Yagen's decisive "halt" gesture, like a silent switch, instantly shifted the entire squad's atmosphere to the highest level of combat readiness.
The squad fell silent in an instant.
Only the sound of the drizzling rain and the team members' suppressed, nervous breathing remained in the air.
"What's wrong, Captain?"
Sota lowered his voice, asking in a whisper.
Yagen didn't answer immediately. His single-tomoe Sharingan slowly rotated in the darkness, carefully analyzing the anomaly he had just captured.
"There's residual chakra ahead."
He said in a deep voice, "Very... chaotic. Like a battle."
"Battle?"
Hasumi's brow furrowed. "Logically speaking, there shouldn't be any other Konoha squads on this route."
"So, it's very likely a clash between ninja squads from other villages."
Uchiha Yagen pondered for a moment and made a judgment.
"Then what do we do? Go around?"
Tachibana Shiorin asked in a small voice, her hand subconsciously gripping the medical bag at her waist.
"No."
Uchiha Yagen shook his head, a decisive light flashing in his eyes. "The book 'Logic' in the village teaches—any anomaly means intelligence."
"Our mission is reconnaissance, and an encounter battle is the best source of intelligence. Not only can we analyze the strength and ninjutsu systems of both sides, but we might even learn their mission objectives."
"I agree with the Captain."
Hasumi chimed in. "Wealth is sought in danger, and so is intelligence. Besides, since the battle is over, the risk of us going over now is the lowest."
"Hehe, we should have done this long ago!"
Shimura Sota, hearing that they didn't have to detour but instead actively approach, immediately got excited again. "Whoever they are, if they dare to get in the way, we'll send them all flying!"
"Sota."
Yagen glared at him. "Our mission is still mainly observation, not fighting. Everyone, conceal your presence and follow me."
With that, he took the lead and moved towards the source of the chakra fluctuation.
The four of them utilized the Konoha Body Flicker Technique and stealth skills to the extreme, their figures weaving through the slippery tree trunks and dense bushes without making a single unnecessary sound.
As the distance closed, a strong smell of blood drifted over with the damp night wind.
That smell made Tachibana Shiorin, who was truly smelling the scent of the battlefield for the first time, feel her stomach churn, and her face turned a little pale.
She suppressed her discomfort and followed closely behind the team.
"Wind Release: Whisper of the Wind!"
Shimura Sota, walking at the very front, suddenly stopped and formed hand seals rapidly.
He infused Wind Release chakra into the surrounding airflow, then closed his eyes and listened carefully to the sounds coming from afar.
This was a reconnaissance ninjutsu he had improved under the guidance of Lord Danzo, combining the principles of sound wave transmission from the Ninja Academy's "Basic Logic."
It could extend his hearing to hundreds of meters away.
A moment later, he opened his eyes, his face becoming serious.
"Captain, there really is fighting ahead, and it's fierce! I heard the sound of kunai clashing, and... the explosions of Water Release and Earth Release ninjutsu. Most importantly..."
Sota sniffed hard. "I also smelled blood, very strong!"
Almost at the same time Sota spoke the intelligence, Sarutobi Hasumi, who was bringing up the rear, also crouched down.
He gently pressed his palm on a puddle on the ground, closed his eyes, and activated his sensory ninjutsu.
"Water Release: Rain Ripples."
Weak chakra followed the water flow, spreading out in all directions like a spider web.
The Land of Rain, an environment full of water, was simply a paradise for a Water Release sensory type ninja like him.
"Captain, the vibrations in the water are chaotic."
Hasumi opened his eyes and said quickly, "There are at least two groups of people, about ten in total. The chakra natures are mixed, Water, Earth, and... a very strange sound like metal friction and gears turning."
"Metal friction? Gears turning?"
Uchiha Yagen's brow locked instantly.
This description immediately reminded him of an opponent.
Sunagakure's puppet masters!
"It seems we're lucky."
A cold arc appeared at the corner of Yagen's mouth.
He synthesized the intelligence from Sota and Hasumi and immediately constructed a rough model of the battlefield in his mind.
"One side should be native ninja of Amegakure, skilled in Water and Earth Release, numbering five to seven. The other side is an infiltration squad from Sunagakure, fewer in number, but among them, there is at least one puppet master."
"Sunagakure's puppet master?"
Hasumi analyzed calmly, "It should be a squad carrying out an infiltration and reconnaissance mission just like us."
"Mm..."
Killing intent flashed in Uchiha Yagen's eyes.
He looked at his team members and ordered in a deep voice, "Our mission objective remains unchanged, still reconnaissance. But now, add a secondary objective—observe and record the combat methods of the Sunagakure puppet master and the Amegakure ninja. Remember, no one is to act without my command."
"Yes!"
The four moved again.
This time, their movements were lighter and more concealed.
They were like four true ghosts of the night, shuttling through the dense rainforest, gradually approaching the noisy battlefield.
As the distance closed, the crisp sound of weapons clashing and the roar of ninjutsu explosions reached their ears more and more clearly.
The smell of blood in the air was so thick it was almost tangible, stimulating everyone's nerves.
Finally, they reached the edge of the battlefield.
The four tacitly hid behind four huge ancient trees, enough to conceal their figures, and pushed aside the thick bushes in front of them.
When they saw the scene in the center of the battlefield clearly, even Yagen, with the most steadfast will, couldn't help but gasp.
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