Chapter 152: Seeing Samui Again
"From here on out, you will be encountering Kumogakure ninja, so you must be fully alert," Tsunade instructed as they moved. "As ninja from one of the Five Great Villages, their abilities are generally stronger than the opponents we've faced on typical missions."
Hoshikawa nodded slightly. The missions they had taken previously rarely involved the Five Great Nations or their hidden villages. This was, effectively, their first official engagement. Although they were all Genin, Chūnin, and Jōnin, the standards in the Five Great Villages were far stricter.
"Once we reach the outpost, Rin and I will treat the wounded, and Hoshikawa and Kurenai will provide defense against the enemy," Tsunade decided. Their goal was primarily rescue, not to defeat or kill Kumogakure ninja.
"Understood," the three replied in unison.
After leaving the Konoha camp, they continued heading north.
"Hoshikawa, scout ahead." After twenty minutes, Tsunade stopped.
At her reminder, Hoshikawa immediately made hand signs and closed his eyes.
Mind's Eye!
The surrounding situation appeared in his mind like a fully rendered map.
"There is an outpost to the southwest, with six people inside," Hoshikawa frowned slightly. "But I haven't detected any signs of Kumogakure ninja."
"Just because you haven't detected them doesn't mean they aren't there," Tsunade shook her head. "Many jutsu and barrier seals can block sensory detection."
"Right." Hoshikawa opened his eyes. "But with Sensei here, we don't have to worry about an ambush."
"Smooth talker." Tsunade's lips curled into a slight smile. "Move out!"
The four of them activated the Body Flicker Technique simultaneously.
"Wh—Who's there?!" The two Konoha ninja on sentry duty heard the whoosh of wind and immediately tensed up.
"It's me." Tsunade appeared calmly, stopping them from attacking.
"Lady Tsunade?!" The young man on the left exclaimed.
"Lady Tsunade is here! Kazuhiro and the others are saved!" The middle-aged man on the right was ecstatic.
"We don't have time to waste. Take us to the wounded," Tsunade nodded.
"Lady Tsunade, please follow me." The middle-aged man turned and walked into the outpost.
"Hoshikawa and Kurenai, stay here. If this is an ambush, an attack should follow shortly," Tsunade instructed, following the middle-aged man inside with Rin Nohara.
Mind's Eye!
Hoshikawa closed his eyes again. The young ninja, who had originally intended to introduce himself, stifled the urge.
"They're coming!" Hoshikawa's heart stirred. "Eight ninja appeared out of nowhere in the southeast direction. There should only be one Jōnin among them."
"An ambush, just as predicted!" Kurenai Yūhi took a deep breath.
"Eight ninja? What should we do?" the young ninja asked, slightly panicking. "Should we notify Lady Tsunade?"
"Sensei Tsunade is currently treating the wounded. If she stops now, their lives will be in danger," Hoshikawa opened his eyes. "Eight ninja isn't a large force. We can handle it."
"...?" The young ninja looked at their excessively youthful appearances with suspicion.
"Here." Hoshikawa handed them a small black pill. "An antidote I made."
"Thank you." The young ninja hesitated for a few seconds before choosing to trust Tsunade's student and swallowing it.
As for Kurenai, she didn't hesitate at all and bit into it immediately. After she finished, she sputtered twice, looking at Hoshikawa with a pitiful expression. "It's so bitter!"
"I'll add more sugar next time," Hoshikawa said with a chuckle, patting her head.
"...?" The young ninja was utterly confused. Did they even consider my feelings?
"Get ready!" Hoshikawa looked southeast. Soon, eight figures were rapidly approaching them.
He suddenly raised an eyebrow. Activating his enhanced vision, he recognized a familiar face: Samui.
Although it had been years since they last met, he recognized her instantly. The reason was her impressively developed figure and her short blonde hair.
But Hoshikawa didn't dwell on it and threw out two smoke bombs with all his strength.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
Hoshikawa made hand signs, concentrating chakra in his mouth before unleashing a whirlwind. The whirlwind caught the smoke bombs, and with two dull puffs, a thick cloud of smoke instantly erupted.
The Kumogakure ninja leading the charge rushed into the smoke, instantly feeling a sense of suffocation. He instinctively clutched his throat, using his last bit of strength to gasp, "It's... poisoned!"
"Blow the smoke away!" Samui reacted quickly and shouted loudly.
Wind Release: Gale Palm!
Two Kumogakure ninja made hand signs simultaneously. Two bursts of powerful wind shot out, absorbing the smoke and clearing the air.
As the smoke dispersed, their vision returned.
"What kind of poison was that?" Samui's heart sank.
The remaining Kumogakure ninja were also shaken. The one who had charged into the smoke was already dead, his skin covered in necrosis and pus-filled sores.
"Watch out!" Samui didn't have time to think and quickly yelled, "Stay alert!"
Water Release: Water Trumpet!
The instant the smoke formed, Hoshikawa and Kurenai had made hand signs simultaneously. Two torrents of water-formed tornadoes shot out, one after the other. They exploded mid-air, creating massive, towering waves that surged down with terrifying force towards the Kumogakure team.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
Two walls of earth rose up in front of the team. But the waves crashed down, instantly cracking the walls, which began to tremble precariously.
"Scatter!" Samui leaped into the air. With chakra flowing to her feet, she was able to stand on the surface of the water as if it were solid ground.
"Ah!" A scream cut through the air. Samui instinctively looked back and saw a Kumogakure Genin, unable to dodge in time, being submerged by the water.
She was about to go for the rescue when she saw two giant water dragons hurtling toward them.
"Where did Konoha get Water Release ninja of this caliber?" Reluctantly, Samui turned her attention to the water dragons. They had lost two teammates before even reaching the outpost, giving her a premonition of disaster.
Cloud Style: Flying Blade!
Samui shimmered and drew the short blade from her waist. She aimed at one of the water dragons and rapidly slashed. Bolts of lightning sparked, and a flurry of lightning blades shot out, slicing the water dragon into pieces.
"You four, go for the outpost!" Samui's Jōnin teammate made hand signs.
Lightning Release: Bullet Malt Shot!
Two spherical bolts of lightning appeared in his hands. He violently flung them, striking the other water dragon, which instantly exploded under the electrical attack.
The remaining four Kumogakure ninja took advantage of the opening to use the Body Flicker Technique, finally charging toward the outpost.
Samui let out a breath. Kumogakure excelled at Lightning Release and Nin-Taijutsu, especially the latter. Against long-range Water Release, they were at a distinct disadvantage. Of course, the main reason was that the two opposing Water Release ninja were highly skilled.
But her four remaining teammates were also strong. If they could get close and unleash the power of their Nin-Taijutsu, victory would be easy.
Body Flicker Technique!
Samui and her remaining Jōnin teammate rushed forward. Finally, she saw Hoshikawa. A strong sense of familiarity rushed to her heart.
It's him!
Samui recognized him instantly. Such striking good looks were truly hard to forget.
The next second, her face went pale. "Fall back, now!" she yelled.
If Hoshikawa was here, it meant Tsunade was nearby, too. They absolutely would not be able to win.
But it was too late.
Hoshikawa shimmered, moving to stand in front of Kurenai.
"Bastards! Die!" The four Kumogakure ninja, enraged by the loss of two teammates and frustrated by the water attack, glared furiously at Hoshikawa.
Demonic Illusion: False Surrounding Technique!
Hoshikawa looked at them and clapped his hands.
All four of them froze, their faces going momentarily blank.
"It's a Genjutsu!" The middle-aged man from Konoha reacted first.
But it was already too late.
Water Release: Water Blade Slash!
Kurenai Body Flickered in front of one of the Kumogakure ninja. Her kunai, wrapped in flowing water, effortlessly sliced through his neck.
The young Konoha ninja, though stunned by Hoshikawa and Kurenai's terrifying skill, did not stand idle.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
A massive fireball shot from his mouth, precisely hitting the closest Kumogakure ninja, who screamed and died instantly in the scorching flames.
Hoshikawa's response was simpler. The False Surrounding Technique was a C-Rank illusion that any skilled ninja could break, so speed was paramount. He raised his hand and threw two kunai. The immense force turned the kunai into spears, piercing the remaining two Kumogakure ninja.
Blood sprayed as they fell backward, their faces registering utter disbelief.
"This... how is this possible?" Samui had barely finished yelling for them to retreat, and in the blink of an eye, four of her teammates were corpses. It was so fast she hadn't been able to react.
"I'll kill them!" The sole remaining Jōnin teammate's body glowed with lightning, radiating palpable killing intent.
"Don't go!" Samui quickly warned him. "Tsunade is on the other side!"
The lightning dimmed. The Kumogakure Jōnin said nothing, immediately turning with Samui to flee.
"Did we actually win that easily?" The young ninja stared at the corpses scattered across the ground, feeling as if he were dreaming.
"She recognized us?" Kurenai asked, surprised. "Are we really that famous now?"
"It's not us that's famous, it's Sensei," Hoshikawa shook his head and explained. "Our portraits are likely circulating among Kumogakure ninja." Of course, Samui recognizing him clearly wasn't because of a portrait, but because they had met before.
Hoshikawa thought for a moment but decided not to pursue them. Now was not the time for a reunion.
"I'll go assist Sensei," Hoshikawa said, pulling his gaze back. "Kurenai, you stand guard here to prevent another attack."
"Got it!" Kurenai promised. "Leave it to me!"
Hoshikawa entered the outpost.
Tsunade and Rin Nohara were performing surgery. They noticed him but only glanced at him before returning their focus. The surgery demanded too much of their concentration to be distracted with conversation.
"This is Kazuhiro," the middle-aged man whispered. "He's the most severely injured. If Lady Tsunade hadn't started treating him immediately, he would have died by now."
"Where are the other two wounded?" Hoshikawa remembered the mission scroll mentioning three injured ninja.
"They're in the next room. I'll take you." The middle-aged man turned and led the way.
Hoshikawa followed him into the room. The stench of blood immediately hit him. Compared to the unconscious Kazuhiro, these two patients were still somewhat lucid.
"This is Lady Tsunade's student, Hoshikawa," the middle-aged man introduced.
"Thank goodness!" Both wounded ninja smiled in relief, having survived the immediate danger. They had heard Hoshikawa's name before.
Mystical Palm Technique!
Hoshikawa walked forward and began the treatment.
Time slowly passed. Half an hour later, Hoshikawa withdrew his hands and let out a sigh. Both wounded ninja had been successfully treated. Hoshikawa felt more tired than he had after the battle. Besides the chakra consumption, the total exhaustion was due to the continuous focus required during the procedure.
"They just need a few days of rest now," Hoshikawa told the middle-aged man before leaving the room.
Tsunade and Rin Nohara's surgery was still ongoing. Although tired, Hoshikawa joined them. An extra person meant the surgery could be completed faster.
Samui and her Jōnin teammate successfully reached the Kumogakure camp.
"Why are you so battered?" A was surprised to see them. "Did you run into Minato Namikaze?"
Like his father, the Sandaime Raikage, A had dark skin and a muscular build, exuding a sense of raw power. However, he had not yet reached the peak state he would achieve in the original story and looked quite young.
Standing beside him was the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer Bee, carrying seven blades on his back.
"No," Samui took a deep breath. "It was Tsunade and her student, Hoshikawa."
"That explains it." A nodded slightly. "I don't blame you this time."
"Tsunade is most likely still at the outpost," Samui's Jōnin teammate said angrily. "Lord A, we could mobilize ninja to surround and kill them!"
"It's a great idea, but impossible," A said, calming down after an initial surge of excitement. "If we move, Minato Namikaze will detect us."
"That Flying Thunder God Jutsu of his is such a pain!" Killer Bee couldn't help but grumble. He and A had fought Minato Namikaze many times, and each encounter was perilous. In terms of overall strength, they had the edge, but Minato's Flying Thunder God Jutsu was simply too fast. Fighting him allowed for no mistakes.
"Our goal is to hold Konoha in place," A said calmly. "The priority now is to wait for the situation in Sunagakure to stabilize."
"My big brother is right!" Killer Bee shouted. "Once we take Sunagakure, Konoha will be easy pickings! We'll make Minato Namikaze surrender then!"
"You two should go rest," A said with a wry smile.
"Yes, sir." Samui replied, but didn't move. Once her teammate had left, she asked, "Do you need me to contact Hoshikawa?"
"Not yet." A shook his head. "He is an asset we must save for the critical moment."
"Understood." Samui turned and left the main tent.
She looked up at the gray sky, lost in thought. Hoshikawa's strength was undoubtedly even more frightening now. If Yugito Nii knew, she certainly wouldn't be able to sit still. Fortunately, Yugito hadn't come. After all, with the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki already here, sending the Two-Tails Jinchūriki as well would make Konoha suspect they were aiming for a full-scale war.
"What a shame." Samui still wished she could have seen Hoshikawa one more time.
.........
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