he had no doubt that Danzo might very well leak his whereabouts to the enemy.
So, from the moment they left Konoha, Aoba had been on high alert. This puzzled Anko, who was beside him.
"Hey, Aoba, you're being way too paranoid. We've only been out of Konoha for a day. No matter how skilled the Cloud Ninja are, they wouldn't ambush us deep in the Land of Fire. Relax a little, will you?"
However, Anko failed to notice the unusually grave expression that had settled on Aoba's face.
He turned to her and pulled out a small metal cylinder the size of a syringe.
"This is a recovery potion I made. It can quickly heal external injuries and restore some stamina, with no side effects. If you get seriously wounded later, remember to take it immediately."
"That's amazing—I had no idea you could make something like this. Wait, what do you mean 'if you get seriously wounded later'?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. They're already here."
As he spoke, Aoba drew the Kusanagi Sword from his back. The sight of it made Anko's eyes flicker slightly. She was all too familiar with this sword—it had once belonged to her teacher, Orochimaru.
But there was no time to dwell on that now, because Anko, too, had begun to sense something amiss in their surroundings.
"Alert! Enemy attack!" she shouted.
The next moment, a barrage of kunai and shuriken rained down on them from all directions.
Thanks to Anko's warning, most of the Konoha ninja managed to defend themselves. A few Earth Release techniques blocked the majority of the attacks.
But then came the Cloud Ninja—over a hundred of them.
The ones at the forefront crackled with visible lightning. These were the elite taijutsu specialists who had mastered the Cloud Ninja's secret technique: Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
Their taijutsu differed from Aoba's Wind Release-enhanced style. They used lightning to fortify their bodies, boosting their speed, strength, and durability.
They transformed what should have been agile assassins into heavily armored warriors, leaving most ninja at a loss when facing them.
Amid the overwhelming assault, Aoba stood motionless. A swirling vortex of wind enveloped him, deflecting every kunai and shuriken a meter away from his body.
The eerie sight made it seem as though all attacks simply curved around him.
The assailants advanced in formation, targeting the supply team.
Three of them, their bodies blazing with the most intense lightning, immediately locked onto Aoba.
Every one of Aoba's suspicions had come true. They weren't just bait—he was the most crucial lure of all.The current issue was when Konoha's reinforcements would arrive. Since this was a trap, there should be backup. Hopefully, the reinforcements wouldn't show up only after they were all dead.
Aoba swung his sword horizontally. The Air Cutting Flash sliced through the air, but the lead ninja actually raised his arm and blocked the strike directly. Aoba noticed the special metal bracer on his forearm—apparently designed specifically to counter this move of his.
With the Air Cutting Flash blocked, the next instant, three ninjas accelerated by Lightning Release charged at Aoba. He could even see the smug expression on the face of the lead ninja. At this distance, engaging Cloud Ninjas enhanced by Lightning Release was an extremely disadvantageous situation. They clearly thought they had him cornered.
The three attacking ninjas were at least Special Jonin level. With their combined strength and close-quarters combat, even an elite Jonin from Konoha might not hold out.
Instead of retreating, Aoba lunged forward, thrusting the Kusanagi Sword straight at the opponent's throat.
Clang!
The ninja actually used his metal gauntlet to grab the blade, stopping the Kusanagi Sword in its tracks.
"Die!" the Cloud Ninja shouted, his other hand crackling with lightning as he stabbed toward Aoba's chest. The other two Cloud Ninjas closed in from different angles, sealing off all escape routes.
Yet at that moment, the corner of Aoba's mouth twitched slightly. The Kusanagi Sword suddenly extended, piercing straight through the ninja's throat.
With a twist of the blade, Aoba shredded his windpipe before stepping forward and slamming into his chest.
One kill in an instant, while simultaneously evading the other two attackers. The remaining two were lightning-fast—undeterred by their failed strike, they pressed forward again, trying to seize the initiative. The threat of Aoba's Kusanagi Sword was simply too great.
But while they were fast, Aoba wasn't slow either. The extended blade swung again. The ninja on the right raised his bracer to block—only to realize there was no metallic clash.
Instead, the Kusanagi Sword retracted, dodging his bracer, then extended once more, repeating the same move and piercing his throat.
Aoba then spun around, slicing open the last Cloud Ninja's throat. The man hadn't even reacted—because at that moment, he was entangled by a swarm of snakes.
Aoba had already caught Anko's flanking support in his peripheral vision, which was why he'd confidently dealt with the enemy on his right first.
The entire exchange lasted no more than ten seconds. Three Special Jonin-level Cloud Ninjas had all fallen to Aoba's blade.
This was how battles between skilled ninjas often went—life and death decided in an instant.
However, right after killing the three, Anko collapsed to her knees in front of Aoba. She pulled out the potion he had given her and drank it in one gulp.
Only then did Aoba notice the massive wound on her abdomen—it looked like someone had punched straight through her stomach, her intestines nearly spilling out.
Yet under the effects of the Life Potion, such a severe injury healed rapidly. In less than ten seconds, the wound vanished without a trace.
Anko herself seemed stunned. She touched her stomach, disbelief in her voice as she muttered,
"Aoba, this potion of yours… it's just…"Before she could finish speaking, the two found themselves in a fierce battle once again. The enemies were far more numerous than expected. At least a hundred Cloud Ninjas had participated in this ambush.
The weakest among them were chunin—this was undoubtedly an elite force.
Anko's expression darkened as she struggled in the intense fight.
"How is this possible? To encounter so many enemies in this location. Aoba, I'm afraid our mission is doomed to fail."
"No, in fact, we've already completed our mission exceptionally well. I even feel we might have overperformed."