Naruto: Maelstrom Of The Uzumaki

"?????"

"Hide what?"

"What are you guys hiding from?"

Uzumaki Raiden opened his Kagura's Mind Eye and detected the distant ninja through the forest. The opposing group was a four-person team moving quickly toward Sanfang City. Based on their route, they would not cross paths with Raiden's team.

"Isn't there an enemy?"

Might Duy poked his head out from behind a bush, looking at Raiden in the tree with confusion.

"The opponent's route won't intersect with ours. Just keep moving," Raiden said, looking at Might Duy in exasperation before glancing toward Hyuga Hiashi's hiding place. While it was normal for Duy, who lacked perception abilities, not to know the opponent's route, it made no sense for Hiashi, with his Byakugan, not to know. Raiden was baffled by Hiashi's behavior.

"Is that so? I wasn't paying attention to their travel route. I just checked with my Byakugan to confirm they were there and didn't focus on their direction," Hiashi said, stepping out from his hiding spot with a slightly embarrassed expression.

He glanced at Raiden curiously. Hiashi had immediately detected the enemy when they entered his Byakugan's range. However, Raiden had already known not only their presence but their route. That meant Raiden's sensory range might surpass his Byakugan.

As Hiashi pondered this, Raiden's expression changed. His voice cut through the air:

"Get ready for a fight! The enemy has spotted us and is changing direction toward us!"

Raiden quickly leaped from the tree, embedding seals on the surrounding trunks. Seeing Raiden's actions, the rest of the team immediately prepared for battle. Might Duy and Hyuga Hiashi moved to the front, Uchiha Fugaku set up traps with explosive tags, and Namikaze Minato stood ready at the rear.

"The enemy has a sensory ninja. While their range isn't as vast as mine, it's significant enough. There are four of them. One has extremely strong chakra, while the others are average," Raiden reported.

"I'll take the one with the strongest chakra. Handle the other three quickly, then assist me," Hiashi instructed.

Minato nodded. "Quickly eliminating them here is the best solution. Letting them trail us would only expose us further."

The team regrouped and waited for the enemy to approach. Their positions were strategic: Hiashi and Duy at the front, Raiden protected in the center, and Minato and Fugaku positioned at the rear for ranged attacks. Despite being a newly formed team, they displayed a natural sense of teamwork.

"The enemy has stopped," Hiashi announced after a long silence.

Raiden and Fugaku had already noticed. Their eyes remained fixed on the enemy's location, ready to act.

From behind the trees, a middle-aged Iwagakure ninja led three younger comrades. As they approached, the leader spotted Hiashi's Byakugan and froze.

"Byakugan! Discovered!"

Realizing their cover was blown, the Iwa-nin leader commanded his team to retreat. However, Hiashi's voice rang out:

"The enemy is fleeing! Chase them!"

The Konoha team sprang into action. Hiashi and Duy closed the distance first, blocking the Iwa-nin's retreat. The rest of the team surrounded the enemy from above.

"These are just kids," Fugaku muttered disdainfully upon seeing the Iwa-nin. Apart from the leader, who appeared to be in his forties, the others were teenagers, even younger than Fugaku and his team.

The Iwa-nin leader scanned the Konoha team, his expression growing grave. "Byakugan and Sharingan. Konoha's Hyuga and Uchiha clans... This won't be easy."

He then shifted his focus to Raiden, the youngest in the group. His killing intent was palpable.

"Targeting me because I look weakest?" Raiden thought, observing the Iwa-nin leader's movements.

As the Konoha team moved to engage, the Iwa-nin leader attempted a jutsu but was interrupted by Duy's powerful kick. Hiashi followed up with a "Eight Trigrams Air Palm", slamming the leader into the ground. Duy delivered another devastating kick, incapacitating him.

Meanwhile, Fugaku used his Sharingan to swiftly incapacitate one of the younger Iwa-nin with a genjutsu. The remaining two, overwhelmed, were defeated shortly after.

As the dust settled, Duy muttered, "Was that too easy?"

Hiashi suddenly shouted, "Raiden, behind you!"

Before anyone could react, the Iwa-nin leader, who should have been incapacitated, appeared behind Raiden, holding a kunai to his throat.

"Stop, or I'll kill him!" the leader threatened.

"So, your earlier jutsu wasn't interrupted—it was a clone technique," Raiden analyzed calmly, despite being held hostage.

The leader's confidence wavered as he realized he couldn't move. His body was bound by a sealing technique.

"From the moment you stepped on that tree, you lost," Raiden said coldly, revealing that the seal on the tree had extended to trap the leader.

Raiden swiftly disarmed the Iwa-nin and slashed his throat with a kunai, ending the confrontation.

As Fugaku hesitated to execute the remaining Iwa-nin children, Hiashi stepped in, dispatching them with cold efficiency. Minato, though reluctant, gathered their bodies and buried them with a heavy heart.

The team moved on in somber silence, their mood tense after the encounter. As they approached the border of the Land of Grass and prepared to infiltrate the Land of Rain, Minato gave his orders:

"Rest here for the night. Gather fresh water before dark; it will be scarce in the Land of Rain. From tomorrow, the mission will only get harder."

The team prepared for the challenges ahead, their resolve steeling for the battles to come.

(End of Chapter)

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