Another pursuer seized the opportunity, lunging from the flank with a vicious Wind Release. A Wind Bullet slammed hard toward Troy's injured left leg. Troy barely twisted his body, condensing Chakra in his right arm to block.
"Bang!"
With a dull thud, Troy was jolted back, stumbling. His right arm throbbed with intense pain and was nearly impossible to lift; his defense had completely collapsed.
"Now's the time! Kill him!"
A murderous glint flashed in the third pursuer's eyes as his hands formed seals, preparing to deliver a fatal blow.
Just as Troy was about to be killed by the joint attack—
A figure shot out suddenly from the curtain of rain and the shadows of the rocks at an astonishing speed.
Though his speed wasn't as exaggerated as the Lightning Body Flicker, it far exceeded that of an ordinary Jonin. It was Young Ai, erupting with powerful Taijutsu.
He kept Uchiha Shao Yu's orders in mind, refraining from using his signature Lightning Release Chakra Mode or Lightning Release Ninjutsu. Instead, he used Chakra purely to enhance his physical speed and strength.
Ai's right fist, accompanied by a terrifying sound of breaking wind, smashed toward the Sunagakure pursuer who was about to finish his Wind Release seals.
Sensing the fierce wind attacking from the side, the Sunagakure Ninja turned his head in horror. He only had time to hastily cross his half-sealed hands in front of his chest for protection.
"Bang!! Crack!"
The cringe-inducing sound of bone fracturing rang out. Ai's fist slammed solidly into the opponent's crossed arms. The violent force directly shattered the arm bones and, without losing momentum, impacted his chest.
The Sunagakure Jonin was hit like he'd been struck by a battering ram. He screamed, spitting blood as he flew backward, crashed into the rock wall, and slid down, clearly not going to survive.
"Who is it?!"
"Enemy attack!"
This sudden turn of events left the remaining two Sunagakure pursuers instantly shocked and enraged. Their attention was completely drawn to Ai, who was like a tiger out of its cage.
And at the very moment their attention shifted.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Several glowing fire shuriken shot out silently from the shadows on the other side, precisely sealing off the evasion space for the two of them.
The flames hissed in the rain, illuminating the terrified faces of the pursuers.
Simultaneously, "Swish! Swish! Swish!"
More unmarked, ordinary-looking but incredibly powerful Kunai and shuriken rained down from multiple tricky angles like a storm.
"Not good! Scatter!"
The two Sunagakure pursuers were Jonin after all and reacted quickly. One immediately leaped back, waving a Kunai to block the incoming fire shuriken and ordinary shuriken.
The other attempted to use the Body Flicker Technique to pull away.
However, the attackers' coordination and timing were too perfect.
Although the blocking pursuer knocked away several attacks, the explosion and burning effect of the fire shuriken still disrupted his movements. An ordinary Kunai from an extremely tricky angle took advantage of the gap, sinking into his shoulder blade with a "puchi" sound, causing his movements to stall.
As for the pursuer attempting the Body Flicker, before he could even move three meters, the ground beneath his feet suddenly softened and collapsed without warning!
"Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique!"
A palm suddenly reached out from the mud, grabbed his ankle, and yanked him down hard.
"Ah!"
The pursuer's lower body was instantly pulled into the ground, leaving only his upper body exposed, causing him to lose all mobility in an instant.
Without waiting for him to struggle free or for his companion to rescue him.
"Puff! Puff!"
Two precise Kunai pierced through his throat and heart respectively.
The pursuer with the Kunai in his shoulder was also pierced through his vitals by more shuriken that followed and the short blade of a lunging Jonin.
In a flash, the three Sunagakure Jonin of considerable strength were all executed.
Only the sound of wind and rain remained in the valley, along with... Troy, the Magnet Release Ninja, who had survived the ordeal. He leaned against a rock, barely standing and panting heavily, looking at this group of sudden intruders with suspicion and uncertainty.
"The Magnet Release Ninja of Sunagakure, Troy?"
Shao Yu spoke, his voice slightly altered by Chakra, sounding somewhat low and raspy, making it difficult to identify.
"It seems your situation in Sunagakure isn't very good."
Troy tightly gripped the few remaining shuriken in his hand, warily staring at this group of mysterious people.
The opponents acted ruthlessly and decisively, with perfect coordination and great strength, yet their affiliation was indiscernible.
By saving him, were they friend or foe?
"Who... are you? Why are you interfering in Sunagakure's internal affairs?"
Troy asked in a raspy voice, his body trembling slightly from exhaustion and pain, but his eyes remained guarded.
Young Ai, standing beside Shao Yu, was becoming impatient. In his view, this Magnet Release Ninja was so heavily injured yet still asking questions; it was a complete waste of time.
Moreover, the captain had said to act as covertly as possible. The longer they lingered in this valley where a battle had just occurred, the more dangerous it became.
He glanced at Shao Yu for instructions and, upon receiving permission.
"Noisy!"
Ai gave a low shout, and with a blur of his figure, he closed the distance before Troy could even react.
A clean and efficient hand-chop precisely struck the back of Troy's neck.
"Ugh..."
Troy was already at the end of his rope and had no strength to resist. He groaned, his vision went black, and he slumped unconscious to the ground.
"Take him, clear the tracks, and return to the temporary base immediately."
Shao Yu quickly ordered.
Several Kumogakure Jonin immediately stepped forward. One carried the unconscious Troy on his back, while the others quickly processed the battlefield.
They dragged the three Sunagakure pursuers' bodies to a hidden spot and used Explosive Tags for a simple disposal, erased the obvious traces they left behind, and used Earth Release to slightly alter the battlefield's terrain.
The group, carrying their prisoner, quickly retreated from the valley along the hidden path they came from and returned to the cave where they had previously hidden.
Inside the cave, Uchiha Renka had already returned and brought some fragmented intelligence regarding the distribution of forces in the surrounding area. Seeing Ai carry back an unconscious Sunagakure Ninja, a flash of realization crossed Renka's eyes.
Results so quickly, as expected of the Clan Head.
Troy was placed in a dry corner, and a Jonin with some medical knowledge performed simple wound treatment and bandaging.
About half an hour later, under the influence of a Soldier Pill and the simple treatment, Troy slowly woke up.
He snapped his eyes open and instinctively tried to roll up, but it pulled at all his wounds, causing him to hiss in pain. At the same time, he discovered his Chakra was restricted by some simple Sealing Technique formula, and his limbs felt weak and limp.
He looked around and saw Uchiha Shao Yu and the others sitting nearby, still disguised with their faces obscured, as well as the unfamiliar cave environment.
His heart immediately sank.
"Awake?"
Uchiha Shao Yu's voice rang out, still in that altered raspy tone.
"How do you feel?"
Troy did not answer, only looking at them coldly, his eyes filled with hostility and a bleak sense of resignation.
"We have no ill will toward you, at least not for now."
Shao Yu continued.
"Otherwise, you wouldn't have woken up. We saved you simply because we were curious about the reason you were being pursued by Jonin of your own village, and the... Magnet Release ability you possess."
Troy remained silent, his lips pressed tightly together.
Young Ai grew impatient and took a step forward, his tone carrying the characteristic bluntness of Kumogakure.
"Hey, Sunagakure guy! We saved your life after all. Tell us, what on earth is going on inside your Sunagakure?"
"Why would three Jonin chase you down alone? And with such a relentless, lethal intent? What heinous crime did you commit?"
Perhaps the phrase 'relentless, lethal intent' touched Troy, or perhaps he felt there was no hope left while in the hands of an unknown force, or perhaps his suppressed hatred and grievances needed an outlet.
He suddenly looked up.
"I am the nephew of the Third Kazekage."
As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of Uchiha Shao Yu, Young Ai, Uchiha Renka, and the others in the cave all narrowed.
The Third Kazekage's nephew? A power struggle within Sunagakure?
Troy seemed to throw caution to the wind, continuing regardless, his voice filled with resentment.
"Two days ago... I accidentally found some deliberately hidden records in the family's archived old scrolls... records about my father, the previous generation's Magnet Release Jonin, dying in an accidental mission more than ten years ago."
He clenched his fists tightly, his nails sinking into his palms.
"That was no accident at all. All the clues point to him, who was a candidate at the time."
"My dear uncle, the current Third Kazekage. He planned that mission and struck in the shadows to eliminate the most powerful competitor for the position of Kazekage at the time—my father. Then, he naturally... ascended to the position of Kazekage."
Advance chapter available on pãtrêon Got1808