"Where's my brother?"
When Hayashi descended into the trench, Taki Toru, who had already entered with Himeji, asked with a puzzled expression.
"He went to scout the surroundings. It's not good for all four of us to be down here."
Hayashi took out food from his storage seal and distributed it to the two of them. "I'll go up and relieve him later. Rest here for half an hour, then we'll head back. Sorry, Toru, I can only celebrate your promotion tonight."
"It's okay. Even if I applied for Chunin, it would take at least a day to be approved. Captain, don't worry about that," Takui Toru mumbled, stuffing bread into her mouth.
"But speaking of which, this dry bread is really hard. Sharpen it a bit, and you could use it as a kunai."
Himeji glanced at the bread that had been soaking in the canteen for a long time without softening, then nodded. This bread… could it be synthetic?
"You guys should consider yourselves lucky," Hayashi sighed. "Do you know why the Sand Shinobi stay holed up and never come out? They're running out of food. For a piece of bread like this, they'd be willing to trade three times the price."
"...Are they really that desperate?"
"They are. They can't afford a war of attrition right now, so the Third Kazekage is stationed on the battlefield to prevent Konoha's attacks."
"Oh," Taki Toru drawled, then suddenly asked, "What mission did the Captain go on with Orochimaru sama back then?"
Hayashi lightly tapped her head with the bread in his hand. "How many times have you asked? I said it's classified. Even if you ambush me like this, I won't tell you."
"If you don't want to say it, then don't… that hurt…" Taki Toru bit her lip reluctantly. Her curiosity was strong, but seeing that this path was blocked, she simply changed the subject.
"Does the Captain have a girlfriend?"
Hayashi finally swallowed the bread with difficulty and drank water before replying. "Why are you asking this?"
"If you don't, I'd like to introduce you to someone," Taki Toru gestured towards Himeji with her eyes. Himeji, however, rolled her eyes and focused on her bread.
Hayashi noticed their subtle interaction but chose not to comment, smiling faintly. "Could it be your brother?"
"No, he likes someone else," Takui Toru shook her head with regret.
"Who?" Hayashi asked in surprise.
"A little brat with brownish-yellow hair, you know him."
Hayashi's expression darkened instantly.
"Hey, hey, Captain, you don't need to look like that," Toru said quickly.
"Prepare for battle, someone is approaching, and very fast!"
Hayashi was about to signal Taki Toru. The snakes had only recently dispersed, so the incoming information meant the enemy was near, rushing straight towards them. He had only moved a few meters when a 'plop' sound echoed, and a round object fell to the ground.
"Ah, found them."
A voice rang from above. Hayashi looked up to see a strange man wearing a Sand Village forehead protector standing atop the dune, holding the headless corpse of Takui yuu in his hand.
"Ahhh!" Taki Toru screamed in horror.
The Sand Shinobi smiled coldly, then pulled a photo from his pocket, comparing it carefully. "Looks like you're the Konoha Lightning Flash I've been looking for."
After checking, he wiped the blood from his hand on the photo and let it flutter to the ground.
"I didn't fight in the decisive battle in the Rain Country, but… I heard you made quite the impact," the Sand Shinobi sneered. "This is your companion, right? Consider it a greeting gift."
His smile remained cold as he casually dropped the corpse. Next to it was Takui yuu's head, eyes still showing confusion. He had been taken out before he could even react or send a warning.
"Earth Style: Landslide Technique!"
Without hesitation, the Sand Shinobi formed hand seals. The ground shook violently, and a massive, thick earthen wall rose above the trench, aiming to bury Hayashi and the others alive.
"Follow me closely during the breakout!" Hayashi shouted.
The situation turned critical instantly. There was no time to react. This Sand Shinobi was not ordinary. From the snakes sending warnings to Taki yuu's death, the time interval was extremely short. His speed rivaled Hayashi's full-power burst. Hayashi relied on his Lightning-Attribute chakra and Body Flicker Technique, making him faster than most elite ninjas. The enemy's mastery of advanced Earth Style techniques suggested a skill level comparable to Orochimaru.
In short, this Sand Shinobi's overall strength was at least quasi-Kage level.
The ground trembled as clods of earth fell from the sky. Hayashi's Chidori could counter the Earth Release, but Himeji and Takui Toru were vulnerable. If they stayed in the trench, death was certain. While supporting the stunned Toru and Himeji, Hayashi formed his hand seals swiftly.
Lightning Release: Chidori!
Chakra surged into his hand, transforming into a concentrated, piercing mass of energy. He leaped high into the air, using momentum to break through the falling stones and earthen walls.
"Break out with me, Himeji, take Toru with you!"
With no time to explain, Himeji grabbed Toru, moving with Hayashi.
As an A-rank ninjutsu, Chidori easily pierced the thick earthen wall. Rocks fell one by one, destroyed by his unstoppable charge.
"Earth Style: Earth Spear Technique!"
The Sand Shinobi launched spikes from the ground, aiming for the trio. Hayashi ignored them, trusting Himeji's defense. She held Toru with one arm while knocking down incoming spikes with Gentle Fist.
After drilling through several walls, the three escaped the danger zone.
"Himeji, how is Toru?"
Himeji shook her head. "She fainted."
Hayashi nodded expressionlessly. "Now take her back to base."
Himeji hesitated, worried about leaving teammates behind. Hayashi's chakra seemed darker, more oppressive, like the gaze from an abyss. Still, he stood determined. Swallowing her words, Himeji wiped her eyes and said firmly, "I'll wait for you to come back."
The Sand Shinobi watched silently as Himeji left. His target was Hayashi alone. Reinforcements or warnings didn't matter. He would finish the boy before Konoha intervened.
Sunlight glinted off his figure, yet Hayashi felt no warmth. Tearing off his tattered Jonin vest, dipping his thumb in blood, he formed hand seals rapidly.
Summoning Technique!
A huge cloud of smoke erupted into the sky. Hayashi's voice rang out from above: "Are you ready to accept death?"
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