Konoha's lexicon of ninjas

Chapter 138 New Squad, Clash! (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)

After returning from the Land of Rivers, Hoshino Shuichi only rested for two days before getting busy again.

It remains a monitoring of sandstone and sand fog.

While Sunagakure and Kirigakure appear to be in a standoff, they are secretly plotting to invade the Land of Fire.

Meanwhile, on the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Birds, Sunagakure and Iwagakure were locked in fierce combat.

Both sides even dispatched their tailed beast jinchūriki several times, allowing Hoshino Shuichi to continue observing the cursed seal patterns on the One-Tailed Shukaku.

However, from February to March, although Sunagakure pushed the battlefield into the Land of Birds, it could not advance any further, and the war with Iwagakure entered a stalemate.

The intensity of the battle between the two sides gradually decreased.

As March arrived, even the genin and chunin of Konoha sensed something was different.

First, a large number of missions were delegated to lower-level units, and missions that would not normally be assigned to Chunin squads were now being carried out by them.

Some ninjas took a vacation, while others were extremely busy with missions.

Might Guy and Kurenai Yuhi are examples of this.

Hoshino Shizuka's 12th birthday passed quietly in this increasingly unusual atmosphere.

April 24, Konoha Year 45.

Hoshino Shuichi, having returned to Konoha from the Land of Rivers, arrives at the Hokage's office.

After Hoshinobi Shuichi reported the situation, Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "Shuichi, you no longer need to monitor the war between Iwagakure and Sunagakure. That will be handled by Root."

"From this moment forward, you will be leaving the Anbu and becoming the captain of a Jonin squad."

"Shuichi, what are your thoughts on the team members?"

Hoshita Shuichi pondered for a moment, then said without any hesitation, "Hokage-sama, I want Uchiha Shisui, plus Asuka, and Pakura as an unofficial member."

"Uchiha Shisui...?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slowly: "No problem."

"Uchiha Shisui will report to you tomorrow."

"Your next task is to keep an eye on the combined forces of Sunagakure and Kirigakure, and report their movements to the front lines in a timely manner!"

Hoshita Hideichi solemnly replied, "Understood!"

……

After leaving the Hokage Building, Hoshino went home, took off his equipment, and enjoyed a nice bath before using the Flying Thunder God Technique to arrive at the Daimyo's residence, appearing next to Yekura, who was overseeing the construction of the laboratory.

Yekura was no longer surprised and asked, "Lord Hideaki, is there something you need at this time?"

Hoshino nodded: "Starting tomorrow, I will be the team leader of the Jonin, and you will be one of the members of the unofficial squad."

Beneath the mask, Ye Cang's gaze sharpened: "Is war about to break out?"

"It should be soon!"

Hoshita Hideichi said, "Leave this to the daimyo's men. You go to the Land of Rivers and wait for me."

Yekura nodded slightly: "Yes, Lord Shuichi!"

After making arrangements for Yekura, Hoshino Shuichi did not linger and immediately returned to Konoha.

The next day.

When Hoshino finished his morning training and arrived at his doorstep, he saw Uchiha Shisui, fully armed, waiting for him.

"Shisui, you're speaking too soon!"

Hoshino Hideichi stepped forward with a smile.

"team leader!"

Uchiha Shisui bowed first, then smiled and said, "After all, it's my first time meeting my new superior, so I should arrive early to avoid making a bad impression."

Hoshino Hideichi chuckled and invited, "Let's have breakfast together!"

Uchiha Shisui laughed and said, "I've already eaten. I'll wait for you at the village entrance!"

Xingxia Xiu nodded, not insisting: "Alright."

Uchiha Shisui smiled, waved, and turned to leave.

Half an hour later, Yakushi Nonou watched Hoshino Shuichi and Asuka leave, then headed to Konoha Hospital with a heavy heart.

……

At the village entrance, after meeting up with Uchiha Shisui, the three of them left the village and headed straight for the Land of Rivers.

On the way, Hoshino Shuichi and Uchiha Shisui exchanged ideas on genjutsu, with Asuka occasionally chiming in, and they quickly became acquainted.

Because of the habits he developed in the Dark Side, Hoshino Shuichi traveled very quickly, only resting for half an hour in between, and arrived at the border of the Land of Rivers at noon, where he met up with Yekura.

Upon seeing Yekura, Asuka couldn't help but repeatedly scrutinize this woman with a great figure.

Uchiha Shisui glanced at it briefly before politely looking away.

Hoshita Shuichi introduced, "She is Scorch, and she is skilled in Scorch Release."

Uchiha Shisui immediately smiled and introduced himself: "Hello, I'm Uchiha Shisui!"

"Skilled in teleportation and illusion techniques."

He had already guessed the woman's identity, and although he had some doubts, he didn't ask.

Asuka then smiled and said, "Hello, I am Asuka, and I am skilled in sealing techniques, medical ninjutsu, and sensory ninjutsu."

Yekura nodded behind the mask without speaking. Hoshino Shuichi had already said what he was going to say and had even given her a code name without permission.

What a domineering boss!

After getting acquainted, Hoshino Hideyoshi said, "Our mission this time is to keep an eye on the troops of Kirigakure and Sunagakure. Reliable intelligence shows that Sunagakure and Kirigakure have formed an alliance and are planning to attack the Land of Fire together."

Asuka was taken aback: "They were fighting fiercely last year, weren't they?"

Hoshino Hideichi chuckled: "Their fierce battle was for profit, and now they're forming an alliance for the same reason. The interests of the collective are different from the interests of the individual."

As he spoke, he glanced at Ye Cang beside him and continued, "Because we're on the front lines, we have to be extra careful."

"Moreover, before they make their move, they will definitely send out elite squads to eliminate or entangle our ninja squads within the Land of River, so that we cannot send back intelligence in time."

"Under such circumstances, they can advance rapidly and launch a surprise attack when we know they are about to make a move."

After listening, Uchiha Shisui said, "Whether it's a battle between ninjas or a large-scale ninja war, intelligence is of paramount importance."

"The border of the Land of Fire is too long. We can't spread our army out. Spreading our forces thin would only give them an easy chance to break through."

"At this time, intelligence becomes especially important."

The border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers is too long, and currently the forces of Sunagakure and Kirigakure are ostensibly facing off in the southern part of the Land of Rivers.

Logically, their best route to invade the Land of Fire would have been from the southern border, as that would have been the closest.

That area is also a key area that Konoha is currently focusing on defending, and it is a direction that they have no choice but to defend.

Hoshino nodded, then asked, "Shisui, how do you think they'll attack?"

Uchiha Shisui pondered, "They might not just attack from one direction."

"Although they have formed an alliance, they have fought each other before, so I predict that they will split into two groups."

"The Hidden Mist Village will probably take the shortest route and attack from the south, where the moisture is abundant, making it more advantageous for using Water Release techniques."

"The direction of the Sand Ninja's attack is unpredictable. They will probably try to find a weak point in our defense, then cross the River Country and launch a surprise attack."

Upon hearing this, Asuka couldn't help but ask, "Shisui, although the Mist Ninja and Sand Ninja can't coordinate very well, wouldn't they have a significant numerical advantage if they attacked from the same direction simultaneously?"

"After all, we can't concentrate all our forces in the south. In the short term, they have a huge numerical advantage."

Uchiha Shisui smiled gently after hearing this, "That is indeed a possibility."

"But there's a crucial issue: command!"

"They were not under each other's command. After the outbreak of the war, the battlefield was in chaos, and everyone was on high alert. They could not entrust their backs to those who were not trusted."

"As Shuichi said, the collective will and the individual will are different. Although the Mist Ninja and the Sand Ninja have formed an alliance, there is still hatred between the Sand Ninja and the Mist Ninja on an individual level."

"It's clearly impossible for the Mist Ninja and the Sand Ninja to achieve absolute mutual trust in such a short period of time."

Asuka immediately gave a thumbs up: "Awesome!"

Uchiha Shisui smiled gently and looked at Hoshino Shuichi.

Xingxia Xiu said, "I agree with Zhishui's point of view."

"And there's another point, which is the issue of profit distribution."

"Before the attack, Kirigakure and Sunagakure will probably have already discussed the allocation of resources, at least in the Land of Rivers. And clearly, the southern part of the Land of Rivers is the most suitable for Kirigakure."

Uchiha Shisui and the other two nodded in agreement.

Hoshita Hideaki said, "Monitoring the movements of the Kirigakure and Sunagakure forces is very simple for me."

"The key is their intelligence war before they take action."

"The River Country has a long and narrow terrain, so even with my speed, I can't stop all of their elite squads."

"Of course, even the four of us can't do it. So, we're just the first filter."

"Intercept a portion of the enemy's intelligence and send it back to the rear first, where it will be heavily intercepted, making it difficult for the enemy to penetrate our defenses and obtain accurate intelligence."

Uchiha Shisui and the other two nodded in unison.

Hoshino Hideichi ordered, "Now, we will split into two groups. Group A, with Uchiha Shisui and Akari, will be responsible for Kirigakure."

"Team B, Asuka and I, are in charge of the Sand Village ninja."

The three responded in unison, "Understood."

Hoshino Hideaki created two shadow clones, which leaped into the air and transformed into eagles, taking flight: "I will inform you of the movements of the Mist Ninja and Sand Ninja in advance."

Uchiha Shisui secretly admired Hoshino Shuichi's transformation technique, then formed hand seals to summon a flock of crows, saying, "I can also lend a hand in monitoring the enemy."

Hoshino nodded: "Then Shisui, you'll be in charge of the Mist Ninja."

Uchiha Shisui nodded, and a flock of crows took flight.

The surveillance mission thus began.

For Hoshino Shuichi, simply monitoring is relatively easy. He only needs to use shadow clones to transform into different birds, especially eagles, which have sharp eyesight and can easily see the situation of the Mist Ninja and Sand Ninja camps from high in the sky.

……

January has passed in the blink of an eye.

Hoshinobi Shuichi, who had just returned to Konoha, received news that the Sand Ninja had once again launched a large-scale counterattack against the Iwa Ninja.

However, as soon as he returned to the Land of Rivers, Asuka's voice came through: "Shuichi, the Sand Ninja and the Mist Ninja have made a move!"

"Oh?"

Hoshita Shuichi's gaze followed Asuka's hand and looked up into the air.

It turned out that Sunagakure and Kirigakure had released flying ninja beasts to drive away the flock of birds.

"It seems we've been discovered, or are about to be discovered!"

Hoshino Shizuka chuckled softly.

His shadow clones, which transform into birds, often lead a flock of birds on their journeys.

Asuka quickly asked, "Shuichi, are they about to make their move?"

Hoshino nodded, then smiled and said, "Let's give them a headache first!"

A battle broke out in the air.

Obviously, how could the flying ninja beasts raised by Sunagakure and Kirigakure possibly be a match for the ninja beasts transformed from Hoshinobi Shuichi's shadow clones?

Perhaps not for others, but Hoshino Shuichi doesn't need hand seals to use ninjutsu. Even without hands and only claws, his combat power is not affected at all.

Meanwhile, in the woods, Uchiha Shisui, standing on a branch near the top of a tree, watched the battle between ninja beasts in the air and smiled: "Truly as expected of Shuichi!"

Ye Cang, watching from a short distance away, thought to himself, "I doubt anyone would have guessed that the flying ninja beast was actually that guy in disguise."

It's already astonishing and outrageous that a ninja can transform into a bird and fly using transformation techniques, but to be able to use ninjutsu at will is simply inhuman.

"Since he can use ninjutsu in this form, it means he doesn't need to form hand seals to use ninjutsu, right?"

Yecang recalled the battle between Hoshino Shuichi's shadow clone and the Third Kazekage's shadow clone. She remembered that Hoshino Shuichi needed to use hand seals back then.

So, they've been hiding their strength?

……

At this moment, both the ninjas from Kirigakure and Sunagakure were utterly astonished as they watched their flying ninja beasts plummet from the sky.

They naturally considered that among these birds might be ninja beasts from other villages, or even Konoha Village, which was why they released the flying ninja beasts.

But to my utter surprise, the other party was so powerful.

"Damn it, they can actually use Wind Release ninjutsu!"

"When did Konoha Village get such powerful flying ninja beasts? I've never heard of them before!"

"Quickly, report to Lady Chiyo immediately!"

……

Whether it was Sand Ninja or Mist Ninja, they encountered setbacks right from the start.

But this obviously didn't stop them.

Even flying ninja beasts aren't omnipotent; their clones are enough to confuse them.

Moreover, the flying ninja beasts' vision is also obstructed in the mountains and forests.

So, just half an hour later, Hoshinobi Shuichi's shadow clones discovered that ninja teams from the Sand Village and the Mist Village had been dispatched one after another.

The Mist Ninja headed straight for Uchiha Shisui and his group, while the Sand Ninja team headed north instead.

After receiving feedback from the shadow clone, Hoshino Shuichi immediately created a shadow clone to inform Uchiha Shisui and Pakura, while he himself took Asuka and headed north.

……

"Captain, that ninja beast has been following us?"

Hearing his subordinate's voice, Matai looked up and immediately shouted, "Use the clone technique!"

The three teams immediately used the Shadow Clone Technique to create non-physical clones in an attempt to confuse the ninja beasts in the air.

But they soon discovered that it was completely ineffective; the ninja beasts above them had precisely locked onto their bodies.

"Damn it, if only I could have taken that beast down!"

A Sand Ninja burst into the air, shouting curses.

Matai remained calm: "Enter the forest!"

The three Sand Ninja squads immediately changed direction and disappeared into the forest.

However, the eagle flying in the air had blue flames burning in its eyes.

Thermal vision!

It remains firmly locked!

After realizing he still couldn't shake them off, Matai sighed in frustration, "What a formidable ninja beast!"

"Use a physical clone!"

The three squads of Sand Ninja immediately formed hand seals and unleashed their ninjutsu, some using Shadow Clone Jutsu, some using Earth Clone Jutsu, and others using Water Clone Jutsu.

However, they soon discovered that their main body was still being locked onto by the flying ninja beasts in the air.

This gave the Sand Ninja a chilling feeling.

Matai shouted, "Ignore him!"

"That's exactly what we've got our eye on."

Using physical clones to gather intelligence and infiltrate is a common practice.

(End of this chapter)