Konoha cat breeder

Chapter 112: Battle Against the Sand Ninjas

"Attack!"

With Tsunade's command, the eight-person team sprang into action simultaneously.

The squad's commander was assigned to Tsunade, while Mugime Kodachi targeted two ninjas who appeared to share a strong bond and likely had excellent teamwork. The remaining three Sand ninjas were divided among the six younger members of the team.

"Been a while since we fought side by side, Minato," Tonari said, his voice brimming with excitement as he extended his fist.

"It has," Minato replied with a smile, bumping fists lightly with him.

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"Enemy attack!"

The Sand ninja leader, Senjuuro, reacted immediately. Without hesitation, the black cloth covering the large puppet strapped to his back unfurled. From the puppet, a small, fist-sized device shot into the air, aiming to send out a warning signal.

This was a standard Sand ninja communication device, designed to alert nearby comrades by exploding into a bright light high in the sky.

But the signal didn't make it far.

A slender, seemingly delicate hand intercepted the device mid-air. With a burst of power that defied its appearance, the hand crushed the device before it could explode in the open.

Boom!

The signal burst harmlessly in Tsunade's hand, its light and sound smothered by the dense forest canopy.

Senjuuro's face turned pale, his eyes wide with disbelief and terror.

"T-Tsunade!"

For Sand ninjas, encountering Tsunade was akin to a death sentence. Her prowess as a medical ninja rendered their poisons useless, and her immense physical strength made even the sturdiest puppets crumble with a single blow.

"Precision? Sure. But your toys can't take a punch," she had famously said of their puppets.

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Elsewhere, Tonari and Minato confronted their assigned opponent—a middle-aged Sand ninja puppet master.

Despite underestimating the two younger opponents at first, the Sand ninja quickly realized his error. Both Minato and Tonari moved with exceptional speed and coordination, each landing precise blows that left him with two bleeding wounds.

"You little brats!" the Sand ninja snarled, retreating as he unraveled a scroll. His bloodied hand slapped the scroll's surface, summoning a grotesque humanoid puppet.

As the puppet connected to his chakra strings, the Sand ninja's demeanor shifted. Confidence returned to his eyes as the puppet sprang to life, its joints creaking ominously.

Tonari exchanged a glance with Minato.

"Let's take it apart," he said, grinning.

Minato nodded, his eyes narrowing.

---

"Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets!"

Tonari fired several high-pressure wind bullets from his mouth, aiming for the puppet.

The Sand ninja's fingers twitched, commanding the puppet to intercept. Its mechanical arms extended, releasing sharp blades that clashed with the wind bullets, deflecting them with precision.

The Sand ninja smirked. His control over the puppet was a clear indicator of his skill, and his confidence grew as he countered each attack.

But Tonari wasn't done.

As the Sand ninja focused on deflecting the wind bullets, he failed to notice a shadow closing in from his blind spot.

"Substitution Technique?" he muttered, turning back toward Tonari—only to see the original dissolving into smoke.

---

Tonari's real self emerged behind the Sand ninja, his short sword gleaming in the dim light. The Sand ninja, sensing the threat, frantically swung his chakra threads, attempting to entangle Tonari.

But it was too late.

With one fluid motion, Tonari's blade cut through the chakra threads like paper.

"Wha—!"

Before the puppet master could react further, a strong gust of wind slammed into his back, courtesy of Minato.

The concentrated wind burst sent him stumbling forward, straight into Tonari's waiting blade.

Shing!

A clean strike.

The Sand ninja's lifeless body fell to the ground as Tonari sheathed his short sword with a flourish, striking a pose he considered heroic.

Turning to Minato, he opened his mouth to make a witty remark, but Minato was already sprinting toward the others.

"Help the others! Quickly!" Minato called over his shoulder.

Tonari sighed, dropping his pose.

"Minato's changed..."

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The Sand ninja squad wasn't particularly strong compared to Tsunade's team. Minato and Tonari alone could each handle one mid-level ninja. Meanwhile, the teamwork between the remaining younger members was more than sufficient to deal with the others.

When Tonari reached the area where Uchiha Yoshinari and Nara Yoshino were fighting, he found that their opponent was already on the brink of defeat, his body covered in cuts and bruises.

The pair's synergy was near-perfect. Yoshino's Shadow Imitation Technique created openings that Yoshinari exploited with precise, aggressive attacks.

Over the past year, Yoshino had shed her shy, hesitant demeanor. She wielded her clan's signature jutsu with a confidence and decisiveness that could only come from rigorous training and experience.

Tonari couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Shikaku and Shikamaru. The formidable potential within Yoshino was finally awakening, and she was becoming a force to be reckoned with.

Meanwhile, Yoshinari had dedicated nearly all his efforts to offense. His fire-style ninjutsu and mastery of shuriken techniques made him the team's primary damage dealer.

"Two protect one? Who needs defense when you can go all-out?" Tonari thought with a smirk, watching Yoshinari in action.

As the fight concluded, Tonari turned toward where the other battles were taking place.

The mission was progressing smoothly—but they all knew this was just the beginning.

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(Chapter End)

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