Chapter 52: The A and B Combinations

Flames soared into the sky amidst the pitch-black night.

Down on the surface of the sea, Shishita Genichi could see it clearly as he sped forward.

A fight breaking out was a good thing.

As long as he and his teacher Hatake Sakumo’s shadow clones remained intact, the Cloud ninja would never realize that they were openly repairing the gallery road while secretly crossing Chencang.

Furthermore, the Cloud ninja were also using shadow clones; shattering shadow clones was practically an impossible feat.

Moving continuously eastward across the sea, then turning southward, they landed along a smooth stone cliff.

The three Cloud ninja were right up on the mountain.

Silently scaling the cliff top, Hatake Sakumo did not immediately give the order to move out.

Instead, he lay low within the bushes until the break of dawn, at which point Hatake Sakumo signaled Shishita Genichi with a flurry of hand gestures.

Split up.

One in front, one behind.

Shishita Genichi raised a hand in acknowledgment, then headed east, while Hatake Sakumo took the opposite direction, intending to launch a surprise attack from the front of the Cloud ninja.

The sky grew faintly bright.

Shishita Genichi had already infiltrated the rear of the Cloud ninja.

Through the sparse vegetation, he saw the three Cloud ninja gathered beneath a large tree. Two of them were resting against the trunk, while the third was on guard duty.

Shishita Genichi made no reckless moves, quietly waiting for his teacher, Hatake Sakumo, to make a move.

"Who's there?"

Suddenly, the on-duty Cloud ninja shouted sharply.

At that very moment, Hatake Sakumo launched his assault with terrifying speed.

"Enemy attack!"

"It's the White Fang of the Leaf!"

The on-duty Cloud ninja bellowed in alarm and fury.

Yet by the time his initial warning left his mouth, Kataya and the other subordinate who had been resting were already awake.

Seeing the charging White Fang of the Leaf, Kataya instantly drew his blade and lunged forward to meet him while roaring, "Watch your back!"

His vast combat experience told him that if Hatake Sakumo chose a frontal assault, someone else must be lurking in the shadows.

Sure enough, before his words had completely faded, his vision went black.

*Damn it, an illusion that deprives one of sight!*

The guy skilled in illusions and Water Release that Rutefei had mentioned!

Kataya immediately halted his steps, holding his blade at the ready. Relying on his ears to capture surrounding movements, he shouted, "Quickly dispel the illusion!"

The on-duty Cloud ninja reacted the fastest and immediately formed hand seals.

Kataya’s vision returned to light, and Hatake Sakumo was already right in front of him. He hastily swung his sword to parry.

The next instant, however, his blade cleaved through empty air, and a fine crimson line materialized across his neck.

"An illusion... Damn it!"

Kataya covered his neck with his left hand, but bright red blood continuously seeped between his fingers.

His eyes widened wide as the strength in his body was rapidly drained. His legs went soft, and he collapsed to his knees on the ground.

When his blade had missed just moments ago, it wasn't because he had blundered; he had fallen under an illusion. The trajectory of Hatake Sakumo’s blade that he had seen was fake, causing him to swing at nothing while Hatake Sakumo slit his throat in a single stroke.

A minor Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique had directly resulted in Kataya, a jonin, being instantly killed with a single slash.

The second Cloud ninja was likewise dealt with by Hatake Sakumo in a single blow.

He had thought he successfully dispelled the Demonic Illusion: Descending Hell Technique, but in reality, Shishita Genichi had also cast a Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique on him, making him mistakenly believe he had broken the darkness and regained his sight.

In truth, everything he saw was an illusion.

As for the third Cloud ninja, he remained trapped in absolute darkness, gripping his ninja blade in hand, listening in terror to the agonizing screams of his comrades.

Without any comrades to assist him, he was utterly incapable of dispelling the Demonic Illusion: Descending Hell Technique affecting him.

And then, he was knocked unconscious by Hatake Sakumo.

One jonin, two chunin—wiped out in under a minute.

The surprise attack was absolute perfection.

"Genichi, your mastery of illusions is getting better and better."

Hatake Sakumo praised with a smile.

In terms of raw talent, he felt that his disciple's aptitude for illusions vastly surpassed his proficiency in swordsmanship.

Faced with the compliment, Shishita Genichi hurriedly replied, "There are still many shortcomings."

"My application of the Demonic Illusion: Descending Hell Technique is still not deep enough; otherwise, they wouldn't have had any way to break the technique."

The difficulty of learning a ninjutsu is not inherently tied to its destructive power. Although higher-tier ninjutsu imply greater profundity and a higher ceiling of power, the Demonic Illusion: Descending Hell Technique currently displayed by Shishita Genichi possessed vastly inferior power compared to the version cast by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, via Impure World Reincarnation.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was also someone well-versed in illusions, yet even he had no direct way to effortlessly dispel the Demonic Illusion: Descending Hell Technique, which spoke volumes.

Therefore, learning a ninjutsu did not mean one could fully unleash the entirety of that technique's potential ceiling.

Of course.

Shishita Genichi had indeed gained numerous insights into using illusions recently.

Earlier, by employing the C-rank Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique on top of the Demonic Illusion: Descending Hell Technique to slightly blind the jonin Kataya, he had secured the critical turning point.

Illusion Insight One: Make the enemy completely unaware that they have fallen under an illusion for as long as possible!

Illusion Insight Two: Make it as impossible as possible for the enemy to dispel the illusion they are trapped in!

...

Facing his disciple's modesty, Hatake Sakumo felt immensely satisfied inwardly, though outwardly he said, "Modesty is an excellent attitude, but you must also recognize your own strength. Only then can you better discern the situation during battle, swiftly formulate combat plans, and seize the opportune moment."

Shishita Genichi obediently answered, "Understood, Teacher!"

Hatake Sakumo hoisted the unconscious Cloud ninja over his shoulder and said, "Let's move!"

Shishita Genichi promptly stored away the bodies of the two Cloud ninja, and the two of them returned to the town together.

At the inn.

Watching Hatake Sakumo return with a prisoner, Mui could not help but feel deeply shaken.

"As expected of the legendary White Fang of the Leaf!"

"With strength like that, I'll probably never attain it in this lifetime!"

After placing a seal on the Cloud ninja prisoner and leaving him under the guard of the Grass ninja genin, the group gathered once more to hold a meeting.

Hatake Sakumo stated, "The island where the Blood Prison is located isn't actually very far from here. We can bypass boats and head straight there on foot across the water."

Both Mudang and Mui were taken aback upon hearing this.

So hurried?

Now that the Cloud ninja had been dealt with, even if reinforcements were on the way, they wouldn't arrive so fast.

"Um, wouldn't that be too rushed?"

Mudang asked.

Hatake Sakumo replied, "Since the mission can be completed as quickly as possible, taking the initiative is naturally the priority."

"Delaying too long breeds complications and accidents."

Mudang pondered for a moment before nodding, "In that case, let's proceed according to Mr. Sakumo's plan!"

"However, the genin will probably have a hard time keeping up with that pace."

Hatake Sakumo smiled and said, "Tomorrow morning, we can have them head back to the Grass Village first. The six of us are more than enough to escort the high-profile prisoner."

Mui hurriedly asked, "What about that Cloud ninja prisoner?"

Shishita Genichi immediately chimed in, "I can leave a shadow clone behind to keep watch!"

The main reason Hatake Sakumo hadn't killed that Cloud ninja was to bring him back so Yamanaka En could extract some intelligence.

Once the intelligence was acquired, killing him was an option too.

Of course, bringing him back to the Leaf Village would be even better, as more information regarding the Hidden Cloud Village could be wrung out of the Cloud ninja's mind.

If Cloud ninja reinforcements arrived before Hatake Sakumo and the others returned from the Blood Prison, Shishita Genichi's shadow clone would decisively eliminate the prisoner.

At the same time, the dispelling of the shadow clone would serve as a warning to the main body—killing two birds with one stone.

With no need for them to get their hands dirty, Mudang naturally had no objections, and the plan was thus finalized.

Early the next morning.

Shishita Genichi left a shadow clone behind to guard the Cloud ninja prisoner, the four Grass Village genin turned back toward the Grass Village, while the remaining individuals took the high-profile prisoner down to the sea, traveling across the water straight toward the Blood Prison.

Simultaneously.

A ship from the Land of Lightning set sail heading westward, with two figures—one tall, one short—standing proudly at the bow.

"Big brother, let's team up this time and take down that White Fang of the Leaf! We'll make our Killer B and A combination famous worldwide, oh yeah!"

Killer B waved his fists, brimming with fighting spirit.

A slammed his fist down onto Killer B's head: "Don't underestimate the White Fang of the Leaf, or you'll die a miserable death, you idiot!"