Earth Wall

"Let's move ahead and stay alert. Spread the crows out."

Kyōichi signaled for Yamashiro Aoba to follow him.

The capital wasn't particularly dangerous. 

The real threats lay outside the city.

The Daimyō was a figure of great importance.

But that was only within the capital. Outside the city, "accidents" could still happen. 

Otherwise, there wouldn't be a need for the Twelve Guardian Ninja.

Aoba nodded and followed.

Once outside the city.

A thousand crows scattered, each becoming Aoba's eyes and ears, scouting the surroundings for information.

Kyōichi, on the other hand, was more direct.

He placed a finger on the ground, and his chakra sensing spread out, giving him a rough understanding of the surrounding area.

No immediate danger!

"Sensei, no one's around for now."

"Good. The immediate area is safe, but we need to be cautious further ahead. While I have sensing abilities, I can't monitor everything at all times. That's where your crows come in."

"Understood!"

They moved ahead to scout the area.

Not long after.

The Daimyō's procession left the capital and began heading outward.

This Daimyō was quite young. Once outside the city, his eyes scanned the surroundings and quickly noticed the unusually large number of crows in the sky.

He observed carefully but didn't ask any questions.

However.

When he spotted Kyōichi in the distance, a figure came to mind, and he couldn't help but smile and ask, "Minato, who is that ninja over there?"

"Your Excellency, that's Kanda Kyōichi, a newly promoted jōnin from Konoha. His strength is on par with mine."

Minato answered respectfully.

The Daimyō nodded slightly.

Not a Senju?

Strange.

He frowned slightly, glanced a few more times, and then asked, "Is he a descendant of the Senju?"

"Kyōichi's grandmother was from Tobirama-sama's lineage."

Minato added.

The Daimyō's expression cleared.

So, he is indeed of Senju blood.

He knew that Kyōichi was currently scouting the area to prevent any ninja ambushes, so he didn't ask Minato to call Kyōichi over for a closer look.

But.

That silver hair and his silhouette reminded him so much of Nidaime.

He couldn't help but sigh, then seemed to grow more interested. "Nidaime was a true hero. I didn't expect his descendants to still be active as ninja. This is truly a cause for celebration. Do you know who his sensei is?"

"Kyōichi taught himself using the notes and books left by his grandmother. Recently, he gained Tsunade-sama's recognition and formed a contract with the Shikkotsu Forest. While he hasn't taken the Senju name, he's essentially a member of the Senju clan."

Minato didn't directly answer.

But his words implied—

Kyōichi had no formal sensei. He was entirely self-taught!

The Daimyō seemed to be asking casually, but after hearing this, he couldn't help but marvel, "A true prodigy among the youth!"

Then, he closed the curtain and didn't ask further.

---

After traveling for a while.

A crow landed, and Aoba quickly caught up.

"Sensei, something's not right!"

"What did you find?"

Kyōichi knew that Aoba's crows must have discovered something.

Aoba nodded.

His crows weren't strong in combat, but they were excellent scouts. This was the specialty of the Yamashiro clan.

After listening, Kyōichi understood.

It wasn't an obvious clue—

A set of footprints by the river.

But.

In the deep mountains, by the riverside, the footprints were intermittent.

This couldn't be ignored.

"They're not nearby. They might be lying in wait further ahead or hiding in the river, using a secret technique to block my chakra sensing."

Kyōichi said after a moment of investigation.

Chakra sensing wasn't infallible. Many secret techniques could evade it.

However.

After some thought, a smile appeared on his face.

"No need to worry. If the enemy is from Kirigakure, I'm not afraid at all."

Water Release?

I'm very familiar with that!

Kyōichi's shadow clone had been studying the Hidden Mist Technique. After gaining the assassination techniques from the Crescent Moon Dance, he had a solid understanding of Kirigakure's mist-based assassination tactics.

He was confident.

Once the mist rose, he would be even stronger in the fog than his opponents!

They pretended not to notice anything.

The procession continued.

The Daimyō kept observing the surroundings. Seeing the prosperity of the Land of Fire along the way, his mood improved significantly.

The sight before him showed that the Land of Fire was thriving and recovering well.

However.

He was mostly sneaking glances ahead.

At Kyōichi.

A Senju!

Although he hadn't taken the Senju name, being recognized by Tsunade as a Senju descendant was already astonishing.

There were many Senju descendants.

But.

How many of them were still recognized?

It wasn't that Tsunade was unwilling, but the integration of the Senju into Konoha was a decree set by Shodaime and Nidaime Hokages. It couldn't be changed.

This young man's recognition spoke volumes about his abilities.

Outwardly, the Daimyō showed no reaction, but his mind was filled with thoughts.

At that moment, a scream came from ahead, and the carriage stopped.

"Minato…"

The Daimyō peeked out and saw the surroundings gradually enveloped in mist. His face turned pale—

He wasn't a ninja, but he knew some famous techniques.

Like the Hidding in Mist Technique.

As the Daimyō, this was one of his greatest fears. The thick mist made it impossible to see anything clearly.

Minato, Asuma, and Obito gathered around the carriage, ready for battle.

There really were people who didn't fear death!

---

Ahead.

A body floated in the river, blood spreading and staining the water red.

A Kirigakure ninja!

The Body Flicker Technique and Iaido had taken him out in an instant.

"Sensei, the forehead protector has a scratch."

"That doesn't mean much. Keep an eye on the body and watch out for enemy ambushes. I'm going after the others."

With that, Kyōichi vanished.

Aoba was nervous.

He didn't know much about the Hidding in Mist Technique. With Kyōichi gone, his palms were sweating, fearing he might be ambushed.

In reality…

A Kirigakure ninja was indeed lurking in the shadows.

He had been waiting for an opportunity to assassinate the Daimyō, but now that Kyōichi was gone, only a kid remained.

This kid was probably a scout!

He weighed his options.

Finally, he silently drew his blade and aimed for Aoba.

However.

As soon as he emerged from the water and lunged at Aoba, he felt a sharp pain in his neck.

???

Blood sprayed!

He clutched his neck, his eyes filled with confusion.

What just happened?

He wouldn't live to find out.

Aoba was too shocked to speak.

The Kirigakure ninja had practically thrown himself onto an invisible blade.

If it weren't for the faint sound of water, he might have thought the ninja had committed suicide.

The Hidding in Mist Technique was powerful, but it didn't make you invisible…

How did sensei do that?

Unbelievable!

While Aoba was stunned, he also felt relieved.

Sensei hadn't abandoned him.

Meanwhile.

The remaining Kirigakure ninja in hiding was too preoccupied to pay attention to Aoba. The sole survivor was filled with dread.

Kyōichi's methods were too bizarre!

He couldn't help but think of Nidaime Mizukage.

The genjutsu was eerily similar.

Too terrifying!

He knew this mission was doomed and began to retreat, silently forming hand seals in the river.

Boom!

A massive wave surged, and a "shark" instantly devoured the two corpses.

He himself fled along the river.

However.

After moving a short distance, he felt the entire riverbed tremble.

The next moment.

The section of the river he was in suddenly rose.

Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!

But… this Earth-Style Wall is ridiculously large!

Who the hell is escorting the Daimyō this time?

He's strength is absurd.

He cursed inwardly.

The next moment, he was forced to reveal himself.