Chapter 26: A Sudden Turn of Events-Naruto: No início sacrifico o Byakugan e alcanço o nível máximo de Haki da Observação(Qian Ding escreveu até dez milhões de palavras.)

"Captain, are we not going to make a move yet? If we wait any longer, that guy is going to leave the Land of Wind."

Following the standard four-man formation, four Sand Village ninjas, wearing headbands and tactical vests, trailed closely behind the unsuspecting ninja ahead, keeping a calculated distance. Unlike the typical "veteran-led-newbie" teams like the one led by Yuhi Shinku, this squad from the Sand Village was clearly an elite unit. It consisted of an elite Jonin leading three experienced Chunin. Even during the height of the Great Ninja War, such a configuration—excluding a few monstrously powerful individuals—was a force to be reckoned with on any battlefield.

It was highly irregular for such an elite team to be tailing a mere Chunin. The only explanation was that they were "playing a long game," waiting to catch a bigger fish. Only this could justify the patience shown by these elite ninjas.

"If I recall correctly, Great Lake City is just ahead. Beyond that lies the Land of Rivers. If no one meets him at Great Lake City, it’s even less likely to happen in the Land of Rivers. Let’s endure a little longer. Once we reach the city, if we still don't see anyone there to rendezvous with him, we’ll take him down and interrogate him," the elite Jonin leader decided, suppressing the impatience of his subordinates.

"I hope we truly gain something from this. Otherwise, wasting so much time on such a small fry will be hard to justify back home."

This elite team had been dispatched by the Hidden Sand Village to guard the border near the Land of Fire, awaiting a war that could break out at any moment. They had stumbled upon a spy fleeing the village, intending to deliver intelligence back to Konoha. It was the spy's misfortune; he had completed his undercover mission and was ready to return, only to accidentally uncover shocking intelligence: the Third Kazekage had mysteriously vanished from the Hidden Sand Village. This explained the recent, erratic, and large-scale movements within the village. Coupled with rumors of a total lockdown, the spy could no longer sit still.

The excitement of finishing a long-term mission, the shock of the discovery, and the unverified rumors all converged, causing the spy to abandon his original extraction plan for a high-risk route. Little did he know that even after slipping past the village's tight patrols, he would run into an elite Sand squad. With their leader missing, the tension in the Sand Village was at an all-time high. A lone, hurried ninja with a clear destination was bound to invite suspicion. The tracking confirmed he was indeed a spy from another village, handing the elite team an easy credit.

As it turned out, this spy was the exact target that Yuhi Shinku’s team was sent to extract. No one could have predicted that the spy would bring such a massive problem along with him.

Kawaki Aoba: Although I didn't expect it, my Observation Haki clearly captured both of their trajectories.

In the dead of night, Aoba’s Observation Haki had picked up the two parties before they even reached Great Lake City. This was no coincidence; it was a habit he had developed after mastering his Haki to the maximum level. Whenever he was awake, he would periodically scan the surroundings for dozens of kilometers for any potential danger. Thus, detecting the spy—who had arrived earlier than expected—and the trailing Sand ninjas was inevitable.

Encountering such an unexpected situation on his first mission in the Land of Wind invigorated Aoba. After waking up Sarutobi Asuma and explaining the situation, the two didn't care about the risk of exposure and immediately sought out Yuhi Shinku.

"Shinku-sensei, while using my sensory jutsu, I detected ninjas rapidly approaching Great Lake City. It is highly likely that this is our target, but an elite team of Sand ninjas is tailing him."

Upon meeting Shinku, Aoba poured out everything he had sensed. Shinku, a seasoned Jonin, did not hesitate. Regardless of whether the target was theirs, he treated the situation as if they had already been compromised, preparing the most appropriate response in a heartbeat.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Shinku quickly formed hand seals, creating a clone to take his place.

"Kurenai, Asuma, Aoba, my clone will take my place. If that really is our target, my clone will distract them while I, the real one, seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack. If I manage to kill or critically injure their lead Jonin, you three must seize the chance to ambush the remaining three Sand ninjas. We will attempt to eliminate them all. But if I fail..."

Shinku paused for a moment before continuing, "If the ambush fails and I cannot best their leader, you won't stand a chance either. In that event, run—flee the Land of Wind as fast as you can. As your teacher, I will buy you time."

Turning to Aoba, he confirmed, "Aoba, are you absolutely certain they are an elite squad configuration?"

"Absolutely certain!" Aoba replied without hesitation, fully confident in his maxed-out Observation Haki.

"Good. We will split up. Aoba, you will lead the other two. I authorize you to act according to your own judgment. Oh, and Aoba, how far away are they?"

"About seven kilometers."

Yuhi Shinku: ???

Seven kilometers? Wasn't that sensory range a bit too absurd? Even the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan couldn't reach such lengths. For a fleeting moment, Shinku wondered if his most brilliant student was playing a prank on him.