81. Sneak Attack

Sora and Uchiha Kyosuke had located their mission target. The Kumogakure team was temporarily stationed by a river, seemingly resting.

Sora turned to Uchiha Kyosuke and the others. "You four can take action when you're ready."

Uchiha Keiichi frowned. "Captain, Jinno's wrists and legs are still injured. Sneaking up on that group of shinobi with just the four of us… there's really no chance of winning."

Sora remained calm. "First of all, this is an order. Secondly, if you want to blame someone, blame Uchiha Kazuo. If he hadn't provoked me, I wouldn't have bothered arguing with you.

"But unfortunately, he did. And now, I'm really angry. So, you know what that means."

Uchiha Kyosuke and the others felt metaphorical black lines appear on their heads.

Did they understand?

They didn't want to understand!

It was Uchiha Kazuo who made Sora so angry. Every grievance has its culprit, and every debt has its debtor. Was it really okay for him to vent his frustration on them so openly?

Before they could protest, Sora had already used the Body Flicker Technique and disappeared.

Uchiha Kyosuke and the others let out a collective sigh.

What else could they do? They just had to grit their teeth and go through with it.

With no other choice, they began moving stealthily toward the resting Kumogakure shinobi.

From a tree branch above, Sora watched as Uchiha Kyosuke and the others sneaked closer.

While he was indeed venting his anger on them, he couldn't actually let them die here.

Not only did they need to survive, but he also had to make sure they didn't suffer serious injuries during the battle.

Because punishing them and outright endangering their lives were two different things.

For that reason, he could only scare them—but not let anything truly happen to them.

Otherwise, not only would he be in trouble, but Orochimaru would be as well.

—

Uchiha Kyosuke and his team successfully crossed the river, closing in on the Kumogakure shinobi, who remained unaware of their presence.

Lurking in the water, the four Uchiha exchanged glances before launching their attack.

Uchiha Kyosuke suddenly leapt out, hurling multiple kunai and shuriken at their unsuspecting targets.

Uchiha Keiichi and Uchiha Ryuhei quickly formed hand seals. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Two massive fireballs erupted, engulfing the resting Kumogakure shinobi.

The sneak attack was a success.

Two Genin from the Kumogakure team failed to react in time. Struck by several kunai and shuriken, they were then consumed by the fiery explosions—instantly killed.

A Chūnin from the Kumogakure team was also injured.

The sneak attack had immediately reduced their numbers by two.

However, the remaining Cloud Shinobi quickly adjusted and launched a counterattack against Uchiha Kyosuke and the others.

Uchiha Kyosuke yanked his hands, tightening several nearly invisible chakra-infused silk threads—each holding detonating tags.

The kunai and shuriken he had thrown earlier were all attached to these threads.

Seeing the burning fuses of the explosive tags, the Cloud Shinobi's expressions shifted, and they instinctively retreated.

Boom!

The detonating tags exploded, sending smoke and debris everywhere.

Another Genin from the Kumogakure team perished in the blast.

At that moment, Uchiha Jinno, who had been hiding, suddenly appeared in front of a Kumogakure Chūnin. His Sharingan spun rapidly, forming distinct tomoe.

"Genjutsu: Phantom Crucifixion!"

This was a visual genjutsu unique to the Sharingan.

The Chūnin found himself trapped in a mental illusion where massive iron spikes impaled his limbs, rendering him completely immobile.

Paralyzed, the Cloud Shinobi Chūnin could do nothing as Uchiha Jinno flipped a kunai in his hand and drove it straight into his heart.

As the smoke cleared, the battlefield was divided—Kumogakure shinobi on one side, Uchiha Kyosuke and his team on the other.

The ambush had been a major success.

The enemy had lost three Genin and one Chūnin, leaving only seven opponents.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Kyosuke's team had yet to suffer any injuries.

However, the element of surprise was gone. Now, they faced a direct confrontation. And in a head-on battle, they were still at a disadvantage.

After all, the remaining enemies consisted of four Chūnin, two Genin, and one Special Jōnin.

The moment the Special Jōnin noticed the Sharingan in their eyes, his expression darkened.

"Four Uchiha?! Attack together! Avoid eye contact!"

Without hesitation, the seven remaining Cloud Shinobi charged at Uchiha Kyosuke's team.

The four Uchiha scattered in perfect unison.

Staying grouped would only make them easier targets. By spreading out, they could force the enemy to split up, relieving some pressure.

Uchiha Keiichi and Uchiha Jinno moved together.

Although all four of them were Chūnin, Uchiha Keiichi was the weakest, and Uchiha Jinno was still injured. Teaming up gave them a better chance of survival.

They successfully lured several Cloud Shinobi away.

Uchiha Ryuhei also drew a few away, engaging them while strategically retreating.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Kyosuke faced the Special Jōnin alone.

"Cloud-Style: Rising Dragon!"

The Special Jōnin dashed forward with a short blade in hand, aiming an elbow strike at Uchiha Kyosuke's head.

Kyosuke crossed his arms to block the blow.

But in an instant, the Special Jōnin switched forms, reversing his grip on the short blade and thrusting it toward Kyosuke's chest.

Kyosuke reacted fast, delivering a kick—his foot colliding with the Special Jōnin's left arm, forcing him back a step.

However, the tip of the short blade had already grazed Kyosuke's chest. If he hadn't counterattacked in time, the blade might have pierced straight through him.

"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"

Without hesitation, Uchiha Kyosuke launched a high-speed stream of flames directly at the Special Jōnin.

But in a flash, the Special Jōnin used the Body Replacement Technique, avoiding the flames entirely.

Kyosuke's Sharingan caught the movement—he immediately ducked as the Special Jōnin reappeared behind him, slashing downward.

Kyosuke rolled away, trying to widen the distance.

"Cloud-Style: Flying Blade!"

The Special Jōnin leaped backward, slashing through the air. A lightning-enhanced blade shot toward Kyosuke.

Kyosuke raised his kunai to block, but the crackling lightning paralyzed his arm on contact.

Sensing his weakness, the Special Jōnin pressed forward, launching a relentless flurry of attacks. Kyosuke struggled to keep up, barely able to defend himself.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Ryuhei, Keiichi, and Jinno weren't faring any better.

The three of them were steadily being pushed back, their defences crumbling under the relentless assault.

Although their ambush had reduced the enemy's numbers, among the remaining seven Cloud Shinobi, only two Genin and three Chūnin had suffered minor injuries that didn't hinder their movement.

The other two were completely unscathed.

On the other hand, Kyosuke and his team were beginning to wear down.

Under the relentless attack, the four Uchiha were gradually forced back together, surrounded.

"What do we do? The difference in numbers and strength is too much!"

"Did he really abandon us?"

"This is too much…!"

"Is this really the end?"

Sora had yet to appear.

As the Cloud Shinobi closed in, Uchiha Kyosuke and his team felt a sense of despair creeping in.

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