Traveling through Naruto with Heroes of Might and Magic

Chapter 121 Nara Shikaku's Shock

The situation is one-sided.

Instead of using magic, Qingwu grabbed an Iwagakure Jonin and began to hone his close-combat taijutsu.

boom!

Bang!

laugh!

The two Jonin-level fighters engaged in close combat, and even without using ninjutsu, they managed to kill several Iwagakure members in the vicinity.

Seeing that their side, which had initially held the upper hand, was now doomed in an instant, the Iwagakure Jonin who was fighting Qingwu panicked, and his taijutsu became somewhat chaotic.

Qingwu seized the opportunity and finished him off with a small kunai.

"Don't move!"

The most skilled at concealment, Yugao, pressed her long sword against the throat of the last Iwagakure Jonin.

"..." The last remaining Jonin of Iwagakure had a look of confusion in his eyes.

Less than two minutes.

The Iwagakure unit, consisting of over sixty ninjas, that launched the surprise attack was completely wiped out!

He was the only one left alive.

The warehouse was saved. Kakashi used two Water Release techniques to extinguish the still-burning medicine warehouse.

On the battlefield, the villagers of Konoha looked at the four members of the Shadow Guard with astonishment.

This battle... completely overturned their previous understanding of war.

...You can do this??

Qingwu waved his hand casually: "Return."

All mixed-type units on the battlefield disappeared.

How could the cracked earth easily destroy a level 5 withered tree guardian? It was just a matter of changing locations to continue using the [Root Entanglement] spell.

Qingwu even considered developing new tactics, such as hiding the Deadwood Guardians underground in advance for ambushes...

"Go back!" Kakashi interrupted his thoughts.

"Let's go!" Xiyan's face flushed with excitement as she captured the only Jonin prisoner.

"Wait a minute." Tenzo used his Wood Release technique to help repair the warehouse before running over.

"We don't need to worry about the aftermath," Kakashi said. "Go back and report to Lord Shikaku."

……

Inside the tent

The atmosphere remained heavy.

Nara Shikaku stood in front of the map, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table to suppress his anxiety.

To prevent Iwagakure from launching a feint attack, Shirokumo had already led a group to support the eastern front.

Fifteen minutes had passed since the Shadow Guards left.

"It's such a short time, it's barely enough to get there. I was just too worried to think straight."

Shika sighed and forced himself to calm down.

Just then, the curtain was lifted.

Four figures slowly walked in.

Their clothes were neat, their breathing was steady, and no one was injured; they were only slightly panting.

"???"

Shikaku suddenly stood up, "You guys..."

Kakashi calmly said, "Lord Shikaku, the surprise attack on the western supply line has been dealt with."

"???" Shikaku subconsciously looked at the four of them, but found that there wasn't even a decent wound.

He didn't know what he was thinking.

For a moment, I didn't even know what expression to make.

Suspect?

No, a ninja like Kakashi wouldn't lie, that's...

How did you do that?

Shikaku opened and closed his mouth, but couldn't utter a word.

Yugao spoke up as if to take credit, "The Shadow Guard captured an Iwagakure Jonin, right outside the tent."

Shikaku finally found what he "should do" and strode quickly out of the tent.

When Shikaku saw the Iwagakure Jonin bound tightly, he finally believed that the Shadow Guard... had truly dealt with the Iwagakure attack.

Upon returning to the military tent, Shikaku's usually confident eyes revealed a clear shock for the first time.

He heard it clearly from the messenger ninja—at least five Iwagakure Jonin.

While a surprise attack is not suitable for a large number of people, with five Jonin as backup, it would still require a ninja force of at least fifty people, right?

Even if he were to fight alongside his partners "Ino-Shika-Cho," such an enemy would likely be a bloody battle.

Your Shadow Guard team of four... wiped out in less than a quarter of an hour?

"How did you do that?" Shikaku asked with difficulty. "Tell me the details."

Even though Iwagakure has more Jonin-level combat power than Konoha, which has experienced numerous disasters, Jonin from major ninja villages are still a very precious resource.

Iwagakure deployed five Jonin for this operation, which was a significant investment.

It was resolved so easily?

Lu Jiu couldn't understand it, or rather, he didn't dare to even think about it.

Kakashi briefly recounted the battle, concluding, "Thanks to Elephant's Summoning Technique."

Lu Jiu's gaze suddenly fell on Qing Wu.

He had heard many legends about Qingwu, but only now did he truly understand why the Hokage valued this young man so much.

"I finally understand."

Shikaku's voice was a little hoarse: "I was so glad you could come this morning, it's really—it's really great!"

From Kakashi's description, the intelligent Shikaku immediately understood the value of those summoned beasts on the battlefield.

Not only are they numerous, but they also have different functions.

Combined with the suddenness of the absence of chakra fluctuations, Shikaku could imagine the enemy's fear and helplessness.

If it were any other side, even the ninjas of Konoha, they would be unable to cope without any preparation.

As for the deaths of those Jonin, Shikaku was no longer surprised.

After all, even a powerful figure like Wen Ya died at the hands of this young man, and it's said that...

"You really fought against the Tsuchikage, Onoki?"

Shikaku asked about a rumor that he had previously thought was "100% true".

Qingwu replied earnestly, "The Hokage appeared in just one glance."

"Phew..." Shikaku let out a long breath.

What else is there to say? A 14-year-old boy, uh no, he was only 13 years old before, fought against Onoki and wasn't instantly killed, which is enough to make him a legend.

Thinking of this, he suddenly called his subordinates in and ordered, "Today's results must not be leaked. Keep the Shadow Guard's intelligence a secret for as long as possible."

"Yes!" The subordinate accepted the order and left.

Kakashi understood Shikaku's concerns.

If Ōnoki knew that Seigo was on the front lines, he might "lack martial ethics".

However, given that each side has spies on the other, this kind of thing can't be hidden for long. We'll see if the battle situation changes and whether the Shadow Guard is still in the rear.

"Next, our Shadow Guard..." Kakashi wanted to ask Nara Shikaku about their Shadow Guard's plans.

Shikaku pondered for a moment, "The supply line on the west side is now in your hands. The entire Konoha force on the west side will unconditionally cooperate with the Shadow Guard."

The Shadow Guard's formidable fighting prowess has led Shikaku to decide to entrust them with even greater responsibilities.

Unexpectedly, Kakashi refused, saying, "The Shadow Guard doesn't need to cooperate with other teams, and... we're not good at it either."

Shikaku was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Alright, then you Shadow Guards can go ahead and do it. If any problems arise, I, Nara Shikaku, will take full responsibility!"

This is considered an extremely high degree of autonomy.

Of course, if Nara Shikaku hadn't known Kakashi well enough to know that the latter wouldn't act recklessly, this order wouldn't have been given.

Kakashi nodded. "Protecting the supply lines, guarding the camp and protecting the commander, and transmitting intelligence from the front lines—these are the general directions given by the Hokage."

Shikaku looked up at the four of them, gently pressing his hand on the map: "That's settled!"