In the mountain forest,
Heavy fog blotted out the sky, stretching for over ten kilometers, enveloping vast areas in a dark, murky gloom where one could barely see their own hand.
At this moment,
Within this fog-shrouded area, over a dozen Ninjas wearing Konoha's forehead protectors were searching everywhere in small groups.
Among them were Ninjas from great clans like the Inuzuka, Aburame, and Uchiha. Most of the dozen or so were Jonin, with only a few Chunin.
These Konoha's Ninjas were divided into groups of three to five, keeping close proximity to each other. The leader, wearing a red haori and geta, was none other than Jiraiya, who had just battled Yagura.
"Be careful!"
Jiraiya said in a low voice. "The opponent is Kirigakure's Yagura. His combat power is extremely formidable. Even if injured, do not take him lightly!"
The surrounding Konoha's Ninjas nodded silently upon hearing this and continued searching for the enemy's traces.
Right now,
The enemy was in the dark, they were in the open. Jiraiya had the confidence to speak loudly, but these ordinary Ninjas didn't dare make a sound easily, lest they become the enemy's primary target.
After all, the enemy is Yagura!
A very powerful Ninja!
Those present were all elite Konoha's Jonin who had participated in the war against Kirigakure. Naturally, many had faced this terrifying Water Release User from Kirigakure before.
"Inuzuka and Aburame's Ninjas, each lead a team. See if you can find where those two Kirigakure's Ninjas are hiding!"
As Jiraiya spoke, a trace of anger could be heard in his tone.
He had originally intended to use Yagura as a sacrifice to regain his honor after Hizashi's death, but he never expected the opponent to be unexpectedly slippery. Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, he actually threw a bunch of explosive tags and simply fled.
Such resolute cowardice really lacked the aura of a Kage-level Ninja!
"Kirigakure are all cunning and deceitful!"
Jiraiya gritted his teeth in hatred.
Before,
The Kirigakure's youth he encountered was the same. In a direct fight, he stopped just short, focusing on killing Hizashi and Shisui around him. His heart was black to the extreme.
'Damn it!'
'Last time, that Ice Release brat managed to show off and still escape!'
'If I let a big fish like Yagura escape this time too, my reputation as one of the Sannin would be completely lost!'
Moreover,
The matter of Hizashi's tragic death and the lost Byakugan remained unresolved. If he returned to the village without any achievements, Jiraiya's days would likely be difficult.
Even more so,
As the supreme commander of the Konoha's forces in Kirigakure battlefront, if he kept suffering losses at the hands of Kirigakure, word would get out and greatly affect the morale of Konoha's Ninjas. If it eventually led to the collapse of the battlefront, then a colossal blame would probably be placed squarely on Jiraiya's head.
'In any case...'
'First, capture or kill Yagura!'
'We'll deal with other matters later!'
Jiraiya thought to himself, a pained expression on his face, If Hizashi were still here, they didn't have to go through all the troubles.
With the Byakugan, the enemy would have nowhere to hide. They would have long since found and eliminated that slippery Yagura!
"Jiraiya-sama, I can't smell the enemy's scent."
The Inuzuka Clan's Jonin frowned, disappointed. "Even that woman's scent has disappeared."
The Aburame Clan's Jonin nearby also shook his head, "The opponent definitely has some means to shield their own presence. The insects can't find the enemy's Chakra either. It seems they are indeed troublesome opponents."
"Don't worry."
Another Jonin said fiercely, "This is an area controlled by the village. We're surrounded by our own people. At worst, we can encircle the area and wait for reinforcements from Hyuga Clan. In any case, we will definitely find those two Kirigakure bugs!"
Right now,
With the appearance of the big fish Yagura, no one stopped being concerned about what happened in the direction of the big explosion. Everyone was focused on finding the traces of the recent enemies.
Jonin are no fools!
Everyone knew Yagura held an extremely high position in Kirigakure, basically equivalent to Konoha's Sannin like Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
Capturing this big fish would be a dazzling achievement, certainly bringing tremendous benefits for future promotions.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
For a time,
The Konoha's Jonin were all as if injected with adrenaline, using Wind Release with great vigor to disperse the thick fog filling the air, wanting to find Yagura's location faster.
…
At this moment,
In an inconspicuous dark cave,
Two Ninjas were panting heavily within a barrier spread inside the cave.
The two were none other than Yagura and Mei, who had just battled Jiraiya and narrowly escaped.
However,
Both their conditions were somewhat disheveled at the moment.
Yagura was covered in dirt, much of his hair singed, and a chunk of flesh was torn directly from his shoulder.
Mei's clothes seemed intact, but her charming face was extremely pale. She was currently sitting cross-legged on the ground, stuffing soldier pills into her mouth, trying to restore some of her nearly depleted Chakra.
"Damn it..."
"There are too many Konoha's Jonin!"
Even now, Mei was still filled with lingering fear. When Yagura was fighting Jiraiya earlier, a small team of Konoha's Jonin suddenly charged in, directly tipping the balance of power.
Mei was a genius, but at just sixteen years old, she didn't yet have the strength to handle five elite Konoha's Jonin alone!
She almost died just now!
If she hadn't, at the critical moment, risked her life to use Boil Release and spew highly acidic, high-temperature mist to force the Konoha's Ninjas back, she probably would have died there.
It was too dangerous!
But,
Even after escaping, the not-yet-proficient Boil Release Kekkei Genkai had almost completely drained Mei's Chakra.
Now,
She sat cross-legged on the ground, using the energy from the soldier pills to frantically refine Chakra.
In a life-and-death moment,
Every bit of Chakra increased the hope of survival!
Unfortunately,
Neither Yagura nor Mei had any talent for Medical Ninjutsu, so the wounds on their bodies could only be bandaged, and they could only endure the pain as they prepared for battle.