Ringo Yuriko only had time to let out a muffled groan before the Lightning Release Chakra gathered on her body was instantly dispersed by a hurricane, sending her flying straight backward.
However, in just an instant, she adjusted her posture and landed lightly. Her wary eyes locked onto the figure that had sent her flying.
At the same time, Haku and Chōjūrō finished clearing out Naruto's Shadow Clones and quickly rushed to Ringo Yuriko's side to face the newly appeared powerful enemy together.
"Why didn't you prioritize the target?" Chōjūrō was the first to ask.
As the insurance for this mission, Ringo Yuriko should have struck the vital points when she made her move.
Therefore, no matter how one thought about it, Ringo Yuriko's target should have been the hidden client, not Naruto.
"I couldn't find them. I originally intended to force the information out."
Ringo Yuriko stared intently at the black-clad figure ahead as she finished speaking.
[What's going on? Why is my heart racing just by looking at this person? Is it because I can't see her 'height'?]
She subconsciously gripped the hilt of her blade, sweat beads forming on her forehead.
Intuition told her that her previous thought wasn't quite accurate.
Haku glanced at Ringo Yuriko surreptitiously, keenly noticing the abnormality in her current state.
On the other side, Naruto also stared unblinkingly at the figure before him who had saved him, someone only slightly taller than himself.
Normally, he would have jumped up excitedly to ask questions or give thanks.
But at this moment, his heart was racing uncontrollably, as if instinctively attracted to the person before him.
Kakashi and Zabuza backed away after a clash, landing back by Naruto's side.
"Are you alright, Naruto?" Kakashi asked.
"Yeah," Naruto responded, his gaze still fixed forward.
"Thanks, that was a huge help." Kakashi turned to the black-clad figure beside him. "Would it be convenient to reveal your Anbu code name?"
Kakashi was familiar with the mask of this short Anbu member.
Although the masks of Anbu from various countries looked similar, there were details that other nations could not imitate.
Therefore, as far as the mask was concerned, this person's identity was genuine.
"Kyuu. On the return trip from a completed mission."
Amane did not say these words aloud; instead, she used a hand signal unique to the Konoha Anbu.
Kakashi nodded imperceptibly, temporarily letting go of his slight wariness toward Kyuu's appearance.
Then Amane made a few more hand signals, saying:
"Your client has been 'hidden' by me, about 200 meters to the northeast. As for your other two subordinates, after I healed them, I had one stay behind to guard, and the other insisted on rushing over."
This was also what Amane had done just after Naruto swapped the client.
Sure enough, not long after the signals were finished, a strange sound came from the woods, and a black-haired youth emerged from them, arriving beside Kakashi and Amane.
"Sasuke, you guys are okay!" Naruto shouted happily.
"Shut up, you super idiot. I'm not dead yet."
Sasuke stared intently at the two people in front, his eyes radiating a blood-red glow.
Kakashi was startled and couldn't help but say:
"Sasuke, your eyes..."
In Sasuke's eyes, two Magatama had clearly emerged.
After a moment of surprise, Kakashi felt a surge of joy.
Sasuke's combat power had soared by a level!
Looking at the opposing lineup again, Kakashi felt that if he were given a week to personally train Naruto and the others, their combat power could be leveled to a certain extent.
However... looking at the reddish-brown haired girl on the opposite side, Kakashi thought silently: except for her.
At this time, Amane was also looking at this old friend whom she had thought not long ago would be best never to meet again.
She couldn't help but feel that the world was truly unpredictable.
How did they run into each other so unprepared?
There is no perfect technique in this world; any marvelous Ninjutsu has a way to be countered. And to break the link of sight and sound through Natural Energy, the solution was naturally 'invisibility' and 'immobility'.
So Amane immediately thought of Yoru.
She had once helped Yoru develop Ice Release, one of the results being a physical Genjutsu that used lens principles to achieve invisibility.
She didn't expect the influence of her butterfly effect to reach this far.
"Everyone from the Hidden Mist, can you retreat now?"
Kakashi suddenly spoke up.
"Do you think you've already won?" Zabuza's tone was cold, his eyes staring at Amane like a hawk's.
It seemed there was no hope for a surrender, and Kakashi couldn't help but prepare for battle.
Instantly, the surrounding mist began to grow thicker, quickly reaching the point where one couldn't see their own hand.
"Damn! This trick again!"
Naruto said, raising his Kunai and keeping a careful watch.
"Don't worry, with me here, the Hiding in Mist Technique is useless."
The voice was raspy and devoid of emotion, clearly an artificially processed vocal line.
Before the words finished, a strong wind had already wrapped around Amane's body, making her black robe flap loudly.
[To actually wrap Wind Nature Chakra around one's body!]
Kakashi was deeply shaken.
The wind attribute was the most offensive and destructive of the five Chakra natures; manipulating it with bare hands could easily lead to serious injury or even severed limbs!
Yet this short Anbu member named Kyuu could actually 'wear' Wind Nature Chakra on their body. How could this not shock Kakashi!
Amane raised her hand and swung it fiercely forward, a violent hurricane instantly tearing apart the signature Ninjutsu of the Hidden Mist Village.
The thick fog dissipated, instantly exposing Zabuza, who was preparing a flanking attack, and Chōjūrō, who was trying to slip into the dense forest to search.
At the same time, Amane's hand, wrapped in Wind Nature Chakra, effortlessly clamped onto the blade thrust by Ringo Yuriko, who had lunged forward in an instant.
"Who are you!"
Seeing her attack so easily neutralized, the throbbing in Ringo Yuriko's heart grew more intense as she questioned sharply.
Amane:... "Tsk! Then I'll just rip that mask off of you!"
Seeing this, Ringo Yuriko launched a fierce flying kick toward Amane's mask with her other leg!
However, just as she was about to hit, a massive force, as if crashing into a tornado, suddenly struck, instantly causing her to lose balance and sending her flying back once again!
"Yuriko!"
Haku's senbon shot out in response!
Amane similarly did not dodge or evade. When the senbon drew near, the whirlwind surrounding her swept them in, instantly shredding them to pieces.
Haku panicked and immediately looked toward Ringo Yuriko, who had been blown away earlier, only to see her quickly stand up as if nothing was wrong.
?
It seemed Ringo Yuriko had used Chakra to tank the hit.
While Haku breathed a sigh of relief, Amane's processed voice rang out:
"These two kids are quite strong; I'll play with them. Kakashi-senpai, I'll leave the rest to you and your subordinates."
Kakashi responded, feeling that this arrangement was appropriate; Haku and Ringo Yuriko were completely beyond what Naruto and Sasuke could handle right now.
"Naruto, Sasuke, go stop that youth."
As he spoke, Kakashi had already engaged in battle with Zabuza once more.
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