Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 98 The Scent of Blood in the Wind

Ye Xian's decisive "stop advancing" gesture was like a silent switch, instantly shifting the entire squad's atmosphere to the highest level of combat alert.

The entire squad fell silent instantly.

The only sounds in the air were the pattering rain and the suppressed, tense breathing of the team members.

"What's wrong, Captain?"

Sata lowered his voice and asked in a whisper.

Yoru didn't answer immediately. His single-tomoe Sharingan slowly rotated in the darkness, carefully analyzing the slight anomaly he had just caught.

"There is residual chakra ahead."

He said in a low voice, "It's... chaotic. Like a battle."

"fighting?"

Bo Cheng frowned. "Logically speaking, there shouldn't be any other Konoha teams on this route."

"So, it's very likely that a ninja squad from another village encountered them."

Uchiha Yogen pondered for a moment before making a judgment.

"So what do we do? Go around it?"

Ju Xilin asked softly, her hand already instinctively gripping the medical kit at her waist.

"No."

Uchiha Yogen shook his head, a resolute glint in his eyes. "The village book, 'Logic,' teaches that any anomaly means intelligence."

"Our mission is reconnaissance, and an encounter battle is the best source of intelligence. We can not only analyze the strength and ninjutsu systems of both sides, but we might also find out their mission objectives."

"I agree with the captain's opinion."

Bo Cheng chimed in, "Fortune favors the bold, and so does intelligence gathering. Besides, now that the battle is over, our trip there now carries the least risk."

"Hehe, it should have been done a long time ago!"

Upon hearing that he wouldn't have to take a detour and would instead be actively approaching them, Shimura Sota immediately became excited again. "Who cares who they are? If they dare to get in my way, I'll knock them all away!"

"Saita".

Ye Xian glared at him. "Our mission is still observation, not fighting. Everyone, conceal your presence and follow me."

After saying that, he led the way toward the source of the chakra fluctuation.

The four of them brought Konoha's Body Flicker Technique and stealth skills to their limits, their figures moving through the slippery tree trunks and dense bushes without making a single unnecessary sound.

As they drew closer, a strong, pungent smell of blood drifted over on the damp night breeze.

The smell made Ju Xilin, who was experiencing the scent of a battlefield for the first time, feel a churning in her stomach and her face turn pale.

She endured her discomfort and followed closely behind the group.

"Wind Release: Whisper of the Wind!"

Sota Shimura, who was walking at the front, suddenly stopped and quickly formed hand seals.

He infused his wind-attribute chakra into the surrounding airflow, then closed his eyes and listened intently to the sounds coming from afar.

This is a reconnaissance ninjutsu he improved under the guidance of Lord Danzo, combining the principles of sound wave transmission from the Ninja Academy's "Basic Logic".

It can extend one's hearing to hundreds of meters away.

A moment later, he opened his eyes and his expression became serious.

"Captain, there's definitely fighting ahead, and it's intense! I heard the sound of kunai clashing, and... the explosions of Water Release and Earth Release ninjutsu. Most importantly..."

Sata sniffed hard. "I can also smell blood, very strongly!"

Almost at the same time that Sota revealed the information, Sarutobi Nami, who was bringing up the rear, also squatted down.

He gently placed his palm on a puddle of water on the ground, closed his eyes, and activated his sensory ninjutsu.

"Water Release: Rain Pattern"

The faint chakra spread out in all directions like a spider web along with the water flow.

The Land of Rain, with its abundant water, is practically a paradise for a water-based sensory ninja like him.

"Captain, the vibrations in the water are very chaotic."

Bo Cheng opened his eyes and quickly said, "There are at least two groups of people, about ten in total. Their chakra attributes are very mixed, including water, earth, and... a very strange sound, like the friction of metal and the turning of mechanisms."

"Metal-to-metal friction? Mechanical rotation?"

Uchiha Yogen's brows furrowed instantly.

This description immediately reminded him of an opponent.

The puppeteer of Sunagakure!

"Looks like we're in luck."

A cold smile curved at the corners of Ye Xian's lips.

He combined the information from Sota and Bozumi and immediately constructed a rough model of the battlefield in his mind.

"One side should be the native ninjas of Amegakure, skilled in Water Release and Earth Release, numbering five to seven. The other side is an infiltration team from Sunagakure, fewer in number, but at least one of them is a puppeteer."

"A puppeteer from Sunagakure?"

Bo Cheng calmly analyzed, "They should be a team like ours, carrying out infiltration and reconnaissance missions."

"Um...."

A flash of killing intent crossed Uchiha Yogen's eyes.

He looked at his team members and gave a deep order: "Our mission objective remains the same: reconnaissance. But now, we're adding a secondary objective—to observe and record the fighting styles of the Sand Village puppeteers and the Rain Village ninja. Remember, no one is allowed to act without my order."

"yes!"

The four of them set to work again.

This time, their movements were more agile and more covert.

They were like four true phantoms of the night, traversing the dense rainforest, gradually approaching the bustling battlefield.

As they closed the distance, the crisp sounds of clashing weapons and the booming sounds of ninjutsu erupting became increasingly clear in their ears.

The stench of blood in the air was so strong it was almost tangible, stimulating everyone's nerves.

Finally, they arrived at the edge of the battlefield.

The four of them tacitly hid behind four huge ancient trees, large enough to conceal their figures, and pushed aside the thick layer of bushes in front of them.

When Ye Xian, with his unwavering resolve, saw the scene in the center of the battlefield, he couldn't help but gasp in shock.