Escaping the Mist Ninja starts with backstabbing your teacher.

Sitting cross-legged on a rock by the waterfall, Izumi unfolded the secret scroll he had taken from the Fire Temple, looking at the method for cultivating the [Talent of the Immortal Race].

"It's a pity that we didn't get to see the ninjutsu used by the original storyline character Kong in the future. I remember that guy also used a ninjutsu without hand seals."

"Wind Release... Beast Wave Palm, and Beast Wave Gale Palm, what a pity."

Amidst the roar of the waterfall, Yekura vaguely heard the words "Wind Release." Izumi seemed quite interested in it, so she asked, "You're interested in Wind Release?"

"What?"

The waterfall wasn't particularly loud, but it wasn't quiet either; even normal conversation was difficult to hear, let alone whispering.

"So, you're interested in Wind Release techniques? I can offer you a few."

"oh!?"

Hearing Yekura's words, Izumi's eyes lit up. That's right!

The Sand Village's Wind Release techniques are also top-notch; in fact, it could be said that most Sand Village ninja use Wind Release, which is largely due to the environment of the Land of Wind.

"Interested, very interested! What kind of Wind Release ninjutsu is it?"

"A-rank ninjutsu, Wind Blade, a ninjutsu that is extremely difficult to learn and even more difficult to master."

So that's the ninjutsu. It was the ninjutsu used by Maki, the Sand Village Jonin, during the Konoha Destruction Plan. Its power was indeed not bad.

However, the rating of A indicates that this ninjutsu is extremely difficult to learn, but the difficulty of learning it is not the least of his problems.

"Sure, I'm very interested. I didn't expect you to know other ninjutsu besides bloodline limit."

"Yes, but I'm not an expert. Besides, what do you think Scorching Release is? It's a bloodline that combines wind and fire, and you're born with a talent for both wind and fire release."

Yekura rebuked this guy who seemed to know nothing about Scorch Release. He was a Mist Ninja, yet he didn't know anything about her, a famous "Scorch Release" ninja.

Whether it was because of temporary safety or because she had come to terms with things, Yekura seemed more like a living person than before.

"Then write it down. I'll study the secrets of the Fire Temple first."

Izumikawa summoned the sealing scroll and then handed some things to Yokura, asking her to write them down. He felt that reading was faster than listening.

This action left Yecang speechless. He could only take the item, recall the details, and transcribe them.

"Oh right, I almost forgot about the investigation. I should send out a clone to investigate."

"Corpse Bone Pulse: Bone Clone!"

Izumikawa formed hand seals, creating a combination of Shadow Clone and Water Clone techniques, optimized from the foundation of Shadow Clone and Water Clone, using bones as a medium to reduce chakra consumption.

The next moment, just as Yamato split off his wooden clone, bones pierced through his skin and grew out of his body, as if shedding his shell, and emerged completely from his back.

The somewhat horrifying skeleton gradually transformed into the likeness of Izumi under the effect of ninjutsu, as did the clothing on its body.

The advantage of the Bone Clone is that, as a physical clone, it is extremely resistant to damage, consumes less chakra, and is more efficient in its use.

It can even be used as a medium for the Corpse Bone Pulse's ultimate move, reducing its own need for bones, which is equivalent to separating external bones in advance.

"The mission to explore the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Fire is entrusted to you!"

"no problem!"

The skeletal clone responded, while its internal skeleton adjusted, making it several sizes shorter, and its facial bones changed, resulting in a significant alteration to its appearance.

This substantial change in bone structure is not an illusion that cannot be seen through; moreover, since it is a physical clone, it is even more difficult for people to detect that it is a clone.

Watching his clone leave, Izumi continued to sit upright on the rock, one finger pointing to the sky and the other to the ground, his body shrouded in a faint phantom.

He needs to continuously optimize "Sage's Talent," which is an ability that allows chakra to undergo nature changes, achieving forms that ordinary chakra cannot.

……

Meanwhile, the ANBU agents dispatched by Konoha had arrived at the Fire Temple and, after detailed questioning, began their investigation.

The team leader looked up at the ravaged Fire Temple main hall, the dome that had been cut open at an angle, and the debris that had fallen to the ground, observing its smooth cut.

"A slash, even if it's a wind-style technique, would require at least a Jonin-level ninjutsu to achieve this effect."

"A man and a woman, both wearing masks, whose appearance and voices are not similar to any recorded examples. Why would such people appear in the Land of Fire?"

"And they only targeted the secret teachings of the Fire Temple, without killing any of the monks."

Lost in thought, he tried to piece together the clues to see if he could glean any useful information.

Meanwhile, team members continued to report on their findings in the vicinity, and none of the surrounding residents had seen any outsiders.

Similarly, the people they described were completely unheard of.

"There were no outsiders, and they immediately set their sights on the Fire Temple. The Buddha statue at the entrance, which served as the core of the barrier, was even destroyed."

"The other party knows a lot about the Fire Temple, even knows it very well."

"However, all the monks were present that night; no one was absent."

Based on his deduction, he had identified the intruder as one of the monks inside, but various pieces of evidence indicated otherwise.

Moreover, the other party's goal is the secret technique of the Fire Temple, a method that all the monks here can learn, so there is no need to steal it.

"team leader!"

At that moment, an intelligence report arrived, which slightly alerted the commander of the secret service.

"Traces of a campfire were found on a nearby cliff. How far is it from here? Is the Temple of Fire visible from there?"

"It's quite far, but it's okay!"

The captain responded in a deep voice after the concise and straightforward answer.

"Take me to see it, and expand the search area to look for traces left behind by the other party."

"yes!"

He rallied his team, and the ANBU ninjas once again dispersed to search the surrounding area for any other traces.

But clearly, the final result was that only that cliff and the surrounding area showed signs of the other party's activity.

Based on that location, the search was expanded again, and the conclusion was that they appeared there without a trace and left without a trace.

It's unbelievable that they couldn't even find the route to the Fire Temple.

This matter must be reported to the Hokage. The appearance of such a being in the heart of the Land of Fire is extremely dangerous.

The captain looked up at the airship, formed hand seals, summoned the Ninja Hawk used as a communicator, and inserted the coded information into it.

This matter must be taken seriously. If such a person were to attack Konoha, it could throw the village into chaos.

After watching the Ninja Hawk depart, the captain continued his reconnaissance, striving to gather all the available intelligence before the next team arrived.