CHAPTER 21
Pursuit
As the group moved through the forest, Shikamaru wore a contemplative frown. The pressure from this mission was undeniably high. Their targets included four additional Genin. If they didn't neutralize them first, the fight would become significantly harder. But if they acted preemptively, it risked alerting the enemy—and draining precious chakra.
That was the dilemma. Completing this mission with minimal casualties was a real challenge. Shikamaru had already run through dozens of scenarios, but each had drawbacks. None were ideal.
"Shirō," Shikamaru began, "I saw in the report that you've signed a summoning contract with Ryūchi Cave. Is that true?"
"I did. What do you need me to do?"
"Then reconnaissance will fall to you. Can you handle that?"
Shirō didn't respond immediately. He silently evaluated the situation. He had only recently signed the contract and hadn't fully familiarized himself with all of the Ryūchi Cave summons. In battle, carelessness could prove fatal.
After some thought, Shirō mentally categorized the available summonable snakes—focusing on those suited for reconnaissance. There were many options, but he filtered out only the practical ones for now.
Once he estimated his chakra consumption, he nodded. "I can handle it. With Enhancement Ninjutsu, my maximum vision range is about eight hundred meters. My effective bow range is around three hundred."
Shikamaru and the others turned to him in surprise. While not quite on par with the Byakugan, this was an impressive range. The report had mentioned Shirō's ranged capabilities, but none of them expected this level of proficiency.
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "In that case, Tai Yi's full combat potential can be unleashed."
He turned back to Shirō. "Anything else we should know about your skillset? I want to compare it with your official record."
"No problem. I specialize in group combat—facing multiple opponents—and long-range sniping. My Taijutsu is decent, about Chūnin-level." (That is, pure Taijutsu Chūnin-level like those from the Academy's specialized units—rare, but they exist, such as Guy's former classmate Chen.)
"Group combat, huh?" Shikamaru pondered that, then asked, "Could you handle four Genin on your own? How much chakra would you have left afterward?"
"As long as the intel is accurate, I can take them out instantly. But it'll leave me with limited chakra. Most of my Taijutsu is chakra-enhanced through Reinforcement Ninjutsu."
"I see. Then here's the plan: Sensei Nakamura will take on their Jōnin. Tai Yi and I will stall the three Chūnin. Shirō will deal with the Genin. Once they're down, Shirō will assist me from range—taking down one of the Chūnin—then support Tai Yi. That's the final strategy. Any questions?"
"None!" x3
"Excellent. Let's move quickly. We need time to prepare the battlefield so the enemy responds exactly as we want."
With a better understanding of Shirō's true abilities, it was only natural that the plan would shift. The biggest change was freeing up Tai Yi's combat role.
Since their previous teammate, Ci Lang, died, Tai Yi had been forced to handle recon and sensory work using his newly awakened Sharingan. While effective, it put a heavy drain on his chakra. Ninja battles revolve around information, so the trade-off had been deemed worthwhile.
But now, with Shirō's unique capabilities, Tai Yi could focus entirely on combat. Despite only having a one-tomoe Sharingan, Tai Yi's natural Genjutsu proficiency meant that few Chūnin could match him. Shikamaru wasted no time revising the strategy.
Recon now belonged to Shirō. Tai Yi would fight.
Once the plan was finalized, Nakamura's team picked up the pace.
---
By the time Shirō and the others crossed into the Land of Rivers, a full week had passed. Unsurprisingly, the rogue ninja they were tracking had already vacated their previous location. Unlike static boss enemies in a game, real rogue shinobi don't sit around waiting to be caught.
They were experienced, always on the move. But despite having a Jōnin among them, they couldn't completely shake off the reach of Konoha's intelligence network. Their general location was still known.
Armed with fresh intel, Shirō's squad moved quickly.
Two days later, they caught up with the rogue unit in a small town near the border. But they didn't attack immediately. Instead, they entered the village quietly, secured rooms at an inn, and began gathering intel.
A direct assault would put them at a disadvantage. And the enemy wouldn't follow Shikamaru's ideal division of roles. They had to gather precise intelligence to adapt the plan.
---
Once settled in their room, Shirō bit his thumb and performed a quick string of hand seals.
"Summoning Technique!"
A small snake appeared, barely half a meter long. It wasn't built for combat, but it was perfect for reconnaissance.
Shirō applied a unique Ryūchi Cave sensory technique to the snake—Gray Snake—linking its hearing directly to his own. Once the connection was secure, he sent it out.
The sensory Ninjutsu was one he'd learned at Ryūchi Cave. Though it was the only one he had mastered so far, it was enough for the task at hand.
Moments later, Shirō began receiving auditory input from Gray Snake. He signaled to the others and began translating what he heard into Konoha field sign language—efficient, silent, and fast.
---
In a nearby inn, four rogue ninja—one Jōnin and three Chūnin—were seated around a table.
None of them wore headbands, which was standard practice among missing-nin. Unless you were a powerful rogue like Orochimaru or Kisame, flaunting your origin made you a target. Smaller villages were always eager to curry favor with the Five Great Nations by capturing rogue ninja.
These four clearly weren't that foolish.
"Captain," one of the taller Chūnin muttered, "how much longer do we have to keep this up? Hiding every day like rats. We've already left the Land of Fire—do we really have to be this paranoid?"
His complaint wasn't without merit. Ever since their defection, they'd been constantly moving, never sleeping in the same place twice.
"Just a bit longer," the Jōnin replied. "Once we're out of the Land of Rivers, we'll be in the clear. Konoha won't chase us beyond that point. So hold on."
"We're moving again?"
"Yes. Once the other four return, we're heading out immediately."
Despite their fatigue, the other Chūnin nodded. The captain was right. Konoha had its hands full—wars, internal politics, and the growing instability between villages. Once they crossed the border, the odds of pursuit dropped sharply.
If they could stay under the radar for a few years, most major villages would lose interest. They just needed to lie low.
Unfortunately for them, they didn't know Shirō's team had already arrived—and was watching.