The Anbu ninja was startled. Hagoromo had discovered the enemy, though the Anbu himself hadn't noticed a thing... However, he didn't doubt Hagoromo's claim. Every ninja had their own unique skills. As an Anbu operative, he wouldn't underestimate any ninja simply because of their age.
Never underestimating a ninja was the cardinal rule of the Anbu. Those who failed to adhere to this creed had long since been wiped from this world.
"I'll go take care of them." As the Anbu squad leader, he quickly made a decision.
"No," Hagoromo continued to communicate with the Anbu via hand signs. "You stay on alert. There may be more enemies we haven't detected yet. As for the ones in the woods... I will handle them."
The Anbu hesitated slightly before nodding in agreement. He hadn't forgotten that his primary mission was to guard the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and his secondary mission was to protect the medical ninja. Killing enemies wasn't part of his assignment.
He left the offensive entirely to Hagoromo. This wasn't because he had absolute faith in the boy's combat abilities, but rather because even if Hagoromo died, it wouldn't matter to the mission.
That was simply the harsh reality.
Unaware of the Anbu's thoughts, Hagoromo swiftly melted into the darkness and advanced toward the enemy's location.
In his sensory perception, the four enemies weren't grouped together. It was obvious that they were highly vigilant while operating within enemy territory, as they were hiding in four separate locations. This gave Hagoromo the perfect opportunity to pick them off one by one.
As he walked, Hagoromo fastened a blank mask over his face.
It was truly a blank slate; aside from two holes for the eyes, the mask bore no markings or designs whatsoever.
Moving forward, Hagoromo began to speak in a low voice.
The night was deep. Although his voice was quiet, the wind carried his words, making them clearly audible back at the Konoha camp.
"The sound of the Gion Shōja bells echoes..." "Proclaiming the impermanence of all things..." "The fading hue of the sāla tree flowers..." "Signals us to strike down the wicked..." "Good evening, everyone." "Konoha Genin, Kamishiraishi Hagoromo, arriving now..."
Shadows clustered thickly in the woods, but Hagoromo's eyes had already adapted to the darkness.
He closed in silently, stopping about twenty meters from one of the enemies.
Perhaps the enemy didn't yet realize they were exposed; the ninja hiding there remained perfectly still.
Sure enough, they aren't Konoha ninja. By the faint moonlight, Hagoromo confirmed that the forehead protector the enemy wore did not bear the Konoha symbol. That was all he needed to know.
He continued to move stealthily, actually increasing the distance between himself and his target. Once he positioned himself beneath a tree, he reached for his ninja pouch and pulled out a kunai and three shuriken.
With a decisive flick of his wrist, he hurled the three shuriken into the darkness.
The whistling of projectiles cutting through the silent night was distinct, but the darkness provided excellent cover. Because the first enemy failed to immediately pinpoint the direction of the attack, it meant he would never get the chance to figure it out in this lifetime.
One shuriken struck him dead in the face, another sliced through his neck, and the third embedded itself deep into his chest!
One, Hagoromo counted silently.
After taking out the first enemy, Hagoromo didn't even look up as he hurled his kunai straight into the canopy above him.
The second enemy was hiding in this very tree!
The target had heard the commotion and immediately parted the foliage to check on his comrade's position. But the moment he poked his head out, a kunai ended his life!
He was an inexperienced fool; otherwise, he never would have acted so rashly!
Hagoromo stepped slightly to the side, and with a heavy thud, the enemy's corpse dropped to the ground right next to him.
Two. Judging by their reactions, these two were merely Genin. Experienced Chunin and Jonin wouldn't act so predictably in combat.
This meant that at least one of the remaining two had to be a Jonin. Without a Jonin leading them, a squad like this couldn't have successfully infiltrated the Land of Fire. A team consisting of only Chunin and Genin wouldn't be on an infiltration mission—they'd be on a suicide run.
One Jonin? Or two? Through his sensory perception, Hagoromo noted that the remaining two hadn't made any rash moves, despite hearing the commotion that suggested their comrades had just been killed. Instead, they stayed perfectly still.
A sound judgment. Moving blindly at a time like this makes you an easy target. The night is an advantageous condition for both sides... However, that is only the correct call when there isn't a sensory ninja around! At this point, Hagoromo no longer needed to hide!
Bright lightning flared to life in the palm of his hand, and the piercing screech of electricity instantly gave away his position.
In the pitch-black night, he stood out like a glowing target.
Almost simultaneously, several shuriken flew toward him! But it was too late. Merely by activating the Chidori Stream, Hagoromo's speed skyrocketed to four or five times his normal pace.
Leaving afterimages in his wake, Hagoromo sprinted to another large tree and viciously thrust his lightning-wreathed hand right into its trunk!
The Lightning Release effortlessly pierced the tree—which was over forty centimeters in diameter—and instantly skewered the heart of the enemy ninja hiding behind it!
Hagoromo's entire arm was buried in the wood. The lightning had charred the pierced section of the tree into charcoal, but his fingertips met with a wet sensation, and the heavy, metallic scent of blood filled the air.
Hagoromo knew his hand had gone straight through the enemy's body.
Yet, he wasn't satisfied.
Did I miscalculate? Frowning, Hagoromo realized he had hoped to use this thunderous strike to eliminate the enemy Jonin. However, from the moment his arm struck the tree, the enemy had only managed to shift a few centimeters. That wasn't the reaction of a Jonin. A true Jonin would have at least shifted enough to avoid a fatal blow to their vitals.
Even in a split second, a Jonin had the capability to do that.
Having taken down two Genin and a Chunin, Hagoromo didn't let his guard down for a moment. He knew the enemy Jonin was about to make a move!
Seeing Hagoromo's arm stuck inside the tree and temporarily unable to pull free, the enemy wouldn't hesitate to strike right then.
Just as expected! A long sword plunged down from above, aiming straight for Hagoromo's head!
Perhaps this Jonin had intentionally sacrificed their own Chunin just to create an opening to kill Hagoromo, an opponent with unknown capabilities!
But this was an opening Hagoromo had deliberately created, so how could he not take full advantage of it?
Truth be told, he had no confidence in fighting a Jonin head-on. But within an opportunity of his own making, killing one wasn't entirely impossible.