Chapter 24: Fierce Battle! (Please Continue Reading)

After assigning tasks, the four members split into groups for night watch.

The night passed without incident. The next morning, after replenishing their strength and water, they buried their headbands in the ground. Genichi Shita and his three companions set out, crossing the border into the Land of Rivers and reaching the Land of Rivers' Daimyo estate at top speed.

They did not strike immediately, however; instead, they used the Transformation Technique to disguise themselves as commoners and checked into an inn. After resting throughout the day, Sakumo Hatake and Yan Yamanaka left the inn at nightfall to gather intelligence.

At 10:00 PM, the two returned with unsettling news: the Daimyo’s security had been reinforced, with suspected Sand Ninja present. There was no ruling out the possibility that other Sand Ninja remained undetected. Even so, Sakumo Hatake did not give the order to abandon the mission.

Midnight arrived. Donning their masks, Sakumo Hatake gave the order to begin the operation. The team split in two. Yan Yamanaka went to secure their retreat route and provide backup, while Genichi Shita and Namiichi Uchiha followed Sakumo Hatake as they infiltrated the Daimyo’s palace under the cover of darkness.

The trio then split again. Genichi Shita and Namiichi Uchiha proceeded on their own, while Sakumo Hatake headed straight for the Daimyo’s private quarters. Having performed missions here before, they were intimately familiar with the terrain.

Genichi Shita soon arrived by a lake. Forming hand seals, he created a Water Clone, while his true self hid within the rockery by the shore and consumed a military ration pill to restore his stamina. As for the Water Clone, it landed silently on the surface of the lake.

The night was silent. Less than two minutes later, a roar echoed in Genichi’s ears. Looking up, the eruption of fire illuminated the night, shattering the stillness. Shouts erupted one after another.

On the lake, Genichi Shita took a deep breath, formed the "Presence" seal, and then pulled his hands back to clasp them before his chest. Beneath his feet, the previously calm water began to ripple, and he started to sink into the lake until only the top of his head remained visible.

Clang! Clang! Clang! The sound of steel clashing rang out, accompanied by the whistling of projectiles. By the moonlight, Genichi could see several figures moving toward him. It was Namiichi Uchiha, who was being besieged by two enemies, fighting as he retreated. Others were in pursuit, throwing shuriken from time to time.

Genichi mused that if it were him, he likely wouldn't be able to withstand such a siege. But Namiichi possessed the Sharingan, granting him a massive advantage in the dark. Furthermore, the Sharingan’s extraordinary perception, combined with Namiichi’s mastery of taijutsu and swordsmanship, allowed him to safely lure the enemies to the lake.

Leaping into the air, Namiichi sheathed his blade, formed seals, and exhaled a massive fireball at his pursuers. The attack failed to damage the enemies, as it was immediately dispersed by a gust of wind. However, this move was actually a cover for Genichi Shita. By the time the fireball swept out, Genichi had already risen from the lake, accompanied by a massive surge of water.

Water Release: Water Shockwave!

As the fireball was blown away, a rolling torrent of water roared onto the shore.

"An ambush!" The two men besieging Namiichi were startled and instantly used the Body Flicker Technique to leap into the air. The torrent swept past beneath them, but the three people behind them, who had been throwing shuriken at Namiichi in the air, were caught off guard and swept away by the current with screams.

On the lake, Genichi Shita formed seals again. "Front - Snake!" The water surged and rotated at high speed around him. A shuriken equipped with an explosive tag, thrown by one of the pursuers, was blocked by the Water Wall.

"This guy, he's fast!" Jiekong was shocked. He had thrown the shuriken to disrupt Genichi’s seals, not expecting the enemy to be so swift. He immediately lunged into the lake to strike at Genichi. He had to stop the enemy from using Water Release; the terrain here was too advantageous for him.

At that moment, a scream rang out. It was the other ninja who had been besieging Namiichi; Genichi’s real body, hidden away, had performed a seal: Genjutsu - Darkness Decension Technique! The target’s vision was completely sealed, plunging him into absolute darkness. He was then easily dispatched by Namiichi with a single sword strike.

Seeing his fallen comrade, Jiekong immediately leaped backward. But by then, the Water Clone’s seals were complete. "Snake - Tiger!"

Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!

The water dragon roared. Jiekong leaped to dodge, only to be met by the oncoming Namiichi Uchiha.

Clang! Their blades collided, and Namiichi followed up with a kick that sent Jiekong flying. The water dragon, sweeping across the ground, soared upward, clamped its jaws around Jiekong, and then dived back down.

Boom! The water dragon exploded, and Jiekong fell. Genichi Shita’s eyes twitched as he saw two figures clashing in the air, sparks flying. A moment later, Namiichi Uchiha let out a muffled grunt and was sent flying back, landing on the lake.

"Cough, cough... be careful, it’s a Jonin!"

Genichi nodded, then saw two more enemies appear on each side. It was now six against two, and one of them was a Jonin. Truly, an incredibly dangerous mission!

"There are only two of them here; it seems they are the bait. Captain, leave this to us!" one of the Sand Ninja on the left shouted. Siyan stared at the two on the lake and said, "Finish them off first. Don't worry too much about the Daimyo." With those words, Siyan charged toward the lake.

Genichi Shita formed seals rapidly. "Presence - Joined Palms!" This time, he pushed his chakra to the limit; the water of the entire lake surged and rotated.

"What?" Siyan was startled and quickly retreated. "Watch out for this guy!" Jiekong, having caught his breath, warned, "His Water Release is extremely powerful, and his seal speed is very fast!"

Hardly had the words left his mouth when a roar erupted. The surging river water rushed toward the left, right, and front, attacking all six enemies simultaneously.

"Spread out!" Siyan shouted. Figures leaped backward.

Genichi Shita’s real body, hidden on the rockery, finished his seals. Instantly, the two Sand Ninja who had leaped up to land on the rockery had their vision completely stolen.

"Draw-and-Strike!" Genichi sprang up, and the two blinded ninja were taken out with a single slash each. The commotion was completely masked by the surging torrent.

The raging water reached its limit before curling back into the lake. The two Sand Ninja on the right charged at Genichi on the lake, their puppets already lunging ahead. They were puppet masters.

Whizz, whizz, whizz! Dense hidden weapons whistled through the air. Namiichi Uchiha charged forward, ignoring Genichi. Genichi’s real body, behind the rockery, landed on the water surface and formed seals: "Snake - Tiger!"

Siyan saw this and realized the truth. He shouted, "Careful, that one is a clone!"

Pop! The Water Clone was struck by the hidden weapons and disintegrated into a spray of water. In the next moment, the technique of Genichi’s real body was complete. The water surged to form a dragon and dived down, tearing the two attacking puppets to pieces. The dragon continued its charge, slamming into one of the Sand Ninja and sending him flying. Another Sand Ninja leaped aside, but as he landed, a blade pierced through his chest. It was Namiichi Uchiha!

On the other side, the Namiichi Uchiha who had been kicked away by Siyan exploded into a puff of smoke. It was a Shadow Clone!