Team 10 had not anticipated this situation.
In the Ninja World today, there are very few Ninja with sensory abilities. For the enemy to not only have a sensory Ninja but also one who could suppress Ino, the odds were incredibly low.
Shikamaru's plan was to lure the snake out of its hole.
What if it didn't come out, or there was no snake inside to begin with? Then we'd just come back.
Ino added, "We'll follow the river. Even if we encounter enemies, with my Water Release, I can hold off a few of them."
She was actually being very modest. With her Water Release Ninjutsu and abundant Chakra, plus the river water in the natural environment, she could easily handle four or five Genin or Chunin of ordinary skill.
Asuma remained silent, tacitly approving this course of action. Choji had no objections to their unanimous decision.
To make the act complete, they spent half an hour investigating in the Village, then left with hurried expressions.
Halfway up the mining mountain, a man in a black robe with a hood stood. From his vantage point, he could clearly see the four leaving the Village.
"Raiga, those guys ran away. They're running very fast, looks like they won't be coming back," a rather childish voice said from within the man's black robe.
A fine rain was falling. Through the hood, the man's thick eyebrows and dark circles under his eyes were visible.
The man looked up at the sky like a philosopher, his voice tinged with madness: "We and the villagers are clearly like family, but these outsider Ninja insist on disturbing our peace. Really, why do they have to force me? I'm so sad! I really don't want to kill anymore!"
The childish voice was silent for a moment, then said, "Raiga, I am your eyes. I will definitely help you."
The man nodded in full agreement: "Exactly! Ranmaru, you are my eyes, and I am your hands and feet. We will definitely find meaning in this chaotic world!"
"This is our home, and we will never allow those outsiders to destroy the harmonious relationship between us and the villagers. Chase them! Kill them! Then hold a funeral for these Ninja who have come from afar! I want to give them the grandest funeral!"
At the man's command, seven black-robed figures emerged from the shadows. They moved swiftly, radiating killing intent, like a net closing in on the four who had fled the Village.
Raiga was the fastest. His heart was enveloped by surging killing intent, and he was too impatient to wait for his subordinates. He transformed into a bolt of lightning, rapidly closing the distance with Team 10.
The childish voice seemed accustomed to his actions: "Raiga, if you run this fast, I won't be able to use my ability to conceal our tracks."
He laughed loudly: "Just a few nobodies who popped out of nowhere. Watch me take care of them in an instant!"
On the other side, Ino, who was speeding along, also noticed the enemies pursuing them from behind.
"Shikamaru, those guys seem to have dropped their concealment and are chasing us. There are now one, two, three, eight people in total. One of them is incredibly fast, wow, his speed is similar to Asuma Sensei's!"
Sensory ability is not Byakugan; it cannot accurately observe the opponent's Chakra, only estimate it.
Hearing that the enemy had pursued them, Shikamaru secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This was his first strategic decision, and the complete trust of Asuma and his companions had put considerable pressure on him. He was afraid he was just playing mind games with thin air.
At this moment, he couldn't help but look back. Lightning was brewing in the clouds, the rain was getting heavier, and visibility was extremely low. He asked Ino, "How much more time do we have?"
"If we maintain our current speed, three minutes."
"Asuma Sensei, let's go set up traps ahead. Ino, you and Choji, go ambush them from the mountaintop..." Shikamaru assigned combat missions to the three of them.
Three minutes later, the combination of Raiga and Ranmaru reached the base of a cliff. Without a word, he used lightning to detonate the seven traps set by Team 10, then began to climb the mountain.
Ino and Asuma peeked out from the mountaintop.
Through the pitch-black night, Ino saw Raiga's crazy eyes and the twin Lightning Blades wrapped in lightning in his hands.
While she was still wondering who this guy was, Asuma blurted out his name.
"This is Raiga Kurosuki, a Rogue Ninja from the Hidden Mist Village, and a former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."
Ino was stunned: "Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist? No way..."
It was unbelievable! Such a godforsaken, desolate Village actually harbored a former member of the Hidden Mist Village's Seven Ninja Swordsmen, the elite Jonin Raiga Kurosuki, who wielded the Lightning Blade.
Good heavens, she hadn't gone to the Land of Waves to fight Zabuza Momochi, but she had encountered another one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen in the Land of Rivers?
During the Third Shinobi World War, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist encountered a few young Chunin from Konoha Village. All seven of them were at the elite Jonin level, and the Konoha Chunin were no match. At the critical moment, Might Guy's father, Might Duy, arrived. This man was also the legendary "Konoha Genin," incredibly powerful. He directly activated the Eight Gates, kicking four of the seven elite Jonin to death. Only Biwa Jūzō, Raiga Kurosuki, and Suikazan Fuguki escaped in disarray, reducing the Seven Ninja Swordsmen to three.
Biwa Jūzō joined the Akatsuki Organization and died fighting to save Itachi Uchiha. His kubikiribocho fell into the hands of Zabuza Momochi, making Zabuza a second-generation Ninja Swordsman.
Suikazan Fuguki was the tallest person in the entire Ninja World, standing at 2.49 meters! No one knew how this 'melon' had mutated, but at that height, he could have mingled in the One Piece world for a few days. He was tall enough and strong, but his character was terrible. Suikazan Fuguki was eventually killed by a junior from his Village, and his Ninja Blade fell into the hands of the famous dam-building fanatic, Kisame Hoshigaki.
Of the first-generation Seven Ninja Swordsmen, only Raiga Kurosuki's whereabouts were unknown. Now, this guy had been encountered by Team 10.
Ino looked at Asuma.
Asuma began to form hand signs: "The enemy is stronger than expected. Execute Plan B."
"Alright." Ino also began to form hand signs.
Water Release counters Fire Release, but conversely, if Fire Release fully cooperates, it can also enhance the power of Water Release.
In the original timeline, Naruto and Sasuke's "Scorch Release: Halo Hurricane Jet Black Arrow Style Zero" was a combination of Wind Release: Rasenshuriken and Sasuke's "Blaze Release: Kagutsuchi." The name of this technique was made up and had no relation to Pakura's Scorch Release. It was simply a compound Ninjutsu that utilized the principle of "Fire counters Wind, while Wind also enhances the power of fire."
The representative figure of compound Ninjutsu users in this era was the Third Hokage. Jiraiya's Sage Art: Goemon surpassed him, being a compound Senjutsu. Asuma did not have Jiraiya's strength, but he knew how to use compound Ninjutsu. At this moment, he used his Fire Release to complement Ino's Water Release.
He followed Ino's hand sign rhythm step by step.
When the Water Dragon Bullet soared into the sky, Asuma also completed his hand signs and unleashed a scorching flame towards the water dragon.
"Compound Ninjutsu: Water Dragon Flame Stream!"
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