Chapter 56: Hunting the Intel Squad

The Sunagakure camp had descended into chaos. There was no better time to take advantage of the confusion.

"We're going in, Kiyosuke," said Shinnosuke.

"Got it!"

The two of them darted into the chaotic camp like phantoms.

Boom!

With a deafening roar, flames erupted. Kiyosuke appeared behind one of the Sunagakure shinobi, cloaked in fire. The flames on his hands compressed into a circular saw with jagged, spinning teeth. He gripped it tight and swung it straight for the man's head.

"Aaaagh!"

A bloodcurdling scream—and his head flew from his shoulders.

The high heat of the flames instantly cauterized the wound. No blood spilled. His life ended in an instant.

"Enemy attack!"

The other Sunagakure shinobi quickly regrouped and retaliated. Poisoned kunai, shuriken, and senbon flew through the air. Kiyosuke didn't bother dodging. He let the blades pierce his body without hesitation.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest, then pulled them apart. A blazing arc of fire shot forward like a blade.

Vertical Guillotine!

The searing strike cleaved a Sunagakure ninja clean in half. Without pausing, he shouted,

"Captain!"

Shinnosuke understood at once. Using Earth Release, he raised a stone pillar beneath Kiyosuke's feet, launching him into the air.

Spinning three and a half times midair, Kiyosuke used the momentum of his fall to unleash a blazing kick. Fire surged from his leg like sunlight cutting through the darkness, like dawn streaking across the sky.

Boom!

He crashed down like a cannonball, slamming into a trio of enemies.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

With a puff of smoke, a massive python appeared—so large it would take over a dozen men holding hands to encircle it. Kiyosuke stood atop its head and commanded, "Eat them."

The serpent's eyes lit up at the mention of food. Its cold pupils gleamed with sinister hunger.

Eat! Eat! Eat!

It ignored the incoming kunai and shuriken, letting its thick, armored scales absorb the blows. With a single gulp, it swallowed several Sunagakure shinobi whole. Then it rolled its massive body along the ground, crushing even more enemies in the process.

Meanwhile, Shinnosuke wasn't idle either. He had engaged several jōnin-level puppet masters in battle. Seeing that Kiyosuke was escalating things, he decided it was time to stop holding back.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

Poof!

A white-furred monkey the size of a grown man appeared beside him, wearing clothes and a Konoha forehead protector.

"Yo, Shinnosuke. What do you need me for?"

"Battle, of course! Transform into the Adamantine Staff!"

The monkey clan had held a summoning pact with the Sarutobi clan for generations. As the son of the Third Hokage, Shinnosuke naturally had the contract as well.

The monkey leapt onto a tree branch and struck a dramatic pose.

"Understood! Let's do this! War time!"

Poof!

A staff appeared in Shinnosuke's hands—black in the middle, golden on both ends. As he swung it with force, the enemy puppets shattered under its weight. Against the unyielding Adamantine Staff, those wooden constructs were nothing but fragile toys.

"No! Don't kill me!"

"Yamero! I'm getting married after this battle!"

"Miss Yoko, I never got to confess to you!"

Flame Vortex!

Kiyosuke conjured a fiery tornado that rampaged through the camp. Flames painted the sky red. Standing atop the giant snake's head, he looked like a demon—a merciless reaper snuffing out lives without a trace of hesitation.

Such was the cold cruelty of war.

The flames devoured everything. The Sunagakure camp, originally home to over fifty shinobi, was completely annihilated by Kiyosuke and Shinnosuke. Not a single soul escaped. Those who did flee died soon after from the serpent's venom.

Shinnosuke looked at the scorched remains, then clapped a hand on Kiyosuke's shoulder.

"Come on. Let's find somewhere to rest. If you're feeling off, you can talk to me."

"It's fine. This is war. People die—it's just how it is."

Kiyosuke shook his head, declining the offer. The moment he joined this war, he'd already passed the point of no return. All he could do now was survive and complete the mission.

"I see. Alright then. Let's go rest."

They'd been at it all night. Even an assassination squad needed sleep.

As they made their way out, Kiyosuke suddenly asked, "Captain Shinnosuke, did you get the intel?"

"Relax. While you were reaping lives, I was collecting information," Shinnosuke replied calmly. While Kiyosuke had gone into a killing frenzy, he'd kept a level head and done what needed to be done.

The intel from the jōnin they killed would be enough to sustain their operations for the next few days. But once Sunagakure caught wind of the attack, they'd change strategies. After that, this information would be worthless.

...

The two of them found a secluded spot to rest. Shinnosuke handed Kiyosuke the written report and had him send it to Orochimaru via summoning. It included not only intel, but also a mission summary—useful for racking up merit.

As dawn quietly broke across the sky, the figures of Kiyosuke and Shinnosuke slipped through the forest. Their rest hadn't lasted long—because among last night's intel was a detail about Sunagakure's intel department coming to retrieve Konoha corpses from the ruined camp for study.

So this time, their target was Sunagakure's intelligence unit.

As members of the intel division, these shinobi carried knowledge far more valuable than the average jōnin. They absolutely had to secure this one.

"Captain, isn't this a little too risky?" Kiyosuke asked.

Anyone in the intel division who could roam freely during wartime was no amateur. Jōnin-level strength was guaranteed—and probably not just one.

"I know it's dangerous," Shinnosuke said. "But this is our chance. We have to take it."

Fortune favors the bold.

Their goal was simple—capture one intel operative, then retreat.

One person's knowledge might be limited. But if they belonged to the intel division? That was a different story. They'd know all sorts of things—about both Konoha and Sunagakure. All of it would be valuable, especially in Orochimaru's hands.

The two closed in on their target. According to the intel from the jōnin, the enemy would be traveling this road. They stopped at a perfect ambush site and began setting traps. Once everything was ready, they concealed themselves and waited.

About half an hour passed.

A team of four shinobi appeared, dressed in the typical tan colors of Sunagakure. Their heads were wrapped in cloth, faces hidden behind masks. They moved in formation, hurrying along the path.

Two of them had scrolls strapped to their backs, their contents unknown.

Just then, one of the guarded figures lifted his head and suddenly threw two kunai—one toward Kiyosuke's hiding spot, the other toward Shinnosuke's.

The blades were laced with Wind Release chakra and sliced straight through the trees.

Shinnosuke dodged it.

Kiyosuke... took a kunai straight to the head.

A hole opened up in his skull.

It wasn't that he chose not to dodge—he genuinely didn't react in time.

An expert!

As the man made his move, the rest of the squad stopped immediately, raising their guard.

"Konoha shinobi!" he called out. "Come out! I know you're there!"

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