Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!
The Sarutobi ninja's blazing fire dragon tore through the sky, the fiery glow illuminating the collapsed buildings and the narrow, chaotic battlefield.
From over thirty meters away, Hajime watched from the edge of the battleground. The flames reflected in his pupils, and he couldn't help being a little surprised— even a random Sarutobi foot soldier could cast such an advanced Fire Release.
The surge of heat left a flaming trail like an arrow loosed from its string, and the air around it rippled and warped.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
Just as the dragon was about to hit, a Ishihe ninja (Ishihe clan) quickly weaved signs. With a thunderous boom, a thick earthen wall surged up from the ground, intercepting the fire dragon's path.
Boom!
The long streak of flame slammed directly into the wall, squeezed flat into a "fire pancake."
The heavy wall shuddered violently, as if a giant fiery hand had just slapped it. The explosion roared, and waves of heat burst out in every direction, even making the ground tremble.
"Watch out!"
Another Sarutobi ninja shouted. The one who'd cast the Fire Release instinctively sensed danger and jumped aside— just as several sharp earthen spikes erupted from the ground where he'd stood.
Earth Release: Earth Spear!
A Ishihe ninja's hands turned into massive rock fists as he charged forward for close combat.
Fire Release: Great Blaze Ball!
A Sarutobi ninja avoided direct confrontation, countering from the side with fire.
Earth Release: Earth Spear!
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
Ninjutsu flew everywhere on the battlefield. Hajime couldn't help nodding as he watched— the Sarutobi clan's flame bullets weren't much different from the ones he used himself.
The two sides fought with Fire and Earth Release techniques. No one had fallen yet, but this wasn't a child's sparring match. Once someone ran out of chakra, casualties were inevitable.
Hajime carefully studied the battle. As time went on, the formation and coordination of each side inevitably began to fall apart. Gradually, fewer and fewer allies surrounded the Sarutobi ninja carrying the supply scroll. On the edge of the battlefield, a clear path had opened.
A good chance— right now!
Hajime immediately slipped into the battle.
The Sarutobi ninja was in the middle of weaving signs when he suddenly felt the weight on his shoulder lighten— the heavy scroll was gone.
He instinctively turned and saw a stranger behind him, a young man's face with a sheepish, almost apologetic smile.
"Too heavy? Slowing you down? I'll hold it for you."
Hajime sliced through the strap binding the supply scroll, tucked it under one arm, and at the same time subtly tripped and shoved the Sarutobi ninja, almost making him fall.
Then he turned and sprinted away without a shred of hesitation. After all, even thieves have principles— stealing is stealing, but you don't have to make it personal.
Hajime still respected the Sarutobi name; he didn't want unnecessary bloodshed. If he'd really wanted to, one strike from behind would have guaranteed that no one chased him.
Even though his entrance, theft, and escape were fluid and well-timed, on a battlefield this tense, such a suspicious movement couldn't go unnoticed.
He awkwardly formed hand signs and hurled a fireball at a Ishihe ninja who tried to block him, then shouted while fleeing:
"I'll take the supplies and pull back first! You hold them off and retreat after— don't get bogged down! Protect the supplies!"
He deliberately kept his head low so the other Sarutobi couldn't see his face clearly.
The battlefield was chaos; since Hajime had appeared so suddenly and no one had sensed him approach, the Sarutobi subconsciously assumed he was one of their own.
As for the Ishihe ninjas— he'd just cast Fire Release, hadn't he? Must be a Sarutobi.
The duck they were about to cook had suddenly flown off— they couldn't let it escape.
"Wait, you—!"
The Sarutobi ninja who had been carrying the scroll instantly realized something was wrong. He didn't know this person at all! How could a stranger be allowed to run off with the clan's supplies?
But before he could warn the others, the Ishihe ninja pressed the attack again.
The Sarutobi fought desperately to hold them back, determined not to let any enemy leave the battlefield— ensuring the supplies could be "safely" taken away.
Hajime knew the Sarutobi would eventually notice the theft, but he only needed them to buy him a minute or two.
He slipped out of the battle, darted behind a half-collapsed wall that blocked everyone's view, and dove straight into a tree.
His figure vanished completely— for the owners, the chances of ever finding him again were practically zero.
Steal and run— exhilarating.
Let them have their chaos; none of that concerned him.
As far as Hajime was concerned, he was just a neutral spectator. He hadn't hurt anyone— so whatever supplies he got counted as a fair and lawful income.
See? He could've assassinated a few Sarutobi ninjas easily, but he didn't.
Everything he took from the battlefield— besides his own life— counted as life money.
It wasn't that assassinating Sarutobi was easier than killing members of the Tsukawa clan, but the Sarutobi were already locked in battle with the Stone River.
As a third-party opportunist, striking them was low-risk, high-return, and twice the result for half the effort.
After escaping with the scroll, there was no way they could ever find him.
No one could— which meant the supply scroll no longer had an owner.
An ownerless item, naturally, belonged to whoever found it.
Therefore, Hajime's "ownership" was perfectly proper and morally sound.
He wasn't violating any law or custom— quite the opposite.
After he'd put enough distance between himself and the battle, Hajime canceled his Mayfly Technique, emerging from the earth.
He retied the broken strap of the scroll, slung it across his back, and began heading toward his clan's camp.
This trip had been more than worthwhile:
his "experience pack" theory had been proven, one White Zetsu had rapidly boosted his power,
and now, he'd conveniently "found" a scroll of supplies his camp desperately needed.
Whether the Sarutobi intended those supplies for the front lines or for their own village, they certainly contained everything Hajime's camp lacked. This one scroll could greatly ease their survival burden.
Everything had gone smoothly— no extra trouble, no casualties.
It almost seemed like Hajime's luck was finally turning.
But in this war-torn era, could something like "smooth sailing" truly exist?