Konoha, Just Like Kizaru

Early the next morning, Simu's team began to march towards the Land of Tea.

Joining them were two ninjas from Tanigakure: Jōnin Harukami Aso and Harukami Haruka, the female ninja who had attacked Simu the previous night.

Throughout the journey, Haruka kept observing Simu and Minato, as if trying to determine who was stronger.

Over the past year, Namikaze Minato had earned some recognition in the ninja world. 

Though he wasn't yet renowned as the Yellow Flash of Konoha, gaining even minor fame at his young age was no small feat for a ninja.

In the end, Haruka's attention remained fixed on Simu.

It still feels like this guy is stronger.

Simu's performance last night was too exaggerated, and he has completely captured the girl's heart.

In Haruka's eyes, only a man of exceptional strength was worthy of being part of her future.

Meanwhile, Hyuga Lindy had quickly noticed Haruka's growing interest in Simu. Subtly but deliberately, she began placing herself between the two whenever possible.

For example, when resting, she would stay close to Simu, sometimes clinging to his side.

This unexpected behavior left Simu feeling slightly awkward.

As for Harukami Aso, watching his daughter's actions, he could only sigh helplessly.

"At this pace, we should reach the Tea Country's defense line by midnight," Harukami Aso said, looking ahead as the group traveled.

Minato gave a slight nod in agreement.

The team pressed forward, quickly nearing the Tea Country's border.

"There's an inn up ahead," Harukami Aso warned, signaling for the group to spread out into a tactical formation.

Hyuga Lindy positioned herself in the center as the scout, her Byakugan active and scanning for threats.

Harukami Aso and Minato took the lead, prepared to respond swiftly if they encountered any enemies.

Simu stayed near the center, ready to provide support at any moment with his incredible speed.

Haruka Haruka positioned herself at the rear, keeping watch for potential sneak attacks from behind.

"Lindy, it's up to you now," Simu said.

"Understood," Lindy replied with a nod.

The veins around her pure eyes bulged as her Byakugan activated. 

The world before her transformed—rich colors faded into shades of black and white, with distant figures glowing faintly, marked by their chakra.

Calmly, Lindy began to report:

"Three teams of three, arranged in a triangle formation—two on the outer perimeter and one inside," Lindy reported, her Byakugan providing precise details in under a minute.

Harukami Aso couldn't hide his surprise. As expected of Konoha, the leader of the Five Great Nations. Their Bloodline Limits are truly remarkable.

Minato listened and nodded slightly. 

The triangle formation was a standard setup for defensive lines.

"Each team likely includes a sensory ninja," Minato remarked. 

"If one team encounters trouble, the others can quickly send a warning and provide support."

"If your reconnaissance isn't sharp enough, you'd think there are only two teams," Simu remarked, studying the layout Minato had sketched. "But try to go between them, and you'll face a triple-team ambush."

Harukami Aso nodded and proposed, "Given their formation, we could exploit it by slipping between two squads. With our strength, we could eliminate one team before the others can react."

The suggestion made sense for an ordinary defense line—quickly striking one team to disrupt the others. However, this wasn't just any squad.

Simu tapped the diagram. "That plan might work if these were regular ninjas. But they're not."

His calm yet sharp tone made it clear—underestimating the enemy wasn't an option.

"If we deal with just one team, the other two will sound the alarm, leaving us very little time to act," Harukami Aso pointed out, frowning.

He added, "There's no way around it. Don't tell me you're thinking of taking out two teams instead."

Simu grinned confidently. "No, I plan to take them all out."

"That's not realistic," Harukami Aso immediately dismissed the idea. 

Even though he recognized Simu's strength, eliminating three teams at once without exposing themselves seemed impossible.

But Minato, to Aso's surprise, nodded in agreement with Simu's seemingly reckless plan.

"Why?" Aso asked, baffled.

Minato's reply was simple: "Because he's Simu."

"Mr. Harukami Aso, I understand this might be hard to believe, but I need you to hear me out," Minato said, his tone serious as he locked eyes with Aso.

"Both Simu and I can take out a squad without much effort," he continued confidently.

Simu, stretching lazily, added, "What a hassle. Fine, let's go with that plan."

Faced with their unwavering confidence, Harukami Aso had no choice but to reluctantly agree. After all, he and Haruka were only support for this mission, not the decision-makers.

Left with no alternative, Aso could only place his trust in these two youngsters—despite their seeming youthfulness.

With that, the final plan was set.

The plan was simple: Simu would infiltrate and deal with the central team, the only squad with a Jōnin in its ranks. 

Harukami Aso, Haruka, and Hyuga Lindy would take on the Chūnin squad positioned on the left, while Minato would handle the other Chūnin squad alone.

About a thousand meters away, three figures were concealed within the dense forest.

"Captain, it's so late. Do you really think there's a chance of an enemy attack?" muttered a young Chūnin, his voice tinged with doubt.

"Even if you gave the ninjas from the River Country a hundred times their courage, they wouldn't dare attack the Tea Country," replied the squad leader confidently.

The statement wasn't without thinking.

After the Second Ninja World War, with support from Sunagakure, the Tea Country's ninja system developed rapidly.

Now, it has completely overshadowed the River Country.

In recent years, the Tea Country has always been the aggressor, launching attacks on the River Country. The idea of the River Country striking back seemed almost laughable.

"Focus on the mission. No unnecessary talk," said the Jōnin leading the team, Haihara Jie.

His tone was calm but firm, leaving no room for argument.

The young Chūnin, clearly a chatterbox, kept talking.

"I heard the River Country is planning to ask the Fire Country for support. What a trick," he said. "I don't believe the ninjas from those big countries are really much stronger than us."

He grew more animated, complaining, "Last time, the ninja Kawajiro from the Land of Winds spent all his time chasing after women. I don't know how many blocks he could beat. Big country help isn't free, you know."

Now that they've got support, it makes sense Sunagakure's ninjas have some special privileges in the Tea Country.

Although many ninjas in the Tea Country were unhappy, it didn't change much.

"I think Konoha from the Land of Fire is about the same level as Sunagakure."

"Enough, stop talking," Jōnin Haihara Jie scolded coldly, clearly having had enough.

The young Chūnin fell silent, but suddenly, a voice came from beside him.

"That's an interesting thought, why don't you keep going?"

Simu's head appeared from the darkness, and the young Chūnin's eyes widened in shock.

Before he could even react or sound the alarm, Simu's lightsaber pierced through his chest.

"Let's talk about it in the next life."

Jōnin Haihara Jie reacted quickly and was about to form a seal.

But Simu appeared in front of him in an instant. To avoid revealing his position, Simu deliberately used Shave instead of a flash.

"I hope you don't make a sound."

Simu's lightsaber slashed down, clashing with the ninja sword Haihara Jie drew. The strike forcefully interrupted his seal.

"Are you from Konoha?"

Haihara Jie seemed to have realized something.

Simu didn't give Haihara Jie a chance to speak.

With a lightning-fast kick, he struck Haihara Jie's head, killing him instantly.

The other ninja, already restrained by Katsuyu long before Simu revealed himself, couldn't make a sound.

Simu sat cross-legged in front of the ninja, hands in his pockets.

Using his Observation Haki, he extended his senses thousands of meters to observe the battle between Minato and Lindy.

The action was quick and efficient.

Minato didn't underestimate the two Chūnin and one Genin. Using three quick Flying Thunder God strikes, he beheaded them instantly, leaving them no time to react.

As for Harukami Aso, things went smoothly. Being a Jōnin, and with Hyuga Lindy's Byakugan to assist, it was easy to locate and eliminate the enemy.

The only issue was that Lindy and Haruka seemed to be clashing, which led to a rougher fight than expected.

Once the battle ended, Harukami Aso quickly checked the surroundings.

He then asked, "Miss Lindy, could you use your Byakugan to check on the situation with the two of them?"

"Wait a moment."

Although Lindy was confident in Simu and Minato, it was Harukami Aso's first time partnering with them on a mission, so his concern was understandable.

For a seasoned Jōnin like him, it was already impressive to follow the orders of someone his age. However, verifying the situation wouldn't hurt.

Lindy activated her Byakugan and looked ahead.

The situation was just as Lindy expected, and the enemy was completely cleared.

"Don't worry, it's all handled."

Hearing Lindy's reassuring reply, Harukami Aso breathed a sigh of relief and felt a sense of awe.

Both Minato and Simu had faced three opponents each, with one of Simu's enemies being a Jōnin. Although he was a Jōnin from a small country, he was still a Jōnin to be reckoned with.

Yet, in such a short time, all their opponents had been defeated without even a single movement from Simu or Minato.

Could it be that Konoha's new generation of ninjas was this terrifying?

At that moment, Aso Harukami felt like he had lived his whole life in vain.

.

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TO BE CONTINUED

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