"The seventh one!"
Nearly an hour later, fine beads of sweat trickled down Yuji's face.
He was currently leaning against an Amegakure Ninja's chest, his single hand gripping the handle of the scalpel, the tip plunged into the opponent's heart.
Not far from his feet lay the corpse of another Amegakure Ninja.
This was a one-on-two battle.
It ended with his victory!
To prevent the man from firing a signal flare, Yuji continuously disrupted his movements, focusing mainly on close-quarters combat.
He ambushed from the shadows, taking out one person first.
After the second person noticed him, he quickly relied on Taijutsu to fight.
In his view, the situation was still somewhat perilous.
Originally, it would have been impossible for him to attack a two-person squad, as the risk of exposure was too great, and the consequences of failure would be unimaginable.
Therefore, he had been waiting for an opportunity to find isolated targets who didn't seem too strong.
But for some reason, the Amegakure Ninja in the forest suddenly showed signs of large-scale movement, rushing toward a single direction.
The numbers were quite high.
Yuji immediately realized that the guy, Sasori, had been exposed!
Therefore, hiding in the shadows, he couldn't just stand by... hindering the enemy even slightly would buy Sasori some time.
Now, he and Sasori were in the same boat.
There was no talk of self-preservation.
Yuji reached out and pushed the Amegakure Ninja's corpse away, looking toward the direction where Sasori might have been exposed.
"The number of Amegakure Ninja in the Strongholds around this area is about twenty to thirty... The enemy has likely notified comrades at other nearby Strongholds, so we must retreat! The longer we delay, the more reinforcements they will have... This is the frontline of the Land of Rain, and the number and density of Amegakure Strongholds are quite exaggerated."
Yuji's heart sank.
At this moment, he couldn't worry about hiding his tracks anymore. He was just about to set off to meet up with Sasori.
Arai appeared.
"Mission complete. Retreat."
Arai said sternly.
"Understood."
Immediately, the two sped through the forest together, encountering Amegakure Ninja rushing in from other directions along the way.
However, without needing Yuji to act, Arai displayed the powerful side of an Elite Jōnin, cleanly slaying the enemies.
They didn't slow down much.
The enemy had not yet formed an effective formation, and their personnel were scattered, making it the best time to retreat.
As the two were about to approach the battlefield, Sasori, covered in blood, had already finished his fight.
He seemed to have sustained some injuries, but they weren't serious.
"Go!"
Arai wasted no words and spoke directly to Sasori.
Following that, the Trio quickly retreated from the woodland.
They didn't hide... they only focused on speed.
The faster they went, the more time they could secure for their escape.
Along the way, figures of Amegakure Ninja darted through the woods on both sides. Arai told Yuji and Sasori to run ahead while he quickly eliminated the pursuers.
Yuji and Sasori also engaged in combat with a few Amegakure Ninja.
But in the end, relying on Arai's powerful fighting strength and his choice of escape routes, they successfully got away and returned to the territory of the Land of Sand.
Once the ground beneath their feet turned to sand and gravel, the Amegakure Ninja wisely stopped pursuing them.
And soon, people from Sunagakure arrived to meet them.
Confirming they were safe, Yuji, whose mouth was dry, immediately lay spread-eagled on the ground.
His chest rose and fell violently as he gasped for breath.
The thrill and danger of this mission were like dancing on the edge of a blade... If even the slightest mistake had occurred, all three of them might not have returned.
Even an Elite Jōnin like Arai would be in danger of death if the Amegakure Ninja were given time to gather enough forces.
Furthermore, fighting fiercely with the Amegakure Ninja while escaping... and not being allowed to be delayed by them.
This kind of combat tension was completely different from assassination.
It was clear that Arai was also slightly fatigued, and although Sasori's face was a bit pale, he still maintained his usual indifferent look.
Several of his Puppets had also been destroyed.
Arai looked at Sasori, seeming to want to say something, but hesitated.
Because for a Ninja, this kind of thrilling slaughter was normal... Regardless, Sasori and Yuji had both completed the mission excellently.
That was enough!
Not just excellent, but even exceeding expectations!
However, the fighting styles and methods of the two were completely different.
Yuji was meticulous, knowing how to use his mind to perfectly execute his combat plan... and doing it flawlessly. If Sasori hadn't been exposed, Yuji could have continued hunting.
In contrast, Sasori simply utilized his powerful Puppeteer abilities to eliminate targets... without considering anything else.
This was Sasori's fighting style.
It was just that this method was not very suitable for this mission.
Sasori could achieve Yuji's level, or even better... but ultimately, it was due to personality factors.
Originally, Arai had planned for a mission duration of one hour, but he didn't expect it to end so quickly.
"Twenty-one."
At this moment, Sasori suddenly stared at Yuji lying on the ground and spoke.
"And you?"
"Counting the enemies I killed while escaping... ten in total,"
Yuji laughed.
He had no intention of blaming Sasori at all.
"I won."
Sasori emphasized.
He killed twice as many people as Yuji.
The personnel at the Strongholds in that area of the Land of Rain should have been almost completely wiped out.
"Yuji is a Medical Ninja... He is different from you. And judging by the mission performance, Sasori... I believe Yuji did a better job than you! Although this mission was temporary, its nature was to infiltrate the enemy lines. Under normal circumstances, if the time had been extended, Yuji's kill count would definitely have exceeded yours! Moreover, if he were performing a mission for the Village, what he could accomplish would also surpass you."
As the mission initiator, Arai assessed the two of them.
This caused a flicker in Sasori's eyes. Although he still showed little reaction, one could sense that he was slightly displeased.
"Hahahahaha."
But then, to the surprise of Arai and the others, Yuji, who was lying on the ground, suddenly burst into hearty laughter.
"Interesting... too interesting..."
"This feeling... is completely different from before..."
The few people exchanged glances.
Including the Sunagakure Ninja who came to meet them, everyone was a little confused.
"This was just a small skirmish. I can't imagine... what level of grandeur and danger the top powerhouses of the major Hidden Villages displayed on the battlefield during the fiercest periods of the Ninja World War."
Hearing Yuji say this, everyone suddenly understood.
Several Sunagakure Ninja stared at him as if looking at a lunatic.
In their eyes, it was incredible that a kid like Yuji could enter the Land of Rain border, kill enemies, and return safely... Even though they hadn't experienced it, they could imagine the level of danger just by looking at the state of the Trio.
Generally speaking, it would be normal for a kid like Yuji to experience such life-or-death situations and be left with some psychological trauma.
Unexpectedly, this guy wasn't afraid. Instead... he was a little excited, even enjoying it?
What a pervert... "Heh heh."
Seeing Yuji's reaction, Arai chuckled slightly.
He had originally been worried that this incident might bring some negative effects to Yuji.
Because, let alone rookies, even many seasoned Ninja... often suffer from lingering after-effects of the battlefield.
"Teacher Arai... let's continue."
Suddenly, Yuji scrambled up from the ground and suggested to Arai with a smile.
"Hmm?"
Arai was stunned.