Chapter 35: Skilled Ambush Tactics
With a single use of the Body Flicker Technique, Kei appeared behind an Iwa-nin in an instant. Seizing the perfect moment before the enemy could react, Kei's ninjatō pierced through the man's heart from behind.
Without pausing for even a second, Kei quickly pulled back after dispatching the target and charged toward the remaining members of the enemy squad.
Thirty seconds later, deep within the forest, the remaining three Iwa-nin were sent to join their captain in the afterlife, one after another.
Just as Minato had said, these Iwa-nin weren't particularly powerful. Without any unique bloodline traits, their chakra levels and combat abilities were rather underwhelming.
Kei took a deep breath. By now, he had eliminated at least four such squads. Against the power of his Sharingan and his exceptional mastery of the Body Flicker Technique, these Iwa-nin stood no chance.
As for Kenta and Minato's side of the battlefield, Kei wasn't sure how they were faring. They had split up for the mission, so he had no way of knowing each other's status. However, Kei had a general idea of their directions and wasn't worried about getting lost.
"But seriously, there are so many Iwa-nin here. Why are the rear lines of Iwa this packed with these kinds of soldiers?"
Kei didn't spare even a glance at the lifeless corpse behind him—its eyes still wide open in death—as he continued moving forward, scanning for his next target.
The quality of these Iwa-nin left much to be desired. Most were Chūnin-level, with some barely even qualifying as Genin. But soon, Kei figured out why.
The Iwa forces stationed in the Land of Grass were likely stretched to their limit.
After recklessly provoking the Third Raikage, Iwagakure was now facing a savage counterattack from the furious Kumogakure. The Kumo-nin were relentlessly chasing them down like mad dogs, forcing Iwagakure to shift its focus from offense to defense.
Of course, defending their own territory meant deploying their elite forces elsewhere. And they had clearly underestimated the tenacity of Konoha.
Despite deploying a thousand-man army and continuing to send reinforcements, the quality of those reinforcements was simply not enough. They might've posed a threat on the front lines, but once their rear lines were infiltrated, these forces proved utterly insufficient.
On top of that, Kei's previous actions had likely drawn away many of Iwa's stronger units, leaving the rear guard weaker and more exposed.
Realizing this, Kei couldn't help but feel a bit pleased. If the majority of enemies they were dealing with were of this caliber, then perhaps this mission wasn't quite the death sentence it had seemed at first.
Indeed, following Minato had been the right choice. Although the mission had nearly gotten him killed by Ōnoki's son, Kitsuchi, at least he'd avoided becoming cannon fodder. Others could serve that role instead.
Plus, this mission allowed him to build rapport with Minato, gain his protection behind enemy lines, and, surprisingly, encounter a situation like this.
"But I still have to stay alert," Kei reminded himself. "The main defense around that critical bridge won't be left to weaklings like these."
Caution, composure, and a bit of luck—those were the keys to survival on the battlefield.
Silently pressing forward, Kei soon noticed large-scale Earth Release techniques erupting just a few dozen meters ahead. It looked like Minato had run into a slightly tougher enemy. However, those Earth techniques didn't even last a full minute before they collapsed.
Not that it mattered to Kei. His targets weren't the tricky elites. His job was to take out the numerous but easier-to-handle ones.
Using the dense forest as cover, Kei quickly locked onto another group of Iwa-nin.
This time, they were more cautious—eight of them in total, likely two squads who had regrouped after sensing danger.
Still, that worked just fine for Kei. He wouldn't have to hunt them down one by one.
Checking his chakra reserves, he frowned. They weren't in great shape, but still manageable for now.
Taijutsu consumed the least amount of chakra, so Kei could afford to pour the rest into maintaining his Sharingan.
Moving stealthily through the thick forest of the Land of Grass, he closed in until he was no more than twenty meters away from the Iwa-nin—who remained oblivious.
It made Kei wonder if they were setting traps or simply lacked experience. Either way, they were his prey now.
Without hesitation, Kei unleashed his jutsu.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Like exploding seed pods from a phoenix flower, fireballs shot out from Kei's mouth, scattering in all directions toward the Iwa-nin.
Although the flames could be controlled via chakra, Kei didn't waste any on fine control. The moment he finished the jutsu, he had already dashed forward.
His crimson Sharingan reflected the silhouettes of his enemies—shadows of the dead, in his eyes.
The Iwa-nin, caught off guard, immediately scattered. Though they had expected trouble, their retreat was disorganized and panicked.
Kei instantly saw the flaws—lack of coordination, poor reaction, inexperience. But he didn't judge too harshly. Even his own squad wasn't exactly a picture of teamwork.
His ninjatō flashed.
One Iwa-nin, despite being on guard, didn't even have time to react before Kei's blade pierced straight through him. His stance may have looked cautious, but to Kei's eyes, it was riddled with openings.
"Enemy attack!"
Another Iwa-nin, having dodged the Phoenix Fire, shouted the alarm. But instead of being rescued, he found Kei's blade headed straight for him.
Using Body Flicker again, Kei appeared behind the shouting shinobi. The Iwa-nin sensed the killing intent too late. Even though he moved with all the speed he could muster, Kei's blade curved around his defense and stabbed into his heart.
One clean draw, one evasive move—Kei slipped away from the incoming attacks of the others.
But he wasn't planning to keep dodging.
Multiple Body Flickers in a row had left him feeling the strain. He had specifically chosen to eliminate the two most dangerous targets first.
As for the remaining six? With the Sharingan and good old-fashioned taijutsu, that was more than enough.