Fire Release: Giant Flame Bullet!
Water Release: Giant Vortex Jutsu!
Lightning Release: False Darkness!
Wind Release: Pressure Damage!
...
Relying on the scroll stolen from Kusagakure, Allen learned a vast number of Ninjutsu in a very short time and conducted a series of tests on the monsters in the Dungeon. Most importantly, this study deepened his understanding of the entire Ninjutsu system, allowing him to apply the logic to other areas, modifying the shape and nature of certain techniques, or even upgrading a C-rank jutsu to S-rank, much like he had with the "Stone Rain."
During this process, he began to realize why Orochimaru obsessed over learning every jutsu in the world. The technique of manipulating energy to create diverse effects was simply too fascinating! At the very least, compared to the tedious and repetitive training of Taijutsu, Ninjutsu was far more entertaining. Combined with the fusion of natures from Kekkei Genkai, the possibilities were infinite.
"It seems that after I defect, the first person I should look for is Orochimaru."
Returning to his room from the Dungeon, Allen mapped out his future. Of course, before that, there were things in Konoha he had to obtain, for instance, the famous Scroll of Seals. He didn't even need to steal it himself; he just needed to quietly copy it when Naruto "borrowed" it.
With a thirst for Ninjutsu and power, Allen spent the following period learning Medical Ninjutsu from Kiriko and the Eight Inner Gates from Might Guy. His strength grew at a visible rate.
Finally, two months later, the latter half of the year 47 of the Konoha calendar, a shadow war erupted between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire over the defenseless Land of Grass.
In an instant, a large number of ninjas were dispatched to the border, and clashes both overt and covert became frequent. Although they hadn't yet openly broken their ties, anyone with experience from the Third War could smell the scent of war and death.
As the team that first discovered the incident, Team 3 naturally received deployment orders to head to the border and assist the garrison against Hidden Stone infiltration.
Upon arriving at the camp, the first thing they saw were wounded soldiers lying in temporary shelters, faces twisted in pain while receiving treatment. It was clear that while both the Third Hokage and the Tsuchikage were consciously controlling the scale of the conflict to prevent it from spiraling, they were also applying maximum pressure to see who would buckle first.
Simply put, this was a classic game of chicken. If one side flinched, they would lose leverage in negotiations and surrender vast benefits.
"Is the situation here very serious?" Might Guy asked the commander on duty immediately upon arrival.
"Mhm. Very serious! Onoki sent his own son, Kitsuchi, to oversee things, along with two elite squads. Those bastards frequently ambush our patrols, forcing us back. You've seen the results. Our priority is to find them and drive them back to gain leverage for the upcoming negotiations," Shikaku Nara explained, rubbing his forehead with a look of exhaustion.
Might Guy nodded thoughtfully. "So, a full-scale war won't break out, right?"
"Right. Judging by the number of ninjas sent by the Stone and their behavior, they don't want a war right now either. So, the reconnaissance is up to you."
Shikaku Nara glanced at the slightly nervous Neji and the incredibly calm Allen. It went without saying that he intended to utilize the powerful scouting and sensory abilities of these two.
"Understood! Leave it to us! This is the essence of youth!" Might Guy gave a thumbs-up, flashing teeth so white they could have been in a toothpaste advertisement.
After receiving the intelligence on where their patrols had been ambushed, he led the team out without a second thought to begin searching the route.
With the dual coverage of the Byakugan and Track Humanoids, any form of concealment was meaningless. Especially the latter; even enemies hiding underground were precisely marked. Of course, Shikaku Nara wouldn't rely solely on a few Genin to deal with two elite enemy squads; he had sent high-level experts to follow them in secret to ensure the plan's success. However, to avoid alerting the enemy, these experts remained at a significant distance.
Suddenly!
Neji stopped during their rapid advance and asked in an extremely serious tone, "Allen, do you sense it?"
"Yes. How could I miss such a glaring presence?" Allen replied with a meaningful curl of his lips.
"What did you find?" Guy hurried to the front, staring ahead. Unfortunately, he could see nothing but dense forest and canyons.
"Ninjas! Three of them. They are lying in ambush behind that giant rock ahead, waiting for us to walk into a pre-set trap." Allen loosened his joints, quickly entering a combat-ready state.
"Correct. And judging by the amount of Chakra, they are very likely Special Jonin or Jonin," Neji added immediately.
"In that case, let's signal," Might Guy said, turning to nod at Tenten.
However, just as she was about to fire a flare, Allen reached out to stop her. "Don't do that! If you fire a flare now, the enemy will almost certainly choose to retreat rather than stay and be surrounded."
"Then you mean..." Rock Lee seemed to realize something, appearing both excited and terrified.
"There are three enemies. Guy-sensei is a Jonin, so he can handle one without a problem. Lee and Neji will be responsible for stalling one. I'll take one, and Tenten will stay back to send the distress signal once the enemy is distracted. That's the only way we can truly wipe out this Stone squad," Allen said calmly, laying out his plan.
"Are you sure you can handle a Jonin?" Neji subconsciously frowned.
"I won't know unless I try. I have quite a bit of confidence in my own strength," Allen said with a smile, turning his gaze toward Might Guy, who held final authority.
"Fine! But remember, do not overextend yourself."
After a moment of hesitation, Might Guy agreed to the plan. As Allen said, a flare might alert the enemy, wasting a rare opportunity and letting them know their tracks were exposed. Furthermore, he recognized the strength of this subordinate who was calm, flexible, and mastered many Medical Ninjutsu. He felt that even if Allen wasn't a match for a Jonin, stalling one wouldn't be a major issue.
Compared to Allen, who had actual experience fighting ninjas, Guy was actually more worried about Rock Lee and Neji. Strength was one thing, but being able to apply it calmly in battle was another.
But at this moment, he didn't have many choices. This mission was directly tied to the outcome of the negotiations between Konoha and Iwa. They had to eliminate this elite enemy squad and push the patrol range back to its ideal state.
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