Women's helpless screams, children's terrified cries, and the weak pleas of the elderly filled every corner of the town within mere moments.
Buildings, already fragile, collapsed into ruins under the impact of ninjutsu. Razor-sharp wind blades and surging waves mercilessly destroyed everything in their path. The dense mist of the Hiding in Mist Technique continued to spread, shrouding the battlefield in an eerie haze.
Under the lead of the rampaging Fuguki, the Kiri ninjas gradually unleashed their full strength, employing their most proficient battle tactics. At the same time, the Suna ninjas, following Pakura's command, fought back with everything they had, wind jutsu surging through the battlefield, carrying the heat of her scorch jutsu in sweeping waves of destruction.
Every ninja fought desperately.
Those who had been hiding in the town, originally stationed as reinforcements, could no longer afford to remain in the shadows and had no choice but to join the battle. The already devastated town, caught in the crossfire of powerful jutsu, had become nothing short of a living hell.
In the chaos, civilians desperately fled the battlefield. Yet two figures stood still, untouched by the panic—Kei and Minato. They remained motionless, observing their surroundings.
"Now, you're from Suna, and I'm from Kiri," Kei stated as he performed a one-handed seal, transforming his appearance into that of a Kiri ninja he had captured earlier. His chakra nature leaned toward yin and water. Though he had spent most of his time mastering his clan's secret techniques and genjutsu due to his exceptional spiritual talent, he was also well-versed in water jutsu. While he couldn't match the elites specialized in Water Release, his proficiency far exceeded his abilities in Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Fire Release, which he could barely utilize at a passable level.
Minato nodded slightly.
He too used the Transformation Jutsu, disguising himself as a Suna ninja they had captured earlier. Their mission was a village secret. If possible, he preferred to avoid exposing his identity.
With a single-handed seal, Kei activated the Mind Body Transmission Technique, linking his mind with Minato's. Now able to communicate telepathically and share their senses, they reached for the kunai in their ninja tool pouches in perfect sync.
Sparks flew as their kunai clashed, creating the illusion of an intense, high-stakes close-quarters battle. Their movements took them swiftly toward the battlefield, where remnants of the thick mist still lingered.
A Suna ninja, having just driven back an enemy, caught sight of a familiar figure—Akasaburō, dressed in tattered, bloodstained bandages, clearly wounded. Relief flashed in his eyes as he instinctively stepped forward, prepared to shield his comrade from the approaching Kiri ninja.
The 'Kiri ninja' opposite him, seeing that he was about to be surrounded, quickly struck Akasaburō with a heavy blow, forcing him back. Forming hand seals once more, he unleashed the Hiding in Mist Technique. Thick fog rose again, swallowing the battlefield in its depths.
Using the cover of the mist, he hurried to his comrade's side, instinctively relying on his protection while preparing to unleash a Wind Release technique. But before he could finish his hand seals, the kunai in his comrade's hand, infused with razor-sharp wind chakra, sliced cleanly across his throat.
Tsk... such a trusting guy, Kei thought to himself, clicking his tongue.
Without wasting a moment, Minato used the Transformation Jutsu again, taking on the identity of the ninja he had just beheaded. With Kei's wide-range sensory jutsu as support, they navigated the mist effortlessly, undisturbed by the lack of visibility.
They repeated the same trick, taking down another Kiri ninja in silence.
With their new disguises in place, their deception became even more seamless as they continued to "fight" their way through the battlefield.
The lingering mist, not entirely dissipated by the Scorch Release, still provided some visual interference. Kei's near-undetectable genjutsu, the convincingly staged Water Release, and Minato's expert use of Wind Release created a chaotic battlefield where neither side had the time to question anything.
In less than a minute, the two of them, working in perfect sync, had silently taken out more than ten ninja.
"Keep your distance! Someone is using the Transformation Jutsu to disguise themselves as our allies! Attack anyone who gets too close!"
Pakura's voice echoed across the battlefield. Unlike the reckless Fuguki, her extensive combat experience allowed her to immediately sense something was wrong.
Even Fuguki, a seasoned jonin, snapped to attention at the warning. His burning desire to reclaim Samehada was momentarily overpowered by the realization that the situation had turned against him. With what little rationality remained, he quickly retreated and issued the same order to his subordinates.
Without chakra to sustain it, the fading mist quickly dissipated into the night air. Under the moonlight, the remaining Kiri and Suna ninja instinctively leapt onto the rooftops, standing motionless, eyes filled with suspicion as they scanned their surroundings, wary of both friend and foe.
In mere moments, only four Kiri ninjas remained, including Fuguki, while the Suna side, Pakura included, had been reduced to just five. Among them were Kei and Minato, still maintaining their disguises.
"Pakura, hand over Samehada!" Fuguki finally spoke, seemingly remembering what he had come for. Ignoring the heavy losses his side had suffered, he wasted no time demanding the return of his missing blade.
"You idiot! Can't you see what's happening? We never took Samehada! A third party has interfered in our battle!" Pakura gritted her teeth, glaring at Fuguki with barely contained rage.
She cursed his stupidity. He had seen the battlefield, yet failed to realize that someone else had taken advantage of their fight. Instead, he blindly blamed them and launched an attack on the town.
She could already foresee the consequences. Once she returned to the village, not only would she be denied any credit for this mission, but she would likely face severe reprimands.
Fuguki, the absolute fool. Even roasting him over a fire and slicing him into pieces wouldn't be enough to quell her fury.
A low, sinister laugh escaped Fuguki's lips. "Heh… heh… fine, then. Very well. Cut your palms!"
His sharp teeth gleamed coldly in the moonlight as he raised his own hand, preparing to follow through. He hadn't earned his position among Kiri's higher-ups through sheer strength alone. Now, with Pakura's words making things painfully clear, he knew he had been played for a fool.
A pulse of invisible, formless Yin Release chakra surged outward.
Everyone present, except for Minato, who had already known what was coming, felt a sudden, chilling sensation crawl up their spines.
Instinct told them to flee, but that strange and overwhelming yin chakra clung to their bodies like a curse, rooting them in place.
"This is… Damn Konoha!"
Fuguki struggled against the invisible force binding him, his immense physical strength barely allowing him to twist his neck. His furious gaze snapped toward the exact location where the chakra had emanated.
"Congratulations, you figured it out. As a reward, you will die."
Kei maintained his one-handed seal, a bright, harmless smile spreading across his face.