The nukenin rushed through the undergrowth, leaping over roots and slipping between tree trunks. Each of their faces was twisted by a mixture of fear and rage.
"Maybe we should try to run?!" Sato shouted, breathing heavily.
"Are you an idiot?" Bando snapped. "That bastard is on a completely different level. Even if we split up, I don't think it would take him more than a minute to slaughter all of us."
"Damn it!" Iwate spat. "Then what do we do?! He'll just kill us!"
"If we manage to take one of his damn students hostage…" Taguma began grimly. "Then maybe we'll have a chance."
"Or he'll just go berserk and kill us along with them…" Sato muttered, sighing heavily. "But there's no other way anyway."
Their silhouettes sped up, and their objective was perfectly clear: the trading caravan.
At the same time, Hokuna, still restrained by countless snakes, turned his head toward Orochimaru standing nearby. The latter watched the retreating figures of his enemies with a lazy, almost bored smile.
"Are you serious…" the nukenin exhaled. "You really think your little brats can handle experienced ninja?"
Orochimaru slowly turned his head. His eyes flashed with predatory fire.
"Don't compare your trash to Konoha's finest talents," he said coldly. "You're nothing but pathetic failures. The first obstacle on their path—one they must learn to overcome."
"Go to hell, you stupid—" Hokuna began, malice ringing in his voice, but he didn't have time to finish.
Metal flashed through the air. It took only one quick, precise strike.
The kunai blade sliced across Hokuna's throat. His eyes clouded over as a thick stream of blood burst from the wound, splashing onto Orochimaru's vest. He didn't even flinch—only tilted his head slightly so the droplets wouldn't reach his eyes.
"I don't like being interrupted," he whispered, and his sinister smile only widened.
The Stone jōnin's body went limp, hanging in the grasp of the retreating snakes.
"Good luck," Orochimaru murmured, looking down toward where movement had already begun. "Let's see what you're worth."
Kuro was walking a step behind the caravan when he suddenly froze.
"They're approaching," he said quietly, almost to himself, but Mikoto and Nawaki immediately turned their attention to him.
"What?" Mikoto asked in surprise. "But… Orochimaru-sensei went exactly in that direction. How did they get away from him?"
"Maybe he—" Nawaki started, but cut himself off.
He didn't finish the sentence, but the disturbing thought hung in the air. Kuro clenched his fist, his eyes narrowing.
"No… Orochimaru definitely wouldn't lose. Maybe he's not as strong as in the future, but for him to die that easily, his opponent would have to be a Kage. And yet they're still here… fine, we'll figure it out later."
He didn't share his suspicions. Unnecessary speculation could ruin their focus.
"Hide the client," he said curtly.
Mikoto and Nawaki reacted instantly. Toshida Yukai, despite his usual cheerful demeanor, immediately understood that the situation was serious and hid in the dense thickets nearby, taking cover behind one of the wagons.
The team formed a triangle, facing the danger. For a second, the silence became unnatural. And then—from between the trees—they appeared.
Four nukenin.
Taguma walked at the front. The scar on his cheek twisted with a crooked grin, and his eyes almost immediately locked onto Kuro.
"Black hair… so that's him, the one," he said slowly. "Iwate, help me. He's probably the most valuable hostage."
He turned to Iwate, who nodded.
"Got it, we take him! The rest are yours, guys." In the next second, they all moved toward their targets, separating the children from one another.
"Two against one?" Kuro said with a smirk, crossing his arms. "Even against a child, you need a numbers advantage?"
"Oh, we just don't like taking risks," Iwate snorted, drawing his blade. "Especially when it comes to a potential threat. You, kid, look… unpleasant."
"Thanks," Kuro smirked. "You're not exactly lookers yourselves."
"Where is Orochimaru-sensei?!" Nawaki shouted, gripping his kunai.
Bando gave a nervous chuckle.
"Our captain's keeping him busy. I don't think he'll be back anytime soon. Or maybe he won't come back at all."
Nawaki growled, but before he could move, Bando lunged first, activating a body-enhancement technique. Mikoto, aided by her Sharingan, swiftly dodged as Sato unleashed a barrage of shuriken at her and then dashed forward as well.
The battle began.
Taguma and Iwate circled Kuro from both sides, clearly intending to capture him quickly. Nara felt a rising heat in his chest—a familiar excitement, almost trembling—but he didn't let it take over.
"Calm down. This isn't fear. It's just… anticipation. I know I'm stronger than them."
"You want a numbers advantage? Fine. I'm not greedy," he said, forming hand seals.
The next instant, two silhouettes burst forth from his shadow. Yami lunged at Iwate with a low growl, claws tearing through the air. Yuki tried to flank from the other side, launching into a swift attack.
"What the hell?!" Iwate cursed, dodging the hound.
"Surprised?" Kuro tilted his head slightly, his eyes flaring with a wild gleam. "I haven't even started yet."
Not far from Nara, Nawaki had already charged into battle. His emotions were overflowing, but he took into account the mistakes from his sparring sessions with Orochimaru. Just before reaching Bando, the Senju formed a seal.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
A burst of smoke—and three clones appeared beside him, rushing outward and surrounding the enemy.
"Damn it…" Bando hissed and assumed a defensive stance. Only now did he seem to regard the child before him as a worthy opponent. Closing in sharply on one of the clones, he launched an aggressive attack. The real Senju, despite his thirst for battle, stayed back for the moment, analyzing his opponent's fighting style.
Bando was physically strong, but he couldn't keep up with attacks from all sides. Strike, block, thrust, sweep—no matter what he did on one side, a counterattack came from another. Still, thanks to his experience, he managed to catch a clone, grabbing it, spinning it through the air, and hurling it into the second copy. Left with the last one, he jumped back, tossing kunai as he did so, then began forming hand seals.
"Doton: Stone Spikes!"
Sharp spears erupted from the ground, piercing one clone after another and even crashing a massive spike down toward the original. Nawaki didn't retreat—he clenched his fist, concentrating chakra into it, and delivered a crushing blow, shattering the stone into fragments.
Bando stepped back, worry surfacing in his eyes.
"You're more dangerous than you look," he exhaled.
"Hah, obviously. I'm a Senju!" Nawaki shot back, charging forward again.
At the same time, Sato, having noticed his opponent's strange eyes, threw a smoke bomb in front of himself. A thick gray haze quickly enveloped them. He drew his sword and rushed into the attack.
"She's got some kind of dōjutsu, I've heard Konoha has the Sharingan and the Byakugan—just don't look her in the eyes," the nukenin thought frantically.
But he clearly underestimated the Uchiha. To Mikoto, the enemy was laid bare. The Sharingan glowed crimson, sharply tracing the nukenin's movements through the smoke. She tilted slightly, evading his thrust, and parried his blade with her katana.
"You don't know how my eyes work, do you?" she asked softly.
Sato's movements were straightforward, somewhat rough. But there were interesting techniques mixed in as well. Mikoto copied them on the fly—deflecting, learning, and returning the strikes in a new, refined form.
"He's strong, and I can even learn something from him. This is the perfect chance."
Blades whistled through the air. Their weapons crossed in dozens of exchanges. And with every swing, the Uchiha grew faster, more confident, more ferocious.
"You've already lost," she said, and her blade slashed across the opponent's clothing, leaving a bloody wound on his shoulder.
Meanwhile, Yami and Yuki assaulted their prey relentlessly. One attacked from the side, the other from below; their speed surpassed that of their opponent. Iwate barely managed to fend them off and was already covered in bleeding wounds. His face twisted in pain.
"Get lost, you mangy mutts! Raiton: Lightning Stream!" he shouted, sending electrical arcs in all directions.
The attack struck Yami, who yelped and was thrown back, crashing into a tree. But a moment later, with slightly singed fur, he was back on his feet, baring his fangs dangerously.
"What kind of monsters are you?!" Iwate screamed in panic and turned toward Taguma to call for help—but his comrade clearly had problems of his own.