(Sorry For the Late Update but I was a little busy)
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In the most hidden corner of Iwagakure's secret base, the man in charge of the operation—Akagawa—stood before six uniquely dressed Iwa-nin.
"This plan will determine the success of our entire strategy. I don't need to explain its importance—you all understand what's at stake." Akagawa said in a solemn voice: "Let me say only this: everything we do is for the village."
"Yes, sir!" The six replied in unison.
"Then go."
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, the six Iwa-nin vanished without a trace.
Akagawa slowly turned around. His narrow eyes gleamed coldly: "The net has been cast… Team Renjiro, you're dead this time."
---
Renjiro had been walking through the tunnel for quite a while.
In the suffocating silence, only the sound of his own footsteps echoed off the stone walls.
Just as he began to wonder how much farther the passage stretched, a faint glimmer of light appeared around a distant corner.
"Could that be… an exit?" His eyes lit up.
He immediately picked up speed, and after a few swift leaps, he emerged from the oppressive tunnel.
Before him opened a wide chamber—roughly the size of a basketball court. Renjiro narrowed his eyes and began scanning the space, trying to determine the purpose of such a room.
---
[Warning! Warning! Incoming attack!]
Arkain's sirens blared suddenly in his mind.
"Damn it!"
Renjiro's pupils shrank. Without hesitation, he dropped into a crouch.
Whoosh!
A razor-sharp gust of wind swept past his head—cleanly slicing off the tips of his hair.
"Time Bullet—Active!"
"Mind Net—Deploy!"
"Combat Visual Assistance—Online!"
In an instant, Renjiro activated every sensory system at his disposal.
The enemy's figure instantly appeared in his mind—and without missing a beat, he drew his blade and slashed in one swift motion.
Clang!
Sparks exploded as steel met steel.
The attacker was finally revealed—wearing standard Iwa-nin gear, with ordinary features… except for one thing, an unusually large nose.
---
At the same time, in different corridors of the now maze-like mountain, Renjiro's teammates were encountering their own enemies.
All across the hidden complex, multiple battles were about to erupt simultaneously.
---
Renjiro stared coldly at the Iwa-nin before him: "That was Earth Release: Rock Concealment Technique… that was close."
Had he not activated his sensory systems at the last second, he would have been caught off guard. Once again, Arkain had saved his life.
Across from him, the large-nosed Iwa-nin showed no frustration over the failed ambush.
He already knew who his opponent was—the rising star of Konoha, Team Renjiro's captain, a formidable foe with elite sensory skills.
The two stood locked in silent tension for several seconds—and then battle resumed.
Earth Release: Rock Concealment!
The Iwa-nin vanished without a sound before Renjiro's eyes.
"That technique won't work on me… not with my sensory abilities." Renjiro gripped his blade tightly.
"Wait!"
Renjiro's expression shifted suddenly.
He's already seen my sensory abilities in action. Why would he waste chakra on a Jutsu that's useless against me?
Earth Release: Stone Shot!
"Damn it!"
In his Mind Net perception, the Iwa-nin suddenly reappeared—behind him—already mid-cast.
Dozens of boulder-sized rocks erupted forward, launching toward him at terrifying speed.
"It's a clone!"
Renjiro instantly understood the trap.
The one he had been fighting all along was only an Earth Clone. The real enemy had been hiding—waiting for this exact moment.
"No time!"
Now he was caught—ambushed from all sides.
Behind him surged the storm of stone projectiles. To his side, the enemy was ready to strike the moment he dodged.
Swish! Boom!
Renjiro's body was engulfed in a hailstorm of flying stone.
"Got him!"
The large-nosed Iwa-nin's eyes gleamed with excitement.
Wasting no time, he formed another set of hand seals.
Earth Release: Rock Fist Jutsu!
A massive stone fist wrapped around his arm as he leapt into the air—then hurled himself toward the impact zone.
Boom!
He slammed the stone fist down with all his might. Dust exploded outward. Chunks of debris flew in every direction.
"There's no way he survived that." He finally exhaled in relief.
"Don't count on it."
A calm voice rang out—chilling his blood.
The Iwa-nin spun in shock—just in time to see a shadow behind him.
Whoosh!
He tried to swing the fading stone fist backward—but all he felt was a sudden, cold touch at his neck.
A heartbeat later—
Splurt!
Blood sprayed into the air.
"Ah—"
He opened his mouth, trying to speak—then collapsed, lifeless, to the ground.
Renjiro, brushing dust from his face, walked over to the body and muttered:
"That was close…"
Thankfully, he had used Tekkai to tank the initial stone barrage, then escaped at the last moment with a Substitution Jutsu.
If he hadn't, the final Rock Fist blow would've crushed him. Even with Tekkai, he couldn't have survived that head-on.
---
Hidden Location – Deep inside the mountain
Deep within a cavern of pitch-black silence—so dark that even shadows faded into nothing—Akagawa sat cross-legged, unmoving.
Thud… Thud…
Faint footsteps echoed through the chamber, breaking the stillness.
A gray-haired Iwa-nin stepped into the darkness. Akagawa opened his eyes slowly—and locked his cold, narrow gaze onto the newcomer.
The shinobi's expression was grim as he spoke: "Captain… Goju has fallen."
"…I see."
A flicker of pain passed through Akagawa's eyes: "As expected of Team Renjiro. It's not just their captain—even their members are formidable. Each one capable of defeating elite Iwa Chūnin."
The gray-haired shinobi's tone hardened: "Then… shall we begin the next phase, Captain?"
"That's right." Akagawa sat up straighter, his voice turned sharp and commanding: "You're the one leading this phase… Sengo. I order you—initiate Phase Two of the operation."
"Yes!"
The gray-haired shinobi—Sengo—nodded with a solemn expression and bowed his head in acknowledgment.
Akagawa locked eyes with him: "Sengo—this is all for the village… and for Lord Tsuchikage."
"I understand." Sengo replied firmly.
Akagawa closed his eyes once more: "Then go."
As Sengo turned and disappeared into the shadows, Akagawa reopened his eyes—cold, unwavering.
He whispered into the silence: "All of this… is for the village. And for Lord Tsuchikage."
---
Meanwhile—
Having dealt with his previous enemy, Renjiro finally had a chance to take in his surroundings.
Unfortunately, the chamber was completely barren, there was no clues, or any signs of intel or enemy activity.
Only two paths remained: The tunnel he had entered through—and a new passage leading forward.
"How long do I have to keep walking through these tunnels?" Renjiro sighed, and began moving forward again.
This time, he walked slowly and carefully through the dim corridor, remaining alert. He had learned his lesson from the previous ambush.
Even before reaching the next room, he had already activated his sensory technique. To his surprise—the enemy didn't even try to hide.
Standing boldly in the center of the next open hall was a lone Iwa-nin—with short gray hair and a calm, waiting posture.
"This is… different." Renjiro narrowed his eyes as he stepped out of the tunnel.
"They're getting theatrical now?" He thought: "What is this… some kind of checkpoint boss fight?"
The setup felt almost staged. Like a dungeon where each floor had its own guardian waiting. The whole situation struck Renjiro as strange—and deeply suspicious.
"Are they really sacrificing their own men like this?"
"What kind of strategy is this?"
Across the room, the gray-haired Iwa-nin finally spoke: "You're gifted… strong for your age. I'll give you that. You live up to your reputation." His voice was calm and cold: "But this is where it ends."
Renjiro didn't even bother replying. Silently, he drew his blade.
Whoosh!
Without warning, Renjiro lunged forward—his figure blurring with explosive speed.
He launched the first strike.
The Iwa-nin responded instantly, raising a kunai to block.
Clangg!
Steel rang against steel. Sparks scattered into the air.
Backed by Arkain's real-time analysis system, Renjiro's Taijutsu had advanced to the level of a Special Jonin.
And yet—
"His physical skill… it's weak." To Renjiro's surprise, his opponent's Taijutsu was sloppy—almost basic.
Whoosh!
Clangg!
With a swift feint and sidestep, Renjiro disarmed him, knocking the kunai from his grip.
"Opening!"
Renjiro's eyes gleamed with cold precision. He surged forward, suddenly accelerating.
Caught off guard, the Iwa-nin couldn't react in time.
Whoosh!
Renjiro's blade swept down in a clean, deadly arc—aimed straight at the enemy's chest.
Pufff!
A burst of blood exploded outward—the blade nearly cleaved the Iwa-nin in half.
"Another one dow—!" But before Renjiro could even finish his sentence, his eyes widened.
The enemy's "corpse" began to melt—bubbling and sagging into a pile of sludge.
An Earth Clone!
Renjiro instantly realized what had happened. The Iwa-nin had lured him into a trap—pretending to be weak in Taijutsu to bait the strike.
"Damn it!" Renjiro tensed, ready to retreat, but it was too late!
Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!
Grgrgrgr!
The earth beneath him burst open. A massive, muddy hand shot out, grabbed Renjiro's ankle—and yanked him down.
Boom!
In the blink of an eye, he was buried neck-deep—only his head remained above the ground, exposed and vulnerable.
Before him, a mound of soil rose and reshaped itself—taking on the form of the gray-haired Iwa-nin, emerging from the ground like a phantom.
"Time to go to hell, you damn bastard!" The Iwa-nin roared.
Earth Style: Rock Fist!
His entire arm morphed into a massive stone construct, surging forward like a hammer—aimed straight at Renjiro's exposed head.
Renjiro's eyes widened in panic: "Not this technique again—damn it!"
At such close range, even Tekkai wouldn't be enough to save him—not when the target was his head.
BOOM!
The stone fist smashed downward. The entire chamber trembled with the impact. Stone and dust exploded everywhere. The Iwa-nin's expression was grim—no hint of triumph.
He retracted the fist slowly. And then—he froze.
"What…?!"
Where Renjiro's head should've been crushed into the earth—there was nothing. No blood. No body. No sign of impact beyond a massive crater and scattered stones.
His eyes shrank in disbelief: "Where is he?!"
The Iwa-nin spun around frantically, scanning the entire hall.
"Up here!"
Renjiro's voice came from above.
He snapped his gaze upward—Renjiro was already descending from the ceiling, having used Soru to escape at the last instant.
He had silently latched onto the chamber's upper wall, hidden in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Now, he was in midair—his blade angled downward, ready to pierce straight through his enemy's chest.
"No time to dodge—only to defend!" The Iwa-nin's thoughts raced.
Earth Release: Petrify!
A defensive jutsu designed for close-range emergencies. It required only a single hand seal and minimal chakra. Simple, but effective—especially when there was no time for more elaborate ninjutsu.
The gray-haired Iwa-nin quickly formed the seal. His body hardened—stone spreading rapidly across his torso like armor, attempting to block the incoming blade.
But would it be enough?
Almost instantly, the Iwa-nin's arms thickened—solidifying into stone. He crossed them over his chest, bracing for impact.
Through Time Bullet, Renjiro saw it all unfold in slowed motion. A sinister grin curved across his face.
From his pouch, he pulled two kunai—each wrapped with explosive tags—and hurled them at the Iwa-nin with his left hand.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
BOOM!
The explosion engulfed the shinobi. Smoke and shards of rock flew in all directions.
When the dust finally settled... the Iwa-nin was still standing. Bloodied, barely conscious, but still alive.
"Wow! That was an amazing move." Renjiro smiled widely as he landed gracefully on the stone floor.
"You know..." He said slowly, walking toward the wounded man: "It feels like you've built this entire maze to trap yourselves—rather than us."
Whoosh!
In one smooth motion, Renjiro stepped forward and thrust his blade directly at the Iwa-nin's heart.
"...Huh?!"
The Iwa-nin, groaning and exhausted, reflexively raised his kunai to block the strike. But the moment their weapons made contact—Renjiro's blade vanished.
"Wha—?!" His body froze. Then... a sharp pain bloomed in his chest.
He looked down—and saw Renjiro's blade had already pierced straight through his heart.
"...W-when…?!"
Renjiro didn't answer. He simply twisted the blade. Instantly, the Iwa-nin's heart was shredded.
"Gah!" The Iwa-nin's eyes bulged. Blood poured from his mouth, but he smiled eerily and creepily.
Renjiro's expression hardened: "Why… do I suddenly have a bad feeling about this place?"
He looked down at the corpse—then around the chamber. A strange tension hung in the air. He couldn't explain it but something felt… wrong.
---
Still, he didn't linger. There was no point dwelling on unease—not when the mission wasn't over.
After a quick cleanup, he swallowed a few bitter soldier pills, grimacing at the taste. The chakra boost helped clear his fatigue, though it couldn't erase the deep ache in his limbs.
Two back-to-back battles.
And while he'd emerged victorious both times… it wasn't without cost. Both enemies had been strong shinobi—and both had forced him almost to go all out.
Just a single mistake… and he would've died.
---
Another ten minutes passed.
He arrived in yet another chamber—but this one was different. This time, there weren't just two exits.
Five tunnels branched out before him, symmetrical and almost identical.
Renjiro stood still, his blade resting at his side, his eyes narrowed as he surveyed the new layout.
"Why does this place feel more and more like a dungeon…?" He muttered to himself.
His voice echoed faintly through the stone maze. And somewhere in the shadows... something was listening.
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Author's Note:
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