Konoha's Hextech Ninja

Based on Yoruichi Yagami's experience using the Flying Thunder God Technique so far, the specific limits of perception depend on the proficiency of the ninjutsu and the [spirit] attribute.

With Yagami Yoruichi's current mental attributes, she can accurately locate an existing Flying Thunder God Mark within a range of hundreds of kilometers, with an error of no more than one meter.

“Hundreds of kilometers?” Hatake Sakumo’s eyes lit up and he immediately said, “If the Cloud Ninja’s speed at sea isn’t particularly fast, then we can set up an ambush in advance.”

"The premise is that the Cloud Ninja's direction of travel will not change midway." Nara Shikaku reminded, "If the Cloud Ninja turns around midway, we will also need to move with them, and there will be no time to set up traps. We can only rely on ninja squads to ambush them."

“Even without traps, we can take advantage of the terrain by setting up an ambush beforehand.” Hatake Sakumo pondered for a moment, not rushing to make a decision, but instead looked at Nara Shikaku and asked, “Shikaku, you’re the smarter one, do you think the ambush plan is feasible?”

"Sixty against six hundred..." Nara Shikaku calculated for a moment and said, "We can fight, but we need to retreat immediately after we finish one wave. Otherwise, if the enemy counterattacks, we won't be able to win with our small numbers."

“If we’re fighting at the sea, I can use my clones to cover our retreat,” Yagami Yoruichi said proactively. “In the ocean environment, my Water Release techniques can barely suppress the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. I can buy a few minutes of time.”

Brubi was not a perfect Jinchūriki and could not unleash the full power of the Eight-Tails.

However, as the second-ranked tailed beast, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki's fighting power is still astonishing.

Yoruichi Yagami must rely on the geographical advantage of the ocean environment to barely suppress her opponent.

As for the other Cloud Ninja, the aftershocks of the battle between Yagami Yoruichi and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki were enough to stop them.

“However…” Yagami Yoruichi looked at Hatake Sakumo and said, “If I’m going to stop the Eight-Tails and the other Cloud Ninja, I won’t have the extra energy to deal with the Raikage. I need someone to hold him off for a few minutes.”

“Leave it to me.” Hatake Sakumo understood Yagami Yoruichi’s meaning and said, “I fought the Raikage during the last Shinobi World War and was slightly outmatched. However, I’m quite confident that I can just stall for time.”

Did Sakumo Hatake fight the Third Raikage?

Yagami Yoruichi was secretly surprised.

The fact that one could fight the Third Raikage and escape unscathed is of extraordinary significance.

In Yagami Yoichi's opinion, if we were to choose the "strongest" among the "Kage-level" tiers based on the ranking system used by Naruto fans in his previous life, there would definitely be a lot of controversy.

However, if we were to select a few top-tier Kage-level characters, the Third Raikage would definitely be one of them.

Especially in terms of one-on-one combat, the Third Raikage would definitely rank in the top five among Kage-level fighters, and his strength would be at least one level higher than the Fourth Raikage at his peak.

Or, to borrow a term from fantasy, the Third Raikage's strength had reached the 'peak of Kage level' or 'half-step into Kage level'.

In both offense and defense, it exceeded the level that a normal Kage-level character should have.

The only weakness is speed; if this weakness can be overcome, it can enter the ranks of super-kage level.

Sakumo Hatake was able to fight the Third Raikage one-on-one, and was only slightly inferior. This strength already places him among the top tier of ninjas in the current ninja world.

Chapter 169: The Ambush on the Coast, the EQ Combo Makes its Debut!

This era is far from the version of the Fourth Shinobi World War where gods fight each other.

In the entire ninja world, there are probably only a few strong individuals who have reached the 'Kage level'.

However, there are very few people who reach the 'peak of the Shadow level'.

Even by the most lenient standard, among the Kage of the three major ninja villages of Konoha, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure, Sakumo Hatake, who could fight the Third Raikage, could barely be considered one of them.

Furthermore, if Jiraiya has mastered Sage Mode and Minato Namikaze's fighting system has reached its peak, they would also qualify as 'Kage-level peak'.

However, Yagami Yoruichi did not have a sufficient understanding of the current strength of these two individuals and could not make an accurate judgment.

As for the other peak Kage-level and super Kage-level, they are either still in their growth period or haven't even been born yet, such as Nagato Uzumaki and Itachi Uchiha.

Or they have already passed away, such as the Second Tsuchikage and the Second Mizukage.

"No wonder Konoha was able to win the Third Shinobi World War, even though it fought against the other four great ninja villages in turn. There were only six Kage-level peaks in total, and Konoha had four of them. Even though Hatake Sakumo was forced to his death by Shimura Danzo through public opinion, it was still three Kage-level peaks fighting against two of the other villages."

Yoruichi Yagami muttered to himself, "Even if we loosen the requirements a bit, Konoha still has the most Kage-level shinobi. And then there's the unpredictable Kushina Uzumaki..."

While Yagami Yoruichi was lost in thought for a while, Hatake Sakumo and Nara Shikaku had already finalized their ambush strategy.

Yagami Yoruichi sensed the location of the Flying Thunder God mark left on the Cloud Ninja and immediately pointed to a location on the map, saying, "The Cloud Ninja are here now, and their route... is moving towards this coastline. If their speed and direction remain the same, they should arrive in about four and a half hours."

Nara Shikaku glanced at the map and immediately said, "Four hours is plenty of time to set up simple traps. We only need one hour to get there, giving us three hours to prepare."

"Then let's set off immediately!" Hatake Sakumo ordered without hesitation. "Ninjas skilled in setting traps, get there as fast as you can and set them up first. The reconnaissance team will go too. The other ninjas, conserve your energy and follow slowly."

……

On a coast somewhere in the Land of Fire.

Behind the sand dunes, hundreds of meters deep, lies a sheer cliff.

Below the cliff, there are scattered piles of stones.

Sixty Konoha ninjas hid behind these rocks, carefully concealing themselves. Ninjas skilled in anti-sensory perception shielded their chakra, scent, and other signals, making it as difficult as possible for the Cloud Ninjas' sensory ninjas to detect the ambush.

The presence of ninjutsu makes ambushes very difficult.

But it is precisely because of this that some people have tried to develop various 'anti-sensory' methods, so that the enemy will mistakenly think they are safe after the ninja has detected them, and instead relax their vigilance, thus maximizing the effect of the ambush.

This is a battle between sensory ninjas and anti-sensory ninjas; it all comes down to whose methods are more sophisticated.

Yagami Yoruichi sat behind a rock, devouring grilled meat to replenish her energy.

Beside him, a ninja skilled in sealing techniques was maintaining a small barrier, enveloping all the Konoha ninjas in the area and shielding them from view.

"Glug~!"

A sound of swallowing saliva came from behind.

Yagami Yoruichi turned his head and saw Akimichi Choza staring longingly at the grilled meat in his hand, looking incredibly hungry.

Nara Shikaku, standing next to him, rested his hand on his forehead, seemingly lamenting how embarrassing Akimichi Choza looked.

Yagami Yoruichi couldn't help but chuckle.

The Akimichi clan really are a bunch of gluttons.

"Want some?" Yagami Yoruichi cut off a few skewers of grilled meat and handed them to Akimichi Choza.

"Thank you! I'll treat you to something delicious when we get back to the village!" Akimichi Choza quickly took the grilled meat and began to eat heartily.

While eating, he said, "I forgot to bring any snacks before the mission, so I've been eating only soldier rations the whole way. I'm starving!"

Upon hearing the mention of the soldier pills, Yagami Yoruichi shuddered and quickly said, "Don't mention such a terrifying thing!"

During her last mission to Iwagakure, Yagami Yoruichi was forced to rely on Soldier Pills to replenish her stamina and restore her chakra throughout the entire mission, leaving her with considerable psychological trauma.

As a result, whenever Yagami Yoruichi goes on a mission, he prepares some easily preserved food in the sealing scroll, so that he won't have time to prepare food during the mission and have to eat those terribly unpalatable soldier pills.

“Soldier pills are indeed the most terrifying invention in the world! They are so anti-human!” Akimichi Choza nodded in agreement.

For someone who loves food, eating rations to stave off hunger is undoubtedly the greatest torment in the world.

"These two guys actually ended up chatting together." Nara Shikaku had a strange feeling.

However, he and Yamanaka Inoichi exchanged a glance but did not interrupt their conversation.

If Yagami Yoruichi's strength is truly as Hatake Sakumo said, or even significantly reduced to half her usual level, then the implications are extraordinary.

Don't forget Yagami Yoruichi's age!

At this age, it's beyond what a movie-level achievement can be.

Even if he only has the strength of an elite Jonin, he will become an irreplaceable powerhouse in Konoha in the future, and there is even a great chance that he can recreate the great achievements of the First Hokage.

There's no harm in befriending such a genius.

The three races of boar, deer, and butterfly have been allied for hundreds of years. Befriending one of them is equivalent to befriending all three.

……

Time passed little by little.

Even while indulging in a feast, Yagami Yoruichi was still exchanging 'food experiences' with Akimichi Choza.

However, he always kept some attention on the location of the Flying Thunder God mark left on the Cloud Ninja.

As she sensed the Flying Thunder God Mark getting closer and closer to the shore, Yagami Yoruichi immediately raised her hand and gestured to Hatake Sakumo, who was hiding behind another rock in the distance.

Upon receiving the signal, Hatake Sakumo immediately notified everyone to prepare.

Moments later, a fleet of ships appeared on the sea and approached the shore.

The ninjas of the Barrier Squad were doing their best to maintain the anti-sensory barrier, channeling all their chakra, and fine beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads.

Yoruichi Yagami had already activated her [Wind Perception], monitoring the movements on the sea from afar.

It seems the Cloud Ninja are unaware of the ambush here.

When the fleet docked, the majority of the fleet did not disembark; instead, only a few small teams were dispatched to inspect the situation on the shore.

The Third Raikage himself, as well as the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Brubi, were also among them.

A large number of explosive tags had already been buried on the beach.

There are no other unnecessary traps.

Given the strength of the Cloud Ninja, ordinary traps would not be very effective and would only increase the chances of being exposed.

Only explosive tags buried deep in the sand, in terms of quantity and scale, can possibly produce a miraculous effect.

To ensure a sufficient surprise attack effect, the Konoha ninjas planted thousands of explosive tags here, which were controlled by several Jonin who were skilled in traps.

Behind a rock, Mokumo carefully looked towards the Cloud Ninja's location and asked Hatake Sakumo beside him, "Lord Sakumo, there are only twenty-six people. Shall we make a move?"

Twenty-six people, all of whom were Jonin.

Furthermore, the Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki are also in the team.

Even with a barrage of thousands of explosive tags, it's estimated that at most only a portion of them would be killed.

Even the most cunning and ruthless ninja couldn't kill him.

However, even if the explosive tag traps are not triggered, given the meticulousness of these Cloud Ninja's inspections, the explosive tags buried under the sand will still be discovered, which would be even more detrimental to Konoha.

Hatake Sakumo hesitated for a few seconds, then saw that twenty-six Cloud Ninja had already entered the area of ​​the explosive tag traps and were examining the fine sand on the ground. He dared not hesitate any longer and gritted his teeth, saying, "Make your move! Detonate the traps! Even if it only consumes some of their chakra, it will be good!"

As the war draws ever closer, the prices of supplies in the ninja world are skyrocketing.

Consumables like explosive tags, which can play a huge role in war, have seen their prices increase dozens of times over.

Thousands of explosive tags, with a total value of tens of millions of taels.

Even though Konoha is wealthy and generous, such expenditure would still be painful for them.

However, Sakumo Hatake's personality always prioritizes the safety of his comrades before considering whether the mission can be completed successfully.

The costs incurred during the mission were never within his consideration.

If it were a commander with a different style, perhaps such an extravagant decision wouldn't have been made, or even so many explosive tag traps would have been set up in the first place.

However, Sakumo Hatake did not hesitate to order the burning of this precious war supplies, just so that the Konoha ninja could gain even the slightest advantage.

As Hatake Sakumo gave the order, Mokumo Kōdō and several other ninjas responsible for setting up the traps simultaneously formed hand seals and detonated the explosive tags buried under the sand from a distance.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

A series of explosions rang out, and thick smoke swept through, instantly engulfing the twenty-six Cloud Ninja who had confirmed the safety of their landing site.

"Did you succeed?!" Kōdō looked nervously at the location of the thick smoke.

I don't expect to kill the Third Raikage or the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki.

Even killing a few Jonin from the Cloud Ninja clan would give us a certain advantage in the upcoming battle.

Beside them, a ninja from the Hyuga branch family opened his Byakugan wide, revealing a shocked expression: "Four died... no, only three ninjas, everyone else has been rescued! There should be close to ten injured, but the extent of their injuries cannot be determined at the moment."

"Neither the Raikage nor the Jinchuriki are injured, and their chakra depletion is minimal!" The Hyuga ninja quickly reported what he had seen: "The main force of the fleet has already set out!"

"Attack!" Sakumo Hatake gave the order and charged out first, wielding his short sword.

"Get to work."

Yagami Yoruichi swallowed the last bite of grilled meat, emerged from behind the rock where she was hiding, and formed hand seals.

At the same time, a water clone rose from the sea and stood a few hundred meters away from the Cloud Ninja fleet, also forming hand seals.

"Water Release: Great Explosive Water Shock Wave!"

"Fire Release: Great Fire Extinction!"

On the beach, Yagami Yoruichi unleashed a Fire Release technique.