"Fifteen?" Minato murmured, standing upright as he scanned the forest ahead. He glanced briefly at Shibi Aburame, who was still adjusting to his new surroundings on the tree trunk. Before Shibi could respond, Minato vanished in a streak of yellow light, leaving behind a faint swirl of dust.
"Minato..." Shibi began, but his words were lost in the silence that followed. His keen eyes caught the faint remnants of Minato's departure, but the man himself was already gone.
Recovering quickly, Shibi moved in the same direction, leaping from branch to branch. However, he hadn't traveled far before a yellow flash reappeared in front of him. Minato stood there, kunai in hand, his expression calm as ever.
"It's done. Let's head to the next location," Minato said lightly.
Shibi blinked, startled. "Already? Did you handle all of them?"
Minato chuckled, a faint glimmer of humor in his eyes. "Of course. None of them had your bugs attached, right?"
Shibi shook his head. "No, there's no trace of any nearby chakra either."
"Good," Minato replied, placing a hand on Shibi's shoulder. In an instant, the forest blurred around them as they disappeared once more.
When they arrived at the next location, Shibi quickly regained his composure. Minato was already scanning the area with his sharp blue eyes, murmuring, "Eighteen enemies."
Before Shibi could respond, Minato vanished again in a flash of yellow light. Gritting his teeth, Shibi hurried after him, though he knew he would arrive too late.
Moments later, Shibi heard faint screams carried by the wind. When he reached a small hill overlooking the battlefield, the scene below caused him to pause. More than a dozen Iwagakure ninjas lay sprawled on the ground, their faces frozen in expressions of shock and fear. It was as if they hadn't even realized they were under attack before their lives were extinguished.
Shibi, a seasoned Jonin, was no stranger to the brutality of war. Yet this display of efficiency left him momentarily speechless. The sheer speed and precision with which Minato had eliminated his enemies were unlike anything he had witnessed before.
"To think they didn't even have time to react..." Shibi muttered to himself, his voice laced with unease.
At that moment, Minato struck down the last enemy with his kunai, a spray of blood arcing through the air. Calmly, he surveyed the battlefield, his demeanor unshaken. With a few swift motions, he removed the Iwagakure forehead protectors from the fallen ninjas and sealed them into a scroll from his ninja tool pouch.
"We need to intercept the next group. At the rate these Rock Ninja are moving, it won't be long before they cross into the Land of Fire," Minato said matter-of-factly.
Shibi couldn't suppress the shiver that ran down his spine as he observed Minato. For the first time, he felt a flicker of fear—not for himself, but at the thought of what Minato could do if he ever stood on the opposing side. Still, he was grateful this man fought for Konoha.
"Let's go," Minato said, his voice snapping Shibi from his thoughts. Without hesitation, the two vanished from the blood-soaked hill, leaving the smell of iron to linger in the air.
Their next destination was a densely wooded area. Minato paused briefly, his keen senses picking up on the presence of barriers he had previously set. "There are ten enemies this time," he remarked.
As they approached, Shibi added, "One of my bugs is attached to someone nearby. The group is less than 200 meters ahead, close to the Land of Fire's border."
Minato nodded, his expression resolute. "We can't eliminate all the Rock Ninja before they cross the border, but we'll weaken them enough to disrupt their plans. If they're scattered, they won't be able to form a significant threat to Konoha."
Without another word, Minato vanished once more, leaving behind only a faint yellow glow.
The two arrived at a forest where the sounds of rustling leaves and faint whispers echoed. They landed on a thick tree trunk, their presence causing it to sway slightly.
"Who's there?!" a voice called out from below.
Lowering their gaze, they spotted a group of twenty Iwagakure ninjas standing amidst the trees. The moment the Rock Ninjas caught sight of Minato and Shibi, they froze.
"How are Konoha ninjas here?!" one of them exclaimed, his voice tinged with panic. According to their plans, the Konoha forces were supposed to be tied up on the frontlines.
"Only two of them?" another sneered. "Kill them!"
The group surged forward with confidence, their numbers bolstering their courage. Shibi began summoning his insects, the black swarm emerging from his sleeves like a living tide. However, before he could engage, Minato moved.
In a blur of motion, Minato hurled a series of specially marked kunai toward the enemy. The projectiles arced gracefully through the air, embedding themselves in the surrounding trees.
The Iwagakure ninjas scoffed, deflecting the kunai with ease. "That's it?" one taunted, leaping forward with a katana aimed directly at Minato.
Before the blade could descend, a yellow flash appeared, and the attacker's movements froze. Blood splattered as his lifeless body crumpled to the ground. The remaining ninjas barely had time to process what had happened before Minato struck again.
Blood painted the forest floor as one after another, the Rock Ninjas fell. Their expressions were frozen in shock, unable to comprehend the force that had ended their lives. To Shibi, it was as if time itself had stopped for them.
The air was filled with the sickening sound of bodies hitting the ground. By the time Shibi regained his composure, two-thirds of the enemy force had already been dispatched.
The remaining Iwagakure ninjas were paralyzed with fear. One of them let out a desperate scream, but it was cut short as Minato appeared before him, kunai in hand.
The battle ended as quickly as it began. Minato stood amidst the carnage, his expression unreadable as he sealed the fallen enemies' forehead protectors into another scroll.
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