"Yes, there are quite a few," Kiyohara confirmed.
Iwagakure specialized in two things: Earth Release and sheer, overwhelming numbers. They were the ultimate "human wave" faction.
The most famous example was the death of the Third Raikage. He fought ten thousand Iwagakure shinobi alone for three days and nights before finally succumbing to exhaustion.
'Ten thousand,' Kiyohara thought, trying to picture it. 'An entire valley packed shoulder-to-shoulder with enemies, all chasing one lightning-clad tank of a man. The logistics of feeding that army alone must have been a nightmare.'
"Enemies," Kakashi whispered, confirming Kiyohara's assessment.
He subtly signaled the team. They lowered their voices and turned their backs to the brush, ensuring their lips couldn't be read.
"It seems only Kiyohara and Kakashi discovered them quickly," Minato observed quietly. "The rest of you need to sharpen your senses."
He nodded to himself. It was a good split. Kakashi led one team, Kiyohara led the other. Both sides had a capable scout.
"My path diverges from yours soon," Minato said, his voice barely a whisper. "From this moment on, you must resolve your own troubles."
He intended to use this skirmish as a live-fire exercise. He would only intervene if death was imminent.
"Understood," Kakashi responded.
He shifted his weight, preparing to blitz the brush.
But the enemy didn't wait.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three shuriken tore through the leaves, aimed straight for the group.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Kakashi drew his White Light Chakra Sabre in a blur, deflecting the projectiles with ease.
"They spotted us!" Kakashi cursed. The element of surprise was gone. It was going to be a head-on clash.
"Heh! My turn!"
Obito, eager to redeem himself for being late, jumped forward. His hands flew through the seals.
Snake. Ram. Monkey. Boar. Horse. Tiger.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
He took a deep breath, gathering chakra in his lungs.
Poof.
Instead of a raging inferno, a small, pathetic puff of smoke and a candle-sized flame sputtered from his mouth.
"Cough! Cough!"
Obito hacked, clutching his throat. In his excitement, he had molded the chakra too fast and choked on the smoke.
"The Konoha ninja found us! Kill them!"
The Iwagakure captain, a scarred middle-aged man, abandoned stealth.
He recognized the blonde hair of Minato Namikaze. His original plan had been to hide like a rat until the Yellow Flash passed, then ambush stragglers. But since they were spotted, desperation took over.
"Captain!"
A younger Iwa-nin leaped out, throwing two more shuriken at Kakashi.
Kakashi raised his sabre to deflect them, just as he had done before.
"Don't block it!"
Kiyohara moved.
His hands blurred.
Dog. Horse. Bird.
1.5 seconds.
He drew two shuriken, channeling Wind Release chakra into the metal. The blades hummed, coated in a razor-sharp vacuum.
Whoosh!
The wind-infused shuriken flew faster than standard throws. They struck the incoming enemy projectiles mid-air, knocking them violently off course and back toward the thrower.
BOOM!
The moment Kiyohara's shuriken made contact, the enemy weapons detonated.
It was an Explosive Tag trap. The enemy had wrapped tags around the handles. If Kakashi had blocked them with his sword at close range, the explosion would have blown his arms off.
The shockwave ripped through the clearing. The young Iwa-nin who threw them was caught in the blast of his own trap. He was instantly shredded, reduced to a bloody mist and smoking ruin.
"What happened?" Genma squinted through the dust, senbon shifting nervously in his mouth.
Kakashi stared at the crater where he had been standing a second ago. He realized it instantly.
He glanced at Kiyohara, a cold sweat breaking out on his back. Without that interception, the mission would have ended for him right there.
'Thank you, future me,' Kiyohara thought.
In truth, he hadn't noticed the tags either. But the Missing-nin—invisible and hovering right next to the enemy—had seen everything.
"Excellent reaction," Minato nodded, impressed.
He had been ready to teleport in, but Kiyohara had beaten him to the punch.
"Daikoku!"
The Iwa captain screamed the name of his fallen subordinate. But Daikoku was gone.
"Kill them!"
Kiyohara didn't hesitate. He drew his Kunai and charged.
The explosion hadn't just killed one; the shockwave had disoriented the other three. A wounded Chunin was just walking experience points... and loot.
'I apologize, enemies,' Kiyohara thought, his eyes locking onto the captain's gear pouches. 'But please turn into cold, hard cash. I have a debt to pay.'
Clang!
The captain drew a long Tachi (sword), parrying Kiyohara's strike. Sparks flew.
The man was skilled—a veteran of twenty years—but his right arm was bleeding from shrapnel, slowing his counterattack.
Kiyohara pressed the advantage, his strikes relentless.
Seeing this, Kakashi shook off his shock and engaged the second enemy.
"Ninja Art: Senbon Rain!"
Genma spat the needle from his mouth. He formed a seal, and the single needle multiplied into a dozen illusory copies, raining down on the third enemy.
Rin and Kurenai stayed back, guarding the perimeter and watching for reinforcements.
Obito was still clutching his throat. The failed Fireball had scorched his esophagus. It felt like he had swallowed a hot coal.
"Damn it! Only a brat, yet you push me this far!"
The Iwa captain roared in frustration.
"I've practiced the sword for twenty years! How can I lose to a Genin?!"
He lunged for a desperate, final strike.
Squelch.
Kiyohara sidestepped the clumsy swing. He drove his Kunai into the man's abdomen, twisting it sharply to the right to sever the internal organs.
"Ugh..."
The captain collapsed, his face twisted in disbelief and unwillingness.
"Don't worry," Kiyohara whispered, wiping his blade. "It's just business."
'Did you think shouting "Don't underestimate the middle-aged!" would give you a power-up?' Kiyohara shook his head. 'Rage without skill is just suicide.'
A moment later, Kakashi finished his opponent with a swift strike to the neck. They left the last one alive for interrogation, only knocking him unconscious.
"Well done," Minato said, stepping out from the trees.
The skirmish had lasted less than a minute. Everyone had performed well—except Obito, who was currently drinking water to soothe his burnt throat.
"Kiyohara... you don't need to be quite so eager," Minato said with a wry smile.
He watched as Kiyohara immediately knelt beside the dead captain, rummaging through his pouches with the speed of a professional thief.
"Understood, Minato-sensei," Kiyohara said, not stopping.
He slowed down, but he didn't stop.
Ninja tools were expensive. Kunai, shuriken, wire, tags—it all cost Ryō. And right now, Kiyohara needed every coin he could scavenge.
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