Chapter 27 — Facing Chiyo
Hatake Kyūjō gently laid the lifeless body of the Sunagakure sensor ninja onto the trunk of a large tree. Without a word, he turned and slipped into the shadows, moving toward the next hidden sentry post just outside the enemy's encampment.
He wasn't entirely sure whether that old woman—Chiyo—had already relocated the bulk of her Jōnin forces elsewhere. But based on his sensory range, only about twenty Jōnin remained nearby, most of them still stationed inside the camp.
Among them, however, one chakra signature stood out—immense, dense, and sharp. It clearly belonged to the commander of this operation: Chiyo, the master puppeteer of Sunagakure, a shinobi whose strength rivaled that of a Kage.
Meanwhile, most of the guards and sensor units positioned outside the camp were merely Chūnin or Genin. If Kyūjō wanted to keep his team undetected and avoid triggering Sunagakure's sensory systems, then the most logical choice... was to advance alone.
He activated the advanced application of Haoshoku Haki—Kenbun-Goroshi (Observation Killing)—to completely erase his presence, moving like a phantom through the enemy perimeter, eliminating sentries one by one with surgical precision.
At first, the idea of letting him operate solo hadn't sat well with the others. Araki and the rest of the team, despite recognizing Kyūjō's overwhelming sensory ability, still viewed him as a mere Chūnin—maybe gifted, but far from ready for high-risk infiltration.
Especially Sarutobi Chikawa, who stubbornly insisted on accompanying him, worried for Kyūjō's safety like an overprotective older brother.
But Kyūjō had simply sighed and shaken his head. He no longer intended to hide what he was. If revealing his strength meant drawing attention—or even blood—then so be it.
He unleashed a portion of his lightning chakra—measuring at a staggering 1.2 chakra cards—and began to demonstrate the extent of his mastery.
With a single clap of his hands, he summoned a barrage of Lightning Release techniques, ranging from C-rank to A-rank, one after another, without pause.
And he did all of this calmly, as if performing parlor tricks in front of some stunned Elite Jōnin.
The battlefield fell into stunned silence.
"A ten-year-old kid... using high-level elemental jutsu like a veteran Jōnin?! And he's a sensory ninja too?!"
Araki: "..."
Akimichi Chōkyū: "..."
Sarutobi Chikawa: "..."
Katō Dan: "..."
Kurama Kaeha just scoffed to herself, her thoughts dark and shaken.
You think that's all? she thought. This freak copied my clan's Genjutsu after seeing it once. You really believe he's just a lightning-style user?
She recalled the image of that golden spiritual avatar—the luminous, massive figure of Kyūjō's soul—and a chill ran down her spine.
If he ever uses that monstrous spiritual power for Genjutsu... our clan's Kekkei Genkai might finally reach its true potential... not through us, but through this monster.
And after that demonstration?
No one dared object anymore.
Hatake Kyūjō officially took command.
— — —
Alone in the shadows outside Sunagakure's main encampment, Kyūjō worked tirelessly for over ten minutes, clearing out every single sentry point. Every "eye" in the dark had been shut.
Once the outer layer was secured, he signaled the rest of the team to advance into position.
Now, six Elite Jōnin from Konohagakure stared coldly at the sleeping Sunagakure camp, their blood-red eyes glowing with quiet bloodlust.
The hunt was about to begin.
"Action!" Araki barked, his usual command—but this time, his eyes flicked briefly toward Kyūjō.
Kyūjō simply nodded and gave a small, confident smile, then dashed forward—leaping over Sunagakure's outer walls without hesitation, straight into enemy territory.
The others followed instantly, unwilling to fall behind.
Their attack was swift, brutal, and unrelenting.
The first to strike was Sarutobi Chikawa, unleashing Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique—a B-rank jutsu that roared across the sky like a blazing serpent, lighting up the darkness like a second sun.
"AMBUSH!!" a panicked voice screamed from inside the camp.
But it was far too late.
The fiery dragon tore through tents and towers alike, setting entire sectors ablaze. And that was just the opening.
The five Jōnin from Konoha launched their large-scale techniques one after another, ignoring the chakra cost as if they had infinite reserves.
Araki followed with Wind Release: Pressure Damage, a powerful B-rank wind jutsu.
The wind struck the fire—and the flames exploded outward.
A searing inferno tore through the camp, devouring dozens of unsuspecting ninja. Screams echoed across the night as chaos engulfed Sunagakure's forward base.
Then came Katō Dan, activating his legendary Spirit Transformation Technique—an S-rank forbidden jutsu.
His spirit separated from his body, phasing through tents and armor alike, diving directly into enemy shinobi and rupturing their souls from the inside.
Bodies collapsed lifelessly all across the camp.
By his side stood Kurama Kaeha, the genjutsu master. She cast no flashy jutsu, but her illusion-based aura spread like a toxic mist—distorting perception, slowing reaction, and bending reality.
She stayed beside Dan like a silent sentinel, guarding his real body while his soul waged war.
Meanwhile, the battlefield shook.
Akimichi Chōkyū had transformed using Partial Multi-Size Technique, enlarging parts of his body in coordination with his Human Bullet Tank form. The result was a rolling, thunderous ball of meat hundreds of meters wide—crushing tents, supply stores, and unfortunate enemies under its unstoppable weight.
The earth cracked. The ground trembled. The screams were deafening.
— — —
But while his comrades tore through the camp...
Kyūjō had chosen his own target.
Chiyo.
Puppet Master.
Kage-level.
Tonight, he wanted to know—could he, with just a bit more than one chakra card's worth of energy, stand up against a Kage?
The Hatake clan's signature white chakra blade glinted in his hand, sharp as the scythe of death itself.
Kyūjō surged forward, cutting down every Sunagakure ninja in his path with terrifying speed.
No subtlety. No illusions. No distractions.
Just raw speed—and overwhelming force.
He pushed through the enemy ranks like a blade through paper, ignoring the noise, ignoring the flames, ignoring the chaos, until finally...
He stood before the largest tent in the center of the camp—the command center of this entire operation.
And inside it... the old woman who had dared to challenge Konoha's might.
Hatake Kyūjō narrowed his eyes.
Time to meet the legendary Chiyo.
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