Pursuit and Interception

Chapter update is here.

Find a quiet spot, turn the page, and let’s see what this story has been hiding 🌙

✦

Across the entire shinobi world, there might be many people who could defeat Naoki. But there were not many who could move so quickly that his Shadow Clone had no chance to react.

Inside Kumogakure specifically, that number could be counted on one hand.

'Could it be the Fourth Raikage?'

Naoki guessed idly as he sheathed Kusanagi-maru.

Judging from Kumogakure's current reaction, Team Eleven's plan had undoubtedly succeeded.

If, as Naoki suspected, even Kumogakure's Fourth Raikage had been drawn out, that proved even more clearly that Team Eleven had delayed Kumogakure's offensive.

But considering the possibility that the Fourth Raikage had joined the hunt for him, Naoki decided to temporarily stop harassing Kumogakure's transport lines.

The Fourth Raikage was not an ordinary shinobi. His speed was nearly unmatched in the shinobi world.

Even the Fourth Hokage, known as the Yellow Flash, was probably inferior to the Fourth Raikage in conventional movement speed if he did not use the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Facing an opponent like that, the slightest lapse could mean death.

Team Eleven's plan was to harass the transport lines behind Kumogakure's raiding force. Naoki had no need to risk his life against a powerful opponent who might be the Fourth Raikage.

As long as he remained alive and well, that was already a victory.

Before long, Naoki returned to the small cave where Team Eleven was hiding.

Shisui, who had also returned not long ago, asked, "Senior, how did things go on your side?"

Naoki smiled. "I dealt with three small transport teams. You?"

Shisui replied, "You make it sound easy, Senior. I spent several days working and only intercepted one."

Shisui did not have Naoki's long-range reconnaissance ability, so his efficiency in searching for Kumogakure transport teams was far lower. On top of that, his ocular power had been overused recently, so he was very cautious when choosing targets to strike.

Guy, who had been resting inside the cave, muttered quietly, "Next time, let me go with you."

Because Guy and Kakashi had not recovered from their injuries, neither of them had gone out to harass Kumogakure's transport lines. Just as before, they had stayed in the cave over the past few days to recover.

But Guy was not the kind of person who could sit still. Hearing Naoki and Shisui discuss their results against Kumogakure made him eager to move.

"You should stay here and rest properly." Naoki shook his head, then brought up the matter of his Shadow Clone being killed instantly. "I suspect the Fourth Raikage may also be in the Land of Hot Water."

Shisui was startled. "Senior, you did not do anything to the Raikage, did you?"

Shisui was genuinely worried Naoki had done something to the Fourth Raikage. In his view, Naoki had the strength to wrestle with the Fourth Raikage and fight him head-on.

If something happened to the Raikage, the conflict between Konoha and Kumogakure could escalate into an all-out war.

Guy and Kakashi looked completely lost.

After a long moment, Kakashi asked weakly, "Uh, if Naoki ran into the Raikage, shouldn't we be worried about Naoki?"

Guy quickly nodded in agreement. "Exactly. The Raikage is not someone we can handle, right?"

Naoki also looked helpless. He glanced at Shisui and quietly grumbled inwardly, 'Shisui, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about my strength?'

Unlike the future Fourth Raikage, who would be somewhat arrogant and almost reckless, the current Fourth Raikage had just been overshadowed by the Fourth Hokage during the Third Shinobi World War. Compared with his future self, he was now far more cautious.

And once a high-speed shinobi like him became cautious, he was almost flawless.

If Naoki had the support of the giant Tenseigan on the Moon, he would not fear the Fourth Raikage. Without it, relying only on his own chakra, he would have no choice but to turn and run if he encountered the Raikage.

Besides, a large number of Kumogakure elites would inevitably gather around the Fourth Raikage. Going after him now would be the height of stupidity.

After weighing the current situation, Naoki said to the others, "At this point, we have already exceeded the mission's requirements. Staying in the Land of Hot Water any longer is too risky. I propose we return to Konoha immediately."

Shisui said, "I agree."

Kakashi considered it for a moment, then nodded.

In the distance.

Standing on a high cliff, Yugito's expression was dark.

A Kumogakure jonin emerged from the crevice in the cliff and said, "This should be the hiding place of the Konoha shinobi who attacked our transport team."

Yugito immediately asked, "Any clues inside?"

The Kumogakure jonin said, "No useful clues, but he left a scent. That is enough."

With that, the jonin walked to the edge of the cliff and whistled into the distance.

Before long, a skylark covered in silver feathers followed the sound of the whistle and flew to the cliff. After circling a few times in the air, it landed steadily on the Kumogakure jonin's shoulder.

After directing the skylark to smell the scent inside the rock crevice, the Kumogakure jonin tossed it high into the air. The bird rose with the motion, circled briefly, then flew off in one direction.

The jonin said to Yugito, "Found him. That way."

Yugito said only one word. "Chase."

Within moments, more than ten Kumogakure shinobi on the cliff turned into afterimages and followed the skylark.

After a period of pursuit, the Kumogakure shinobi stopped outside a rocky cave.

One Kumogakure jonin skilled in sensing pressed two fingers to the ground and closed his eyes for a moment. Then he said to the companions beside him, "They are inside the cave ahead. One... two... three. Three people total. All have jonin-level chakra. It should be Konoha's ANBU Team Eleven."

Yugito stared hard at the cave entrance and asked, "Any traps around it?"

The sensory jonin focused again, then shook his head. "There do not seem to be any traps outside the cave. But inside, there are many faint chakra reactions. I cannot determine what they are. They could be some kind of formula, or they could be explosive tags."

An older Kumogakure jonin frowned. "Could this be a trap?"

Yugito said bitterly, "They have played us for this long. Even if it is a trap, I will crush it."

The thought that the raiding offensive the village had prepared for so long had been turned upside down by a single Konoha ANBU squad made Yugito furious.

Soon, under Yugito's lead, the Kumogakure shinobi stormed into the cave.

Seeing the three members of Team Eleven inside packing their gear, Yugito grinned viciously. "Hmph. Finally caught you little rats."

As the Two-Tails jinchuriki, Yugito liked closed and narrow environments best. In such a place, she could fully exploit Matatabi's agility while ensuring the enemy had nowhere to run.

✦
✦
✦

Ready for more?

The next chapters are already waiting on my Patreon, along with early access, previews, and extra story updates 🗝️

https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheBacklotFanfiction