Chapter 12: Dire News, Two-Tails Jinchūriki! Mad Dash Through the Night!
The forehead protector of Hot Springs ninja bore three wavy lines, resembling the character for "river."
Upon learning that Hot Springs ninja were scouting ahead, Uchiha Setsuna swiftly led his team to flank them.
The prowess of major nation ninja far outstripped that of their minor nation counterparts.
Before Uchiha Takanotsume could even draw a shuriken for a triple-threat combo, Great Elder Setsuna had already leaped into action.
All Takanotsume saw was Setsuna unsheathing his long blade, flames spiraling along its edge, before he descended.
Like a wildfire tearing through a plain, he cut down three Hot Springs ninja before they could utter a word, mowing them down like grass.
Takanotsume felt a surreal sense of being a low-level character carried by a maxed-out pro.
After dispatching the small fry, Setsuna held his blade to one ninja's throat, asking coldly: "Who sent you?"
The Hot Springs ninja shrank back, stammering, unable to speak.
Setsuna didn't hesitate. His Sharingan flared, and a chilling glare pierced the ninja's eyes.
Moments later, he deactivated his Sharingan and finished the ninja with a single stroke.
From the side, Takanotsume noticed Setsuna's expression shift briefly.
The Great Elder turned, ordering: "We move now. Cross the border tonight!"
"After passing the border pass, don't stop. Head straight for the capital of the Land of Hot Springs and rendezvous with Police Force Captain Fugaku."
"If you encounter enemies blocking the way, don't engage—retreat immediately."
"Great Elder, what's happened?" Seiichiro swallowed hard, picking up on Setsuna's urgency and growing tense.
Setsuna was concise: "The Two-Tails jinchūriki has appeared in the Land of Hot Springs."
"Their likely target is our clan's garrison at Hell Valley. And there's a high chance of intercepting ninja ahead."
"The situation's out of control."
"We must head to the capital, Hot Springs Smoke City, find the Ninja Cat Clan's contact, and get word back to the Uchiha."
"What?!" Seiichiro's face paled, his shock bordering on panic.
Kumo's jinchūriki were weapons of war.
If one reached Hell Valley, where no top-tier fighters were currently stationed, it'd be a catastrophic disaster for the clan members there!
The Third Ninja World War hadn't even fully begun, and Kumo was already deploying a jinchūriki in a minor nation's battlefield?
Takanotsume, standing nearby, felt a spark of excitement flash in his eyes.
The Two-Tails jinchūriki…
No matter how flashy your shuriken skills, one swipe from them would turn you into a pancake.
After his brief clash with Seiichiro, he'd realized—
With his shuriken technique at a mastered level, he could hold his own against a two-tomoe Sharingan-wielding Uchiha chūnin with a decent chance of winning.
In other words—
Takanotsume, a genin, actually had the strength of a chūnin.
If shuriken mastery counted as a specialty, he might even qualify as a special jōnin.
Pulling off an insurance scam with ordinary missions was getting tough.
Only by taking on riskier tasks and facing deadlier foes could he secure a proper exit!
And now, fresh on the battlefield, he hears about the Two-Tails jinchūriki—a mega-boss-level threat. Takanotsume's emotions were indescribable.
Tears of joy were practically dripping from the corners of his mouth.
Setsuna surveyed his two subordinates, planning to give them a pep talk.
Seiichiro, the useless dove, was trembling, eyes darting, looking like a turtle ready to hide in his pants.
Setsuna could understand—facing an enemy of this caliber was basically an S-rank mission.
Fear was normal.
But when Setsuna's gaze landed on Takanotsume, his eye twitched.
What the hell was wrong with this kid?
Those eager eyes, tears at the corners of his mouth, and a hyped-up expression like he'd been injected with adrenaline.
He was muttering under his breath: "Let's roll! Let's roll! Let's roll!"
He might as well have carved "I WANT TO FIGHT!" on his forehead.
Setsuna's brow twitched. What the—?!
Gave me a damn jump scare!
Shaking his head, Setsuna swallowed the pep talk he'd planned.
With a stone-cold face, he pointed his drawn blade into the pitch-black darkness ahead. "Move out!"
They plunged into the darkness, pressing forward.
In the lightless night, the mountains loomed like sleeping dragons, eerily silent.
Thanks to Setsuna's decisiveness in eliminating the Hot Springs ninja scouting for Kumo's trio, the Uchiha team crossed the Land of Hot Springs border without incident.
Meanwhile—
The night sped by like a fleeting gap.
Clouds shrouding the full moon parted, casting cold moonlight over the valley.
Kumo jōnin Ramii, dozing with his ninja blade in his arms, snapped his eyes open.
He frowned, muttering: "Something's off. It's too quiet."
He leaned toward his teammate on watch. "Moroi, has the Hot Springs ninja scheduled to report back shown up?"
Moroi, polishing his blade, frowned too. "No."
"It's been over half an hour."
Ramii's brow furrowed. After a moment's thought, he ordered: "Send word to our spies in the border villages. Ask for updates."
Moroi nodded, about to use a summoning jutsu, when he looked up.
A pigeon swooped down under the moonlight. He caught it, pulling a scroll from its leg.
"Ramii-senpai, the message is here."
"The Uchiha have entered the Land of Hot Springs, not far ahead. They've changed course—skipping Hell Valley and heading for Hot Springs Smoke City."
Ramii jolted, immediately rousing the resting Dodai.
"Something's wrong. We move now!"
"Setsuna might've caught wind of our plan."
Back to the Uchiha team—
They'd crossed the border, passed three villages, and kept moving without pause.
The moon sank, dawn faintly glowed on the horizon, and ape cries echoed through the high valleys.
Since leaving Konoha at 8 AM yesterday, they'd traveled nonstop, crossed the border at night, and marched through another grueling night.
They were utterly exhausted.
Takanotsume, despite his high-end skills, was limited by his chakra reserves.
Sweat-soaked and panting, he propped himself up on his thighs.
Conveniently, they'd reached an abandoned village, perfect for a rest.
Seiichiro flat-out refused to move further. Setsuna frowned but ordered a break.
He sent the still-mobile Seiichiro to clear a spot, then strung up wires around the village himself, rigging explosive tags and bells—taking on tasks meant for his subordinates.
As for Takanotsume, he was too drained to move but stubbornly tried to help.
Setsuna slapped the back of his head, knocking him out cold.
Summoning a ninja crow for lookout, Setsuna exhaled and said to Seiichiro gravely: "It's half a day to Smoke City. Rest here for two hours, then we move."
With that, Setsuna closed his eyes, snoring like thunder.
Seiichiro, equally spent, collapsed and slept like a cartoon pig.
The trio snatched a brief respite.
Unaware, danger was closing in fast.