Nara Kazuki raised an eyebrow. So this man was the intel drop?
Then he watched as Tanuki stepped forward, placed a hand on the man's head, and began some kind of technique. Kazuki immediately understood—this method of storing intel was exactly the kind of thing only the Yamanaka Clan would think to do.
"Kitsune is currently being pursued by Iwagakure's ANBU. When she left this message, she was heading northeast," Tanuki murmured, eyes narrowed. After a moment, he pulled his hand away, revealing the message.
Kazuki quirked an eyebrow—interesting. He didn't know the exact mechanics, but if Kitsune had managed to leave a trail, then they still had a lead to follow.
But northeast? Why?
Was she trying to escape from an encirclement? Or was it that the more obvious paths had already been sealed off by Iwa's ANBU?
Thinking it over, that seemed likely. Iwa's ANBU weren't idiots. No way they'd leave a clear escape route open.
Kazuki didn't say anything more. He followed Tanuki as the group took off northeast. Tanuki somehow always managed to identify the next sign left by Kitsune after a brief search. They pressed deeper into remote mountain forests.
Along the way, Kazuki casually deployed a Wind Breath Perception Technique. It actually succeeded this time, though it did drain quite a bit of chakra. But Kazuki didn't care—as long as it activated, he could start building proficiency.
A breeze whispered through the trees. Kazuki closed his eyes, sensing the surroundings. No other ninja in range.
"The trail ends here. Or rather—Kitsune's last marker has been discovered and tampered with," Tanuki muttered as he crouched beside a stone etched with strange symbols.
Probably a secret Yamanaka code.
"So what now? Spread out and search?" Kakashi asked. In situations like this, that was usually the only option.
"No need. This is a trap," Tanuki said coldly, eyes glinting. "They misread the message. Tried to fake it. But they didn't understand the real meaning behind the symbol."
"They're setting a snare. Wanting to ambush the reinforcements. So we walk right into their trap—then tear it open and beat the truth out of them."
His voice carried a bite of fury.
Kazuki's mouth twitched. Trap, huh? Could've phrased that better...
Still, Tanuki had a point. The real trail was lost unless they got extremely lucky. Better to find some Iwa shinobi and extract the intel directly. And with Tanuki on their side, it was guaranteed to be a brutal interrogation. If Kazuki was lucky, he could snag a finisher and leech a chunk of chakra for free.
But just as they were preparing to move out, they sensed movement ahead.
Immediately, the squad hid themselves and erased all traces of their presence.
Seconds later, a familiar figure burst from the treeline—a woman, clearly in bad shape. Blood streamed from a wound at her waist, half-wrapped in a torn shirt. A crude dressing, barely effective.
Kazuki's expression twitched. What kind of fate-tied coincidence was this? They hadn't even located Yamanaka Mai yet—and she'd come running to them.
Which also meant…
Right on cue, six Iwa shinobi appeared, chasing after her. Ninjutsu of all kinds hurled toward Mai's retreating back.
Tanuki gave the signal.
Kazuki's hands blurred into motion. His fingers flashed through seals at a pace so absurd it felt like a Genjutsu. The moment his final seal landed, he grinned. He'd chosen Tanuki as the target for his designated enemy seal technique.
Kazuki had confirmed earlier that this jutsu worked best when the enemy was present and also forming seals. The only limitation was that the designated enemy had to be actively there and engaged. Otherwise, it wouldn't trigger.
A shame. If it could be used at range, Kazuki could've marked someone like Edo Tensei Uchiha Madara and turned him into a glorified jutsu assistant.
Kazuki opened his mouth. Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique! roared to life.
At the same time, chakra surged into his palm. Rasengan condensed, a swirling sphere of destruction forming in his hand. Kazuki kicked off the ground and dove into the flames.
Tanuki, Kakashi, and Shisui struck at the same time.
The ambush caught the Iwa-nin completely off guard. Combined with the mental jolt from the Great Fireball Technique's heat and pressure, they hesitated—just a fraction of a second.
But that second was enough.
The massive fireball engulfed all six of them. Tanuki glanced over, visibly stunned. This Great Fireball wasn't just strong—it bordered on advanced Fire Release. No wonder Kazuki had earned the nickname "Flame Demon." His chakra control and raw output were insane for a technique that, on paper, wasn't even S-rank.
Meanwhile, Yamanaka Mai, watching from the edge of the clearing, let out a shaky breath. Her eyes gleamed with recognition—but instead of rushing in, she wisely stayed back and began treating her wound with medical ninjutsu.
Even while fleeing for her life, she maintained her battlefield awareness. Charging in now would've only turned her into a liability.
"Liver and kidney!" Kazuki shouted internally.
He'd been grinding this damn jutsu for weeks. Constantly forming Rasengan after Rasengan—he was about to go insane from repetition. So to improve the feel, he'd made a subtle modification.
Now the Rasengan's formation felt like kneading dough—soft, responsive, almost therapeutic.
Rasengan might look simple, but its destructive power was no joke.
One Iwa-nin, noticing Kazuki too late, barely managed to raise an earth wall. Useless. Kazuki's Rasengan tore straight through it—and then through the man himself. His body detonated, limbs flying.
Blood spattered across Kazuki's face. He didn't flinch. On the contrary, he smiled.
That kill earned him another 1% chakra boost.
And in the shadows, his second attack was already underway.
Kazuki's own shadow had reached out—Shadow Possession Jutsu—and captured another unlucky bastard.
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