The secrecy work was indeed not very good.
Not only did Konoha, where Takeshi was, know that he wanted to assassinate the target, but even Yōwan had also received the news.
"That brat will easily interfere with our plan. Why not take this opportunity..."
Knowing how troublesome Takeshi was, Black Zetsu urged Yōwan from the side.
He still didn't know that the man before him already harbored second thoughts, secretly planning to wipe both him and Setsuna out in one fell swoop.
After pondering for a moment, Yōwan felt it was too early to reveal his cards. Besides, Takeshi's existence did indeed obstruct his plans to some extent.
However, since this black thing beside him was so eager to kill the man, then why not...
"In that case, let that guy go."
The "guy" Yōwan spoke of naturally referred to Setsuna.
"After all, it was he who handed over the Three-Tails in the first place..."
Thanks to Setsuna, the Gedo Statue now had only consumed a single tail of the Three-Tails.
...
On a forest path in the Land of Fire.
Takeshi walked at the front, followed closely by two guards.
Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu.
According to the original plan, the ones accompanying Takeshi should have been two jōnin.
But now that Konoha was in a period of rapid development, and the search for the defected Uchiha had not ceased, they sent out two chūnin instead.
The purpose of this trip was to sign a new treaty with Sunagakure at Kikyo Pass.
"Click."
As Takeshi silently moved forward, his left foot just touched the ground, his right foot not yet lifted, when a faint snap was heard.
Several crossbow bolts shot out under the mechanism's trigger.
Takeshi spun around sharply, leaning his body backward to avoid the arrows.
Before he could straighten up, the ground beneath his feet began to rumble.
"Earth Release: Rock Mountain Jutsu!"
The land split into two semi-circles that rose from the ground, rumbling as they closed in toward Takeshi.
"Hokage-sama?!"
Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu instantly assumed combat stances, ready to rush forward to rescue Takeshi.
But shadows stirred, and several figures appeared, blocking their way.
As the massive stones were about to crush him into paste, Takeshi did not panic. He activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, vanishing to reappear at Kamizuki Izumo's side.
In passing, his kunai slashed across one enemy's throat.
"Ka..."
Eyes wide with disbelief, Kashi clutched his neck, feeling life drain away from the wound, yet powerless to stop it.
"Damn it, Earth Release: Earth Spear!"
Byoki, furious at seeing his comrade die so swiftly, roared as he drove earthen spears at Takeshi and Kamizuki Izumo behind him.
"Wind Release: Wind Slash."
Grabbing Izumo's arm, Takeshi nimbly avoided the spears. At the same time, Itsuto lashed out with a kick that sent Hagane Kotetsu flying, then unleashed ninjutsu to match Byoki's assault.
Playing with Wind Release in front of me?
Glancing coldly toward Itsuto, Takeshi activated the Flying Thunder God again, reappearing with Izumo beside Hagane Kotetsu.
He intended to repeat his move and take down another enemy, but Kengo sensed danger the moment Takeshi's form disappeared. Seizing Mibu, he quickly pulled back from Kotetsu, widening the gap.
"My apologies, Hokage-sama. We failed to sense their presence in time."
Izumo looked guilty. As guards, they were supposed to protect Takeshi, yet now they had become the ones needing protection.
"It's nothing. I didn't notice them either."
Takeshi wasn't too bothered. He had already been warned before leaving the village that someone would come to assassinate him.
"Ice Release: Frozen Cloud."
Hands formed seals as frigid white mist poured from Takeshi's mouth. In mere minutes, the dense fog wrapped around everyone present.
"Not good, that's the jutsu that once severely injured the Fourth Raikage! Inhaling it will cause irreparable lung damage."
The assassins, who had researched Takeshi's abilities beforehand, instantly recognized the danger and scrambled to create distance.
"Use Wind Release!"
As they widened the gap, Kengo shouted to Itsuto.
Itsuto nodded, drawing in a deep breath.
The compressed wind sphere exploded the instant it struck the ground, tearing up the earth and scattering the fog in a violent gust.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Wind fed fire. As the fog cleared, Takeshi released a Fire Release technique, using their own Wind Release to maximize the range.
Flames surged and wrapped around the enemies, subjecting them to the torment of fire and ice at once.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
A wall of earth rose, shielding them from the flames. But as Takeshi continued pouring chakra into his attack, cracks splintered across the wall.
It won't last long.
Byoki, the caster, knew the wall's limits, signaling desperately for his comrades to act.
"That's Shimura Takeshi! Kill him!"
Just as the wall was about to shatter, several figures wielding katana rushed forward, surrounding Takeshi and his men.
"Samurai?"
Izumo's eyes narrowed. Though their identities weren't obvious, their stance and blade form betrayed their training.
Such a perfect formation was not something mere rōnin could manage.
The samurai ignored him and slashed without a word.
Izumo and Kotetsu exchanged a glance and, suppressing their anger, charged in.
...
I can't beat those ambushing ninja, but surely I can handle a bunch of samurai, right?
Clinging to that thought, Izumo and Kotetsu decided to vent their frustration on these fools.
But...
As Kotetsu's weapon was knocked flying and their bodies cut with several fresh wounds, the two were forced to retreat in disarray.
The relentless sword strikes left them unable to form even a single hand seal, forcing them into a desperate melee.
The strongest samurai ignored them entirely, heading straight for Takeshi, who had just finished his Fire Release.
"Don't you dare!"
Biting back pain as two more gashes opened on his body, Izumo hurled shuriken in an attempt to stall him.
But the samurai suddenly stamped down, body blurring as he closed the distance in an instant—appearing right before Takeshi's eyes. The shuriken missed their mark.
Body Flicker Technique? No... reducing space itself?
Takeshi frowned, watching the blade flash at him. Ice coated his palm as he prepared to block head-on.
The single downward slash multiplied into three. Even as Takeshi guarded one, the other two struck precisely at his ribs.
No time to think—Takeshi spread the ice over his entire body just in time to block the first assault.
He intended to use the opening as the enemy recovered to unleash ninjutsu, but the samurai gave him no chance. With a sudden twist, the blade arced toward Takeshi's neck.
"I see... they say skilled samurai can prevent shinobi from forming ninjutsu. So it's through this kind of relentless, unbroken assault?"